Where to go from here.

I sit here trying to think of how to even begin explaining
the events of this last week. It was
beautiful, heart breaking and everything in between. Our time here is closing, this last week
being our last full week of ministry.
And of course it ended up being one of the hardest for both me and our
students. I cried, prayed, laughed and
struggled right alongside the girls I have been meeting with every week for the
last eight months.

Monday was probably the roughest day of the week. Holly and I were out trying to do the grocery
shopping, which on a public holiday is impossible, and ran into one of the
street kids here. His name is Dion. He is sixteen years old and he has AIDS. He weighs 95 pounds and refuses to take his
medicine. He literally is dying in front
of our eyes. He has resorted to drinking
and friendly smiles and exchanges are no longer had with him. He is utterly hopeless and is begging to
die.

From there we receive a call from some of our students who
do ministry at the health clinic in one of the townships, Pellsrus. They ran into a woman and her two month old
baby on the street. The woman is drunk
and holding her child like a sack of potatoes.
Our students pray with her, take the child and walk her home. Upon arriving at the woman’s house, they see
a man rolling joints and at least 6 cats roaming the home. The house is an absolute disaster, and
talking to the neighbors we find out they are all alcoholics and the neighbor
tells us, “They need a lot of help.” Our
minds and hearts go back to that child finding out it has not eaten more than
flour and water for the last four days.
It weighs only 2.5 Kilos, making it about 6 pounds. It has a rash over its entire body. The mother is too drunk to have patience to
feed and hold it properly. We sat there
wondering what is going to happen to this child. We buy some formula for the baby and try to
teach the mother how to do simple things like feed it, burp it and hold
it. And then we leave, praying and
hoping that God brings restoration and life to that family.

From there we come home.
I meet with one of my students and we start talking about the street
kids and the most recent situation that has developed over the weekend. There are a couple men here who have started
abusing the children and telling them that they are going to hell. They are referred to as the Rastas, so their
religion plays a part in both their abusive behavior and condemnation of those
kids. The kids go there because the men
give them marijuana, yet the men are beating them for sniffing glue and petrol.
Either way those kids are in danger.

And that’s a wrap.
The day is over. My heart still
hasn’t been able to process all these things, I still feel overwhelmed and
heart broken. Today at church, I wept for
Dion, for that baby, and for those kids.
I don’t understand these things.
I don’t understand why there has to be so much pain in the world. And I guess that’s where I’m at. I heard God tell me this morning to
surrender. And I guess that’s what we
have to do as our time in Jeffreys comes to an end. The Lord has really been speaking to me
through His word. I’m searching for
strength and peace to finish these last weeks strong.

He says…

“You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he
trusts in you. Trust in the Lord
forever, for the LORD GOD is an everlasting rock.” Isaiah 26:3-4

“a bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will
not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice. He will not grow faint or be discouraged.”
Isaiah 42:3-4

I guess all that to say, please be praying for us here. Today at church the pastor said something
that struck my mind and heart, he said through out life we may lose some
battles, but we will win the war. So we
continue on to fight for the things the Lord cares about.

We leave on Wednesday to go to Cape Town for four full days. It is our last debrief time with our
students. We will start to process the
events of the year and how to begin to reintegrate back to life in the
States. I’m not sure I have any of those
answers. Pray that our time will be full
of peace, rest, and laughter. Pray for
safe travels as it is a 8 hour drive from Jeffreys.

Blessings,

Heather