February 18th:
We began our day with our Monday morning prayer meeting, and then our intake went back to Welverdiend. We met up with the care workers and split into groups to do home visits. The group I was in went to four houses, though only three of the families were home to talk to. Then we went back to the feeding point to play some games, catch and a few hand clapping games mostly. Then it was time to serve the meal, and we sat with the children as they ate. We talked to them as they were eating, and then played more games after cleanup from the meal. There was also some weeding in the mix as well, so they can try to get their garden in order. Then we all crammed back into the Venture. We also stopped on our weekly grocery run, so after that, we were literally crammed into the Venture. We had a few good sing-alongs as well. And if people weren't singing with me, I was singing somewhat quietly to myself.
February 19th:
Today was a crazy day! We started off with the ladies prayer meeting, which is always a great way to start the day. Then our intake was off to Senzokuhle. However, when we got there, plans changed. We got back into the Venture and headed to Mandlesive. This center is split into two feeding points. We were at the smaller of the two, that feeds 20 children. We played catch, sang and danced, jumped rope, limbo-ed, and had such a good time with these children. Then we split into groups to walk to children home with their care workers. One of the girls I was walking with taught me the moves to Shakira's 'Waka Waka' so Kristi and I attempted to dance. Emphasis on attempted, but the girls got a laugh at least. We had picked up at extra person at this point, so we were now cramming eight people into the Venture. Two people in the front, four people in the middle row - including yours truly, and four people in the back. To say we were cozy would be an understatement. Then you add in the fact that we had been outside in the full African sun for at least five hours and the Venture does not have air conditioning. And did I mention the roads? I know we all love commenting on the quality of PA roads, but let me tell you, they really aren't that bad. We just do our best to wedge into our seats so we don't continually bump into the people around us, and laugh about it after the fact. For dinner we had the pleasure of going to the Snymans' home. Carolyn made us some traditional Afrikaans dishes and a dessert. The rest of the evening was spent catching up on our studies for small groups, and just relaxing with each other.
Tomorrow we get a break from traveling to the community. We'll be at the Village, starting off our days with small groups and then having a session with Lynn. God is doing amazing things here, thanks for being a part of our adventures!
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Sunday, February 17, 2013
Community Church
Yesterday we got to experience the Mac Mac pools. They are gorgeous! Naturally, I am not anymore coordinated here in Africa and I slipped on one of the rocks. And in true PA fashion, I cleaned and bandaged myself up only to get a sunburn. Luckily the sunburn mostly faded, so I'm actually nearly as pale as I was before I got any sun, but my scrape is quite the sight... I did get to experience some fun stuff prior to slipping though, and I took some really cool pictures.
Mac Mac Pools! You can swim under those waterfalls, and I did!
And Dave Bentley, master of the braai, showing us all how it is done. I have to give him credit, he does know what he is doing, and it was delicious. I might not need to eat any meat again for a month, but it was well worth it!
The view was just incredible!
So anytime you are swimming at a waterfall, it is common knowledge that you are obviously required to jump off said waterfall. So here is our attempt to jump all at once.
Except jumping all at once was a bit too risky, as there are only so many areas you can jump. We tried to stagger, but Dave, Joe and I ended up waiting out the first round. Then as soon as the water cleared we all jumped in, or so we thought... but no worries, we did eventually get Joe to jump in. He even lived to tell about it!
And a picture of the entire crew on our Mac Mac day. Such an amazing, fun group of people!
Today the eight of us got a taste of African worship. We went into Nelspruit to a Kenyan Church. We'll hit several different Churches in the area to see the variety the area has to offer. This particular Church service lasted just under two hours. It was definitely at experience. The minister asked us to go to the front and introduce ourselves so the congregation could know who they were worshiping with, which was a pretty cool experience. The main scripture was 1 Chronicles 14: 8-17 [NIV]:
"When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over all Israel, they went up in full force to search for him, but David heard about it and went out to meet them. Now the Philistines had come and raided the Valley of Rephaim; so David inquired of God: “Shall I go and attack the Philistines? Will you deliver them into my hands?”
The Lord answered him, “Go, I will deliver them into your hands.”
So David and his men went up to Baal Perazim, and there he defeated them. He said, “As waters break out, God has broken out against my enemies by my hand.” So that place was called Baal Perazim. The Philistines had abandoned their gods there, and David gave orders to burn them in the fire.
Once more the Philistines raided the valley; so David inquired of God again, and God answered him, “Do not go directly after them, but circle around them and attack them in front of the poplar trees. As soon as you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the poplar trees, move out to battle, because that will mean God has gone out in front of you to strike the Philistine army.” So David did as God commanded him, and they struck down the Philistine army, all the way from Gibeon to Gezer.
So David’s fame spread throughout every land, and the Lord made all the nations fear him."
The message was about breakthroughs in our lives. It was definitely cool, and definitely appropriate timing with everything we have experienced on our trip so far. It will definitely be a memorable day. Then we went to do a little more shopping. I got a deck of cards and some post cards, a few of the others got some clothing items. Then we all came back to do laundry or relax, until it was time to get ready for curry night. Everyone in the Village was invited to bring a dish. There was so, so much food and it was all delicious. We'll all sleep well with full stomachs tonight, which is good because tomorrow is going to be another long day. We're headed back to Welverdiend to work in the community there. I should probably look over my language guide. I'm learning I am better at some things than others, and learning African languages is not necessarily one of my better skills...
