National Geographic Photography Contest - Look at Picture #42! It's the view of Table Mountain for Capetown, South Africa near where I live.

Photo Credit and to view the other amazing photographs:

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2010/11/national_geographics_photograp.html

Rain on a Graveyard (Nov. 16, 2010)

Lord, lead my paths to your refreshing waters where the streams of life never end but only grow deeper and stronger.

“I am Life. I am Depth. I am Water bringing life to your bones, health to your body, sustenance to your soul.”

Do not hold back your weeping, for it is Rain on the barren land because the dead will live again. Even they hunger and seek what they have not tasted.

What makes the skeletons of winter branches move again? – A whispering breeze? A commanding wind? A shouting storm?

No, but only the breath of a heart that says, “Believe” against the corpse of death.

Then the waiting clouds release – instantly.

Rain.

– Washing away the silt to reveal what was destroyed made new.

Cleansed.

Brittle no longer.

A graveyard – gray – now green.

Here is what I am involved in this year in South Africa, celebrating 20 years of my Bible School!

I am privileged to be a student in the 20th year of the School of Biblical Studies here at YWAM Muizenberg, South Africa, and so we are celebrating in a variety of practical and life-giving ways!

Here are some of the things we are believing to take part in:

• Reaching out through our staff and students in teaching and training to 20 different locations!
• Spending 20 hours of prayer for the spread of Bible teaching in Africa and beyond.
• Helping assist 20 different people in doing their SBS/BCC* around the world this year. 

*School of Biblical Studies/Bible Core Course

I hope to be filling you in this year as we, as a school staff and students, have opportunities to serve the local communities and to support Bible teaching and Bible teachers in Africa to know God and make Him known!

Please lift these things up in your prayers: the African people and my Bible school and I as we study God's Word, He reveals Himself to us, and we are transformed and able to give to others what God has given to us!

I NOW live in South Africa. As you can tell, I'm really excited about this!

As you can read, I have arrived safely in South Africa,
the land that I now live in and hope to come to love!

At the Airport with my Sister

“See you laters”

After sad goodbyes - or as I like to call them "see you laters" in hopes that I would cry less - from Montana to California to Minnesota and Wisconsin and places in between, my flights from Minneapolis to Amsterdam to Capetown were uneventful. (Yeah!) This is the first time I have ever arrived at my destination in two flights, and to South Africa at that! But my legs did get a bit cramped with back-to-back flights. I arrived after 10:00pm, both of my checked bags made it (yeah!), and I headed out of customs looking for a familiar "YWAM" sign! And there it was, with a little crowd of people!

Destination Africa!

I arrived early, with a few days to settle in and get over jetlag before my classes started Monday. Jetlag was no fun! I was so tired the first few days. But I got a chance get to know my new hometown of Muizenberg (where the grocery store is, Checkers, some coffee shops, and the beach) and my roommate Anne and some of my other classmates and staff.

International Flava'
Both the town and the YWAM base are quite multi-cultural. In my School of Biblical Studies (SBS) alone, there are twenty-two students, representing six continents and fifteen countries (not including my staff)! I have nine classmates from African nations. As a school we are even blessed to have a local pastor attending classes with us! He has an amazing testimony! I am looking forward to get to know my classmates from such diverse backgrounds and experiences.

God Experiences

I have been praying so much about who my roommates would be, and they are so great. So far I have two from two different countries and continents. We get along well and have already had quite a few things to laugh about! I am thankful for all the girls in SBS. Together we are a small group of girls, but it seems we have similar hearts to love the Lord. I believe God will be showing us a lot of amazing things during this season at we seek Him!

The other night, we girls were talking and praying about this new season in our lives and the things that God has placed on our hearts. One thing I felt impressed by – my desire is that the Holy Spirit be evident in love and action in this SBS, my school – in our lives! Most of the time with school, we get wrapped up in head knowledge, but my prayer is that it would be about heart knowledge, centered around the Holy Spirit revealing to us what He desires us to learn! This goes so much deeper than that what I can learn in my own wisdom and effort.

Muizenberg, Beach, Surfing... And Surfing With Sharks???

My little mountain-beach-blustery town

View from YWAM Muizenberg, South Africa rooftop, my home!

