Saying goodbye, and saying hello

Want to get a glimpse into what I’ve been doing the past 3 weeks at my service site of iThemba?  Check out this video on youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MGljaPgiWs

Well, this is my last night in Pietermaritzburg where I’ve been for the past 2 months.  In 5 hours we are leaving for a weeklong trip along the Garden Route on our way to get to Cape Town.  One chapter of this adventure is ending and another is beginning.

I know there are so many great things awaiting me in Cape Town, but I just can’t fathom leaving this place.  It still hasn’t hit me yet.  Imagine establishing an identity somewhere and making that place part of your home and it holding a piece of your heart and then you’re just expected to leave knowing that you may never return to that place again.  It seriously hurts my heart so much.  I have found my identity here. I have a beautiful church here and wonderful South African friends and so many memories and experiences; I just don’t want to leave.  Tomorrow is going to be really really hard…

Ithemba, my service site, has been such a blessing in my life.  Gosh I love that place.  I can’t begin to explain all I got to learn and experience there, but here is one great story…

One week we visited the home of two boys, ages 13 and 16, whose father is out of the picture and their mom burnt down their home years ago and tried to kill them.  She left them with absolutely nothing except a half burnt down mud home.  No food, no water, basically no hope or feeling of love.  One of our leaders at iThemba, Donald, has kept them under his wing, helping them create a garden as a source of food, establishing a hose for running water for them, and making sure they stay in school along with mentoring them to ensure their future.

However, Donald is moving in a few weeks to Pretoria and is leaving iThemba.  He has been worried about what would happen with these boys.  The day we decided to visit the boys and take them out for milkshakes, they were not home.  We were so bummed that we couldn’t meet them.  Seeing their home made us so incredibly sad.  All we could do was pray.  I placed my hands on that mud home and we prayed so hard for these two young men that God may protect them and keep them and if it was His will, provide them with homes and families that would love them.

As we drove home after praying for the boys and their future, we felt a sense of helplessness.  There was NOTHING we could do except pray.  As we sat there sulking, we realized that praying is a BIG deal.  Prayer is so powerful: how dare we treat it as almost worthless?  We had to trust that God will hear our prayers and will answer them in His time and in His way.

Well, 5 days later we found out some amazing news.  Donald told us that both boys had been adopted.  Not only were they going to be adopted, but they would be in wonderful, loving Christian homes.  WOW.  God, you are so awesome!  Prayer IS so powerful.  Don’t doubt that for a second.  He hears every single prayer and He CARES.  So so so great!!  We are all so overjoyed.   My heart is just smiling!

Well, I need to start packing I think.  Yeah, I do.  I had a perfect last day here in Pietermartizburg going on adventures with my South African friends, standing in a refrigerator talking with Megan Harris for 45 minutes (it was so hot today), having a farewell dinner, spending a little more precious time with my service site team, and ending the night in the prayer chapel reflecting and praying with the one and only Adam Wengronowitz.  SO thankful for a perfect day.  

I only have 3 more weeks left in this beautiful country and I’m not sure how I feel about it.  I just don’t know how I’m ever going to answer the question of “How was South Africa?” when I get home.  There’s no way that I’m going to be able to answer that appropriately.  Please, friends and family at home, be patient with me and have grace because I am going to be processing so much.  Just be glad that God has been working and is continuing to work so much in my life.  I am excited to see it all unfold.  I love you all very much!!

Over and out from Pietermaritzburg.  Talk to ya in Cape Town!

Tons of love,

Britt