Did you miss me?
This past week was truly an incredible experience. Although I was pushed about 593 miles out of my comfort zone, I had the opportunity to witness some pretty amazing things with some outstanding individuals.
Before I start with any of the in depth serious stuff from this week, I just want to give you some brief details of the community and where we stayed to give you a better perspective of the experience. For starters, there is no running water which complicates a number of every day tasks such as washing hands, dishes, your body, or anything else for that matter. Luckily, the trailer ministry team was provided by our own water supply from Eastside to use throughout the week for drinking and other necessary chores (We each were allowed one "bucket bath" for the week). There is also no electricity which is extremely difficulty to adapt to. However, we did have the opportunity to use a small generator for short periods of time during the night for one small light bulb and for the rest of the team to charge their phones. Lastly, there is no indoor plumbing. There is however, a "long drop" which is basically a less structured version of a porter potty (AKA my worst nightmare). There was no getting around that one.
The pastors of Praise Tabernacle Church were extremely hospitable towards us throughout our entire stay. The girls stayed in the garage attached to the side of their house. The boys slept right next door in a shack that belonged to one of the members of the church.
I am extremely blessed to have had the opportunity to work with the other members of the trailer ministry team. They are such an outstanding group of people. They became my family this past week and without them, I would not have coped nor would I have been nearly as comfortable in such an unfamiliar environment. We ate together, prayed together, laughed together, sang together and truly bonded as one. I made unforgettable memories as well as life-long friendships. They were so uplifting and encouraging throughout this entire week!
The need for love within this community is evident. There were very few times during the past six days that both of my hands were not being held, my hair was not being played with or my lap was not being sat on. There were several very little children that came with their older siblings to Holiday Club and they quickly captured my heart. Poor sanitation and the spread of germs became so irrelevant and unimportant when working with these kids because all I desired was to snuggle with each and every one of them. It was such a privilege to focus solely on God and his plans for this community, free of any and all distractions. It was truly a humbling experience.
Possibly one of the best memories I had from the entire week was on Thursday. More than halfway through the week, we started to let the leaders from Praise Tabernacle Church take over and be independent in their leading rather than us giving them instructions or intervening. It was on this day that we focused on salvation and it's meaning. In our small group time, we had a time where we asked if anyone would like to be saved and allow God to become a part of their lives. During this time, a group of three other girls and myself were working on making sandwiches for all of the children to have for lunch. In the midst of our assembly line, Gray, our team leader, came around the corner seeking not just one of us but all four in helping with salvation prayers. As we proceeded around the corner, seven small hands were still raised from the question of who wanted to be saved from the first & second grade class. Immediately I felt such an overwhelming sense of excitement and happiness to know that we were successfully making an impact. As we each took a child, I just happened to pair up with one of the small boys, Gift. As we walked to a more secluded, quiet place, we were also accompanied by an older leader who spoke their language so that Gift would be able to understand my prayer. Almost halfway through my prayer, I completely lost it. What an emotional experience it was to be a part of a small child's commitment prayer to God. It was a moment I will never forget with that beautiful little boy.
So now, as I recover from a nasty cold, I reflect on how blessed I really am. As I return back to Pretoria I think about how lucky I am to be able to leave and take a hot shower, enjoy indoor plumbing and electricity during the night as many kids from Wallmansthal will never have that same opportunity.
xoxo
Taylor
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