Surrender.: Week 7 and 8 Update!

I’m writing this post as I sit in my home in Kansas, even though my heart and mind are still 8,000+ miles away in South Africa. While I am grateful for our safe return to American soil, it’s a strange feeling being back in this culture. Yes, it’s nice to have everything be familiar and “easy” again. I’m thankful for the little things – for having a dry towel after I’m done showering (showering…not bathing), for having fruits and veggies at every meal, for being able to go on a run by myself. But even though life is easier now, these things that I used to find comfort in no longer bring me fulfillment. God has taught me so much this summer about how true fulfillment comes only from Him.

What we did our last two weeks:

· Helped our host mother. On top of being a mother to five of her own children, five Americans, and running a Creche for 60+ every week, she also loves to cook. But not for herself, it’s always for other people. Every night she’ll make extra food, as friends, family, and community members will drop by for a warm meal. The last two weeks we were there she had three big events that she had to cook for. She has dreams of one day starting her own catering service, as well as a safe house for children in Oceanview…but that’s a whole other story. Unfortunately, Auntie Alice’s sister died a couple weeks before we left. Auntie offered to have the funeral lunch in the Creche at our house. That meant 70+ family members (Alice is one of eight) coming through for lunch in a couple hour period. Also, Alice cooked all of the food for the event. The guys, Kait, and I stayed home from service and ministry that day to lend a helping hand. It was great to be able to bless their family so much after they have blessed us beyond measure the past two months. But it was also very interesting because they used styrofoam containers to serve the food. Part way through the lunch they ran out, and they just had us clean the used ones to reuse for the coming guests. One thing that I admire about South Africans is that they make do with what they have…and that’s exactly what they did that day. While not completely sanitary by our standards, it got the job done. The last two weeks we were there, Auntie Alice also made food for two 21^st birthday parties (one for our teammate, Stephanie). Kait and I got to help at the party for their family friend (turning 21 is a big deal in their culture) and see even more how much of a servant Auntie Alice is to this community.

· Finished up with holiday club. We had our last week of holiday club the second to last week we were there. On the last day we just had a large party where the kids got to bring sweets and treats to share with the others in their group. The leaders put out all of the food on the table for each of the separate age groups and then the kids sat there with the food in front of them for over an hour before they were allowed to start digging in. I have never seen children with more self-control than these kids. It was cool to see how proud they felt that they could simply bring a packet of candy to share with their friends. It was a privilege for them to have enough to share with others (South Africans LOVE to share food and I LOVE to eat, so it was perfect). Additionally, something I had been struck by a few weeks ago was how self-sufficient the children are in Oceanview. Kids as young as six-years-old got themselves to Holiday Club on time (they would usually play out in the yard for an hour beforehand though), brought their bucket and spoon for lunch, and then found their way home afterward. I never saw parents dropping children off or picking them up. I’m not trying to say that they aren’t involved (they were probably working since club was from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.), but instead trying to point out how independent and self-sufficient the children are in Oceanview. I was watching the local, nightly news earlier this week and one of the top stories was about a father who was arrested after his two-year-old was found wandering the streets. It came as a culture shock to me that this was such a big deal, when it is completely normal in Oceanview. One of my favorite parts of this summer was walking through the streets of Oceanview, seeing all the children playing out in the streets (without parent supervision), and having them run up to give us hugs even if they didn’t know us. The difference between cultures is just very stark and apparent.

· Returned to Marine Primary. Kait and I returned to Marine Primary for our last week since school was back in session. I was back in the Grade 7 classroom, where I got to get to know some of the students even better and teach some impromptu math lessons. On our last day there (Thursday, July 18) the school was celebrating Nelson Mandela’s birthday with an assembly and 67 minutes of service (for the 67 years Mandela devoted to making South Africa a better place). Marine collected loaves of bread and handed them out to those in need, as well as sent their environmental club out to do work in the community. It was neat to be a part of that day and sing happy birthday to Mandela in South Africa! Overall, the experience at Marine was a positive one, and I am so grateful for how the staff and students welcomed us with open arms!

· Started a prank war with our host brothers. It began with stolen mattresses, involved a hidden iPod alarm in our room that went off at 5:30 a.m., and ended with fake protein powder. I don’t know that a winner was actually declared, but I like to think that Kait and I reign victorious. Beyond the fun and games though, I am so grateful to God that our paths crossed with theirs. These guys taught me so much more about the value of community (Matthew 18:20 and Hebrews 10:24-25) and what it means to have a Kingdom mindset (Matthew 6:33). It was incredible how close we were able to become in three short weeks simply because we are a part of the body of Christ together. They all head back to their loved ones in the States early this week after a year of working to make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19). Please join me in praying for their safe return and transition back to life in the States!

What I’m learning:

· What it means to be hospitable. “But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15). I am so thankful that the Marshalls choose to serve the Lord and choose to do so by using their house as a ministry. They serve whoever walks through their front door…whether it was in love or food (or both), they would serve them. What I was most struck by though is how they had one room in their home that was utilized to serve in so many different ways. Their garage was used as a Creche to show God’s love to children during the weekdays, as a church on Sundays to worship God, as a gathering place for communities to come be in fellowship together, and as a kitchen when Alice needed to cook food to serve large amounts of people. This family just never stops serving. And these acts of love have been so convicting for me as to how God wants me to use my home this next year as a ministry. I can’t wait to see how He works through my roommates and me to produce great fruits!

My return to the States was the start of a long journey of processing and making sense of everything I witnessed and experienced. I’ve repeatedly asked myself, “How will my life look different now? How will these experiences propel me to action?” And, to be honest, I’m still searching for answers and probably will be for some time.

But in the midst of it all my heart is so grateful to all of those who have supported, encouraged, and prayed for me throughout this journey. I have felt the warmth of your love. So thank you, thank you, thank you…this experience would not have been possible without all of you.

I’m still working on getting an album of my entire adventure up on Facebook. Unfortunately though, my memory card that has five weeks worth of photos on it (convenient, right?) has an error on it and won’t upload any of my photos to my computer. But my sister, the tech wizard of the family, is working arduously to get the photos and videos off the card. So, hopefully, I will have something to share soon. If not, thank goodness I traveled with seven other people who have pretty much the same photos!