Somerset East

5/27- 5/29

MONDAY

On Monday after about a six hour drive we made it Somerset East! As we got closer and closer the scenery became more familiar until I was able to predict the next turn. As we approached our mission partners farm memories flooded my mind.

In Somerset East our partners run an organization called GF4GF (Good Foundation for Good Fruit). This program works as a resource for underprivileged young adults, for 12 months a handful of students are selected to be discipled and inspired to pursue a fruitful future. Unfortunately, most children, young adults, and even adults in Somerset East live a very passive life. They sit around and do not do much of anything. The culture in this area is one that does not believe their lives have worth. So a few at a time, GF4Gf is instilling the love and hope of Jesus Christ. The homes their students come from are ones of abuse, brokenness, and hopelessness. So as we arrived, our goal was to love on these students in a way that only reflects just how loved they are by God, and to serve the community in the same way.

So on Monday, we settled in and began to get to know each of the students and prepare for our next few days of ministry.

TUSDAY

With an early wake up call, we prepared a bible study on prayer and shared it with the GF4GF students before breakfast. Then we broke up into groups and all served in different ways. Some people helped in the GF4Gf garden, others assisted with the bakery aspect of the organization, and my group focused on painting projects at the farm. The day was tiresome as we painted in the very hot sun, but we were able to make a dent into the many projects the need to be done on the farm. By lunch time we all came back together to eat and get ready for the rest of our day. After lunch we learned a few ministry songs and a little drama to perform on Thursday. Then we had the opportunity to go to a new coffee shop in town and support the local business. To end the day our whole team of Africa Move and GF4Gf went to one of the local schools for a night of prayer and worship.

On Wednesday the country of South Africa was preparing to have their main political election. This election has a huge impact on the future of South Africa so the Church took act and came together in prayer and worship at one of the local schools. Seeing members of the church come together for a political event was truly so powerful.

WEDNESDAY- Election Day

Wednesday held much significance for many people. The people of South Africa, the candidates running in the election, and each of our team members as we embarked on a day with a lot of reflection.

To start the day we hiked a mountain that overlooks Somerset East. At the top there is a large cross that is strategically placed to overlook one of the main roads that runs through the town. During apartheid this road separated the colored and white communities. It also separated those who had money and the more impoverished families. The cross was erected to represent unity and Gods outstretched arms for all people. After leaning about the towns history we had a Bible study and ate breakfast by the cross. We then came down from the mountain and began a prayer walk all throughout the town. During this time we were able to continue learning more about Somerset East, the struggles most people there face, and how we can better pray for their people. This walk shed light on many harsh topics and hardship that our team would have otherwise never know. It was very difficult to face the reality of the lives of the peoples houses we were walking by, but our continuous communication with the Lord on the walk allowed for peace.

This day ended with a community game of soccer. The game allowed for us to connect with many different children from the community, provide them a fun activity for the evening, and be a representation of Christ's love.

By the time we went to bed I was more exhausted then I had been in a very long time. The day was very physically taxing as we spent the whole day on our feet but it was also emotionally and spiritually tiresome as we allowed our hearts to break for what breaks the Lord's.

THURSDAY

Thursday was a really heavy day for a lot of people on the team. We started off the day with worship and a Bible study led by the GF4Gf students. This was such a wonderful way to begin our day, as it allowed for us to align ourselves with the Lord in community. Our first ministry was at a school for disabled children. There are not many opportunities for people who are disabled in Somerset East so this school is an extremely special place, covered in blessings from the Lord. Our time there was spent dancing with the children, performing the dramas we created, and simply loving on the kids. It was such a beautiful experience seeing the kids slowly become more comfortable and begin to have fun.

Our last ministry at Somerset East was at the local dump site. The dumpsite offers jobs for multiple people but it is all that some of the people have. The majority of those who have a job at the dumpsite also live there in small shacks, the children may or may not go to school, and their resources usually consist of what they can find amongst the rubbish.

Even though I have been to the dumpsite before, it tugged at my heart differently this time. I felt myself choking back tears as I watched the children play with a soccer ball in a way that revealed that they hadn't played in such a way in a long time. My heart began to break as the Lord revealed to me the daily hardships that those young children, yet alone the adults, face.

The rest of the day was spent processing with the Lord what we had seen during ministry. Allowing the Lord to reveal to us why our hearts were breaking and we were flooded with emotions we didn't even understand.

And then it seemed that all too quickly the day had passed and with the night we were forced to say our goodbyes to the GF4Gf students we had gotten close to over the past few days.

Leaving Somerset East I have such a grateful heart for my time spent loving on God's children there. Somerset East will always hold a special place in my heart.

Praises:

• The wonderful connections we got to make with the GF4GF students

• The times spent being discipled by our ministry partners there

• Learning more about the South African culture

• Growing closer with our team

• A smooth election day

Prayers:

• Inspiration and drive for the people of Somerset East and South Africa as a whole

• That the Lord's people would see how much worth they have in Him.

• For a boy at the school for disabled children, while we were there he fell off their play area and broke his arm. He ended up going to the hospital and then was transferred the next day to a better hospital for surgery. We know that he had the surgery and was doing well after, but have not heard much since. So prayers for continued healing and strength- (also a praise that he was able to receive the medical care he needed)

• For the people at the dumpsite, that the Lord would protect and pour his blessings upon them

• For the flourishing of all our or ministry partners businesses as they use them to honor the Lord

***I apologize for such a late and long blog, we have not had wifi for quite a while and I have so much to share about the past couple weeks