I hope everyone has enjoyed a relaxing Sunday afternoon. I'm excited to give you more updates about the work we're doing this week. And as always, thanks for praying!
Mac Mac Pools! You can swim under those waterfalls, and I did!
And Dave Bentley, master of the braai, showing us all how it is done. I have to give him credit, he does know what he is doing, and it was delicious. I might not need to eat any meat again for a month, but it was well worth it!
The view was just incredible!
So anytime you are swimming at a waterfall, it is common knowledge that you are obviously required to jump off said waterfall. So here is our attempt to jump all at once.
Except jumping all at once was a bit too risky, as there are only so many areas you can jump. We tried to stagger, but Dave, Joe and I ended up waiting out the first round. Then as soon as the water cleared we all jumped in, or so we thought... but no worries, we did eventually get Joe to jump in. He even lived to tell about it!
It's us! Everyone in our intake plus Divvy and Ashely, the Village Chief. From left to right: front row is Alicia and Mariah, middle row is Divvy, Dave, Mel, me, back row is Ashley, Russell and Joe. I love this picture of us!
And a picture of the entire crew on our Mac Mac day. Such an amazing, fun group of people!
Today the eight of us got a taste of African worship. We went into Nelspruit to a Kenyan Church. We'll hit several different Churches in the area to see the variety the area has to offer. This particular Church service lasted just under two hours. It was definitely at experience. The minister asked us to go to the front and introduce ourselves so the congregation could know who they were worshiping with, which was a pretty cool experience. The main scripture was 1 Chronicles 14: 8-17 [NIV]:
"When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over all Israel, they went up in full force to search for him, but David heard about it and went out to meet them. Now the Philistines had come and raided the Valley of Rephaim; so David inquired of God: “Shall I go and attack the Philistines? Will you deliver them into my hands?”
The Lord answered him, “Go, I will deliver them into your hands.”
So David and his men went up to Baal Perazim, and there he defeated them. He said, “As waters break out, God has broken out against my enemies by my hand.” So that place was called Baal Perazim. The Philistines had abandoned their gods there, and David gave orders to burn them in the fire.
Once more the Philistines raided the valley; so David inquired of God again, and God answered him, “Do not go directly after them, but circle around them and attack them in front of the poplar trees. As soon as you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the poplar trees, move out to battle, because that will mean God has gone out in front of you to strike the Philistine army.” So David did as God commanded him, and they struck down the Philistine army, all the way from Gibeon to Gezer.
So David’s fame spread throughout every land, and the Lord made all the nations fear him."
The message was about breakthroughs in our lives. It was definitely cool, and definitely appropriate timing with everything we have experienced on our trip so far. It will definitely be a memorable day. Then we went to do a little more shopping. I got a deck of cards and some post cards, a few of the others got some clothing items. Then we all came back to do laundry or relax, until it was time to get ready for curry night. Everyone in the Village was invited to bring a dish. There was so, so much food and it was all delicious. We'll all sleep well with full stomachs tonight, which is good because tomorrow is going to be another long day. We're headed back to Welverdiend to work in the community there. I should probably look over my language guide. I'm learning I am better at some things than others, and learning African languages is not necessarily one of my better skills...
I hope everyone has enjoyed a relaxing Sunday afternoon. I'm excited to give you more updates about the work we're doing this week. And as always, thanks for praying!
Saturday, February 16, 2013
Village Life and Orientation Updates
The Hands at Work HUB is located outside of White River, Mpumalanga in South Africa. It's a small international pocket here in South Africa. Living here are various people from different African Countries, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Australia, a lot of Canadians, and me - the token American.
Life here is simple, but no one seems to mind too much. Long term volunteers and staff have houses "upstairs" but the rest of us live in community with basic dormitory style rooms. Here is a picture of my half of the room. There isn't a whole lot, but when you're living here, you realize you don't need a whole lot.
And here is a picture of the kitchen, where we make all of our meals, as demonstrated by Dave(UK) and Leyton(AUS)
This is a view of the Village, looking up the front steps.
And if you turn around, you get to look at this. And no, it never gets old!
So those are just a few pictures to capture Village life. If you have facebook, there are more pictures on my profile. The internet here is not as fast as at home, so while I would love to upload millions of pictures for you, that is just not realistic. I'll do my best to post more photos as I take them though!
February 14th:
We spent the morning at the Lowveld Botanical Garden. What an experience! We had a morning theology session with George and some quiet time to have a look around the gardens. There was no question that we were in South Africa because we were quite literally in a jungle. There are also absolutely amazing water falls. You definitely have a sense of how insignificant you are when you're watching the water crash down the rocks with such speed and force. I've traveled around the United States quite a bit and have had the privilege of seeing some amazing views, but this was definitely one of my favorites!
We went back to the Village to eat a late lunch and then attend a tea so we could get to know more of the current people here at the Village. After that we were invited to dinner at the Waspe's house, and we stayed there for another impromptu session with George. Finally we came back to the main Village to work on a skit about our experience so far. We ended up recording a time lapse video instead, but it was great fun.
