half a year!

smiling and happy: children from the township

Hello friends and family! It’s hard to believe that next week I’ll have been here for seven months, that's over half a year! It’s been an exciting and challenging season, but I have only scratched the surface. God has been doing a lot in my life and through all He’s been doing, I feel like He has made it clear that my time here in South Africa, and as a volunteer for Thembalitsha, won’t be over at the end of 2013. Here’s a little update on this last month.

Thembalitsha is an organization that is made up of seven different projects. I am committed until the end of this year to one of the seven projects, Village of Hope, but it has always been my desire to visit and help out at the other projects. A couple weeks ago I finally went on the Thembalitsha tour. The tour is one you take usually when you first become a volunteer. Someone from the head office takes you around the Western Cape to all the projects and you get to meet some very inspiring adults, youth and adorable children. I really enjoyed visiting School of Hope, which provides education for at risk and vulnerable youth, ThembaCare Athlone, a medical facility for sick children, and Graceland Preschool. Graceland was the one I was looking forward to the most. This preschool provides quality education to vulnerable little ones in the farming areas who would otherwise have nowhere else to go. Their early childhood development program aims to prepare and stimulate these preschoolers in order to maximize their future success at school and in life. I was really happy to visit there and felt very inspired by what I saw. I am eagerly anticipating the future and how God will use me to help Thembalitsha in a broader way.

Visiting sick babies at ThembaCare Athlone

I mentioned in my last update that I had joined the worship team at my new church, Every Nation Somerset West. I am very excited to be a part of this team and to grow more as a worship leader. It’s amazing to see how the Lord guides you and gives you the desires of your heart, even if it is in a roundabout way or a way I didn’t expect. I had no intention of being involved in worship when I left the states, but I now know that God is leading me in this direction and wants to grow me more. Hey, maybe one day I’ll be able to combine my two loves, music and working with children!

Story time at Graceland!

One last big update… I have decided to take up cycling! Thembalitsha is putting on an event called Cycle to the Sea. It is a 200 km scenic ride, which will be three days of riding that begins at the Village of Hope and ends at Cape Agulhas (the southernmost tip of Africa!) The purpose of the ride is to raise awareness and financial support for Thembalitsha. I know it sounds a bit crazy, especially for someone like me who maybe goes to the gym once a year and a bike ride is a joy ride down PCH on my beach cruiser! But I have committed to doing this because I really believe in this organization and want to help spread awareness. To attend Graceland Preschool and School of Hope each family pays R100 ($10) per month. Families are able to pay such a small amount (which is still a financial sacrifice for them) because of donors and fundraisers. The purpose of this cycling event is to do just that, raise funds for our projects so that small children can have an early childhood education, at risk youth can attend school and be allowed to graduate, mothers can have diapers and a blanket for their newborns. My goal is to raise R3000 (that’s $300), which will cover all my costs over the three days of riding and will also go towards Thembalitsha. This is where you come in, friends! I am asking, if anyone is interested, in donating a little towards this event. $10 or $20 is a very little sacrifice for us, but can impact a life in ways we can’t imagine! I will attach the link to my fundraising page and if you are interested, please follow the link and check it out: http://www.givengain.com/activist/102985/projects/

I am constantly appreciative of all the prayer support I receive from everyone back in the States. It’s very encouraging and a reminder to me that I still have a very strong support system there! The longer I am here, the easier it is to stay. But in a way, it does get harder. My niece gets older, my friends children get older, friends are getting married and having babies, which makes it hard to be gone. But even through all that, I am confident that the Lord wants me here and He is showing me every day that I am a blessed and dearly loved child of His. So thank you to all of you for your love and support!

Prayer Requests:

• Financial provision: to be able to continue on for another year as a volunteer for Thembalitsha.
• For Cycle to the Sea: that there would be no injuries for me or my teammates and that we will all stay healthy during the ride!
• For a car: as a long term volunteer it is necessary to have your own car in order to get around. It's not a safe country to walk around in and there isn't public transport, so a car is really the only way around.

