Morgan Fisher
Morgan Fisher
South Africa 2015
VIEW FINAL REPORT
My name is Morgan Kathleen Fisher, and I will be traveling to Johannesburg, South Africa to work with Joint Aid Management for six months. Read More About Morgan →

The Beginning and the End

As I sit here in the house that I grew up in with snow falling outside, I find myself experiencing a degree of reverse culture shock. I spoke with a friend that asked me what that means and all I could say is, “Everything here is just so big.” I did not even realize how much of a simplified, yet significant and minimalistic, yet magnificent lifestyle. I went from zero to one hundred, real quick! From Cape Town’s gorgeous 90 degree weather, to Detroit’s winter wonderland within a matter of 20 hours of flights.

JAM Marketing Team Morgan Farewell Party

JAM Marketing Team
Morgan Farewell Party

One of my first days home, I went to Starbucks and after internally judging people who ordered Venti’s (because, really, those cups are huge)  I thought I heard people talking with South African accents. Not only South African, but Durban accents, my favorite place in South Africa!! Eventually, I asked my friend if he heard the accent I was hearing and he said yes. So, I asked the couple next to me if they were from Durban. Impressed by an American not assuming they were Australian, they joyfully confirmed! It goes to show how small the world truly is. They were my little angels that brought a little South African sunshine and joy into my heart in the gloom of Detroit.

I think it will take a lifetime to fully reflect and comprehend what the previous 6 months have meant to me and how the lessons learned will play into my future endeavors, but I’ll share a few.

I developed personally, professionally, and spiritually. I failed fast and learned even faster. I built strong friendships and lost some from being away from home. At the end of the day, the victories outweighed the defeats. And is it truly even considered a defeat if you have learned something from it that will make you stronger in the future?

I will always have a heart for South Africa and there’s a peace in my heart knowing that it will not be the end of my journey with this beautiful country.

So what’s next? Well, I’m currently running Global Social Media for JAM! I was offered a Consulting position based in the U.S. as a remote worker. This is an entirely new set of challenges and exciting opportunities. I have been adjusting to not working in an office setting with wonderful co-workers, but in coffee shops and shared work spaces. I am learning how to create boundaries with this schedule as I am a workaholic. There was one day, I worked from 4am-7pm and my family had to bribe me to get off my computer, but working for a company you are passionate about fuels a fire that can’t burn out! I have a lot to learn in this season and that excites me.  I don’t think I will ever be able to accept a position or lifestyle that does not challenge me or help me grow as a person after having such an intensive growth period throughout my travels. To know that it is possible to experience so much at such a rapid pace has instilled a standard of living in my heart that I will forever hold valuable. I will never be content in a life of mediocrity. I desire to live life fully every day.

I am working on creative projects in my evenings and spending my weekends immersed in quality family and friend time. I’m learning to love and appreciate the heart of Detroit and explore the entrepreneurial endeavors happening here. I’m finding it’s not so different from Johannesburg. In fact, it kind of makes it all seem so intertwined.

This Christmas, I have a lot to be thankful for. There’s truly nothing I could ask for or desire. A dream that I chased for many years came to fruition and that’s all thanks to Belmont University and the Lumos Scholarship.

If you know me, you know that this isn’t the end. This will not be my peak. It may be the highest point in my life yet, literally on Table Mountain, and metaphorically.  I’m walking into a season of beginnings, a season of even more promises to be fulfilled. I fully trust that God has given me vision and connected me with the wonderful people that He led me to across this country to do something more.

moognkids

I can assure you that with the superpowers and wisdom from Dr. Cornwall, Dr. Turner and Professor Gonzalez I will come out swinging in 2016 with something special inspired by my time in South Africa! So, be on the lookout.

To my family, thank you for your patience, understanding, encouragement and support. I know this was a difficult season. There are many days I wish I could be home to support through the tests and trials, but you remained faithful to God’s call on my life! Thank you for coming out on a 20 hour flight to fetch me and experience everything that I love so much about JAM and Africa.

