1 Corinthians 15:58 So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.

Our last morning in Jeffrey’s Bay thanking our wonderful Lord

Road tripping with JBay in the rearview. First off, I pray that God will protect the surfers and bless His amazing wave even more in that special place. We leave behind our second family with Christian Surfers Africa and I’m now staring at the wide open spaces of South Africa in the BAZ BUS. I can’t even put into words the emotion that runs through my heart and soul right now. How blessed we are with the opportunities that God laid before us in Jeffrey’s Bay. Never in our wildest dreams would we be serving at a backpackers on the Supertubes surf break. Andy’s beside me with the newest ZigZag mag checking out the new surfboard shapes and photos. We are proud to see that Rebel surfboards make their appearance in some epic frames of grom sprays at Supertubes. What an opportunity Andy had to work alongside Thys Strydom and gain some insight to the shaping industry and the local history of surfing in Jeffrey’s Bay. I want to thank the entire community of Jeffrey’s Bay and Christian Surfers Africa for the best season of life. I am coming back to my country totally refined and a brand new person.

Jeffrey’s Bay isn’t just a surfing destination, it is a lifestyle. It is in the blood. When your toes meet the shoreline, it becomes part of who you are. It marks your testimony. God’s been teaching me the importance of relationships and being rooted in your calling. Some people have been called to plant seeds and some have been called to harvest.

I admire my Californian beauty friend Shannon and her passion to mentor and disciple the CSALT students. She has dedicated her time in Jeffrey’s Bay to create rooted friendships and trust. Andy and I desire that and have realized the pain of leaving deeply rooted relationships. We desire to build a solid foundation and trusted network with people so we can effectively show the love of Jesus to them. We want to have His authority to speak into lives and stand on Truth. There is nothing wrong with the seed planters, but we desire to see the fruits of God’s plan in people’s lives. My heart is for the adventure of the seeking backpacker. These people will come and go in my life, but I want to finally stand solid on God’s calling and never underestimate His work when I feel ineffective. Working at Aloe Again Backpackers gave me a new perspective. I was just a flesh vessel living in a space that God provided me. I made myself available, and I just lived… God did what He wanted to do. I had so many opportunities to pray for the girls working at Aloe Again and I even saw some fruit in their lives come out of those prayers. God convicted us that this is His territory. He isn’t done with Aloe Again Backpackers just because Andy and I aren’t there. It is HIS land and He’s doing what He wants to do.

Often times we become so concerned with the next steps and praying for ourselves, OUR direction, OUR plans and OUR worries that we forget to pray for our friends and the people who are in our lives in the moment! God told Job to pray for his friends during his difficulty.

Job 42:10 And the Lord restored the fortunes of Job, when he had prayed for his friends. And the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before.

My encouragement to anyone, and I believe this is directly from God… be present with the people in your mission NOW!  The Lord desires us to be present and “content” in the circumstances and opportunities He puts us in NOW.

I am coming home to Canada as a different Sarah Hatfield. I realized that when I got to South Africa, I thought I knew who I was. I thought I had a pretty good head on my shoulders. God humbled me but lifted me up in honor at the same time. He exposed my pride and walked me through amazing teaching and allowed me to grow more into who He wants me to be on the mission field. I am so blessed with where He has taken me. The funny friends He brought to me, the opportunities to serve Him in a surfing ministry and the waves He provided. My last wave in JBay…I was so overwhelmed by His favour and blessing. The sun was just coming up at the Point and I was in the perfect section. The waves of His blessing were evident on that wave of perfection! I cruised from the point to the shoreline. As I paddled back to the Point, I smiled ear to ear… Thank you Jesus! What a wave to finish off on. Through the amazing discipleship with the CSALT program, the exceptional growth during the practical and internship phase, I feel I have more wisdom behind these eyes.