Well my friends, 9 days and counting and Zach Lindor, Dan Howell and myself will be off to South Africa and Mozambique; Zach and Dan for the next 6 months and me for the next 10 months (plus or minus whatever God says). I can’t write for Dan and Zach (hopefully their story of how they got here will be posted soon), but let me begin with this…this “trip” has been a long time coming and screams God’s faithfulness and goodness in my life.
My story goes something like this….
In 1990 my parents went to South Africa to investigate working with a ministry. I was 5 at the time and had no concept of South Africa -- it’s location, people, culture, etc. All I can tell you is, for whatever reason, through my parents’ trip, God put South Africa in my heart. I have wanted to spend significant time there since then and that desire has only grown the more I learn and grow.
Naturally I expected to go right to South Africa after graduating college; little did I know HE had other plans and other timelines…weird. Rather than Africa I ended up back home in Missoula (they’re kind of close…?) working “part time” for Young Life and eventually Servant Leadership Development with Jeff and Deb Greer.
I can’t begin to express my gratitude for the “delay” in what I thought to be my life plan. Yes, the experience of working with Young Life and the Alpha Omega House; yes, the time to be home with my family; yes, the time to grow up; but mostly, the people. The combination of these things has proved to be the grooming process I needed…for what you might ask? Well, that’s what I get to go find out…
One thing I know for sure that these past three years in Missoula has made exceedingly clear, and is one of the most important things I could take to Africa with me, is that nothing is more important than relationship. Our purpose for existing is to BE -- to be with God, to be light to the world; to be with each other; to be who God created us to BE. So even though my calling right now is to Africa, I only go to be who Christ is making me to be. PLEASE realize something, being in Africa or being in Missoula (or anywhere else for that matter) is different, but it is not unequal in its value. Whether you are in school, working a 9-5, a stay at home parent or somewhere in between, know that who you are and who Christ is making you to be holds significant and equal value to any other person if you are being led by Christ.
Last January I was in South Africa visiting my sister, who married a South African and moved there three years ago. While I was there I felt the Lord working in my heart; I can’t quite explain it, but I knew something was changing. About a month after I got home our family friend Sakkie Oliver, who started Life Christian Foundation – a ministry focused on building the Kingdom of God by empowering people to live out their callings – asked if I would come work with them in South Africa. Almost simultaneously, my dad, who had been working in Mozambique at the time, also volunteered me for a short-term project with a non-profit organization called TechnoServe who focuses on economic development in the rural third world. Dan, Zach and I will all be apart of this project with TechnoServe, which we will travel to a few different provinces in Mozambique interviewing local people to find out how international companies that are working there are effecting their lifestyle. After this 2-3 month project, I will be heading to South Africa to do youth/sports ministry, leadership development, serve in a couple churches and whatever else God puts in front of me. I’m sorry I can’t give you much more detail than this, you never really know what life will actually be like in Africa until you start doing it. This is precisely why the saying goes…This Is Africa (TIA)…because everything always changes and generally doesn’t go as expected. J
I am totally confident that going to Africa is where I’m being called. While both organizations will be taking care of most my living expenses, I’m going as a volunteer and am trying to raise about $7,000.00 to support myself. Please consider helping me out. I’m convinced the Lord doesn’t need you or I to accomplish this, but He gives us opportunities to share in the experience together and this is one way to do that. All I can say is the Lord is abundantly faithful, so let me encourage you to be obedient to whatever He tells you. If you feel led, you can mail checks to:
Lindsay Tootell
2600 Old Quarry Rd
Missoula, MT 59808
Thank you all for joining me on this journey; our journeys aren’t nearly as meaningful without the people to experience and share them with.
God bless.
