The Last Lap

It hardly seems possible that our departure day is approaching SO quickly... the words surreal and bittersweet only begin to explain this wild mixture of emotions that overwhelm me. I'll work on a 'thought' post when I process a bit more, but for now, here are a few pictures from our last week in Africa...

A few of us hiked up a 'mountain' outside of Rehoboth at the beginning of the week where we were able to get a spectacular view of the place we've called home for the last 8 months...

The other side of the hill... totally reminds me of 'The Lion King'...
We've perfected the jumping pic :)I said a sad goodbye to some of my favorite kiddos at Lebensschule. God has taught me a lot through working with these very special children. Here is me with good 'ol Brandon... when I showed him this picture after I took it he grabbed the camera and started kissing himself!!
I was able to have a great time at a goodbye dinner with the interns I have worked with this term. We laughed a lot, and had great conversation - it was a wonderful way to end my time with them!More goodbyes were said at St. Mary's Hospital in Rehoboth. This is dearest Denzyl, who has been there since January. His eyes stole my heart the first time I met him, and he quickly became one of my favorites on the floor. My last hug from him was a hard one for sure...

We had an incredible final week with the High School girls at RHS. My teammate Brittany helped put on a 'Girl's Night' last weekend where we were able to share, laugh, and love on these precious friends of ours. Our last bible study was on Tuesday and we were able to use Crusade's 'Soularium' cards to open up some great conversation...This week my team also went on a 'clown tour' to the farm schools in the surrounding areas of Rehoboth, which was an absolute blast. We were able to share the gospel without words, which was so much fun given the intensity of the language barrier in the more rural areas. The kids loved it (and so did we!!). All the driving through rocky, horribly kept roads left us with this...

Fortunately the men on our team took care of it quickly and the tour continued :) Here we are having fun at TokoKoopman Primary School...Saying goodbye to our host family was really hard, especially our 2 sisters, Stacy and Jemca. We had some good times with them this week and left on a really great note!!Sweet Jemmie... I'm gonna miss this girl SOOOOO much!I'm looking forward to some sweet reunions with many of you in the next few weeks!
Loving what the Lord has done in me the last 8 months,
Mackenzie

Easter in Rundu

This last weekend myself, Kristen, and Catherine had the fortunate experience of travelling about 8 hours North to Rundu. We had a great time visiting our friends Tricia and Nicole, and were able to see their ministry with Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) there...

Here are some of the kiddos at the OVC project:
Sweet Christina
Me and Tricia on our way to the Open Market in town...
Nicole and I in town...
Beautiful sunset over the Kavango River, which borders with Angola (right side of pic!)

I hope you had a wonderful Easter as well, celebrating the death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Much Love,
Mackenzie

Pics from the Week

On Sunday my team and I were blessed to make over 315 Peanut-Butter and Jelly sanwiches and spend the afternoon giving them to kids in town...Things at the hospital are still going well. Sydney loves to 'read'...
and Amalia started walking!!! (she couldn't even sit up when she was admitted back in Sept!)

Like Jesus

I was listening to a sermon this weekend that posed a question that really got me thinking…

“Do I like Jesus, or do I want to be like Jesus?”

To ‘like Jesus’ could include a comfortable life. One where I merely ‘tack him on’ as a sort of extracurricular as I try to live my life as a generally good person while still pursuing my interests, desires, etc. To be like Jesus, I’m afraid, will look radically different.

I think it’s beautiful that Jesus loved the outcasts, the sinners, the ‘hard people’, but am I willing to get dirty in the lives of people who do not know Him?

I am thankful that Jesus laid down his rights, but will I spend my life fighting for and trying to defend mine?

I’m amazed that Jesus’ life on earth was filled with suffering for the joy set before him, but will I spend my life trying to make sure I have a ‘good time’ while I’m here?

“Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.” {1 John 2:6}

I want my life to look like Christ. I long for people to see Jesus in me. I know that there is nothing more worthy, more satisfying, more joyful, more life-giving, than to spend everything that I have every day of my life to BE like Jesus. And I know that it is only by the grace of God and power of the Holy Spirit that I will be able to serve joyfully, love sacrificially, be self-forgetting, and willingly submit my will to the Father’s Sovereignty… just like Jesus did.

Much Love,

Mackenzie

Blogging Block...

Sorry I've been bad at keeping up with this lately! I think the idea of leaving so soon and the emotions (both thrilled and sad) that go with it have left my thoughts swirled and poorly articulated. I'll work on a 'real' update soon, but for now I thought I'd leave a few pictures...

My sweet teammate Lulu left on Wednesday - we miss her dearly already!

