A Beautiful End To A Wonderful Journey

Well, to be honest, I don't know how much I trust myself in writing this blog post right now. You  see, I have spent the last 21 some hours on airplanes and in customs lines and am so past the point of overtired that I have reached several breaking points--the most notable being in Julia's apartment, when I laid face down on the ground and laughed and cried hysterically until I couldn't breathe. I don't think I've ever been so tired that I have been laughing and crying at the same time, not crying because I am laughing so hard, mind you, but laughing for laughing's sake and crying for crying's sake. Let me tell you, it is a weird experience. As Ari, my teammate, would put it: "ratched".

All I can say is that my experience in Africa has been a beautiful one in many ways,  but in none of the ways that I expected. God taught me a lot about community, about how to live in community and how to love and live with sisters in Christ in stressful and, most of the time, close-quarter situations. He also taught me a lot about spiritual family and investing in those with whom you come into contact, even if it's only for a short while here on this earth. I feel so incredibly blessed with the relationships He gave me this summer in Ruth and Raine, Richard and Lindsey, and Fran and Allen. They will all remain with me, if only in spirit.

As more thoughts come, I will continue to post and reflect on my travels; but, for now, I will bid you all farewell with a few pictures that will always remind me of South Africa and the family I have made there.

(some girls sang for us after church one Sunday)

(with Rich and Lindsey and baby Andrew)

(the sunset in Kruger)

(Valuable to Jesus program)

(more valuable to Jesus program)

(a picture with Ruth and Raine)

Lions and Rhinos and Kudu, Oh My!

The past 17 days since I last graced this blog with my writing have been eventful indeed. The overview of my happenings have been: going on holiday to Kruger (a large game park in S.A. that is the size of a small European country), running a ministry called "Valuable to Jesus" (that teaches kids of all ages about abuse and their value to Jesus), visiting several more creches for teacher training, helping at an after-school program in a township at a woman named Eva's house, and seeing "Dark Knight Rises" and "The Amazing Spider Man" (both of which I was quite satisfied).

Starting with the Kruger:
Altogether, it was a lot of fun. We spent a day in the game park, as well as going on a sunset drive; but, we also got to experience the area around Kruger, which is, indeed, beautiful. A list of the animals we saw in Kruger are as follows: crocodile, hippo, impala, warthog, horn-bill (ie-Zazu), vurvet monkey, vulture, Kudu, Elephant, Zebra, Rhino, Water Buffalo, giraffe, guinea fowl, stenbok, kingfisher bird, baboon, bushbok, red-beaked stork, lion, monotor lizard.

Aside from the amazing animals in Kruger Park, we also saw many beautiful views from the surrounding area. We went to a place called "The Pinnacles", "God's Window", a waterfall, "The Potholes" and saw many an amazing view from our cars as we drove over tree covered mountains. Oh, on the day that we went to these lovely places, we also had the privilege of stopping at a place called Harrie's Pancakes to eat lunch. Let me just say that I have a whole new understanding towards pancakes and their capability to become savory gourmet dishes or decadent deserts. Altogether, the food at Harrie's was scrumptious--and very well priced.

Valuable to Jesus:
While it's sad to think about the reality of child abuse in South Africa, it is also very necessary. 1 in 4 kids is abused in this country and the majority of cases go unreported. For this reason, Lindsey, when she heard about the Valuable to Jesus program, jumped on the idea of having it implemented in creches, as a way to start dialogue and create a safe place for kids in the community to talk. The talks that we gave to the 8 creches we visited were targeted at children from ages 3-8. In some ways, I can't even believe that a 3 year old would need to hear such a message, but that's the reality of the situation. Most kids are growing up in a 1 room home and are, thus, exposed to a lot more at a young age. This, in combination with the fact that children are not super highly valued and most people in the townships see a child selling his or her body as a necessary evil, creates an environment where it is in fact super important that these kids hear that they are valuable and have right to their own body from a young age. It was really cool to see God working in this ministry, although it wasn't easy. One part that I thought was really special was that each child got their own doll after we talked to them to help them remember what was discussed. To see these kids' faces light up was so beautiful--not only had they heard the truth about their value to Jesus, but they also got their own hand knit and sewn doll (a luxury that most of them probably couldn't afford).

