There's a community called Welverdiend that I've spent a lot of time in over the last 3 years. "Welverdiend" is Afrikaans for basically "well deserved". During Apartheid, people were relocated to this dry wasteland and apparently the people deserved it.
I spent an incredible day in Welverdiend on the 4th of February. This is my journal entry:
Today I stood on Holy Ground. As George shared to the care workers in Welverdiend and encouraged them to be strong, take possession of their land and dream big, God opened my eyes and I could see the magnitude of His heart in that place. My spirit was overwhelmed by the presence of His Holiness and His anointing. It was incredibbly humbling and I was incredibly honoured to be in that place. If Christ were to be walking the Earth today, He would be walking in a land called Well-Deserved. I had such a sense that, on this land, miracles would happen. Every child that steps foot on that land will be healed emotionally, physically and spiritually, by the power of the compassionate God roaming there. Deep emotional wounds from years of neglect and abuse, healed. Chains of spiritual oppression, broken. Spirit of hopelessness, gone.
Other updates, my Dad was here and gone. We had a great time together! He went on a hunting trip and shot an Impala (animal not car), went on a safari and saw everything!!!, visited communities, Dad helped put windows in the house of a family of kids and even paid for the last unfinished window, we went to waterfalls and canyons and had dinner at a different home every night. He even attended all the prayer meetings and fell asleep in church! It was a blast.
Another interesting fact, my brother is getting married... in like 9 days. How neat is that?
These days I've been busy with a few things. I was hosting a couple ladies from the UK this past week. I've also been busy planning child care in 3 communities in the areas of food, education, and health ... the total number of orphans and vulnerable children going to be cared for from these three communities is 260. Also have been busy starting two model projects in two different communities. These are going to be Best Practices in South Africa. We're helping the communities start a pre-school, a Saturday youth program teaching about making good choices, a program for Grannies caring for children that basically teaches them how to understand the psychosocial needs of the child and as a result care for them better, and of course this includes a feeding program, home visits and hopefully eventually an after school homework program. Lots of fun.
That's about it for now!
Much love!
