Team work! Two is better than one.

This week has been a heaping scoop of crazy and more than a few dashes of busy. There is a team here from my home church, The Bible Church of Little Rock. Four adult leaders and eleven young adults are here to helping out for 9 days.

Andre and Pastor Josh have been leading them around Africa and partnering with other pastors and churches to meet their needs. Saturday they were here at the Home with us, Sunday we had church, and Monday and Tuesday they were in Standerton. Standerton is a shanty town. We are friends with Pastor James who is serving faithfully there. He makes $5 a month to feed his family of 6. They can't afford to send their kids to school because they can't buy uniforms. Despite this, Pastor James faithfully preaches the true gospel, rather than a prosperity gospel which is thriving and would bring home more money. He is always smiling; and he helps to feed the orphans in the area and tutor them after school. The team blessed him by coming along side him and helping enable him to continue in the ministry he is already doing. They spent Wednesday at the Home, helping with projects and playing with my babies.

On Thursday, Britt - the other intern here with me - and I were able to go with the team to Pilanesburg again. It was an eventful trip!! In the first 30 minutes one of our cars was charged by an elephant! Praise the Lord that that mad momma stopped before running all the way into it! Then, at lunch a monkey jumped over the deck and stole some of Britt's chips (French fries)!!!

This weekend the team is going to two more townships to help out pastors and churches there. I'm so thankful that they are here partnering with these churches to help enable them to serve more effectively.

On Sunday I will leave on the same flight as the team to go home. I'm both sad and excited at the same time.  I really don't want to leave my babies or my new friends. Two months is so short and I feel like I'm at the point where I really have some great relationships here that I hate to leave as they are just blossoming. However, the Lord has taught me so much here and I know that He has changed me. I can't wait to see what opportunites he will give me to apply everything to life back home!

"Home is the nicest word there is." - Laura Ingalls Wilder

The first time I stepped foot into the baby home I was greeted by a silly, enthusiastic laugh. I laughed back and he laughed again; and so the game began. The Boss was the first face I saw. He has an infectious smile and gives really great hugs. His heart can be so tender at times; if one of his friends is crying he will find their comfort item (bottle, dummy, etc) and bring it to them. He gets so distressed and flustered if one of his friends is crying and will go to them and try to comfort them. The Boss loves music and dancing. He also really loves his Daddy! This guy's dad comes to church most weeks to visit him. His daddy loves him very much and wants to take good care of him. After weeks and weeks of waiting, the court has finally signed the papers to let him go home to his dad! Today was very bittersweet for me. Sweet because I know this guy will be so happy with his Dad and bitter because I will miss him so much! He has a hard road ahead of him adjusting to a new life. Pray for this little guy!

 I've now seen three babies come into the home and one leave. I'm thankful that I could see a happy reunion while I was here. I'm praying God holds and keeps my baby no matter where he is.

The Sands of Time

The hour glass keeps running and there is no way to stop it. I can hardly believe that I will be leaving Africa in a week and a half! Before I came two months seemed so long. When I arrived, I didn't understand why everyone I met kept saying, "Only two months?! So short!" I wanted to say back "Short? Are you kidding me? Two months away from home and the people I care about?" I thought they were crazy. Now I know that I was the crazy one! The time has flown by and it just won't stop. I'm excited to go home and see all the people I love and miss... but I am sad to be leaving behind so many people I love and will miss as well. I have to say that the latter is the stronger feeling right now; but shhh! Don't tell my mom ;)

My time in Africa has changed me - just as everyone told me it would. It has changed my relationship with God, with my boyfriend, with my friends; it has changed how I view adoption, ministry/mission, culture/races, the church, poverty/wealth, violence, and discipleship; it has renewed my passion and desire for God and ministry at home. I wasn't on the bandwagon before coming, but this African sun has definitely gotten under my skin!

Although I am heart-broken to see the end of this African road, my heart is strengthened to know that each day that stretches out in front of me is planned by God. I know that my time here was fruitful. I was able to serve and fulfill a need here, to love on God's orphans, to seek to encourage and serve His Servants, and to meet some brothers and sisters I didn't know before. I'm not checking out for this last week and half! I'm just reflecting and pulling up my boot straps to go hard and finish strong! Please pray for strength as I am just starting to get weary with the busy schedule of July - but also praise God for sustaining me this far! Pray for health as my headaches are getting stronger - but also praise Him for teaching me so much through the headaches! Pray that I will seek God with all my heart and soul, and that I would give my everything to our family in Africa until He says it is time to go.

