Concluding a great trip

Day 3 of being back in the States, and the team is still adjusting back to "normal" life. Our trip concluded with project work on Friday (finishing painting, the paving project and other items at Hope Prep). The team worked extremely hard this week, and left a lot of love, hard work and sweat in East London.

On Saturday, we headed to Mpongo for a game drive. Getting to enjoy the immense beauty of the area made it only more difficult to say goodbye to the people and place that impacted this team so much. It's amazing how much 1 week can impact your life.

Looking back at the trip, the team set out to serve those in Africa. Little did they know the impact the people they were serving would have on their lives. Some team members were hesitant about spending so much time with the kids, and they ended up having their hearts stolen by them. Some were concerned about the labor, and they walked away with a sense of accomplishment (and paint in their hair). All in all, the work done last week only reinforces the important work that we should be doing every day whether we are at home or abroad. We're called to serve, and Africa reminds us that we are designed to do so.

Stay tuned for the next trip--June 28 - July 8, 2012!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thursday:

Today we continued serving at Hope Prep, which was our 3rd and last day at the school. It was raining so hard that we weren't able to play with the children outside but still had a great time indoors. The message we taught today was about Salvation in Christ and activities were planned around that theme. The children made candy canes and stars. They played games, sang holiday songs, and heard the salvation story in the Bible. It was really hard for everyone to say goodbye to the children. We all gave lots of hugs and kisses and told them we love them.

In the afternoon the group continued renovation on Hope Prep. It was still raining heavily, but we were able to do some painting, cleaning out gutters, roof work, fixing draining systems, and fixing the playground.

After that we all headed back to the church for a great American/South African Thanksgiving dinner. It was soooooo goood! Many people came here from other areas in the city as well as family and friends of SCI staff. Laura, a member of SCI, brought crafts from her business which supports Hope Prep school and other SCI missions. Read more about her wonderful business and buy crafts here.

We hope everyone back in the states had a lovely Thanksgiving! Can't wait to see you all soon!

Much Love,
Holly & Mindy

Living and Serving with Dignity

Wednesday:

We began the day with a devotion led by Siya, a counselor at Sophumelela. He talked about responding with compassion and with the right attitude when we go out into the community to do mission work.

After devotion the group took a tour of the SCI campus which included the Sophumelela Clinic, Dignity House, and Little Sparklers. The clinic is where able patients come to get their monthly ARV (anti-retroviral) medications. Dignity House is a hospice where those who are extremely ill with HIV/AIDS can be taken care of on a 24 hr basis. The great thing about Dignity House is that the care is so amazing, and backed by faith, that 90% of the patients go home to live healthier, stronger lives. Little Sparklers is a preschool for children who are infected or affected by HIV/AIDS.

After the tour we went to Hope Prepatory School to do another Holiday Club with the children. We continued to focus on the message of Christmas and giving. The kids heard the story of the 3 wisemen and we planned activities around the story. The weather was beautiful so we were able to spend a lot of time outside with kids playing.

In the afternoon the group continued renovations at Hope Prep and Dignity House. We (Mindy and Holly) had the priveledge of going to Dignity House to spend time with a few patients. We met some extraordinary people. We met a 26 yr old woman who was admitted to the hospice that day (pictured above). She was so thankful for the services that she was tearful to just receive a plate food. She shared family photos with us and we took some with her as well. We met another 26 yr old woman who has been there for months trying to build her strength to go back to her two young children. She was so frail but had the most amazing, determined spirit that one could only have from an amazing amount of faith. We couldn't help but be inspired. The head nurse even said it was a miracle that she is still alive. We also met a man that was recently robbed of everything he had in his business and was trying to get healthier so he could go back to his wife and 2 children. We prayed for him and he was so receptive of our prayer and thanked us for visiting him. Going to Dignity House was so emotional, and the nurses were so happy that we cared for their patients just as much as they did. It was a great, memorable experience.

Our night ended with having a wonderful dinner with the group and other SCI staff at Country Bumpkin, a homestyle buffet. We even stopped for some photos of the beautiful ocean scenery.

All in all, a great day!

Much Love,

Holly & Mindy

Like each day here, we started the day off with a devotional by one of the church leaders. It's a great way to get our minds right before starting the day.

After getting supplies, we headed out to Debe Nek about 1.5 hours away to visit a school for renovations and Holiday Club with the children. It's quite different out in the country. The kids came running up to our cars as we drove in. It's inspiring to see the kids' faces light up and be so excited just to have visitors who want to spend time with them. Jeremy and I worked on painting the roof of the school while the others played games outside with the kids, among other activities. It was such an amazing feeling to be standing on the roof of this old school building...working hard, sun shining on us, a cool breeze, mountains in the distance, kids playing, and so much green around. I thought this is what mission work is. Doing things to help God's kingdom grow is such a great feeling.

