What we've done:
- Survived grade 2. Kaitlyn and I had our last day with the second graders on Friday, because that was their final day of term 2. As I reflect on last week, I think about how hard it is to be a teacher here. There is so much expected of these teachers when this school is so short on resources. I have gained so much respect for these teachers after last week and am incredibly grateful for the experience to be put in their position for just a few days. But as I reflect on last week, I also think about how imperfect I was. Even though the learners improved with listening while we were there, there were so many times that I didn't love them well; so many moments when I didn't praise them for the things they were actually doing right. Yet, when interval time came (what is known as recess in the States), they would run up to me and smother me with hugs before going out to play. As I stood there with so many arms wrapped around my waist, I was dumbfounded. How could they still want to hug me even though I had just forgotten to compliment them for the good things they had done? I felt so undeserving of their love and affection. As I look back now though, I am reminded of how similar that is to my relationship with Christ. How many times a day do I forget to praise Him for the good things He has done for me? To praise Him for the incredible things He's blessed me with? A lot. Yet He still loves me. He still wraps His arms around me and His grace covers all of my imperfections. I feel so undeserving of His love, yet here I sit drowning in it. My heart swells with gratitude.
- Spent the weekend resting. Two things that South Africans are very good at: resting and enjoying life. Our host family takes every Sunday to rest...both physically and in the Lord. They see the value of being at 100% when the work week starts on Monday. Also, our host parents have told us time and time again, "You MUST enjoy yourself while you're here." At first, I thought it was just something that they said, but since meeting others in the community I've learned that it is a cultural thing. They are so good at enjoying life here. So, we've been trying to practice that. On Friday night, we went over to another host home and celebrated Sydney's 19th birthday (one of my team members). On Saturday, we began our day attending a march against drug and violence around the community with our host dad. Then, in the afternoon Kaitlynn and I took a run to the beach with the Indian Ocean that is about 15 minutes away. We sat up on a boulder as we watched the waves break just before they reached up. It was pretty incredible. Then, on Saturday night we fixed our host family an "American" meal. Since they have a lot of food that we have in the States (hamburgers, pizza, pasta, etc...) we fixed them tacos, guacamole dip, and ice cream sandwiches for dessert...all things they had never had before. On Sunday, we had a wonderful worship service in the morning, lunch with our K-State advisor who was visiting with her South African native husband, and then spent the rest of the day walking along the Atlantic Ocean coastline in Fish Hoek. At night, Chantel took us to watch the sunset overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, then drove us through the mountains, and 15 minutes later we watched the full moon rise over the lights of Simonstown, as well as the Atlantic Ocean. It was incredible...I've never seen anything like it. Even though I still struggle with really resting, I think this weekend definitely helped me grow some in this area!
- Helped with tutoring. We have continued to help with tutoring at the local library on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays. This week we were challenged with getting learners to attend even though they don't have school. So, our team has been creating worksheets for the children to work on during the hour that they are there. Even when school is in session, most of the children don't come with any books or worksheets to work on. During those times, we simply have to make up math problems for them to work on, hoping that what we're giving them is at their level and what they are learning in school. But over the course of the past week we've been able to create multiple sheets of various areas of math for the learners. It's also been difficult because even though we can have four fourth graders at tutoring, they may all be at different levels...some who still struggle with basic addition and others who are starting on long division. The prepared sheets have helped tutoring run more effectively and efficiently this week.
- Helped with Holiday Camp. For the next three weeks, five of our team members (including me) will be helping with the Holiday Camp for the children in the community. This is the three week break the students (or "learners" as they call them) have from school before their next term starts. The camp is from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Monday-Thursday. Our team has been paired up with the South African youth (the same youth that we had Youth Night with a couple Fridays ago) to lead the different age groups at the camp. I'm working with one of the South African youth to lead the group of about 15 11- and 12-year-olds. It's been challenging at times since most of them have Afrikans as their first language, but it's also been cool to see how a language and cultural barrier doesn't keep us from sharing joy and building relationships.