Eva's:
Eva's home is a warm place. A place where children can feel safe, even during the cold and smokey nights in the township. It is also a place of hope because it is a place where kids get to learn about Jesus from a woman who love them and doesn't hit or scream at them like a lot of the other teachers will do with their students. We had the immense privilege of coming and teaching Bible stories at Eva's after school program several times in the past few weeks. Theses kids love singing songs with us and participating in the dramas that we would use to help reinforce the Bible story. They also loved the Dum Dums that one of the girls on our team brought as a donation from a bank back in the states. My favorite memory of Eva's was the last night that we were there. At the end of our time, Julia, our team leader, asked the kids if they would mind praying over our team. So, we knelt in the middle of a mass of children and they layed hands on us and prayed. It was beautiful to hear the Zulu pouring out of their mouths and one or two in the foreground reciting the Lord's prayer that they had learned in English over us. Altogether, it was a beautiful time.


This past Thursday was our last day of ministry in South Africa. I can't tell you how weird it feels to know that something so beautiful and impactful is reaching its close. First of all, it doesn't feel like we have been here for almost 7 weeks. I am also sad to be saying goodbye to so many great friendships that have formed. But, as I know the end is imminent, my prayer is that the Lord will continue to work in our hearts down to the last day and that we will live each of the 4 days we have left here well.

The Beauty of Chaos

Over the past couple of weeks, it seems like a month's worth of events have occurred. I think life moves faster when you are in a particular place for a limited amount of time. College has been like that too, it seems. But, to be honest, I love when life is like that. Living in a community with six other girls and being constantly involved in ministry, it seems like the Lord works overtime on your heart, which is a stretching, but rewarding experience.

Last week, we were blessed with the challenge of helping at a holiday club for children in the area. It was cool because they invited kids from a local orphanage and a school in one of the townships to join the schools from Benoni (a more well of town in the area). What we didn't realize is that we would be heading groups of kids ourselves. I had a wonderful group of kids (we named ourselves the Shongololos--which is a millipede) who ranged from the age of 5 to 14. There were eight of them. While difficult at times, I grew to love those kids quite a lot and was rather sad when the week ended. The picture below is of us on the last day. Sadly, two of the boys that were in my group couldn't make it on the last day.

We also had the privilege of celebrating our Independence Day with the WEC team via a brie on the 4th. It was really fun to make hamburger patties (my first time doing so) and all of the American classics--like apple pie. We got to invite Fran and her husband, as well, which made the night all the more enjoyable. Oh, and Julia sneaked sparklers over to SA in her suitcase, so we got to light those too :) The picture below is of April holding baby Andrew (Lindsey's son) and Kristen being creepy in the background. 

The last event I will touch on was this past Monday. On Monday we usually had the day off, so Richard suggested we go for a hike in a game park that has hiking trails about 20 minutes away from the property. Not only did the hike provide a beautiful and much needed change of scenery, but it also held a refreshing peace. The view was breathtaking, with rolling hills surrounding us. There was a warm silence that filled the air--sort of like the sound of a first snow. Romantically beautiful, I think, is a good way to put words to it. Needless to say, it filled me with a renewed sense of God's love for us and my love for him. Below are a few pictures I took of the scenery. 

Needless to say, things have been going quite well for our team. I would ask, though, as you think to pray for our team, to pray for health. Many of us have been battling allergies and random illness. Last week during kids club, I was out for an entire day because I was sick to my stomach. But, aside from such things, I can safely say that we are continually growing closer as a team and I am appreciating our time in South Africa more and more. So, for now, Salani Kahle!

P.S.--Here is one other picture that I have been wanting to post for a while from a creche that we have visited quite a few times while we've been here. 

Reflections

A dedication....I would like to dedicate this post to my friend David Edgren for his request that I, once again, communicate my happenings in Africa with those who are reading this blog. So, at long last, here it is:






When I finally sit down at my computer to write, I always seem to feel a sense of speechlessness. There have been so many thoughts pouring through my mind that the idea of sorting them all out and putting them into a cohesive whole would take about a day and a half. So, to respect your time and to respect the fact that I need to sleep at some point, I will keep things succinct--a sweet taste of Africa (just like the sugar cane we got to suck on today at Mama Lindewe's...it was quite yummy, just so you know)  
This past week has been filled with many things--Bible story training, curriculum training, craft training, practical work around the house, prep for the upcoming week, and also a bit of relaxation.  


