I’m a little over a week into this journey and I’ve already asked the question, “Is this real life right now?” In fact I’ve heard a few times, “Guys we are on the World Race!” It almost doesn’t feel like this journey has begun, but here we are! Between two days of 14 to 17 hours of flights and bus drives and some serious jet lag and transitioning into life without a lot of comforts I miss back home, I think I have finally somewhat settled into life in South Africa and I am really enjoying it! We have been so blessed to have a home to live in this month. Two bedrooms with bunks and twin beds, a bathroom and a shower with HOT water, a full kitchen for us to cook our own meals in, and a cute little sitting area. Derrick and Di, the people who are letting us share half of their home, have been so gracious to us in giving us fruit and other food items and letting us stay in their home for free! God is so good about blessing us with things we don’t always expect!! Port Elizabeth is seriously amazing! It is such a beautiful place. Beaches, awesome food, and just really amazing people!
One of our ministry contacts here in PE is an associate pastor at a church we are attending called Lighthouse Family Church. Our first Sunday in PE we went to the night service and it was truly like a big hug from God! I was feeling pretty low and missing home, but going into this service completely changed my attitude and brought me to a place of comfort that felt like home. An awesome night of worship followed up with fellowship with their youth, including popcorn and cappuccino!! What could be better right? 🙂 I’m super excited about partnering with this church and being involved in their ministry! More info to come with that!
This month our ministry placement is in a local grade school run by the family we are living with. Our team has been split up between grades and we help do what is needed in the classrooms. My class is grade 3, the oldest grade available at this school. The first two days of ministry our squad leader spent the day in the classroom with me, thank goodness, because the teacher for this class actually resigned. Leanne (one of our squad leaders who stayed with us the first week and helped me with the first two days of ministry) left our team today to spend a week with another team on our squad so I was pretty stressed about teaching by myself. Fortunately, someone helped me today (PRAISES)! Never in a million years did I imagine myself teaching multiplication and division, most especially to children in South Africa who think my Alabama accent is strange, but it definitely happened today! First month on the race and the Lord is already stretching me!
I have already seen the Lord work through prayers in some of these kids we are working with in our ministry. Most of these kids come from places around our ministry called townships. Townships are located on the outskirts of the city where you will find the most impoverished places in South Africa. Living in that community brings a heavy burden to carry for some of these kids and has brought so much spiritual heaviness into my life that just burdens me almost to a place where I can barely function (this will be discussed more in the next blog). It’s really humbling to walk alongside these kids and just pray blessings over them in the classroom and see how much they light up when you walk in the room. Who knew the name “teacher” would be so encouraging to me?! So much love!!!!
Just in this first full week of being here I have already felt God leading me into things that have always been a part of me, but I’ve never fully taken hold of these gifts to utilize them to further his Kingdom. I’m super excited to begin sharing what that looks like and the lifetime of journeys God has begun in my heart.
Sorry for the rambling and long first blog post, but I feel like all of this kind gives some insight about where we are and what we are doing here in Port Elizabeth, South Africa! 🙂
Keep your eyes out for another blog soon!! Miss you guys back home! You are loved!
