life in bulawayo

Well, I’ve been in africa for a month now!!! I know I haven’t posted but I’m about to catch everyone up on what’s been going on in my life!! My first week in africa was spent in Livingstone, Zambia! I got to africa during “debrief” which is a week long break where someone from AIM comes to debrief the group after the first month. It was really nice to get there and get to spend time with my team again before we jumped into ministry. I got to pet lions, see Victoria falls and get some yummy pizza that week! Then we headed to Bulawayo, Zimbabwe on an eight hour bus ride! Here we stay with the pastor of the church we are working through! Each day here looks pretty different. Sunday’s start off with church! We help lead children’s church of about 70 kids! I lead a group of 6th and 7th graders! After that we usually finish grocery shopping and head back to our house! It’s like a normal Sunday back home! Monday’s are usually pretty slow, we head to the church around 11 and kinda do whatever they need us to, from sharpening hundreds of pencils to painting chalkboards it’s always something different. Tuesday’s, I help serve in the soup kitchen with some of my teammates. The soup kitchen is one of my favorite days! The people we work beside to prepare the food are so sweet! I’ve learned a lot from them about how to cut veggies and how to serve he people of bulawayo. We usually get to pray with people who want to accept God into their hearts at soup kitchen too! After that we pray for a group of men who are homeless and write down encouraging words for them! On Wednesday we go to the Curio market(craft market) to have a bible study! One of the ladies in the Bible study clears her entire area out so we can have a place to sit, she’s so sweet! The people at the Bible study are so interested in what we are saying! We have made quite a few friends there this month and it’s been really neat to hear their stories and see the talents they have! Thursday we head to the vegetable market for another bible study! This bible study is usually pretty crazy! From drunk men falling into the group, to people pulling giant speakers  behind them while they dance down the street. It’s all over the place with random things going on. The ladies in this bible study leave their shop and come sit on the street corner with us! They have so much knowledge of the Bible but they always want to learn more!!! On Friday we head to a local squatter camp to lead kids in worship, love on them& give them a bible story with a hard boiled egg! This ministry is really special to my heart! The kids here just want love and to be hugged on. I made one good friend the first week, his name is Good News! Good News is sponsored by another family to go to school. So he gets a uniform and backpack and one meal at his school everyday. Some of the other kids in the camp aren’t very nice to Good News because of that so he is was very shy when I first met him. It’s been really cool to watch him come out of his shell around me! I’m gonna miss his goofy little faces he makes when I take his picture!! After we leave there on Friday we help lead a youth group! Most of the kids in our youth group have had a very tough time growing up and a lot of them live in a home for girls because of that. We get to lead games and help pick worship songs to lead the kids in! After everything most of those kids have been through they still praise God so much! We have formed some sweet relationships with a lot of them! Saturday is our off day! We usually sleep in then head out to go explore! We have been to the hillside dam, the Nesbit Castle, the benddown market or sometimes just having out at home!