An Amazing Journey / Back in the Homeland ;)

      Well, the adventure that began in September 2007 has officially come to an end and I have been back in Canada for about 2 and a half weeks now. Firs of all, I’ll update you a little bit on what happened in the last few days of my time in Africa.
       To close off our time at the Joshua Project, we had a farewell party. It was a bit different than the usual good-bye party, seeing as we, the ones saying ‘farewell’, were the ones who planned and organized the party! But of course it was for the kids… a chance to show them how much we love them, give them a good time, and say goodbye. We cooked hot dogs and gave each child a plate with a hot dog, chips, an apple, and a cookie. About 70 or 80 kids showed up, so we had to scramble to make the food go the distance, but we managed! We started off the afternoon with some games outside, followed by a dance party, which was absolutely crazy but fun. Then we took the kids upstairs to watch a slideshow starring themselves. It was SO cute to watch them as they saw themselves on the tv – they were pretty excited about the whole thing. I had a hard time keeping from crying at some points but managed to hold it together for the most part! We followed the slideshow with dinner, after which a bunch of the kids took turns standing on a chair and giving speeches, thanking us and telling us how much they were going to miss us. It was probably the sweetest thing I’ve ever seen. What an awesome way to end off the year! I miss all my kids so much, but I know that my time there was just for a season and now I need to move on. I am, however, very excited to see them again upon my return in September.

-with Boya and Bungani

-with Bryton and Lorenzo

        After finishing our time in ministry, the team headed off to Cape Town for our final debrief. Unfortunately, it rained pretty much the whole time, so weather was not on our side! Site-seeing definitely took a hit due to the inclement weather, but we still managed to see some pretty breathtaking sites! Here are a few samples:

 
                                                                                      -an African penguin

-this is where the Indian and Atlantic Oceans meet

-at the top of Table Mountain

-Our last team picture!!!

        So, after our time in Cape Town, we drove back to Jeffreys and spent 2 days packing and cleaning the house. Then, we flew out on May 15, headed for home. I encountered some flight trouble… delays caused me to miss a connecting flight, and so I ended up having to spend a night in Atlanta, but after 3 full days of travelling, I finally arrived home safely! It was so good to see friends and family again after so long, and it’s good to be home. I do miss my team and the people and children I grew close to in Africa, but I’m adjusting to life in Canada once more.
        Well, this concludes my blogging for now… I’ll resume again in September and update on how this next phase of time South Africa unravels. So, thank you for joining me on my journey, and I am grateful beyond words for your support and prayers. I certainly couldn’t have done it without the prayers on my behalf, and I thank God for each one of you who did so. God certainly did a work in my heart, which I firmly believe is only the beginning of what He is going to do, and I encourage you all in your walks of faith, to keep pressing into the Father. He’s the only constant! The only One who never changes and never fails! Unto Him be all the glory.

         Once again, thank you, and may God bless you!!!

                       Melissa