well africa, its been real...

After 27 hours of traveling and a bit of jet lag, I find myself writing this from my cozy and air conditioned room. It almost feels like a dream being home and I cant seem to grasp the fact that I am now in the Dallas heat as opposed to the wonderful African winter. It was obviously bitter sweet to leave but I knew I had to come home because otherwise my mom and dad would have probably been on the next flight out to come fetch me...but Africa changed me an my heart and it will always be apart of me...

Ever since I was 5 the word "Africa" has been put on my heart, and I had always been a broken record about it because I was constantly telling my parents that I would go some day. The lord finally called me there and I followed the call, and I tell you that was one of the greatest decisions of my life. I went out of my comfort zone and immersed myself into a whole other world, one that would change me. Throughout my time there, I learned how important it is for us to listen when the Lord is calling us and that we must follow. It is not the easiest thing in the world to do, but sometimes you just have to take a leap of faith and go for it. Often times I think we find ourselves on the brink of an amazing opportunity, and the thing that holds us back from going for it, is ourselves. We come up with excuses and "what if's" and "but's" but at the end of the day we must put those things behind us and go for it. That is what life is all about. But also when we decide to follow the call, we must follow it whole heartily and remember to serve selflessly. So take time to listen to the big man and follow his call, he can take you to some pretty amazing places.


I will miss my little children calling me mom while they kissed and hugged on me. I will miss their sweet smiles and their joy for life. In their own little ways, they taught me how to be content with life and to always trust the big man above. To them happiness doesn't come from how much money you have or how much stuff you have...but happiness comes from within. Its a pure feeling. They find happiness in the simplest things and they showed me how they can overcome issues and learn to love one another whole heartily. I will never forget last Monday when I was teaching the kids about Moses and the 1st Commandment, and I look out and see Roxy and Tania throwing words and kicks at one another. Obviously that wasn't going to fly around me, so I pulled the girls out and we had a little chat. Roxy told Tania that she was ugly, so naturally Tania kicked Roxy...I found myself in a sticky situation because I wasn't really sure how we were going to settle this. So I had the girls on either side of me and I made them look at each other and say " I am beautiful" over and over until they were literally shouting it, and then I made them do the same thing again except they were saying "And we do not kick each other". Smiles started to come back on their faces and with that they said I'm sorry to one another and then we had a group hug. They ran back into the church and I didn't really think anything more of it, until the end of club when I noticed they were the last two girls in the church over in the corner, giggling and playing together. That was one of the most beautiful things I could have ever seen. The girls realized they needed each other and that amidst adversity they were always going to be there for one another. And what do you know the next day I drive into Red Hill and there are Tania and Roxy holding hands and running for me. That image just reminded me of why I was called to serve in Red Hill.

These kids also just gave me a new taste for life, and they made me realize that I don't want to miss a beat. I want to be a light in dark places. And these dark places don't only exist in Africa, but they exist everywhere. I don't want to have to wear a cross around my neck for people to know that I am a Christian, but I want them to see that I am Christian simply by the way I live my life. And I know there are times when I mess up and give people reason to doubt my faith, but I know that I have been given the gift of life for a reason and I want to be a light in those dark places...Life is so full of endless opportunities and it is way too precious to waste a day of it...

"But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light"
1 Peter 2:9

molo.

I love everything about everything here. That is all I have to say about that. I am constantly reminded that each day is truly a gift and that we as Christians must continually shine our light. My sweet kids just bring me so much joy and they remind me that the simple things in life are what matter the most. Their smiling faces and sweet bits of laughter just warm my heart. Most of them come from broken homes and backgrounds and it is so encouraging to see them rise above the pain with a sense of hope. I think it is something for us to all think about....so often when we face trails we cover ourselves and hide from the pain. We hide in our materialism and hope for it to all go away. I will be the first to tell you that I am so guilty of this. But here I have learned that there is not much room to hide...you just have to grab life by the horns and deal with it. And that mentality has made me a stronger person. If we continue to hide ourselves from the pain, I think we might start to lose sight of life. What its all about. And how as Christians we are called to bring one another up, encourage each other and hold each other accountable. If these kids can do it...I know I can...and I know you can. Life is a beautiful gift and one that must not be taken for granted. So I encourage you to hold your head up high, no one ever said life was going to be easy...but I can assure you that its alot easier with Christ. Take some time today and laugh...its the best feeling in the world...tell your family how much you love them...smile at someone random, it might just make their day...and grab life by the horns, its not easy but its quite rewarding...

