Last couple of days

Going to try and summarize the last couple of days in South Africa while being back in the comfort of my own home.

Wednesday, Nov 18 – At Catch today was the girls club. Jobi hosted a beauty party for the girls. These girls were treated like little princesses. All were given their very own beauty bags. Foot massages and beauty tips were abundant, but I believe the icing on top of the cake today was the fact that almost 80 young women accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior. (Boys were not allowed at the party, so when I get some pictures, I’ll post them.)

Thursday, Nov 19 – After a year of planning, Amy was able to finally show case her “Happy Birthday Jesus”, party. When the numbers were finally in, the guest list exceeded 100 plus kids. At first, the boys and girls were separated into two smaller groups and shared the stories of Jesus’ birth, presented by Cynthia and the Christian Candy Cane story, presented by Bill.
While the stories were being read, other team members were setting up the numerous game stations for the kids. They included: kite flying, duck in the pond game, potato sack races, face painting, and many more. From the word “go”, the sheer excitement on the children’s faces running from station to station were priceless. Most, if not all, of the children have never been to a party like this. Even thought the main purpose of the party was to celebrate the birth of Jesus………., it also was for the kids, allowing them to be kids again. After the fun and games, the kids were treated to a chicken meal and concluded with a cup cake dessert. This was our last day at Catch; I think it was a success!!!
In preparation for the party I would like to thank all the team members, including our house cook, Mark, for the late night work on Wednesday night. After a long day, I think we finally wrapped things up around the 1am hour. Great job team!!!!!

Friday, Nov 20 – Final day at the school. In the morning hours, the ministry team went to a “Farm House" School while the medical team went to Mzamowethu to set up the clinic.
At the Farm House, we were able to minister to numerous age levels and they were so appreciative. The teachers and students were all so grateful. This place really touched my heart.
After the visit to the farm house, we travelled back to Mzamowethu. Class room ministry and the medical clinic were opened for just a couple of hours. Once we had finished, the supplies were packed up, the school put on a good by program for the Americans. It was held in the community’s recreation hall, which was down the street from the school. When the program began, it was standing room only. All the students, teachers, staff and even members of the community came to say good bye to us. There was a lot of dancing, singing, laughing and tearful moments during the assembly. At its conclusion, we began walking back to our van, hold hands with the students and community members. This connection, this bond…………I can’t even put it into words. We all were walking as one.

Saturday, Nov 21 – Sunday, Nov 22 – We did our final packing and traveled to the airport on Saturday. Travelling all night, we arrived in Jacksonville early Sunday morning to a warm welcome from our families. Great big hugs were given and even a few tears were shed.

Until next time, thank you for allowing me to share our experience.