This is a question we have asked ourselves almost daily. We’ve set up shop here near Lanseria, SA in a place called Refilwe. It is SO NICE here! The “compound” if you will, is set on a large plot of land that is complete with multiple gardens, a school/gym, a worm farm, a fish farm project, and houses where the Godparents live with their families. We know what you’re thinking because we thought the same, but the Godparents are not mobsters. In reality the Godparents are couples/families who are fostering the orphans that have been placed here at Refilwe. We are spoiled within the gates of this place—beautiful compound, great food, such nice people to work with! Justin prayed for hot showers…God answered! The reality is this place is amazing because the hearts of the people that have poured love and time into it are amazing! We feel like family with the staff already! God is so good! What’s life like outside the gates...less than a kilometer away from where we eat like kings every meal, people are going without anything to eat; most are sick and living in overcrowded huts. Reality check. You know what though? Jesus is here with us and there with them and we have a sweet opportunity to bridge a gap between our two very different lives.
Here is what we’ve been up to: The kids that live here in Refilwe love to ride bikes so what better way to bless them than to build a bike jump course—each morning a few of us shovel and haul dirt to an open area to construct the course. Most of the surrounding “communities” or squatter camps are filled with people infected with HIV or TB or both…each morning a couple different people travel to these communities with different volunteers to check up on people (make sure they are taking their medications, pray with them, encourage them etc.) The other two members of our team travel with some mamas to a squatter camp to work with preschool kids—playing games, helping out the teacher and basically just loving sweet South African kids! On Tuesday nights we head into the slums of Johannesburg to hand out bread and worship with the people who live there. African worship is second to none—beautiful music made with just voices, no formal instruments. We all agree that we feel so close to the Lord when we worship with the people of South Africa!
We’ve had the opportunity to spend time with the two ladies who began Refilwe, sister Jean (a nurse) and sister Yvonne (a retired pastor); these two bear the image of Christ so gracefully! It is amazing to watch them bounce around the countryside in their little Land Rover visiting different families, alcoholics, single mothers, preschoolers etc. Each person they encounter is treated with the same amount of love and respect; it’s easy to say that we’re all the same regardless of our financial situation or our skin color but these two live out that equality mindset everyday. It is such an understatement to say that we have learned a lot from them!
