Team Work

Team building!

Ventors @ Stellenbosch University

SOS kids: best friends picture :)

Camp's Bay... beautiful.

Again we are still getting used to things around here. We are also adding to our numbers every week. People are getting back from vacations, road trips, and also arriving from other countries to come serve. Eventually we will have 12 people in our house! Right now we aren’t quite there yet though. It is definitely nice to get used to living in the house without everyone being here. It might be a little too hectic if everyone was here in this crucial/confusing time. I’m excited to get to know everyone though, and become a little family.

Tuesday was a “team building” day. We drove out to Kylemore, which is near Stellenbosch and the wine lands. It’s a beautiful place: a lush valley with surrounding peaks and vineyards. I could honestly describe it as a “low ropes” course in the states. Lots of different activities to challenge us individually, but especially as a group. Despite our attitudes going into the day, it ended up being an amazing thing for all of us. It really did allow us to learn more about one another and grow closer together as a team. One of my favorite parts was towards the end, where we did an encouragement circle. We split up into houses, and as the Blouberg house, we had to say nice things to the Pinelands house. It was very powerful, because I don’t get that much of a chance to talk to the guys and gals in the other house. And it was just a blessing to hear what people had to say to me. We forget how much a little encouragement can do for our lives.

Wednesday was more team training with a public speaking and active listening session in the morning followed by an afternoon trip to the SOS Children’s Village. This is essentially a “village” where children and teens alike stay and live. Most houses hold 8 youth and 1 housemother. These children have all different stories and backgrounds. Some have good relationships with their parents and some don’t even know their parents. But this village is a good environment for them to interact with other youth and find a family of sorts to look out for them. We work with the kids and teens separately throughout the week once we start the projects back up.

This week was also the week of randomness complete with a trip to Stellenbosch, the University to a thing called Ventors (sp?). The residential housing facilities are all like little clubs and they are in charge of putting on a sort of show for everyone that comes. It’s a huge event! Thousands of people come from all over. We were told to stay close, because you can easily lose someone in the crowds in a couple seconds. It was a very unique experience to say the least.

We also were able to go to one of the prettiest beaches here on Saturday, Camp’s Bay. It’s absolutely gorgeous. I will post some pictures, so you can see. It was just nice to unwind after a long week of information processing, and enjoy God’s beautiful creation. Mmmmm…

Prayer requests: pray for the team as a whole that we start becoming closer and that we can work through whatever issues; pray for my direction here... trying to find my niche!

-Kristen

walking downtown.

This week has been a little different... Different in a good way. We have been more active at least! Beginning Monday we had our cleaning day, plus a house meeting with Andre to give us the schedule for the upcoming week.

We started off on Tuesday going to see some of the projects in the hospital. We didn't get to go inside the pre- and post-abortion counseling facilities, but Anika (one of the international volunteers from Holland) gave us the entire history on YFC's involvement there and exactly what Options entails. Abortions are legal in South Africa, so it is difficult to prevent them. But with the pre-abortion counseling, some women choose to have their babies instead of getting an abortion. If they choose to go through with the abortion though, YFC is still there to pray for them and counsel them after the fact.

We also got to see the Kangaroo Mums. These are women who carry their premature babies in a swaddling wrap on their chest for weeks while they are recovering. The program there is just to help make these women comfortable, give them something to do and love on them while they are waiting for their babies to grow and get healthy.

We also got to go to the New Life house. This is a home where moms can go who want to give their babies up for adoption. It's a safe house for them, while they are pregnant, and for a few weeks following. They get to pick out the adoptive parents, and they get proper prenatal care. The women are so sweet and are also very bored, so they are very thankful for our involvement with them!

On Wednesday, we ventured downtown to a couple museums. The first being the District 6 museum and the second being the Slave Lodge, which has been converted into a museum. You left both places very humbled. If you don't know the history on the apartheid and how things were here in the past, even back to the early days of colonization, it would be something to Wikipedia. It's amazing to see how much this country and its people have gone through. And it wasn't a century ago that people were suffering... it was 1994. It is still now. The segregation, the oppression, the bitterness. It's all there. South Africa is truly an amazing and beautiful place, and you begin to notice that more as you look deeper, and learn about the progress. They still have a long way to go, but they have come so far!

We then proceeded to go to Company's Garden downtown. It's a beautiful little place with psychotic squirrels and pigeons, but that makes it all the more interesting. The squirrels will jump in your lap to eat your lunch if you're not careful. For lunch we had these sandwiches called "Gatsbies." Basically, it's the most unhealthy thing you could eat ever. It has everything on it... french fries, some sort of meat, cheese, cucumbers, straight grease... I mean, don't get me wrong, I ate it all. But I can safely say I didn't eat for a whole day following. Great meal replacement plan! It was definitely a South African experience that had to happen.