Thank you to the JAMily. Each and everyone of you is special to me. You all played a very specific and important role in my life. Thank you for inviting me to family meals, taking me out on weekends, and checking in on me. You are my South African family and that will forever remain in my heart!

I want to thank my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Thank you for so evidently putting this call on my heart and clearly leading me to this place. I have experienced a life of fulness and adventure because of You! Each and every step of the way you sent guardian Angels to protect me. Thank you for peace that surpasses all understanding. Thank you for being The Beginning and The End.

I want to thank the Lumos Scholarship and Belmont University for their generosity, support, encouragement, and opportunity to make the lives of students forever changed. I want to thank you for giving myself and all of the Lumos recipients a chance to be global citizens, to be humbled, to encounter cultural differences, to discover other ways to do life, to meet mentors, co-workers, and friends that have open my eyes to things I would have never accessed with a Western mindset.

I am a stronger, more disciplined, self starting, warrior because of this experience. I not only walked away seeing multiple countries and provinces, but I gained wisdom, life long friendships, and a job! There’s so much more that I could say to thank you and share everything that you have done for me, but it will take a lifetime. So instead, I am going to go out and live it! I am going to use my experience as a Lumos Scholarship recipient to be a testimony of the character building, strength, and international mindset of a Lumos Scolarship recipient. I will do all things with excellence to honor you who has invested time, wisdom, and financial support in my life.

angola

Thank you for everything, Lumos. I couldn’t be more privileged and honored to have represented your foundation.

Sincerest Thanks & Appreciation,

Morgan Fisher

 

 

Surreal Conclusions

There truly is no way I could have predicted the final days of my time here in South Africa. Any angle I would have analyzed or could have written for myself is not the way it has unfolded. However, whenever I let God take the reigns and write the story, it always is better than anything I could have expected.

The first reality that I could not have dreamt up, is that my family landed in South Africa this week to spend my last days here with me. I have been able to take them into the fields and share with them what I love so much about JAM and being in South Africa. The incredible part is that I truly believe they loved it as much as I do and they can see God’s hand in the wonderful work that JAM is doing and in my life through JAM. This is such an intimate thing for me to share with my family as they have sacrificed so much to make it possible for me to be here during a difficult time for my family. I have such a strong relationship with my family and they have been so strong waiting for me, praying for me, and supporting me every step of the way. They have such understanding and patient hearts and they deserve every bit of adventure that they are experiencing out here with me!

I was able to take my family to multiple dinners this week to meet families and friends that have looked after me and adopted me into their homes during this 6 month season. I’m very blessed to have grown the relationships I have here in Johannesburg, South Africa. I have family and friends that I consider lifetimers! These are the friends you know will be in it for life with you no matter the distance or space dividing you. I believe we will grow separately, but never apart.

This weekend, I experienced rest for the first time in 6 months. My family and I went to Pilansburg Game Park for the weekeend. I love the bush. I love adventure. I love wildlife. So this was my heaven on earth! My family and I spotted the big 5 and we have had some lovely time catching up on 6 months of chaos and victory.

The second reality I have discovered is that sometimes you can be 1,000% committed to God’s plan for your life and be obedient to Him through the tests and trials of your faith, but you find out that being obedient to the call was all He wanted from you. By the Kingdom of heaven, you are a good and faithful servant whom has passed the tests and trials of His call on your life and that is serving the Lord with excellence.There may or may not be an earthly reward, but you have humbly served your God and He honors us for that.

The third is that the smallest blessings sometimes bear the most fruit. For instance, my 5 year old neighbor Alulutu became a dear friend of mine. We were attached. Everyday I came home from work, I knew I could expect a knock on my door within 5 minutes to go on a walk, talk about our days, or make a fun video sharing our journey together with the world. He helped me see the world through the eyes of a child. He reminded me that everything didn’t have to be complex. He reminded me to pray. He reminded me to have fun. Somedays, he even reminded me to eat. He was my angel.

Screenshot 2015-11-24 22.52.14

Though I don’t fully understand what God is doing as this season of my life comes to a close, I do know that He led me to phenomenal people. I learned how to be very independant and practice discernment from sleeping in rural villages to getting into cars in foreign places with people that ended up changing my life. The Lord has tested my faith and I have matured in my walk with Him. I truly believe that there’s nothing I can’t handle with Him after this experience.