SA Update- July

I've been in South Africa for five months! I’m sorry to say that the longer I live here, the harder it is for me to give updates! As life becomes more normal and has more of a rhythm it can be easy to forget the bigger picture. Many times I even forget that I am in Africa! It’s strange to think that there are people out there (back home) that want to be regularly updated on my life, so I apologize for the lack of communication and updates! Hopefully in the long run I will become better at that.

I've noticed that the longer I am here, the more my jobs change. What we thought I came here to do has turned into something else, but I think that is really great. I came here out of a season of life where I felt I had no direction and no real passion for anything. For lack of a better word, I just felt blah. My hopes were that I would discover what I was passionate about and that I would find a direction while being here. I know God is directing me, which is why my work at Village of Hope has been changing. He is helping me discover what I am passionate about and what He has gifted me in. And He is helping me to be able to use those gifts to impact His kingdom. There are two areas that God seems to be leading me in: worship and children. Many of you are probably thinking, “Well duh, Shannon. You have always worked with children and love them and you sing and play guitar. Makes sense!” But sometimes what is obvious to the onlooker isn't so obvious to the actual person. Whatever our reasons, we don’t always agree that what we are good at or what we are drawn to is in fact something God has given us. That is something I've been really trying to work out here. If I have a burning desire to sing and worship, then isn't that an area that I should pursue and see how God uses it?

I am in the very beginning stages of helping a little local preschool to move out of the mindset of just being a holding place for children to a place where children come to grow and learn and also to feel safe and secure. I have always had a special place in my heart for young children and I know that the early years are so vital. This preschool has been on my radar for a while now, but it has been a bit hard to move forward. This is a place that I have a strong desire to help grow, but it has been so tough to do it on my own. But recently a friend from my church has expressed that she would like to be involved as well. So now I have a buddy to help me out!! I am so excited for that and so grateful for her desire to help me and also impact and love on this community.

Just a follow up on my last post… I was talking about how necessary community is and how I was starting to get planted a little bit in a community. I started going to a church called Every Nation Somerset West about two months ago. Everyone there was so welcoming and inviting and I felt at home almost immediately. I have started to make some friends and get connected and I joined a life group (which is something that I really wanted from the moment I arrived in Africa). I also felt that God wanted me to join the worship team… so this Sunday will be my first Sunday singing! I am still constantly in awe of how God works. I have always had a very strong desire to sing, but being on a worship team has always terrified me. I always thought I was never good enough and was also just plain scared. But now that I am here, now that I have taken the big leap of faith to leave my home in California and obediently follow the Lord, it’s amazing the fears He is helping me to overcome! I mean, I used to only play guitar by myself in my living room and as soon as my roommate came home I would stop! And now God has placed me in a place where I am doing it often.

It is through all these things and experiences that are causing me to feel so at home and at peace with living in South Africa. I always had this unsettling feeling about my life in Orange County, and it is now apparent that it is because the Lord had plans for me that were beyond life there. Since moving away I have felt like I am growing so much and finally coming in to the woman God wants me to be and the life He has for me. This is such an exciting life and I am so thankful that God has been leading me on this very exciting journey!

Prayer Requests:

• That I would allow God to lead me, whether that be down new paths or continuing with the same work. But that whatever I do will be in line with God's will.
• For continued financial support

blessed!

Have I mentioned that I love what I do? And to be completely honest, it’s nothing that I am doing, it’s just so awesome to be a part of this organization and to see how the Lord is working in it. Today I was moved to tears because of a simple donation to the Village of Hope. A woman came by this morning with several platters of food… chicken, eggs, sausages… yummy stuff. It was left over food from a meeting last night. I was so moved because this week for our HIV support group we have planned a fun day playing and picnicking outside at the Grabouw Country Club. We have a small weekly budget to provide snacks for the kids, and today we planned to make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and bring chips and juice. I was brought to tears with that seemingly simple donation of left-overs because now we can bless these children with a good, hearty picnic… something I can guarantee never happens for them. Oh I hope these kids go home with full bellies today!

As I was chatting with a friend last night, I told her that I can’t picture myself doing anything else in the world… and today is a perfect example of why. I love being a part of something bigger than myself and blessing people with something that I have always taken for granted. 

The Lord has blessed me. 

three months!