Thursday, we went to the farm... First in the morning to meet the young children and Oma, a sweet grandmother who is a good friend of the YFC interns. Later in the afternoon, we returned to play with all the kids who had come back from school. There are all ages who live there. The farm is literally a farm, where men are hired to work for a white wealthy farmer, and he gives them some property to live on. They don't have many resources to build their homes, so a lot of the houses resembled township shacks, but they work with what they have. These men bring their families, and families bring friends and aunts and grandmothers, and before you know it, there's a whole community of people! And puppies... There are probably as many dogs as people. The living situation isn't perfect, and oftentimes the workers get paid for their work in wine instead of money. On some mornings during the week, we run a creche with the little ones that don't go to school. It's pretty simple: we brush their teeth, wash their faces, and give them food and drink. Then we tell a bible story and sing songs with them and hang out for a while. In the afternoons we'll just show up and play soccer, cricket, or just love on the kids. They are starved for love and attention, because their home lives are so complicated. I love it at the farm... I love getting dirty and sweaty playing soccer, and then having a baby wipe his nose on my shirt. That's real ministry, and it's beautiful!

Friday is always staff meeting... I helped lead worship for the first time, and it was awesome. I just love that small group type worship setting. It's my favorite by far. I have been doing a bit with music since I've been here, but I definitely try to play guitar often, just to make sure I keep it up. And I have written a song already! It's easy to get frustrated sometimes with the random schedules and the amount of people you are living with, so it's nice to escape and just write a song. I will post the song soon on facebook somewhere. So keep an eye out!

Most of my posts won't be this long... There's just so much going on in these few weeks, and I want to get you acclimated to my schedule and what I do regularly, as well as the awesome things I'm learning in the process! Hope you all are doing well, and I miss you a ton!

Prayer requests: patience... big time. discernment - to know where I should be in the projects. for the people of South Africa in general - they have been through a lot and there is definitely more room for growth!

-Kristen

my new home

Table Mountain - 1/2 mile from my house!

Camp's Bay - the most beautiful beach ever

Windy day in Blouberg... Windsurfers

Hawk's Bay - just gazing

welcome to cape town, south africa! my home away from home... if you are reading this, then be prepared to journey with me for a year, as i live in work in this beautiful city. so far it has been quite an adventure!

when shawna and i first arrived, our wonderful friend kyle weichardt (who is the son of the national director of yfc here in south africa) picked us up from the airport. we were starving, so we made a quick trip to mcdonald's. definitely felt like we were home there for a second until we pulled into the drive-thru on the opposite side! all roads are backwards from what we know in the states and the steering wheel is on the right side of the car. crazy! then we had to wait while 4 boys WALKED through the drive-thru... that's not even allowed in the states. lol. welcome to africa!!

the next morning shawna and i found out that we would be separated into different houses... not what we expected, and for that fact, it was very difficult to separate. but we were definitely willing to see what God had in store for each of us in our own households. shawna ventured over to pinelands which is more inland, and i ventured over to blouberg which is a house on the coast. eventually, we realized that the living situations were perfect for who we are... God totally made that happen. He's just awesome like that.

i moved into blouberg and reconnected with some of the international interns i met at youth week, but also met some new ones. so many countries are represented in my house! germany, holland, england, northern ireland, america! it's exciting to see so many cultures converge. it's just like south africa in a way... :)

the house is wonderful... beautiful! right on the beach... totally perfect for me, and i seriously have to pinch myself sometimes when i watch the sunset over the water every night. it's like a glimpse of heaven everyday! it's great to just escape out to the water front sometimes... i can honestly feel God's presence there with me. the girls that i live with make it that much more enjoyable. even though there's a lot of us, they are all spectacular and can teach me so many things! my roommate mirjam is just perfect... we go to bed at the same time and usually wake up at the same time. and that's not the only reason why she's amazing: she just loves beyond herself. you can hear, see and feel her love. it's been awesome to just grow closer with her in only a few weeks. and she lets me have a lot of closet space :)

things in the house are pretty regular every week... one day a week, we have a night where we cook dinner with one of the housemates. then all of use enjoy dinner together like a little family. we also have tuesdays as a cleaning day plus devotion in the morning. i am really excited to see the ministry that could just come out of all of us living and growing together in the same house!

so i've really just been relaxing, getting to know the girls in the house, and figuring out how things are done around here. i also got my hand at driving! took my driver's test and passed! holla... i can now officially drive backwards to what i know. you should be proud. i'll try to be careful... can't promise anything about the south african drivers! yikes. more updates to come soon. stick close to facebook... pictures and updates are posted as much as i can weekly!

prayer requests - pray for our house: for good attitudes and less frustration! pray for safety on the roads :)

love to ya,

k10

Youth Week 2011

Our little dorm family at Youth Week

Hiking the mountain near the camp (before the baboons appeared)

Vocal Elective class: teachers and students

Contingency Chants: Cross Movement

Worship on the first night!

