Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Long day

So today we woke up at around 5:30 to go to a school called Aurora. On the way we stopped by the principals office to pick up them and few other people. We pilled in the back of a truck. It was a crazy. Aurora is a Christian based boarding school that consists of kids from "squater" camps. Squater camps are basically tin shacks about 10x10 that a family lives in. They do everything in that shack but Aurora takes kids out of that area for Monday - Friday and gives them a place to stay and an education. Today we taught them English and then after school we started a soccer team and had practice and such. It was so great. The kids were so thankful to have us and are ready for us to come back next week. We will be going every Wednesday to help out from 7 til about 4:30...yeah it'll be a long day.
Today was especially long because after Aurora we instead of going to bible study went on a homeless ministry outreach. We basically had about four cars that followed a truck full of soup and bread. We went all around downtown Jo'Burg and passed out cups of soup and bread. It was such hard thing but in the same sense it was also very humbling to be on there level and just serve them. To me seeing how they looked after each other and I felt as though they would also look after me. It was great. Anyways that was from 5:30 til 10:30 so I had a super long day and on the fact I am really sick so I am super drained. 
Pray for strength and soaking of the Word on my heart. I miss everyone and love you guys...Til next time, Jack

Previous month...haha

Hey guys so sorry it has taken me so long to make one of these blog deals. I have been incredibly swamped with work and honestly haven't had as much time as I would have selfishly liked to start my blog. Be looking for about two or three posts a week though. Anyways a quick recap on what I have been doing since I have been here and kinda what I'm doing as well.
I am doing a HandsOn project through the International Mission Board. It is for college as students who have felt the Lords calling and wish to take a semester off school or who have finished like myself. It as a very inexpensive trip considering all you get do and the place I'm staying in. My flat is most def better than where I lived the previous semester. 
Anyways when we first arrived we had a 10 day orientation that consisted of briefing of our projects, cultural stuff, and intense bible studies. I met alot of great people and began to know my new roommates for the next five months really well. They are really unique and different guys its great. But after orientation we got settled in in an area called Greenstone in Johannesburg, South Africa. It is a very well maintained area but still is rough. Our main mission here is to reach out to the complex we are staying in. Without us being planted into this community nobody would ever be able to get in to build relationships and hopefully one day share the Gospel. 
We are definitely suffering for Christ in our super nice "flats" apartments haha no but really it is easy living but the ministry here is going to be incredibly difficult and most likely not fruitful to our eyes. People here have all they really need and have no need for Christ. It really is a struggle to us and that is the first most important part of prayer we would love to have. Besides our complex we are working with Edenvale Baptist Church and I am helping out with Ignite which is the older youth and I am actually skateboarding every other Friday at different skateparks with a guy named Shannon. He heads up SonSkate which is a Christian based skateboarding organization that is huge in South Africa. So wow its crazy how the Lord gives you gifts that you would never expect to use on the mission field and there I am skateboarding for Christ. 
Anyways I have a great team and a great supervisor. Pray for our team that we will continue to unify and grow together and learn together. Pray we will be able to just stand strong and soaked up in the Word, that we will be patient in our relationships with people and we will be very very intentional with the little time we have with them. Til next time which is like right now haha,
Jack