Sekunjalo (Now Is The Time)

Sunday, March 10^th – 14:40

Good afternoon everyone!

I have been here in South Africa now for four and a half days and have already learned so much about myself and have had so many great experiences.

First I want to let you all know that my flights were wonderful. It was on my bucket list to fly over land and the ocean during the night. It wasn’t as exciting as I thought it would be because I forgot to take into account that it is dark at night and you can’t see anything. However, the stars were glorious and I saw the northern lights over Greenland. It was amazing to see them at eye level! On my second flight I met a wonderful young woman named Lucy from JoBurg who currently lives in Lieds with her English husband and works as a choreographer. Our flight landed in South Africa around 10:30pm and the airport was very empty. It only took about 20 minutes to get through customs and pick up my baggage. I was met there by Merrishia Singh-Naicker and taken to their new house.

Seth and Merrishia and their three beautiful children moved into a new house the day before I arrived and they are having some extensive building projects done on the house even as I write this. They are hoping that everything will be completed by the end of this next week. But for now we live with builders, dirt on the floors, loud noises and the stress of it all.

The first two days were off days and I spent time with the children and ran errands with Merrishia getting to know the land. On Thursday night we had dinner at a restaurant called Spur and went over the contract for my internship. I wish I had a picture of the interior of Spur. It is American Indian themed but in a very laughable and stereotyped way. If I go back I will take a picture and post it here.

On Friday I went with the Naickers to their 5 year old daughter’s sports day at her school. Mahalia was so proud of her accomplishment in the walk-with-a-bean-bag-on-your-head race. It didn’t fall off her head once! Although the school was multi-racial the majority were from the white Afrikaans race. I also attended the evening Youth meeting at Jeshua Community Church. The majority of students who attended that night were Indian and a few were Black. Craig and Nakita, the youth leaders, were extremely welcoming to me and I had a great time talking with them. I am really looking forward to working with them for the remainder of my internship. Although the youth weren’t as outlandishly excited by the presence of an American as Craig told me they would be, one young man remarked on how cool it is that my eyes are grey.

Saturday I had the great blessing to join Seth and 13 grade 10s from Lenasia South Secondary and two of their teachers at the Amakyah Home and the Disabled Refugees Project to serve as needed. I mopped and cleaned the bathroom. I met two young Indian boys named Obadiah and Data. I also met a Black women named Bertha who lives at the Disabled Refugees Project with her husband, Moses, and their baby daughter Mercy. At the end of the two hour time of service Seth spoke to the young people and really encouraged them to think about what they had done. It wasn’t just cleaning toilets; it was helping people have a better and healthier life. Seth’s hope is to build a team of young people to be social advocates. I, along with Craig and a young woman named Alzameek, will probably work with them at their school and further service weekends.

This morning I attended the Sunday service at Jeshua Community Church. I gave a short five minute introduction about myself as the guest speaker in their series of “Focus on Community”. I also played “Amazing Grace” on pennywhistle at the end of the service during a quiet reflection time. The church body is made up of all the four major races in South Africa and welcomes the children from the Amakyah Home, the men from the House of Compassion, and the men and women from the Disabled Refugees Project. There are also men and women who attend who are not Christian, but everyone is welcomed and helped as they are ready. Seth says that he leaves salvation up to God. It is our job to love and to work for reconciliation between all people. If those people who do not follow Christ feel that Jeshua Community Church is a place they are loved and welcomed than they are receiving the message of Christ.

Whew!!!! It’s only been four days!!! I hope that I haven’t bored anyone. I appreciate knowing that there are friends and family in the States supporting me in prayer. It has already been a roller coaster of emotions and experiences but I am confident that Christ will bring to completion the good work that he has begun in me.

And just for fun here is a vocabulary lesson

AMERICAN – SOUTH AFRICAN

Bathroom – toilet

Napkin – serviette

Diaper – napkin (YIKES!!! Don’t ask for a napkin at dinner!)

Candy – sweet

Faucet – tap

Trash can – trash bin

This is good – This is nice

With love! I miss you all! I think of everyone I know at various times and just the thought of you warms my heart.

Alison

Oh…by the way. The cream soda is green here. Electric Kelly Green.