What can I say, but wow?! It is amazing to see 900 young people worship the Lord with such fire and passion! It is absolutely breath-taking. They inspire me! 20% of these youth are infected by aids and 10% of these youth are orphans. They are oppressed by the history of Apartheid, but their faces shine with the light of freedom and unity. They are the generation to overcome. I thank God for the opportunity to work with such a wonderful group of young people.

Everyday was exciting in itself. Worship in the morning and in the evenings, plus sports and games throughout the day, along with elective classes some of the afternoons. I helped teach the vocal class along with Cameron and Nicole. These youth are talented beyond their own knowledge. I hope my time here can be spent helping youth reach their true potential! But the vocal was just as amazing as last year... Will post some video to facebook soon, so you can see. Most of them say they can't sing either... Rubbish.

Youth Week is a whirlwind crazy fun time... It's amazing to watch youth step out in faith and praise the Lord without hindrance or concern for the people around them. So many youth gave their lives to Christ, but also gave away their burdens. Unforgiveness was lifted from hearts... the burdened of shame was wiped away... tears can only tell those stories. We as counselors had the opportunity to pray with youth during some of the sessions. Oh how humbling that experience was. It really puts into perspective the things I complain about and fear when I hear the story of a young girl taking care of her 3 siblings while her mother does drugs and her father is no where to be found... humility.

One of my favorite parts of the week had nothing to do with all the main sessions and the crazy athletic events... It took place in our dorm. Shawna and I were dorm leaders together, and we expected about the same relationships as last year. They listen during devotions in the morning and sleep in the room at nights. We really didn't see growth or strong friendships form. This year was so much different though. Every morning I was excited to hear what the girls had to say. They were so amped to do devotion together. Some would skip their shower for it! We always went to late and they would miss the beginning half of breakfast, but they loved it. We were a little family, black and white, young and old, from Durban to Swaziland. It was a beautiful melting pot of love! One young girl who was just about to turn 14 connected very strongly with a 22 year old! That's what I'm talking about! Lives converging. Every night we would stay up talking and laughing... Some nights I would have to tell them to go to sleep, because they were having too much fun until 1 in the morning. It was so beautiful to watch though... I miss them, but I know each of their lives were changed by that week and that time we spent together. Check my facebook for pics from the week!

Prayer requests - Pray for the youth as they leave Youth Week and go back to their normal lives. Pray for a hedge of protection around them! Also, pray for a humble heart as I move to Cape Town and begin work there!

Love you all,

Kristen

PS - It was very hard on me and Shawna as we said goodbye to the Revive team! Lots of tears and hugs in the airport... Thank you all for your love and support in our lives! We are who we are because of you. Don't forget about us! Love love love you all.

a new year =)

Well, I’m in the air again. I never can seem to keep my feet planted, I guess! I am really missing everyone today. I haven’t really been able to communicate with anyone back home for a while now, and frankly, it’s harder that I thought it would be. When I’m alone with my thoughts, I think a little too much.

Despite the longing feelings, it is absolutely beautiful here. Beyond words gorgeous. So what I lack in my familiar beautiful faces, I gained in beautiful scenery. I still cannot believe this is where God called me! It’s too amazing. Seems unfair. In a lot of ways, I feel I don’t deserve it. Actually, I don’t. We never deserve anything right? Life is a gift, undeserved. But God is awfully gracious to us and our sinful selves.

Wow… I just looked out the window again and realized where I am. Spectacular. I can’t help but feel so small from this height. This world, this life, this view… beyond me and everyone else. We were never built to be big enough or strong enough or beautiful enough. God is all those things in and through us. Takes some of the pressure off!

Cape Town was wonderful with the Revive team... It was exactly what I needed to begin my life here in South Africa. They are truly my family and I wouldn't be here today without each and every one of them! What a fun time of sight-seeing... Cape Point, Scenic drives, penguins, markets, and New Years out at the beach house! What more could I ask for?! And now we're on our way to Johannesburg for Youth Week... the excitement builds =)

I am so grateful. I don’t think I share that with God enough or the people around me. I’m so bad at giving and receiving gifts, so I guess it makes sense that I struggle with the idea of gratitude. I will begin to mend that problem though. Let it be my first baby step towards discovering my true purpose here.

And hey, I just realized it’s now 2011! Where did the year go?! Soon enough I’m sure I will be reflecting on all the things 2010 brought… the good, the bad, and the ugly… it was quite a year! Reflection and gratitude. Looks like I got my work cut out for me!

I can only imagine what the Lord has in store for me and Shawna. I’m beyond excited. I’m just ready to be used. And in that I hope to find where the Lord ultimately wants me. I wouldn’t mind if it was riiiiiight here! Here I am, Lord. Send me.

Prayer requests - Pray for all the youth that will attend Youth Week! Open their hearts Lord. Also, pray for humility and understanding in our Revive team. We are here to serve!

-Kristen