Wow… I’ve been in J-Bay for two weeks now. The time has flown by since we’ve really busy lately. This past week we’ve jumped into our internships and had our first full week of ministry. I’ve been a bit under the weather with bronchitis and a sinus infection lately so I couldn’t participate to the full in everything, but I’m feeling better finally, and next week I should be back to normal.
So I’ve got my schedule now, and it should stay pretty much the same for the entire year. On Mondays, I go to a the J-Bay Primary School with 3 other girls and teach a J.O.T. (Jesus Our Teacher) class to 7th graders. This school is in the town, so it is far different from ministering in the townships, but I’m really excited about building relationships with these kids. They’ve captured my heart already, and hopefully I can just be a friend to them and also teach them more about God.
On Tuesdays I will spend the day at a creche called Madiba Bay, which is a daycare-like facility for pre-schoolers. So far I’ve just been observing, but soon I’ll start bringing lessons to teach the kids, and crafts and games and songs and things like that. The kids are absolutely adorable… I’m finding the language barrier really frustrating – they speak a mixture of Xhosa and Afrikaans, but I know the language of love transcends language barriers and so I know I can have an impact on these kids’ lives.
On Wednesday afternoons I’ll be visiting another creche in a town called Humansdoorp. This creche is in a tiny little building, and it leaks when it rains, and there is just no money to improve things. There are so many babies in one tiny little room, and so over the course of this year, we hope to improve the conditions there and just love on the babies and children. There’s one child, Suki, who is HIV positive, and that is really heartbreaking. It’s so hard to see innocent, defenseless children so affected by AIDS. I have to just trust God and rely on Him for strength.
On Thursdays I’m back at the Madiba Bay creche, and Friday is my day off. Saturdays will be filled with what we call ‘intentional ministry’ where we have a chance to build stronger relationships with the kids and people we minister to during the week. I’m hoping to get to hang out with the kids from the Primary school and just get to know them better and be their friend.
So that’s what I’ll be up to here! Oh, also on Sunday nights I have the chance to sing on a worship team for a college-age service, which was really fun last Sunday and I’m looking forward to doing it again.
I’ve finally gotten a chance to upload some pictures onto the internet, so feel free to check those out. Here’s the links:
Pictures from training camp:
http://s223.photobucket.com/albums/dd22/sweetness_306/Training%20Camp/
Pictures from Johannesburg and Swaziland:
http://s223.photobucket.com/albums/dd22/sweetness_306/
Pictures from Jeffrey’s Bay:
http://s223.photobucket.com/albums/dd22/sweetness_306/First%20days%20in%20Jeffreys%20Bay/
You’ll probably notice that the pics of J-Bay look far more holiday-ish than missionary-ish. This is because J-Bay really is a gorgeous place. For the most part. The townships are not gorgeous. They are full of poverty and need. That is really what is heartbreaking about J-Bay – the contrast between the beauty of the ocean and the intense need and poverty of the townships. I don’t have pictures of my ministries or the townships yet because I want to build relationships before I start taking pictures.
Well, that’s the update for now. Keep praying for me, and I miss everyone back home, but there’s no place I’d rather be than right here, right now. God bless!
It’s good to hear that you’re getting settled in, Melissa. It sounds like you’ll have lots of variety and lots of time to spend with kids, which is obviously your passion. We’re praying that you’ll get completely over your bronchitis and that God will continue to bless and use you over there on the other side of the world.
Love,
Norbert & Elly