- Watched "Invictus". Every Tuesday night we have our weekly sessions with Chantel. She is more than the director of the organization we're working with to us...she has been a mentor, a cultural guide, and friend during our time here. We meet every week to share how our service sites are going and do some personal development with Chantel. This week though, she wanted us to watch "Invictus". This is a movie based on the true story of when the South African rugby team won the World Cup the year after Nelson Mandela became president. The movie shows how a sport brought a broken and divided nation together. It was really neat to watch after all that we've learned about apartheid since being here. Also, it was interesting to see with all of the health issues Nelson Mandela is facing right now. Sidenote: Even though we are in South Africa, we are hearing multiple different reports on his current condition (and ones that he's already passed away). We don't really watch the news and I've barely seen any newspapers in the community, so you all probably know more than I do about what's going on. But we DO know that President Obama is in the country and he will be visiting Masiphumalele (which we toured one of our first days here) on Sunday. He will be visiting the center where two of my team members work, and they said that the secret service have been there all week preparing for President Obama's arrival.
- How resilient South African children are. Most of the children at the holiday camp have either been abused or have seen abuse, yet you would never guess it by looking at them. They have more joy and hope than I've ever seen. If they get knocked down during a game of musical chairs, they get back up and keep running. No complaints. No tears. They just keep running. I feel like that is a common theme for all people here. Even in the face of hardships and obstacles, they keep going. It's inspiring to see their will power and work ethic.
- How my love for Him stems out of His love for me. Last week I talked about how I'm learning how to serve out of an overflow of my love for Him. But after more reading and reflection, I discovered that I have been missing a big part of the whole picture: I wouldn't be able to love Him if He did not love me first. God is love (1John 4:16). Therefore, without God, I wouldn't be able to love Him. So, really, service to others is an overflow of the love that He has bestowed upon me.
Teacher Kaitlyn and I with our energetic and adorable second graders on the last day of school for Term 2.
And of course we had to do a silly picture...
On Friday afternoon we made monster cookies with a few kids who were hanging around out host mom's Creche. Ashley, Ryan, and Erwin loved helping stir and enjoyed eating the cookie dough even more!
This was Saturday morning when we participated in the march against drugs and violence with our host dad. We marched around the community and then ended in the community center where we watched a presentation from community leaders about stopping drugs and violence in Oceanview.
I captured this photo when Kaitlyn and I were walking back from the market on Saturday morning to grab some bananas. I love the trees here...they are all so beautiful! The buildings in the background are called "flats", which are basically apartments. They are usually where the more impoverished members of the community live.
Torie, one of our host sisters, with the dinner Kaitlyn and I made on Saturday night. She was a great help! And note to my mother (who doesn't think I can cook): My host mom said our meal was "perfect". : )
Kaitlyn took her job of making the ice cream sandwiches very seriously.
Beautiful Sunday afternoon walking along the coastline at Fish Hoek bay.
Chantel, Kaitlyn B., Stephanie, Sydney, and me all hung out in Fish Hoek while the other four girls went to Simonstown on Sunday afternoon.
The sunset over the Atlantic Ocean.
And then 15 minutes later we saw this: the full moon come up over Simonstown. Simply incredible.
Yesterday it was rainy and sunny all day, so we got to see lots of rainbows. This full one came out as Kaitlynn and I were walking home from tutoring yesterday. My host home is in the foreground.
Today at Holiday Camp our team led a worship time with the kids. Since it was such a beautiful day, we decided to do it outside! We taught them a few new worship songs and they showed us the ones they love as well! We have been asked on the other days to help with team building activities, as well as plan crafts for each day. It has been a good challenge for us to find entertaining and beneficial activities without using a lot of resources. Yesterday we made paper lanterns with five glue sticks for 70 kids. It was a bit chaotic at times, but it worked!
No comments:
Post a Comment