This is a little late, but here is some insight into one of the ministries we did during our month in South Africa…
Back in our first week in South Africa, we jumped fully into ministry by teaching PT (physical training… aka PE class to Americans) at Simon’s Town School, a K through 12th grade school about 30 minutes away from Oceanview. It is a school that children from all over South Africa apply to attend and is made up of primarily colored students. Now before you start judging me for using that term, please know that is the term generally used in South Africa for people that come from a mix of white, black and/or Indian descent. A majority of the students are poor and live in townships around the Western Cape and take public transportation for over an hour in the mornings and afternoons just to get to and from school.
[STS’s athletic field that we taught PT class on… so beautiful overlooking the ocean!]
Our ministry host, Bradley, attended Simon’s Town years ago when he was in middle and high school. He was recruited to play sports and was one of a handful of colored students that attended the school at that time. As such, it was common for Bradley to be physically beaten and neglected by the teachers on a daily basis. When Bradley first heard God tell him to go back to Simon’s Town and minister to the teachers and students there he understandably cringed. But God gave him the courage to obey and when Bradley started working with the youth in the school a few months ago, he found that God had evolved the school into a primarily colored school where His truth is shared freely and the teachers and administration (for the most part) genuinely care for all of their students.
Bradley brought us to the school to lead PT class and directly incorporate scripture, truth, and encouragement through the exercises and games we taught. He explained to us that we had full reign in the school; that if we connected with a student, we could feel free to meet up with them during their breaks or in the hallways to share deeper conversations with them and teachers would not stop or question us. We were given the opportunity to teach, lead games with, and encourage almost every student from 3rd through 11th grade.
The idea that each student heard the powerful word of God, got to let loose and laugh with “teachers” for an hour during their studious school days, and heard genuine encouragement to stand up and be different than the status quo is quite incredible. Although some students brushed off the message or said they had heard it all before, others really absorbed what God was teaching them. Many of us encountered students that had the courage to share deep issues going on in their lives in front of their classmates. For the younger ones, it almost always revolved around being bullied. And for the older… we dove into discussions about the temptations of drugs, sex, and alcohol.
God truly showed up and led us in our time with those students. He intervened and gave the students the boldness to really open up (which if you know middle school and high school students, that alone is worthy of a hallelujah!)
[Some of the precious STS students that we got to teach]
Being back in a school setting, it was funny to realize that the things that put pressure on students in South Africa are the same as they are in America. Kids still want to be popular; they still want to be accepted. They still struggle with temptations to do what everyone is doing. And God is still there… reaching out to tell each one of them that they are loved, accepted and valued purely because they are His children.
Colin and I were repeatedly reminded of our time as Young Life leaders while we were at Simon’s Town School. Our hearts were quickly filled with compassion for the students as we walked through the hallways, and we felt the pangs of nervousness and excitement numerous times as we asked God for the courage to go up to students and talk to them. We found joy in leading games and discussing heart issues. And in some capacity we were able to find ways to relate to each student we met. We were able to speak into their lives by remembering what it was like to be in school… remembering the things we loved and the things we hated… remembering the pressures that we thought were everything and found out later in life didn’t matter at all… and above all remembering all we really wanted was to be known and loved.
We shared life with these students… all with the hope of expressing the gospel through tangible needs and personal experience. All with the goal of bringing glory to God.
