Dearest friends and family,
I hope I find you all blessed and well at the beginning of 2010. I pray that you had a fantastic break and that you experienced incredible rest, peace, and joy over the holiday season.
I realize it has been nearly a month now since my last update and I have so much to share I hardly know where to begin. I have now been living in Africa for over a month and a half I really can't believe it! Time certainly did fly by, and with every day I seem to fall more in love with this place. It feels as though I have always been here, and I am so joyful.
Since the last update quite a few things have happened. Just over a week ago the Swazi 1000 (the team of 250 volunteers) packed up and left to go home. It was very sad to say goodbye as I made some amazing friends. However as sad as it was to see them go, i have already had the chance to visit them twice and am hoping to see them again soon. South African hospitality is absolutely unreal though, never in my life have I experienced such incredible kindness and generosity. It is so humbling to be on the receiving end of it and I praise God for these friends every single day.
I have also been on the receiving end of some fantastic Swazi hospitality. i went to my first "Swazi party" a couple weeks ago. The Swazi food is absolutely delicious and the food was delightful. Everyone was eating and laughing and chatting and dancing these amazing swazi dances... and although i don't speak siSwati i felt really priviledged to be present.
While work has been keeping me exceptionally busy I have also had the chance to go volunteer at ABC (abandoned babies for Christ) children's home. It is an orphanage for abandoned babies under the age of four. The ministry is really beautiful as are the people that run it. Though it is quite heartbreaking to see all of these tiny babies who have been malnourished and mistreated so early in life. But Praise God they are in a safe place where they can experience a future and healing. I must say i admire the people that run ABC so much though, there are about 30-40 babies there, and they are there all the time... They have beautiful hearts to serve! i was the most exhausted i have ever felt in my life after four hours of being there, I cant imagine being there indefinetly, they are awesome!
As some of you may have heard, I had the chance to spend my Christmas vacation in Capetown with some lovely friends from home (the Milne's). They were wonderful hosts and it was so fantastic to be able to spend Christmas day with some familiar faces, we had a ton of laughs! It was incredible because it wasn't a normal Christmas in that my family wasn't there, there wasn't loads of presents, and there was certainly no turkey or snow, and yet I felt just overcome with love for and from those present, and those far away. I think sometimes I have been guilty of EXPECTING things from christmas, and if those expectations weren't met I was disapointed, but this christmas I expected nothing and yet it was one of the most joy filled Christmas's I can ever remember. It was a good reminder that Christmas is about celebrating Christ, and that really does boil down to loving the Lord our God with all our heart, mind, and soul, and loving our neighbors as ourselves, and thats what this Christmas really was about for me, it was beautiful. The Milne's were so generous, they took me for some delicious meals (hurray for not having to cook for myself!), and out to Robben Island, to the aquarium, and I spent New Years with their son (and some of his very welcoming friends) on a rooftop overlooking the city. Really, it was all such a blessing to me.
I also spent some of the break with some friends I had met at the Swazi 1000. They were in Capetown at the same time as I was and they took it upon themselves to show me all the sites. They took me up table mountain at sunset, around cape point, and on a whim I decided to go to Hermanus ( a small town up the coast) with them for four days, where we had a relaxed and fun time of laying on the beach (and getting splotchy burnt), playing new sports like beach bat and ultimate frisby, swimming in the waves, braaing some delicious meat, and having wonderful conversation. It is really incredible in that after only a few weeks of knowing these people I feel as if I have known them forever! It was a very sad thing for me to say goodbye to them at the end of our trip, however I know it will not be long before I see them again, honestly I think they have some of the most beautiful hearts out of anyone I have ever met. Also just a note about Capetown-- I think it might be the most gorgeous city I have ever visited, the Coastline there is something to be believed, if you ever have the chance to visit there take it, I know you will fall just as in love with it as I did! It was a bit of a shock though going from a town of around 2000 people in rural Africa to a place teeming with people, in a VERY Western city!!!
It was the strangest thing I have not missed home since being here, however I was missing Bulembu while I was in Capetown... Thus at the end of my ten days I was extremely excited to return! I flew into Johannesburg on Sunday morning and the people that have become like my second family came and picked me up to take me for breakfast. It is really amazing, one of the things that I have missed is a sense of home, and family, and having people who love me and look out for me, but these people really have just come into my life and filled that spot more than I ever dreamed possible in a super short time. It's like God knew that desire in my heart, and he has met it in ways I did not even know were possible. I honestly hold so much love for them, and it is so wonderful to be loved back by them. We has wonderful conversation over breakfast, and it was great to receive "mom and dad" hugs! It was more than enough just to spend time with them, but these people also just overwhelmed me with their generosity and showered me with gifts and love, I was literally left speechless, and as most of you know that is extremely rare in my life!
Anyways our time came to an end far far too quickly and with hugs and kisses we said goodbye. As sad as I was to say goodbye though, i was also so excited to be coming back to Bulembu. It was the strangest thing as I crossed the border into Swaziland I just had this peace in my heart that was so strong. I just know i belong here right now, and i am so happy to be here. I have always thought i could never live away from the ocean, but after being in capetown and coming home ot the beauty of swaziland i am not sure i could ever be away from the africaness of it, the bush and the red soil and the mountains its breathtaking.
It is bizarre though coming back from first world africa to third world africa... i definetly felt like I was back in Africa, after 1) the customs building we were in got struck by lightning (it sounded like a bomb went off)... 2) the lightning in the sky was purple (and the most incredible thing ive ever seen) 3) it was pouring rain and so we stopped and picked up three full grown African men an hour before our town and gave them a ride, (we stuck them in the trunk), them smelling like alcohol, me covered in groceries and bags, the road being so foggy we could barely drive it, cows being on the road, potholes causing me to repeatedly hit my head on the window. I don't think i could be happier. I still cant understand how one girl can love the city and this crazy african life simultaneously. It was like coming home...
So when i got back i decided it was time to make it home... i totally unpacked my room for the first time, i moved a shelving unit from the living room in for my clothes, i folded everything and made it mine. I moved my stuff into the rest of the house and stopped living like a visitor... its official i live here and i love it, I also put up some little trinket things in my room and some pictures and for some reason putting these things up in my room made it feel like it was where i lived for the first time. They were touches of things and people i love and it brought so much warmth.
Anyways I know this was a bit long and I'll try to write again soon. I just wanted to say thank you to all of you that took the time to say a prayer for me or send me a letter or gift over Christmas. These things mean more to me than you can possibly know. I hope God continues to bless you in 2010, know you are all in my thoughts and prayers. May the God of abundance bless you richly and sew new seeds in your life this year.
Just a note to those interested, unfortunately my church was unable after all to process any cheques sent to them on my behalf, so any money sent there will need to be returned and reissued to me, I am really really sorry about this but i appreciate your patience and understanding so much.
Thanks again for everything!
Much much love,
Heather Davies
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