February 15th:
We spent the morning in the Village. First, we had a session with the whole group, called Digging Deeper, where we showed them our video and then heard a speech George gave while traveling in Canada. It's nice to hear the message that is being presented to the people who aren't here to experience things first hand. It just helps the whole group keep everything in perspective about why we are here, what we are trying to accomplish, and how different people are doing their best to make that happen.
Then we had a lovely session with Carolyn that was all about health here at Hands. All the lovely African things you might imagine... we talked about Malaria, Typhoid, HIV, TB, frogs, snakes, scorpions... but it is really not nearly as bad as you might believe. Life is pretty much normal here. We have access to safe drinking water, so it's all good.
That afternoon we went back to Siyathuthuka with Cat. We had time to do some more home visits, and play with the kids. My Siswati needs some remedial help, but I've got some time to learn some more. We got back to the Village in time to relax and clean up before going to dinner with Lynn and Jamie. They got us our first African pizza! Jamie just returned to South Africa after spending a few weeks at home in Canada, so it was great to get to know her a bit! We had lots of great conversation, and it was just a great evening where we got to unwind after everything we've experienced this week!
Today we are off to the Mac Mac pools, which are supposed to be amazing waterfalls where we can swim. And Dave Bentley is teaching us how to braai, which is basically South African barbeque, so it should be amazing! Hopefully your weekends are relaxing, and thanks for praying!
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Ash Wednesday
After our morning session with George, and our afternoon session with Emily, a group of us ate dinner together to celebrate Marj's birthday. We had a collection of great food made my Marj and Jenna. Jenna also made a chocolate cake, complete with chocolate icing made with hot chocolate and topped with fresh blackberries. It doesn't get any better than great food and great conversation!
After dinner, we all went up to the Chapel. Right now, the Chapel is a basic concrete structure that the Hands family is constructing as time and finances permits. It is finished enough to be functional. There are a few embellishments and pictures hanging, but it's pretty bare - but definitely not in a bad way. It just is what it is. It is basic, but it is not distracting. It is empty, but it is not useless. There is just something about having only what you absolutely need: an area that provides an element of shelter, and people willing to praise God with their whole hearts. The evening began with sharing some stories that we were supposed to hear at Monday's prayer meeting, but ran out of time. Once those were wrapped up, we transitioned our focus to Ash Wednesday and the season of Lent. George gave a message, challenging our perceptions as always. We prayed, and then we sang. As we were all singing, we took turns going up to have George place the ashes on our foreheads and bless us. Before and after everyone received their ashes, we all sang worship songs a capella. With volunteers from so many different countries, we know the same songs but to slightly different tunes and harmonies. It sounds like it could be confusing, or even frustrating, but honestly it somehow just works. There was not an extremely large group, but our voices just filled up the Chapel. It was a powerful experience that gave me chills. It was the perfect culmination to a very emotional, very encouraging day.
I realized I haven't shared too much scripture up to this point. Let me assure you, I marked several passages myself before coming here, and Hands has identified many others. I'll start off by sharing the Watchword for 2013:
There are many verses that are posted in the Village, and referenced frequently, but that is the main verse for this new year. It is a very important verse that highlights the heart of living in community. We must identify our gifts, and use those to serve each other and make our burdens lighter. God brought us all here purposefully, and anyone who has had the privilege to experience life at the Village will agree. The eight of us were meant to come here to be together for however long we are here. We are learning what it means to live in community, but it is so much easier when we are constantly faced with the harsh reality of these lives every day. There is no reason, other than pure chance, that we were born in the first world and these children were born in third world. That is the sobering reality that is always present here.
After dinner, we all went up to the Chapel. Right now, the Chapel is a basic concrete structure that the Hands family is constructing as time and finances permits. It is finished enough to be functional. There are a few embellishments and pictures hanging, but it's pretty bare - but definitely not in a bad way. It just is what it is. It is basic, but it is not distracting. It is empty, but it is not useless. There is just something about having only what you absolutely need: an area that provides an element of shelter, and people willing to praise God with their whole hearts. The evening began with sharing some stories that we were supposed to hear at Monday's prayer meeting, but ran out of time. Once those were wrapped up, we transitioned our focus to Ash Wednesday and the season of Lent. George gave a message, challenging our perceptions as always. We prayed, and then we sang. As we were all singing, we took turns going up to have George place the ashes on our foreheads and bless us. Before and after everyone received their ashes, we all sang worship songs a capella. With volunteers from so many different countries, we know the same songs but to slightly different tunes and harmonies. It sounds like it could be confusing, or even frustrating, but honestly it somehow just works. There was not an extremely large group, but our voices just filled up the Chapel. It was a powerful experience that gave me chills. It was the perfect culmination to a very emotional, very encouraging day.
I realized I haven't shared too much scripture up to this point. Let me assure you, I marked several passages myself before coming here, and Hands has identified many others. I'll start off by sharing the Watchword for 2013:
"As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace"
-1 Peter 4:10 [ESV]
There are many verses that are posted in the Village, and referenced frequently, but that is the main verse for this new year. It is a very important verse that highlights the heart of living in community. We must identify our gifts, and use those to serve each other and make our burdens lighter. God brought us all here purposefully, and anyone who has had the privilege to experience life at the Village will agree. The eight of us were meant to come here to be together for however long we are here. We are learning what it means to live in community, but it is so much easier when we are constantly faced with the harsh reality of these lives every day. There is no reason, other than pure chance, that we were born in the first world and these children were born in third world. That is the sobering reality that is always present here.
