I know this is way late, but I’ve been kinda lazy since being back in America…
Where were you? Dassenhoek, South Africa (Near Durban)
How did you get there? 6-hour bus from Swaziland to Durban, South Africa. Stayed for a couple nights in Durban then took a 30-minute taxi ride to Dassenhoek.
What did you do there? Helped at Ingane Yami (Zulu for “My Child”) children’s village. We helped with the 8 kids living there currently, did various construction jobs, facilitated Nelson Mandela Day, and held a holiday camp week.
Accommodations? We were given one of the extra homes they have where the families live. Three bedrooms, 1.5 bathrooms, kitchen and living room.
Currency? Rand. $1 USD = R10.5
Anything you miss from America? Nothing really
What was the best moment? I had a lot of really great moments, but nothing really sticks out in particular. Just spending time and bonding with our contacts and the kids. It was amazing to see the change that happened in the kids’ lives by having us here: improved English, happier and more outgoing. It was truly a blessing to be a part of.
What was the hardest moment? Leaving. This was an amazing month, and I really connected to the kids and staff here. From day one we were accepted as family, and leaving at the end of this month was as hard as leaving my real family 11 months ago.
Top 3 foods? Boreworst, biltong, Kyle’s crock pot chicken (and, not a food but I must include it, South African Pinotage Red Wine)
Bottom 3 foods? Pap, PB&J again, simply because I got bored of it, and my bacon, brie, and cranberry pancake – had so much potential, but let me down :/
Language(s) spoken/learned? South Africa has 11 official languages, but our area spoke English, Zulu, and some Afrikaans. I didn’t learn much of the other languages.
Biggest time you saw God show up? All over the place. I cannot put my finger to one specific moment, but there was just so much of God pouring out of our hosts, the children, the church, and the ministry. Man, I loved this month…
Anything else? Ingane Yami is a “cluster foster care” style children’s home, where they minister to both widows and orphans by placing one mom in each home, and allowing her to adopt up to 6 children. They get free housing, food, transportation, and school, and in turn they take care of the children. It’s a small organization, and we were the first World Race group they hosted, but there are some seriously legit people here, and it was such an amazing opportunity to be here. Also, the surrounding area outside of Ingane Yami, as well as most of South Africa, is very dangerous, and although we were safe all month, hearing the stories of rape, murder, and human sacrifices by witch doctors was really hard. We were definitely under some serious spiritual attack, but we rested in knowing that our Lord is conqueror