The most AMAZING dance party I've ever witnessed...Seriously, I wanted lessons!

We started our new study, 'My Heart- Christ's Home' with the girls at RHS this past week... it went really well and has been such a JOY to watch some of these girls falling more in love with the Lord.
Hope you are well. Thank you as always for your support and encouragement!
Much Love,
Mackenzie

Victoria Falls!

This is the incredible Victoria Falls... they are absolutely breathtaking! Just standing and looking from far away you get soaked from the mist that comes off of them. One of the many adrenaline-inducing activities I participated in... stepping off a nearly 200 ft. cliff! It catches you at the bottom and swings you out - such a blast!
Ah White Water Rafting! Definitely the most scary for me (sitting in the back on the right), but I'm so glad I did it!
This is our group eating a delicious dinner we made ourselves one night...
These are some of the fun new friends we made at the Backpacker we were staying at:
Lastly, here is the 6 of us from Rehoboth on one of our last nights in Zambia:
We had an amazing, refreshing, wonderful week in Victoria Falls! Its good to be back in Rehoboth now... we only have about 6 1/2 weeks to go!
Much Love,
Mackenzie

Well, its still raining ALL the time here, so on Monday, Catherine, Kristen and I decided it was high time to embrace it and do a little puddle jumping :)
Our 'Foundations' study with the girls at Rehoboth High has been going SO well! Here is the group we had this week, making funny faces...

Tuesday was 'Shrove Tuesday' in England, which apparently involves making lots of Brittish pancakes (like crepes) so Catherine spent the afternoon in the kitchen preparing a shrove feast!
All for now!
Much Love,
Mackenzie

My Hope, Secure

“We who have fled for refuge have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us. We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf…”

Hebrews 6:18-20

I have spent the last weeks studying the book of Hebrews, and have found it both challenging and encouraging. Something I read on Monday has stuck in my mind, and had me asking myself many questions such as: ‘What is my hope in?’, ‘What do I hold fast to?’, ‘What is my soul anchored on?’, and ‘What holds the anchor in place?’ As I’ve continued to spend time praying through these questions, the Lord used His Word to answer some of them…

Our souls were made to be anchored in heaven. We are not to drift freely by winds and waters of culture, popular belief, or whims. He wants us to constantly know our position, and thus has given our soul a sure and steadfast anchor.

When Jesus entered the ‘inner place behind the curtain’ to purchase the forgiveness of sins once for all through His death and resurrection, He secured by His blood and righteousness the everlasting joy that is promised to all God’s people.

So, the anchor of our soul is the absolutely confident hope of everlasting joy with God. It is held firmly with the guarantee of God’s Word (vs. 17).

So I know the end of the rope attached to the anchor is fastened and secure, but where does that leave the other end of the rope? The end attached to my soul… is it equally secure? It is too held fast by the unchanging hand of God, or am I merely gripping with white-knuckles a rope that is liable to be ripped from my hands with the next crashing wave?

The answer I have seen to these questions in the book of Hebrews is both resounding and relieving! The anchor IS SECURE at both ends – and while I am strongly encouraged to hold fast to the anchor, I am evermore aware that my ability and capacity to do so has been made supplied by the blood of my Savior. The death and resurrection of Jesus opened the door of the New Covenant, which claims our salvation is secure at BOTH ends… verse 21 of chapter 13 tells us so. It says that the Eternal (or ‘new’) Covenant will equip us with everything good to do His will, as Jesus Christ works through us according to what pleases Him. So when God ‘strongly encourages’ (or commands!) us to do something, He couples the instruction with the empowerment to do it. We are able to firmly fix ourselves to the hope of everlasting joy with God by the power He gives us to do so.

My holding fast to hope is done by the working of God in me through Jesus Christ. Praise God for the enablement through Jesus to do what He has commanded!

When it rains...

it POURS! This 'flood' was the result only 45 short minutes of rain! We left the internet store and were ankle deep in water!And when Africa makes bugs, they make them BIG... and scary! This killer jumped from outside, through my window, into the corner under my bed. Don't worry though... Kristen and I creatively found a way to promptly remove him :)
Are those eyes or antennas?
Stick Bug... huge!!
I'll work on something more interesting for soon :)
Much Love,
Mackenzie

Divine RE-Appointments...

Many of you may remember the story of a young girl named Ester that I shared with you in a blog post last fall. Ester is about 16 years old, and has a horrific story of prostitution, rape, physical abuse, alcohol abuse, HIV and TB… and that’s just the part of her story I know. Anyway, when she ran away from the hospital last October, I honestly thought I’d never see her again. We had spent good time talking, I had been able to share the gospel with her, and continue to spend time together, and when she left without telling anyone, my heart just hurt thinking about where she had run to. I was sure it was not her Heavenly Father, who I knew was the only one with bandages strong enough to bind up her wounds and throughout the past months, the Lord has brought her to mind many times and I have continued to pray for her and for the child she was pregnant with when I saw her last.

