Georgia

‘Be still’  is not only a call to quiet down, sit down, and relax in the presence of the Father. In the stillness there is healing, you are hit with the reality that God is God! God is in control, and when we know that God is in control, he is placed on the thrown of our life, the point where you do that you don’t expect anything from this world but know that all good comes from Him.

Our time in Georgia was the perfect time to be still in the Lord. Imagine this… arriving in a small village called Svaneti , you see little brick houses surrounded by green rolling hills that are covered by a blanket of wild flowers. You look up to see mountains, towering over you, covered in snow. The sun is hot yet there is a cold breeze, you take a deep breath and know that God is the perfect creator! With His creation revealing His glory, every glance puts you in your place. “Be still and know that I am God” – this was not difficult to do.

 

Henco’s experience:

“Here in Georgia, God really spoke to me about things I am trying to sort out in my life and get in alignment with the paths of righteousness He has for me.

There is something about submerging myself in raw nature that simply gives me time to quiet my thoughts and regain the peace God has for each of us. Even though I don’t exactly know what God’s plan for my life is, He is in control and His will is always good.

A common theme came through in Georgia that linked in well with the journey a few of the gents in our team are on… being a man.

This sounds simple, but if you look around, you will realise that we are not living and leading like we should. It was beautiful to see how our spontaneous conversations about biblical masculinity, and what I was reading in the book “Wild at heart”, overlapped and how this lead to even more intentional fellowship about the topic.”

Coming to a small village and discovering what it really means to establish a culture of living a radical life for God. A life that’s driven by love and guided by wisdom, a certain lifestyle that will truly show how He is set apart from the world. A lifestyle that became a culture for us to be part of, and a culture to be shared with others.

The people of Svaneti live very unique lives and work hard no matter their age. We had the privilege to stay with a long-term focussed husband and wife, the wife being a local, who showed us the Georgian culture. It was beautiful to see how intentional God is – by how He sent a couple into the mountains of Svaneti to live a Godly lifestyle and make an impact. To shine that kingdom culture lifestyle to the old and young, rich and poor, potato planters, fishermen, hitchhikers, teachers, cattle herders, students and more.

 

Ronen expressed:

“On the first day we arrived in Georgia, our host, was being accused by one of the farmers in the village. He was clearly very unhappy about something. She waited for him to cool down, they exchanged words and he left. Still not very happy. 

Two days later, she sent 5 of us to a local farmer to go help them with planting potatoes. After explaining to me where the house was, my 4 team mates and I set out to find the house (knowing only the name of the person we’re supposed to help). We walked in the direction of the house and found a couple working in their field. I shouted the name given to us, there was a reaction and we went closer. 

The closer we got, the more I realised she had sent us to help the guy that had been accusing her. My only reference point to explaining why we are helping him was our hosts name, and this name did not impress the farmer at all. At first he shunned us away, but after insisting he allowed us to help. After we finished the work, he even invited us into his house for a traditional Georgian supper.

We came home that afternoon and I asked why our host had sent us to go help this man that was falsely accusing her. She told me that even their neighbours had phoned her to ask that same question, why? All she then told me was that she forgives others because God forgives her. Wow.”

 

Carike said:

“After one morning’s potato planting with the neighbours, we ate some fresh bread and meat with the family. Without understanding their language, we chatted and laughed – this is a moment I want to cherish. Love isn’t limited by culture or language. If a simple smile, or serving one another makes such a big difference, I wouldn’t mind planting potatoes for the rest of my life!”

 

Seeing people without the peace of the Lord is difficult, because you know that they have an empty void in them that they are trying to fill up with things other than the Lord and you can see them hurting.

Everyday there are people hurting, people seeking for the Lord. We can see this all over the world, but here in Svaneti, we could see people hurting, living everyday just like the day before, seeking for more.

Sometimes you feel like there is nothing you can do to make a difference. But, let’s consider the approach Jesus took; He focused on one hurting person at a time. He was with them, fully present. He made a difference through one patient, kind, and loving interaction at a time.

Following Jesus’ example, we approached the kids ministry in Georgia. Spending only a few hours a day with the kids, we showed them the love, patience and kindness that Jesus shows us daily. Playing volleyball, foosball, and soccer as well as dancing and singing to worship songs, preforming a few bible stories and hosting a worship evening for the community, were some of the ways we interacted with the community.

 

Hele shared about the times we hitchhiked to Mestia and her journey up to this point:

“We, as a team, hitchhiked to the neighbouring village where we explored and ate local Georgian food. With well-known hiking trails passing our front door, we also had our fare share of hiking in the mountains, way bigger than the Karoo “koppies” I am used to.

As Georgia was the exact halfway mark of my Global journey, this was a time where I sat with the Lord and reflected on what He has done in my life for the last six months. What He revealed to me, how he purified me and how I just fell in love with who He is. It is so cool for me how God is constantly using the people around me to reveal more and more of who He is. But being here in Georgia, He is not just using people, but He is revealing himself in nature as well.”

Henco’s highlights were:

“Going on a hike with Niklas, camping twice in the mountains and worshipping in a cafeteria that’s still being built.

During a few worship sessions, the Lord put this song on my heart and the lyrics say:

“There’s not a mountain that’s higher than your love, it covers me.
There’s not a place that I’m left alone, it’s always with me”
– all referring to God’s love.

May we be still and know that He is God, have open ears to listen to His voice and be obedient.”

The team got the opportunity to experience a night camping in the mountains of Georgia. With the Tsirkiari, Simzagari and Cherinda mountains standing tall in front of us, the team decided to climb and reach the snow. We walked for 9km, which felt like 20km due to the low oxygen levels, set up camp and continued walking. A few of the team members Henco, Renee, Cayla and Hele continued past the snow with a goal to summited the Simzagari mountain that was 3311m above sea level, what an adventure!

Cayla said:

“Climbing the mountain went from being physically straining to a mental game, knowing that it is hard but in spite of that, pushing through, one step at a time. Reaching the top was a victory, and witnessing the beauty that surrounded me, all I could do was thank the Lord! I realised that God is so intentional in every little thing, like the small flowers we walked passed, the way the snow is placed on the mountains, to giving us able bodies to experience his creation.”

Georgia has been a blessing in many ways! It’s been a place where we realised that God gives us peace that may be beyond our understanding, but not beyond our grasp. It was a time to know that if we want the peace of God, we must first have peace with God. A time to be still, fast and surrender. A time to be in awe of who God is and to place him on the thrown of our life. To experience His love for another nation and to be part of the revival to come.

Armenia we are ready for you!