heART projects

At the end of the year, each of us put our creativity into action for a heART project–an art project that would illustrate what God did in our hearts over the past year. Take a look at our handiwork, along with descriptions from each of us telling a little about what our projects represent.

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Tyler Savage:

This year, I learned more about myself than I thought there was to know. God put me on a path towards a mystical spirituality that surpasses the conservative morality model I’d grown up with. Life as usual for me must go. I’m learning to build a new life more connected with God as I step into what’s next…and my life will never be the same.

Luc Kabongo:

The star symbolises God showing me the way–my calling in life. When Jesus was born, God sent a star to direct the shepherds to where the newborn was. God doesn’t only show me what He calls me to or who He created me to be, but He also surrounds me with people who help me understand who I am called to be.

Carissa Hobbs:

A butterfly is a sign of transformation and freedom. A caterpillar was never meant to stay a caterpillar–it was made to be a beautiful butterfly. A caterpillar transforms into a butterfly and then flies free without limitations. The butterfly has served as a symbol to me of what God has done in my life this year. He has transformed me and set me free to fly!

Barbara Hillaker:

God has been prompting me throughout the year to seek out the desire of my heart–to follow the dreams he’s given me for my future. The image of the sea has come to represent these dreams for me, and God has called me to find the sea. The seashells and broken glass represent me putting my dreams into action, with hope and without fear, regardless of their fragility.

Bryan Ward:

My heart project is about moving out of the chaos and intentionally slowing my life. It’s about reigniting my passion and identifying with Christ’s as I learn to live in His upside-down kingdom. I’m learning to give fully of myself and sacrifice on behalf of others. I’ve begun to see that as I operate out of humility and embrace all that God has for me, my heart is more and more in tune with the music of God.

Sarah Woolley:

This year I have heard God speaking to me about my dreams, often through a boxlike metaphor–so for my heART project, I knew exactly what I had to create: a box. The inside is empty, representing the new things God still wants to give me, and the outside holds images of my deepest passions and dreams–those things He’s already given me and wants me to hold onto. These images evoke my desires: to speak out against injustice and on behalf of the marginalized; to be “poured out” once again, like the teapot song I sang when I was two; and to represent people’s stories through literary, auditory, and visual media. I kept the inside empty and intend to fill it when God tells me what’s in it.

Doug Rhoads:

Katie Steinman:

My heart project represents our relationship with Christ in a way that says: God can make anything out of nothing. He can use me even when I’m in my lowest places. It doesn’t matter. Any of the stitches that look out of place or look a little scraggly, represent the character and the quirks that God purposely designed in me…just the way He wanted me to be.

Daleen Ward:

The hardest thing to do in life may be knowing who you are and then having the courage to be that person on purpose–unapologetically, and unframed. Knowing that you wear masks and taking off those masks are two very different things. Through the last year God unveiled even more of the person He has made me to be: the beauty of me. I am the only one who can say what is in my heart, and live the experiences on my journey–the good, the bad, and even the ugly. I want to do this with arms wide open. I want to leave a legacy of love that will point to God, enough to leave a mark in the lives of those who cross my path.

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Our apprenticeship year at Pangani has concluded, and the five of us apprentices have headed back to the USA: to California, Oregon, New Mexico, and Illinois. However, we each have plans to head out from where we’ve landed. To Kentucky, to Germany, and back to South Africa..and for others of us those next destinations are still unclear. I think I can speak for all of us in saying that this has been an incredible year of God shaping each of our hearts in our pursuit of Him and His calling on our lives. Thank you for sharing in our journey with us!