My Tuesday afternoon friends: Kini and Susannah

Well, I’ve done it! Just over three months in Africa and this is officially the longest I’ve been away from Southern California. Oh what a sheltered girl I’ve been… but not anymore! Now that I’ve been out and have made it through the first few months, I’m beginning to see myself in South Africa more long term.  I am a planner by nature. From the moment I arrived in Africa I’ve been trying to plan my future here. First, it started out as, “I will absolutely not stay here any longer than six months. No way. I am going home to my comfortable life in So Cal in July and I will NOT become a full-time missionary!” It’s in times like that when I realize how much of a sense of humor God has. The mental picture I have is of me sitting crossed-legged with my arms folded. Pouting. And God… well he’s just chuckling to himself.  So now that I’ve been here three months, I am seeing how God has been working in me to change my heart.

 What is one factor that motivates us to stay in a place or to move from one place to another? COMMUNITY. We need it. As introverted as I claim to be, I have to be honest, I need to be in community with other people. My community back home is a reason why I didn’t want to think about staying here past six months. I LOVE my community back home. I had everything that I could ever need back home. All my friends, my family, my wonderful church and lovely small group. As I was preparing to come to South Africa, and even in my first two months here, I refused to really establish a solid community here. I was invited to social activities on a regular basis and claimed that I wasn’t “ready”.  I was suffering here and to make it stop I began to plan the next chapter in my life… and that did not involve serving in South Africa. I didn’t realize the mistake I was making until a friend back home brought it to my attention. I was lovingly told that I am running away from Africa. I had spent so much time in prayer and preparation before I came here. I trusted God. I KNEW He knew what was best for me. And I KNEW He wanted me in South Africa.  As humans, we stray. We lose our patience and we sometimes think we can handle our lives better than God can. I am so thankful though that God was patient with my stubborn heart and waited for me to come back.

sports with the younger kids

I realized that what I needed was community here. I have met some new people and am beginning to treat my relationships here like long-term relationships. When you have the mindset that you’ll leave in six months, there’s only so deep you can go in a friendship. God made it clear that He wanted me in South Africa. He never gave me an end date. I didn’t come here and keep my job back home or with plans of going to school in the fall. Which means that I will stay here until the Lord makes it clear that my time is up! So… I am beginning to make friends and I am really happy/excited about that!

I love looking down and seeing these beautiful faces

Once I began to think this way, things began to change. I started to feel like I had a purpose here. I have been involved with our HIV support group for children ages 9-16, called Rainbow Smiles. I have been going to this my entire three months here, but it wasn’t until about two weeks ago when I started to realize my role in that group. I am so excited to step into a role of leadership (which if you know me at all, you know that that is something I have tried to avoid at all costs). This group has been around for a while and whenever a new volunteer comes in, they help run the program. It’s so awesome for the volunteers and great for the children to meet new people, but the downside to it is that these children get attached to the volunteers and are very hurt when they leave. The program suffers and they have to start all over again when a new volunteer comes in. I am beginning to structure the program so that it is not solely dependent on foreign volunteers to run the program, but helps enable the local (South Africans from the townships) volunteers to step up and feel a sense of ownership with this group. It’s a big task, but I am eager and willing! Stay tuned for updates on my progress with Rainbow Smiles!

My wild Monday crew!

Thank you everyone for your continued prayers, love and support. Without a solid support system back home, my ministry here would not be as strong.

change is good.

Penguins at Boulders Beach!

"Growth means change and change involves risk, stepping from the known to the unknown." I have loved this quote for many years and it is something I have kept in the back of my mind and pull forward every once in a while. I knew that in order to grow and bring some change to my life I would have to step out of my comfort zone. That is exactly what has happened. I wouldn't say I am uncomfortable in South Africa, but I have definitely left my security blanket back in California!

There certainly has been a lot of change happening here! Not only at the Village of Hope with all the construction and with so many people coming and going my first two months, but in my life as well. I left the States nearly three months ago and I remember feeling so terrified to leave. I knew I was coming here and that was all I knew for my future. I made a six month commitment, but it was basically open ended and I could stay abroad for as long as I wanted. But the problem was that I didn’t want to leave home! I had always desired to leave Orange County, California and spread my wings, but lacked the motivation. I feared that if I left it would mean saying goodbye to all that I loved. In a way that is true, but it’s also not true. I thought that leaving meant being forgotten and it also meant being a lonely wanderer in a foreign country. 

