“I knew, in the silence that followed, that anything could happen here. It might be too late: again, I might have missed my chance. But I would at least know I tried, that I took my heart and extended my hand, whatever the outcome.” – Sarah Dessen
In my last blog, I wrote about how much I was learning, despite not having the comforts of home. I wrote how I was learning to lean into the Lord, His goodness, and His will for my life, and how exhausting/exciting it can be. I lived that truth this month.
This month we were in Durban, South Africa. We camped on a plot of land at an orphanage called Ingane Yami in the village of Giba. They have about 5 homes with “moms” and the children are technically adopted into the homes. They are smart, loving, and spunky kids. My heart grew for them every day.
We went to swimming classes with the kids during the week (which is basically becoming a human jungle gym for them to jump off you and so they can do cannonballs), buddy reading time, and some fun sports activities.
Buddy Reading Time with the Ingane Yami Kids
We spent 3 mornings out of the week cutting a walking trail through the woods from the top of the hill down to Ingane Yami. It was tough work- we had to use machetes and garden tools to cut away the grass and roots and whatever plants were in our way. Safe to say I have a new pair of muscles this month.
On Wednesdays, a portion of the team would attend Alpha- which is basically an introductory course to Christianity for people in the community who were new to the faith. This is when we would work with Church volunteers and the 3 local boys that worked for Bheki- Siya, Skie, Bonga, and Kevin. We helped set up tables, serve food, pour coffee, and helped clean up when small groups broke out. This was when we really started to get to know the volunteers and Bheki, the village pastor.
R to L: Kim, Chris, Skye, AB, Kevin, Myself, Bonga, and Holden.
On Thursdays, we would do Community Outreach. Bheki would take us and the Church interns to places in the community to people who needed prayer. There was a woman we prayed for who had lost 4 children, the most recent boy was struck by a train. My squadmate Paige told her story of her passed brother, and it revived the woman’s faith. She attended church the following Sunday. We also visited schools and did short messages with songs and dancing. Giving all those kids high fives and smiles and hugs gave my mornings so much meaning.
When you have a language barrier… DANCE!
Thursday nights we attended our FUSE group – a small church group with a vision to discuss life, Scripture, God, and whatever else was on our hearts. On our last night they threw us a Brai (basically a South African cookout) and gifted us with small goodie bags with toiletries and snacks.
Friday evenings we had Youth Group. These were my favorite nights. I’ve never had so much fun with a group of people. We had one earlier in the evening for younger kids, and later in the evening was the older youth. We played games, dance and sang, and had short teachings. For many of the kids, Youth Group was a safe haven for them. The North side of the village and the South side of the village had qualms, however. One night we had to end youth group at 8pm, when it usually ended at 9pm, because it wasn’t safe for people to be out that late. This was a reality for these young people.
To make this simple- I didn’t want to leave. I felt protective. I had grown close to the community and its people, and desperately wanted to stay. I almost did. The kids, the local guys, Bheki and his family, Tricia and David (our amazing hosts), the interns, they all felt like family. The movie nights, the cookouts, the tours of Durban, the beautiful beaches and coffee farms, shark diving… I was comfortable. I felt like I wasn’t finished.
This month God showed me what can happen if you only extend your heart in your hand to people. If you are unashamed of who you are, and who God has called you to be, and people not only accept it and welcome you into their lives… it is the true meaning of life. Bottom line. To love, and be loved, and to be YOU.
So, with a backwards glance at Durban, we move onto Swaziland. I am moving on with an open heart, leaving a small piece behind in Durban and all that it held. That’s the bittersweet part of traveling for the Lord, I guess. You scatter pieces your heart across the board. As painful as it is, I wouldn’t have it any other way. Because it’s times like this when you see the Lord, His goodness, His faithfulness, His promises to us fulfilled. If we just cross that line into vulnerability and simply LOVE- your family grows. Your heart doubles in size. Your burden of grief is actually a gift- because it means you have loved with your entire heart. And you find yourself ready to press further into what’s in store for you.