In the midst of all of it, though, one word that seems to keep coming back to our group is that of 'rest'. Now, some may think it's funny, this idea that one would be resting while on a mission trip. But, in all reality, rest is a truth that our group has needed. This doesn't mean cancelling our engagements and sitting around while drinking rooibos all day long. No. But, it does mean relying totally on God as we live in South Africa and not pushing ourselves 'til breaking point. In a lot of ways, South Africa is reviving our souls just as much as we hope to reach out and revive those around us. Sometimes it's hard though, to give up the way one has functioned in life for so long--always living to please and live life to a state of perfection. God has really been pointing this out in my life. 


Three words that have characterized this trip for me so far are: grace, love and patience. And, although it's hard, God has been pushing me to live a life that breathes them. I'm not going to lie, it can be so hard to life in such a way when one is surrounded by six other women who are about as opposite from you as a hedgehog and a house cat (weird picture, I understand, it's just what came into my head first). Yet, in the tension, that is where one can also see God working the most. And for that, I'm thankful. 




Here are a few pictures of things that have taken my breath away recently. Fran took us to a game park one day and the sunsets here are an essence of the divine. Enjoy!

P.S.--That's Joburg in the background....The sun sets behind Joburg, so we get a great view of it the nights that it's clear :)

Pictures!

While I love all of you who read this blog dearly, I am quite exhausted at the moment, so pictures with descriptions will have to suffice.

As a quick update, though, we have spent the past few days working with Fran (an AMAZING woman of God) and a ministry called Norah's Place. Norah's Place works with kids and families in many contexts. So far, we have gone to the preschool and enjoyed the company of children. Tomorrow we will go work with Norah and her team in the context of homecare (going to homes and providing informal medical assistance, etc.). Altogether, we have been quite busy. Oh, and this afternoon we also went to John Wesley school and were given a tour of the facilities.

A group picture from our excursion to the Apartheid Museum. Richard had a lot of fun taking our picture. Oh, and the strange man in the upper right corner was another visitor of the museum. He just really wanted to be in our picture, so he jumped in at the last second. This wasn't his only candid moment, though :)

Group picture at the museum #2. Oh, and yes, we had company in this photo too.

A picture of the area that burned from the fire. This picture hardly does it justice, though. The burn area was probably a solid 4 or 5 acres. And yet, despite being burned, it still looks lovely.

A picture of the first creche we went to visit for Saturday Kids Club. I mentioned this in an earlier post. 

A picture of the settlement where the Kids Club was held and where the creche is located. 

This is a picture of the church we went to on Sunday. The woman in the foreground is Pastor Margaret. This is her church. We went to her house before service and she fed us soup and then, after service, even though we said we were not going to have lunch, she and the congregation made us a feast with fancy dishes and everything. It was delicious. Oh, and the service lasted for a solid 4 hours. Richard said that was on the shorter side. 

A beautiful sunset. That was on Father's Day if I'm remembering correctly.

A picture of one of the classrooms at Norah's Place--the school. The kids were SO cute. At the end of our first day there, we came into the middle of a circle for a big hug and they charged us and hugged me to the ground. And then, of course, they helped me up and dusted me off when they were done.

Our lovely cooks. They cook for the kids every single day. The lunch that they served us was quite lovely. We got to have pap which is a stable in many homes down here. It's sort of like a rice and it sits in your stomach for days. Yum!

This is a picture of Auntie Phyllis telling a story to the kids before lunch. Auntie Phyllis is good friends with Fran and works at Norah's Place often.

And, last but not least, this is a picture of the sunrise this morning. It was quite lovely and I enjoyed standing in the warmth of it's rays as it poured into our living room window. 

All this to say, pictures cannot begin to describe this place. But, they can certainly give you an idea of what it's like. Full of lovely people and places and sights. Also full of hurt and suffering and brokenness. But, at the end of the day, under the watchful eye of a loving creator, and that's what counts. 