Thank you for everyone who has been supporting me in prayer! I love you all!

Sarah and I in our uniforms :)

Tiny Love

Oh happy day!! We got a brand new baby boy at the home yesterday! He  is 15 days old and weighs 3 kilos!! I think he is just darling :) We now have 7 babies at the home!! You can only say so much about an infant since they don't really have any favorite games yet or say anything super cute! :) A picture is worth a thousands words though so I think I can make up for my lack of creativity real fast!

With Heather

Fuzzy hair!

With Auntie Jeanne!

Sooo cute!!

Sleeping :)

A Confession and An Appeal

I've been wanting to write this specific blog post for a while, but I haven't known what to say. I kept thinking that I needed inspiration; I needed to say the perfect thing; I needed to convince someone of what I'm about to ask! But, our Faithful God has used the time that I have put this off to work in my sinful and prideful heart. You see, the baby home is in desperate need of new interns! Starting August 2nd there will be no more female interns here. The baby home cannot run without them! That means that they will have to hire on more full time caregivers which they simply don't have the money to do. Interns save the baby home $800 a month! Everyone here is trusting God to provide for the need however he sees fit.

I wanted to write a post to be the one who convinced someone to come. Sure I had good motives mixed in there - I know that this has changed my life and will change the life of anyone else who comes here. I want that for my friends so badly I don't know how to put it into words!! I want them to learn from the church here and the missionaries.  I want them to see this beautiful country and get to hug on my precious, family-less babies. I want them to taste Milo (my favorite drink here), to see the tin huts my friends live in, and to feel Africa's sun on their faces. I want the baby home's needs filled. I want help for the people here who selflessly and tirelessly (even though they ARE tired!) give up their own wants, desires, and needs every minute of every day!

But even in all these good desires, I was seeking the glory of being used. I don't need that anymore. Now I know that God doesn't need me to work. He chooses to use me and bless me.  It isn't about me and I know now that God won't call the whole world to come to this ministry. You aren't a bad person for not coming here. He has a plan for your life and that might NOT include coming here. But I also know it might. So I'm writing this with a humbled heart that is trusting God with the care of His orphans and children. I'm not trusting my own writing; I'm not going to tweak this word and that word until it sounds appealing and makes you want to come change nappies every day. But, I am going to cover this blog post and each eye that reads it in prayer. I am going to ask you to talk to the God who I am putting my trust in and see if He would have you come and serve here.

There is a need! A great need! I know He will provide in the way that brings Himself the most glory. Please consider coming here! Once someone decides to come, they will have a great need financially - consider giving towards that need. And as much as anything, please join us in prayer for God's provision!
`
From Heather Drew:
"Interns must be committed followers of Christ, servant-hearted and flexible, 18 years old or older (healthy older saints are welcome as well!(: ), fluent in English, and must raise their own support.
The purpose of these internships is 1) keep down the costs of running the baby home, 2) keep our caretaker to baby ratio low and our standards of care high, 3) the internship has the potential to be genuinely life-changing and fondly memorable for those who intern with us. If you are interested in learning more about our internships, please contact Donovan Drew at donovan@1hope4africa.com."

Also, feel free to email me with any questions about my experience: claimag05@gmail.com

Pilanesburg

I have to be honest with you... I don't think that words or pictures can justify the experience of Pilanesburg National Park! This past Monday all the interns had a day off of work to go to the game reserve.. it was fantastic!!

If you are one of my American friends reading this: Go back to elementary when you are learning about elephants and lions, learning their sounds, habitats, and food. You look at pictures in books when you are three and point, "Mommy lion! Rawr!!" When you are older you might write a small report or two about these animals in Africa. You look at pictures and dream you'll see them but who really thinks they will ever be 10 feet away from a real Rhinoceros? Not me! But, I was!! It was an absolute dream to drive around and see these animals out in the wild!! I kept a record of everything we saw: Hippopotamus, baboon, grey duiker, steenbok, impala, grey heron, kudu, wildebeest, giraffe, waterbuck, wild tortoise, warthog (Sarah called these Razorbacks! Pig Sooie!!), Elephant, Mongoose, Lion, Tsessebe.. a lot of awesome birds, and a dust tornado! :)