Orientation: The First Days
So after spending a couple days adjusting to life at the village, we finally were able to go out and experience a bit of life here.
The first day: Monday February 11, 2013
We began our day with a prayer meeting. This was nice because it brings everyone in the local Hands family together, including the people who spend most of their time behind the scenes and we haven't seen as much. It was amazing to have the whole group together in one room. We sang songs in English, and some songs not in English, but everyone sang with so much heart! I wish everyone could experience it, I can't even do it justice by trying to describe it to you! We prayed, listened to stories of the other volunteers and prayed for the children in their stories. What an awesome way to put everything in perspective in our lives here!
Then it was time to get our hands dirty. Dan loaded us into the cars and we headed off to the Clau Clau Service Center. There we listened to Dan explain all the basics about Hands: the Hub, the RST, the SC, the care workers, the HBOs... all stuff that (mostly) meant nothing to me before I can here, and I'm sure means nothing to you. Just know, we have to know it to really know what Hands does. And I'll explain it to you so you can eventually get the best understanding of the organization and what Hands does. We also heard the stories of the care workers. How difficult their lives were, how God completely changed them for the better. Then we went to the community of Siyathuthuka. You can read all you want about the lives of these children, but until you experience it, you can't just 'get it.' We played games with them. I threw a lot of bad passes with a football, along with some poorly aimed kicks to a soccer ball. We also taught the kids to play hopscotch, tic tak toe, and some hand games. They are so adorable, and so full of life! We sang with them, though this was really mostly us watching them sing and being in awe. Fortunate and Cat really got them going with a few songs. We still don't know all the lyrics in Siswati, but we can at least mimic the dances! Then it was time to serve them lunch. At Siyathuthuka they fed 50 children last year and are expanding to 75 children this year. The women made a mixture of white beans, kidney beans, corn and cornmeal mixed in with some chicken stock. It simmers until it is fairly thick, but it smells and looks good. The children love it. These little bodies get heaping plates because, for most of them, it is their only meal of the day. Some of the very little ones had containers so they could take the leftovers home. These little babies are more coordinated with leftovers than most people I know! They are so tiny, holding a heaping plate of food with their left hand and spooning it into their container with their right hand, and they never lose a drop! That's the cruel necessity of life here though. They learn from an early age to be as self sufficient as possible, because their parents might be working or sick, if they have parents at all. Little ones split a plate meant for one between themselves and two friends, because friends become family here. If they have had enough of the water they were drinking, they poor it into the cup of the little one sitting next to them, to make sure that they will have enough. It is encouraging that these babies can be so giving, and heartbreaking that its because they so desperately need to be in order to survive here.
The second day: February 12
The ladies began with a prayer meeting together. We talked about story and the impact that has on our lives. What we want our story to be. This was such a good way to begin my time here with Hands because it really got me thinking. Then Dan was anxiously waiting for us to finish up because we were driving the whole way to Bushbuckridge and Welverdiend. We went to the BBR Service Center and met the care workers there. There was a meeting going on, so we didn't meet all of them and we did not meet the coordinator, but we did a name game with the others who were waiting. Alicia, Dave, and I went with Audrey into the community. Welverdiend is different than Siyathuthuka because Siyathuthuka is closer to the Hub and they get visitors often, while Welverdiend is about a two hour drive away. Those children were so excited to see us! At one point we were walking to a house we were going to spend some time visiting, and these little ones came running after us screaming 'white people, white people!' They also become completely shy once they realize we will stop and talk to them. We eventually made it to the house, and once inside it began raining. We thought we had waited it out, and began to walk back to the service center, but we were wrong. We got absolutely drenched in the storm. It was difficult and amazing. I couldn't see because the rain was washing sunscreen into my eyes - but soon enough it washed it out! I can even describe it. In certain areas the ground remained so firm, and immediately next to it would be an area that was extremely slippery or muddy. I had warned the group that I trip all the time, so Dave was worried I was going to wipe out. And behind Alicia was helping Audrey avoid getting stuck. We had to stop in other house just to get out of the rain. [I did have my passport and yellow-card on me. They were both in my wallet so my passport didn't get too wet, and my yellow-card didn't get wet enough to ruin it. I also had my Bible and notebooks. The notebooks are dried out at this point, my Bible is still getting there...] We made it back to the Service Center and ate in the car with Jo-Anne while we waited for Dan and the last group to get back. They had Micah with them, so it obviously took them longer to make it back with his desire to splash in every puddle! Back at the Service Center we discussed core values and what they meant for us. Then we had some time to play with the children before it was time to leave. The drive was amazing! There are cows and goats everywhere. We also passed a group of baboons on the road. There were two on the side of the road on the way in, but going back there were probably more than twenty of them sitting in the road, it was a crazy sight! We also passed lots of game land. Dan assured Audrey that I would spot an elephant... and if you know Dan, you'll know that's not at all surprising. But I'm afraid that I did not spot any elephants yet.
