Month 11 has arrived!
Here is a quick update about what we have been up to so far in South Africa. The Bekker family (Mari, Hannes & Heinrich) have been so generous in welcoming us into their home for the month. We can see & hear the oceans from their living room window. It’s absolutely gorgeous!
Ministry wise, our team splits up & volunteers at 3 different locations.
Mom & Baby Clinic
Books & Beats (mentor program for underprivileged children)
Horse Farm
My teammate Quinn & I get to spend the month volunteering on the horse farm. Our days have been filled with grooming horses, helping out with lessons, exercising the horses, helping w/ trail rides along the beach, & de-ticking the horses (ticks here are HUGE & uber gross). It’s been such a blessing for us to get to do something that we are passionate about & have experience in.
Ministry has looked a lot more like it is going to at home. We are Christians and volunteering in a secular atmosphere trying to be the salt & light. This looks a lot like serving Yo Mari & her husband, owners of the barn, willingly & excellently whether it is what we see as a menial task (grooming, catching horses, filling water troughs, etc.) or one that is more exciting (excercising the horses, taking guest on trail rides along the beach, etc.) Not just doing the bare minimum but going with the mindset of “How can we lighten their load today?” Rather than the mindset of “What can I gain out of this day?” We want to serve them in a way that sets us apart from the rest of the world.
There is a good bit of racial tension here in South Africa which has provoked a lot of questions in me. You drive down the street & see these fancy houses and then right next door are slums. It doesn’t make sense. Again the question has been raise of why was that not me in the slums? Hoping to write a blog soon about white privilege & how Jesus has been showing me what it looks like to steward it well… So more to come! 🙂
