:Service:

It's crazy how things can just feel so right.  Since leaving home with the feeling of unsureness and discomfort, God has shown me so many reasons why I need to be here in Africa this semester.  This place feels like home. I have only been in Africa for two weeks today, yet I feel like I have been here so much longer.  I have been blessed with an amazing group of 50 who have walked the same path with me, and I know we were all placed in this country for a semester together for a reason.  I am growing and changing. I am asking questions that I have never asked before and I am discovering so much more than what my world at home consisted of.

This Tuesday was an amazing day for me.  We have been visiting one ministry site a week before deciding which one we want to work at for the remaining time here.  Tuesday we were able to visit a township with this amazing family life and child center called Ethembeni.  The center serves mostly children who have lost either one or two parents to AIDS.  These children are left with family members, friends, or on their own.  When we got to the center it was pretty much empty because most children were at school, however it was so easy to see life that occurred there.  The center offers children a safe place to play, learn and form relationships.  The young woman who was the head of the center was not much older than me.  She had moved from England three years ago and never went back home.  Her motivation and love for this place was so admirable.  She began to tell us all of the things we would be able to do and help with at the center, and everything she said sounded perfect.  

After making my decision to pursue social work as a profession, I have been somewhat struggling.  It is difficult for me to answer the question, "What are you studying?"  The reactions I normally get are not very encouraging.  The response either sounds something like "Oh hmm, that is interesting" or "Oh wow, you have a good heart to be willing to do that job".  Very rarely do I get someone who is actually impressed which is why I am always hesitant to even bring it up.  After taking two social work classes I felt so confident in the major because it fit who I am so well.  But as I get more and more into it and people give me those type of reactions, I second guess myself.  

Tuesday that changed for me.  The center screams Social Work.  EVery task that was described and every opportunity we were able to get involved in was what I have been learning in classes. I stopped to think and realized 

Akeko Ofana

"There's no one, there's no one like Jesus! There's no one, there's no one like Him! There's no one, there's no one like Jesus! There's no one, there's no one like Him! We're walking, walking. Nothing, nothing. We're searching, searching. Nothing, nothing. We're turning, turning. Nothing, Nothing. There's no one, there's no one like Him!"   

:Sale kahle South Africa:

I am sitting in my old room, back in Wisconsin. It is crazy to me that 4 months has already passed, and I was in Africa.  Words cannot sum up the experience I had and I'm afraid none of you will ever understand the things that my South Africa family and I went through.  I am writing this blog not because South Africa is over, but to let everyone know that each and every day from here on out, South Africa will always be on my mind and in my heart.  This may be an end to a blog, but it is the start of so much more.  

In the past four months, I have done the impossible.  Or at least what I thought was the impossible.  I never thought I would be one to travel half way across the world to live and study.   That was never my plan, but what I've learned is that the best things are never things I plan.  God called me to this beautiful country for a reason. I can't tell you what that one reason is, but I can tell you what all of the countless reasons are.  I have learned so much. All in four months.  Those four months have changed my life forever and I will carry them with me from here on out.  

While in Africa, I experienced the beauty of life.  Not only is the country gorgeous, but life there is so much simpler.  Simple may not be filled with all the glitz and glam we are used to, but I've learned it's so much better than all of that.  Being there I learned time is important, but people are even more important.  The people on the street smile at you, stop to ask how you are, people there care. While I was there I thought back to my life here and saw how little time I give to people.  God made us to be in community with one another, to care about each other.  So why do I devout so much time to myself?  I learned that time well spent is time not spent on myself, but time spent with others.  Just talking, laughing, and enjoying one another's company.  Simple is when I wake up in the morning starting on the right foot, focused on what truly matters and what truly matters are things that we often take for granted at home.  Driving through the green hill of South Africa remind me to appreciate the beauty of life. To stop and look around at everything this world has to offer. To remember all the people that love us.  To appreciate what we have and remember how amazing it is.  In Africa, you have that time to stop and breathe it all in. It's time we all have, but for some reason it just took my going to Africa to realize.  We are blessed. 