We made it back to the village for the first Foodapalooza: taco night! The other volunteers had invited some of the people who live 'upstairs' to come eat with us. In fact, they were experiencing tacos for the first time! It's a really unique experience to share something so commonplace for us with someone else who finds it so foreign. After dinner, we discussed our favorite bands when we were 14, though some people had to guess because they haven't been 14 for quite some time. Then it was time to debrief with Tommy and Morgan, discussing what orientation had been like for them, and how things were going on our end. After that, we traded more 'when you were 14...' questions. I know what was on our walls came into discussion at one point. And we all go to sleep pretty early, around 10. That's just life here. I'm up with the sun, by 6AM at the latest, and by the time I get back from a day in the community, I'm already pretty tired.
This morning everyone had small group, and then the eight in our intake went up to the Sanderson Farm with George to share our testimonies. I think everyone in our group will agree with me when I say 'what an experience!' Obviously we feel a special bond with anyone who has had any involvement with Hands at any point, but to experience as a core group...is just priceless. It's something intangible and something that I will never forget! Now we are eating a late lunch before having an afternoon session with Emily. Tonight our intake is divided up and going to dinner with different people throughout the village. Alicia and I are headed up to Tommy's (and soon to be) Morgan's. I'm very excited to get to spend more time with them.
I'm really excited what has happened so far, and what is to come!
Thanks for reading about my journey, and thanks for praying!
The first day: Monday February 11, 2013
We began our day with a prayer meeting. This was nice because it brings everyone in the local Hands family together, including the people who spend most of their time behind the scenes and we haven't seen as much. It was amazing to have the whole group together in one room. We sang songs in English, and some songs not in English, but everyone sang with so much heart! I wish everyone could experience it, I can't even do it justice by trying to describe it to you! We prayed, listened to stories of the other volunteers and prayed for the children in their stories. What an awesome way to put everything in perspective in our lives here!
Then it was time to get our hands dirty. Dan loaded us into the cars and we headed off to the Clau Clau Service Center. There we listened to Dan explain all the basics about Hands: the Hub, the RST, the SC, the care workers, the HBOs... all stuff that (mostly) meant nothing to me before I can here, and I'm sure means nothing to you. Just know, we have to know it to really know what Hands does. And I'll explain it to you so you can eventually get the best understanding of the organization and what Hands does. We also heard the stories of the care workers. How difficult their lives were, how God completely changed them for the better. Then we went to the community of Siyathuthuka. You can read all you want about the lives of these children, but until you experience it, you can't just 'get it.' We played games with them. I threw a lot of bad passes with a football, along with some poorly aimed kicks to a soccer ball. We also taught the kids to play hopscotch, tic tak toe, and some hand games. They are so adorable, and so full of life! We sang with them, though this was really mostly us watching them sing and being in awe. Fortunate and Cat really got them going with a few songs. We still don't know all the lyrics in Siswati, but we can at least mimic the dances! Then it was time to serve them lunch. At Siyathuthuka they fed 50 children last year and are expanding to 75 children this year. The women made a mixture of white beans, kidney beans, corn and cornmeal mixed in with some chicken stock. It simmers until it is fairly thick, but it smells and looks good. The children love it. These little bodies get heaping plates because, for most of them, it is their only meal of the day. Some of the very little ones had containers so they could take the leftovers home. These little babies are more coordinated with leftovers than most people I know! They are so tiny, holding a heaping plate of food with their left hand and spooning it into their container with their right hand, and they never lose a drop! That's the cruel necessity of life here though. They learn from an early age to be as self sufficient as possible, because their parents might be working or sick, if they have parents at all. Little ones split a plate meant for one between themselves and two friends, because friends become family here. If they have had enough of the water they were drinking, they poor it into the cup of the little one sitting next to them, to make sure that they will have enough. It is encouraging that these babies can be so giving, and heartbreaking that its because they so desperately need to be in order to survive here.
The second day: February 12
The ladies began with a prayer meeting together. We talked about story and the impact that has on our lives. What we want our story to be. This was such a good way to begin my time here with Hands because it really got me thinking. Then Dan was anxiously waiting for us to finish up because we were driving the whole way to Bushbuckridge and Welverdiend. We went to the BBR Service Center and met the care workers there. There was a meeting going on, so we didn't meet all of them and we did not meet the coordinator, but we did a name game with the others who were waiting. Alicia, Dave, and I went with Audrey into the community. Welverdiend is different than Siyathuthuka because Siyathuthuka is closer to the Hub and they get visitors often, while Welverdiend is about a two hour drive away. Those children were so excited to see us! At one point we were walking to a house we were going to spend some time visiting, and these little ones came running after us screaming 'white people, white people!' They also become completely shy once they realize we will stop and talk to them. We eventually made it to the house, and once inside it began raining. We thought we had waited it out, and began to walk back to the service center, but we were wrong. We got absolutely drenched in the storm. It was difficult and amazing. I couldn't see because the rain was washing sunscreen into my eyes - but soon enough it washed it out! I can even describe it. In certain areas the ground remained so firm, and immediately next to it would be an area that was extremely slippery or muddy. I had warned the group that I trip all the time, so Dave was worried I was going to wipe out. And behind Alicia was helping Audrey avoid getting stuck. We had to stop in other house just to get out of the rain. [I did have my passport and yellow-card on me. They were both in my wallet so my passport didn't get too wet, and my yellow-card didn't get wet enough to ruin it. I also had my Bible and notebooks. The notebooks are dried out at this point, my Bible is still getting there...] We made it back to the Service Center and ate in the car with Jo-Anne while we waited for Dan and the last group to get back. They had Micah with them, so it obviously took them longer to make it back with his desire to splash in every puddle! Back at the Service Center we discussed core values and what they meant for us. Then we had some time to play with the children before it was time to leave. The drive was amazing! There are cows and goats everywhere. We also passed a group of baboons on the road. There were two on the side of the road on the way in, but going back there were probably more than twenty of them sitting in the road, it was a crazy sight! We also passed lots of game land. Dan assured Audrey that I would spot an elephant... and if you know Dan, you'll know that's not at all surprising. But I'm afraid that I did not spot any elephants yet.