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God."
Hebrews 12:1-2

Washed by the Water

It has been quite some time since I last updated this bad boy, and quite frankly I’m not sure where to start. These past 4 weeks have been so busy and my ADD has not been my best friend when it comes to sitting down and writing. So I guess I will just attempt to give you a quick rundown of last week…

Monday-Wednesday:
This was our last week of “holiday club” and this week was a bit different because it primarily focused on soccer and netball ministry. We had the Kids in the mornings running a program called Upward and in the afternoons we had the Teens doing Ubabalo. The girls all played netball, for those of you who don’t know what netball is…it is basically like basketball except you cant dribble and its all passing. To be honest, I still haven’t really figured it all out yet. The boys all played soccer and had designated teams. We had this amazing team of Brazilian soccer players who helped us out with the drills and games…they were wonderful to work with, and not to mention they weren’t too shabby looking…But all week the kids were preparing for the Two Oceans Soccer Festival which we had on Friday, so they were touching up all their skills to get ready for the games that they would be playing. One of the devotions that really stuck with me was when we talked about the word “Ke Nako”…for those of you who watched the world cup games, that word came up quite often. Its literal meaning is “It’s Time” and we relayed it into the message by saying that “its time” to find Jesus, that this is the perfect time to find him and rest in him. That word meant nothing to me every other time I had heard it, but once it was relayed to the gospel it just kind of took on a whole new meaning.



Thursday:
This was a day that I will never forget. I truly felt so humbled. The kids came in the morning to what they thought was just an ordinary day of club, but little did they know they would be washed by the water…This amazing organization, Samaritans Feet, came to Red Hill and basically gave away a new pair of shoes to 154 deserving children. For 2 hours I got to wash numerous kids feet and as they shared their dreams and worst times with me…I got to share the gospel and gods grace with them. I never thought I would be so willing and eager to wash dirty and stinky feet. But as I was talking to the kids there were so many things going through my mind…and I was simply thinking about how I got to my position in the chair washing feet…why was I getting to take part in such a unique experience? There were 2 particular people who stuck out to me…one was my 10 year old boy, Ronald, who shared his dreams with me of becoming a Police Officer in Fish Hoek. Ronald dreams of helping people one day and stopping violence, he wants to make a difference in peoples lives. He is one of my favorites, every day I see him he comes running to me and jumps into my arms calling me “mom”. I love him. Then there was a 22 year old young lady, whose name I cant remember, but she talked to me about how she has never felt loved before. That broke me. Yet again I was reminded at how much I take such a simple thing for granted. I cant imagine a life without love…I mean to be honest, without Love I wouldn’t be where I am right now. We prayed together and she told me it meant the world to her, I reassured her that we loved her but most importantly that Jesus Christ loves her so much that he gave her this amazing gift of grace and eternal life. And that my friends is the best gift we will ever receive. So by the end of the day, 154 feet had been washed and there were new shoes running around Red Hill. We prayed with each of the children and I know that their hearts were touched that day…just as much as my heart was touched. These new shoes will take these kids places, and I pray with all my heart that they will take the big man with them to those places.



Friday:
We had the Two Oceans Soccer Festival…it was mental. We had almost 1000 kids from all the surrounding townships taking part in various activities as well as playing proper netball and soccer games. I was the coach for my under 9 Red Hill boys…so just imagine 8 crazy boys running around and me chasing them to keep them all together…my patience was definitely tested but I just kept reminding myself that this was probably some of the most fun that they were going to have for a while. My boys unfortunately lost their game…but they played hard and had fun, so that is all that counts. It was so encouraging to see all the kids from all different backgrounds come together in one place and to participate in the same activities.