The people.  Like I said the people of South Africa are like no one else.  They are happy, beautiful, kind, and thankful.  I see the hope in the eyes of the people unlike a hope I have ever experienced.  That's hard to understand as you stand in their one or two room houses, but then again is it really?  If they are so happy, why am I not that happy all the time?  They are happy with the fact that their children are healthy and that they have the love of Jesus Christ.  That's enough for them, and I've learned that's enough for me too.  I learned so much from just listening to the struggles of the people I met.  And even though I just want to sit there and cry for them, their happiness reminds me that I shouldn't pity them because they don't pity themselves.  I see a poverty like I have never seen before, but at the same time I see the richness of the people that lacks so much back at home.  Being back here does make me irritated.  I see things that I don't agree with anymore, but I know that is no reason to be mad.  Some people just have not been able to see the amazing things I have been blessed with seeing.  I have been loved unconditionally by the people of South Africa, even though I was only there for a short time.  Unconditional love is something that is very hard to come across, but they have it and that's what calls me back.  The relationships I formed are ones that have so much depth that I can't see myself not finding my way back into their lives.  

My South Africa family is a big family.  There are 50 of us and after spending 4 months with them I can honestly say that I love each and every single one of them.  The worst part of being home is not having them by my side anymore.  There has not been one day where we haven't communicated with one another in some way or form.  We are obsessed with each other... in a good way.  We understand each other and all of them hold a part of South Africa that I miss.  In four months I was able to make some of the most amazing friendships that I have ever made.  Those people know me inside and out. Without them I feel like there's a part of me that's missing.  We woke up together, and went to sleep together.  We did everything together, and when we weren't together we wanted to be.  These people are the ones I hold dearly because together we grew. Together we learned. And together we loved.  And if none of this blog post makes sense it's okay, because I know it makes sense to them.  

I could sit here and ramble on and on about the greatness of my semester in South Africa, but that would still never compare to the actual experience.  I can never put this trip into words.  It has been a semester of a lifetime and I keep thinking to myself, now what? I went to South Africa for four months and learned so much, what do I do with it all now?  Well, I'm still not really sure.  For one, I know I am changed. But I want others to know why I am changed, and more importantly I want others to change.  You will never grow if you don't take the time to travel and talk to those who share this world with us.  You will never know what I am talking about unless you stop and open your eyes to the things that go on around you.  You will never get the feeling I have right now if you don't take the time to ask yourself, what is this life all about?  You will never understand unless you put yourself to the side.  You need to love. You need to listen. You need to learn. And with that there is nothing you can do but grow.  

To you, these posts all might be just stories. But to me they are life.  The people I wrote about are real, they're my friends.  South Africa may seem really far from our world, but it's really not.  Right now as I write this Nonjabulo is waking up getting ready to go to the Creche. Right now Nomvula is preparing her one room house for the several children she watches everyday.  Right now Boy is probably running the streets of the township, causing all sorts of mischief. Right now Mikey is putting on his uniform and getting ready to go to school. Right now life is still happening back in P.E.  Just because I sit here in America, doesn't mean I am a world away.  I still care about those people just as much as the day I left them.  And I still pray for them as they face their day to day lives.  

I realize I didn't go to Africa to help others, but for others to help me.  I never knew that my life could be changed like this but it has and I am so thankful for that.  I apologize for not blogging more during my time in Africa, but that just means you are going to have to ask me about my trip to find out more.  I apologize ahead of time if I talk way to much about it, but this is the best thing that has ever happened to me and I love talking about it.  I hope those of you who have followed me, have taken away something from my journey.  I can only hope that I did this trip justice! But please I beg you, don't forget.  Don't forget what you see, hear, or read.  Because there is more to life than what you think. I truly believe that if you want to see it all, you will.  

:Catch Up:

I am so sorry for not posting, but here are a few of my journal entries from the last few days of service sites. Please read and enjoy!!

March 23^rd

         Today was day 5 at service sites and I can’t believe how much Riv Life has blessed me already.  Yesterday I had the amazing opportunity to go to an HIV/AIDs support group hosted in the township over.  We pulled up and saw the run down building we would be meeting in.  Immediately when I saw it I wondered how this support group could feel any hope in this kind of place.  We walked in to find that the inside looked just like the outside. We went with Thendi, the social worker, but still I was a bit nervous.  I didn’t know what to expect. Soon women began to arrive, but we all just sat awkwardly as they came in.  It was also difficult because none of them spoke English. 

         Eventually five women showed up and the support group began. I found it very interesting that no men were a part of this group. That is when I saw why HIV spreads so rapidly, the men don’t acknowledge it at all. 

