South Africa Day 12

I finally got internet yesterday so I wanted to make a blog to keep everyone posted with the work I am doing here down in South Africa. I am all settled in now and feel that I am getting a routine down with my work. Usually in the mornings I go to work at the Mosaic pre-school, I have been helping out with the 3 year olds. Right now they are learning to draw different shapes. I really like working with the kids but it can be a challenge sometimes because of the language barriers. It can be hard working with young children because they can have trouble communicating what they need but then on top of that there are three native languages here so that makes it even more difficult, especially because most children at that age don’t know a lot of English. At the end of the school day when it is nice out the kids get to play outside while they wait for the bus. This is probably the highlight of working there because they love dragging me all over the playground asking me to help them to get things out of reach or just climb on the jungle gym with them.

My afternoons really have been varying depending on the day. On Mondays I help teach an after school bible class. Its really awesome to see kids stay after school because they want to learn about God. Last week we went over the parable of the talents and asked the kids what talents they have and how they can use them to glorify God. Then the rest of the week I am either working at the mosaic foster homes or at Aunt Susie’s day care for the elderly. Aunt Susie’s is a really amazing woman, even though she is elderly too, she is running all over the place helping out other elderly people in her community. The first time I met her, she came up to me and hugged me saying “my son is here, my son is here, he came to help us.” Even though she has never met me before, she welcomed me with open arms and is just so extremely grateful for the work I am doing.

I also have been attending a church called His People. The first time I went was a really great experience. The service is very similar to most church services that I have been to. Everyone there was very welcoming and the service began with some worship songs. The first two were in English but then the third was in Swana. It was one of the most beautiful sounding songs I have heard, I was just blown away. I only wish I could have recorded it but I know that even then, I would not have been able to record the moment. 

Last weekend I noticed a group of guys playing soccer in a field across the street from my apartment and they were back playing there today. I don’t have tv and very little internet so I have been finding things to keep me busy during the evenings and weekends so today I decided to ask them to play soccer. It was a lot of fun and there were actually so many of us that we decided to break up into 3 teams and rotate who plays. I am not very good but I still managed to keep up.

That’s about all for now and I would like to thank everyone for all of their support and prayers that make this work possible.

In Him,

Jon