Well, as I was walking to Lebensschule on Monday (I pass by the hospital to get there) I heard a voice yelling, but wasn’t sure it was for me. I kept walking, and soon realized that there was a young girl chasing after me. I turned around, and much to my surprise, there was Ester!!! “Hi Mackenzie!” she said as she opened her arms for an embrace. I’m sure my face conveyed every bit of shock I was feeling as I wrapped her up in a hug I was so thrilled to be giving. Words started flowing quickly from her mouth, and I sorted out the details that she was back in Rehoboth (she is currently living on a farm south of here) because she had just given birth to her baby girl! As I followed her up to her room to meet her new baby, the verse from Psalm 41 that says “the LORD protects him and keeps him alive” kept running through my mind. As far as I know, Ester has not trusted Jesus with her life, but I couldn’t help but sense the overwhelming knowledge that it was Him who protected both her life, and her unborn baby’s. Praise God for His Sovereign protection and provision for these two beautiful girls!

Here is a picture of Ester and her new baby girl, Ashandy:

And here is a picture of the two of us :)

Please continue to pray that God would take ahold of Ester’s bruised and broken heart in a mighty way… that she would come to know the perfect love of her Father, and the saving grace of His Son.

Much Love,

Mackenzie

Foundations

Praise the Lord! On Tuesday afternoon, after months of praying, planning, and building relationships with girls at Rehoboth High School, we started our first bible study! It could not have gone better! We had no idea how many girls to expect, so we made 15 copies of the study (called ‘Foundations’; a 5-week follow up study after sharing the gospel). When we arrived, guess how many girls were there for the study… exactly 15! Kristen and I had the chance to share our stories, and open the floor for them to do the same. Many of the faces were familiar ones we have gotten to know over the past months, but there were a few we had never met before, and we are excited to develop those friendships as well.
Here is a photo of the group:
And another one… Katrina (L, an old friend) and Doreann (R, a new friend)!

A huge thank you to those of you who have been praying with us about this – it was a huge encouragement to see the Lord answer in such an exciting way, and we are looking forward to these meetings in the weeks to come!
Much Love,
Mackenzie

Katatura State Hospital

Many of you know that I was able to start last week at Katatura State Hospital in Windhoek, under the guidance of Pediatrician and fellow AIM-er, Dr. Steve Brown. I spent Thursday and Friday there, as I will be doing each week from now on, and it was wonderful!! It felt so refreshing to be back in a (somewhat) familiar environment, and I really enjoyed getting to use some of my training to provide care for some pretty tiny patients! For those of you who are praying for relationships with the staff there, thank you! Sister Erica, who I worked alongside on Thursday in the PREM Unit (similar to a NICU) was a really neat woman, and I am looking forward to getting to know her. Additionally, I met a German nursing student who is here for four months, and she and I ‘stuck together’. Svennia is her name, and I am looking forward to continuing to develop a friendship with her as well!

Here are a few pictures:

This is Katatura State Hospital from the front. 20 years ago it was the 'black hospital' in Windhoek.

This sweet little Nama girl has an AV Septal Defect (heart). The cardiologist comes up once a month from South Africa to see the patients, and he was in last week.

'One-eyed Raoul' as I took to calling him :) Reminded me of a little pirate, and ever so cute!!

The sunset outside of KSH on Thursday evening... breathtaking!!!

That's all for now... thanks for the prayers!

Much Love

Mackenzie

A few fun pictures!

Kristen and I found a giraffe on the side of the road to jump in front of :) Can you see it in the background?

Last week my team had the sweet opportunity to make around 200 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and take them to Block E (the poorest section of Rehoboth). It was great to be able to give these people something, as we sought to share the gospel with them as well.

I'm back to helping out at St. Mary's, and arrived on the unit on Tuesday to find little Amalia asleep on the floor in the hallway! This sweet girl has been in the hospital since I arrived and the nurses think she'll be around until March or April.


Last Monday, my teammate MollyBea had a little run-in with this road sign involving a trip to the Casualty Room (ER), some stitches, a big bump on the head, and a good laugh (after making sure she was okay, of course!)

Holiday is officially over and school is back in session as of this week! This is our host sister, Jemca, on her first day of school! She was so excited and looked SO adorable in her little uniform!

That's all for now!
Much Love,
Mackenzie