Love. It has been the most talked about word amongst our team this month. With a shift in ministries within the past week – I view love through a different lens.
Love is coming home to the warmest welcome. Love is expanding family all over the world. Love is laughing. Love is walking to school with the neighborhood kids. Love is sacrifice. Love is giving wrapping paper as a gift. Love is dropping what you’d prefer to be doing to serve others. Love is hearing the words “Teacher Ashley” and allowing my heart to still melt when it’s just to be told, “He/She is being rude to me”. Love is the gift of a stale cereal bar, but knowing it’s all she has to give and receiving it with joy. Love is denying my own comfort. Love is seeing past differences. Love is simply smiling. Love is exemplifying Jesus in my daily life.
Our team moved to Ocean View, South Africa last Monday to serve within the community. Wendy and I live with the coordinator of all of our projects, Chantel, and her parents, Louis and Sylvia.
Louis, Slyvia, Wendy, me, and Tiffany (a cousin)
Me, Chantel (our contact) and Wendy
Ocean View is a colored township community. It was established after the apartheid. It is called Ocean View because many members of the community were moved from their ocean view homes to this new community. The community is rarely safe. There’s a lot of issues with drug dealing.
We worked at Aquila Preschool. Many of the students come from single parent homes, or they’re being raised by their grandparents, or their living situations are not the best. Many are being raised with barely enough. I assisted in the 3-4 year old classroom. I fell in love the day I walked into that school. Upon meeting the staff, it is obvious that the Lord has placed the calling of teaching upon their lives. They are so passionate and gifted at what they do.
It’s the time of the year the students are practicing for their Christmas play. It was amazing to see how well they’ve memorized so many songs and lines. Wendy and I attended their dress reheresal one day. Mary and Joseph were the most precious little nuggets EVER!
We also participated in an AIDS walk. All the students were told to wear their Aquila Tshirt and we paraded around the outside of the community and ended at the health clinic where free AIDS tests were being administered. Many other preschools, the elementary school, high school, and members of the community attended this event. Many of the students sang, the word was spoken by a local pastor, and a time of fun and games ended the program. The most moving moment was when one of our four year old students sang, “You Raise Me Up” by Josh Groban. At the end of the song, her momma ran up to her and gave her the biggest hug.
I led a craft my last day at the school. It’s “Christmas” time, but because of the season switch (it’s summer here) nothing feels like Christmas. So, I thought I would let the kids into what my world is like back home around Christmas. SNOW! We made paper plate snowmen. It was SO precious. They were adorable and you could tell they were loving every minute of it!
Kendra, Gideon, and Carla with their snowmen plates – the craft I led
I fell in love with South Africa in Ocean View. Love is Ocean View, South Africa. I view love in a different perspective. The Lord has done something special within my heart in this place. If it’s the Lord’s will, I’ll be back. Or maybe I’ll just start speaking it over myself now: I WILL be back :]
(PS. The internet connection is super slow at our house. So I'll try to post more pictures later. If you wanna see them for now, check out my facebook!)
