Hey there, I'm Jonas Hagen
I'm glad you're here. Check out the posts below to learn about my amazing adventures in South Africa and Eswatini.
Jeffrey’s Bay - Week 2
10/9/2024
My second week here in South Africa was quite different from my first.For starters, we had a different ministry because all the kids were on holiday so having an after-school program is useless if there isn’t school. We were given an extra day of rest, but after that, the back-breaking labor began. My group was placed under the watchful eyes of Ian, and the expectation of creating a parking lot for eighty cars in three days with shovels was set.We failed. Most things that could go wrong went wrong. Our machine for painting parking spaces broke, so we painted by hand, we had an excavator moving dirt for us, but we moved dirt to the wrong places many many times and would take a couple of hours to fix. All in all, it could have been an opportunity for horror, and at moments it was, but I still am thankful that we got to get dirty and work for others.We also spent one day street evangelizing in the surf village, which is where all the shops are.Reagan, Kate, and I came across a group of beach volleyball players and felt we should join them. It was so fulfilling and fun, these South Africans were believers who loved to have fun and experience the joy of God. They put Reagan and me into a volleyball group chat they have and we have played with them a couple times since, including that very weekend.The week as a whole was super exhausting and definitely tested me, but I survived, and God has been revealing to me the importance of the work we did.I’m praying for everyone reading this at home and I feel so loved and cared for by you all as well!
Jeffrey’s Bay - Week 1
10/2/2024
After training and travel, I've made it to Jeffrey’s Bay, South Africa. Wild.We began our ministry instantly, which was crazy, but I’m glad the expectation of servant attitude was set early.My team of six, which includes the fine people Silas, Kate, Faith, Alexis, our leader Reagan, and I, were blessed with the job of volunteering at an after-school program named Beats and Books.Beats and Books is wonderful and is run by an amazing man of God named Cornelius, or Father Corny.They focus primarily on teaching music so the kids can learn how to worship and train others in worship, and they help kids with literacy so they can understand the Bible. They also will have whoever needs to get their homework done get it done before adding on new tasks.My team will stay with Beats and Books for the entirety of our stay in South Africa, and the connections we made have been so precious.Unfortunately, all the kids have been on a break from school so it’s been sort of strange work that we have been doing, but the kids coming in are so eager to learn. Through our not-expected work, I have seen the importance of letting go of all expectations and assumptions and attempting to let others run the show, even if I feel like their decisions don’t make total sense in my Americanized brain.My first weekend in Jbay was one to remember. I went bungee jumping. Not just bungee jumping, I did the world's tallest bungee jump. It was wildly calming. Free falling is a feeling that is indescribable except by one word, freedom. The air cutting through your hair and the silence of wind is beautiful. The view of this jump was incredible, mountains on one side, the beach on the other, and a stream underneath. A truly wonderful experience, and we got to go to a Elvis-themed 60’s diner afterward.All in all my first week was so fun. Completely exhausting yes, but I’m still so glad to be here.I miss everyone from home very much and wish you all could experience what is happening here.
Training Camp - Travel Day
9/22/2024
I’m all trained up! After two treacherously fantastic weeks of grueling hikes and workouts mixed with Holy Spirit-filled worship and sermons, I am finally on my way to South Africa.Originally I told everyone September 11th was my fly-out date, but things changed for reasons I do not know, but I’m sure glad they did because God has been moving in unimaginable ways. For instance, a teammate of mine preached the Gospel to a man in the Atlanta airport (he was saved!) and I was able to baptize him in the bathroom. That wouldn’t have happened if we had left a few days earlier.More on how I trained, it was a very unexpected experience, in ways both pleasant and unpleasant. Our first week was filled with many hours of worship, many many hours, which at some point made my legs feel like jelly but I’m so thankful for how much of an emphasis was put on praising God. Much of The World Race staff taught lessons that were all very powerful and entertaining for the most part, on the mornings in which I got four hours of interrupted sleep I didn’t fully pay attention.One message that was the most impactful was by a lady named Joy, who is crazy and wild and awesome, and she talked about forgiveness. A subject in which I’ve already heard a lot about, and had initially assumed it would be a lackluster night. I was the wrongest you can humanly possibly be. Actually I was more wrong than that. Joy helped change not only my intense love for Jesus but also helped me feel more joyful about my own life than ever before, and learned how to humbly and healthily love myself. It was wild.Our second week was a change of scenery as we were blessed with random scenarios that would help prepare us for different cultures. We got to partake in a local market where our leaders were beggars, pop-up shop owners, money changers, or completely drunk Americans trying to get me to party. Oh, also a few drug dealers were thrown in there as well. In that scenario I went the route of don’t talk to anyone, barter for everything, and get as much as I can get for the little amount of money they let me use. I felt so accomplished because I got the most food, didn’t get anything “stolen” from me, and never showed my passport to fake authorities. Our post-dinner session convicted me majorly. They talked about loving the beggars, not ignoring them, and making sure that we aren’t trying only to get the best deal, but to bless the workers. Very different from my approach.The rest of training camp was equally as amazing and so many memories were made. I love my squad! And Jesus!Travel day…
Flying for multiple days and spending about 20 hours in airports isn’t very fun. It actually isn’t fun in any way at all. Movies become dull and your life feels like it is going to waste one Canada Dry ginger ale at a time. We did make it all the way to Jeffrey’s Bay though! Our host house is beautiful and made all out of wood, so it is very loud and creaky. And the wind is incredible and shakes the entire house. It is such a fun time and I love being able to connect with everyone at such a deep level.Sorry for making this blog post so late, they will be coming more consistently from now on. And thank you everyone for all the love and support and prayer, it means so much.
Pre-Launch
8/30/2024
What an amazing summer this has been. I've been so blessed by everyone around me and can't believe how much love and support I've received. It is truly wonderful to know people who are thinking and praying for me daily.I'm about to leave for South Africa!!!!I'm so excited about this trip and believe it couldn't be happening at a better time. God has been so generous and patient with me (and so has everyone else around me). I still haven't fully processed how big of a thing I'm doing, but every day I start more and more realizing that I'm about to have some of the greatest times of my entire life.I'd like to thank everyone for being so good and kind to me and for helping me get to where I am at today.I love each and every one of you.Also, a quick recap on what I'm doing is: I'm flying to Georgia to do a week and a half of training with my team before we all fly off to South Africa on September 11th. We will be doing all sorts of amazing things: children's ministry, some street evangelism, and more cool things. We will also spend some time in Eswatini which will be wonderful and intense. I will be returning to America in mid-November (the exact dates aren't clear yet).So yeah, I'm about to go do a ton of amazing crazy things, and I will be blogging about all of it!!!
Why I'm going to South Africa and Eswatini
7/27/2024
Well, first and foremost this isn’t vacation. I feel that God has directly called me to go out and live a life like Jesus beyond the borders of Southern California.The World Race, the organization I’m going to South Africa and Eswatini with, has a long history of amazing mission trips that have transformed so many lives of both the missionaries and the people who are native to those parts.After partaking in many hours of prayer and research, I am super encouraged and excited to be going on this mission. I can’t wait to see how God moves through me and those around me.>> Learn more about The World Race
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