This past week really was a lot of fun, but was surprisingly exhausting. It was fun to hang out with my aunt and my grandmother! It was a chance to get to know them better, which was great! But it was cool getting to spend time with the rest of the group too and get to know them and get to do some of the tourist things with them. There are so many really cool things to do here! In face I had made a list the week after I got here of things that I wanted to do or see while I was here and I’ve already crossed of quite a few. Things like go to the top of Table Mountain, see the penguins, go to the aquarium, to the botanical gardens, Cape Point/Cape of Good Hope, etc.When we were at Cape Point and Cape of Good Hope, the southwestern-most tip of Africa, we saw a ton of baboons on our way out and a zebra! It was too cool! I'll definitely be posting some pictures of those soon! We also saw some wild ostriches on the side of the road. So of course we got out to take pictures and one of the members of the Brentwood group, who I'll leave nameless, decided to throw sticks at the ostriches to try and flush out the babies. However it didn't work, and I don't think it made mom and dad ostrich very happy, and they had no interest in playing fetch! Fortunately they decided not to run us down and peck us to death for disturbing them so much! On the way back we did get to see the babies though, which were so funny and we also witnessed a baboon jump into a car behind us! Good times...
Since I was with the Brentwood group all week, I went to VBS in Capricorn, the township where I do music, and helped out with that instead of going to work, which was a nice change of pace! It was fun to get to know those kids better. Its amazing how desperate for love they are! They are always looking for hugs or some kind of positive attention since honestly most of them don’t get ANY of that at home. I’ve been several places where I’ve experienced extreme poverty and living conditions like the ones I see and work in here, but even still, its hard to accept or believe how so many people live the way they do! It’s heartbreaking especially the more you build relationships with those same people! During evening devotions with the group several of the team members from Brentwood shared some of their experiences and ways that they were affected by what they saw and experienced and how they saw God working this week. It was really cool to hear about their personal experiences!
This week I’m helping out at Living Grace, the homeless ministry, because one of directors is an older man named John, who has cancer, and has gotten pretty sick recently. So he and his wife, Joan, aren’t there this week so I’m helping out in whatever way they need me to. Its fun to spend some time with the homeless community, more than I normally do in just the morning devotion time where I d songs with them. It’ll be a good chance to meet some really interesting and amazing people! Hope everyone back home is doing really well! I’ll be posting a bunch of new pictures soon so check back for those in the next day or two…
Another Official Newsletter
15 years ago
1 comment:
Dear Ryan,
I have to tell you about what happened recently. Your dad had spoken in chapel at the Children's Learning Center. The topic for the week was God gives us food. Your dad told about your work in Africa and how you see children every day who do not have enough to eat. He ended by asking the children to pray for the other children around the world who don't have enough to eat.
A couple of days later I took some of these kids on a walk around the church before we went to lunch. We were on the balcony and Destin Jewell spotted your dad below. She yells down to him, "Mr. Bill, Mr. Bill....um, we've been forgettin' to pray for them kids who ain't got no food." (Talk about blanket indictments!)
Needless to say, I was mortified. I'm the one who prays with them before we go to the lunch room.
Then your dad (when he stopped laughing) assured us that we could still be praying for those children. And we have been. Every single day since we do two prayers--one is a special one by the children to pray for you and for all the children who don't have enough food. Their prayers are precious. I told them just to talk to God. Today Taylor Thompson started her prayer, "Okay, God. You know those kids who don't have enough to eat......" Destin always reminds us to pray for "Ryan."
I told the children that I would write you and tell you about our prayers. So from Destin, Taylor, Amber, Job, Tristan, Emma Grace, Nathan, and "Miss Linda," we are praying for you every day. May God bless you, provide for you and the people you meet, and may he make his word effective in the hearts of those to whom you minister.
Linda George
Post a Comment