Week 3 June 27-July1
Monday.
First day at the Rainbow Pre-school in Masiphumelele. So, we arrived just before 10am to volunteer at the preschool. The kids were extremely well behaved and just as cute. It’s raining today so there was no outside time and everyone was a little rambunctious. Sure it was in a struggling township but still you could rightly imagine what the routine was like for a preschool. There was story time, food, games, songs, and nap time. Even though we enjoyed our time there and the children are cute and fun it doesn’t seem there was much need for us there. The staff was sufficient and well trained. Might look in to adding something or finding a different place for us to serve. We don’t want to just check mark a box and pat ourselves on the back. We desire to serve where needed. Also, this is just as much for our sake as it is for the benefit of the people we are here to serve. What a blessing it can be to bless others! God is faithful to bless us and change us as we serve His children young and old.
We do have a meeting set up tomorrow with a ministry called Justice Dolls just around the corner from the Rainbow Pre-school. A very nice lady named Joy-Lynn who employs women that have been rescued out of human trafficking to make dolls raising awareness of the the issue world wide.
Tuesday.
A little bit better weather.
It’s a bit better dry than wetter.
Although, the weather doesn’t seem to be able to make up it’s mind Cape Town is just as beautiful in the winter as it is in Summer. Often it’s raining and the suns out the, the recipe for rainbows after all, the country is called the Rainbow Nation. But I think that Cape Town can be called the Rainbow City in the Rainbow Nation. It’s the Rainbow Nation because of how diverse the country is with people groups and cultures. It’s incredible and an honor to be a part of such diversity. I love the cultures, languages, foods, traditions, clothes, the things that offend, or don’t offend. There is just something that makes one feel alive and makes life feel real to be in it all. This is truly a unique and beautiful nation. Not just because of the rainbows in the sky but because of the rainbow of people on the ground.
Rainbow Pre-school day 2. The routine was about the same as yesterday with the exception of about an hour of play time outside. It was fun and the kids loved our attention. We still are not convinced we are needed and sort of feel like the Principle is just being nice by letting us be there.
Our time with Joy-Lynn and her husband David was great. Emily really likes Joy-Lynn and Dave and I seem to get along well too. Joy-Lynn actually shared about her organization during our lecture phase of the DTS one Friday late morning. They make dolls for different organizations or projects all over the world. She has a humble little shop just around the corner from Masiphumelele. It’s on a property that is like a business park except only organizations or businesses who’s purpose is for training, equipping, or educating people are allowed.
David has a wood-shop that he makes different little and big Africa shaped wall decorations, tables, benches, chairs, you name it. In my opinion, the COOL thing he does is his design of 2 different pre-fab “shacks”. The majority of houses in townships like Masi are simple corrugated metal walls and roof; sometimes just corner posts and no studs. Most of the time the metal roofs are just held in place by cinder blocks resting on top. He raises the money to buy the materials usually about $4,000 Rand which is less than $300. It only builds out to about 100 sq ft. The amount he charges the person/family depends on their situation. The example of he gave me of his current project was R2,000. He’s even designed a 2 story shack!
So, Emily will be working with the lady’s making the Justice Dolls on Wednesdays while I take the kids and go talk/meet/pray for people on the streets in Masi. Tuesdays I get to work along side David building the shacks or assisting in other smaller projects! I couldn’t be more excited this opportunity! This will all start next week.
Wednesday.
I had a meeting with the DTS department this morning. I was a little nervous about it and was unsure how exact they wanted specific requirements and the semantics to be articulated for the outreach phase. Seeing as how we have put all the foot work in with making the connections, meetings, arrangements, and scheduling I was ready to be defensive of what we have put together. But the meeting went really well. I was definitely in the wrong with my assumption of how the meeting was going to go. They apologized for how things have gone for us and said normally we would never have to do what we have done. The seemed happy with the effort and outcome of those efforts. The biggest concern for them now was making sure we are plugged in to the YWAM family. It’s currently an odd season considering a lot of staff has either left or is leaving to go home for furlough and everyone else we know or are close to has left for over seas Outreach or is moving back home because their school is finished. It was right on time because we have been struggling a bit, at least I have, with some mild depression and disconnectedness. We are going to try and plug in with the current DTS lecture class for some of their prayer and worship meetings as well as, hopefully, running the coffee shop at Base on Mondays. The people who were running Lekker Brew(the coffee shop) are gone on furlough and there is no-one to run it for the class that’s there now which, is another opportunity to connect with the people on Base.