         The women all introduced themselves to us and told us about their family and when they found out they were HIV positive. Most of them were single women with multiple children. All of the women looked healthy and I would have never known they had HIV unless they told me.  It is amazing to see their strength even though they live with a serious sickness.  We then were able to ask them questions and the situation turned a bit more uncomfortable.  I didn’t know what to ask, but as I id they were very willing to answer everything. Again the one question that I have heard came from them “Are you afraid of us?” It is sad to know that they are so out casted in their community. I can only imagine what it could be like to be feared.  The awkwardness continued until the women began to sing.  We sang with them and then started to play games. We played their version of musical chairs, where there were more than enough chairs for everyone, which confused us but we happily played along anyways.  We introduced a few games to them as well that they loved! We also tried to play the human knot game and even though it didn’t work well, it really showed them that we aren’t afraid to touch, hug or be close to them.  Afterwards the women knitted and beaded while we sat with them. They made all of us, including Dan and Alex, earrings. They usually sell the earrings, but because then enjoyed us they just wanted to give them to us.  That spoke wonders that they gave away their form of income to us. I felt so humbled by that gesture.  We have plans to go back with nail polish and more crafts for them to use. I cannot wait to go and continue those relationships with those who don’t normally have them.

         Today was one of the hardest days at Riv Life because it was our final day with the children at the Creche.  It was unbelievable to see the relationships that have formed between the kids and us in just five days.  We know their characters and demeanors, we understand their personalities and they in returned took quite a liking to us.  This last day we decided as a team we should all be together with the kids, and that’s what we did. We gace all the love we had hoping that they will remember it once we are gone.  Watching them leave was difficult because even though we know we won’t see them again, they didn’t understand that we wouldn’t be back.  I know that the rest of the service sites will be amazing, but I will miss those children everyday, especially Nojabulo.  Those kids gave me hope, which is ironic because I should be there to give them hope in their situation.  Their joy blew me away everyday and God’s love was so present in these little children. They really encouraged and challenged me in my own faith.  Watching Nojabulo leave was hard and I definitely shed tears, but I know that my God is watching over that little girl even when I’m not. I hope to see her again while in the community, but either way that smile and those songs will stay in with me forever. I just pray that the Creche will be a safe place where those children can continue to go and learn.

March 26^th

Spiritual Warfare

There is a small girl who has been at the Creche everyday.  She is very young, about three or four.  She is beautiful and full of joy, always smiling.  It did not take us long to realize the many open sores that lined her legs, arms and back. These are not small wounds; but large, open, pussing, bleeding wounds.  None of us knew what the wounds were from or why she came everyday with a new, deep wound.  We brought in the nurses to treat the wounds and as they cared for one wound we found, another, and another.  By the time the antiseptic was on and the bandages were covering them, blood was already coming through.  It was so painful to see this small girl have so many wounds covering her body. After, when talking with the nurses we discovered that the injuries could be caused by many things.  Bug bites, a skin virus, or HIV/AIDs.  When they said that it hit us that a serious disease such as AIDs can be behind the face of a young, sweet child.  We talked to the Gogo about having her parents take her to the clinic. The Gogo spoke with her mother later that day and we expected the child to come back the next day with progress. The next day she came back, she did not have any treatment, but two more deep wounds on her arm.  When talking to the Gogo about why this child has yet to go to the clinic, we found it was because this little girl was continually being taken to the isangoma (witch doctor) for medication/treatment.   It frustrates me that a little girl, who may have a sickness as serious as AIDs, will not receive help simply because their belief is to go to a witch doctor instead of a licensed medical doctor.  The pull between these people and ancestral worship is unreal. It is something that is ingrained in the culture and even if a person is a Christian. Most of them have one foot in Jesus and the other in ancestral worship. It’s crazy that someone can believe in God, yet still do something so obviously wrong according to those beliefs. 

         Seeing this precious little girl with these serious wounds kills, but to know why nothing is being done is almost worse.  In scenarios like this is where I see the evil in this world so clearly.  I see it pulling the life of this small child because of the beliefs of her parents.  Spiritual welfare is real. The devil is constantly working against us, yet we seem to push that matter aside.  We never realize how serious it is because we are often blinded.

