We completed our first week of ministry! This week has been a fun rollercoaster of reconnecting with old friends and forming new connections, learning from talks and training, and being able to go out and serve in the community. Starting off with a bang, or more like an achoo!, a stomach bug swept through the project, hitting the majority of the interns and a couple students. While it was unexpected, we are so incredibly proud of how the students stepped up amidst changing plans and engaged beautifully in ministry. Each student took steps of faith to challenge themselves in ministry, embraced the culture, and recognized how God is moving in the lives of South Africans. They got the chance to go on a prayer walk throughout the community, visit the homes of locals and hear their stories, and connect with local teenagers at Lighthouse youth group. Thankfully, we are on the other side of the sickness with a few more antibodies in our repertoire.
Prayer Walks
We started off our week taking a prayer walk through the community surrounding Skogheim, our home base for the next three weeks. This was time for reflection and to learn what life looks like for the people in our area. We got to pray over different shelters for locals facing domestic violence and the social workers that operate these shelters. The students also got to pass out Bible booklets in Zulu to local children as we walked through the community.
“My heart was touched by both the beauty and pain I saw in the community. The Lord put 2 girls on my mind that I saw and I have been praying for them since.” – Anonymous
“I really enjoyed seeing how excited and joyful all the kids were, even the young ones. Although their life is not easy, they still find ways to be happy.” – Anonymous
“It was really cool to talk with people and pray for them. People were going through some really hard stuff, and they were so strong and brave.” – Anonymous
Community Home Visits
Our next outreach partnered with nurses that travel into the community to care for patients in their own homes. Our students accompanied these nurses and got to connect with local families and hear their stories. They prayed with patients and exchanged stories, songs, and gifts. While our students were sobered by witnessing the hardships these families face, this was a beautiful encouragement for these patients in rural communities.
“I had such an amazing and eye-opening experience. I realized things that I was aware of but never fully processed the intensity. I found out just how lucky I really am and how ungrateful I can be.” – A
“The people at the community homes were so inspiring, they had skill and talent in so many things at such a young age. Their way of finding joy in the little things was an incredibly warm feeling.” – C
“I thought it was really sweet and cool when we went to people’s homes and got to sing and get to know them and their stories. They have so much joy in them even though they’ve gone through so much. I’m glad God gave them that hope and joy.”- L
Lighthouse Youth Group
Lastly, we attended the Lighthouse youth group at Norwegian Settlers Church on Friday night. This week hosted a glow-in-the-dark party and our students had a blast playing games, applying neon face paint, and busting out moves in Just Dance. One of our students got the opportunity to share the Gospel during the party! This was a special time to come together with other youth and hear their stories and walks with the Lord.
“Youth group was fun! Learning more about South African culture was very interesting and I loved worship!” – Anonymous
“Going to youth group was probably the highlight of the week for me because of the fun people involved, as well as the interactive activities. We had a neon night with glow sticks and neon t-shirts. I loved how friendly the kids were and how open they were with talking to us and getting to know us.” – I
Our Upcoming Week: HBC!
Holiday Bible Camp is always a wonderful week of chaos and fun as we partner with the church in hosting camps at two schools. We will be engaging children ages 0-13+ with games, crafts, Bible stories and fun times! We would appreciate your prayers for energy and resilience as we go out and love on this community’s kids.
Travel Lite 