Love and the outcome (part 2)

Wednesday 9/18

We started the day listening to a Francis Chan sermon!:) really good stuff!:)

The kids place we were at yesterday wanted us back for their oldest group coming in this afternoon so we planned for that and then planned for tomorrow mornings thing at the school again. 

At adventure Kidz we did some drama's fit for their age and testimonies. I stepped out and got to talk about one of our drama's called "me"! That was the first time I have had a translator speaking in front of a crowd! I've had one while praying for people. It's different. Takes me a bit to get used to. 

After dinner we went to the truck stop down the road to pray for the truckers and give out more HIV awareness packets with a box of condemns. We prayed hard for safety before going because this is the main place prostitution happens. Terrifies me, but I trust that God will protect me. Always with a guy from my group we blessed a lot of truckers. Then we went to a neighborhood where prostitution is strong. I thought it would be more obvious but it wasn't. When I say that I mean I didn't see a ton of girls standing outside of shops just waiting to sell their bodies. I'm really glad the base showed us the movie Nefarious, otherwise I wouldn't know what to expect in this area. My heart just ached the whole time we were in this neighborhood, although we only saw a few girls out... I could definitely feel the oppression in this place. It was thick! The whole time I prayed that God would bring these girls to Him to be free. I was really relieved when we left. If it was obvious I would have had a hard time but I know God would have given me the strength to walk it out. He always does. I feel like I'll be helping these girls one day in counseling. 

Thursday 9/19

First stop we went to a school where we did all our kid drama's and got to play with the kids. It's the best feeling in the world when dozens of kids come running up to you to give you a hug that you almost fall down. This makes my day and I know without a doubt it make theirs too. 

After lunch we went back to a kids church ministry where we just played with the kids and had fun! I saw three familiar faces from the time before and I met more. They loved seeing me!:) A group of us played games that I learned from youth or kids ministry and they taught me hand shakes. 

One of my favorite songs that all the little African kids sings is:

"Higher, lower"

Bring me Higher

Higher Higher

Higher Higher Higher

Lord Jesus Higher

Bring me Lower

Lower Lower

Lower lower lower

Lower lower

Lord Jesus Lower

They all sing it with so much passion! I love it:)

Wildatheart

Katie Jones

Love and the outcome (part 1)

Monday 9/16

Walking across the dirt roads with kids accumulating around me as we walk, such joy is flowing freely as we giggle, dance and love each other like what love is supposed to look like. 

So much excitement! 

These kids truly absorbed everything we had to offer for them as we did drama's and told testimonies. Then we split off into groups to do crafts! My group of 5 little girls and I had so much fun drawing pictures, me taking pictures of them with their pictures and then the excitement of getting to look at their pictures afterwards. I enjoyed telling them how beautiful they are. They found one of my weaknesses right off the bat which is the fact that I'm very ticklish all over, the overwhelming fingers and laughter as I got them back by tickling them. Their age ranged from 2-5 years old in my group! I loved this and soaked up every moment! 

After dinner we went to Avian park where a bunch of little kids and their families came for a service followed by dinner. We did drama's and testimonies for them, which they absolutely loved!:) the whole time I'm holding a little girl prolly under 2! She is sweet!:)

It's the sweet moments God blesses us with to melt our hearts a little bit more for Him. It's that vision of Him holding His children tightly in His arms and then Him opening my eyes to His love coming out of me to this precious little girl warmly snuggled in my arms. This is the Fathers heart for us, shown to me just thru one little girl. As I held her I felt like someone grabbed my heart and tore it in half as I looked at her bare feet and felt her shivering body against me. I thought it couldn't get worse till sweet little coughs came out of her. I stood their holding her against me tightly to try my best to get her warm. It was prolly in the 30's or 40's with very strong winds, not helping me much. I had my jacket and rain jacket on but I was holding her with my hands bare. I didn't think at all about my frozen fingers till we got in the car. It's these moments God breaks my heart for what breaks His but shows me how strong I really am. I almost lost it in an ocean of tears but God always shows me more joy within it than anything. After they ate, a grandma of her grandson went up to me and asked me to pray for him so I did with such joy, which then I prayed for her without a thought about it. Her husband passed away a year ago and she takes care of her grand kids. Bless her heart, I can't imagine losing someone that close. Her heart is so precious and I loved every moment as I got to pour into her.