Beautiful hike

However, now that I have been away from home for almost three months, I can say that that belief stemmed from fear. Fear of change and fear of abandonment and also lack of trust in God. How could I think that if I left home and all that I loved that God would not provide for me wherever I went? He is already proving that to be true. I am already developing deep relationships, and even though they don’t have the history or the time spent as my relationships back home, they are still sufficient for me at this time in my life. I am learning how to be a young adult that is fully dependent on God and fully trusting in His plan for my life. I couldn't say that as confidently back home. I am learning how to seek the Lord first and trust in Him daily with where He directs me in life. It’s quite a growing experience, but I am so grateful for it! I am really excited about this season of life I am in. I may not be at the Village of Hope forever, but I trust that wherever God leads me will be filled with growth, new experiences and new challenges.

Wolfberg Cracks, Cederberg, South Africa

Also, I was able to travel a bit the week before Easter. It was a lovely experience and I was so happy to get out and see this beautiful country! I went with a couple of friends I made from our team of architect students that were here from Germany. We traveled along the west coast of South Africa and went on an 8 hour hike (but finished in 7!!). The hike was so cool. It was so beautiful with big rocks and boulders to climb up and over. It was a challenge and I had to be pushed up a boulder at one point, but it was so fun! I went to Cape Point (which is almost the southernmost point of Africa, but not quite) and stopped at a beach with penguins! We even saw a family of baboons climb on the car in front of us! Only in Africa, right?

Thank you for your continued prayers and support! I love hearing from friends and family back home and I love sharing my experiences!

At Cape Point

finding my rhythm

Hello!

It’s strange to think that I have been in Africa for six weeks! It feels like just yesterday I was saying goodbye to everyone back home, but at the same time it feels like ages ago. I have struggled to update my blog for a few weeks now… it’s so hard to process and put into writing what I am seeing and how God is working. But I will try my best to update and give prayer requests!

Children from an informal settlement after an afternoon of sports

I have been here long enough to begin to establish a routine. Every Monday through Thursday afternoon we run a sports outreach program and as I believe I have mentioned before, my role has changed from helping run the sports program to now caring for the younger children (8 years and younger) that show up to the sports field. I am convinced that the little children are telling other little children that someone is there to play with them and more children show up each week. That is so cool because I know God is using me to love on these little children for that one hour that they come out, but it can be very overwhelming! Just picture this… you alone or maybe with one helper, with 30 or so Xhosa or Afrikaans speaking children and no interpreter! Now, I love children and without a doubt feel called to minister to these children, but I’m not going to lie… I panic every time I see all those kids! And in their faces you can just see how desperate they are for attention. From a human perspective, that is so overwhelming and feels a bit daunting, but I know that God has sent me there and will equip me with all that I need to accomplish His will. For example, we have a team of architecture students from Germany here to expand our baby unit and every afternoon we take two of them with us. One of them always comes with me to help with the little ones. It is so helpful just to have another set of hands, but I want to do more than just keep an eye on the kids, I really want to show them the love of Christ and with more helping hands it is easier and the adult-child ratio is a bit better.

Masiphumelele Preschool

An update from my last blog about the development of preschools in the Grabouw area… We have found a tiny little preschool called Masiphumelele that we want to come alongside to help them grow and better themselves. Right now the school consists of two teachers (with little to no education) and 31 children ages 3-6. The school is on a little dirt plot and its only building is a freight container with two windows and one door. The goal for this school is to make it bigger by adding another container and a kitchen to accommodate more children, which will make it possible for more children to attend preschool in that area. We have been developing a very good relationship with the teachers there and the teachers are very comfortable and happy to have me come once a week to do a lesson, craft, or some sort of activity with them. We really have a heart for this school and want to use the little skills we have to help them grow and be more than just a holding place for children. I am really excited about this! I have a little education and experience in early childhood education and am so happy for these skills to be put to good use!

Children of Masiphumelele Preschool

What is so awesome about this work is that because everything is a routine, I am starting to develop relationships with the children I see every week. Just today, for example, a little boy at one of our sports clubs ran up to me with a huge smile on his face and gave me a big, long hug! I love getting to that place where you’re no longer a celebrity, but someone they know and trust.

