Surprise surprise, I’m later than I planned on being with a blog post.. again… So so much is going on here and quite frankly, I just forget. So maybe this sparatic nonsensical rhythm of post is just what we should expect, or who knows maybe I’ll get on top of it, either way, thanks for taking a minute to check in on what’s been going on here.
This past month and a half my team and I have had the absolute pleasure of working with a local ministry here in Jeffrey’s Bay called Beats and Books. Beats and Books is an after school program, with students ranging from age 7-17 that creates the environment and opportunity for kids to thrive musically, intellectually and, ultimately, spiritually. We start ministry each day at 9 am helping around the beats and books facility with all sorts of odds and ends, cleaning bathrooms, preparing maize meal for snack, creating decorations for a spelling bee, choreographing Christmas play dances, grading papers, transcribing play scripts from audios, and my personal favorite, processing and inventorying THOUSANDS of donated children’s books into the beats and books library.
At around 2:25 we open the garage door and kids start arriving. Each day looks a little different (especially lately as the kids are preparing for a spelling bee, leading worship for a local event, AND putting on a Christmas play. These are talented kids y’all!) but the kids typically have time to work on or receive help with their studies, participate in a time of worship, and spend some additional time engaging in some form of art, whether that be dance class, play rehearsal or music lessons (violin, trumpet, ?, piano).
As I thought about what I wanted to tell you about this ministry and our time here, I knew that I could go on and on about these kids and just how awesome they are, but what I thought would be even cooler was if the kids themselves got to share a little bit with you. My girls JUMPED at this idea and thought it was so cool that each of you back at home would get to know a little bit about each of them. I spent a little time with a handful of them asking them questions about themselves and about beats and books and I hope that their answers will give you just a little sneak peak into how amazing this month with them has been and what incredibly impactful work this ministry is doing!
What is your name and how old are you?
Elstene, 14
What is your favorite thing about Beats and Books?
My favorite thing about beats and books is that they care about helping us.
What is your favorite thing to do in your free time?
Come to beats and books
What is your favorite thing about the Lord?
That I am able to pray to him about everything
What is your favorite thing about yourself?
My fun personality
What do you want to be when you grow up and why?
A lawyer because I want to help people who are having a bad divorce.
What is your name and how old are you?
Yonela, 13
What is your favorite thing about beats and books?
My favorite thing about beats and books is worshiping God together
What is your favorite song to sing at worship?
Come Holy Spirit
What is your favorite thing about the Lord?
That I can always worship Him
What is your favorite thing about yourself?
That I like to help people
What do you want to be when you grow up and why?
Lawyer, because I want to help women who have bad boyfriends or husbands or maybe people who are abusing children, I want to help with gender related violence
What is your name and how old are you?
“S”, 14 years old
What is your favorite thing to do in your free time?
Hang out with my friends, my best friend is Shanique from here (Beats and Books) and we like to play violin together
What is your favorite thing about the Lord?
That he gives me the opportunity to come to beats and books
What is your favorite thing about yourself?
That I am very gifted with talking, violin, recorder, and piano
What do you want to be when you grow up and why?
I want to be a missionary and an art therapist because it would be cool and Anna W. inspired me to be
p.s. “Anna W.” is one of my squad mates who served at beats and books last month and if this isn’t a testament to the goodness of the Father and the privilege it is to be his vessels then idk what is. Shout out to you Anna W 🙂
What is your name and how old are you?
Lee Ann, I am 14 years old
What is your favorite thing about beats and books?
Learning to play trumpet, worship and books and singing spirit break out
What is your favorite thing to do in your free time?
To read the Bible, I like to read James
What is your favorite thing about the Lord?
That I can worship Him at beats and books
What is your favorite thing about yourself?
The way that I dress in pink clothes
What is your name and how old are you?
“I”, I’m 10
What is your favorite thing about beats and books?
Learning and spelling with Aunty Carla and worship when we sing Uthando and doing the dance with Sarah
What is your favorite thing about the Lord?
Everything, all of it
What is your favorite thing about yourself?
My personality because I think I’m funny
What do you want to be when you grow up and why?
A pilot so that I can go to lots of places
What is your name and how old are you?
Kelly Lee, 8 years old
What is your favorite thing about beats and books?
To play the violin
**This is especially funny because she has never played the violin**
What is your favorite thing to do in your free time?
Play with a basketball with my friends
What is your favorite thing about the Lord?
To pray to him when I want to
What do you want to be when you grow up and why?
A doctor that helps people with tummy aches
What is your name and how old are you?
“K”, I’m 12
What is your favorite thing about beats and books?
When we sing Raise a Hallelujah at worship
What is your favorite thing about the Lord?
That you can pray to him because I pray to him about anything and everything
What is your favorite thing about yourself?
The dark color of my skin
What do you want to be when you grow up and why?
Pilot because I want to travel around the world
What is your name and how old are you?
Hope, 10
What is your favorite thing about beats and books?
When we sing spirit break out with Corny
What is your favorite thing to do in your free time?
Singing with my friends
What is your favorite thing about yourself?
Everything duh
What do you want to be when you grow up and why?
Teacher, I want to teach the children how to act
What is your name and how old are you?
Shanique, I’m 12 years old
What is your favorite thing about beats and books?
Playing spirit break out on the violin
What is your favorite thing about the Lord?
How he creates beautiful things
What do you want to be when you grow up and why?
A lawyer so that I can solve peoples problems so they don’t kill or hurt each other
What is your name and how old are you?
“A”, 9
What is your favorite thing about beats and books?
Playing with friends and eating the snack
What is your favorite thing to do in your free time?
Play with people like my beats and books friends, Simoney and Lusanda
What is your favorite thing about the Lord?
That he really loves me a lot
What is your favorite thing about yourself?
My smile
What is your name and how old are you?
I’m Simoney and I’m 14 years old
What is your favorite thing about beats and books?
Singing come holy spirit with everyone
What is your favorite thing about the Lord?
He answers when I pray to him
What is your favorite thing about yourself?
I’m beautiful
What do you want to be when you grow up and why?
A doctor, because then I can help a lot of sick people not be sick
These girls are all so very special to me and to see the way the Lord is transforming their hearts and forming them to be women of truth, and honor, and grace is one of the coolest things I’ve ever gotten to witness. Don’t get me wrong it’s not always a walk in the park figuring out how to love each of them right where they’re at in just the way they need, but man is it a privilege and how faithful the Lord has been in guiding our steps. Would you join me in praying over these awesome kids? Pray that they would find confidence in who the Lord has created them to be, that they would be surrounded by men and women who can model what it looks like to walk with the Lord, that they will know where true beauty is found and stray from the temptations and lies of this world, and that Jesus, our ultimate sustainer, would provide and care for them as he guides them throughout their walks with Him.
My sweet beats and books friends, getting to laugh with and learn from you has been such a total joy, you are men and women of courage and strength and boldness and you have encouraged and challenged me to lean into my reliance on the Father. You’ve reminded me of the invaluable gift of relationship and pushed me to dream big dreams. I love you, each of you, and I have no doubt in what beautiful masterpieces the Father created you to be. <3
