I am and will forever be grateful to all of you who participated, attended, and prayed for my Virtual Commissioning Service. I cannot begin to explain how I felt that day; the all-consuming love of the Christ, the moving of the Holy Spirit, and the calling of my God. I truly felt your prayers and well wishes. It was a blessing to have my family, Trinity Baptist Church, ABC of Southwest and Hawaii, and International Ministries come together in such a special way to send me off to South Africa. I am so thankful to all the persons who gave of their time and talent to make the first ever Virtual Commissioning Service, a worship service unto the Lord.

Fast forward sixty days since Commissioning. I am currently at 99% of my monthly Personal Support Goal (PSG). Just look what the Lord is doing through your sacrificial giving during these unprecedented times. Thank you so much. The questions that I (and others) have begun to ask are the following: When are you leaving? What are your plans now? Where, when, and how Father? What about my home? Will I get to say goodbye to my family on the east coast due to Covid-19 hot spots? It is amid questions He drops words of comfort into your spirit. My God lets me know that all my questions and the questions of others will be answered in a divine perfect time. He then said, “Get ready, get set, going.”

In getting ready, I read Mark 6:6b-13 (Jesus is sending out the twelve apostles into the towns of Judea). Jesus is quietly speaking to me saying: “Local work still needs to be done. Yes, you are getting ready to leave.  You are packing, you are working on getting the documents together for your Visa, working on your home, but you still have work in your home church and around your neighborhood. Help clean the street, help by being on a team to help children and the youth ministry at Trinity. Help my mission circle to start meeting again. Start my Xhosa language lessons with my tutor.” Life in the new Covid norm must go on! It is different, you must be safe, but do not wait for the old normal to come back. I want to learn the teachings of Christ. The Holy Spirit is getting me ready through a deeper understanding of God’s word.

Then the words, “get set”, led me to read Matthew 28:17-28 (The Great Commission). These verses speak to the mission of going out into the world, making disciples, baptizing in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and then teach. To “get set”, I am looking at what does “go” look like? What does “make disciples” look like? What does “baptize in the name of Christ Jesus” look like and what does “teach” look like? Nothing is set in place like I once knew.  As a deaconess for my church, one of my duties was to get candidates for baptism ready for the baptismal pool on Sunday morning. Later, we would walk with them down to the front of the church for the right hand of fellowship. When tutoring (teaching) at Trinity, I engage with my students with us doing physical things to show how math and science are practical. In making disciples, follow-up meant calls, hugs, and eating a meal together.  What will all this look like now? What will this look like in South Africa with the students of Teleios Christian School and the surrounding community? God answers, “Rely on the Rock who will help you to change all the set things you have in place and make them more fluid.” God sets things in place so I will stay adaptable like the element mercury, which is a liquid metal and has a very high boiling point.

Later the word “going” was dropped into my spirit. The scripture was Acts 18: 24-28 (Priscilla and Aquila help Apollos). In the scriptures, Priscilla and Aquila heard Apollos, invited him to their home and they explained to him the way of God more adequately.  I had to ask my Minister friends how the verses in Mark, Matthew and Acts were connected. I could not see the connection. Then with their guidance, I received clarification. I am going, but I will have to be corrected or give some correction. I don’t have all the answers, God does. The Father is saying, “Practice your going in this manner. Go in peace; go with wisdom and with understanding from the Lord.” I will say things wrong in isiXhosa, but still try to speak and learn when corrected. James 1:19 says, ‘Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.” This “going” is a process. It is a learning process. Correct in love like Pricilla and Aquila and accept correction like Apollos. The ultimate teacher is God in me (Holy Spirit), teaching me the Word (Christ) and the Father going before me. I can’t wait for the Lord to bless even more with a deeper understating of who He is and what He will do through me. Looking forward to seeing the Father’s continued blessings in the lives of the students at Teleios Christian School and the surrounding community. The harvest is so full of fruit.

Thank you so much for keeping me in your prayers and for your financial support. May our Lord continue to bless you. Please stay safe.

Faye Yarbrough

International Ministries Global Servant – South Africa

Prayer Requests:

* The South African Volunteer Visa process

* My home will have persons who will love and take care of it while I am gone

* Persons who do not have extended family relationships during this pandemic

* Children who are suffering from severe anxiety during Covid-19

* The children at Teleios Christian School and their families

* The ministry of letting Christ be known through Math and Science at Teleios Christian    School

* Our journey together, recognizing that God has brought us together in order to make a difference in the lives of children in South Africa and in your local area

* Missionary families, especially those with children all over the globe

* MPT (Missionary Partnership Team) Agape

* Partners and friends’ specific prayer requests

Connect with me by email: fyarbrough@internationalministries.org.

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