It was a rush to step out of the car and feel so much love by kids who have never seen you before. At this school, kids ranged from K-7th grade and all shared about 3-4 classrooms. After a day of spending some time with them, it was really hard to leave because we became so close to them and they became close to us. To think we were complete strangers and yet they still poured out their hearts to us and were so welcoming was very humbling. It was amazing to feel so connected to them as we played games. I would just sit and they would come and just want to be close to me and hug me and want to show me affection. It's hard to believe that if we don't visit these kids, it's very probable that no one will. As we drove off, it was very difficult to look back and see the sad faces waving goodbye.

After Debe Nek, we went to Fort White which was a seminary for black ministers during Apartheid. There is so much opportunity in this space to grow surrounding communities and the Christian faith. It was very touching to experience this space and know the good work that was done here before and the potential it has for future missions.


Anna & Adam

Time to Get to Work

Today was our first full day of work and it was jam-packed. We split off into two teams with some of us playing with the Little Sparklers (pre-schoolers) while others went to Hope Preparatory (K-2nd). Adam, Katie, Jeremy, and I played with the Little Sparklers for a few hours and had an awesome time. It was amazing to see the look in all the kids’ faces when they saw us and how they wouldn’t leave our sides, always wanting to be picked up or chased....or simply loved. Kids have a way of making you feel like you’re the coolest person in the world, and that’s all they see at the time...only focusing on you. While we spent time with the little ones, the other group took part in the Holiday Club with the older kids at Hope Academy doing crafts, games, singing, and story-time.

After activities with the kids and lunch, we split off again to work on our renovation projects. Jeremy and I worked on the pavement project around the clinic. Anna and the others worked on varnishing and power-washing Hope’s buildings. After a few more hours of hard work, it was great to take part in fellowship with the group at Alan & Brenda’s house (big contributors to the school programs and a host family). We had a braai (South African barbecue) and played croquet and a South African ping pong game. We can’t wait to see what tomorrow brings. It’s great to be doing God’s work.


Anna & Adam

Sunday

Hey Everyone!!!!!

Its almost 3:00 pm here in East London and we finally got a chance to catch you all up on what we have done so far! Yesterday we hit the ground running the moment we arrived. Straight from the airport we headed to First City Baptist church and began working with the staff on renovations for Hope Preparatory School. We also got the chance to meet many of the staff we'll be working with this week. It was great to get a glimpse of how we will be ministering to the city for the next week.

Our team is currently preparing crafts and stories for the start of Holiday Club tomorrow. We spent the morning worshiping with our church family at First City Baptist and then had the opportunity to travel to Duncan Village to go to a to a township church led and run by the people that live in the village of East London. Both services were awesome and it was such a blessing to get to fellowship with so many amazing people on a Sunday morning.

It has already been such a great experience and it is only our second day! Our team is already being so used by God in ways we couldn't have imagined. Thank you for all of your prayers and support back home! Tonight we will be sharing with our FBC family in a more intimate setting where members of the church can ask us questions and members of our team will be able to share our testimonies with the church body.

Check back soon for another update!!! And please continue to pray for God to use us to touch the lives of the South Africans!

Love,
Ashley and Katie

We've arrived

After 19 hours of travel, we've arrived safe and sound in East London with no delays. After a few hours on the ground, the team divided up to 1) prepare for our week's activities with the kids, 2) powerwash walls at Hope Prep that we'll paint later in the week and 3) lay pavers between Little Sparklers and the Dignity House.


The team is in great spirits and looking forward to a good night's rest. We can't wait for the week ahead.

Preparing to head to East London (Fall 2011)

Hello everyone,

Our 11 member team is preparing to head to East London, South Africa, on Friday, November 18. We will be focusing on working with the kids in the area as well as some work to help them prepare for their Grade 3 new classroom. The team is comprised of first-time and repeat servers:

Adam
Anna
Ashley
Holly
Jeremy (July '08, '09, '11; Nov '09, '10)
Katie (July '11)
Marie (Nov '10)
Mary
Mindy
Tiffany Nicole
Tre (July '09; Nov '09, '10)

We are excited about the upcoming trip, and will be posting regular updates as we're there.

A great trip

Our trip has officially come to a close. 7 of the 19 team members returned to New York on Sunday. The remaining team members are extending their trip to various locations in South Africa, Ethiopia & London. Continue to pray for their safety and a safe return to New York later this week.



We rounded out the week in East London with a closing day of Holiday Club. With a few tears and many smiles, we said goodbye to a group of kids that in such a short time hold each of our hearts. Bearing more than any person, much less a small child, should have to, the kids showed us a relentless joy and love that we each should strive to express every day.



After Holiday Club, we finished our work with Little Sparklers, and cleaned up the classrooms for their return to school in 1 week. We were happy to purchase some additional toys to replace the items that were ruined by the flood earlier in the week. The team put all they had into getting the classroom cleaned and fully ready for the kids return.



