Field Trip to Jo'burg

I just got back yesterday from a field trip to Johannesburg and Pretoria. Did you know Johannesburg has over 10 million people?? It's huge! Definitely the largest city I've even been in. Crazy.
There were 10 of us that went; all the students plus Musa and Darryl and me. We visited the Apartheid museum, University of Pretoria, an orphanage, some creches, an organization that does home-based care IN the city of Johannesburg. We saw a movie, played mini-golf, went to McDonald's, went to Liberty Church youth group, and stayed in a beautiful stone bed and breakfast. I drove the entire way. On the way we ran out of gas. The students pushed us to the gas station which was about a kilometer away. We had many road maps, but somehow still missed turns on the freeway and put on way more kilometers than was needed.

It was a really good trip and opened the students' eyes to life in Johannesburg. It's a completely different world. It's like going to New York or going to Toronto, but bigger. We visited some of the sketchy areas to show the students that life in Jo'burg isn't a life of perfection. The problems that exist in Masoyi exist in the big city too. Jo'burg is not a place to go for refuge or to escape all the issues plaguing their community. Visiting the orphange was really powerful. It was a beautiful place. The kids had many toys and beautiful rooms with painted murals. It was just a really nice facility. The students saw the orphans as being really lucky to live in such a place, yet when we left all the children kept telling us that they wanted to go with us. The children saw the students has having it all, even though the kids were much better off than the students. We discussed it afterwards and the students concluded that they wanted to come with us because we had love. And they could have all the food in the world, all the toys in the world, and the nicest painted walls in the world, but if they have no life, it is all meaningless. Very profound coming from the students who are themselves orphans.

Here are two journal entries of things I experienced personally:

4 Sept - University of Pretoria

As I sit here on campus watching the busy life of University students, I can't help but feel many things that I can't describe. I feel like I'm going through culture shock. But what's strange is that I am surrounded by a world I used to be deeply engrossed in, surrounded by people I used to be (and probably still am). I am so overwhelmed and so pulled into want. I want all of what these people have. I want to care about fashion. I want to boy-gaze. I want the competition, the excellence, the discovery. I want the self-involvement. But the inner battle of "me" is too much to take. I can't live like this anymore. I can't live in my own flesh. There is no way I could ever let myself be busied with trivial things anymore. But sometimes I really desire those things. And that's what makes this so hard.

Patricia says she doesn't want to study here. She doesn't like the lifestyle. She doesn't like the competition.

5 Sept - Shopping center

So today we strolled around a nice little area with shops and restaurants. And I saw the best thing ever: a skate park. To see a skate park was music to my eyes. At that moment all I craved was a ride on a board so I asked if there was a skate shop. There was! So I went. As soon as I got in the store, I heard a sweet sweet sound. It was the bliss of speakers void of R&B. It was the heavy and chaotic mix of double kick, squeals, and grueling vocals. What a relief to escape Mariah Carey, Leona Lewis, and Akon. There were two guys working. They were wearing tight pants, had multiple tattoos, and had dirty hair. I immediately proceeded to have an engaging conversation with them. We talked American bands, circle pits, and longboards. Even as I'm writing this I'm drowning in Backstreet Boys. Can't imagine life without your love because even forever don't seem like long enough EVERYTIME I BREATHE I TAKE YOU IN...

Sick

Oh man, how my ears long for the shred of metal. How my skin longs for sweat not of my own. How my arms, legs, and ribs long for bruises from the pit. How my chest longs to feel the heavy vibrations of the bass. How I long for the chaos, confusion, and extreme exhilaration found at a live concert.

Long and definitely Long Overdue.

3 September
So I feel obligated but equally excited to give an update of what has been going on lately.

Last week (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday) all of Hands at Work did three days of prayer and fasting, focusing on our relationships with each other, our relationships with our donors, our relationships with the people in the communities, and our relationship with God. This is the first time I fasted. And it wasn’t the “I’m going to give up chocolate” fasting, it was real “only water” fasting. I’ve always known that this is something common in spirituality but never understood it’s value. It was unreal. We were really challenged. I was very challenged. There were many passages of scripture that were foundational in helping me re-focus why I’m here and foundational for revealing the condition of my relationships with all of the above. I was kicked in the pants and rocked hard. I wasn’t doing well in any of the relationship areas so it was really good to get kicked hard. I mean it really hurt, but it’s hard to focus on the pain when you know growth and maturity will come out of it.

One thing very exciting that occurred was George (founder of H@W) and Lynn went to Canada and stopped at my church in Saskatoon (Lakeview). There was a very good turn out and the feedback I received from both sides is that they made a big impact. This is something that has been on my heart for a long time. AND there are rumours that some people from there might be coming ….

