It occurred to me that followers may wonder what life looks like on a daily basis on the World Race… so begins my “A Day in Life in…” blogs where I will share what our daily routine looks, or looked like each month.
Team Entrusted spent our first month of the Race in Masiphumelele, South Africa. Masi is a small township made up of an all-black community. Poverty was seen everywhere… in fact, nothing above poverty is found in Masi. Each street is lined with tiny houses or tin roof shanties. Children run around barefoot without a care in the world. Daycare centers, or creches, are found everywhere. Kiddies Corner crèche was found only 2 blocks from our little 3 room home. This is where the majority of our ministry occurred.
6:30 am The world outside our little home comes alive… you can hear roosters crowing, dogs barking, children laughing on their way to school, and taxis honking to fill any vacant seats.
7:30 Quiet feet are heard as teammates begin to wake. Quiet time begins as everyone settles down with Bibles and worship music.
8:00 Breakfast of porridge and instant coffee (yes, EVERY morning!)
8:30 Team worship time led by Larisa and her computer
8:55 We leave the house and begin our walk to Kiddie Corner crèche
9:00-12:00 We help teach preschool and work with babies in daycare. Basically, we become human jungle gyms to the children… after we help with lunch, we head home for our own.
Team Entrusted with Mama Patricia and Vivian
12:00-2:00 Lunch and down time…rest, take a nap, spend time with Jesus
2:00-4:00 Street ministry…We head to the outer edge of Masi to what is known as the “wetlands”. This is where the poorest people live and you will find a labyrinth of shacks set alongside a canal of sludge. The smell of human waste is almost unbearable as we make our way through a maze of shacks for “home visits.” The only thing that makes us stand out more than our pale skin is the parade of children that follow us yelling “teacha, teacha!” Nearly everyone we meet asks us to pray for work… nearly everyone here lives off of government help. We pray for everyone from a sangoma, or witch doctor, who won’t let “the Christians” in her house to the single mother struggling to provide for her mentally handicapped teenage daughter.
4:00-8:00 Free Time… hand wash laundry, play with street kids, walk to get internet, or take a bucket bath
8:00 Dinner is served by an amazing woman who lives down the street
9:00 Team Time… Debrief the day and give some feedback. Sometimes we enjoy a game, movie, or challenge during this time.
10:00 Bed Time… we lock all the doors and windows and crawl into our sleeping bags on top of our sleeping pads for a night of much needed rest
So there you have it… a day in life in Masiphumelele, South Africa.