We made it back to the village for the first Foodapalooza: taco night! The other volunteers had invited some of the people who live 'upstairs' to come eat with us. In fact, they were experiencing tacos for the first time! It's a really unique experience to share something so commonplace for us with someone else who finds it so foreign. After dinner, we discussed our favorite bands when we were 14, though some people had to guess because they haven't been 14 for quite some time. Then it was time to debrief with Tommy and Morgan, discussing what orientation had been like for them, and how things were going on our end. After that, we traded more 'when you were 14...' questions. I know what was on our walls came into discussion at one point. And we all go to sleep pretty early, around 10. That's just life here. I'm up with the sun, by 6AM at the latest, and by the time I get back from a day in the community, I'm already pretty tired.
This morning everyone had small group, and then the eight in our intake went up to the Sanderson Farm with George to share our testimonies. I think everyone in our group will agree with me when I say 'what an experience!' Obviously we feel a special bond with anyone who has had any involvement with Hands at any point, but to experience as a core group...is just priceless. It's something intangible and something that I will never forget! Now we are eating a late lunch before having an afternoon session with Emily. Tonight our intake is divided up and going to dinner with different people throughout the village. Alicia and I are headed up to Tommy's (and soon to be) Morgan's. I'm very excited to get to spend more time with them.
I'm really excited what has happened so far, and what is to come!
Thanks for reading about my journey, and thanks for praying!
Sunday, February 10, 2013
Lazy Sunday
Hi Everyone! I hope your Sundays are going well!
Here at the Hands Village, we (the new intakes) had a pretty easy day. Because we've all traveled quite a distance and are still recovering from jet lag [personally, I'm feeling fine. I switched over right away, which probably means I won't be quite so lucky on the trip home...] anyway... we stayed around the Village while everyone else ventured off to various Churches in the area. Marj had mentioned having monkeys in the area. They come to the Village on Sundays because they have learned that everyone leaves to go to Church. They swing in the trees and try to get into the Village kitchen to find food. In the past they have been successful, and have made quite the mess! Well, sure enough a few of us were talking on the deck and the monkeys made their appearance! Joe rushed to close his windows and Mariah tried to get a closer look, followed by Dave and his camera. They were not the best photography subjects, but it was nice to see them, even if briefly. Then Mel, Dave, and I took a walk to the chapel. It is unfinished, with open windows, so it is the favorite spot of the monkeys. They just swing in through the windows and have a grand old time. Then it started to sprinkle, so we headed back because you never know when a sprinkle will turn into an outright downpour!
Then some of us ate a quick lunch, and all of us got ready for our first experience with shopping in South Africa. It's different than in the States, things aren't organized the same. You just have to know where everything is, so we had a few of the current volunteers along to help us if we got stuck. I was finally able to get some coins, I've just had all bills up to this point, so that was exciting! As for the food, there are cupboards and small refrigerators that we all share, mostly two people each. After shopping our van stopped to get ice cream which was an unexpected surprise.
After that it was time for meetings and paperwork, and then we got to make dinners with our fresh groceries. After dinner we relaxed, and played a round of Dutch Blitz. There are lots of Canadians here, and that game was a hit. I had to have a refresher on the game, as I haven't played it for quite a few years, and we had to start from scratch with the volunteers from Australia and the UK. Now some people are playing a game with scrabble pieces, I missed the actual instructions. Others are already in bed. There are so many frogs and lizards here, the frogs especially are active at night.
Russell is finally here! So our intake group is complete! Tomorrow morning we have our first full-group meetings, and head off to our first day of orientation. Things are going to get very busy, very quickly. I'll hopefully be able to post some pictures soon, I was able to pick up batteries at the store today. But, I won't be able to post any pictures from community visits just yet. I'll try to update at least a few times this week to tell you a bit about what we are doing during our time here.
Thanks for praying!
