South Africa, Jefferys Baai
Our stay in South Africa has been very busy!
I want to apologize that I haven’t updated you all in quite some time. I have felt like I’ve been in a time warp here lately and unable to get anything done. I’m starting to catch up finally. I am kind of at the point where it’s like, just erase all the to do’s and start over where you are.
I am in Jeffreys Bay, South Africa. We got here beginning of March and have been working with Global Challenge an organization similar to The World Race here in South Africa. They also send teams out on a journey similar to ours. Fun fact their first journey and World Race’s first route were together. They are very passionate about ministry here in J- Bay as well. Some of them started a school through Global it is called GLA, Global Leadership Academy. It is still growing, and they are still building on. We helped on the land some. Clearing bricks and wood and helping wherever they needed us with manual labor. That helped them a lot because it saved them money from having to hire someone, so they can put that money towards the school. That was most of our mornings.
We also helped work on a house in a community here and got to build some relationships with the family. We would work on the house in the morning then when we finished we would chat with them. It all started with learning to scale and clean fish and escalated to telling our testimonies and singing songs for each other.
In the afternoons we helped with a ministry called Beats and Books. A gentleman and his wife that are part of Global started this ministry in a community for the kids after school. Trying to reach the next generation. It’s a beautiful ministry and I have loved getting to teach the kids the alphabet and play games and give hugs and attention that they don’t get at home. It has developed an even further passion of children ministry and teaching in me. We’ll see where that goes. Their vision is to show the kids how to worship and pray, to read and write well, and help them learn to use musical instruments. It is such a vital ministry because it is so important to feed into children when they are young so that the next generation is built up strong for the Lord.
Global has also done really well with filling us up while we’ve been here. We have been poured into by all of them whether it’s house groups, worshipping together, braais, and fellowship, or a workout on the beach, still sore from that actually. They have really made us feel like we’re part of their community and you don’t get that a lot on the Race so this has been so nice for our half way point. I feel like we got filled up well and will be in a good place to finish out the last half strong.
The Race is half over that is crazy! I can’t hardly believe that. Time waits for no one!
Something I’ve had to remind myself is just because it’s half over doesn’t mean I need to start dwelling on going home and what I’ll do when I get home. It’s going to be easy to start falling into that mind set because I like to plan ahead. But I need to stay present where God has me now and not lose sight or miss out on the things before me because I’m looking at things yet to come. Thing’s yet to come might be unfolding right before me but I’m missing out because I’m looking ahead and a whole big important thing is missed. So, I’m focusing on staying present.
We’ll be in Cape Town for 5 days for debrief and then we’ll be heading to South East Asia. Malaysia here we come!
Many Blessings =)