Blind Bartimaeus and Saturday Kids Camp

Today was officially our first day in a ministry context with kids! We traveled with Richard and Lindsey and Andrew by car to a township where a woman named Mama Lindiwe holds a kids camp every other Saturday for the children in that township. We went because Mama wanted WEC to help train her helpers on how to run a kids camp. 

It was so much fun! One really cool part of South African culture, as well as many others in Africa, is that they use story telling as a way to teach the Bible. This is primarily because they are more orally oriented. And, it is a lot easier to remember a story than a sermon. So, we told the story of the blind beggar named Bartimaeus and sang songs and played games. 

A counsel woman even showed up to see how Mama was running the camp and promised to purchase a sewing machine because part of the school during the week teaches women how to sew. She also promised to help find a more suitable piece of land for the ministry. 

The kids also performed many ritual dances and chants and songs for us--they were all quite adorable. 

Here are a few pictures from the day. One is of the ministry and the other is of the township area where we were at. 

How Many Cows Are You Worth?

To say the least, the past few days have been quite full of memorable events and people. 

On Thursday, the seven of us ladies pilled in a car with Richard and headed to the Apartheid Museum right outside of Joburg.

*At this point I will pause for a moment to introduce, more thoroughly, the wonderful people who are staying on the property with us and who are missionaries here. 

      Richard and Lindsey--One of two couples who are full time missionaries here Brakpan, South Africa with WEC (the other long-term couple is on furlough in Australia and will return in the near future). They have a beautiful and very well behaved son named Andrew who is (I think) 7 months old. Richard and Lindsey are an amazing team and a lot of fun to work with. They have been helping us out in many ways since we've gotten to SA--taking us shopping, giving us culture lessons, teaching us how to tell stories to teach the Bible, etc. Richard is originally from Australia and Lindsey from South Africa. Words cannot describe how much fun it has been to spend time with them and how much of a blessing they have been to our team. 

     Rina (I think that's how you spell his name) and Ruth--They are a short-term couple who have been here for about a year and a half and will be leaving in August. They are both immensely kind and are quite helpful when it comes to the many questions we have. Ruth is from England and Rina from the Netherlands. A fun fact about Rina is that he is incredibly crafty and, thus, made a Sauna for the property because they are quite common in his country and he missed having one. 


Sorry about that long interlude. I thought it important for you to know who I am talking about when I reference people from here. Now, back to the Apartheid Museum.... It was a really good, but hard experience, to be perfectly honest. I learned a lot that I didn't realize about Apartheid and Nelson Mandela (they had a special exhibit on him. 


Afterwards, we went to get coffee at this cute cafe situated at the end of the museum. What we didn't realize, however, is that we were about to see a protective and a rather amusing side of Richard. 


One of the men who was serving us our drinks kept making comments to us girls about wanting to see us again and whatnot. When we mentioned it to Richard, he 'mater of factly' informed us that all we needed to tell men who approached us is, "You won't be able to afford the number of cows my father will ask for me" and "My brother is waiting outside and he's a lot bigger than you". 


So, let me explain. In Zulu culture, it is required/expected that a man who wants to ceremonially marry a woman pay a dowry to the family. Traditionally, it was paid in cows. Today, however, it is still discussed in the term of cows, but can be paid in a cash form depending on whether or not the woman's family would have need for them or not. Anyway, we all got a kick out of that. Richard ended up going back into the cafe later with our glasses and informed the man behind the counter that one of the girls on our team was worth 500 cows and that sure got the guy to back off :)


This is a picture of Ari (the girl who was worth 500 cows) and Richard. 

All this to say, it was a good day. 

Ready? Light. Oh no, FIRE!

Where to begin discussing today. Hmm.... Well, the day started quite wonderfully with a jog around the property as the sun rose in the distance. We had a time of prayer and devotion as a group this morning as well, which was filled with wonderful songs of worship and prayer for fellow WEC missionaries around the world. 

Then, we moved on to learn about how to fight fires.... One thing I didn't realize when I first got to S.A. is that they have tons of wildfires during their winter because it's dry season (and when I say dry, I mean you can't get any drier). Last year they had a wildfire that was so bad that they didn't have time to even defend the property, they just went strait for the houses to make sure that they didn't burn down. So, with this in mind, we started our training. 

