Hello from Johannesburg, South Africa!! Cannot believe it’s already month three of the world race. This journey has been so very incredible, and cannot begin to thank everyone that got me here. God has been speaking to me so much lately. It’s funny how a week of great ministry plus little distractions equals lots of one on one time with God. This month my team plus another team is working with Impact Africa. The work we get to do is go into squatter camps and share Jesus with the people.
For those of you who don’t know what squatter camps are they are a refuge for people who are coming for employment opportunities in South Africa. So basically people from all over Africa live in these homes. Some people left their families behind in hopes to return with an income for them. So we split up in groups of 3 to 4 people and go knock on peoples’ doors. I’ve met some incredible people. We greet each other with a fun handshake and then chat. From there we ask if we can help them with anything around their house like wash their dishes, do laundry, sweep. In one of the pictures you can see I was watering their plants. Then from there we ask if they go to church and if they have a relationship with God. Y’all the conversations we have had have been so mind blowing.
One woman we met, Leah Emily, is 62 years old and she is a witch doctor in the community. She basically shared her whole life story with us. She shared her life struggles and how she started practicing healing. Ancestors are a big deal here in Africa. So quite a few people we have met pray to their ancestors instead of God. That’s what Leah does. She prays to her ancestors and sees them in her dreams and in visions and they tell her what to do. She brought us into her ritual room where she performs healings and told us what everything meant. There were several jars of spices, chicken feet, dice, candles, and cloths. In that room she calls upon her ancestors and they tell her what to do.
Leah explained that she goes to church three times a week and only practices healing once a month now. Basically she was rationalizing that her church attendance was greater than her healing practices so she was good. She straight up said that she doesn’t like doing it anymore and could stop at any moment but she just hasn’t. She couldn’t explain why she wouldn’t stop though.
This made me think of all the times I knew I would rationalize the sin in my life. I would say well I’m only doing this thing occasionally but I’m reading my Bible, going to church and bible study, I’m good. But that’s not what God asks from us. He wants all of our lives. He wants us to turn from evil and to live in a way that pleases Him.
Another thing we get to do with Impact Africa is work with a local school. We do a morning assembly with lots of singing, dancing, and jumping. We share a bible story and memory verse for them to practice. Then we get to help in the classroom and teach them english. I was in the 2 and 3 year old class, I was very grateful. As you can see in the pictures I got to wipe some snotty noses and dance with them. Got to teach them the chicken dance so that’s exciting. Also the woman carry their babies on their back by wrapping them in a cloth and one of the little girls in my class did that and I thought it was so cute I had to take a picture and show y’all!
After school we go back into the squatter camps and round up kids to come out to this soccer field where we basically throw a children’s camp for the community. So again we share a bible story and verse, play games and dance. One thing I’ve gotten to do in the squatter camps is play with kids. We jump rope with them, the rope is actually an extension chord.
Today we went to church and I got to dance with this woman named Gina in front of the church. I absolutely love this country, the people and the work we are doing here. That being said I need your help! I still need $3,000 more by November 30th. If you have anything you can donate I would greatly appreciate it.
P.S- won’t really have WiFi much so if you don’t hear from me know that I love all of you dearly and that I’m doing God’s work 🙂