“because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.”-James 1:3

I have experienced my greatest joys, greatest defeats, happiest and most uncertain day’s,  biggest adventures, and painful heartbreak. I wouldn’t have it any other way. I am so blessed to have had this experience at such a young age. I feel so prepared for the future and so inspired by the things that I have seen. I believe God has big things in store for me as a result of my time here. Though it may not be the way I would have expected, I have faith that His plans are bigger for my life and that doesn’t scare me anymore. That just makes me excited!

With love,

Morgan

The Soil

The parable of the soils describes what becomes of seed that is sown in four different types of soil. The first type of soil is the hardened soil of the pathway. This seed does not penetrate the soil at all, but is quickly snatched up by the birds of the air. The second type of soil is the rocky soil, a shallow layer of earth, barely covering the rock below. The seed which falls upon this type of soil quickly germinates, aided by the warmth retained by the rock, but hindered by a lack of depth and by a lack of moisture. The seed which germinates quickly also terminates quickly. The third soil is the thorny soil, a soil populated with thorns. The seed falling into this soil germinates and begins to grow, but is eventually crowded out by the hardier thorns. The fourth soil is the fruitful soil, that soil which produces a bountiful crop. Having told the story, Jesus put an exclamation point after it by adding these words: “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

During my time in South Africa, I recall seasons of experiencing the hardened soil, the rocky soil, and the thorny soil. As I begin to reflect on the previous months and examine how God is working in my life in the present, I can’t help but declare that i’m stepping into fruitful soil.

I have become heavily involved in JAM’s Monday morning devotions, fulfilling my desire to be involved in ministry. I get so stoked to find services and worship to share with my colleagues on Monday mornings! I’m so passionate about digital communication and believe the visuals, stories, messages, and songs that we design Monday morning’s with can impact the way a team works and I want to carry out nothing but excellence to my colleagues when given the opportunity. I’ve seen my colleagues dance to worship music and shout in positive response at Pastor Judah Smith preaching on a digital screen! God’s using this time to build a team’s faith and it’s a privilege to be a part of the team that carries out this vision every week.

This week, I delivered 6 months of blood, sweat, and tears. I’ve failed fast, learned quick, and strengthened as a human being at such a rapid pace. I’ve cried out to God in confusion feeling as if I have not been given any clarity. Yet, this week, I look back and praise Him for these challenges, because I’ve become a stronger woman and drawn closer to Him in my spiritual walk. This week, I delivered a Global Social Media Strategy for a company that operates in various nations feeding over 1.1 million children in Africa every day. I am so grateful for the opportunity to learn from such inspirational and wise people. It is considered a privilege to use the gifts God has given me to be a part of a business with a mission at the center of it’s heart.

I don’t know what I’ll be doing in in 2 weeks time, but I know God has a plan and based on the experiences and steps he has guided me in during my 6 months here, I know His plan will be the most exhilarating, fulfilling, and challenging path to take. So, I am confident and comfortable relying on what he has organized for my future.

As my time comes to a close on the Lumos Travel Scholarship, I truly have seen the fruit of my education from Belmont University’s Social Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurship programs. I am very thankful that I had the opportunity to study at such an intentional university that has made it possible for me to be here in South Africa.

I have done things in the previous 6 months that I could have never imagined possible. Here are some of the highlights:

Cape Town Round 2!

Last weekend, I had an incredible visit to Cape Town. I wanted to have a unique experience because I definitely put myself in the stereotype of tourist with my Waterfront visit last time! So, this time I stayed at a trendy hostel in Gardens called Once. Once was occupied by models, international nomads, and people that didn’t know where they were going next. I fell in love with this place and the spontaneity of the people that stayed there.

oncecapetown

The staff made me feel at home every time I interacted with them. They called me Miss Detroit. At the end of the weekend, I asked if I could move in, facetiously, but they were actually willing to make a plan. Maybe someday…

onceincapetownstuff

On Thursday, I went to a gig at The Waiting Room on Cape Town’s famous Long Street. We went to watch a band called Original Swimming Party. They immediately reminded me of my Detroit roots and passion for the music coming from Ghostly International Records.