         Being here has opened my eyes. Seeing what I have seen has changed my view on life. Hearing what I’ve heard will play over and over again in my head. As much as I believe in a God who loves, I also believe in a devil that desires to tear us all away.

April 1^st

         This past week at service sites has shown me a lot. Within the week we painted nails at the HIV/AIDs support group, visited Nomvula’s home to hear about her many ministries and ran a holiday camp for the kids at the Drop In Center. We were not expecting some of the tasks handed to us, but TIA. We also started our Fresh Creche project in the afternoons. It gave us such an amazing opportunity to finally bond as a team.  We had also talked about putting a chalkboard in the Creche the week before and to see it actually going up was an amazing achievement for our team that was physically present.  We as a team picked Colossians 3:14 “Above all clothe yourselves in love, which bonds us together in perfect harmony”, to put up above the board.

         In the holiday camp we were really blessed with another week with the kids. One afternoon as we were playing Duck Duck Goose, a couple people called my name and told me to turn around.  I turned around to see Nojabulo running towards me, screaming! My excitement was uncontrollable! I had said goodbye to her the week before in tears and I was now blessed with another week and a half.  In that week I was able to get to know Nojabulo’s sister, as well as walk her home multiple times.  She pulled me inside and I got to meet her Gogo. She showed me her house, the kitchen, bathroom and where she slept. It was hard to see my sweet little Nojabulo living in a house like that. She shares a twin bed with her siblings, her father has passed away and the home was dirty and cold.  But once again she was so joyful in showing me around that I couldn’t be sad.  A girl like Nojabulo was placed in that home because of her amazing happy spirits and all I can do is continue to pray for that tiny one’s future.

         God has shown me this week the power of love and the way it can strengthen relationships beyond what I can imagine.  I’m loving every minute of serving that community. 

April 4^th

         Today was our last day of service sites and it was the hardest day so far.  I did not wake up this morning expecting the emotional roller coaster that took place. We came into Riv Life just 12 days ago not knowing anyone and left today with some of the best relationships I have ever formed on a service trip.  We started our day with Nomvula and her Gogo support group. We spent the morning sitting under her back shelter watching them craft and talking. It’s funny how whenever we go the kids always seem to find us. We sang and danced with those beautiful kids and even the Gogos showed us some of their dance moves.  We also had the amazing opportunity to present Nomvula with the money we did not spend. We pulled her inside her house, all 13 of us, and gave her our thank you card with 400 Rand inside. 400 Rand in my eyes is not a lot at all, but when I saw Nomvula’s face as she saw what we had given her I realized how much it actually is.  Her expression was one I can’t describe. It was the look of an utter miracle and relief. The tears streamed down her face as she tried to mumble as many thank yous as she could. I was so humbled to hear her thank us because I realized how much I want to thank her for everything she does for her community and everything she had done for us. I respect her so much and cannot believe how selfless she is. She is a woman who gives up everything for the sake of others.  The most unbelievable part is that she doesn’t have anything to give away, yet she still does everyday.  I stop and ask myself what I would be like in her situation and I really don’t think I could do what she does.  Nomvula is an amazing woman of faith and hope and all my prayers go to her.  She is a strong woman of God that I admire so much, and a role model I truly strive to be more like.  After giving her the card we were all able to pray over her and it just showed how much God has blessed us with the opportunity to know her. In just 12 days that is one relationship God has strengthened.  Nomvula again made us Zulu bread, which shows her willingness to give even though we have plenty. The Gogos also made us beaded necklaces and bracelets.  That group of people has taught me how to love unrestrained. We said our goodbyes and headed back for lunch. 

         Chris (Director of Riv Life) finally spent sometime with us at lunch. His wife made us an array of Indian food including chicken curry. I had two plates when finally the spices caught up with me. It was really sweet of Chris to do that and show his appreciation even though we didn’t see him much. After lunch we were able to walk him over to the Creche to show him the chalkboard we painted on the wall. It was a great group project that we all were very proud of. Seeing Chris’ reaction was great as well, but I really wish we could be there to see the Gogo’s reaction come next week. 

