I'm Home

I made it back safely to the States! It has been an incredible experience! It is different being back at home...getting back into a culture that is completely different from the one I have been experiencing for the past 6 weeks. Some final thoughts about my trip:

I have learned that:

• I appreciate all that I have here in the States and also feel guilty of all I have when there are so many with so little
  
• I cannot change the world but I can have life long impact on a few
• Prayer is powerful
  
• God is good and gracious
• God love is so great and beyond my comprehension at times
• My tears of pain will never be forgotten
• My tears of joy helped me make it day to day
• God wants us to dance with him all the time
• I need grace and forgiveness every day and I had to show it to people every day
• I needed to shed my "Americanness" to fit in the culture
• My fears are so minimal compared to a world that doesn't know Christ
• God can use me in places I never would have imagined
• Kids are desperate for love and one hug could make them feel valued for a life time
• AIDS is a reality and something that is normal to have(1 in 5 people in South Africa and 1 in 3 people in Swaziland are infected)
• A child with AIDS that lives to age 10 is considered a MIRACLE
• God's ways are so much better than my own
• God is so much bigger than I had known before I left
• God is working in Africa
• I can and did make a difference
• We as a culture in America can learn a lot from African culture
  
• God's love is in the child who runs to you and holds you and won't let go
• Only God could give me the strength at times seeing the dying children knowing they may only live several more months
• Life is fragile
  
• Life is valued
  
• The devil was working everywhere we went
  
• Christ was working everywhere we went
• Praying with and for people meant more to them than I will ever know
• Children are the same all over the world
• A smile and a hug go a long way
• I LOVE my TEAM I went with!!!

These were just some reflections about my trip and probably only a glimpse of what my heart feels. The thing I love about these trips is that I gained a new insight into people, myself, and God and my life has been forever changed! Thanks for walking this journey with me! Thanks for your prayers and for your support!

blessings

Kristin

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WE MET THE CHIEF

Sawubona (Hello)

We are becoming more and more South African everyday!

Well since the last time we have updated, we have done a lot of site seeing and ministry. We went to these awesome scenic views (waterfalls, giant pot holes, canyons, mountains, sunsets, and sunrises). We took some amazing pictures. It is awesome to see Gods beauty through His creation.We also had a chance to go to Kruger National Park (Wild Game Reserve). We woke up at the crack of dawn to go to the park before the sunrise. We took our large van and just drove on different roads as elephants, giraffes, impalas, monkeys, and warthogs walked passed our vehicle throughout the day. From a distance we were able to see rhinos, lions, cape buffalo, hippos, crocodiles, eagles, and lots of wild birds. It was awesome to see the wild animals so close up. We took amazing pictures.

We drove the next day across the border of South Africa to Swaziland, Africa. Currently we are staying in the mountains at Mochani Hope House. It is a home for orphan boys. We have about a 5 minute hick back to our rooms and it is fun at night when our flashlights flicker off and on our hike home. The Milky Way is amazing out here, the stars are so bright…we wish that we could wrap them all up and bring them back with us.

We went to the Swazi cultural village and saw an authentic African dance. We also learned about the way in which they lived and saw some huts that they currently live in. Here in Swaziland, if a man wishes to marry someone he must pay for the daughter in cows. Currently we are looking to buy 2 cows for the family that we are staying with. It has literally been a bumpy ride through the treacherous rocky roads of Swaziland, as we search for cows high and low and near and far, to give to the chief. We are going to purchase the cows so the family can pay for the land they were given by the chief to build the church on. So far no one wants to sell us cows because they are a vital asset to their own living. We are praying we find cows to buy today.

Speaking of adventures, earlier in the week we had an opportunity to visit a prison occupied with 150 young male youth. We were all crammed in one room with 2 prison guards on the outside of the room. It was a little frightening, but the young men were responsive to what we had to say. It was amazing to see their openness to the word of God. We had the opportunity to do a children’s program here at the church and actively participate in the feeding program for children where Kristin practiced her Siswati with the GOGOS. It was fun trying to play games with about 87 kids. It’s amazing how much one hug and a smile goes so far with the children here.

