this is just one of the highlights of the trip. we were able to observe a Grade R (Kindergarten) class learning and practicing their English. the native language of this province is Xhosa, a language famously containing 15 click sounds. such a unique and beautiful language. English is introduced mainly in school only and is said to be very difficult for them to learn. these little ones were so cute and not shy at all about showing us their skills!
enjoy.
Hello friends, family and loved ones reading this…
It was been a VERY long 3 days since I last wrote you. Very challenging days, but very good days. We spent Tuesday finishing up the HIV/AIDS training at the Seleni school. It was definitely hard, especially trying to get folks to translate for us. But we all feel the students caught on. One of the girls in Teri’s group, even asked how to receive Jesus and Teri was able to pray with her and provide her a Bible!
Wednesday was spent on soccer field. The boys and young men of the school were given soccer uniforms, shin guards, socks, cones and soccer balls. The sight of seeing these boys in bright blue beautiful uniforms was a very emotional sight for all us and especially the teachers and parents watching.
Thursday (today) was spent in another village where the construction team had been spending building a brand new school! They really did an amazing job. Our team spent today painting the old school. It was hot today as well.
All of us are a pink more red in the face after the last 2 days outside.
Friday morning we will leave The Transkei to head back toward the Port Elizabeth area. Our plan is stop by Jehovah Jirah to visit with the 70-150 children who may be there and from there, head to beach for dinner. We will be spending the night at Kenton on the Sea about an hour north of Port Elizabeth. And head for the airport Saturday morning.
This is likely my last time updating the blog as I don’t know the availabilty of internet at our new location tomorrow. Please pray for us safe travels as we’re on the road on Friday and as we make the plane trek back home on Saturday/Sunday.
We love you!
Crystal
Hello friends, family and loved one reading this…
On Sunday, we left Port St. John’s (where our accomodation is) and headed to Seleni (hope I am spelling that correctly). We attended their amazing church service (and felt very welcomed), followed by lunch with the locals and church attenders. We dined on split pea soup and bread. The split pea soup is actually what is served to the children at our soup kitchens. It didn’t taste bad, but for me personally… I was incredibly moved to see, know and now, taste what these little children eat as their only meal every day.
From lunch we headed to a new school and orphan care center that was just built for the village. It wasn’t much of a building but it was A LOT to this community. We dedicated it to Jesus and was a very moving experience for the women who worked so hard to get to this point. Mama Christina is a remarkable woman who is truly going to change Africa.
Church was incredible and is one of the things I remembered from my last trip that I so looked forward to experiencing again on this trip. Music is so important and rich to these people and they sing with victorious praise for quite a long time and rather sporaticly. I am glad I was able to film some it and will share it with you when we return. Just be sure to check the blog here after we get home, as I will post ALL my videos to youtube.
After a long and hot day on Sunday, we headed back down the mountain to Port St. John’s. It was a relaxing evening with dinner, worship and debriefing.
On Monday, we headed to the school where we would begin the HIV/AIDS teaching. The children were incredibly welcoming and eager to hear what we had to say. They of course, like any children in a teaching-setting were quiet. It is amazing and also quite sad to know how many of know what HIV/AIDS is and have been impacted in some way by it.
We head there again tomorrow to review and answer any questions of their’s that today’s discussion may have stirred up. We definitely want to leave them with less questions than before we got there. Please pray that our discussion about Jesus also gets through to these children who are in such search of hope. As well as to just love on these children and their AMAZING teachers. These children are so lucky to have such great teachers who we can tell genuinely care for them. I will relay your comments to the group so please be sure to comment.
Thank you and we love you.
Friends, family and loved ones reading…
WE MADE IT! Apologize for just now getting an update to you. We are now coming to the end of our 3rd day together and have arrived safely in Port St. John’s, South Africa. Our first few days have been a whirlwind to say the least so bear with me. I’m on dial-up internet in our resort’s office (THANK YOU SPOTTED GRUNTER!). And pardon any typos as I will likely not proof this entry.
Our flights all went well. Long, but well. When we arrived in Johannesburg, after 15 hours in air, we were welcomed with the news that a large portion of our luggage had been left in DC…never making it on our plane to Johannesburg! Most of these luggage pieces were team member’s personal bags (including my own). For some of us, tomorrow will mark day 4 in the clothes we left home in. We have now come to find that almost humerous and TIA (This is Africa). Thankfully, most of the bags containing donations made it, and that’s the most important thing, really.
We now hope that our luggage will be delivered to Port St. John’s at some point tomorrow. We hope!
Our first day in Port Elizabeth was spent visiting the Motherwell Cemetary (est. 10 years ago and already holding some 200,000 graves). This is truly an AIDS cemetary. Most of the buried there died as a result of AIDS. Many, if not most of the buried are under the age of 2 or between 25-60 years old. An entire generation of people, wiped out because of the incredible preventable disease.
We are authentic South African meat pies for lunch… and at the beautiful beach along the Indian Ocean.
From there we visited 2 of Motherwell’s soup kitchens where around 150 children had their one meal a day. The team instantly fell in love with the women and children. The Community Care Workers and their patients put on a skit for us, that was both impressive and powerful. It was a skit about the day in the life of a Community Care Worker. The patients in the skit were HIV Positive in real life that were near death before they were helped my their own Community Care Workers. It is truly a testament to the work of these remarkable women!
When we left Port Elizabeth this morning, we were greeted upon exit by giraffes, rhinos, water buffolo, warthogs and zebras. If we didn’t know we were South Africa before then, we all knew after that!
During our 10-hour drive to The Transkei today, one our vans broke down due to transmission trouble. Thankfully we were all able to consolidate into the 2 remaining vans and one of our team members, Dan Fair, who lives and works in SA (and has been an incredible guide to this point)… stayed back for the replacement van to be delivered.
Like I said, we all made it. We’re all safe. And now, I believe I can update nightly. Here’s hoping!
Thank you for your prayers and your love. We appreciated your continued support and prayers for us as we continue to be the hands and feet of what God wants us to do.
Crystal
taking off! we’ll do our best to post when we land. thank you for your prayers.
received this via email today. i thought that it would definitely apply to all of us! -Crystal
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Thank you Lord Jesus for Your word and for the life
You have chosen for us at such a time as this.
Lord we can do nothing on our own
but we can do much for You through faith
By faith Lord Jesus we travel to South Africa ministering your word,
By faith people accept you as Lord and Savior into their life,
By faith we lay hands on the sick and they shall be healed.
By faith we can move mountains in Your name Lord Jesus
and we give you all the glory, honor and praise.
We thank you now Lord Jesus to build our faith
even greater — as never before — in
preparation for such a time as this.
In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen!
THANK YOU!!
