With month one on the race coming to a close an the excitement for my next month already building up in me, I am trying to process through these 2 weeks we had in South Africa. It already seems like forever since we were in the states. These two weeks flew by so fast, yet I feel like I've been here forever, I love it here. I love the beauty that South Africa holds, you can sit and look out at the ocean and there are beautiful snow tipped mountains in the background. The children have bright white smiles and dirty feet, the adults are dark skinned and greet you with a their unique handshake and a Hellos (not sure the spelling is right but that is their Hello.) I have not at one time felt unsafe or like I wasn't welcomed here. I carried my camera trying to snap pictures of everything I passed, everyone I met, and every kid that sat in my lap and then I realized there are just some things I can't portray the beauty and significance of in a picture.
Week one of Ministry was at Camp Joy, we built relationships with people who will have forever left a mark on all of our hearts. These people have seen the worst, done the worst, and felt the worst in their lives. Some are 15 years and old, some are my age, and then there are older. I listened to their stories. I hugged on them, became friends with them, danced with them, and saw the looks on their face when they told us things they had done while on drugs. My heart was drawn to one girl Farren, she was at Camp Joy for a week to detox from heroin and her week turned into another week and hopefully longer. Her smile was bright and her laugh was contagious yet her eyes were still empty. She sat with me on National Braai day at the cookout and shared how her father was scared for her to come home, he didn't trust her because she had relapsed so many times before and she had sold their car for drugs. She said she can't wait for the day they trust her again. I sat with her and got to share with her that when I had gotten in trouble that I lost trust with people I loved. I had to worry about my relationship with my ultimate Father and the rest fall into place. She is waiting on the day she gains the trust back of her family, I am waiting on the day she realizes she can trust the Father and His opinion is all that matters.
During our time here in Cape Town we were blessed to be able to also work with Hillsong, South Africa. I am thankful for that time we got to worship and serve with them. We helped along side their Be The Change Saturday at Huegernut School where we painted doors and tops of windows, helped plant agarden, sanded desk and just helped where ever they needed us. We also got to spend a Thursday working at Hillsong House and the disabled school on that plot of land. In South Africa they don't care for disabled people, it's hard for them to find jobs and there aren't programs in the school systems to work with them. My heart was so full this day…we got to go into this disabled school and paint a classroom and spend lunch time with the kids. They laughed and wanted to high five us, let us feed them, and hugged on us. I watched kids who had trouble walking themselves push their classmates who are in wheelchairs push their classmates down the hall. I was so thankful for this day that will stick out in my memory. We also got to worship on Sunday mornings at Hillsong Mitchells Plain. The sermons spoke right to me and the worship service was so exciting. I love what Hillsong is doing here in South Africa.
This week I am closing out my ministry in South Africa at New Chapter in Pnumlani. I am thankful God gifted me with the ability to work with Children and that is where I find my true happiness. These kids broke me though. They are dirty and their teeth are rotting out, they have no shoes on, and their clothes are torn and stained. I watched them tackle each other to the ground and bang each others heads into the ground and then walk up to me and desire to be held and cuddled. I was spit on and pinched and used as a jungle gym. I watched them pick up sticks and use them as pretend guitars. They played with bricks and used chip bags just like they were brand new toys. This area is a true picture of poverty. I changed diapers with a cold rag that was floating in a bucket with 5 other rags and a bar of soap that has been used on every butt that was wiped that day. They don't have their own diaper bags with diapers that are their own personal size, their is a crate full of diapers that you just put on them and make it work. I got the best hugs from these kids here and got to laugh and play with them. I made a few mad and tried to teach them The Gospel Project. I had little girls grab my hand and made me my heart flutter with the way the desired that love from me. I am thankful I get the opportunity to pray for these kids and show them the love that I have so that one day they can look back and remember for a minute they were loved hard by someone and that the way to get that love again is to know our Lord.
I have read blog after blog talking about how you leave your heart in very country you go to. I am leaving my first country and I agree. I am leaving a piece of my heart here in South Africa. I am leaving here with stories that I pray I never forget. I want to hold these images in my head and remember every small moment. So, Thank you South Africa for making my first month on the race both hard and unforgettable. I came on the race wanting to change the world but after month one I am realizing that I may not change the world but the Lord is changing me through what I see in this world. I just want to be the Change, be the difference in what they always see, I want them to see Christ in me.
