They say laughter is the best medicine and this week has been a testament to that. Between meeting new people at the house and doing ministry, the laughs haven’t stopped since we arrived.
Sunday, we had a braai after church with some of our new friends. A braai is a bar-b-que but better. Everyone buys meat and brings a side dish and everyone feasts! While our friend Jonathan cooked the meat, laughter filled the air as we exchanged stories about everything from home, to family to culture differences. Jonathan also told lots of jokes and stories, which only added to the joy. One of our other friends, Tabo, taught me how to make pap and lots of laughs commenced as an American attempted to make this very traditional dish. Pap is cornmeal and water cooked together into a thick mashed potato consistency. We also taught our new friends the line dance to the song “Church Clap”. All in all, our first braai was filled with love and laughter.
Tuesday, we helped clean a school and play with kids. The laughs continued as we cleaned windows and watched Jonathan kill hornets in the windows before we cleaned them. Some of the windows were too high to reach and behind bushes and we did not have a ladder. We improvised. Presley got on my shoulders to reach the windows and later Sam did the same. As we were cleaning, a kind man yelled through the windows “We have ladders.”…but we were determined, and our way was a trust exercise :). We played soccer with the kids after their first day and the laughter form the kids was infectious. Love and laughter was felt all day long no matter who we were with.
Thursday, we were in a town about an hour away and we did street evangelism in the afternoon. As we drove into this tiny fishing village, the atmosphere was heavy. Then we started to evangelize. The language barrier seemed to be a little bit of a problem so some of us prayed in the middle of the street asking God what he wanted us to do there. Some of got words or visions of us playing with the kids on the playground. We started gathering kids and started swinging and playing tag. Slowly, the atmosphere felt lighter and laughter overwhelmed the heaviness. God is so good!
Tonight, I am sitting surrounded by my teammates and our friends and the laughter hasn’t stopped since I started writing. We are jamming to music and sharing photos and the stories behind them. The love in this room is overwhelming.
So recap: laughter is a beautiful gift and the love that comes with it is even more beautiful. This week has been filled with both and God has been present in every moment. His love and joy is the overwhelming presence in every situation.
Thank you Lord for this week. Thank you for my team and for the new friends we have made. Thank you Lord for this place. Let you will be done. Let your kingdom come.