Needless to say, it was quite an experience to learn how to use fire whackers and turn on the water tank, as well as use all the hoses and learn how to prevent fires from hopping. Along with all of these tactics that are used when a fire has actually just arrived, it is also common to burn large patches of grass in a controlled environment, in order to create a barrier between the property and the places where a fire would leap from outside the property. So, after having gone over the basics, they wanted to give us some practice using the whackers on a controlled fire that they needed to light along the fence at the front of the land. Since the wind was somewhat mild, they figured that the fire would stay somewhat controlled and we could have our experience. 

So, they lit the fire...and then everything went wrong. The fire picked up to be quite large. So they told us to back off. They were going to go get the water tank. But, of course, the water tank wouldn't start. So, following Richard (one of the head missionaries here), we started to use our fire whackers as instructed. They also gave us masks to help with the smoke. I am still processing and don't really know what to say except that the fire got really out of control and, no matter what we did, the water tank wouldn't start.

I don't know if any of you have ever stood next to a wild fire that is as tall as you, but it hurts. Not only the smoke in your lungs that makes you feel like you will never breathe fresh air again, but being 3 feet from a gigantic flame that is being blown toward you at rapid paces is just ridiculously hot. 

We fought the fire for a solid hour all the way up the property. Thankfully we were able to keep it out of the neighbor's yard (last year he lost a lot of his yard and a caravan to a fire). Eventually, the fire brigade was contacted and just when the fire would have been beyond our control they arrived. Thank the Lord! We continued to beat down the fire as it crossed into the neighbor's yard for another ten or so minutes until the the bakkie made it to where we were at and doused the area in water. 

Aside from being exhausted, quite sore, and with a slight burn on my cheeks I am fine. I did sweat through everything I was wearing, though--my shirt and sweatshirt and jeans. It was just so hot and, on top of that, we were beating the ground with massive rubber mats on poles and running for an hour. But, in the midst of it all, God was good to us and He is good to us even now. Thankfully, no one was hurt and, in all reality, having the land burned that we did was good because, in the event of another fire in the future, the fire won't be able to hop the field and reach the buildings and garden on the other side. 

Thank the Lord we are safe. 

Sharp Sharp. (another way to say goodbye I learned)

Thank the Lord for hot water bottles!

Yesterday, the 11th, was the most wonderful of days--the sun provided much needed warmth . Which, in all reality, has not been the case since we arrived. While it is quite toasty from 9-4, the night time leaves one's extremities quite chilly. We even purchased hot water bags so that we could sleep through the night without being shivering. 

The mountain(ish) shape behind our front gate is actually a deposit from mining. It is the second largest deposit place in the world. Basically, it looks like a huge plateau covered in grass. 

Our house!!!

More house :)

More pretty pictures of our property

...

16+ Hours Later...

I am officially sitting on my bed for the next two months in Brakpan, South Africa!!! 
So, let's start with the plane ride. Well, to be honest, it wasn't awful. We were served two hot meals plus plenty of snacks and drinks, we had unlimited movie access the whole flight, the plane was huge (and therefore really fun to be on), they allowed us to pace the isles when the seat belt sign was turned off, and we got our own pillows and blankets. Aside from a few headaches and a tweaked knee, it went pretty well. 
Our flight was so smooth, in fact, that we got in to the airport an hour early. From there, we were picked up and driven back to the WEC base. The seven of us who are here for the two months get a whole house to ourselves! I am rooming with Holly, a beautiful woman of God, who recently graduated from Wheaton. Lindsey, one of the missionaries here, made us pumpkin soup for dinner when we got to the base--it was delicious. 
Well, at this point I am utterly exhausted, so I will bid you farewell for now. The two pictures in this post are the view from the airport in Atlanta, GA (the connection to our international flight) and the second is Holly in front of the heating unit in our room because it's 35 degrees outside and that is the only thing we have to heat our room and the area surrounding. Needless to say, it should be quite an experience :)


Night!

ROH S.C. Base Pics

Oh, and here are some pictures I took of the place that we are staying. The building is the office of Rainbows of Hope (the organization that we are going with). We are sleeping in the bedrooms on the second floor. There were also some beautiful sights tonight, so I am throwing in a few pictures of the sunset and whatnot.