Ah, Palapye!

It was so amazing to be back in Palapye again after a little over a year. I feel so blessed that God gave me the opportunity to visit the place that I called home for almost 2 years and to see the people that became my family. The two weeks that the team and I spent in Botswana flew by. We visited with people, prayer-walked, held a Game Day for youth and children, taught at the church about planning events and commitment to Christ, led youth meeting, held all-night prayer, hosted a church fellowship, and just spent time with our brothers and sisters in Christ (see lots of pictures below). I was so proud of how the church members had grown over the past year. Pastor Alceir (the Brazilian missionary who is currently pastoring the church) has been on furlough in Brazil since early December and the leaders of the church have been doing a great job since he has been away. It was strange to be back, but not really be "back" and it was really hard to leave again. But, God has been working and He will continue to work in Palapye. My prayer for the church and my friends there is the same as when I left in October of 2007:

I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus...And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and my be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ - to the glory and praise of God.

~Philippians 1:3-6, 9-11