I'm sure anyone who knows me will find this hard to believe, but everyone with me was constantly having to hush me because I was so excited that I kept yelling when I saw animals. I thought maybe we would drive around and see something every now and then, but it was so crazy!! We saw animals literally ALL DAY LONG! CONSTANTLY! They were just there eating, drinking, hanging out.. seriously!! God was so kind to let us see lions which is not a given at all! Oh man ya'll... it was an awesome experience!! I'm so thankful for the diversity and beauty of God's creation! For the African sunrise and plains, the wild animals, the vibrantly colored birds (Seriously.. I've never seen such colors on birds before!) and beautiful water. When you are out there seeing what I saw, your heart can't help but overflow with love and awe for the God who loves us!  Here's some pics; Praise the Creative Creator with me as you look at them!

I took this picture because it says "Five Roses" and "Rooibos." Here's one fun fact about South Africa: people always offer you coffee (instant usually), and tea. But for tea they always ask "Five Roses or Rooibos?" It's the two most popular kinds here!

These are cool birds nests found everywhere. They build them in a special way where they hang from the branch and the entrance is in the bottom so predators can't get in!

Africa is perrrty!

The lovely Britt :)

It's me!

And it's zebras!

I've never known it til now.. but this is totally the animal they
modeled the beast from Beauty and the Beast after!

Just hanging out right there in the road :)

Fat hippos laying by the water.

Warthog! It's pumbaa!!

They were sooo close to us!

My favorite!!

Majestic!

Sharks vs. Blue Bulls

From the first week I stepped onto South African soil I knew that Rugby was a big deal.. and I knew I was about to be in the middle of a big rivalry! I'm staying in Pretoria, home of the Blue Bulls (colors: blue), and I'm living with a Durbanite, supporter of the Sharks (colors: black, grey, white). How was this going to end well??

My first week here we went to Andre and Karlene's house (Living Hope and 1Hope team members) for fellowship and I learned some of the rules of Rugby. I also watched Invictus and got a few more lessons. Then Saturday rolled around! All the stops were pulled out to be sure we girls knew what was going on! Britt, Sarah, Vinson (not a girl. haha), and I crowded around the computer for some YouTube educational videos. I think I'm pretty much an expert now!

 It felt so much like a fall football day! I came out in the morning dressed in all blue and asked what time the game was "Get back inside and change right now young lady! You will not go out in public like that!" Donovan told me.. I'm tell you - this is serious stuff! So I knew right away, inters are for the Sharks.. and we embraced it :) We wore black and grey from head to toe! At 14:30 about 25 friends arrived for the braii - just a south African barbecue. We ate Boerewors - A delicious South African sausage that is traditionally eaten before or at Rugby games - and rolls, and tried some South African chips and cokes. Excitement was in the air! There were 2 blue bulls fans at the braii and all the jokes and jibes were hilarious!

Me, Sarah, Britt

Hanging out around the grill

Food and fellowship

Friends :)

Before..

..and after! Just cut off a slice of this and stick it in a roll! Yum!!

Finally it was time to go! The game was one of the coolest experiences ever! I got super into it.. as we were walking to the stadium I thought I would just join in the camaraderie so I shout "Go Sharks!" at some sharks fans. They smiled and looked slightly confused - then I remembered my American accent that follows me everywhere. Oh well!

At the game, we were literally sitting on the edges of our seats because we were so excited! When the sharks ran out you would have thought that I had been a sharks fan for my whole life from the way I screamed! It was so exciting and fun! That atmosphere was contagious. We cheered and at Biltong for the next 80 minutes + half time. Biltong is a delicous snack that is kind of like beef jerky. but way better because I don't like jerky and i LOVE this stuff! Unfortuantely, America isn't a fan of me bringing any home :(

Sarah and I

The guy in the yellow shoes who is about to get the ball had an identical twin on the Sharks team!

I loved the line-out! [See.. i know terminology! (: ]

The scrum

This wasn't taken from our seats and it was taken before everyone was in the stadium so the seats weren't full yet.. but they were by the time the game started!

Hello :)

The game was super intense. In the end, the Sharks barely lost (20-19, I think). Rugby is now one of my favorite sports :)