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.