Month 3 of the Race and my 1st month in Africa is over, and wow did this month change my heart. I started this month ready for it to end. I ended this month wishing it would begin again. My time at Isaiah’s Umuzi Wothando (Isaiah’s Homes of Love) is something that will stay in my heart and my thoughts for years to come. The Lord (as always) was very patient with me this month as He gently molded my heart to see the goodness in His intentions.
As we entered this month my attitude was definitely not where it needed to be. I had wanted to do evangelism/laboring ministry and “rough it” by camping in our tents for the month. Instead we had children’s ministry again, and we were staying in one of the nicest homes I had ever seen in my life. This was totally not what I expected out of my time in Africa, but the Lord yet again decided to do something way greater than my expectations.
Sometimes I replay our first day of ministry in my mind and just laugh at how far we’ve come. We walked into the children’s home, only to be totally BOMBARDED by children pulling our bracelets and watches off, climbing up our bodies, knocking us over, choking us, jumping on us, and just going totally berserk. I remember once I could finally sit down, one child sat on my head, another on my shoulder, and a third on my lap. I felt something move my arm, and I turn my head to see a child swallowing a bead from my bracelet, another child pouring the water out of my water bottle, and another child holding the one-year-old baby upside down.
All of a sudden I fell deeply in love with this place. I loved being wild with the kids, dancing and singing. I loved serving the staff by washing the endless dishes and hanging the laundry. I also stopped feeling limited to ministry with the kids, and found my ministry among the staff as well, one of which had grown up in the children’s home. I will never forget the friendship I made with him, being able to show him true brother-sister love like Christ. His story rocked my world, and I pray my Jesus rocks his.
This was a month of major growth and lot of adventure. I’ll never forget my month as “auntie” to 25 kids, feeding them, cleaning them, playing with them, and just showing them love. I pray the Lord keeps His presence ever strong in Isaiah’s, and the children there grow up to be strong women and men of the Lord, acting as ambassadors of Christ.
Thank you for reading!!
Much love,
Hannah Grace
