I lazily attempted to keep a running diary of my daily events during our trip to South Africa. What follows below is that lazy attempt. The words in quotes are the actual things I wrote in my journal, followed by a brief description (if necessary) to describe the words I wrote and the significance behind them. Whenever possible, I tried to document the time (local time depending on what time zone I was in) at which these events occurred. Hope that makes at least some sense…enjoy.
Tuesday, January 19th - 9:05 am: "Elementary School: 1,147 students...amazing discipline...their eyes are full of hope and joy." We arrived at this school thinking we'd be singing a song or two, hand out a few cd's, share a story, then be on our way...what we walked away with was far more than that. Quite a few of these kids were from the squatter camp just blocks away, yet there was no social distinctions or judgement for the other kids...all got along...all viewed each other as equal. What a beautiful thing to witness...especially by children of such a young age. Kids from 1st to 7th grade all interacting and enjoying each other...their love and acceptance for each other was great....indoor plumbing or not. These children; all 1,147 of them could teach the world a few things about tolerance, joy and love.
Tuesday, January 19th - 10:20 am: "35 men in social captivity living in spiritual freedom." Our second visit to the Joburg Prison was even more fantastic that the first. We were leading a worship service for an entire group of inmates, along with a baptism ceremony. We sang songs, prayed, spoke the Gospel, and over 20 men accepted Christ into their lives. In addition to this, 35 inmates were baptized...each one washed away their sins and displayed publicly in front of all their fellow inmates their outward sign of their new life. Men exited that blue inflatable pool in tears...forever grateful for the change that God had done in their life since commiting the crimes that placed them within those walls to begin with. It was an amazing picture of the redeeming power of Christ. These men walked over to their fellow inmates and hugged each other in this joyous moment. I couldn't help but follow suit and wrap my arms around these men; my brothers; as well.
Tuesday, January 19th - 4:35 pm: "Bruma Open Air Market - These men will haggle you to death." We spent the afternoon at a market doing a little shopping for souveniers for ourselves and our loved ones back home. Very much the same as a Flea Market here...random shops, odd collectibles, no set prices, and shop owners who will tell you anything to make a sale. I tried on a soccer jersey that might have fit tight on a 12 year old...what did the shop owner tell me? "It fits perfectly...it will stretch out a little...you're suppose to wear jersey's tight." Really? Pretty sure the seams would have ripped completely out had I done as little as sneezed. After an hour and a half I think we had all had our fill of the pushy salesman routine, so were are out of there...but not before I found a soccer jersey that fit just right.
Tuesday, January 19th - 8:35 pm: "The freedom of our story." For the past few days I could tell that something was bugging Kellie a bit. Everytime we talked about sharing our testimony to others, she got nervous...there is an anxiety that comes with being vulnerable, open and honest for the world to see. She was wrestling with what she was going to say. Finally, after our nightly devotional, Kellie asked if she could share her story with us. What followed was a joyous freedom that only comes when we allow ourselves to be fully revealed. The words and stories flowed from her heart and were met with our loving ears...and a weight was lifted off her shoulders. There truly is a freedom in Christ...and I think we all saw just that lived out that night.
Tuesday, January 19th - 9:3o pm: "Displayed 'cupping' method." After 2 days of intense curiousity, the 6 guys on the trip finally revealed the meaning behind the term "cupping". The women of the house were at a complete loss everytime one of us metioned this word. They didn't know if it was some sort of sleeping position, bathroom apparatus or simply an inside joke amongst immature men...all I knew is that they were tired of us asking each other "who's cupping next?" The quick story is this: there was not a shower in the downstairs bathroom for the 6 guys..only a bathtub that was a bit too dirty to even contemplate sitting and bathing in. So, to compromise, all us guys decided to simply 'cup' our hands under the bath tub faucet(s), fill them with water, and rinse ourselves clean that way. Thus, the "I haven't showered in 10 days" facebook status update upon my return home. It wasn't a lie...I didn't shower, I 'cupped'. Don't worry, we captured a mock demonstration from the women on video, so hopefully this clip will be on YouTube within the next few days...I'll keep everyone posted. Happy Cupping!
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