Saturday:
This was a cold and rainy day and a pretty chill day. I went down to the Waterfront with a few friends to go to the aquarium and that was quite exciting. It’s a beautiful place and they had everything from penguins and tree frogs to sea turtles and sharks! We stayed there for a few hours and then moved onto the Craft Market. This is where I met Rose. You see Rose is a hair braider and she kind of got me at hello. She started talking to me and next thing I know she is weaving some kind of orange, blue and purple stuff in my hair. So now I have 3 little colored braids in my hair…total spur of the moment deal. But Rose and I bonded so I got the purple one fo free!

Sunday:
Oh what a day…a beautiful day! We went to Cape Point and let me tell you it is by far one of the most beautiful places I have ever been to. It is breathtaking. We hiked up on the rocks and just watched the waves crash over and over…it was stunning. The water and the sky were crystal clear. This place literally seemed like heaven to me…as I stood there with the wind blowing through my hair, I just couldn’t imagine life getting any better. I am just so happy and content here, its amazing how the big man works in his divine ways. “God of wonders beyond our galaxy, you are holy”…those words kept running through my mind…he is just so holy and just…and its so amazing to think that we have a lifetime to spend with him. In his perfect kingdom. God is just so real down here, he doesn’t give us space to hide from anything here. And that my friends has made me stronger…I have realized that I constantly try to hide behind materialistic things back home but here I have just had to face life…its not always easy, but I LOVE it!




xoxo
H

Going to McDonalds doesn't make you a hamburger...but having a relationship with Christ saves your life...

Earlier today I found myself praying and asking the Lord to provide me with an opportunity to truly share my heart with someone and to let my faith shine through. Dont get me wrong, I absolutely adore working with my kids everyday but sometimes I wonder if I am really making a difference. Do they really see my heart for Christ and understand my faith...or am I just someone who jumps around with them and gives them lots of love. This had been weighing on my heart and I was just so eager for the opportunity to share my faith and testimony with someone who was thirsty for the spirit. And all I have to say is that the Lord provides in mysterious ways...

So I was just laying in my bed and watching Felicity on my computer, when Anna knocks on the door and was like "Hey you want to come to McDonalds with me? I heard you wanted a McFlurry". Obviously I wasn't going to turn down the opportunity for a McFlurry so I jump out of bed, throw on a jacket and we walked out the door. We get to McDonalds and for some reason decide to go in rather than just go through the drive through. Now remember I just jumped out of bed and clearly had no intentions of seeing anyone so I would like you to picture me at my finest...my madusa hair, a poofy flannel lined jacket, my grateful dead shirt, leggings and furry balet house slippers. Clearly I am lookin real good.

We go up to the counter and order and there are 2 ladies behind the counter as well as the manager. Im standing there talking to a random man about hunting (typical) and I over hear the manager, Ricardo, talking to Anna because he had just asked her if we were missionaries. So I drop my hunting conversation and go over to Ricardo and start talking. He then says something that sent chills up my spine, "If you were to convert these women to Christianity, what would you tell them?". I think my heart skipped a beat because I wasn't sure if this was a trick or if he really did want to know what we would say. He then said that he was a Christian, so I knew it wasn't any kind of trick. The next thing I know I am sharing my testimony with the lady behind the counter, Mandesa. I told about how I had grown up a Christian and always going to church, but that I didn't feel like I started living the life of a Christian until High School. At least I don't think I truly understood what it meant to lead the life of a Christian until I got older. I had simply been proclaiming the words of Christ with my mouth, but often times denying what I said simply through my actions. And also more simply the fact that I am NOTHING without Christ in my life, and that he is the reason why I wake up every morning with hope for the day. That he is always by my side and with that I am comforted and not scared for the future. She found this interesting. I also went into talking about how being Christian does not have anything to do with perfection. We are not perfect and will never be, we live in a sinful world so therefore we are filled with sin. But with the Lord in our hearts, we can become clean, and our pasts will no longer weigh us down and we will have hope for the future. Its not about "if" trials will come but its about "when" and when they do come, the only way we can stand strong is if the Lord is right there beside us pulling us through. Just as Isaiah 43:2 says, "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze." I just continued to speak to Ricardo and Mandesa about my faith and the craziest part was that I felt like I had no control of my words and that it was the Holy Spirit speaking through me. Ricardo told me how much of a blessing we were for simply coming in, and how my words blessed him. How my comments on perfection touched his life and that he was going to share my "wisdom". Never in my wildest dreams could I have ever imagined this happening...I mean its not the easiest thing to just share your testimony with someone and for some reason tonight it just seemed so natural to share. I could see the hunger for the spirt in Mandesa's eyes and while I was talking she continued to ooh and ahh, so I knew the words were going to her heart. There were smiles on both of our faces at this point, and before we started talking there was nothing close to a smile on her face. That in itself was simply amazing. I finished talking and told her that I would be praying for her, and next thing I know, she gives me a piece of paper with her name and phone number on it. I know have a new friend at the McDonalds and I promised her that I would be back to visit and talk with her...not only because I want to come back and visit and pour into her, but also because she asked me to come back.

