~~~Since arriving in South Africa I have been struggling with the fact that I wasn’t able to stay in Swaziland for the rest of our time here in Africa. It’s taken me some time to accept the fact that I would be here in South Africa. While there are great things happening in South Africa, my heart was captured by the people of Swaziland. Not only did I fall in love with the people, but I was also beginning to see God’s heart for the orphans of the country. I caught our leaders vision and really want to be part of what God is doing in Swaziland.
~ So it was hard to be told that I had to stay with my team and head to Rustenburg, S. Africa. It’s a continual struggle and something that has been hard about this year. Constantly seeing where God is at work and then having to move on to a new place. While it has been awesome to see and be a part of what God is doing in so many different places, its tough to always be on the move. I know I will continue to have my heart broken every time I leave a country and I would have it no other way. God’s path for us is full of twists, turns, short stops, and if you’re as blessed as I have been, a big loop around the world.
~ As far as my time in South Africa, as usual God did not make a mistake, even though I really thought I was supposed to be in Swaziland, South Africa has been really good, our team has really been blessed and we are doing a good amount of practical things like the painting at the Seminary and now3 of us are helping out at Shikwaru game park whose funds support orphan care programs in the Rustenburg and surrounding communities.
~ Today I spent the afternoon organizing and arranging a storage area that was a big mess but now is actually a functional place where things are easy to find. Annie prepared a wall and painted it and Josh helped put up a ceiling and built a place in the storage area for them to load the guns.
~ We also got to ride out and see the Game Park, which is always awesome. Its realty beautiful out here, its looks more like the image of Africa that most people who have never been before have in their minds.
~ Tomorrow we are getting up early and unloading a huge container off an 18-wheeler that is full of boxes of food and some blankets for the orphans from the States. Then I’m going to help organize photos for the Game Park so they can get more photos on their site. I’m hoping to talk them into letting me go out and take some nice photos of the different accommodations before we leave on Friday.
~ Shikwaru means Place of Peace, and its lived up to its name very well. Though this weekend there is a group of Muslims taking over and hunting. I am hoping that somehow I can stay and do a little photo story on them. They all wear their white outfits during the hunting, and they don’t shoot to kill, because they have to pray for the animal before it dies and then slit the throat. I think it could be interesting to see it and follow the whole hunting process. I just really want to actually do something with my camera besides cute kids, animals and scenery.
I’m having problems getting photos upload from here, so for I dont have any pictures to show you.