 

Screenshot 2015-11-01 14.33.01

 

Currently, universities across South Africa have been closed due to protests. Students are linking arms in the fight against school fees increasing. However, this protest not only focuses on the school fees, but the equal opportunity for education for all South Africans. This is a major stride for this country and a bold position that millennial’s are taking to breakdown the history of apartheid. It’s truly an incredible time to be in this country.

 

At the gig, the band had an extraordinary vision for using music as a mechanism for social change. They had visuals projected behind them as they performed and during one of their songs were images of protests and #FeesMustFall. I have such a heart for using music for social change and it was surreal to be in a place where peaceful protest was happening through the power of music.

 

#feesmustfall peaceful protest in South Africa! Using music as a mechanism for social change. That's what I like to see!

A video posted by Morgan Fisher (@morgankathleen) on

Friday was all about the music! I started my day early and filled it with meetings with South African musicians. I was very curious about the needs and struggles being a musician in South Africa. I tend to find such similar desires and visions for artists here. There is definitely an opportunity and gap to be filled and I believe I can be a part of that solution.

Friday evening I went to Church on Main, which was a church that really married and reminded me of my 2 church homes in Nashville. This was a perfect mix of Journey Franklin and Anchor Fellowship. I was really stoked to be in a church setting with people my age since I have been out of my Nashville community for so long. I met some really incredible people at that church that have already been encouragers and warriors for me the last few days. There were 2 artists performing at this church, Majozi and Campbell Colledge. Majozi, you may recognize from a few blogs back that came to JAM to give his testimony on using his platform to help others. It was really rad to see the church community in Cape Town thriving with youngins!

After the gig, a few friends and I hung out in the Southern Suburbs. This was a unique experience for us, as we were completely out of our comfort zone being city kids. However, it was really interesting to see a completely different lifestyle being lived in such close proximity to the city.

On Saturday, my friends and I took the train out to Simon’s Town. This was really exciting for me because I remember visiting Simon’s Town on a Belmont Maymester trip 2 years prior. It is such a picturesque, historical, and quiet place. I think my favorite part about this place is seeing penguins at the beach. If you knew me growing up, you know penguins were a constant obsession in my life. So, this was a dreamland for 5-year-old little Moog coming to life! We watched the rugby game at a friend’s beach house, but mostly Ali & I watched how ridiculous men get watching sports in South Africa and had a good laugh the whole time. They’ve got a lot of passion for the Springboks!

After that, we headed back into town because I had a meeting with a DJ to get more of an idea of what it looks like to be a DJ in Cape Town aspiring to  break into global markets.

I’ve been taking advantage of travel on weekends to discover things that may be entrepreneurial endeavors for me in the future. I have a vision developing as a I continue to meet artists that have the same goals as myself in this country.

Music and social entrepreneurship have been at the core of my heart for many years. I think I am finally getting a sense of what things are going to look like for me in the years ahead with entrepreneurship.

As for my work at JAM, I am wrapping up a global strategy that will focus on the development and implementation of global communications on various social media platforms for each JAM global office. This has been a massive undertaking for me, but I have learned much and grown daily.

This week, we shot a video of my reflections of my time here with the production team. I’m very excited to share this content with you when it is prepared. There is so much to share from my experiences in South Africa and I believe this is going to be such a great way to share my stories.

Until then,

Morgan

 

 

 

 

40 Days & 40 Nights

It has been 129 days since I left American soil. In 40 days and 40 nights, I will reunite with my family, but this time, they will be coming to South Africa!

I feel as though I am coming out of some of my greatest challenges and preparing to walk into some of my greatest victories.

I can’t help but focus on the significance of the number 40 in the bible as I have 40 days left in this season. The number 40 is mentioned 146 times in the bible. I am not surprised to say that when I looked further into these biblical seasons, each had a focus on periods of trial, testing, and probation.