I am definitely being stretched in many ways. I knew that that would happen, but I could not imagine how intense it would be and how deep God would be working in me. I know this is all to make me more like Him and to make me more a lover of His people, for the hurt, the lost and the lonely and less focused on my selfish desires. I am so thankful for this season of life, however difficult and painful some days may be, this is really a season full of blessing and growth.

Happy children at the playground!

Things to Pray For:

• That I would allow God to use me; that His will be done and not mine.
• That I would continue to lay everything at the Lord’s feet and not try to carry everything on my own.

Week Two in Africa!

 One awesome mentor having a good chat with the sports kids

This week has been quite an eventful week! Last week I was able to drive through the townships, but this week we started our sports program in the communities and got to actually get out of the car and spend some time with these kids and also walk through the townships. There is one particular township that stood out to me this week… there were the normal rows and rows of small shacks, but then leading up to our soccer field (a dirt lot) was a thick path of garbage. We followed a group of children as they led us through old remnants of food, all kinds of trash, shoes, and tons of dirty diapers. Of course I thought it was gross, but that wasn't my first reaction. The first thing I observed was that these children walk through this all the time without even blinking, without shoes on. It was a gut wrenching experience. 

Who needs to speak the same language to have fun?!

My role in the sports program is taking on a new shape. My job originally was to help run the program (run the games, teach the bible lesson, etc.), but we have such a high number of children that come to this that are under the age (usually preschool to around second grade aged children) that need a little love and attention! The leader of this program (Tim) and I have both agreed that these children are just as important to reach and love on as the older kids are. They are too young to participate in the sports program and end up being a major distraction to both the older children and the sports mentors. I have told Tim that I would love to help out with the younger children. There is obviously a need for someone to do that but we are so short on volunteers here that it is hard to find someone to do it. But I know without a doubt that God has given me a special love for little children and I feel so blessed to be chosen to fill this role. Right now we don’t know what it looks like to minister to these children. They only speak Xhosa, which is an extremely complicated language to learn and involves many clicks that my western tongue cannot figure out! But I know that even having someone there loving on them is a big deal. This is a culture where parents work and older siblings care for younger siblings. Mothers try to provide for the basic needs of their children with the limited resources they have, but struggle to meet their needs emotionally. I can see these children are attention starved just by the way they come up to me to be hugged, lifted up and just touched! It overwhelms me to think that God has chosen me, a little person from Southern California who struggles to love people well, to love on these children. But I also know that that is what we are called to do, show the love of Christ by being in relationship with people. I know that in my own strength I cannot accomplish this, but it’s a good thing that I am not here with my own agenda and wanting to do this alone! I want to love these children because Jesus loves these children so much and He wants them to know how precious they are to Him; because they are.

Sweet girls singing "Happy birthday to you!"

The first five years in a child’s life is the most vital for development. A big problem in South Africa that is overlooked is schooling for preschool age children. The first five years in a child’s life is the most vital for development and 70% of the children in Grabouw do not attend preschool. Thembalitsha (the parent organization for the Village of Hope) has a long term goal to develop more preschools in Grabouw and the goal right now is to move from 30% to 35%, which means opening another preschool. I have been asked to help a lady named Frances in this project while I am here. Right now that involves going into every single preschool and figuring out how we can come alongside them to help develop their existing program and where we can start another preschool. I am so excited for this because this is an area that I am passionate about. I have a little background in early childhood education and believe that God wants to use that to help this little community. Right now it’s all in the beginning stages, but I am really looking forward to how the Lord will use me to help the town of Grabouw and how He will develop my skills and passions even more to impact His kingdom! I will be assisting Frances and another lady from one of the local townships, named Oggi.

I am doing very well here so far! One never knows what to expect when going into situations like this, but I know that God has and will continue to equip me with all that I need for each day. I already know He is working deep within my heart and I want to thank you all for your constant prayers and support.

South Africa is beautiful!

Things To Pray For:

• Pray that the Lord will use me to love these young children in the sports program , even with the language barrier.
• Pray for Frances, Oggi and myself as we figure out when and where a new preschool can be opened.
• Please continue to pray that I develop a strong community while I am here. I am not really homesick, but it is always good to be in community.

