Botswana Trip Report 2018
Trip Details:
WHEN:
May 30 – June 11, 2018
OUR MISSION:
For the hearts of leaders to be IGNITED – so that they are inspired to spread the FIRE of forgiveness throughout Botswana and beyond!
OUR STRATEGY:
Providing Fresh Start opportunities for men, women and young people to experience what it really means to be Forgiven, Forgiving, and FREE!
PRINTABLE VERSION:
Trip Report
ABOVE ALL ELSEā¦ guard your heart for it is the wellspring of life. Proverbs 4:23
10 YEARS OF PARTNERSHIP
What a privilege it was to carry the Fresh Start message to Africa! This was the 10th year that Fresh Start For All Nations has teamed up with Open Baptist Church, and our 9th year with Face The Nation. Our team has returned home and we are giving God the glory for all He did to provide for out team which included Pastor Steve and Mindy Peterson, David Anderson, Carol Perkins, Bonnie Dennis, and Brad and Susan Thomas. By the way, the only team member to be part of all team trips to Botswana over the past 10 years is Pastor Steve!
FACE THE NATION
Face The Nation is a program where approximately 100 college age young people apply to volunteer their time and to be trained in discipleship, Fresh Start and abstinance for three weeks. After training, they carry the three-fold message to high schools throughout Botswana. The young people we worked with for five days were a wonderful group – all anxious to honor God and go into the respective schools with clean hearts. We were so blessed to get to know them and hear their hearts.
A āFULL THROTTLEā APPROACH
After spending the morning and early afternoon with the students, we had afternoon one-on-one sessions with them as well. What a privilege to hear from them, care for their hearts and share Godās love and truth with them! Then, in the evening, we taught the congregation and Fresh Start leadership of Open Baptist Church. The topics included: āExposing Denialā, āTemptation and the Great Escapeā, and āProcessing The Issues Of Your Heartā. They were so hungry to learn and participate! (By the way, if you are interested in hearing the teaching on these and many other topics, check out the Fresh Start website/resources: www.freshstartforallnations.org/resources)
BEFORE and AFTER
On our final day with the students, each one came forward and shared words that described the condition of their hearts before and after experiencing the transforming power of forgiveness. Here are some of the words they proclaimed:
BEFORE: Angry – Rejected – Depressed – Heartbroken – Violated – Unwanted – Inadequate – Insecure – Abandoned – Hopeless – Used – Hurt – Loss of a Dream – Overwhelmed – Betrayed – Worthless – and Unloved
AFTER: Liberated – Accepted – So Happy – Fulfilled – Released – So Worthy – Peaceful – Significant – Joyful – Restoredā¦ and more than any other response, we heard āLOVED!ā and āFREE!ā Thank you Lord!
WE COULDNāT HAVE DONE IT WITHOUT YOU
We could not have gone to Botswana without your prayer and financial support. We truly felt your prayers in all we did. Thank you, thank you for thinking about us. We covet your prayers.
God is so good and may He receive ALL the glory.
We appreciate and love each of youā¦ May God Bless You!
Bonnie Dennis on behalf of the 2018 Fresh Start Botswana Team