We had the privilege to go to a public high school and do dramas and Jasmine had the chance to share her testimony with 500 high schoolers. Kristin spoke at the teen challenge yesterday. Teen Challenge consists of a group of males between the ages of 16-25 yrs. struggling with alcohol and drug addictions. It was a very productive day of ministry. Throughout the week we have had the opportunity to visit neighboring homes in the community. We prayed with them and gave them blankets and food as a blessing to their family. It was amazing to see how welcoming everyone was and how blessed they all felt from us visiting them. Today we went to New Life International School. It is a Christian school currently serving 80 children K-6 and moving towards becoming a K-12 school. The school also provides dorm rooms for roughly 50% of the children at the school. The children at the school have been so blessed by God. It was amazing to hear some of the children’s life stories.

We had an opportunity to visit the glass factory and watch them make amazing hand blown sculptors of African animals and designs. That same day we went to a true African market. We practiced our Zulu and bargaining skills with the locals. It was very successful, unlike the cows.

We have been in Bulembu for several days now to assist iPublish Postn some hard labor in a local school and paint a mural showing biblical truths to the community. Yesterday I spent all day in cow poop!! We had to clean out the high school that has been stables for the past 6-7 years! I am smelly and very sore from shoveling and moving furniture!

In a couple days we will be traveling back to Johannesburg to debrief, last minute shopping, and spend our last time as a team/family. Until next time….which may be in 8 days when we arrive back in the states. Praying everyone is well! See you all soon!

Love,

Jasmine and Kristin (a dual effort!!!)

****WE MET THE CHIEF: 4 of us got to go and meet one of the chief's of Swaziland...he is the King of Swaziland's cousin! It was such an amazing experience....we had the opportunity to use ministry money to help Pastor Chomba(the place we have been staying at) pay for the rest of his land!...Meeting the chief is like meeting the govenor......there are only 13 chiefs in Swaziland....we had to take our shoes off and Janell and I were quiet while the men talked and when we shook his hand we "bowed" and put our face toward the ground! It was so great!***

A Language No-No

Okay, so I did a culture NO-NO....We had finished lunch and I said "I am stuffed!!!" Well in Zulu culture I apparently said "I just had sex".....so that was a fun time. To make matters worse, we were doing an event with the South African Red Cross, a church, and kids!...not a lot heard, so we were okay!

Another Week....

Hello everyone...another week here in South Africa! This week was shorter. We spent Monday traveling to Matsulo, which was an amazing drive... This week we stayed with Issac and his 12 kids, 6 of his are his own and the other 6 are orphans. His ministry is called The Tower of Love. It was a great time! All the girls shared a room and it was like a slumber party all week!

During the day we were at a school for girls between the ages of 12-18. These girls were here to take classes on self esteem, AIDS and HIV....it was hard to see these girls who do not respect their bodies.

On Thursday I had the opportunity to share my testimony at a youth event for 100 teens and young adults...it was amazing! I had the opportunity to pray with a couple girls and encourage them....it was a great God moment!!

Also this week, we did not get to shower, but this morning I got to take a nice long shower at another host home we are staying at.

A funny story...today at a cafe we had breakfast and in their restroom on their toilet seat were pictures of US and English people and I have to say that as I went to the bathroom I was sitting on Bush's face......I am sure you all wanted to know that, but it was pretty funny...

Okay...well this BLOG is very random...sorry everyone....I am trying to multi-task with Brandon on the other end!!

Next week we will head to Kruger Game Park and then to Swaziland.....love and miss you all!!

blessings,

Kristin

The Food

One last things:

I have eaten dried ostrich, dried impala and wildebeest, and some African dishes...not really sure what they were, but they were good.....kind of looked like Indian Curry!! Okay, that's all!