Hello From South Africa!

For those of you who don’t know, I am in Grabouw, South Africa volunteering with a non-profit Christian organization called the VIllage of Hope and will be here a minimum of six months.  I arrived on January 29th after over 24 hours of travel. Boy am I glad to be off that plane! It was such a long flight! But it wasn’t too bad because on the longest flight (approx. 19 hours long) I didn’t have anyone sitting next to me so I could stretch out a bit! The bad news of the trip is that my luggage was left in DC! So I didn’t actually have my things until I had been here about a day and a half, which wasn’t too bad. I was picked up at the airport on time and taken back to the farm, about a 45 minute drive. When I got to the farm, everyone was sound asleep. 

squatter camp, aka Iraq

The next few days was filled with tagging along with anyone that was going anywhere. I was able to go on a couple drives through the closest township, called Rooidaka (meaning red roof in Afrikaans).  The purpose of driving through there was to pick up a few local teenagers to bring them back to the farm for a sports meeting. When I say “pick up a few” I mean four kids in the backseat and about 6-8 in the bed of the truck! It was a fun and crowded experience. While on that drive I was able to see what these townships look like. Let me start by saying there are townships (or informal settlements) and there are squatter camps. Before I came here I thought they were different names for the same thing, but actually, townships are tiny dirt lots with fences around them, but are basically little houses. They aren’t all well made or made out of good material, but they seemed a step above squatter camps. I was told that townships were built when apartheid was ending and they are very similar to the reservations that were built for the Native Americans. But the squatter camps are even worse, they are basically little shacks with no electricity and no running water, made out of wood and old scraps of material. I drove through both of these places. It’s very strange to me to be able to drive through a place like this, with iPhone in hand to snap a few pictures, and realize how different I am than them. It’s a strange feeling driving through with my clean, semi-new clothes and seeing how little they have. But I don’t think I could ever really understand or put myself in their shoes. But then again, I'll be here six months and people do change. Another thing I observed on that drive (and enjoyed very much) was hearing the children and women call out as we drove by, “Tim, Tim!!” Tim (along with his wife, Maz) is the director of Village of Hope and was driving the truck that day. They all know him there and it’s sweet to see the relationships he has built over the five years he has been here. He truly loves these people and has such a big heart for them.

In addition to the children from the townships, there are the children staying at the Village of Hope. They currently have enough room for nine children, but only have three at the moment because next week they will begin construction all over the farm to build more volunteer housing and to expand the children’s unit in order to accommodate more children in the future. When I arrived there were five children, but since then two have been placed in another home in hopes of a better chance of adoption. But the three children here are very precious and I am really looking forward to knowing them. Also because of the construction, I will be moving out of the volunteer house to the other side of the farm to live with Tim and Maz! I am excited for that because it will be less like dorm living and more like living with a family or with roommates. I love that because it’s more relational and comforting.

                

view from my bedroom window

So far I am enjoying my time here. I am desperately homesick, but that is to be expected when you move to a foreign country by yourself. But everyone here is very kind to me and very inclusive. Tim and Maz have already invited me to a couple different things, one being a bible study at their church, which I went to. I think I will like it here very much. I know the Lord has brought me here and I want to make the most out of my six months here. I know that God will use this experience to make me more like Him, and I am so excited for that!

I want to thank everyone for all the support I have received, not only before I left, but since I have been here! My facebook page has been exploding with people telling me they are praying for me and are excited for me! I cannot express how that makes me feel! I am alone here, but somehow I don’t feel alone, especially since technology keeps me connected with everyone instantly. I will try to keep everyone updated with what God is doing and how you can be praying for me.

Things to Pray For:

• Homesickness: Pray that my homesickness won’t be a distraction from what God is doing here, but that it would encourage me to stay connected to those I love.
• For courage to step out of my discomfort and do the things I wouldn’t necessarily do back home; i.e. pray out loud in groups and teach bible studies to the children in the communities.
• Pray that I develop strong relationships here, with the people of VoH and the children in the townships in our regular outreach clubs.
• Pray that I find a good church to attend.