Hello family and friends!! I am so sorry it has taken about a week to update my blog but we have been really busy and Internet access is about once a week or so… So far the trip has been AMAZING! South Africa is truly a breathtaking place..

We are staying at a game lodge called “Shikwaru”… if you look it up online you might be able to see what t looks like, but I cant guarantee it. We have been here for about a week now, and needless to say; there have been some pretty wild things going on. We have taken two game drives, and on those drives we have seen; Giraffes (about 6), wildebeests, impalas, kudu’s, zebras, warthogs, beautiful birds, baboons, and little white monkeys. It was incredible… I hope the pictures I sent my mom will make it onto the blog…

Since we have been here, we have been training. A lot of our time has been spent on teachings about God and who He really is to us individually, as a team, and as a world. We have yet to go to schools, or actually minister yet. The plan from the beginning was to stay at the lodge and train in dramas, evangelism, and learn more about each other and build team unity. We have also been learning about the culture of South Africa. It has been fun, and until about two or three days ago, we were sailing through. I then realized that we weren’t going to be staying at this lodge for three months, and ministry is soon up ahead!! Excitement and nervousness (and many more emotions) all fled into me… I can say that God is really going to stretch and grow me and He truly already has been! I have been learning so many things. God is FAITHFUL, His mercy is what gets me through a day, He wants 100% of me (nothing less), He wants me to see myself as HE sees me, He wants to truly break me and make me new… I believe that this trip holds a lot of situations that will cause me to be tested and tried, and in that, I will grow stronger in my faith and in GOD…

A few fun things about our trip…
*We have had to eat HUGE dead worms (I did not do this… shock)
*We had to put dry impala poop in our mouths and spit it as far as we could… (I did this instead of the worms…)
*We had to take more impala poop (I know, twisted huh!) and throw it at other team members who had a cone on their head and try and knock t off…
*I got to eat French fries and potato skins when we went to town. “Mokoponi” (the towns name).
*Ryan Moore (my leader), Matt Woody and Ben Woody are all here… All from BETHEL!!! *The farm (game farm we are staying at) has four dogs that I feel God has blessed me with and one looks just like Gianna… His name is “Brownie”…
*We have had AMAZING food!! Becky Young has been cooking for us three meals a day and they are all INCREDIBLE!!
*It is truly beautiful here… The game farm is unbelievable…

Grandma: we will have to come back to stay here. SOON!

I truly miss everyone at home... Thank you guys so much for your prayers and support and encouragement. It really means a lot to me to know that I have family and friends like you backing me up 100% at home… I am truly blessed to have ALL OF YOU!! I am having a great time… I was sick one day and slept until about 2pm, but was fine after rest.

I am getting anxious to get out and do ministry and I cant believe I have been gone for two weeks already!! Time has really flown by and I am hoping (God Please!!) that it continues to do so!!

Thank you all so much for all you have done and keep me in your prayers!! I can’t wait to email you again soon and let you know more of what is going on and how God is moving in my life and the people of South Africa…By the way, the next place we are supposed to go (keep in mind, this might change) is called Mossel (pronounced muscle) Bay. I may have butchered that spelling, but oh well. So you can search and see where that is and see where I am going. I know we will be moving a lot, and I will try to keep you updated in all I am doing!!

Love you all!!

Dom
Domi Lugo