The Wonder of Africa Part 2

Hello from South Africa! As I’m writing this, my team and I are driving to the country of Lesotho! But, first thing, I get the privilege to share with you all about the incredible things that have occurred over the last month! As well as share about what is happening at the Global Leadership Academy campus in Jeffrey’s Bay. As many of you may know, GLA has a very special place in my heart. It was my favorite location from my first World Race this past year and I was so grateful to go back on this trip!

We arrived on campus in the beginning of January with expectant hearts and grateful attitudes. I quickly got to reunite with people that I love and that love me very much. For example Lucas-who deeply discipled me and my guys last year and Wendy-who is truly a friend and mother figure for me. Not to forget, many many more who I have such deep love for. Yes the people here are committed to the Lord and faithful in their walk, but the bigger thing you can see is the Lord’s hands that are upon GLA. Whether you’re walking through the hallways during the school hours, or sitting with Global Challenge(similar to the World Race through GLA) students watching the sunset and talking about adventures being taken around the world, or sitting with Wendy in the missions house discussing the testimonies of the Lord and praising Him for his faithfulness. GLA is a place of growth, of restoration, of challenge. These three attributes come together to make a beautiful garden that’s sustained by the glory of God. And we got to be immersed in it. We were able to break ground and even set down roots.

While getting vision for my team for the month, the Lord spoke very clearly that this needs to be walked out together in leading and shepherding. This looked like Drew and I coming together in prayer and desiring hearts to lead these men that were entrusted to us. Drew is the other squad leader and we decided to bring our teams together for the month. There’s a total of 11 of our guys and I have such a deep love for each. Not only do I get to serve these ministries across the world but I get to lead men into a deeper understanding of the Lord. Looking back at Cambodia-this is where our foundation of our team was being built. GLA was us building thereupon. And Lesotho, well I’m very excited.

Ministry has looked different in many ways since we started. As soon as we arrived on campus they needed us to help finish classrooms for the elementary students to start school. We had only a few days to get it ready before school started and amazingly finished right in time. Me and a handful of guys also got to paint a track with field events for the school to participate in. This was such a fun time because we also got to participate with the students. Many maintenance projects were done, many conversations of ministry happened as well. Part of our interpersonal ministry this month was each other as a squad and the community at GLA. There actually was a day where some guys got to do an outreach to the community. They had an incredible encounter where they met this man that had previously had a vision of them coming to him. Right then and there the man decided to give his life to follow Jesus. This just perfectly shows how the Lord goes before us and uses us when we’re willing to be used by him.

The biggest physical work we got to do was digging foundations for a new part of the campus. They have just began the village project. This is an actual village that is being built for the facilitators of the school. It’s meant for retired missionaries, pastors, teachers and for people like Lucas that are carpenters and take care of the campus. Lucas’s house is actually the first that is being built. Something special we got to do was actually dig out the foundations for his home. While we got to do this, he was working on our spiritual foundations. And for our last day of ministry we actually got to watch this come to pass, the cement was poured for his foundation. And for our actual last day Lucas poured a lot of prayer into my foundation in the Lord. It was very special.

This last month was a very restful month for me but also a very growing time. God really revealed my heart to myself-in how I pursue his commands compared to how I pursue his heart. It gave me the opportunity over an over again to surrender to Him more, to surrender to his purposes over my own. What does it actually look like to be completely surrendered to what He wants to do everyday?

Not only did I grow in my relationship with the Lord but I know my fellow men did as well. We got to focus on simple spiritual disciplines such as fasting and prayer with each other. When a group of men can come together in such unity in the Spirit, powerful things will happen. And this leads us to what’s next.

As I’m writing this, we’ve just past through the border of Lesotho. Lesotho is a place know as the “Hidden Kingdom.” It’s currently pitch black outside, but I know there’s some mountainous landscape just behind that darkness. I’m excited as I’ve heard amazing things from people that know where we’re going. But I’m most excited because it’s a place me and my team can dive deep. I don’t know much about the ministry yet, but I do know we’ll be going up in the mountains for a week to build a church in a secluded village. I also know there’s a chance we’ll be hiking to unreached places to share the Kingdom.

I would love for you to be praying for us. I ask that you’d pray for our hearts, that they would come into perfect alignment with what the Lord wants here. I ask that you’d pray for our safety and health, that we would trust in our Father as our great provider and physician. And that you could pray for divine encounter of God’s presence within our team and the people we will meet.Thank you everyone for being alongside us in this. Our Father is doing so much in me and these guys with the people we’ve encountered. All the testimonies couldn’t be numbered. Please reach out to me if you feel led. Thank you.

Through Him, who will finish the good work he’s started. ~Zach Flowers