The Lord works in mysterious and amazing ways. So many times I think we try to run from the Lord, but in reality we cant ever get away because he is right behind us chasing us...So call on the lord, he is ALWAYS there and he ALWAYS provides.

xoxo
H

Please pray for Mandesa and her heart, that it may be softened and opened to the Lord. Also pray for Ricardo and his heart and that he may continue to serve the Lord through his willingness to talk about Christianity in McDonalds.

Crazy Business

The past few days have been quite busy and let me tell you…I am worn out and tired…

FRIDAY we had our second day of the “fusion festival” and overall it went really well. I was stationed at the balloon making table, at first I was a little uncertain of why I was doing that because frankly I have no expertise in that area. But with a smile on my face I made balloon animals and the kids loved it…that is, until the pump broke…So with the broken pump came a change of plans and I started doing face painting. I absolutely loved painting the kids faces because you could just see their eyes light up with excitement. Its amazing how a little bit of paint can bring smiles to faces. So then it was my turn to get my face painted, so I let one of the girls, Zimkita, paint my face. I thought she was painting something “normal” on my face like a flower or something…but little did I know, Zimkita was turning me into a pirate. I looked like a freak! But hey, the kids got a kick out of it, so I was fine with it. I also played some soccer with the boys…and those boys are crazy! I was the goalie so that was interesting. But it was so much fun running around with them and playing with them because they are so passionate about the sport. All in all it was a very long day because we were constantly going, but it was absolutely amazing to see the community come together for the festival and we were able to build relationships with the older people of Red Hill as well as strengthen our relationships with the kids.

SATURDAY was quite a day. Me, Stu, Carley, Brock, Ethan and Rachael loaded up and headed to Cape Town for a little adventure. A little adventure that entailed some Free Fallin’…We arrived at this sketchy looking airplane hanger and walked in to be greeted by some excited young men and then I signed my life away to go Sky Diving…(I had known that I was going to do this for a few weeks but I kept it a secret to everyone except for my 2 best friends-my brother John and my dear Meredith…sorry mom and dad). I knew I had to wait until after to tell mom because she would have had a heart attack if she had known! Next thing I know, I was getting all strapped into my harness thing and then boarding the plane. It was basically just an airplane shell and 6 of us piled in. Since I was going 1st I had to sit next to the “door”, and then about 5 minutes before I was to jump I got all hooked up to my instructor who I was jumping with, and then we sat at the edge of the plane. I tucked my legs under the plane, put my head back….and then Geronimo…we did a front flip out of the plane and were free fallin from 9000 feet!! We were free falling for 5000 feet (about 40 seconds) and then we opened the parachute and parachuted our way down for about 5 minutes. It was amazing! Here I am literally flying over Cape Town…Robben Island is to my left and Table Mountain to my right…and it was one of the greatest feelings in the world. It was simply amazing to see Cape Town from a totally different perspective and it just reminded me at how small I really am. And again I was marveled by the idea of creation and Gods power.

SUNDAY we went to church and just had a really chill day. They had a very sweet fathers day service, and honestly it really made me miss my dad. It just reminded me of how blessed I am to have the dad that I do because often times I take that for granted. Not everyone has a dad that supports them and shows them the right ways, so I am so thankful that I have had such and incredible dad and I admire him so much. I would not be the same person I am today if it wasn't for my dad.

