Pieces of my African Heart

So hopefully I will be able to get thru this whole blog and let you all know some of the things I have been doing.

I live in Petoria, South Africa.  A smaller city near Johannsburg.  We live in a property called Alabanza (which means Praise…I think) it’s kind of like a Missionary Retreat Camp.  Now my team of around 50 people live here and some other independent missionaries live on the property too.  Some of the independent girl missionaries here run a coffee shop on the grounds to raise money to help them raise money for the ministries they work with here in South Africa.  Here is a picture of the outside of the coffee shop, our little pool (which it is always too cold to use but today is a little warm) and my friend Tessa.  (Just a random note, the internet is going crazy at the moment so I’m not so sure how much more I can write but I’m going to try.)  So yes, that is Alabanza, it’s so very pretty, we live in this really big house but there is like 60 of us…ehh.  It’s fun…sometiems..ha! 

New subject – Ministies here at Alabanza.  The first one I went to is called MamaLoudies which is a name of like a township and not a person.  I just figure that out the other day.  But yes it is like what we would think of as a squatter camp but they call it a township.  Basically it’s a lot of tiny little rock or tin shacks.  In the middle there is like a rec center type place.  There and are school age children and a cresh (which is the word for like preschool/daycare)  I love it.  It’s tiny and cold but the kids are happy and they love us coming there.  The first thing we do is put on like a little VBS type thing for them, singing songs, little lessons, games, crafts.  Then we just play and that is what I really love.   I spent one day with the older ones playing but the rest of the time I spent in the cresh between the babies and the toddlers.  When you walk into the room the toddlers practically or actually they do pull you to the ground by climbing up you.  They are just desperate for you to hold them and play with them.  If you sit on the ground you are clobered by at least 10 of them on top of you, looking at your face, playing with your hair, wanting to play patty cake games.  But it’s just great, I know it sounds like a little much but it’s not, it’s great.

The second ministry is a orphanage.  It’s a pretty good one actually.  I absolutely absolutely absolutely love it.  It is the best thing ever.  There is this little boy Andre who is 2 years old but he looks like he is maybe 10 months.  He doesn’t talk, doesn’t walk but he can smile.  He loves to smile and be held and to be helped to walk actually he wants to run.  I just love him.  I wish I had my camera with my because I have a few pictures of him but I didn’t bring it today :-(.  I love him.  Oh gosh my heart just hurts I love him so much.  Everyone loves him and says that they would adopt him if they could.  Then there is Zilnelea, Ebenezor, Slushie, Ummpo, and others that I’m not sure there names.  I love them all so much.  Hopefully I will be able to post there pictures soon.  You will all fall in love with them too.

God has been doing alot in my heart too.  I wasn’t ready for God to change me so much but He has.  I thought I was coming here just to minister but I am being ministered to alot.  He has reminded me of how much I need to trust Him with even the little details of my life.  Man, I am just amazed with the work He is doing in me.  I love Him.  I really feel like I am finally stepping past the walls I had up in my heart towards God.  I’ve always been somewhat afraid to let God be God to me.  I knew I should trust Him but I just wasn’t sure.  But you know what, I tried of living my life that way.  I’m tired of being a semi-warm Christian.  I want it all or nothing.  The prayer God has put on my heart lately has been “Take my past, take my furture, I will follow You.”  Everyday I wake up saying that.  Kind of scares me but I’m ready.  I’m ready to become the daughter of the King that I know I am.  I know He has big plans for me and He has just been waiting for me to be ready to listen to His plans.  I want to be ready.  It may not come as a surprise or maybe it will but I do believe that this is now my life.  I am a missionary.  Sure I’m still coming home in May but I know that a secular degree and job is just notwhat is right for me.  I’m a missionary, I’ve been fighting it for years and have been trying to go to college and do that with my life and I knew it just didn’t feel right.  That is why I never really finished anything or had any passion for it.  So, that’s it.  I don’t know where it will carry me yet or what God has in store for later but I’m called to be a Missionary.  I know it may not always be easy and it’s hard to be away from you all but this is what God has said.   I love you!

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Beeftip, you beter be reading and you to Franeyface!