For those of you who don’t know, this month is Unsung Hero (UH) month for Daughters Ablaze. “What is UH?” you may ask. Let me tell you. Normally on the World Race each team is connected to an awesome ministry contact for the month. We work in whatever ministry they are already doing. This month it is our team’s privilege to find some new and amazing contacts. This month we are looking for those Unsung Heroes that could use a little help so that hopefully, in the future, teams will be able to help them with what God is doing through them.
For Team Daughter’s Ablaze, God has showed up! From our very first day here in Durban we have been blessed, not only by God’s abundant provision, but through his connections as well. Before we could even get settled into our hostel, we were telling a man that we were looking for organizations that could use volunteers and he walked us right over to I Care. The organization was literally two blocks away from our front door. I Care is a Christian organization that works with street children to get them off the streets and back to their homes as soon as it is safe for the child. We walked in the door and were able to meet immediately with some of the managers and set up a meeting with the correct person.
On our next visit we were able to arrange a volunteer day with the boys and get an inside look at what I Care is all about. The day began with devotion before the boys even arrived and praying for each boy. Then we split up, some of us would stay at the drop in center and some would go see the later stages of the program. I was part of the group that stayed. At first the boys acted like weren’t even there because they didn’t know or trust us. During our introductions, my awesome teammate Krystle had the opportunity to share her testimony with the boys. Some of them related to it and wanted to know more about how Jesus could have made such a difference in her life. After that the boys opened up a lot and wanted to talk to us. It was truly amazing to watch this transformation.
We helped prepare breakfast for them, played games with them, and took them to the pool (MAN IT WAS HOT!). The other girls went to the later stages of the program such as the rehabilitation house, and the homes where boys stay after rehab but before they are ready to return to their families. The amount of care that goes into each boy is incredible. They are very careful that everything is done properly, even if that means going to the court house themselves to get paperwork. They prayed over and discussed the progress of each boy by name. It was truly a humbling experience to be a part of what they were doing even for a day.
Everything looks promising with this organization and that was only one of many we have been able to find and make contact with. God is really moving here in South Africa and connecting us to the people doing his leg work. Please be in prayer with us as we continue to find more unsung heroes to hopefully connect to Adventures. We need God to continue to send us his people and our eyes to be open to every opportunity not only to connect with potential partners but those who need to hear the gospel.