This trip was a great example of being ready to serve in any capacity needed. Despite flight delays, crazy weather and a changing schedule, the team made a great impact on the people and children in East London. The staff on the ground commented that our team was one of the most cohesive teams he's ever seen, and this true team approach led to us accomplishing more than we every expected. We can't wait until our next team goes to East London in November to serve!

Recap of Wednesday and Thursday

We have had 2 more wonderful days of holiday club. On Wednesday the children learned that "God Smiles When I Show Patience and Self-Control" and today we added the fruits of goodness and kindness. Each time the kids transition from activity to activity the halls are filled with the sounds of children chanting the fruits of the spirit they are learning and demonstrating their understanding of them throughout the day. The kids are a joy to work with and we are getting sad to see it end tomorrow. We have become very attached to the children as we have gotten to know them better. Members of our team are already discussing return trips here and other mission work. God has really been working in our hearts as much as, if not more, than what we are hoping to instill in the kids.

Wednesday afternoon half the group worked at Little Sparklers hoping to not only do the planned renovations but also rectify the additional damage caused by Tuesday's storm. The other half of the group visited Dunkin Village, a township where many of the students are bused in from. It was devastating and powerful to see the reality of the conditions in which these amazing children have to endure life. The groups will switch tomorrow.

Today, Thursday, we got our first glimpse of sun and it re-energized all of us. We thought the country was beautiful even in the storms but now we are just truly grateful to see even more beauty with the sun shining. This afternoon, the entire group took our own holiday to the Inkwenkwezi Game Reserve. We were in awe of God's beautiful creations and his clever and perfect design. We had the opportunity to see giraffe, ostrich, zebra, wildabeest, impala, lions, and we each even pet a cheetah which is currently at the reserve but not yet released.




The wonderful day continued when we returned to the church for a traditional South African braai (BBQ) with many of the people who have been hosting us at First City Baptist all week.

Tomorrow will be our last day with the kids and we already have our tissues ready. Thank you to everyone following our journey and continuing to pray for us.

Love,
Stephanie & Stephanie

Rainy Tuesday - Day 2

This morning we woke up to heavy rain and wind. We arrived to First City Baptist on time but due to complications with transportation, Holiday Club started a little later and unfortunately with less children. Despite the slow start today proved again to be a day full of love and energy.



Our theme for Holiday Club is "God Smile's When I..." and today the phrase was completed with God Smiles When I Show Peace and Gentleness. To illustrate this we told the story, "Jesus Calms the Storm." The children enjoyed a day full of learning, singing, creating picture frames, and expending energy in recreation.




In the afternoon we continued with our group renovation projects. As a result of the rain the school building flooded. One of the renovation groups was in charge of attempting to clean out all of the ruined toys and carpets. Please pray that we are able to restore the building and replace the many toys, stuffed animals, books and carpets that were ruined before school returns in a week and a half.



We all are enjoying this trip more than we could express in words. God is truly moving in each of our hearts. The children we are coming in contact with have needs that stretch far beyond imagination. They have already experienced more things in their 3-9 years of life than we could contemplate. In two short days, we have fallen in love with these children.

Please keep our team and these kids in your thoughts and prayers! We love you all!
Love,
Erika and Katie

We've Finally Arrived!

After many hours of traveling, the team has finally arrived in East London, South Africa safely!

The day was spent at First City Baptist Church where we kicked off Holiday Camp. We were greeted with warm smiles and excitement from the very beginning and as the day went on the relationships and connections between students and staff only grew stronger. It was amazing to see how quickly the kids welcomed us and even though it was our intention to open our arms to them, the kids managed to show us love on a whole new level by opening their arms even wider to us.


The second half of the day we split up to help in different areas around the facilities. Some of us undertook construction and renovation projects while others visited Breath of Life, a safe house for abandoned and vulnerable babies.

Over all it was a good day and an eye opening experience, and we are so exited to see what what the rest of the week has in store.

Gigi & Kelsea

Almost there!

48 hours into the trip, and we're almost there! We spent the night last night in the airport next to Jo'burg, City Lodge. We were blessed to have 10 rooms comped by British Airways, so the team is now rested, refreshed and ready to serve! Our flight is at 7pm (1pm EST), so we'll be in East London tonight, and kick off our day bright and early tomorrow.

Although plans have not gone as expected, we're all grateful for the experience and are excited for what's ahead!

Delayed

The team is on their way to East London, but we've hit a "mechanical delay" in London, so we are delayed 11 hours in the airport (yep...we're sleeping in the airport). We'll be in East London on Sunday morning, and ready to kick off a great week of service! We'll post more when we land in South Africa.

Our next trip

The Journey will be sending 19 people to South Africa this summer. We'll be partnering with First City Baptist Church hosting a holiday club and helping with renovations. This year's trip dates are July 1 - 10. More updates to come soon!