Re Ya Ho Amuhela Mo Afrika Borwa

Re Ya Ho Amuhela Mo Afrika Borwa (Welcome to South Africa)

I did not want to be here.  Africa was at the bottom of my list of places to go. To be honest Europe wasn’t on my list either and I loved being in Alba Lulia. But Africa is over-hyped and has malaria. I mean when you think of a mission trip the first thing that pops into your head is a group of kids running around in Africa and with how often you hear about missionaries in Africa I figured there were plenty and I just wanted to go to Asia. The borders were open in Thailand to the vaccinated in March and I most definitely emailed leadership and told them about it. Of course our plans were already made and so I got on the plane with everyone else and we headed down to South Africa.

I know that whole paragraph seemed judgmental on my part but I was pouting. I’m not anymore though, I promise. In fact, I think this is my favorite month. Alba now comes in second. I’ve also had a lot of people ask so let me just give y’all a list of my favorites so far.

1.  Johannesburg, South Africa for reasons I will soon explain

2.  Alba Lulia, Romania because the community there made me feel like I was at home

3.  Ometepe, Nicaragua because I’m totally going back there for vacation someday

4.  Chichicastenango, Guatemala because I love those kids so much and our host was the best.

So we got off the plane on the evening of the 9th and were picked up by Uncle Nelson who drove us to the compound/base. We asked him questions on the way but the only thing I remember is that we asked for his favorite restaurant and he very passionately told us it was KFC. We got to the base after dark so we didn’t get to ooh and aah over it until the next morning. It’s beautiful here.

They gave us a couple of days to rest before we had our briefing and learned what we would be doing. We found out we would mostly be doing community outreach. AKA street evangelism. As you can guess, I wasn’t thrilled. They said we would have locals as our translators but that’s just another stranger I would have to talk in front of. I never know what to say during street evangelism. It’s just so awkward.

Tuesday morning we headed out to do our first day of outreach and the interns came with us. We split into 3 groups and started walking through one of the extensions. Babcy (bobsi) was my group’s translator and she was wearing the cutest dress. I don’t think I spoke until we stopped to help a woman wash clothes. Nina, the intern with our group was talking away and even got the woman to give us African names. She named me Lerato. It means love in Sotho but sounds an awful lot like Spanish for “the rat”. We talked a lot about Easter and how they celebrate that in church. It’s a three day event and everyone lives at the church singing and dancing and they have 7 sermons about Christ’s life. It sounded like a giant party but we weren’t invited. Something about it not being safe for us to be out in the communities like that. We didn’t share a ton with that mama (that what you call women when you don’t know their names) but we learned quite a lot and handwashing clothes is always more fun with a group.

We did the same thing every day that week. We would go to a new location and walk around and talk with the people there. Try and get to know them and share some scripture with them. I got to be with Babcy that whole week and it slowly got easier to talk as I got more comfortable around her and picked up on the pattern of conversation.

On Friday afternoon we did something a little different. We helped the interns with what was basically a sidewalk Sunday school. They call it Jambalani Kids or JK for short. It just means happy kids. We just participated with the kids this week and it’s exhausting trying to keep up with them. While the interns went around and called the kids to come from home we entertained the kids that were already there then once the interns were all back we started the program. 3 simple kids songs with some energetic dancing, then a quick game with the boys facing off against the girls. After that the have another song that is also the bible verse. This month its 1 John 5:20. After that we get into the bible story. And then the kids line up for sweeties also known as candy before heading back home. One of the translators, Tshepo (tepo) makes a fantastic hype man for the kids. He really gets them going. It’s fun to watch. The kids clearly love him.

It’s also Good Friday so as soon as we were done we had to rush back and change clothes for church. Skirts and nice shirts are the dress code for church. Outreach though, we just have to have long pants. The service was good. It was a western style church and it was really nice. Smaller than last month’s church but they had nicer equipment, including a body camera on a zero gravity rig.

We had Saturday off and went back to that same church Sunday for the easter service. We had the rest of the day free. It was so nice to have space to spread out and be alone. We as a squad have been in close quarters for a long time.