Here at the Hands Village, we (the new intakes) had a pretty easy day. Because we've all traveled quite a distance and are still recovering from jet lag [personally, I'm feeling fine. I switched over right away, which probably means I won't be quite so lucky on the trip home...] anyway... we stayed around the Village while everyone else ventured off to various Churches in the area. Marj had mentioned having monkeys in the area. They come to the Village on Sundays because they have learned that everyone leaves to go to Church. They swing in the trees and try to get into the Village kitchen to find food. In the past they have been successful, and have made quite the mess! Well, sure enough a few of us were talking on the deck and the monkeys made their appearance! Joe rushed to close his windows and Mariah tried to get a closer look, followed by Dave and his camera. They were not the best photography subjects, but it was nice to see them, even if briefly. Then Mel, Dave, and I took a walk to the chapel. It is unfinished, with open windows, so it is the favorite spot of the monkeys. They just swing in through the windows and have a grand old time. Then it started to sprinkle, so we headed back because you never know when a sprinkle will turn into an outright downpour!
Then some of us ate a quick lunch, and all of us got ready for our first experience with shopping in South Africa. It's different than in the States, things aren't organized the same. You just have to know where everything is, so we had a few of the current volunteers along to help us if we got stuck. I was finally able to get some coins, I've just had all bills up to this point, so that was exciting! As for the food, there are cupboards and small refrigerators that we all share, mostly two people each. After shopping our van stopped to get ice cream which was an unexpected surprise.
After that it was time for meetings and paperwork, and then we got to make dinners with our fresh groceries. After dinner we relaxed, and played a round of Dutch Blitz. There are lots of Canadians here, and that game was a hit. I had to have a refresher on the game, as I haven't played it for quite a few years, and we had to start from scratch with the volunteers from Australia and the UK. Now some people are playing a game with scrabble pieces, I missed the actual instructions. Others are already in bed. There are so many frogs and lizards here, the frogs especially are active at night.
Russell is finally here! So our intake group is complete! Tomorrow morning we have our first full-group meetings, and head off to our first day of orientation. Things are going to get very busy, very quickly. I'll hopefully be able to post some pictures soon, I was able to pick up batteries at the store today. But, I won't be able to post any pictures from community visits just yet. I'll try to update at least a few times this week to tell you a bit about what we are doing during our time here.
Thanks for praying!
Saturday, February 9, 2013
I'M HERE!!!
Hi Everyone!
What a whirlwind! I left my house in Indiana a little after 12pm EST on Wednesday to head to the airport and was in transit until roughly 12pm SA time on Friday. It was definitely an adventure! I had to recheck my bag at every airport. Pittsburgh was obviously easy since I'm so familiar with it. After that I went to JFK where I had a 14hr layover. I think it's the largest airport I've ever been too. After going to baggage claim I had to take the AirTrain to the international terminal, but it was too early to check in. I spent the night in the food court. There were a few other groups there. It was busy, noisy, and very, very bright. Way too much stimulation to sleep! I ended up staying awake the entire night, through check-in, then the last of the layover, and even the first part of the flight. After they fed us 'dinner' at lunchtime for EST they dimmed the lights and put us to sleep so we'd wake up on African time, which was really really nice.
I woke up early as we were flying over Liberia and there was a fantastic lightening storm - of course we were watching it from above the clouds. It lit up the entire horizon on the left side of the plane (I had a window seat) as far as I could see and took us over 10 minutes to fly past. We landed in Johannesburg and had to get to baggage claim, which was interesting because it was not marked as clearly as it would be in American airports. We eventually found it and then rushed off to get our passports stamped. It was a large room with lots of people and no fans, so the air was stagnant and felt muggy. Once that was taken care of we went down towards customs, when I got to that counter they actually directed me to a different counter. Luckily, I just had to follow the stairs and found a bag boy eager to help. It would not have been an enjoyable experience without him! I would have had no idea where to go! I showed him my boarding pass, he took my checked-bag and starting rushing through the airport. It definitely sped up my time through the airport. The customary tip is 40Rand which is less than $5, so in my opinion it was $5 very well spent! I had some time to relax before my final flight. I brought a filtered water bottle with me that I filled up at airports after passing security, so I took the time to find a fountain and the bathroom. My final airport was Kruger and it was like nothing I have ever seen! Lots of foliage and probably similar to what you would imagine an African airport to look like.
Two of the Hands volunteers, Marj and George, picked me up and it was so nice getting to spend some one on one time with them. Almost immediately after leaving the airport, we passed a herd of impalas along the side of the road! They tried to point out various things on the way back to the Hands Village, most of which I will probably forget sooner than later. When I made it to the village, the Hands at Work Board was having a meeting, so I met people that aren't normally in South Africa which was exciting. I got set up in my room and had some free time before the other volunteers showed up, Joe from the UK was the only one who arrived before me. There was no power because of a massive storm the night before, so we ate dinner by candlelight in a large group. It was a potluck partly to welcome our intake group, but naturally, a good way to use up some food that would otherwise go bad. We played a game that Kristy taught us until it was late enough to go to bed. I felt okay, but we were all staying up to go to sleep on African time and reset our clocks right away. I slept well and feel rested. The birds here are amazing, and the sun is bright. It's a big contrast from being in Pennsylvania just a few days ago!
Power came back on this morning, but it's a lazy day here. Our orientation doesn't start until Monday. I am still troubleshooting a few things in the meantime. Overall, South Africa is amazing (it looks like I'm living in Jurassic Park, minus the dinosaurs) and everyone is welcoming! I'm using battery power at the moment, but I will hopefully get the power situation figured out and be able to check in again soon! Things are working out, not always as I was expecting, but working out nonetheless. Thanks for praying!