During Moses’ life he lived 40 years in Egypt and 40 years in the desert before God selected him to lead his people out of slavery. Moses was also on Mount Sinai for 40 days and nights, on two separate occasions (Exodus 24:18, 34:1-28), receiving God’s laws. He also sent spies, for 40 days to investigate the land God promised the Israelites as an inheritance (Numbers 13:25, 14:34).

Initially, I thought to myself, 40 days does not seem like much time left. Looking at the calendar, it is not much time, but by the power of God and His timing, substantial things can shift.

For instance, there were 40 days between Jesus’ resurrection and ascension (Acts 1:3). I cannot imagine a life without that victory! Although 40 days can be simplified to it’s literal meaning of 40 days, that’s all I have left. I want to make the most of every living moment of this challenging season.

A majority of these scriptures that focus on 40 days & 40 nights of trials and tests that end in victory. I have had my fair share of trials and tests as I have been here, but I have also had new friends stand by me through these. I have had friends from home pray over me through every technological barrier until we can get an entire prayer session closed without losing a connection. I have had my family and roommate wait patiently for months to welcome me home. For all of these things, I am so grateful. To my community in America, just 40 days and 40 nights of waiting. To my South African community, just 40 days and 40 nights of making the most of our last days together.

I leave you with this writing on Celebrating The Extraordinary Nature of Everyday Life:
“believe that this way of living, this focus on the present, the daily, the tangible, this intense concentration not on the news headlines but on the flowers growing in your own garden, the children growing in your own home, this way of living has the potential to open up the heavens, to yield a glittering handful of diamonds where a second ago there was coal. This way of living and noticing and building and crafting can crack through the movie sets and soundtracks that keep us waiting for our own life stories to begin, and set us free to observe the lives we have been creating all along without ever realizing it.

I don’t want to wait anymore. I choose to believe that there is nothing more sacred or profound than this day. I choose to believe that there may be a thousand big moments embedded in this day, waiting to be discovered like tiny shards of gold. The big moments are the daily, tiny moments of courage and forgiveness and hope that we grab on to and extend to one another. That’s the drama of life, swirling all around us, and generally I don’t even see it, because I’m too busy waiting to become whatever it is I think I am about to become. The big moments are in every hour, every conversation, every meal, every meeting.
The Heisman Trophy winner knows this. He knows that his big moment was not when they gave him the trophy. It was the thousand times he went to practice instead of going back to bed. It was the miles run on rainy days, the healthy meals when a burger sounded like heaven. That big moment represented and rested on a foundation of moments that had come before it.

I believe that if we cultivate a true attention, a deep ability to see what has been there all along, we will find worlds within us and between us, dreams and stories and memories spilling over. The nuances and shades and secrets and intimations of love and friendship and marriage and parenting are action-packed and multicolored, if you know where to look.

Today is your big moment. Moments, really. The life you’ve been waiting for is happening all around you. The scene unfolding right outside your window is worth more than the most beautiful painting, and the crackers and peanut butter that you’re having for lunch on the coffee table are as profound, in their own way, as the Last Supper. This is it. This is life in all its glory, swirling and unfolding around us, disguised as pedantic, pedestrian non-events. But pull of the mask and you will find your life, waiting to be made, chosen, woven, crafted.

Your life, right now, today, is exploding with energy and power and detail and dimension, better than the best movie you have ever seen. You and your family and your friends and your house and your dinner table and your garage have all the makings of a life of epic proportions, a story for the ages. Because they all are. Every life is.

You have stories worth telling, memories worth remembering, dreams worth working toward, a body worth feeding, a soul worth tending, and beyond that, the God of the universe dwells within you, the true culmination of super and natural.
You are more than dust and bones.
You are spirit and power and image of God.
And you have been given Today.” ”
— Shauna Niequist

International Music Day

Today is International Music Day and I could not be more thrilled to be bringing my passion for music & JAM together again to share my heart with all of you!

