While this Africa is not quite the Africa I have been picturing in my head for so long, I am so happy I have finally made it here. It’s hard for me to find the words to give my new home justice. I have been living in Cape Town, South Africa for the past month and I couldn’t imagine anything better. I have officially found my happy place. I love everything about South Africa. The people, the mountains, the ocean. It’s like everything good in the world all wrapped into one.
For the past month, I have been living in a house with 18 of my closest friends which sounds absolutely insane, and it is 100%, but its also one of the most fun things I’ve ever done. There is never a dull moment nor is it easy to find a moment for some peace and quiet but the great community is so worth it. I’ve been spending my days loving on the people of Cape Town in many different ways. One way being through friendship ministry, basically walking around shopping centers and grocery stores and malls just talking to people and sharing a smile and asking for prayer requests. Another has been putting on day camps for kids in poor and violent neighborhoods nearby while they are on summer break. We play games and sing camp songs and just hang out with some pretty awesome kids who don’t get near the amount of love they deserve from their homes. Another ministry we have gotten to do in our time here in South Africa has been train ministry. From a train station nearby, we ride the train into downtown Cape Town and are spread out through the train with some of us just talking to people, some of us preaching the Good news, and some of us leading worship. Once we get into the city we sing worship songs and find people to talk to. Its been such an incredible blessing to have so many different ministry opportunities to partake in. What I absolutely love about my time here is the amount of awesome stories I have heard from random strangers on the street and the pure kindness and joy so many people of South Africa have within them.
This Christmas eve was spent putting on a Christmas service for the kids we out on a day camp for and their families. We had a whole band comprised of many of the musical talented people I am so blessed to live with and band equipment and everything. We sang Christmas songs and told the story of Christmas and the true meaning for the season. Christmas eve morning we bought all the girls and guys matching pajamas then all rode the train into the beach for a photoshoot. Christmas day was filled with so much love and joy that I nearly forgot I wasn’t at home. The 18 of us had a secret santa and swapped gifts and we of course, ate lots and lots of food. It was one of the most memorable Christmas’ I think I will ever experience. There is no other people I would have wanted to celebrate with nor any other place I would have rather spent Christmas.
I have fallen in absolute love with this place and already know for a fact that I will be back. I have a hard time accepting the fact that this really is my life and that I really do live in South Africa. My days consist of riding the train 10 minutes to get to the beach and play in the waves or 30 minutes into downtown Cape Town to explore the beautiful city. I’ve hiked Table Mountain, which has the most beautiful view of Cape Town and all its suburbs on one side and the Atlantic ocean on the other. I’ve went cage diving with great white sharks surrounding me. I’ve seen penguins, yes… I said penguins, and lots of seals. I’ve watched some crazy beautiful sunsets on the roof of my home with my greatest friends on either side of me and seen some pretty sweet night sky filled with billions of stars. I started the new year surrounded by some of the greatest people I have ever known, in one of my most favorite places on earth. Life is incredible here, I don’t know if I will ever be able to say goodbye to this place.
Sincere apologies for not updating my blog sooner, wifi is hard to come by here in South Africa. Continual prayers for the Country of South Africa, and specifically the city of Cape Town and all its people that they would continue to know the love of our heavenly Father. For the month of January, only us girls will be living in the house because the boys are in Lesotho for a month of ministry just the guys. Prayers for us girls that we may be bold and continue to minster to the people of Cape Town as well as prayers for the guys and their ministry in Lesotho for the month then its back to the craziness of 18 people living in one house. Thank you so much for your prayers, they mean the absolute world to me!
Sending lots of love from South Africa,
Reya
