South Africa 2008...Part 1

We set off for South Africa for another dose in early July. Travel was once again long - with a long layover in London which proved to be good sightseeing and many-a-blister bearing. Totally my fault - I will never wear a new pair of shoes without socks when I travel. Well, never again no matter what.
We also missed a flight or something like that in Johannesburg (I really don't remember what happened as I was sick and just wanted a bed!) so we spent the night in a hotel near the airport which was absolutely lovely and had the best shower EVER. That could have just been because we hadn't showered in awhile though.
Moving on...it was GREAT to be back in South Africa. Several of us kept calling it home and we'd only spent about a week there the summer before. But we missed it. It's a place that stays with you. In your dreams and in your daily going-through-the-motions thoughts.
One very dear friend put it perfectly: South Africa is so beautiful but also so ugly at the same time. You can be on a beautiful beach overlooking the Indian Ocean then drive 10 minutes and be in the midst of extreme poverty.

We began work with a new community this trip- called the Khula Club. This is a rural area with a lot of people spread all over. Pastor Joseph is the pastor of this community and such a wonderful man! He has such a heart for all the people there. There is a creche, which is like a pre-school or daycare, that the kids come to while their mothers go off to work. There is a fee so some cannot afford to bring their kids. One challenge early on was having the kids registered rather than just dropped off. Many of these families hadn't seen a white person and toys that are so common to Americans. Having any type of structure 'in the classroom' has also been a challenge.
We went there on our first day to play with the kids, feed the community, and offer a bit of hope. There were a lot of people that came - word spreads fast over those mountains! It was fun to play, sing, and dance with those kids. They laughed so much when we would try to say a Zulu word! Several knew English, but not all of them.
To go to school there is a fee for books, uniforms, etc. and many do not have any money for their children to go to school and get a basic education.

At the Khula Club

There was the time spent in the care centre, of course. I went there the next day and it was great to see everyone and go around to all the patients and say hello to them.
It was different this time around. Not in a bad way at all, just different. I don't think anything compares to the first time I was there. Maybe it was my innocence the first time around. This time I could tell which ones would make it and which ones were near the end. Or so I thought...

There was one woman named Pinky. She looked like a skeleton in that bed. From looking at her, I did not think she would make it through the night. She did not move, did not speak. She did grab my hand as I put my hand on her arm so she could feel my touch. And she just held on to my hand so tight. I must admit that for a second I was fearful as she looked into my eyes. I wanted to know what she was thinking. I softly said a prayer for her and walked to the next patient. The next day I went to see Pinky and she grabbed my sun glasses off my head and took my water bottle out of my hand and finished the water!!! I was startled! The day before she would have been too weak to do that! Others on the team bonded with Pinky too. I kept praying for her since she looked so weak and sick.

As a team, we also spent time at Rehoboth, an 'orphanage' that is in the area. Their story is its own blog in itself, but basically they take children who do not have any parents or grandparents left to care for them. I believe most of them are also HIV+. Rehoboth is like a saving grace kind of place. There is an incredible peace on this land of homes, hills, trees, playgrounds, BIG dogs, and children of all ages running around smiling. They are taken care of, fed, educated, and most importantly LOVED.
The child I held the entire time cried when I put him down to leave. Talk about a heart breaker!!
One little one would not go to anyone else except a very kind man on our team. I sat there amazed when I realized she had gone to him....and laughed and smiled with him! Amazing Eric!

Homes at Rehoboth

Kids at Rehoboth with their "Mama"

The team did a ton of incredible things and we were all touched in our own ways and praised Jesus for our time there together. We also ate some really good food and shared a ton of tears and laughs! I wish I could share ALL the stories of my time with the team there but there are too many!! I'm sure they will work there way into other posts.

Then it was time for the team to leave. All week different people would ask if I would be ok without them there. My answer was always "oh yeah, I'll be fine!!" because that's really what I believed. Then that day came...
HA! Big baby!!! I cried in a meeting with the Pastor that wasn't even 'my' meeting. He came up to me after and put his arm around me and asked if I really would be ok! Sweet man...Pastor Trevor. Again, another post in itself! (I should start a list...)
Anyway- it was Ken and Janine who dropped me off at the care centre with my luggage (Ken found this to be rather humorous that he was dropping me off there with bags...or he was just trying to distract my tears....nah- it was funny in its own twisted way!).
But then it came...the 'ugly cry'! I was shocked at myself cause all along I really thought I would be fine with them leaving. It wasn't until it was time to say a final goodbye that I was a MESS. Sharon took me in her office and let me get it out although I think she was a little scared of the ugly cry for a minute or so!

But then it set in for good....to where I could feel it...FAITH. The sermon Pastor Trevor did the first Sunday we'd gotten there was all about "We do the possible so God can do the impossible." How appropriate.

Cause all of the 'possible' was done. Now it was time for the 'impossible'...

PS- My biggest fear for this trip? Traveling back by myself!! (I despise airports!)