So, havent't written for over three weeks now - apologies to all of those who check this thing reguarly (thanks Mum) - to be honest there wasn't much to write about for a while and now I'm on outreach finding internet has proved somewhat problematic. I'm here now though, tapping away in an internet cafe in Ladismith
(http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=ladismith,+south+africa&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=29.716225,56.162109&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=South,+Ladismith,+Western+Cape,+South+Africa&ll=-34.461277,20.742188&spn=3.85846,7.020264&z=7)
Where to start then? We finished off lectures with the 'Relationships' topic followed by 'Spiritual Warfare' for the last week. 'Relationships' was a top week - far less intense than some of the others have been and really rather amusing. A couple led it so we got the male and female perspective on things and overall the week provided some good laughs. As we drew closer and closer to outreach however, it became evident that some guys in the team were not going to be able to pay for outreach. They just didn't have sufficient funds, for a variety or reasons, so after much huffing and puffing about what to do we decided to split the team - half of us are continuing on the original planned outreach and the other half are doing a cheaper, locally-based outreach. It was kinda weird to say goodbye to half of the team at such short notice but I think it was a good move, there are seven of us here, including two leaders - anymore and things would just get way too stressful!
On Monday we went to a small village called Patensie, just for one night, for some team-building and dance-learning activities. Joyous. Was good though - we were accomodated by a lady there who treated us very well - she moved out of her room so that Andy, Janeal and I could sleep in her double bed! She lived in a wooden house with a corrugated tin roof, couldn't have been bigger than about 6m by 8m total, split into four rooms. There was no running water and the toilet was an extremely smelly, nappy-filled long-drop outside. I needed the loo at one point so i opened the front door in search of it only to rip the woodent thing off its hinge! Not gone well at all! It was really good though - the more poverty I experience and not just see the better I think, in terms of eye-opening and heart-softening.
On Tuesday we travelled over to Ladismith, a small town a few hours north east of Cape Town. We're staying in a boarding school here for three weeks and doing various things around the town. So far we've visited the prison, the hopsital, the OAP home, led an open-air service on the high-street, and held a youth-service. We go to these places, do a drama, have some worship, someone shares a testimony, someone preaches and then we pray for people. Cool beans! The OAP-home was a particularly interesting experience. We started off one of our dance routines, in front of about forty of these old-biddys, and I don't think I've ever felt like such a spoon in all my days! The expression on most of their faces was really rather off-putting - each of them looked as if the person on their left had just passed the most awful wind. Maybe that was the case, you never know with these old people's bowel control, but short of that it seemed they were just really rather bemused as to what on earth we were doing up the front. They genuinely were all scowling at us (with the exception of one lady at the front who seemed to be enjoying herself) - I do wonder why we do these dances. Do they add anything? Does anyone enjoy them (apart from that one lady)? Nope and nope... didn't think so. Hmmm. I stopped myself during the dance (not literally) and just thought to myself, 'Wow - three months ago if you'd told me I'd soon been dancing in front of some old folk I woulda told ya to get on ya bike'. Somehow though, this is what I'm doing. We finished up our programme and were readying ourselves to go and mingle with them all before one of them put up her hand and requested a time of testimony sharing. Really? Wasn't really feeling it myself but that didn't seem to come into consideration! We all shared our testimonys with them, I came up with something but mine was slightly shorter than everyone else's - everyone tells me to stop being ridiculous but I still feel like I don't really have a testimony to share. Everyone else goes forward and tells of how they were addicted to drugs, with an abusive father, having attempted suicide on numerous occasions before Jesus appeared to them in a vision with bright lights and a booming voice and immediately they were set free from all their problems! Okay well not quite, but it sometimes feels that way in comparison to my, "I grew up in a Christian family..." story.
Okay, my internet time's running low so I better wrap up here. Apologies. I did preach my first sermon two days ago though - that was exciting! Wasn't nearly as nervous as I thought I'd be - God really did give me strength. After Sports Dinner last year I decided to carry a note-book in my hand as opposed to just sheets of paper - I find it's not nearly as obvious when you're shaking like a dog out of nervousness!
Alright. Will try to write again soon. Peace.
X
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment