Every year our church hosts a conference called Make Room. It’s an amazing, jammed packed weekend of strategic principles and resources for building your local church. We go all out to host pastors, leaders and church staff to provide them with anything and everything to help their church succeed. There are so many great elements to the conference – it’s hard to not be involved in everything.

Last year Greg and Kristin Evans came for a short trip to the States during this conference. This year Greg is in town. It is so refreshing to see Greg! I already equate him with my African home. I can’t wait to move!

Seeing Greg definitely makes me more excited to move to Durban. I only saw him briefly last night but we were already talking about what is in the mix for The Life Church Durban campus.

Reality hit a little bit closer tonight. And not necessarily in a home-sweet-home kind of way.

It was more of a put-on-the-gloves-ready-to-fight kind of stirring.

At first, Greg started sharing about the different opportunities for ministry. The possibilities here and there. The different groups we could work with. What we could work towards for the future. Then the conversation turned into personal stories from people’s lives through various encounters he had.

He started talking about the fact that every day he encounters prostitutes. Child prostitutes. Young men and women. And he says the numbers aren’t dwindling. They are actually growing because they are shipping them in for the FIFA World Cup later this year.

Straight up human trafficking.

Makes me sick.

Don’t forget about the other stories taking place: kids living from house to house or on the streets because one or both parents were lost to AIDS, kids not knowing the difference and stepping right into their parent’s destructive lifestyles, or those families barely surviving on the food they may or may not bring home.

Greg with kids from a Children's Cup feeding center

All these things are not fixed overnight. But we can make a difference. We are looking at the big picture but never forgetting the life of that one person needing Hope.

The actual work in Durban will probably take different shapes as time goes on. God might open the door for one inner city ministry and then something else later. The ministry that will start from the beginning though is building The Life Church Durban.  The local church providing ministry, discipleship and community is absolutely vital to any outreach.

That’s why I’m going to Durban. To begin the journey for a thriving, life-giving local church in Durban where all walks of life can find Hope, Truth, Love, Healing, Life! and a fresh start through our wonderful Lord and Savior, Jesus.

A little one asking me to hold her

You may not be going on the plane with me but you can be just as much a part of it. (Of course I’ll take scores of pictures and videos so you think you’re going along)  If you are praying for me, this trip, my fellow missionaries, the church – you are a part of it. You are investing in building God’s Kingdom. If you are partnering with me financially – you are a part of it. If you are going on one of the short term trips to Durban – well then, yes, I’d definitely say you’re a part of it. See the different ways you can be a part?

Here’s where I’m not going to be shy. I can’t really be a part of actually going unless I get all my funds. Talk about reality check!

I’ve still got a ways to go but that just means an opportunity for copious amounts of people to be a part of this landmark event! Look at the field before you! What do you say?

Let me know what you’re thinking! Send me an email, leave a comment, ask for a letter, donate below, twitter about my blog post, share my facebook page, tell your friends… yep, I’d say that’s about it!