Morgan Fisher(That's me) & Nhlanhla Majozi (That's him)

Morgan Fisher(That’s me) & Nhlanhla Majozi (That’s him)

For those of you who do not know my story, it is time to get nostalgic! When I was 12 years old, I met Peter & Ann Pretorius, the founders of JAM, in a board room. I went to ‘Take Your Child to Work Day’ with my mother in 2007. JAM was using the board room in the office that my mother worked at for a meeting. My mother asked if I wanted to meet South African people! I had never encountered anyone from a place so foreign to me, so I excitedly let her know that I was keen!

When I met Peter and Ann Pretorius, I knew my life was going to change. Though I did not understand or discern the feeling I had on that day until later in my life, it was the Holy Spirit moving in me when I heard their story.

I quickly fell in love with the work that JAM does and acquired the JAM heartbeat! I began fundraising with a tin can and aimed to raise $60 so that I could feed a child for a year. I spoke about JAM in my classes at school, at halftime during my basketball games, at my church youth group, and with anyone else I would encounter.

In high school, I became very involved in the local music scene. I was running merch for friends in local bands, carrying gear in and out of venues on the weekends, and hanging out in studios as I was completely infatuated with the business side of the music industry.

I began marketing and promoting bands locally and regionally. A band from Minnesota, who later became known as Owl City, came through Michigan on their first tour and I was able to secure a gig for them. We made an agreement that the ticket proceeds would benefit JAM’s feeding programmes if I provided orange soda and pizza for them.

A line formed outside of The Pike Room in Pontiac, Michigan the night of the show. By the time the first band went on, we were told we had to close the doors because the gig had sold out!  This was the birth of Bands that JAM for Africa.

Seventeen Magazine-Chime for Change 

Seventeen Magazine-Chime for Change

For 7 years, I ran Bands that JAM for Africa in Detroit and later Nashville to pursue my passion for music and JAM. This year, I graduated from Belmont University in music city USA with the honor of accepting the Lumos Travel Scholarship! This scholarship has enabled me to work as the Global Social Media Intern at JAM International in South Africa for 6 months, travel across this beautiful country, and meet wonderful people.

I know that music will always be a essential in my life. Music is the language of the world. Music...makes the people...come together...yeah! Music has connected and led me to meet friends across the world. I believe music can be used as a mechanism for social change. It has throughout history and it still can today.

So, here’s the story of my new friend Majozi. He is using music for good in South Africa!

Clouds

When I was younger I asked my parents if I could paint a sky on the ceiling of my bedroom being the dreamer that I am. The incredible, supportive and creative parents that they are agreed and made this vision a reality. I remember being so excited to paint that ceiling and asking my mom if I could contribute. As she trustfully handed over the paint and brushes over to me, I began to paint my own cloud. Unknowingly, I had mixed the white and grey paint and managed to permanently place a rain cloud over my bed.  It is there today.

“In the Bible clouds are always associated with God. Clouds are the sorrows, sufferings, or providential circumstances, within or without our personal lives, which actually seem to contradict the sovereignty of God. Yet it is through these very clouds that the Spirit of God is teaching us how to walk by faith. If there were never any clouds in our lives, we would have no faith. “The clouds are the dust of His feet” (Nahum 1:3). They are a sign that God is there. What a revelation it is to know that sorrow, bereavement, and suffering are actually the clouds that come along with God! God cannot come near us without clouds— He does not come in clear-shining brightness.”

— Oswald Chambers

If I had to describe the last few weeks in South Africa, I could simplify it to saying it has been very cloudy season. I truly can not say that I believe that we are supposed to learn something from these trials. However, I do believe that we are supposed to unlearn things of the world and reignite our childlike faith. I think God uses these seasons to strip everything away until it’s just Him and us. Nobody else has the answers to our questions. Nobody else can heal the wounds. Nobody else can deliver miracles. So, in the midst of trials, who better to spend our time with than The One who deserves all praise?

““…they were fearful as they entered the cloud” (Luke 9:34). Is there anyone except Jesus in your cloud? If so, it will only get darker until you get to the place where there is “no one anymore, but only Jesus …” (Mark 9:8; also see Mark 2:7).”

I cannot declare that my childlike faith has been completely reignited as these are some of the toughest trials I have ever been in the midst of, but I can attest to the power of prayer and healing that He has been doing in the people around me and in my own heart.