Monday they took us to a mall. It was huge. 4 floors. I think we were all overwhelmed. We spent several hours walking around before hitting up the grocery store and heading back to the base with our snacks for the week.

Tuesday morning the translators all met us at the base before ministry and we would all be riding out together. I was reading a book on my phone when they came in and KB asked me about it and I found out he had read it before. It was an old sci-fi book from the 70’s, one of my favorites. Our friendship truly began after that. We just kept naming books we had read and suggesting books for each other.

 We got to do something new this week. We worked with teens in school. We were split into two groups and I was put with Tshepo and Bongie for the first time. We were last second given a script and told that we would be teaching in the classrooms for about 30min at a time. It was definitely longer than that most of the time. Tshepo did the introductions when we went into the class which was entertaining because he didn’t really know our names yet because only one of us in the group had been with him during outreach the week before. Then Bongie (another translator) would do the object lesson before we took over and told the actual lesson and gave a testimony that went with it and then we would close out in prayer. At that point Tshepo would take back over and it was game time. He would get the kids so wound up. It was crazy. Once they were thoroughly wound up it would be time for us to leave and go into a new class.

Our group finished before the other so a couple people went to the van to get the cooler of food for our lunch and was just standing around when the other group finished up their class and came out to join me. KB (short for Karabo) came over and gave me a high five and somehow that led into me telling him my entire testimony. He clearly has a gift. I had already seen him deep in conversation with 4 other people from our team last week. I wondered how he got them to open up so fast. Now I know. It’s a gift. I’ve met someone else with a gift like that before and he would use it to talk to teens about their problems. It’s a wonderful gift. Anyway we ended up missing lunch pretty much because we talked the entire time and then it was time to go back into the classrooms. At the same time we found out we were supposed to teach a different lesson to kids who stayed after school for a program called bible exposure. We were given the script and after we finished our classes we divvied up the parts and put it into practice within the hour. It went well, I think. It helped to have Tshepo hyping the kids up throughout.

WARNING: THE FOLLOWING PARAGRAPH CONTAINS GRAPHIC IMAGERY

 On Wednesday I was put in KB’s group for the first time. I was comfortable with Babcy so I wasn’t sure how this was going to go. Even though KB and I talked all the time outside of ministry I didn’t know how he worked during ministry. Nina was with us again that day and KB thought it would be fun to stop us at the home of someone prepping chicken heads to cook later. Part of what we do is ask if we can help with whatever they’re doing because it helps put us on the same level. So Nina asked if we could help and the woman laughed but passed the bucket of heads and the knife over to Nina and she used the knife to scrape the feathers off then cut off the beak and pulled out the tongue and cut it out. She then had to crack the skull open and push out the eyes. She popped one in the process and salty eye juice squirted all over her clothes.

She then challenged KB to do it as well and he did it in half the time it took her but he did accidentally cut his hand. The mama took it back and prepped a dozen more before I got my turn. It was actually quite satisfying. No one else in the group wanted anything to do with it though and they were just trying their best not to make faces. Makalah did manage to take some photos for me. Don’t worry I won’t post them here, but I would be more than happy to show them to anyone who wants to see them when I get home!

I was with Babcy again for outreach Friday and we met a man that had recently moved to the area and so we shared lots of bible stories with him and told him where a church was that Impact agreed with. A lot of the churches here are about the money or they don’t even preach scriptures or they sell good luck charms and things.

On Sunday we went to what the intern’s call African church. The congregation must not have been as active as usual because the pastor kept saying he wished he had a church. Not a huge fan of all the dancing for worship but I absolutely loved the sermon though. He followed at least 5 different rabbit holes of lessons. He would be preaching one thing and I would think you know he could do a whole sermon on this point and then he would which led to another one and another one and I’m still not entirely sure how he managed to bring it all back around to his original point. I also had to laugh when for a moment he switched languages and he kept referring to lerato. Remember what that means? I also really enjoyed that each of the five simultaneous sermons were also sharing the gospel. We dive into the scripture each week and learn what it means but we only share the gospel at Christmas and Easter. Rather than have newcomers to the church be confused by all the deeper parts of our sermons on Sundays can we make sure they at least take away the gospel story?

