We have successfully made it through week two and have had an amazing week! Last Saturday, our group hosted a VBS for local kids from the Kwa-Dabeka township. HIS church, Anele's homechurch, has a ministry called KwaCare which pays for the schooling fees, clothes, and food for a select number of kids that come from families that cannot afford to pay the yearly school fees (roughly 12 US dollars a year). We hosted a VBS for these kids on Saturday and were able to share several Bible stories with them, the Jesus Film for kids, and the gospel in whole.
On Sunday, we visited HIS church alongside of Anele and the UKZN students and interns we have been working with. It was a great opportunity to experience a different church and worship alongside our new South African friends.
On Monday, we ventured out to a community called the "Newlands". Before the Aparteid, the "Newlands" was created to house all of the "colored" people so that they were not living in the white South African neighborhoods. We partnered with a church called Shalom Outreach Fellowhip, which was started and run by ex-gang members and Christian men with amazing testimonies of how God brought them out of the darkness. We spent Monday doing door-to-door evangelism with members of the community and praying for those whom we talked with. We also had an "outdoor service", where some of the leaders of the church and the youth group shared their testimonies and truth from the gospels over a loud speaker.
On Tuesday, we had the opportunity to sit in on the church's Tuesday morning service and introduce ourselves to the community. We also got the opportunity to spend time with the church's youth group, sharing testimonies and getting to know them and their culture.
On Wednesday, We headed to a place called Cato Manor where we hosted another VBS. We spent the morning playing games, singing songs (like the kids all-time favorite "Father Abraham"), and doing crafts. After lunch and another round of games, I (Amy) had the opporutnity to share the gospel alongside one of our students, Kris, with 50 plus kids. At the end, we were able to pray with the students who desired a relationship with Christ and explain to them what a life with the Spirit looks like. It was an incredible experience.
On Thursday, We had another day of VBS with the kids of Cato Manor and we were able to share the Jesus Film with them. Their craft for the day was to make a giant chain out of strips of paper where they wrote down what they were thankful for. Some of their answers broke my heart: "I am thankful that God that my parents are still living", "I thank God I have a mother", "I thank God that I am still living", and "I thank God for keeping me until today". The pain and hardships that these kids are going through at such young ages is devestating- but they are so thankful!! I am learning so much about humility and thankfulness from such young people.
Today (Friday), we are heading out for the weekend to go on a Safari! Each 5-week summer project has a fun activity somewhere in the project to "debrief". We hope this finds everyone back home well and we look forward to sharing with you again next week!
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