Hello! Wow this month has flown by! Not having wifi all month has given me a lot of time to try to think of a great blog…and I’m still waiting for it. But not having wifi this month has given space for so many great things; memories, friendships, adventures, and getting pushed out of my comfort zone.
This month we partnered with an organization in White River, South Africa called “Children in Distress.” They operate nine different youth centers throughout White River and the surrounding area. They love and serve children whom are HIV positive, orphaned, abused, neglected, and those whom just need someone to care for them.
During the two weeks leading up to Christmas, each day we went to a different youth center and hosted a Christmas party for the children. Each day we were able to meet between 75-400 children ages ranging between 4 months and 16 years. Each day we were able to provide a huge Christmas lunch, new toys, and lots of laughter and smiles. During each Christmas party we brought along a giant inflatable bounce house. This was a completely new and exciting thing for all the kids, for some it was simply terrifying!
Watching the kids take turns walking up to this bounce house and begin jumping on it, completely unsure and in total awe was one of the greatest things. It really made me realize how important it is to find joy in the little things in life. Almost all of the kids we encountered each day faced struggles I can’t imagine; between health issues, home issues, and others, but for the moments they were playing soccer, jump rope, bouncing in the bounce house, or even just holding the hands of one of the volunteers–they forgot about everything they were dealing with and were able to simply enjoy being a kid.