Muizenberg is a little town along a bay on the south west side of South Africa. So far, it is pretty much always windy, especially near the ocean, making it cold most of the time! My windbreaker has come in very handy, keeping away the blustery wind and rain. And it is just coming out of winter here, heading into spring. I am thankful to have warm weather ahead of me (summer in December), though I am told the wind Muizenberg gets, keeps it cooler most of the time. The buildings are not heated, so I have to dress warmly inside and when going to classes. I am usually wrapped in a blanket in my dorm room, and my room faces south, making it even colder because of the wind from the south and the lack of direct sun.

God’s creation is so beautiful here – mountains meet ocean! This rock rises above the town on the west side. I will be climbing it one of these days! Muizenberg also borders Table Mountain National Park on the west, with Table Mountain northwest of me towards Capetown.

Muizenberg has quite a few surfers. There was a surf competition on my first Sunday here, and they tried to break the Guiness Book of World Records for the most surfers on the same wave at the same time. They didn’t this year, but it was quite a crummy day outside. And there are great white sharks! I haven’t seen them yet, but the beach has people on shark patrol all day. There are flags they fly according to whether they have seen a shark or not and the visibility for seeing them in the water. There was actually a shark attack on a surfer a couple days ago across the bay. He sustained minor injuries.

...And Here I Go!!! South Africa!!!

Me on a rock bridge in the Badlands of Montana.

I don't even know where to start... because so much has happened in my "transition" from YWAM Montana to South Africa. So I'll try to summarize my usual long windedness - for your benefit.

Here are some points of God's Blessing and Continued Prayer.

#1) God's Provision. Thank you so much for your generous blessings on my journey. I was able to buy things needed for South Africa, renew my passport, purchase plane tickets and a South African visa, and pay for my 1st term of tuition for School of Biblical Studies! I am truly astounded by how God works through you and beyond my little faith.

Please pray for continued provision, especially monthly donations. Consistent giving helps me to be able to plan for how I will pay my expenses and so that I can pay these. I have 2 more terms of tuition due January 1 and April 1 plus personal expenses.

If you would like more information on how to give, please go to http://shannonmintz.blogspot.com/p/how-to-give.html

#2) Blessed time with friends and family. Time flew by as my time was limited and we all were very busy this summer, so I am sad I was not able to see all of you. But I was truly blessed my old and new friends. Thank you for your hospitality and fellowship, coffee and chats, laughter and yes, even some good tears.

Please pray for a few good friendships to develop easily. And a great roommate!  I am starting new in South Africa - it's a good thing to have a few good people around. :)

#3) Safe Travels. God kept me safe through many States, many miles, and sometimes even 12 + hours in the car - alone! And wonderful friends to stay with along the way. The highlight of driving is always North Yellowstone National Park below Bozeman, MT! It's mountains and streams are breathtaking and will get any hikers blood running.

Please pray for continued ease and safety in traveling.

#4) YWAM School of Biblical Studies. Please pray for my studies, transitioning smoothly into the culture, and outreach opportunities. I will be starting the School of Biblical Studies in Muizenberg, South Africa on September 27th. This training will enable me to teach God's Word to Africans with little or no Bible training. I am looking forward to being immersed in God's Word, hearing more of God's heart, building friendships with my co-students from around the world, and connecting with my South African neighbors in the surrounding community through life, study, and outreach!

Thank you every one of you for your friendship, prayers, encouragement, and support!  If you don't know it already, God uses you to help me walk forward in faith when I am weak and hold my head up as you see Who God has created me to be. I only hope to touch people as God has used you to touch my life - to love, to be kind, to be a friend, to be a support SO that others can learn how to be the same - touched by the kindness of God that leads to repentance (Rom. 2:4). And that they may be moved to touch others.

Bless you.

Shannon Mintz

Coming Home

I ask myself this question, “Why is this my life? Why missions? Why evangelism? Discipleship? Why leave the comforts of home? Why to the nations? Why to South Africa?"

And it all boils down to one thing… that moves me, that makes me speak, that gives me breath.

IT’S ABOUT RELATIONSHIP.

It’s about relationship with the only One that really matters, the One that gives breath, the One that gives Life.

It’s about the little boy in Uganda with no parents and no home being loved.

It’s about the teenager visited in a dream by the One True God and being led to “foreigners” who know Him.

It’s about the minister’s wife in Thailand who just needs to be held as she cries and to know that she is not alone.

It’s about encouraging the Saints in the lonely places,

Giving sight to the blind,

Food to the poor,

Mothers to the motherless,

Fathers to the fatherless,

Bringing Life to the hopeless,

And the prodigal sons and daughters coming Home.