I leave South Africa in a week! How crazy is it that I have been living in Africa for four months! It shocks me when I think about it, time goes by in a blink of the eye! Soon enough I will be in a new country and continent. WHAT!? So exciting, but for now let me tell ya a little bit about life for the past two months!
I have been living in a super small town named Heidelberg, located in the Western Cape of South Africa. We are working with two amazing ministry hosts; Phil and Tanya Smythe. They run a christian church here, with a christian grade school attached, as well as a bible college! The two of them are incredible people, they demonstrate walking in faith, a Godly marriage, complete joy, and so much more. So everyone here’s what my usual week would look like!
Monday:
6:30/7:00 AM- Roll out of bed sometime during this half an hour duration. And the sleepily make something for breakfast. Cereal was the usual choice, honey cheerios or frosted flakes, but eggs and toast, and oatmeal oftentimes made appearances too.
7:45 AM- All 13 of us piled into Phil’s 12 passenger van and made the 5 minute trip to one of the local high schools to speak at their assembly. We presented words of encouragement, performed skits, shared the gospel, and created an open space. It is truly amazing that we were given the opportunity to be able to go into a school and share the news of the Lord. That never happens, and it has been a true gift.
8:30/9:00 AM- Depending on when we are done at the high school, Phil would come and pick us up once again and usually take us to the church. At the church people would usually split up and do several different ministry opportunities. Some would help in the preschool, some would help in the grade school, some would do property/manual labor work, and some would go sit in on bible college classes. There was always something to do at the church, and it was exciting to see where people would end up for the day. In the beginning of the two months I would mostly serve in the grade school, but also I have helped with so much property work. Phil always tells us after we are done with any sort of property work around the church that “it looks like a christian place!”
???TIME VARIES???- Depending on the tasks of the day, we make our way home. Sometimes it’s around 2 or 3, sometimes around 12. Depending on when we get home, we either pack a lunch or are at the house making food. Lunch usually consisted of tuna salad, grilled cheese, salad, lots of vegetables, just whatever I can find in the fridge.
Say we get back home around 12- Make and eat lunch! Then we would do some form of outreach. Homeless outreach, play with children from the community, visit shop owners, cook and provide meals for people, and more. There is so much to do here in Heidelberg, it’s fun to get creative!
3:00/4:00 PM- Wrap up ministry for the day! And take a couple hours of rest. Listen to sermons/podcasts. Journal. Read. Study scripture. Nap?? However I want to rest for the day!
6:00 PM- Usually the time we have dinner as a house. People switch off making meals every week. WE HAVE A SIGN UP SHEET! We eat lots of different things. But of course it’s lots and lots of carbs. Gotta love it. We do eat chicken in almost every meal, which dang I am so thankful for!
7:00/8:00- We have team time anywhere in between this hour. Mondays are blogging night! We pray over our blogs, and then spend time writing!
END OF DAY! (I honestly usually go to bed around midnight, I can never fall asleep.)
Tuesday:
Tuesday looks pretty similar to Monday, except usually our day doesn’t start until 9:30 when we head over to the high school again for their break time. We spend time with them in between classes, about 20 minutes. We answer questions, talk with them, and just hang out. It gives us a chance to create an intimate relationship with the students. After that we usually walk through the township of Heidelberg where the high school is located. The more impoverished side of town and do outreach. We visit people’s homes, and create conversation with them, while spreading the good news of the Lord.
12:00- Make our way back to our house. About a mile walk, and make and eat lunch.
The rest of the afternoon really truly varies on the week, sometimes it entails prayer and solitude, more outreach, planning for the rest of the week, so many different things could be happening. Again, the amount of creativity and freedom with ministry we have had here is such a blessing.
The day always ends with dinner and team time again! Team time on Tuesday nights is worship!
Wednesday:
8:00 AM- BRIGHT AND EARLY! School Assembly at the church, for the preschoolers, grade schoolers, and college students. The 13 of us always perform a skit. They are biblical with a dash of comedy! Catch us on broadway one day!
The rest of the day again is whatever ministry our hearts desire.
6:00 PM- Groups of 3 to 4 ended up all over town! There are so many home groups that we get to be a part of. It’s always a fun opportunity to create relationships with people from the church. One night out of the blue I got asked to share my testimony at one!
7:00/8:00 PM- Ended up at home, Eat dinner and team time! Journey Markers!
Thursday:
8:00 AM- Worship and communion with the bible college. Such a fun way to start Thursdays!
9:30 AM- Head out for outreach with the bible college. We have the option to go to a hospital, “go to the streets” (the township), or sometimes go to the High School for break. I have gotten to do all of them. They are all always such great experiences.
12:00- Done with outreach for the morning! Grab some lunch AND eat it! (:
1:00/2:00- Most Thursdays we spend doing silence and solitude. One of my favorite things.
4:30- Head over to a different high school to help out at their youth group. Lots of fun and lots of energy.
6:00/7:00- Head home for dinner and team time!!!!!!!! Thursday night is feedback!
That’s a wrap for Thursday!
Friday:
OFF DAY! (Usually!)
Saturday:
OFF DAY! (Usually!)
Sunday:
8:30- Pile into the van and head over to church!
9:00- The service starts! Worship, a sermon, prayer, and fellowship. Such a blessing to be in a really great church!
11:00/11:30- Usually make our way home for lunch!
The rest of the afternoon is always different! It is usually a day where we spend time doing fun things with people from the church community! People love to show us around Heidelberg. Swimming in the river/dam, going to farms, having braais(South African bbq.) It’s fun and sweet and feels homey.
Dinner again is usually around 6! And that’s a wrap!
Overall these past two months have been filled with so much. The creativity has been out of this world from everyone. South Africa has been good, and I have truly been blessed that I have been able to call Heidelberg my home. Here’s to the Philippines!