I can also say that from these clouds, I have been given subtle glimpses of sunshine. I have gained a greater understanding of the significance of friendship and family. Though there are days that I just want to get on the next flight home and be with my family, I can attest to God’s faithfulness in sending me phenomenal people that have loved and supported me as if I were their own sister or daughter.

Chane & Chris

Chane & Chris

I have had a Swiss intern bring chocolate to my doorstep and prepare dinner for me on the days that aren’t so sweet. I have had some of the most challenging spiritual conversations and sister like experiences with my friend Rufaro. I have had my friends Chane and Chris take me to one of the only Mexican restaurants in South Africa and to a vinyl fair to make me feel a bit closer to Nashville. I have had plenty of phenomenal meals and times of prayer with Auntie Sandra and Uncle Cyril. The friendships and families supporting me through these trials have been such a real reflection of God’s heart.

“Your unfailing love is as vast as the heavens; your faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds.”

— Psalms 36:5

As I meditate on the clouds painted on my ceiling as a child, I realize that there is but one rain cloud amidst many clouds from sunny days. Though I may be walking through a season of thunderstorm clouds, I am also amongst some of the sunniest days of my life.

Thank You

I wanted to say thank you to my family for being patient and walking through these trials with me. They have been a significant source of peace and support in the midst of chaos. I want to thank every person who has prayed for me, sent an encouraging word, stopped by base to visit me, or has been a part of my South African family. You keep me strong.

Prayer Requests

I request that you pray for Peter Pretorius, JAM’s CEO as he is still in critical condition recovering from a triple bypass surgery.

I request that you continue to pray for the team here at JAM as we continue to do the Lord’s work and are faced with challenges everyday.

I request that you pray for my family as we mourn the loss of my grandpa Fisher.

Thank you for your faithful friendship,

Morgan Kathleen

Cape Town

This weekend, I had the pleasure of returning to Cape Town. I participated in a study abroad program that travelled to Cape Town 2 years ago. It was one of the most incredible experiences of my life! So, my heart was racing as I stepped on that plane from Johannesburg to return.

I spent Friday geocaching and exploring different areas of the city with my friend Samuel, his brother, and one of their friends. If you don’t know what geocaching is, I first and foremost, apologize,  because it takes you back to your childhood! It is an anytime, any day adventure that takes you to new places in your community to find little treasures.

On Friday evening, I met up with my old friend Peter and finally got to meet his amazing girlfriend Ali! Ali and I have so much in common with our hearts for social justice, marketing, and Jesus. Peter was a musician that I connected with through Bands that JAM for Africa a few years ago and is now very passionate about entrepreneurship and innovation. They are such a power couple! We enjoyed a beautiful sunset and walk through Camps Bay and had some of the best fish and chips I have ever had for dinner by the water. It continues to astound me how God leads me to people with generous hearts, joyful personalities, and conversations that continue to fuel my passion. Peter & Ali brought so much joy to my weekend.

campsbae

On Saturday morning my friend Samuel and I met Peter, Ali, and their friend Andre at the Old Biscuit Mill in Woodstock. This had to be one of the most impressive markets I have ever been to. It was filled with unique products and mouthwatering food! The possibilities were endless.

After the market festivities, we said our farewell to Samuel and the rest of us went on to catch a train to Kalk Bay. We walked out onto the pier and took in the picturesque view on the right.

There were so many quirky shops and art galleries to explore! We found ourselves at a restaurant with extraordinary seafood for a resting point, as the sun had nearly knocked us out.

We had to leave before sundown to catch the train and as we waited for it, we were told to enter on the other side of the tracks so we quickly ran to the opposite side to wait. As we began to hear the train approaching, we noticed that we were initially on the correct side of the station. Welcome to Africa...! We then saw various people jump onto the train tracks in desperation of catching the train. We quickly decided that we would talk the stairs and that we were not desperate enough to jump onto the tracks to get back to town. However, we did manage to catch the train on time and Andre got a really good seat neighbor.

andre

Once we got back to town, we spent a bit of time at Peter’s house watching School of Rock and recovering from the intensity of the sun.

