Created for a place I've never known- this is Home.

Our family portrait- isn't this what your family looks like?

Things have been intense this week. The theme for the week has been Repentance and Reconciliation and it has been an emotional week. We have been talking a lot about our different cultures, celebrating their strengths, but also acknowledging their weaknesses. We’ve also learned a lot about our own prejudices and looked at our backgrounds and roots to see where they have come from. Then this morning we talked about forgiveness and how crucial it is for us to be free in Christ. One of the quotes repeated a lot this week is “he that sees the need must take the first step.” If we see areas in our lives, even if it was something done to us, we must take the first step towards reconciliation because we have seen the need. Then for the rest of this morning we spent a couple hours listening to music, praying for one another, washing each other’s feet, and laying down our burdens at the cross. It was a time of strong emotions but in the end it was a time of freedom and release. Then tonight we had our own team worship time. We sang songs- both American and African J, wrote down words of encouragement for each other, and painted a “family portrait”- our own pictures of what we think God sees/wants to see us as. Lesson learned: this is our home right now and we are a family J

Outreach has also been really good this week, but emotional as well. Monday at Kabokweni we went again to Pinkie’s house, but this time her sister Whitney was home so we were able to go inside and see where she has grown up. We also were able to meet her sister and talk with her for a little. Those two girls are an inspiration to me J Wednesday we spent the afternoon at the Iris Children’s village digging trenches- fun fun haha Then this afternoon we went to Dwaleni like normal. I was helping to dish out food for the kids and we were sitting inside as Kacy would just keep saying “Oh some more kids just came” over and over again until we got to the point where we knew there would absolutely not be enough food for the kids. We ran out of each thing one by one until at the end, my bowl of meat and potatoes was simply thrown out for the boys to fight over and hopefully get a handful. It was cute to look at but then realizing the truth of it was heartbreaking. That is some of those kid’s only meal for the day. But afterwards I was able to see my friend from two weeks ago- Nolwazi! She went around looking for me last week when I was sick so I was sure to find her this time. We just talked and played. I learned she has 4 brothers and 4 sisters. Her parents are both still alive but she only sees her dad once a year because he has to live far way for work- this is pretty much normal here. She is such a sweetheart and I don’t like to let myself think of the things that she has seen and had to go through. These people are so beautiful even with everything they have gone through.