It SNOWED!!

Hello everyone! Okay, so another quick update!

Before I say anything I wanted to tell everyone that on Tuesday it snowed!!! Yay, the first time in JoBerg since 1989...we brought it with us...we played Christmas music in the car..it was a blast!

This week we spent a week doing a kids program! Half of us went to Soweto and half of us were at the church in Moroca. I had the opportunity to be at the church. During this week we spent the mornings going to people's homes and praying for them. One of the homes we went to had 2 sisters living in it both infected with HIV...it was really sad to see them in this state, but I was so happy to be able to pray with them. One of the saddest moments for me this week was going to pray for some families who live on top of a cemetery. The kids play on the cemetery...can you imagine? We literally had to walk next to dirt mounds of dead bodies to go to these people's homes. To make matters worse, the city was building a fence around the homes to put them outside of the cemetery grounds...How worse could you make someone feel..."Oh, well you cannot live on the cemetery, we are going to send you out." Another hard thing, but also a blessing this week: Two nights ago we had an evangelism program for the kids we have been working with all week and 36 kids accepted Christ into their hearts! The program went late, so the kids were going home after dark. A little girl went up to one of our leaders and said that she would be beaten by her parents when she got home because she was late. So, we prayed for her in the van on the way home. At church today we found out that she was not beaten last night and it was all okay!

Here is JoBerg witch doctors are very importnant. So, when people are sick, they go to them and the witch doctors pray over this rope called a Sangoma Rope....a "blessing" is put on the rope and is tied on their waist or arm....the theory is once the rope falls off the sickness will go away...well it's such a sad mindset...anyway, we have been around kids and young adults this week with that rope on and we cannot make them take them off or else they will be killed, so all we can do is pray against the curses put on the ropes....so sad! There is a lot of evil in this place and I can feel it all the time....I was teary-eyes the other day thinking of how this makes God feel...the curses, the beaten children, the drunk men, men raping women, women selling their bodies so that they can live.....

Amidst all the pain, I remember God's promises and faithfulness, I look at the kids that have chosen to choose God and I smile! I see the good that is here and I am blessed to be able to teach the kids and adults about God....I am glad our team can be here to give hope to these people!

This morning we went to the church we have been working at for an African Service. We danced and sang African songs...the service only lasted 3 1/2 hours...pretty good! It was a great message....I have been practicing my Zulu and got to use it in front of the church...HA!!!!

Okay, I need to let the others use the computer.....PRAYERS: strength for the team, unity with the team, that God would work through us, for the people here.

I hope to e-mail again in 2 weeks, if not, in 3....I will do my best! Lots of love!

Blessings,

Kristin

New Languages....

Okay, so I have been having so much fun learning new languages here...okay, so maybe learning new words in different languages....I have learned a little Zulu, Sutu, Afrikaans, Malawian??, and yes the clicks!!!

On Sunday we went to the church of the place we are staying...it is an Africaans church, so a lot of familiar songs. The pastor was hilarious, an older man who went off on tangents and stories, it was great!! If I would have known my grandpa on my mother's side, I imagined that is how he would've preached, or maybe his mannerisms....anyway, church was awesome and it was great meeting new people!

Today we had a wonderful day! We went into a formal settlement called Soweto where half of us will be for a week. We are in charge of running the kids program. Today we had roughly 40 kids from 3-years-old to 21-years-old. I had the chance to speak and we watched You Are Special...they were so excited that we were watching a movie, it was a great time. We played lots of games and i am tired...Futbol, African version of tag hide-and-seek...we sang songs and danced...a fun day. The rest of this week we will be visiting homes in the settlement and praying very the sick and then working with the kids in the afternoon. On Sunday we will visit a black church and then on Monday we head toward Nelspruit for a week, then Swaziland....a busy time....

God has been so amazing to our team and I am thankful that he has brought us together to serve others....anyway..there is the quick update..love and miss you all!!!

blessings,

kristin