         The Drop In Center was the last part of our day. We snuck into the yard through a broken rail in the fencing and the kids came to join us.  The ones we had seen earlier at Nomvula’s had walked 40 minutes just to come and spend time with us.  I walked into the center hoping to see Nojabulo, but also hoping maybe she wouldn’t come to save me a hard goodbye. I played with a few kids when I heard some people calling my name and then that tiny voice yelling “Ally! Ally!” I turned to see Anna carrying Nojabulo down the road. I ran to the fence and like always she screamed and jumped into my arms.  I have never had a child fit so perfectly on my side.  Every time I hold her I can’t get over how she just molds in my arms. Holding her is my favorite thing to do.  I love when she turns and looks up at me with that tilted head and sweet smile. I love hearing her little voice speak to me in Zulu and even though we have no idea what each other is saying we get along so well. Whether she is squeezing air out of my cheeks to make loud sounds or repeating what I say in English we just had such a love for each other. Most of all I love her songs. The songs she is always singing. I love that she takes one time and will repeat it over and over again. Today as I was holding her she asked me to sing a song. I sang the chorus of Jesus Loves Me over and over hoping she would pick up and remember it. She would try and sing along, but mumble random things so I kept singing. When I stopped and looked at her she began to sing it word for word! I was so excited and proud! Soon she switched back to Akeko (her favorite song) and got everyone clapping a beat for her.  She is the cutest thing and I have loved every second I have her by my side or in my arms.

         We hung out for a while longer until I saw our buses pull up. My heart dropped into my stomach and my eyes began to well up immediately. I took the beads the Gogos had made me off my wrist and slipped them into Nojabulo’s pocket as she was singing. I wanted to give her something, but didn’t want the other kids to see it. I gave her some Nik Naks (Cheetos) and slowly walked to pick up my backpack at the offices. I wouldn’t set her down until I actually had to.  I walked to the gate and Alex handed me my backpack, I dug out my lunch box which I had filled earlier that morning and began piling as much food as I could into her little 4 year old hands. I walked back by the APU buses and just held her with a pile of food resting between her and I. Regean and Liezel began herding us into the vans and the tears just started to pour out, but I just kept holding on.  A few more minutes passed when I realized I had to say goodbye. It took all I had to pry her little legs away from my body and set her on the ground. I placed her two feet down, wrapped my arms around her, kissed her on the cheek and croaked out an “I love you”. She said it back and I immediately had to drag myself away.  The second my back turned on her I completely lost it. I just remember sobbing as I walked away. I felt like the wind had been knocked out of my chest. Liezel walked me to the van and I got in. Sitting in that van and looking at her standing with arms full of food standing on the side of the road was so difficult. I hated pulling down the street for the last time knowing I will not see her the next day after that. I hate not knowing if she will stay healthy or fed. I hate that I won’t know if her home situation will stay consistent. I hate that I can’t know that she will go on to school. I just hate not being able to be there with her like I have been for the past 4 weeks. It is really hard to have hope in situations like this and I still don’t know how to handle the things I’m feeling and the things I’ve seen. I’m dreading getting on that plane and leaving for good the township of Cinderella. The faces of every child will constantly play through my head and their personalities will stick with me even more. All I know now is that I have a huge responsibility to tell their stories, to let people back home know Mikey had no father and an alcoholic mother, the small girl at the Creche who has AIDs, the orphan child who has no one, Nojabuo who lives in a two room house with her old Gogo and every child who just wants to be held, touched and loved. These are all real people I am talking about, not just stories. I want people to hear their stories, be moved and actually care. I want to open people’s eyes to problems that are happening in Cinderella and all over South Africa. I want people to be uncomfortable when I tell them about what I’ve seen and experienced. For all the love that those kids and Gogos and HIV/AIDs ladies showed us, the very least I could do is continue to spread their stories. I anything I have learned so much about the power of faith. With so much brokenness and heartbreak, there is so much joy and happiness found in the kids and Nomvula. It is amazing and has really forced me to look at my faith and myself.

         So right now I am still full of a lot of sadness leaving, but I do know God placed Nojabulo in my life for a reason. She is the “Princess of Happiness”, and it is so obvious in that 4 year olds life already. She encourages me to stay positive and to keep on singing praises because in the end God holds it all in His hands. 

:My home away from home- Riv Life:

My amazing friend Dan put together the perfect film of our time at River of Life! I can blog about it all I want, but this really captures why our hearts were stolen by the community of Riv Life.  Those faces are so much more to us and those memories will forever be with us! I have never cried so much about leaving a place, but God willing maybe I will be back some day.  Click on the vimeo link below!!

http://vimeo.com/39849683

:River of Life:

I apologize for my lack of updates, but I have been journaling almost every night and would love to share some entries.  Being at service sites has been so amazing and I already feel very attached to the community.  My time there seemed to be long, but I am now realizing that it is a bit limited.  It has been a wonderful experience so far and I cannot wait to continue the relationships!

