So… I am not good at this. Blogging is not my forte. I have this idea in my head that I have to write something profound and full of wisdom. That silly mindset scares me and so instead, I don’t write anything. people have told me many times that it doesn’t matter what I blog about but to “just do it!”
So here it goes. This is my “just do it”
I am in South Africa, it took 5 days of traveling to get here, but I made it. After probably 1 week of being here I had already fallen in love. I love the people, the beautiful beach we live next to, the amazing accents, the work we get to do, the sunsets, the dancing. Everything. We have the privilege of working with an organization called Global Leadership Academy (GLA.) GLA is a non- profit private high school. It is beautiful I might add. 3 of the 5 teams on my squad live in a log house that is on the same property of the high school. For the first month we did manual labor, helping put wood floors in for new classrooms, painting desks for students, sanding things staining things. the whole sha-bang. After the first month we got placed into ministries. Me and some other girls started serving at this school/orphanage/church called Ithemba (pronounced I timba). We work in the school portion of Ithemba, being teachers assistants. My first day there I knew I was going to love every minute of it. For the first 2 weeks I was with the 3 year olds. They really are the sweetest. They don’t speak any english but are in the process of learning. Okay crazy thing, majority of the kids at this school speak Xhosa, but they have to be able to speak a certain amount of English and Afrikaans to move up grades. So these tiny 3 year olds are in the process of learning 2 languages and eventually will be fluent in THREE! They are so smart. The kids there do not hesitate to show love. They are filled with so much joy and love it just overflows from them. At recess you literally walk onto the playground and instantly are attacked by kids giving you the biggest hugs, even if they have never seen you before. They just love to love. I have honestly learned a lot from them. God will never hesitate to love us. No matter what we look like or what we have done. He loves us unconditionally. I want to love the people around me like these kids have loved me, like He has loved us. After a few weeks of working with the three year olds there was a request for someone who knows 1-10, and shapes in Afrikaans to move to the 5 year old class. Since I knew (picked it up from teaching after school kids) I volunteered. I was pretty sad leaving my adorable 3 year olds but OH MY GOODNESS!!! I love my new class! I have been with them for maybe 2 weeks now and I love it so much. I have finally learned every kids name in my class, some being very very difficult to say. I spend my days helping these kids write and say their numbers, remember their shapes, and every now and then we have a little dance party in our class. I actually get to teach them! Seeing their face click when they finally understand something fills me with so much joy. If you know me you know I do NOT like school. AT ALL. Didn’t like high-school, didn’t plan on going to college. Now listen to this, I WANT to go to college to be a teacher. Like I ACTUALLY want to!! I was convinced this would never ever, EVER happen. But God does crazy things. Now, I obviously don’t know for sure what is gonna happen when I get home from the race, but right now, I have a huge desire to go home get ready to go to college and become a teacher, maybe overseas. I don’t know!! But I am ready for whatever God has in store for me.
Something I have realized on the race that I get attached to people, especially kids, VERY easily. Thinking about leaving these kids hurts my heart. I have developed so much love for these kids and leaving them sounds absolutely terrible, and I leave in 2 weeks. I know God has so much more in store for me in Thailand and Myanmar, but a part of me just wants to stay here in South Africa. Like I said, I really love it here. Everything about it makes me happy. But at the same time I am SOOO excited to go to Thailand. So, I think what I am saying is I am definitely coming back to Jefferys Bay.
Again, I sincerely apologize for my lack of blogging. I have more to come but here is just a little catch up.
Thank you so much for partaking in my little ramble.
Much love, Ally