MONDAY AND TUESDAY we had our 2nd week of holiday club. This week is all about the "Armour of God" and how he protects us. If you remember from a few posts ago, I told you that we were cutting out cardboard, in which we are now using for the Armour. So each day the kids make a different piece of Armour...so far we have made the belt of "truth" and breastplate of "righteousness". The kids are loving it and it makes my heart so happy to see that the kids are finding comfort in the lord and they are calling on him for protection!

I am sorry that the internet has been out so I have not been up to date with my blogging. So Carley and I are at the internet cafe having some nice hot cocoa and taking time to relax. I love you all and miss you all very much...but I am so happy here and loving absolutely every second i have here! Life just doesn't get much better than this!

Well today was a busy day...it was our last day of holiday club for the week and then this afternoon we had the fusion festival. I know most of yall are wondering what holiday club is as well as fusion festival...so I am going to attempt to give you a little spark notes version of what is going on.

Holiday Club is M-Th from 10-12:30 and it will be going on for 4 weeks. We start out with some songs and then go into the bible story (today it was about Gideon)...after that we play some games, have a memory verse, make a craft (today we made Vuvuzelas...) and then we finish up by feeding all of the kids lunch. On Monday we told the story of Jonah and the whale, and we made a huge whale out of cardboard that we used as a prop...the kids thought that it was the coolest thing in the world! It is amazing how much the kids remember...yesterday Mona Lisa plopped down on my lap and proceeded to tell me "Leave all your worries with him because he cares for you 1Peter 5:7". That was the memory verse from tuesday, and it put the biggest smile on my face to hear her recite those words because it just reminded me of the differences we are making in these kids lives. But today after club we had fusion festival...which is basically a carnival type thing. These people from "fusion" came into Red Hill to run it and we basically just helped them out. There were games going on the whole time and then we had face painting, balloon animals, and circus tricks...the kids loved it!!

Tomorrow we will be playing soccer with the kids in the morning and then have another afternoon of fusion festival, so it should be quite eventful! I have loved every second that I have been here, my eyes have been opened to so many new things and things that I could have never imagined seeing. Everyday I go into Red Hill, I just cant help but think about how blessed I am...I have been so blinded by the materialistic world back home and here you see kids who live in shacks yet they are so happy. Its amazing how happy they can be with so little. I know that I take so much for granted everyday and I am so thankful that the Lord has given me this opportunity simply so that I can reflect on my own life and realize how abundantly blessed I am. It is also so humbling for me to see how eager these kids are for Jesus...their hearts are opened and they are so hungry for us to pour into them. Its the greatest feeling in the world!

xoxo
H

Ole Ole Oleeee

As you all know the World Cup kicked off Friday night at Soccer City in JoBurg...so in lieu of the celebrations, we went down to the Fifa Fan Fest in Cape Town to watch the game. Talk about crazy business. Everybody had their Vuvuzela's and used them all night long...it was quite noisy to say the least. They even have little baby size Vuvuzela's. We took the train to and from the city, and that was just an experience in itself. Me, Stu, Chelsea and Andy pushed our way to the front of the stage where the DJ was and had ourselves a little dance party, along with the rest of the city. I even convinced some people that I was from England...On the way back we were all crammed in the "3rd class" car, some had seats and the rest of us stood. The best part was definatley when everyone started chanting "ole ole ole ole...ole ole" and banging on the sides of the car. It was mental.

Saturday morning we slept in a bit and then went to Table Mountain. Me, Stu, Josh and Justine set out to go hiking...it was like a stair master on steroids. My hip did not allow me to finish so I just ended up meeting them at the top. It was extremely cold and cloudy so it gave the mountain a very eerie feeling. We were practically covered in clouds so the visibility was not the best. But simply being up there was amazing in itself.

Im sorry for not blogging in while, it has been extremely busy down here. We have been planning for our 4 weeks of "Holiday Club" that start tomorrow. So I have not been able to spend time with the kiddos for the past week, but starting tomorrow I will be with them all day everyday!

Divine Creation

Today was a different day...it is the weekend so that calls for adventure...