Tuesday 9/17

By 7:15 am we were all on the road to go teach devotionals at a primary school here. Jodi and I had worked on a sermon about Joseph and his robe of many colors. Tim (assistant leader of Ruth) joined us, which was a huge blessing. We walked into a room of 4th graders to teach. We learned a little about them and then started speaking about Joseph's story, the subject was hope. Connecting Joseph's dream and their personal dreams on life and giving them hope to never give up on it. I got to share a little of my testimony sharing about how I was inspired by a youth leader to do missions when I was 12 and that since then I worked hard up to graduating High school a year early to do missions and here I am. I loved speaking hope into their hearts. 

All of our games we had planned fell thru so as I had observed the class as devotionals went along, a kid randomly started to dance in the middle of the aisle. It was really good! So I asked that somebody come up and show us their best dance move. They lined up for this immediately. Showing us the shuffle and a bunch of really cool moves.

Then we went back to avian park to do some more evangelism. Tim taxied us, little kids from the neighborhood crawled in and we let them. Their faces of excitement just to ride in a car was so cool and such a joy to all of us. Tim even let one sit on his lap to steer. 

This afternoon we helped at an after school program. We played a bunch of games, then we moved onto drama's and then crafts. 

These kids observed every part of me probably, as I am watching a game and I look down and a little girl is checking out my arm muscles as she mutters some African (said Africon) language. I just stood there and laughed. This group was well behaved and a lot of fun. It was fun meeting more brothers and sisters and getting to play/catch up on life.

  

Day 1 South Africa

We arrived at the Warcester YWAM base at 2 am Friday! We were all exhausted. We had been traveling since 3pm Wednesday. So we crashed knowing we had till 1 the next day off.  I slept in till 11:30 easy. I could have slept all day I was so tired. This base is really nice! We have very comfortable beds to sleep in. We were very thankful for this since we had been sleeping on our Matt's in London. We basically had the day off to just relax. I got wifi to contact my parents. Then spent an hour or so talking to my mom. 

I took a nap (I needed it)!:)

Saturday we hit the ground running. We went door to door in the nicest neighborhood here to spread awareness of HIV to the people, handing them info packets and condemns. Debra our translator made the experience all the more fun, with her bubbly personality. She has no filter therefore she asked questions straight up. Funny story: first home we went to there were two older boys and so she was asking them questions and then asked "have you heard of HIV?" They said "yes, we know too much about that!" And then she asked "have you had sex?" They said "no" and she turned to us and said " They haven't started yet which means they are virgins and are still available" (followed by a wink).  

People here are open to prayer and will let you into there house, no question about it. Their hearts are so full and fruitful. Jesus is definitely in this neighborhood. But I still feel as though their are some that don't have Jesus in their hearts. These are the type of people that have little to nothing but don't see what they don't have and are thankful for what they have. Living in Houses made of tin, cardboard or thin sheets of wood barely put together with spray painted number on the house, from the outside it looks bad but the inside is well kept and furnished with Ikea furniture along with a tv, refrigerator and lots of people. News paper or cardboard is plastered all over the walls on the inside, which keeps the place warm. Walking on the streets my heart is warmed by little hands and bright joyful faces jumping and running around me, playing with me as if they have never met a white person let alone American before. I was surrounded by 4 little kids that turned into 12 and then up to 20! We ventured off to the back of the neighborhood where it's just a field full of trash, along it we see goats, pigs, chickens, roosters and dogs running around. My heart aches for this place, these people and their hearts. The need here is tremendous. God is so good to place me in the path of Debra who works at the clinic as a counselor for these people.  Since I want to eventually be a counselor...God just loves placing people from that field in my path. She truly has a heart for them and I can't think of anyone more anointed by God than her, here in this place at this time. Here the children have a choice to be raised by their parents or grandparents. So the first house had a lot of kids running around because they chose to be raised by their grandmother. This grandma's heart and love for these kids was beyond what I could imagine or know. I hope and pray to be half as good as a mother and grandmother as this lady was, always open to take care of any child or grandchild that come thru. What a blessing she is. I have a true respect for these grandmothers! This is what I looked forward to all those years I imagined missions, the smiles, the laughter, the little hands, the need, the openness, the precious hearts that truly know love and give love. My heart is full and overflowing. 

After lunch we as a team hosted a teenage boys group, where we played games, did a few drama's and testimonies. It was a blast and I think the boys really loved it. I videoed the drama's I'm not in and the games we did to, hopefully I can figure out how to get those up from my camera. 

Tonight we went to a night of worship at a church near by. Shakinah glory come down! Lol most beloved song by all of us as we dance extravagantly in the back row.