How do you sum up four months of life in South Africa in a blog? or even put it into words?
Amazing, eye opening, difficult, fun, friendships, tears, laughter, a journey, LIFE CHANGING
Four months ago, to the day i arrived at the Village of Hope, after a long flight and some difficulty at customs in Jo'burg. I immediately felt welcomed by the VOH family, after what seemed like a long drive up some bumpy, windy dusty roads in the dark. I was a tad disorientated, but greeted into a family, a community who will be on my heart and in my prayers from here on out.
The village relies on volunteers to help it run, so i have had the fortune to meet a great number of people these past months. In total i can count that i have lived with 33 different people, met many more than that, and been blessed by even more.
Every time volunteers leave, a leaving doo is held. We each take our turn to mention our highlights and lowlights of the persons trip, and then they finish with theirs.
I thought for my final blog i would jot down a few of mine.....
HIGHLIGHTS
+ The children- In the unit. Being able to play games with them, pick them up from school, take them to the shops, and on various outings. In general just being able to get to know them, and LOVE them.
+Feeling comfortable enough with girls i havent known for that long, to break in to sing, not knowing the words or the tune.
+ Bosom buddies- Each week i have driven down to volunteer at one of the local hospitals. To bless new mums with a goodie bag of essentials, to congratulate and PRAY with them. I have made information leaflets on a variety of different topics, which are now being handed out at clinics and in each of the goodie bags.
+ Seeing baboons for the first time, whilst driving along the N2 with Heather.
+ The children- in the townships. Playing sports and teaching life skills each afternoon.
+ Road tripping up route 62, and along the Garden Route.
+ The children- at Rainbow Smiles. Helping run a support group each friday, for children with HIV. Getting to know them. REJIOCE, the director of the group, and the Themba Care nurses that helped us.
+Shark diving. Not as scary as it sounds, once you have seen a shark head straight for you, thrash against the cage, and not pay the least bit of attention in you.
+ Being able to work with the house mums- Getting to know them, their individual stories and the inner STRENGTH they each have.
+ Making a group of friends, who have been instrumental to my time here, and who i have made life long FRIENDSHIP with.
+Seeing the joy, the love and the HOPE, that the people of Grabouw have. The don't have much in terms of material possessions, but they have HEARTS FOR GOD.
+The new Audi, blowing up. Half way up a mountain, on the way home at midnight.
+Learning things about myself, that i either didn't know, or didn't want to know.
+ Finding BEAUTY in the little things.
LOWLIGHTS
- Getting pharangitis, and going into acute renal failure, at the start of April.
- Having to leave.
