We arrived safely in South Africa on Wednesday evening. For the next week, we are staying at a community center/neighborhood just north of Johannesburg called Refilwe, which serves about 50 square kilometers of residents. Many of those served live in “squatter� communities, which are informal settlements comprised of shanty houses. Refilwe offers a number of free services including childcare for children affected by AIDS, a medical clinic, sewing classes, agriculture training, etc. Refilwe is also home to about 25 children who are being fostered by mothers who live here.
Starting tomorrow morning, we will be running a kids camp at Refilwe. We aren’t exactly sure how many children to expect; we’ve heard anywhere from 50 to 350. For the past few weeks, many public officials in South Africa have been on strike, including the school teachers. In past years, the camp has been advertised through flyers sent home through school, but this was not possible this year because of the strike. Please pray that God would call out the children that He wants to attend the camp, and we would still be able to reach as many children as possible.
The 27 Racers who will be working at the camp have been split up into small group leaders and recreation leaders. During the next week, I will be leading a small group of about 10 children (maybe less, maybe more?). We have been given a curriculum to follow everyday. It is set up similar to VBS, but is more intense than it is in the States. The theme for the week is God’s Love, and each day consists of a different aspect of his love. Each day, we are encouraged to ask if any children are ready to start a relationship with Christ. Please pray for the children in my group, that they would be receptive to hearing about God. Also pray that I would overflow with God’s love. I know that love is something that these kids might not be able to fully grasp because they have not been shown a lot of it throughout their lives.
I will update more about camp throughout the week!
PS- Thank you for all of your comments and encouragements. I don’t have time to answer you each individually, but know that I am so very grateful for you. I love you all!
