From Europe we traveled to South Africa, and boy was that a big change in scenery! Luckily, we were immediately warmly welcomed as family by our hosts. We stayed at Footprints, which is a beautiful home for around thirty children. First things first, this is not an orphanage. Each one of the children has been legally adopted and they all call the woman who started is organization Mum. The main goal of Footprints is to make sure that these children know they have a real family, that they know Jesus, and that they grow up seeing what it means to have manners, be encouraged, develop dreams, and know they are absolutely loved! To learn more about this wonderful place, you can check out the following link: https://www.irisglobal.org/footprints
Once again God had us arriving at a place right when we were most needed. We showed up a week before a 'Harvest School' was about to start, right before 300 people would be living at this location, which never would have previously agreed to host that many bodies! The majority of our time in South Africa was spent just helping out wherever we were needed. Cleaning, cooking, setting up tents, digging trenches, and my most favorite of all, taking care of the adorable kiddies! When I was younger, my Mum would say about certain chores or tasks, that I didn't need to get an allowance for them, because it was just what you did when you were part of a family. At the time I thought that was really dumb, but now I am so grateful for the values she instilled in me through that lesson! As the people of Footprints poured into us so quickly and openly, I really did feel like I was able to be a part of their family, even if only for a short amount of time. So from that, I just naturally wanted to do whatever was needed. That is what you do for family. You just help one another and love one another all the while, because you want what is best for your family! I have always really thought that family is not necessarily determined by blood, and this is something that is asked of us as Christians who are one body in Christ. At Footprints, those ideas were played out openly in such a clear way, and I really did learn so much of what it means to make all the people you encounter and do life with your family!
Another part of our time here in South Africa was dedicated to our final section of lecture phase, which was teachings on missions. Here are the main things I learned:
-Missions is about figuring out how you can best love somebody, and then doing just that.
-Go low and slow. Be willing to humble yourself and take the time to value each individual.
-Missions can be anywhere. You can make a 9 to 5 job in the USA your missions field if you are intentional with your interactions and follow the above two points!
We were super blessed to be surrounded by a bunch of different people visiting Footprints for the Harvest School from various backgrounds and ministries. We were able to hear from several of them about their experience as missionaries and the lessons they have found most important. These lessons greatly influence my present interactions, and they stirred up a lot of ideas for future ministry possibilities as well!
Morning Devotionals and Teachings
My favorite times in South Africa were probably when we were able to teach the darling kids! One morning we were able to do a creative devotional with all the children. We had them help us act out the parable of the foolish and wise builder, as well as the parable of the sower, while we read the stories out loud from the Bible. On another day I was able to teach geography with another teammate in the morning, and English in the afternoon, to the fourth grade girls. For geography we taught them about Australia and New Zealand, and for English I read the story of Jonah and then had the girls summarize this book using who, what, when, where, and why.
The best part of this whole experience was all the wonderful questions the children came up with! They weren't just silly, mundane, shallow questions. They were the type of questions that show off how much these kids have already learned, and how much they have really thought about and want to know more about everything they have been taught! This isn't a group that just blindly accepts everything in the Bible because they have been brought up Christian, this is a group that wants to dig in deeper and really see and understand what they truly believe through experience, understanding, and faith. I was so blown away by their maturity, and couldn't help but imagine each one of them being in amazing leadership positions within the Christian community later on in life!
Community Sharing and Caring
While we were in South Africa we were also able to visit two small villages or shanty towns right near where we were staying. During this time we were able to see how the people at Footprints are reaching out to and loving their neighbors. Not only was it an excellent example of them creating a better unified community, but it was also an example of how well they walk out our calling to treat everyone as our brothers and sisters in Christ.
At the first place we visited, we were able to host a kid's club with all the local children. We played games, sang songs, and danced with a large group of toddlers. Afterwards, we walked around the village, greeting people, introducing ourselves, and just building friendly relationships. We were even able to pray for some police officers who stopped by. It was very interesting explaining to them our reasoning behind visiting this village, even though to them it seemed absolutely perplexing as to why anyone would just randomly reach out to a group of people that seemed so outwardly different to themselves! This visit was particularly special because while the Footprints team had visited this place many times before previously, it had taken quite a bit of time to really establish bonds with the skeptical locals, and we were the first ministry team they brought to this location! We were greeted so warmly and I felt very blessed to reap the benefits of what had already been sown!
The second place we went to was very close by Footprints. When we visited these people, we also brought food along. We walked around and prayed for the residents who were already very used to people visiting. We also had a wonderful time playing with all the village children. What was supposed to be a quick drop off, turned into an all evening affair of fun and laughter! It took barely any time at all for all the kids to just leap into our arms, hug us, and openly trust us, just as you would your own family.
Entertainment Night
For one of our nights at Footprints, our team hosted a night of teaching through entertainment! We performed our dramas and skits, acted out parables, shared testimonies, and sang a few worship songs. Everyone gathered about on a beautiful, big porch, sat down, and took a break from the to do list, in order to just hang out and watch us. I think all my team members did so well, and their passion for performing was greater than I have ever seen before. The night got even better when the event ended up turning into a showcase for everyone who attended too! It was a time when each individual was encouraged to share their talents. There was a dance off and a lot of beautiful singing too! As a family, it is so important to encourage the skills your fellow members possess, to build up their confidence, and to give them the opportunity to keep practicing and growing. Footprints is such a wonderful environment for that, not only for the children, but for every person who visits as well!
Safari Adventures
On top of all this amazing ministry time, we also had some pretty spectacular free time too, with a couple of safari like adventures! It was so nice to be treated, spoilt, and loved on, by our own leaders, and by our inspirational Footprints Mama too. On our first day off we visited the lion park, where we drove around, and got to pull right up to various safari animals! There were zebras, antelope, cheetahs, lion packs, and even a majestic white lion that we got within arms reach of! Although, of course we kept the windows wound up. No use in letting anyone lose a limb to a hungry creature! Then we got to hit up the walk around area of the park, where I chased a loose meerkat, accidentally fed a baby ostrich a stick, kissed a giraffe, and pet four different absolutely adorable lion cubs!
Another night we visited a restaurant that gave us the opportunity to eat zebra, antelope, crocodile, and more. What an exotic and gluttonous experience that was! On our last day we went out to eat again at a hotel where zebras, monkeys, giraffes, peacocks, and antelope walk right up to your table and room door! It was such an exciting, surreal experience. I am so grateful that our God encourages times of mind blowing rest and fun, as well as hard work and service! The balance of these two things was so fulfilling during our whole time in South Africa!
Our last two stops are in Asia and I am so excited to share the experiences we have as we once again tackle culture shock head on. Glory to God for this amazing opportunity! May He bless each one of you, on each of your own journeys, too! Thank you for reading!
"So in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others."
Romans 12:5
P.S. All the amazing photos that you are probably totally blown away by were taken by my beautiful, wonderful friend Nicola Easterby. If you want to see even more awesome photography you should totally visit her page: http://www.polkadot-passport.com
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