George - The Final Week

6/22-7/2

Our last week in South Africa came all too quickly. It seemed as though I only blinked and 5 weeks had pasted.

For our last week we came back to our base in George to serve in various ways.

On Monday we started our day very early for a sunrise surf lesson. This morning was quite simply one of the best mornings I've had in a long time. Surfing at Victoria Bay is something that I have dreamed of doing for the past two years, so getting to spend this morning with my team was truly so special. After an amazing morning we headed to a local orphanage to do a kids program of dancing and devotion. This was also such a wonderful time of getting to love on all of the children and the staff members. Although it was definitely a challenging morning I feel so privileged to have been able to share Christ's love with them.

Tuesday morning we went back to the orphanage for a continuation of the children's program we started the day before. It was so sweet to see connections being made with these kids within just two day. In the afternoon our team drove out to a plot of land that Ethnos now has and begun some beautification work.

Our day on Wednesday looked very similar to Tuesday. In the morning we went to the orphanage for the last day of our program; I loved getting to be a small part in the ministry at the orphanage, but saying goodbye was very difficult for me. For years I have had adoption on my heart for whenever I start my own family and being at the orphanage only solidified my desire to adopt. In the evening we again went to the plot of land and helped to clean up the garden and outside of the houses. We also spent time making making videos to teach some of the young leaders at Ethnos how to lead a few ministry dances. These dances were then taught by the leaders during a kids camp hosted on our base, and although our team was not able to be directly apart of the camp our videos were used as a helpful tool.

Thursday was our last day of ministry. Two of the nursing students on our team went to the local clinic that is partnered with Ethnos' church and volunteered their time helping our wherever was needed for the morning. While the rest of us spent the morning praying over Bible verses and then attaching them to candy bars. We then went down town and prayerfully handed out the candy bars to people who we felt led to approach. I always love doing street ministry like this because I believe it allows me to truly be led by the spirit in the verse I choose and the exact person I give it to.

In the evening we had the wonderful pleasure to sit down with one of Ethnos' missionaries and hear a bit of her story and receive wisdom from her. This was such a great time to be encouraged and learn more about what God is doing in the people around us.

Friday was another early morning as we went sunrise surfing again! It has been such an amazing experience to start a few days off with a hobby that I love! After getting changed around quickly we headed to go on a safari!! While we were there we got to see so many incredible animals native to South Africa. I am so very grateful that we were able to experience the beauty of South Africa and learn more about the animals here as our outreaches came to an end.

On Saturday morning we got to go to a neighboring town and enjoy a local market filled with amazing food, venders, and artisans. It was a great morning to experience what a Saturday morning looks like for many locals here. After the market we spent the rest of the day planning for church on Sunday as our team was instructed to lead the entire service. And on Sunday our team had so much fun leading everything from worship, to prayer for the nations, to giving testimonies, and then preaching. Everyone on our team was able to step up in their area of strength and be apart of a beautiful service. The rest of our day was then spent doing a thorough debrief of our entire trip.

Then on Monday we visited a ministry called Wild Mongoo which focuses on reaching women on the streets in need of a reputable job as well as the deaf community. Wild Mongoo makes jewelry, sews various items like stuffed animals and baby clothes, embroiders, screen prints, paints nails, and many other skill based jobs. They also focus on creating a Christian environment for these women to learn about Jesus Christ. In the evening the team was then forced to say many sad goodbyes as they prepared to leave on Tuesday.

And now as I am writing this, everyone has arrived safely in the states and I have begun my time working at the medical clinic. Our base feels strangely quiet now but as I look around I am grateful to be filled with many memories of the past 6 weeks.

Praises:

• The community our team built amongst each over over the past 6 weeks

• All of the connections we have made throughout all of our travels

• All the knowledge we were able to gain about South Africa and its culture

Prayers:

• For continued partnerships between Ethnos and the places we traveled to for outreaches (Somerset East, Danial Skuil, Ceres, Cape Town)

• That each of us on the team would not have just experienced the past 6 weeks but that it may be a testimony for us and we may bring back what we leaned to our daily lives

• That even through long distance we may keep friendships and connections that we have build during our time in SA

This is sadly the last blog for our Africa Move team, but I plan to continue to send updates about the remaining time I have here in SA. Thank you all so much for your prayers and support as we were all here in SA serving. We truly would not have been able to do it without those of you who support us from home.

With love & appreciation, Noelle ♡