Remember that time when we didn’t have any water at the farm? Well, once again we have no water. We ran out of water on Sunday and I think today we should be getting the water back again, which is a relief because the dishes stink, the bathroom stinks, and I stink.

On the note of the farm, I think I’m moving soon to Hands Village which is the new… ok let me explain something. I live on Peebles Road. On Peebles Road is Africa School of Missions, which is a campus that houses many Hands staff and also the location of the Hands offices. On the other side of the road is Acts Clinic and beside Acts Clinic is Hands Village. We have been building Hands Village for months and months and months and finally it is ready to house people. So, we are moving from the farm (which is 6 km farther down Peebles road from ASM). This is sad. I love the farm. I love Boo, I love the house, I love the quietness, I love Kiver, I love the community of people, I love the space, … So soon, I will be a resident of Hands Village.

Now for the update of the students. Before I got here, they upgraded their marks to try and reach Exemption (level of Gr 12 Certificate they need in order to get into University). The results weren’t very good. Only one of them – Elvis – has Exemption. The others have only Standard Certificates so we’re looking for other options. Patricia and Nokuzola applied for Social Work Auxiliary. Elvis is applying to University of Venda and Limpopo for Social Work. We’re still waiting on Mxolisi, Sesinyana, and Thapelo’s marks and certificates so we can figure out where they can go. Mxolisi wants to do nursing so we’re trying to find a Nursing Auxiliary program for him. Sesinyana wants to do Social Auxiliary work also, so we’re hoping to get her into the same program as the other girls. Thapelo wants to do Electrical Engineering so we’re looking for an institute where he can study something in that field. Mduduzi wants to do agriculture so we’re looking for a College or program where he can go and study that. What’s really hard for me is that these students are unreal. I can’t even believe what is in them, especially the girls (which I have grown close with). I can honestly say they can go on and do incredible things, but what is holding them back is their marks from high school. Most of them have poor marks so further education is a challenge. But they have come a long way since high school! Everytime I think about Nokuzola, Sesinyana, and Patricia, I’m blown away by their incredible character and potential.

Nokuzola is a beautiful, beautiful person. She loves God with all her heart. She cares so much for the people in her community. She has a servant’s heart greater than any I have ever seen! She has a strong sense of morality and thinks differently than the people in her community. She sees wrong and she strives to live her life in opposition to it. She is not scared to challenge people in their thinking. There are many times in class when Elvis or … (ok it is mostly Elvis) will say something and she will just turn right around and challenge him. She is a woman of God. She speaks perfect English and her writing is near perfect. If you read her work now and then look at her high school marks, you would not think it was the same person. But I know she is going places.

Sesinyana is very small but she has a huge heart and she’s a BIG figure in her community. She has a very small house and lives with her 18 year old brother. Every time I go to her house there are children hanging around. They are borrowing things, asking advice, or just seeking attention. Even when she walks down the road, children are always screaming, “Sesinyana! Sesinyana!”. She has a strong head on her shoulders and leads the classroom like a mother. Yes – she’s definitely the mother in the classroom. She is the one I worry the most about in terms of having enough food. There are days she doesn’t even eat. But there is need in her community. When I first got here I wrote about a house of three boys: Simpiwe, Isboniso, and Daniel. Sesinyana visits these boys everyday. They have no food; she has little food, yet she shares with them. They had no soap to do laundry and so weren’t going to school because their uniform was dirty and she gave them soap. So selfless. I’m learning from her constantly. She is a very weak student which breaks my heart because she is so wise. She is wise in the ways of her world.

Patricia has a big heart and it is reflected with her mouth. This sounds funny but it is true. You know the verse talking about out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. Well, she has a voice. A very loud voice. And I’m not saying she is literally LOUD, but she can speak like none other. She is incredibly gifted and talented in speaking and she uses it. She is a voice for her people. One thing I admire about her is that she hides nothing. She has no secrets. In this culture, there are many secrets and certain questions should not be asked (actually questions are rarely asked) but she allows all questions.
And these girls can PREACH! Wow. They are weak in school books, but for some reason they are strong in the Good Book. They can connect things and apply things they I could never do.

Now as I am incredibly excited inside just writing about these things, I am also excited that I get to spend the weekend with all the students. We are going to Johannesburg tomorrow morning (6:30 am). We are visiting the University of Pretoria, the Apartheid Museum, and visiting some of the townships in the area with a local church. We are going to see a movie, eat at nice restaurants (INCLUDING McDONALD’S!) and just have a great time together experiencing new and different things. I’m so excited! And so are the students – they all got their hair done. The boys are trimmed. The girls have fancy new extensions and colours. Darryl’s getting a cut (I’m doing it tonight). I guess I need to figure out something new. Darryl thinks I should wear a braided ponytail. Hmm.. we’ll see.

I’ll let you know how the trip goes!