This past month has been really interesting.I have worked in a daycare, have helped at a soup kitchen, have prayed and ministered to students on a University Campus and helped with an adult education class. The adult education class became my ministry for the month.
There was a class of 16 students ages 20 to 39. My primarily responsibility was to read and grade their English tests and papers. I also helped grade and conduct mock job interviews with them and speeches. One day I got to lead the class and review their test with them.
One of the essays I read of theirs was entitled "My POPUP journey". POPUP is the ministry organization and it is how they came to POPUP. This adult education class is a 2 – 3 month program to help students with their English and Math.
These students shared their hearts and their lives with me in these essays. Most of these students graduated high school and then couldn't afford college. The job market in South Africa is really bad and most of them couldn't find jobs with just a high school degree. The hopelessness these students expressed in their essays was unimaginable.
Then someone told them about POPUP where they had affordable life skill classes and adult education classes. The students also get free breakfast and lunch and have free counseling, eye and medical care on campus.
Most of them couldn't believe there was somewhere they could go and where they could afford to get more education. They all did everything they could to get into these classes. They might wait for months waiting to hear back if they passed the entry exam, but they waited.
The determination these students have to further their education blows me away. I just found myself becoming more and more grateful of the opportunities I had growing up. I never realized how much of a blessing it was to just have a college degree. Thank you mom and dad for paying for my education and giving me something a lot of people my age around the world could only dream of.
I have fallen in love with these individuals. They have taught me so much and I will miss them. I am just getting to know them and now I have to leave. But I know that God will bring someone else to be with them.
General update: We are leaving Pretoria, South Africa on Tuesday and going to Capetown, South Africa. There we will meet the rest of our squad for the rest of the week through Easter. There we will reflect on the past two months of ministry and get geared up for the next month. We are planning on going to India the day after Easter. However, we are still having difficulties with half of the squad's Visa's. So we may or may not be going to India, but it is all in God's hands. Love you all! Thanks for taking the time to read these!
Fundraising update: I need $2,100 by April first in order to continue on the race.
