We have been in South Africa for about two weeks now after we had 75 hours of travel, and we finally made it to Jeffreys Bay!! We are staying at a really cute cabin on the campus of Global Leadership Academy. We haven’t been here for long but it already feels so homey!
Going into the world race I was really worried about not making any close relationships and being super homesick. I had really been praying that I would have great community and become really close with the people on my team and squad. God has completely blown me away with how he has answered that prayer. My squad is full of great people that I can’t imagine doing the race without. My team is so beyond amazing, and I feel extremely blessed to be put on a team with the four other girls I am with. They already feel like family and have been such a comfort these past two weeks, I truly am overwhelmed when I think about how truly blessed I am to get to do life with these girls.
Now a little about everyday life here in Jbay!
The first two weekends have been spent in the mountains working the Trans Baviaans mountain bike race! This bike race is around 150 miles biking up and through the mountains, it goes from 10am-8am the following day. We worked at the checkpoint a little over halfway through the race. Going into the weekend I had no idea what to expect but it ended up being so amazing. The mountains surrounding us were unreal and getting to hang out with my team and all the others while surrounded by such beauty was so much fun. It was also so encouraging seeing the racers of all ages so motivated and pushing through their exhaustion to continue on and finish the race. We met so many awesome and kind people who had so many questions for us about where we were from and why we were in South Africa. Overall, working the bike race was extremely exhausting but also so sweet getting to spend time with our teams and meeting new people!
Our first week of ministry was incredible. My team is working with an organization called Beats and Books. They work with kids, grades 3-11, after school doing homework, numeracy, worship, dancing, and teaching them to play all different kinds of instruments. Every day after homework they have worship time. Most of the kids play different instruments like the drums, violins, trumpets, and then the leaders play guitars. When you hear and see all the kids singing and playing their instruments you can feel God in the room. After worship we had time to pray with the people around us. Me and one of my teammates got to pray with a young girl and hearing her prayers gave me goosebumps and we could feel the power of prayer. The leaders at Beats and Books are amazing people who love Jesus like no other. They spend all their time pouring into these children and making sure that they know how loved they are by them and Jesus. The leaders are so kind and funny and I have been feeling so grateful to be able to work with them and watch the way they lead and love like Jesus.
I am loving life here in Jeffrey’s Bay and will try and keep updating you all on my blog! Love you all!!