This weekend we went to a bartering/trade market and a safari. Uncle Denis drove us and KB also came because he’s supposed to be learning how to lead teams or something. The market had a lot of stuff including kalimbas which I impressed everyone by playing even though they were sorely out of tune. All I wanted was a keychain and I was struggling to find one I liked. It seemed like everyone had the same 5 or 6 different ones and that was it. I had pretty much given up when KB spotted one that was a plastic carving of an elephant. I convinced him to barter for me and only paid about $5 for it instead of the $15 they were asking. Don’t worry you’ll all see all of my keychains when I get home. You can’t miss them. They’re loud clinking together all the time.

Behind the market was a small lion zoo. You know we went in there. They had lions and white tigers and a hyena and painted wolf. They also had a serval. Our guide talked about how vicious they are but I’ve petted one before and have pictures of a couple people from our church doing the same at another zoo. Oh well. The white tiger was gorgeous and he followed us around hoping for another chicken leg hand out from our guide. He was clearly very happy as he kept chuffing which is a big cat version of a purr. He did start whining near the end of our visit when our guide hadn’t passed him an extra chicken leg. Afterwards we went into a conference room that had been converted into a pen for some lion cubs and we got to go in and play with them. I guess this means I can say I was bit by a lion then hahaha.

We left there and drove another hour to get to the safari. During that drive I introduced KB to BTS (Korean boy band) and I showed him some of their music videos because the choreography is really cool. After we got to our safari pick up spot we found out that there had been some miscommunication and our safari was delayed by an hour. That left us doing 2 hours of the safari in the dark which we were told would be just as good as if it was daylight.

I absolutely picked a front seat for the safari. I wanted to be able to hear what our guide said and see everything. Within 5 minutes we saw two rhinos. Another minute and another rhino. Then we found a herd of impalas and wildebeests hanging out. Our guide described the wildebeest as the leftover animal. “Made with the body of a hyena, horns of a buffalo, tail of a zebra, face of a wort hog, and brain of a guinea fowl” meaning they are ugly and dumb. The impalas and zebras generally hang out around them because they aren’t smart and not as fast so if a lion comes around they can get away while a wildebeest gets taken instead. He then compared wildebeests to the general population saying we cant all be smart and be the boss because we need employees to work for us. I turned to KB and said  “so what I’m hearing is that when someone says something dumb we should just call them a wildebeest” and we busted up laughing.

A minute or so later Uncle Denis spotted 6 zebras then 2 more crossing the road. Then it started getting dark and we stopped seeing the animals. The spot lights were turned on but we still weren’t seeing anything. So I convinced KB to read a book written by a comedian that I happened to have on me. The rest of the safari was completely un eventful. We saw all of 2 owls after dark. We stopped and tried to listen for lions roaring but we heard nothing. It’s a good thing we are going to do a different safari during debrief. Everyone was tired on the 3 hour drive back to base but they couldn’t sleep very well because KB kept laughing at the standup comedy videos I was showing him. He fell out of his seat at one point and was on the floor crying.

Tuesday we went back to the school again. Slightly more prepared but not much. They said we were swapping groups this time but somehow I was in Tshepo and Bongies’ group again and that was fine with me. It meant I got to go back to the same classes as the week before. During our lunch break I was telling Tshepo and Uncle Gerald about my car accidents and Tshepo commented that I was a rockstar. I shrugged it off but that afternoon he introduced me as Rockstar in all of the classes and had me tell the story again to the kids. It was completely unrelated to our lesson but we had the time so I did. Their reactions were so much fun and when you add Tshepo getting them worked up throughout we had them on the edge of their seats. It was fun.

