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
Welcome back team! Maribeth and I are having an excellent day in London but we are already missing the group. We hope that everyone made it back to NYC or their final destination safely. We can't wait to reconnect and look at all the photos once we return. The trip was an amazing experience. See you soon.
ReplyDeleteHugs and Kisses!
Love Maribeth and Amber