Dumela!
So today was our second time visiting an orphanage in Qwa Qwa called Leratong. “Orphanages” here are a little different from ones back home. Many of the kids in the orphanages here aren’t actually orphans. Rather, their families cannot afford to support them or are not treating them well. So, some kids actually go back home or to a relative’s house during their breaks in school such as the one that they are currently on. Thus, we are working with the kids that are staying at Leratong over their winter break.
Like I said above, today was our second day at Leratong. My group (me, Stephen, Matt, Kaitlyn, and Ashley) is working with the teenagers/high school aged kids, which is kind of weird since I’m still in high school myself but I think it helps me relate to them better. We’ve been teaching them lessons out of one of Thrive’s curriculums called “Living with Purpose.” In those lessons, we’ve been focusing on talking about their identities, who they are as God’s children, and how God can use them. Many of the kids in situations like these feel like they can never make anything of their future, but what we’ve found in our group is that most of them do have goals and dreams. In fact, most of them want to do something with their lives that benefits others. Just goes to show that they understand how they can use their own life experiences and struggles to help other people who may be facing similar situations.
The first day that we spend at Leratong was last Thursday. To be honest, I didn’t really feel like we were connecting with the kids very well and I had my doubts as we prepared for returning today. However, I asked God to just give us the words to say and to open their hearts to receive his message. While we were driving there, I felt very calm and relieved about it all. I knew that everything would go smoothly and that it would be a more successful day than last Thursday. My worry was gone and I had a clear, open mindset going in. While we were teaching our lessons and playing games with the kids, I noticed that they really were getting into it more and we were all connecting better. Even when it seemed like our group of guys wasn’t really paying attention, they were honestly trying to understand it. This was evident when one of them, who seemed a bit disconnected from the group, asked us to explain a portion of it again. While this may have been due to my lack of explanation, it was encouraging to see that he was trying to comprehend the lesson instead of just ignoring it.
Last week, we gave everyon journals and allowed them to decorate them to make them more personal. So, today we had them do a little craft project to go inside their journal. (they seem to really like crafts and are pretty artistic). The project was to cut out a shape of something that had significance to them such as the shape of Africa, or a soccer ball, cross, heart, etc. Then we gave them some questions that they could write or draw answers to on their shape. The questions were something along the lines of the follwing:
- What is something you like about yourself? (an attribute, ability, talent)
- Who is someone who has had an influence on your life / your hero?
- What is your life goal?
- Who is God to you?
- Favorite Bible verse.
- What is the proudest moment of your life?
While working on the project, a 13 or 14 year old boy named Thabang listed my name as someone who has influenced him. I didn’t realize that he looked up to me that much. He really liked to play hacky-sack and soccer with me, but I was not expecting to be listed as an influential person in his life as I have only spent two days with him. Nevertheless, I was honored and encouraged by this. It once again assured me that God was working through us and impacting the lives of the young men we were interacting with. I’d say that today was an overall successful day at Leratong and I look forward to spending more time there in the weeks to come.
Dallas
Dallas
I am very encouraged as I read your newest entry. May God continue to bless your efforts and help you to see Him at work.
Just got a moment to read this post; you are experiencing the sufficiency of Jesus in new and challenging circumstances. It is a great life lesson and one you will relearn many times. We’re confident God will continue to use you and bring fruit from your ministry.
Dallas, you are truly “Living with Purpose” and are an encouragment to the people there as well as us here. You are learning so much and experiencing things that will be with you a lifetime. We continue to pray for you daily.
p.s. I’m glad your hacky-sack skills are being put to good use in S. Africa.
Dallas, I am encouraged by your insite and observations of your encounters with the young people you are building relationships with there in Africa. I am sure God is teaching you many lessions of how He interacted with those less fortunate or struggling emotionally and spiritually while here on earth, and will use this time to build and strengthen your faith and character. My prayer for you is that God will give you the words to speak boldly and confidently and to rid you of the fear that is associated with unknown encounters, and to keep you well and physically strong while there in S. Africa.
Dallas, I give thanks for your example to me and others of living all out for God. I have been reading The Discipline of Grace by Jerry Bridges, and in it he highlights the problem of Christians living with their walk with God on “cruise control”. Cruise control seems good because we never have to check our speed, it’s convenient and relatively relaxing. But God doesn’t call us to live in cruise control, he calls us love Him with all our heart, soul and mind, to run the race to win. That means giving an all-out effort to obey God in every area of life, especially in interpersonal relationships. I am inspired when I see you doing that. To God be the glory.
We are encouraged to read how you continue to rely on God during your trip. Our world celebrates the strong, those who have their act together. Yet God again and again reminds us that the kingdom of God belongs to the weak. I once heard a preacher say, “Claim weakness, and God will be strength in you”. May this coninue to be the cry of our hearts as we daily surrender all we are and all we can be to God.
Hey Bro! I am so excited to read how the Lord is using you over there. I am so sorry I haven’t posted more on this. I thought I signed up to be notified when you posted anything, but my email hasn’t gotten anything…but I have been praying for you and you have been on my heart nevertheless! Then I check and see you have multiple posts….sorry again!
I love how you are seeing such rapid responses to discipleship in the life of the young man who listed you as influential in his life. Isn’t it amazing how that works! So few people have others who are willing to invest in them and pour out the love of Christ in their lives (let alone teach them how to live sacrificially and follow Him daily!).
Keep trusting each day and proud of how you are learning to walk in the peace of Christ in new ways. May God strengthen you with greater fervancy and passion for the remaining time on this portion of your journey!!! Blessings and eyes on Jesus, Josh