Travel And Hands On Africa Orientation

Travel for the most part went really well, the only complaint that I have is that I had my water filter water bottle stolen, but I have picked up a Nalgene* in replace of it here in Johannesburg, The orientation went really smooth, God really has shown me some things about humbleness when it comes to being served, I have always found it difficult to receive gifts if I have nothing I can give back in return, For example here if I need to go anywhere that’s out of walking distance somebody must give me a rife, like one of the career missionaries here or something. For me, that has always been difficult and if I did ride with somebody in the states I could simply say, I owe you one. If said that here I have no idea how I would pay back the ride debt. Anyway… that’s what God will really be working on me with the whole time I’m here I’m sure. The retreat was just on the outskirts of Jo’burg South Africa it was a beautiful place with over 200+ types of birds there. I met many of other fellow hands on people, and it was in no time that the Group of 26 of us was almost like best friends. We have groups going to Botswana, South Africa, Malawi, and Uganda. People come from anywhere from the Carolinas, to Arizona. Now that we have finished the orientation my partner Steve and I are staying in Johannesburg till we leave on Sunday at 1130 Lilongwe time, for our final destination Lilongwe, Malawi and the surrounding areas. Which would be about 3:30 A.m. Central time and we get there about 1 P.M. our time. My stay here couldn’t really have been much better. But I truly ready to get to Malawi, I can already tell the time is going to fly by and it already is. My prayer requests are that God uses my teammate and I as well as our translators to see that his kingdom is expanded and that we glorify Him in all we do, Please also pray for my health I haven’t been feeling 100% as of late its nothing really but prayer never hurts. Also be praying for those people we will be encountering pray that their hearts ears and minds will be receptive to hear the truth. Finally for my family and special friends back at home*
Sorry about the late update on what is going in but my computer crashed and I just got a new hard drive put in it, so praise God that it is Going well now. God willing I shouldn’t have many more problems and I can be more consistent about the updates. I would love to tell you everything that has happened here to every great detail, but this would be pages long, lol. My mailing address where I will be is Bryce Stafford, P.O. box 1001, Lilongwe, Malawi if you have a strong desire to send me anything but please email me first about what it is thanks! For those of you who do not know my email address it is. Also if you have prayer requests or concerns or questions, please don’t hesitate to voice them, I will look forward to hearing from you all! God Bless! Jude

Me

Matthew 6:19-21
This is a piece a scripture in which i hold high in my values of life. We all must know to store up for eternal things of God, for what does temporary things matter?
A little about me for those who do not know me.
Mt name is bryce stafford i have one little brother named brenson and a little sister named holly. My dad and Tracie(step mom) but is basically another mom, live in locust grove, ok, My Mom lives in Olathe, KS. I was basically raised by all of them and by Grandma my dads mom god rest her soul, i have Learned many of lessons from her and her paddle:). Also Im close to my memaw and papa which are my moms parents. Though I dont get to see them as much as i would like to a still close to them. I also have many friends that have been their for me through the years. I have values that stand out among all others of course one being my savior God, his holy scripture, secondly friends and family. Al so I value the sense of curiosity and adventure, though it does get me in trouble at time lol. I played football for 6 years through locust grove one year in college and one year of semi pro, that being said i love football. I love climbing mountains...their is just something about the fight to the top that keeps me wanting more. That is the basics about me. So as my journey continues from this point with my heart of adventure and the zeal for the carying out of Gods message in which God has givin me, I pray i can update you as much as possible through this for those who want to follow this. That being said i leave you with this. Romans 10:1Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved. 2For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge. Let your zeal not be based on knowledge or what you can do just with that knowledge(still use it though) but let that zeal possess your inner most being because that zeal comes from God for God. I pray that even as we go through life that we all search to intensify that Zeal for God by him being Glorified through us and through that we find the true happiness in which we were meant to have through God.

Why and how the Blog?

Well i will blog for the oppurtunity for others to know and see as much as possible what i am up to. I havent done this before cause i honestly had not seen the need. Typically i can not express what goes on or my thoughts into words, and i saw or talk to most of the people that would read this anyway. Sense there is alot changin in my life i figured now would be better than any other time to try to start. I will be updating as much as possible on here with things going on, i typically am rather short, so for the most part i am going to try to have a video of something on each blog pertaining to it for you to watch. In a blog to come i will try to give a short synopsis of my life so those who read this that might not necassarily know me well will have the oppurtunity to a lilttle better. As of the time this blog is being written i have recently Graduated college with my bacholers degree and i am moving to malawi for a few short months. I pray to all who read this, the God Blesses you in amazing ways. I pray that God gives you his grace to leave each day to the fullest. Never backing down and always willing to fight the good fight!(Jude 4) God Bless, Bryce

Why from home to the ends?

What does the title mean? well the tittle in its self is much a journey. What kind of jourmey? The journey of life mostly i suppose, but within this journey their is a purpose and behind that purpose there has to be the truth about you that takes you from place to place in your life. The title is not saying physical home or physical ends but merely where you are in your life. You could have lived in one town and one house you entire life and loved every second of it, then one day be on the other sidfe of the world and still be right at home, because it is not the house structure that makes the house but its what inhabits the structure that makes the home. Im talking about you, your soul the very vibrant of what makes you....you. In all reality whether you choose to believe or not there is somthing in you that is truth and defines who, and what you are. My truth says to me that it is God, the one who says I Am(Exodus 3:14). That is precisely the point the I Am in each and every one of us that have heard his word (the bible), God is greater than imaginable, Im talking about the one true God of all being. The God of the Bible. Why do i take this approach on define the you? Because there must be a begining of begining for us and that must be God. The Same God of the old testament the made this world from nothing the same God that died on the cross for my and your sins, the same God that has sent saint after saint into this world to do the work that he sees fit that needs to be done. Every single soul has a purpose whether that purpoase can be fulfilled to Gods greatest glory or to your total sinful selfsishness can only be seen in life. Getting back to the point... the "exploration" of life can only be seen and understood from the eyes of the one doing the exploring. You and only you can know where, what, and when home is, and the same goes for the ends. Let me talk about a lilttle about the ends, What is the ends? The ends can be a variety of things, the ends can be the furthest thing that makes you feel at home. With that said, alot of the time being away from what makes you... you can transform and change you into something that you never before could have imagined. Also taking such a leap to the ends can be deadly if jumping out their with no means of willingness to understand and or willingness to use what has been taught. Which ultimately could mean a loss realizing your purpose and ultimately death, but the Great news is the fact that you can do all things with a lifeline, if that lifeline is truly being used for its purpose and it recieves the glory again i speak of the true creator of the universe(Phil 4:13) the key to this though is that all that you do at the most uncomfortable edge of your life or right smack dab in the comfort that you do it in God so that Glory is brought to his name and the purpose behind it is his. whether it is self actualazation, or a vacation to who knows where for relaxation as long as ultimately it is for Gods Glory. Hopefully that is all understood please leave a comment and question if it is not. To sum all this up. The title of this basically is all encompassing measure of the wide spectrum of life. whether it is living the norm or it is doing something you never thought you would do and hating you self for it. Like you have heard it said in forrest gump "momma always said life was like a box of chocolates you never know what your gonna get" Sometimes you go for the chocolate that looks like the same one you always get but then you should go for the random one. You never know how good it could be until you try it. Life is not something you can put to a measurement and thing go perform those life is something you need to feel out, and make you, the you God meant you to be.