Wednesday it was back to outreach and I was in KB’s group for the second time. Our group was KB, Kaley, Lindsey and myself. Lindsey did the awkward job of getting us into the yards this time. And we naturally gravitated towards different people groups there. We started talking to one mama when some teens started to interrupt so Lindsey moved to hang out with them and ended up doing a whole photoshoot with them. Another mama joined the first and after listening to them scriptures to share just kept popping into my head and KB was hard pressed to keep up the translations as I went from one scripture to another. Nothing like this happened any of the other days. It was clearly god speaking to these women through me. Kaley found herself distracted by the young kids in the yard and as she started playing with them more and more kept showing up. So many were there that she turned it into her own mini JK with music, games and a lesson. KB and I finished our conversation with the mamas and we were all watching Kaley with the little kids. Several times after Kaley gave the kids advice in her lesson the mamas would say “I’ve been trying to teach them that but they won’t listen to me.” But the kids were agreeing to whatever it was easily when Kaley mentioned it.

After lunch we went back out and ended up in the yard of a family that was drying fish to sell. Kaley sat down with the wife to grind something up in the mortar and pestle and Lindsey was talking to the teens on the street out front so I spent my time talking to the man who happened to be an “elder” at his church. We tried getting him to share some bible knowledge with us but didn’t get much from him until I started sharing scripture again then he started talking about satan being God’s other son and I spent an hour or so trying to get him to show where that was in scripture while we talked about other things. He couldn’t seen to remember exactly where it was from.

Another group found us and stuck with us as we made our way back. We ended up stopping at an apartment building and talking to a couple of mamas and some teens. I somehow ended up halfway between the two conversations with the mamas and contributed little to either. I did end up playing with a toddler though. She was adorable and we took turns playing with her doll. She had just wondered off for a few minutes and I was trying to tune back into one of the conversations when Nina and KB asked me to share my car accident story again to encourage one of the women that God is really there right beside us in every situation.

The extension we were in that day was actually a place Impact had never been before so it was cool to see how receptive they were even though they weren’t used to groups of white people walking around their streets.

On Friday I was in Tshepo’s outreach group for the first time and we never really got to have a long conversation with anyone but we did pray for over a dozen people and got to meet a sangoma (san-go-ma). We would call them witchdoctors. They consult their ancestors to know how to treat people. Some are better than others. This one actually uses bones to talk with his ancestors and tell you what ails you. We ran out of time so we didn’t get to talk long but it was an interesting experience.

I had met a couple other sangomas in training the week before with Babcy and we learned a bit about them. They don’t choose to become sangomas. Most of them don’t anyway. What happens is they are plagued by dreams from their ancestors telling them that they will curse them and their families if they don’t become one and things would actually happen to people in the family that have no other explanation so they would go train to make it stop. The spiritual warfare is real here.

So is racism. I took Uncle Gerald out to lunch on Sunday and we had Chinese. A first for him. We were enjoying everything but I noticed people giving us funny looks. Gerald noticed that I noticed and explained that it’s not even remotely normal to see a black man and a white woman eating together. Of course I made it a point to make Gerald laugh more and I smiled more as well just to show the people around us how normal it could be. We have to remember that history here is different. They just had their first free election in 1994 and the apartheid was in place until then. There is still a huge pay gap between the races partially because there are so many illegal immigrants that are willing to take the lesser pay so the local South Africans can’t rise against it.

Enough on that rant. Back to ministry. We went back to the school again this week but Tshepo wasn’t there. He’s been dealing with some tough things at home and could use your prayer. Hlogi (klo-key {but with clicks instead of Ks}) also went home early because something was going on and Babcy who had gone to visit her family last week, wasn’t back yet. So it was just Bongie and KB. I was in KB’s group this time so I didn’t get to go back to the same classes, but went to all new classes which felt kind of weird this late into the month. It went well though. That afternoon we had bible exposure and this time we were asked to create the lesson and teach it. So we did. It went very well, especially the memory verse that Jessie and Kaley rapped for the kids. They ended up going around the circle and each of them tried to rap it. It was awesome.

We did something brand new to us this Wednesday. We joined the baby rescue team and handed out fliers all day. The ladies asked what local foods we had tried and we only had pop and chakalaka to put on our list. They mentioned several things we hadn’t had including chicken feet and I said I would try it if we found it somewhere. Not 10 minutes later one of them had spotted a woman eating boiled chicken feet with asha for lunch and asked if I could have one before I ever got close. I would never ask someone for their lunch. I figured we would buy it somewhere. The mama thought it was funny and offered me one so I that point I couldn’t refuse. It was amazing and I begged Gerald to stop somewhere on the way back so I could buy more. We only found grilled ones though so I got some. They were good but not nearly as good as the asha one. I wonder if I can convince my family to try grilled chicken feet when I get home?