Day 1- March 15

Today was the first day of service sites, and it was truly amazing.  I started off my day by going to four home visits with Grace, Alex, Steven, Jess and Adrian.  The first home we went to was Debra's. She had a large wound on her backside.  Grace, A;ex, Steve and I could not contribute much with the wound so we sat out on her couch watching isiZulu soap operas. I felt kind of useless as we sat there and the nurses took care of everything, but after they were done we were able to go and pray for her.  The next home we went to we just simply prayed over her. She was a young woman with AIDs.  She also had two young boys. When we asked her what she needed prayer for, her request was that she is able to stay strong for her two boys.  It made me think about the things I pray for, and compared to her prayer requests they seem incomparable.  She had so much trust in the Lord, it was unbelievable.  As I stood in her small two bedroom home, I realized her strength and trust in the Lord and I know if I were there, in her place, I may not be as trusting. I thought back to my home and how blessed I am, yet I cannot seem to trust the way she does, everyday.  The last home we went to was even smaller. We walked into find a woman holding a small 2 month old baby. The nurses took the woman's blood pressure, blood sugar, and listened to her lungs.  When they told her that everything was in good condition, she was overjoyed, just by the results of those simple tests.  She then pursued to ask the nurses to test her 2 year old baby for HIV. The nurses did not have the equipment, but I think all of us realized that baby had a very good chance of being HIV positive.  This small child, only at 2 months, has a long road ahead of her. The woman then asked to test her teenage daughter for AIDs. The nurses can't do that without a lab, but it meant that this woman's other daughter was already HIV positive.  It was so crazy to me.  Here I am blessed to be healthy and these two girls without a choice were born into a life of a lot of struggles ahead. When we asked the woman what she wanted prayer for she imply said "For people to not be afraid of me and for my community to understand the seriousness of HIV and AIDs".  When the nurses did her blood sugar and pricked her finger I will admit the sight of that blood scared me. It was crazy to know that this serious disease was right in front of me! So we stood, joining hands with her and prayed this prayer and I saw that nothing should separate me from the rest of God's people no matter who they are.  

After home visits my group joined Dan, Yui, and Anna at the Creche (daycare center). We were welcomed by 3-5 year old Zulu children. They are adorable. Precious. Sweet (and a little sassy). I was totally in my element, and even though I am the one loving on them, they show way more love in return with each smile! There was one small girl, red dress, shaven head and ears pierced, that I fell in love with. She was the most joyful child I have ever met.  Constantly singing in the cutest high voice. I would just hold her and she would sing and smile at me, touching my face.  If anything. it was in her that I truly saw Christ's love. That little voice will forever be stuck in my head, "My Jesus died for me, my  Jesus died just for me!". She knew no English, but she knew that song, as well as it's context.  The rest of the kids were a hoot! I have never seen that much energy before... ever! They really didn't understand anything we said, so chaotic is one way to describe the Creche.  There was one woman looking after these 40 small children and her reign on them was pretty tight, but as soon as she left the story changed.  We played outside with them, running, singing, climbing, anything and everything! Nap time was also a favorite of the day. Us girls, Anna, Grace, Yui and I took the 15 girls into, while Alex, Dan and Steve took the 15 boys to the nap room.  We were instructed to lay with them and make sure they napped and that's exactly what we did, nap! A few were hyper, but with the simple back scratch they were asleep.  I sat for a while watching them all sleep on the foam pads laid across the floor, and just prayed.  I got to pray over each and every one of those little girls. Soon enough I fell asleep too with them there on the floor. After a while I heard the door open and Alex looking in. I noticed the noise from the boy's nap room, crept up and went to the boys. They were typical boys running around, doing handstands and acting like... boys.  We gently took a boy on each arm, laid them down and began scratching their backs.  I am proud to say within 15 minutes all of the boys were knocked out.  It truly proved that the affection of touch spoke wonders to these little boys. As they were sleeping, I began to look around and just wanted to cry.  It was no place for children to lay and take naps, it smelled, yet every child looked so innocent and peaceful.  I didn't understand and still don't know how they can live like this.  It broke my heart to think about how unacceptable this would be in the States, yet here it's so normal.  I wanted to book a plane ticket for everyone of them back to the US with me. But they are such joyful kids that I have to remember it may not look the way it does to me.  