I then returned to where I was staying to have a walk on the Waterfront and a nice dinner alone to recap on all of the miraculous connections and experiences God orchestrated for me in the previous 48 hours.

I truly cannot fathom how fulfilled I was from the time spent with these lovely friends. Each and everyone of them was so tender hearted and protective of me. I am so thankful for the people that made Cape Town a special place in my heart. I can’t wait to return.

Much love,

Morgan

 

Mozambique

I had the absolute privilege of joining JAM International and their global offices at their annual affiliate week conference in Mozambique last week.

These meetings recapped the previous year and laid out the vision for the future. I truly grew to have a greater understanding of JAM’s operations on a global scale.

I am currently working on a Global Social Media Strategy for JAM International. Meeting with the affiliate offices face to face brought so much clarity and vision to my plan. I returned to South Africa completely energized!

This was one of the most surreal trips for me as we visited the village where the JAM story began. There is something so powerful about being in the presence of leaders from various nations that have a relationship with the Lord and vision to change the world.

“For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”
— Matthew 18:20

JAM’s 31 years of experience has been a testimony of the fruitfulness of this verse as millions of children are being fed across the continent of Africa.

Agricultural development is always at the center of conversations focused on sustainability and development. As an individual passionate about entrepreneurship, I was very excited to witness farming communities across Mozambique that were adding jobs and value to the villages.

farm

One of the most inspiring things I witnessed was the farm of Señor Maschava. Señor Maschava was the man that was fighting for his village and doing everything that he could to find food when Peter landed in Mozambique 31 years ago. At the time there was a drought and massive lack of resources. To see the development of his farm today and his entrepreneurial venture as a provider for many families in his village was a-maize-zing!

feeding line

We were then able to witness the idea of “Seed to Spoon.” To visually see the transition from agricultural development to school feeding was a perfect example of holistic development and how the programs JAM operates have a long term impact.

boyundertree

I am so excited for the future! Nothing energizes me more than being surrounded by passionate people with big vision. I extend my appreciation and gratefulness to each an everyone of you that was a part of this week and to JAM International for inviting me to have this experience. Finally, a massive thanks to the Lumos Travel Scholarship for providing such a life changing opportunity for me.

With Love,

Morgan

A Mother’s Strife

This week, I want to share the reality of everyday life for a mother in Angola. I truly cannot express the impact this trip has made on me. So, I will just share with you some of the content and stories that we witnessed.

angolapeter

Every month, hundreds of women in drought-stricken rural Angola go through anguish as they attempt to save the lives of their children suffering from severe malnutrition. With their frail little ones strapped to their backs, they leave their villages and travel across the desolate terrain by foot, or sometimes catch a lift on a motorbike, to one of six JAM supported malnutrition clinics.

These mothers arrive at the ‘hospitals’ and thrust their dying children into the arms of nurses in the hopes that they can turn their situation around. For these Moms, every second that their child remains untreated could mean the difference between life and death. They hope that the F75 and F100 therapeutic formulae supplied by JAM may be the answer to their prayers for their children’s survival. Many of their prayers are answered, and their children survive and thrive. Distressingly, some do not make it as they arrived too late for the treatment to take effect.

The struggle of these children just to stay alive is immense and that many survive from death’s door is a testament to JAM’s commitment and effective programmes. JAM’s promise is to expand to reach as many children as possible with our Red Bowls, according to our available funding. Remember, each bowl you fill equals one less child fighting for their life in one of these malnutrition clinics.

Fill a bowl – share this with a friend – and change a life today.

This is the footage shot in Angola on the trip that I joined the JAM International Media Team with.

 

This week, I will be traveling to Mozambique for the Affiliate Week Conference. I am so looking forward to connecting with the global affiliates and learning more about JAM’s global vision for 2016. I am also very excited to be transitioning into more writing work with the writer here at JAM. I will be more involved in mail outs and writing testimonials of things we witness in the fields! Writing is such a passion of mine, so I am very excited to be moving into this season.

Until next time,

Morgan