***Edit***
My clock and battery charger aren't rated for the voltage here, but my camcorder, laptop, iPod, and phone charger should be fine. I'll be able to get some batteries when we venture out shopping tomorrow. My roommate is the newest arrival to the Hands base, and now we're only waiting for one more who will show up Sunday evening. We're all settling in and getting more comfortable. It's amazing how a place can be so different yet the same compared to places back home. Orientation starts Monday so it will be a busy, hectic week, but it's amazing hearing each others' stories of how they got here, so I have no doubt that it will be an amazing, difficult, eye-opening, and fun journey for the eight in our intake class! Hopefully since power is back on all of us will get into a rhythm of working with and around each other, internet included.
Of course I had to bring tea with me, and everyone at the village is loving it.
Now it's time for movie night: we're watching the Hunger Games.
I'll try to update you all again soon!!!
What a whirlwind! I left my house in Indiana a little after 12pm EST on Wednesday to head to the airport and was in transit until roughly 12pm SA time on Friday. It was definitely an adventure! I had to recheck my bag at every airport. Pittsburgh was obviously easy since I'm so familiar with it. After that I went to JFK where I had a 14hr layover. I think it's the largest airport I've ever been too. After going to baggage claim I had to take the AirTrain to the international terminal, but it was too early to check in. I spent the night in the food court. There were a few other groups there. It was busy, noisy, and very, very bright. Way too much stimulation to sleep! I ended up staying awake the entire night, through check-in, then the last of the layover, and even the first part of the flight. After they fed us 'dinner' at lunchtime for EST they dimmed the lights and put us to sleep so we'd wake up on African time, which was really really nice.
I woke up early as we were flying over Liberia and there was a fantastic lightening storm - of course we were watching it from above the clouds. It lit up the entire horizon on the left side of the plane (I had a window seat) as far as I could see and took us over 10 minutes to fly past. We landed in Johannesburg and had to get to baggage claim, which was interesting because it was not marked as clearly as it would be in American airports. We eventually found it and then rushed off to get our passports stamped. It was a large room with lots of people and no fans, so the air was stagnant and felt muggy. Once that was taken care of we went down towards customs, when I got to that counter they actually directed me to a different counter. Luckily, I just had to follow the stairs and found a bag boy eager to help. It would not have been an enjoyable experience without him! I would have had no idea where to go! I showed him my boarding pass, he took my checked-bag and starting rushing through the airport. It definitely sped up my time through the airport. The customary tip is 40Rand which is less than $5, so in my opinion it was $5 very well spent! I had some time to relax before my final flight. I brought a filtered water bottle with me that I filled up at airports after passing security, so I took the time to find a fountain and the bathroom. My final airport was Kruger and it was like nothing I have ever seen! Lots of foliage and probably similar to what you would imagine an African airport to look like.
Two of the Hands volunteers, Marj and George, picked me up and it was so nice getting to spend some one on one time with them. Almost immediately after leaving the airport, we passed a herd of impalas along the side of the road! They tried to point out various things on the way back to the Hands Village, most of which I will probably forget sooner than later. When I made it to the village, the Hands at Work Board was having a meeting, so I met people that aren't normally in South Africa which was exciting. I got set up in my room and had some free time before the other volunteers showed up, Joe from the UK was the only one who arrived before me. There was no power because of a massive storm the night before, so we ate dinner by candlelight in a large group. It was a potluck partly to welcome our intake group, but naturally, a good way to use up some food that would otherwise go bad. We played a game that Kristy taught us until it was late enough to go to bed. I felt okay, but we were all staying up to go to sleep on African time and reset our clocks right away. I slept well and feel rested. The birds here are amazing, and the sun is bright. It's a big contrast from being in Pennsylvania just a few days ago!
Power came back on this morning, but it's a lazy day here. Our orientation doesn't start until Monday. I am still troubleshooting a few things in the meantime. Overall, South Africa is amazing (it looks like I'm living in Jurassic Park, minus the dinosaurs) and everyone is welcoming! I'm using battery power at the moment, but I will hopefully get the power situation figured out and be able to check in again soon! Things are working out, not always as I was expecting, but working out nonetheless. Thanks for praying!
***Edit***
My clock and battery charger aren't rated for the voltage here, but my camcorder, laptop, iPod, and phone charger should be fine. I'll be able to get some batteries when we venture out shopping tomorrow. My roommate is the newest arrival to the Hands base, and now we're only waiting for one more who will show up Sunday evening. We're all settling in and getting more comfortable. It's amazing how a place can be so different yet the same compared to places back home. Orientation starts Monday so it will be a busy, hectic week, but it's amazing hearing each others' stories of how they got here, so I have no doubt that it will be an amazing, difficult, eye-opening, and fun journey for the eight in our intake class! Hopefully since power is back on all of us will get into a rhythm of working with and around each other, internet included.
Of course I had to bring tea with me, and everyone at the village is loving it.
Now it's time for movie night: we're watching the Hunger Games.
I'll try to update you all again soon!!!
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