This morning began quite early, my alarm was set for 4:45 and at 5:30 I would be on my way to go cage diving with the sharks. Yes, GREAT WHITE SHARKS. I knew that I was in for a treat, but I had no idea that today was going to be so amazing. 5 of us piled in the car: Ronnie, Stewart, Brock, Ethan and Myself...and we were headed 2.5 hours south east of Cape Town. I really wasn't sure what to expect for this car ride, but I can assure you that many funny stories and laughs were shared. I actually laughed more today than I have in a while. And as most of yall know, i LOVE to laugh. We instantly bonded, which was a huge blessing in itself. We finally get to the "Shark Lady" and hop on the boat and go out to sea...the ride out there was great, but once we anchored things started going down hill. I mean down hill in a sea sick way. The shark lady got the best of our stomachs. But once we got in the cage, it was a totally different story...

In my lovely wetsuit, I anxiously jumped in the cage and was a wee bit shocked by the frigid 40 degree water. 4 of us were in the cage together and patiently we waited for the sharks to come. I go under and in front of me I see this massive fish. A great white to be exact. It was huge. But beautiful and calm. Here I am staring Jaws in the face but for some reason it was so peaceful. Truly amazing creatures. While in the water we were with 3 great whites, and for some reason they all liked my side of the cage...but secretly I was okay with that. I have always been fascinated with sharks and so it was a dream for me to be in the water with them...kind of crazy, i know.

The whole time that this was going on, there was not an ounce of fear in my body. I was at peace. At peace with the fact that these incredible animals are just another one of God's amazing creations. I mean what in the world was going through his head when he decided to put great whites in the oceans? Let alone what was he thinking when he created oceans? But I could go on an on with those thoughts. God is amazing and all knowing and powerful, and I think often times we forget about creation. Through creation we see so many things, like as Romans 1:20 says we see "invisible qualities" and "divine nature". Obviously I wasn't going to jump out of the cage and begin to swim freely with these sharks, but I did watch them with awe and with a smile on my face, because I knew that they are one of God's amazing creations and one that he wants us to enjoy. It just baffles me how God is truly everywhere, and when you truly have him in your heart and in your life, it is hard not to see him in all that you do. I know that God is always in my heart, and I am so comforted by the fact that I can feel him and see him simply through "divine nature". Pretty amazing. So Im not saying that you have to go cage diving to feel this, simply just walk outside and and set your eyes on his amazing creations...I know he wont let you down. He is everywhere. You can feel him everywhere...In Dallas,TX as well as in Cape Town, South Africa...

xoxo
H

Today was amazing. South Africa has officially stolen my heart. It was my first day on the job and I really could not have asked for a better day. We spent the morning at the Living Hope headquarters doing some grunt work...cutting out cardboard to make "armor of god" for the kids to wear. While cutting cardboard is a little rough on the hands, it did however provide us with some supreme bonding time. Later in the afternoon we all went our separate ways to our different communities for "club"...this is when the day gets really good.

We had not been in Red Hill (the community where I work)for a solid minute and in comes Mona Lisa jumping through the car window and into the car...needless to say she was excited for club. And then doors opened and kids just started piling in, jumping right in my lap and trying to call "dibbs" on me. But there was not near enough room for us all, so Stewart and I got all the kids out told them we were going to race to the top of the hill (it is a mean and rocky hill...). I start running and I looked behind me and kids appeared out of nowhere and our "pack" was increasing by the minute.They were running behind me and singing their little "African" songs...I don't think life could have been any better at that moment. But at that moment I just felt free. I didnt know any of the kids but for some reason they entrusted me as their leader, so by golly I was going to steer them in the right direction.

Next thing I know they start calling me "Mom" and told me that they wished I was their mom...and oh how I wish I could be. We got up to the top of the hill where we had "club" and started off by singing a few songs and then Zor told the story of "Hannah" in the bible, and just talking about how important it is to pray. Simply the idea of talking to Jesus so that we may be forgiven for all of our daily sins and accepting him as our Lord and savior.

But something about these kids is just so beautiful. They might have dirty clothes, smell bad and have endless amounts of boogers...but ultimately they are just full of love. As I looked them in the eyes, they seemed empty at first...but then I could see into the depths of their hearts and realized that all they wanted to do was give love and in return seek love. I think that so many times we often forget to love on each other or the other hand we seem to take it for granted. Love is beautiful. Not everyone gets love, so I would encourage you to love on one another because love never ends...

Barf Bags and Altatooties

Hello from Cape Town!