Thursday Babcy rejoined us and I was in her outreach group again. We worked in an area they don’t go to often but have been to before and got to meet a sweet older woman who was currently housebound and just spent time with her. That afternoon we did our bible exposure program again in a different extension with a younger group of kids and it went almost as well as the first time. I was part of the skit and I had to make bad choices and for one of them I was supposed to be mean to Tshepo so I’d give him a shove when he was already off balance or something and laugh. He had no idea I was going to do it though so I’m glad he just went along with it. Before we left we did a round of photos with the translators and Uncle Gerald and we went around and said our goodbyes. We had one more day with the translators but it was going to be a busy one and we probably wouldn’t get a chance to say more than a quick farewell.

Some things got mixed up on Friday morning and the translators were told to go to the wrong place to meet up with us so Uncle Gerald went to pick them up. So while we waited we did a JK with the interns and the kids in the preschool. I broke up like 4 fights and had to stop 6 kids from crying because someone touched them. It was a bit chaotic. Near the end of the JK the translators arrived and I snuck away from the dancing to give them each a note telling them how awesome they are. None of them would read it until that night because they were afraid they would start crying.

We split into two teams and I was with KB and Bongie. We stopped at one house but moved on when the mama started drinking. The second place we stopped we hung out and shared a few scriptures and words of encouragement before heading back to the bus for lunch.

Samantha bought all of the translators chips (fries) but all the interns and some of our team ordered some too and so it took a very long time to make because they cut the potatoes after you order. The translators gave everyone else their orders first and so they only had 10min to eat before we needed to leave to head to our first JK location.

While they were waiting, I pulled Tshepo aside and read him some scriptures about holding strong before giving him my key necklace. I thought I was going to hold onto that key for a very very long time but while I was getting ready for bed last night God very clearly told me to give it to him. I keep reaching for the necklace. I need some sort of replacement.

As I finished talking with him KB came over to return my phone for the last time. He’s been reading a book on my kindle. So we talked about the book for a while and just reminisced over the month. Books, BTS, Mandarin, Korean, and the silly camera poses they do in Korea.

We did more helping with the JK this time than normal. We led some of the songs and participated in the story and the games. Gotta put all the effort into the last events of the month. When we finished our second JK and sent the kids back home we made the translators take one last picture with us before quickly fist bumping each of them before hopping in the van to leave. And like that we were done with ministry for the month. Our last two days were spent resting and cleaning and packing.

A few of us chose to go to an African church on Sunday and we thoroughly enjoyed the service even though we found out after we arrived that we were supposed to be leading it. We didn’t. Uncle Gerald had gone with us and they made all the men dance and sing for the moms for mother’s day and he looked so embarrassed but we all got a good laugh out of it. During one of the songs Lindsey went up and started dancing and they handed her a mic she didn’t want but she went all out anyway. Don’t worry I have video of it. When it was over we were asked to join in group pictures out front before finally escaping to the van to head back to the base.

Lindsey told us she’s going home. I was so excited to get to finish the race with someone I started it with but after talking with her I understand why she’s going home and I really hope she gets some much needed rest. She’s grown so much on this trip. I wish I could be there while her family gets to know her all over again. She is not the same woman that started this journey. But I sure will miss her.

Now we’re off to Nelspruit for our last on field debrief with leadership. This journey is coming to a close soon but the next one is only getting started. Let’s see what crazy ministry we will get this last month. I’ve heard it can be quite messy at this location in Eswatini.

Well if you made it to the end of this very long blog congratulations and I’m sorry but not sorry. My teammates tried to convince me to break it up but that would be like only giving you half of a book chapter and I couldn’t do it. So thanks for bearing with my extra-long blogs!

Oh! And one of the interns lives near me back in the states so we’re making plans to meet up when she gets home and know I will probably still be talking about our translators from this month because I am definitely keeping in contact with them. They’re too amazing to just leave them here. Love you all! See you in a month and a half!