The last half of the day was at the Drop In Center (DIC) with older children. It's like an after school program that provides a meal and activities.  These older ones are much more guarded around us, so those relationships will be a goal to work on.  

All in all my eyes were glued open today by all that I saw.  The happy and sad.  I am also so thankful to have my team of 13; Alex, Enoch, Dan, Steven, Kenny, Yui, Yvette, Grace, Anna, Emily, Hayley and Michelle.  I cannot wait to see the friendships that will form out of Riv Life. each day I have to remind myself how blessed I am, today I saw it even more.  

Day 2- March 16

Service sites continue to blow me away.  As soon as I left the Creche yesterday I was already missing all of those adorable faces.  I crave being around them and holding Nojabulo as she smiles and sings.  I have such joy when I see them, yet every time I look at their surroundings it breaks my heart. It is filthy. The Creche is nicer than their homes, but still is in poor condition. There are ants everywhere, dirt and pee from the kids.  Today there was one girl who was burning up with a fever and I felt so bad for her.  It was so difficult to comfort her, and we had no First Aid kit in sight.  That really angered me.  What does it take for a child in Africa to be as valuable as a child in the States? Why does one get a beautiful, easy life while the other suffers trial after trail? Why are their clothes dirty? Why do none of them have shoes? Why do the little ones walk around the dirty street along, peeing on themselves? It kills me to see God's children in this position. It is not supposed to be this way and I wish there was something I could do. 

It's hard to face those sights everyday,but God has simply called me there to love! As little as it does for m anger about the situation, I know it speaks wonders to them. I need patience and acceptance. I need to remember I am here to show that Christ's love is enough.

Nojabulo

:Serve:

Tomorrow I start my service site. I will be at this service site for the next for weeks.  It is called Riv Life and it was my number one choice of site.  I have no idea what tomorrow will bring, but I am so excited to go, to see, and to learn! I really have no idea what I will be asked to do here, but I know that whatever it is, God will work wonders! I am going with my team of 12 and I cannot wait to see our team grow closer and stronger through this experience.  I am ready to be challenged and changed by these next four weeks and I hope that what I see and experience there will stick with me for the rest of my life! 

God has created me to serve others and I could not be happier that I get to do exactly that.  

Jesus Washes His Disciples' Feet

 ¹ It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world. It was time for him to go to the Father. Jesus loved his disciples who were in the world. So he now showed them how much he really loved them. ² The evening meal was being served. The devil had already tempted Judas Iscariot, son of Simon. He had told Judas to hand Jesus over to his enemies. ³Jesus knew that the Father had put everything under his power. He also knew he had come from God and was returning to God.
 ⁴ So he got up from the meal and took off his outer clothes. He wrapped a towel around his waist. ⁵ After that, he poured water into a large bowl. Then he began to wash his disciples' feet. He dried them with the towel that was wrapped around him.
 ⁶ He came to Simon Peter.
   "Lord," Peter said to him, "are you going to wash my feet?"
 ⁷ Jesus replied, "You don't realize now what I am doing. But later you will understand."
 ⁸ "No," said Peter. "You will never wash my feet."
   Jesus answered, "Unless I wash you, you can't share life with me."
 ⁹ "Lord," Simon Peter replied, "not just my feet! Wash my hands and my head too!"
 ¹⁰ Jesus answered, "A person who has had a bath needs to wash only his feet. The rest of his body is clean. And you are clean. But not all of you are."
 ¹¹ Jesus knew who was going to hand him over to his enemies. That was why he said not every one was clean.
 ¹² When Jesus finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes. Then he returned to his place.
   "Do you understand what I have done for you?" he asked them. ¹³ "You call me 'Teacher' and 'Lord.' You are right. That is what I am. ¹⁴ I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet. So you also should wash one another's feet. ¹⁵I have given you an example. You should do as I have done for you.
 ¹⁶ "What I'm about to tell you is true. A servant is not more important than his master. And a messenger is not more important than the one who sends him. ¹⁷Now you know these things. So you will be blessed if you do them.

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