As I sat on the beach watching the sunset and my teammates splashing in the waves, my mind was somewhere else. Is this real? Am I really in Jeffreys Bay? My mind and heart began to dream big. Even with the fire running through my veins, I felt an overwhelming sense of peace. I knew there was something special about this place and couldn’t wait to find it.
Our ministry host was Global Leadership Academy (GLA), which has grown from a school into a whole community. The Global community now encompasses the school, a church, several businesses, and a program called Global Expedition. One woman who helped start the Global Community is Anna Marie and was a part of the very first World Race and helped established some of the ministries that World Racers still visit every year. She has now established Global Expedition, which is very similar to World Race but located in South Africa. For the first week of ministry we helped the expedition students in training with their “work week”. We spent 4 9-hour labor-intensive days building a pathway and bridge for the GLA students to walk to and from school. For the past four months, I had been praying for a community development project. God gave that to me and it slapped me in the face, but it was awesome to see a direct impact we had a part of. All the blisters, bruises, sore muscles, and dirt were worth it.
Poverty in South Africa goes from one extreme to the other within a block. One block over from the surfing village, which is filled with mostly white people, is the local township where most of the people don’t have running water, electricity, or stable housing. The unemployment rate in Jeffreys Bay, and most of South Africa, is 50%. Most of the people in the township are on a waiting list for the ANC (African National Congress) to provide suitable housing with the basic needs to live a healthy life. Another major problem in South Africa is the school system. Teachers are only allowed to fail a student once. After that one time, the students get passed along through the system barely knowing how to write or do simple multiplication. This gives them the attitude that they don’t need to try and that no one cares about them. These were the kids I had the privilege to serve for two weeks at an after school program called Beats and Books. Most of these kids don’t have a functional family but they all have hearts of gold. Beats and Books is unlike any children’s ministry I have ever been a part of. The students learn literacy and numeracy skills and then have the opportunity to learn a musical instrument. Everyday, they conclude with worship and a time of prayer. Beats and Books provides the love and empowerment these kids lack either at school or home.
I had the opportunity to teach a class of 5th graders. Honestly, I was supper nervous for this. I have never thought of myself as a teacher, but God had a different plan. Over the two weeks I was there, I was able to see my students grow in their literacy and numeracy skills while building a bond with them that I have missed out on in past months doing children’s ministry. Instead of just assisting the teacher, I was the teacher. These were my students and it was up to me to empower them.
Everyday I looked forward to seeing my kids and what they were going to surprise me with. How much material was Yongi, the young Einstein, going to blow through today? What beat was Clivia going to drop on the jembe during worship? What spunky new dance move was Inga going to show me? How was Hope going to make me laugh or how many times was she going to repeat the word y’all?
I had built a relationship with at least 15 of the 30 students that showed up everyday. I didn’t realize how much I was going to miss them or the strong bond we had built until the last day when I saw Clivia. I walked up to her during snack time for my usual greeting and hug. She just stared at me with this serious face and started to cry. I asked her what was wrong and she said, “You’re leaving”. She continued to cry the rest of the afternoon and I couldn’t help but think, “I just broke this girl’s heart.” At the end of the day as we said our goodbyes I started to cry thinking of all the people I was leaving behind. I am going to miss Simoney consistently poking me in the side and her smile that fills me with joy. I am going to miss Amila’s spunkiness, Kelly-Lee’s wild dance moves, Iminati’s constant jokes, and my students running up to me to tell me what they received on their spelling tests.
I’m not only going to miss my family at Beats & Books but also the rest of the Jbay community that quickly became like a second (or third) family – Our friends at Machine Coffee shop who love to serve God and everyone around them, Claire’s amazing cheesecake, Ruach’s dope designs, Lehanie’s wild heart, the people at Victory church who made us feel so welcomed, and everyone in the Global community who quickly became our friends and not just our hosts.
It quickly became clear to me why Jbay is so special. God is running rampant in this community and it truly is a small pocket of Heaven. After a month in this special place, I feel a whole new sense of energy and passion stirring inside of me. God knows exactly what we need when we need it. He hears our prayers and our worries. All of these people will forever hold a special place in my heart.
I will be back Jbay!!
