We have only been here in George for 6 days, but somehow it feels like we have been here for so much longer than that! I am absolutely loving this beautiful country, and am so excited to share with you all what we've been up to!
We started out on Monday with some work around Makani. The work consisted of gardening (digging up and replacing plants), sanding wooden planks that are going to be used for bunkbeds, washing cars, mowing the lawn...etc. It was a long but rewarding day!
On Tuesday we ventured into the township of Blanco. To be honest, I was pretty nervous upon entering this severely impoverished township. Seeing the homes of these people was challenging, surreal, and somewhat overwhelming...but the Lord was near and close to reassure me that these were His people, the sheep of His pasture; and in this my fear and uncertainty was turned to such joy and peace. In Blanco, we split up into 4 different groups, and set off to help out at different preschools in the area. These preschools are hosted in the homes of mothers in the community. I was in a group with Johnny Andow and Simon (one of our new Irish friends). We played outdoor games with a group about 15 kids. These kids are absolutely precious. They loved to climb on us and get as much attention from us as they possibly could. After a few hours at the preschools, we walked up to the local park/field and were given the task of entertaining roughly 90 kids from the township! Let's just say there was NEVER a dull moment. We were swarmed with attention greedy, fun loving, energy soaring children for about four hours. I made a new friend with one little boy in particular whose name was Rualdo. He was at the preschool that I helped at, and was constantly by my side for the rest of the day. It was challenging and overwhelming at times, but the smiles on the faces of these children were so completely worth it. Johnny said something last night that I think we all felt when we were around these kids and the adults from Blanco...when you look into their faces, you see Jesus.
Today we stayed at Makani during the morning and made toys for kids of the townships we will be visiting. Pierre encouraged us to pray over the toys in hope that the Lord would use this simple gesture to instill even just a small knowledge of the Lord in the heart of a child. In the afternoon Pierre took us all up to a mountain where we prayed over the city of George. It was a very powerful time of prayer, and I think all of us were touched by the greatness of our God. I know I definitely felt an excitement in my spirit about the work that He is doing in this land. After prayer we went to an OAM football game where we watched the team beat another township team 3-1!
The Lord has definitely been faithful in giving the team cheerful hearts of service! I have found so much joy in knowing that everything I do here is in service to my King. This knowledge is what brings reward to everything we do.Whether it be handing out soup and sandwiches to hungry children, digging up huge plants, or spending time in fellowship with our new friends, it is simply amazing to be able to say that we do this all to glorify the Living God and further His kingdom on earth...so amazing and so humbling.
Thank-you for your love and prayers as we continue on in this adventure in South Africa :)
Much love,
Heather
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