Well I am happy to say that Carley and I made it here safely last night around 9:45pm (3:45 dallas time)...taking us a full 24 hours to get here. Our first flight was 9 hours to Amsterdam...and that was all honkey dorey until the airplane food didnt settle too well and i found myself throwing up. But on the flight we met this awesome little kid named Annosh, he was three, but he quickly became Carley and I's best friend. We finally landed in Amsterdam and had a 2 hour lay over, and the first thing i did was buy a new tshirt because needless to say my original one was not in the best shape. We were both exhausted because neither of us slept on the flight...but needless to say I passed out on the floor in the airport, and as Carley would say, I looked like a homeless person (im not sure how I feel about that). We then boarded the plane for Cape Town, and the throw up struck again as we were boarding (there was a cute boy next to me in line, but I guess I ruined that one...). We took our seats and found ourselves sitting next to a 17 year old boy, Jodie, who was on the plane with his whole soccer team and they had just been playing in Amsterdam in a tournament. Jodie was the man. I quickly fell asleep on the plane and slept most of the time, until nature would strike on me. We were picked up at the airport and brought back to our beautiful "lodge" where we are staying. Carley and I are sharing a room and we have decided that we are going to have to rearrange...that should be interesting.

This morning we woke up at 7 because we had to go have our orientation and devotional at 8, so needless to say we are a bit jet-lagged. We met the rest of the people who we are living with this morning, and they all seem wonderful. One of the girls went to Hoover High School, so for all of you MTV fans out there that means "Two-a-Days". And then there is Stewart, he is from England, and awesome...turns out we will be working in the same community of Red Hill together. We took an extensive tour of Living Hope this morning and I am already so impressed by what all they do. They have 4 different branches of things they do and really an amazing organization. We also took a brief tour of the clinic...I dont really know what to say other than "wow"...I just dont think that words can really describe it. After that we took a tour through 2 of the communities, Ocean View and Masiphumelele...they are only communities meant for 750 people to live there, but people rent out their land and build shacks all over the properties and so around 3000 people end up living in these places. It was definitely nothing that I had ever seen before and you dont know shacks until you see these places.

This is by far the most beautiful place I have ever been to. There are views from everywhere you look and it is simply breathtaking. The beach is gorgeous and we watched a bunch of people surfing while we were driving around, and if you look closely you will see the shark spotters who are strategically located above the beach to watch the ocean. Today the temperature is about 75 degrees and sunny, so life doesn't get much better than this. I am so beyond excited to finally be here and my heart already truly feels at home.

Family Ties

The fundraising is done and the money has been sent in. I am all vaccinated. And all that is left for me to do is pack and spend time with my loved ones…

I cannot believe that I will be leaving in 11 days; it seems like yesterday when I was filling out my application on that rainy day in October. I have been so overwhelmed by the support of all of y’all, and extremely humbled by the whole fundraising experience. Your love and support makes me even more excited to go because I feel like I’m taking each and every one of you with me this summer!

For this blog posting I decided I wanted to talk a little bit about my mom, dad and brother, because without them I don’t think I would be much of anything…

I got home from school and my mom and I left for padre 2 days later. I got to spend a few days with her at the beach…and there is no one else I would rather be on the beach with. I think my mom has the biggest heart of anyone I know (and I know many people would say the same). She is so full of love and always there for you to lean on. I owe so much of my faith to her because she taught me about what it means to be a godly woman and just how to lead a selfless life.

My mom’s favorite thing to tell people about me is, “She may look like me, but she acts like her father”…and let me tell you, I think I got the best of both worlds. My dad and I are 2 peas in a pod and its kind of scary how much fun we have together. We can joke and laugh all day, but we can also sit down and simply talk life. He has taught me to never give up and to never be scared to pursue my own dreams. We are truly kindred spirits and the greatest compliment I can receive is being told that I act like my dad.

John is my best friend. We are 2 years apart but so close at heart. John has always been so supportive and he constantly reminds me to stay true to myself. He embraces my “goofiness” and all my dreams just as I have embraced his beard and all of his little adventures. He is typically the first person I call if ever I need to talk, because for some reason he is always willing to listen and always knows how to put a smile on my face. We talk almost everyday and whenever we hang up the phone or hug each other to say bye, one of us first says “love you” and the other always says “love you too”, and I would never change that for the world. I look up to him so much and I would have never thought that my best friend would be my older brother.

