What makes a family is not the ties of blood, but the ties of love. The ties of love are ones that cannot be broken if God has set them in place. In South Africa the three girls on our team were placed in the Barnes home in Somerset West. These people are some of the most welcoming and loving people that I have ever met. From the moment we arrived, the love they felt for us was palpable. We began to call Al and Jane, mum and dad and the two lovey girls Aimee and Emily, our sisters. When we came into their home, they came into our hearts and we became family. I was so lucky and thanked God every day to be surrounded by such supportive and edifying people. As the days progressed so did our mutual fondness. I fell in love with all of the people we encountered at life church and their ability to be bold in loving each other and doing it well. The days would be long in tiring but the time spent pouring into those around us was never time wasted. Watching the people in our new community bend and work for us was like a beautiful dace of love and patience. I felt so at home with these people, with the Barnes, with the UCSA team, with the church, that the pain leaving caused, was deep. I could not have made it through leaving these people without the grace of God. A part of my heart now lives in South Africa; in the cragged cloud-draped mountains, on the windy beaches, in the hearts of those I love. God worked in me in Somerset West. He molded me into a child of boldness, into a child of many.