Tonight we also went to a meeting p
ut together by Calvary Chapel Cape Town, where we’ve been going lately, with 3 crew members of the Logos Hope ship. It’s a world-wide sailing cruise liner that has a book fair with 5000 titles on the floor and 800,000 below deck. They also have health care services, gospel presentations, and theatrical performances aimed at serving the needy. Logos Hope is in town till June 11. We are hoping to visit next week.
Thursday.
We have been looking for accommodation for quite some time now. Our current place needs us to be out by Aug 15. It’s been difficult scouring the local online classifieds, Facebook groups, word of mouth etc. trying to find a place we can afford. Prices seem to be all over the road and they don’t last long once advertised. Every place we can afford that we have contacted has said they’ve already committed it to someone else. In the meeting with the DTS staff yesterday one of the elders made a contact for us of a place she knew was available. We went and saw it, struck a deal, and move in Aug 1. It’s an apartment building which is a little different for us but it’s fully furnished from big furniture all the way down to linens and cookware. Plus, its at the bottom of our price ceiling(we cant afford more). Its a fairly safe 5 minute walk to an artsy area with plenty of shops, coffee, and trinket shops. It’s basically a touristy area and the sea is across the road. It’s only a 20 minute walk to the YWAM base and it’s price is the same as where we are currently renting. I can only say that our Father has worked this out for his children. We are thankful for His favor.
This was our second week serving along side Pastor Ivan and his wife in Lavender Hill near the Cape Flats. Emily did face painting again. The kids LOVE it so much it’s hilarious to me. Even some of the bigger kids want their faces pained. Last week the line was never ending. This week Pastor Ivan was more privy to the demand and selected a specific number of kids who raised their hands to get faced. I played soccer again with some of the bigger kids. The whole time we were there I kept picking up shards of glass and jagged rocks out of the sound/grass where we play. Some kids play bare or in their socks. Considering how well maintained and clean Pastor Ivan keeps the place it’s crazy how much glass hides in the sand. It’s only our second week but we are already beginning to connect with the kids a little better. It, obviously, helps to be regular and consistent with anyone to establish yourself with them. I can see us being involved with Pastor Ivan’s ministry even after Outreach is over. Remembering names is hectic. I still don’t have even one kids name down. Right now I’m trying to remember every kids name but I forget each one. I think I need to correct my thinking and just pick like 3 kids a week to remember their name. This is not my first rodeo trying to remember so many kids names in a place like this but its taken me a 3rd week to remember my strategy for conquering this first and vital step in relationship building!
Friday.
The house we are currently in is a two story cinderblock and concrete home. Its a fortress. The wind was blowing so hard last night I swear I felt the whole place sway a couple times. And the rain was coming down in such big drops and sideways from the wind that I’m pretty sure it penetrated through the block and plaster and chipped the paint across the room. (not really) Half the windows in the house only close about 80%. When the kids would come in to our bedroom because they were scared from all the howling of the wind or to go potty they always leave the door open and it makes the room a wind tunnel! Needless to say, sleep was more of an “On and Off” type thing that seemed like days instead of just one night.
Our morning routine was a slow start with a warm breakfast. We did our weekly grocery shopping in the afternoon but our family schedule was thrown off kilter by the wet 45F temp in the house for the whole first part of the day so we decided not to go to Lavender Hill it was still windy and chilly outside too. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that we decided not to stay at the Awana club since we weren’t really needed there and are going to be at Pastor Ivan’s place on Fridays. There is no official program happening but the kids from the neighborhood still show up while he is there working on other projects. The plan is for us to go and just be with the kids and play games with them in the afternoons and continue building our relationships.
It’s still cold right now but the sun is supposed to be out in clear skies for the next three days!!