So…mom, dad and john…I love you very much and thank you so much for absolutely everything…

xoxo

Leap of Faith

I have been dreaming of going to Africa for as long as I can remember, but I never actually thought I would see the day because I knew it would require a great deal of courage and I wasn’t sure if I would ever be able to make this incredible leap of faith. Not only had I been praying for this opportunity, but I had also been praying for a partner to take this leap of faith with…BOTH of these prayers have been answered, because I will be traveling to Cape Town with my dear friend, Carley Gunter.

Our friendship began when we decided it would be a good idea to “borrow” the Colby laundry carts and race up and down the hallways. After a few races we decided we needed to spice it up a notch…so we went door to door, asking people if they needed their laundry done, but really I would just pop up out of the cart and scare them. Needless to say the girls on our hall thought we were crazy and they probably still think that. It was all fun and games until the hall director caught us, and so we politely handed over the carts and quietly walked back to our rooms…

While we have shared many laughs and great times, we have also been able to share our hearts for Christ and faith with one another. We are both avid members of RUF and you can usually find us at “Starbs” sharing a cup of coffee and talking life. But our hearts truly became connected when we discovered each others passion for Africa and since then, there has been no turning back. Carley discovered Living Hope and applied, and shortly after I sent in my application. We both got in and decided that we had to take this leap of faith together. Our constant prayer has been for the Lord to calm our anxious hearts and to also prepare them so that we might be able to make a difference in someone’s life. Carley has been such a blessing in my life in so many different ways, and I could not ask for a better person to take this leap of faith with.

Some Good Ole Fundraising

Family and Friends,

This summer I have been given the incredible opportunity to travel to Cape Town, South Africa and work for an organization called Living Hope. It has been my dream to go to Africa and I am so excited to see God work in his many different ways down there. Yall are a huge part of my life and I wish to share my experience with you so that you may also be a part of it.

I have felt the Lord working in my life in many different ways, and particularly leading to mission work. Nothing makes me happier than to be with children and love on them, and most importantly to share my love of Christ with them and fill them with hope. It is my vision for these children to realize that being a Christian doesn’t mean you have to be perfect, because I will be the first one on my knees to tell you that I mess up every single day, but that without Christ we are nothing and have nothing. We are all just “simple sinners, somehow saved by grace”, and I pray that I will be able to open up hearts to this and instill a little bit of hope within.

Living Hope seeks to bring the hope and compassion of Jesus Christ to the chronically sick and dying in a holistic way and do everything possible to prevent the spread of HIV and AIDS. In order to contribute to this vision, I will be working in the small community of Capricorn, counseling and ministering to children on a one-on-one basis. In most cases, HIV, AIDS and other life- threatening diseases affect these children and/or their families. Counseling these children is probably going to be one of the most difficult things I will ever have to do because I know my eyes will be opened to so many scenes that will seem daunting and unimaginable. But in the midst of all the trials, I want to put smiles on faces and give some TLC, and deliver hope to these children so that they may develop a heart for Christ.

As I prepare for this opportunity I desperately need your prayers and support. That you may begin to pray for the people of South Africa, especially Living Hope and Capricorn. And that my eyes and heart may be opened up to Christ’s plan for me this summer, so that I will be humbled by each day and be able to share the love of Christ and the idea of amazing grace.

Although prayers and support are primarily needed, there is also need for financial support. For the 8 weeks I will be there, it will cost around $3800 for me to work for Living Hope and have appropriate accommodations. I hope that you will be able to share this experience with me by contributing financially, but I ask that you simply pray about it. If you do choose to contribute, please send the cash or check directly to my home.

Ultimately I am not simply asking you for money, because in the end your prayers and support will be my driving force and those are what will get me through. I am looking forward to sharing this experience with each and everyone of you, and I know that while I will be attempting to change lives my life is going to be changed in so many unfathomable ways, and I cant wait to see that change! Thank you so much for taking the time to consider how you might be a part of this ministry opportunity and I hope that we may be able to partner together in this experience.

xoxo

Hannah