Day 6 - supplement

Hello everyone. Natalie here :-). Kirsten has updated you with what we’ve been doing, and as you can imagine we’ve had some tough moments today. But this is such a joyful group of people and we’re enjoying each other’s company and laughing a lot! People are chatting openly about their experiences and feelings, and we’re going to share communion later and pray for all our concerns. At the moment I’m trying to concentrate in the middle of a VERY silly game Shana is leading (Cauldron of Fire). To give you a better picture, I’ve asked some of the group to give a snapshot of how they are feeling. Hopefully I’ll get something from everyone by the end of the trip – just so you know they are all still talking to the leaders!
Me first. I’m feeling blessed that God is with us and suddenly realising how many opportunities my family has... struggling with walking away from children in chronic need.

• Michael: Amazed and astounded at how much of a presence God has in such a seemingly dysfunctional place. Feeling unprepared for the challenges I’m to face when I get home but pleased that the trip has changed me already.
• Holly: Amazed at the amount of joy and hope we’ve seen in seemingly hopeless places and situations. Torn between really missing home and feeling unprepared for challenges we’ll face back home.
• Jordan: Amazed at the relationships we’ve made with those we’ve met. Particularly the guys from St. Philips. The Horsham group itself has also been bonding really well. Challenged by the conflict of poverty and wealth right beside one another. What has also been difficult is seeing the situation some of the children we have met are stuck in, and knowing the majority will never escape this.
• Micah: Amazed by the friendliness and welcoming nature of the local people, both those at St. Philips and the Warehouse and everyone we see and meet. For a city so diverse and challenged this is really inspiring.
• Kirsten: A positive is that the enthusiasm and ‘happiness’ of the boys at the orphanage – the joy of spending time together and playing – they were so energetic. A negative is the traumas that the children we saw today have been through, and being told that they sniff glue and realising the nature of their home lives.
• Beth: I’m amazed by the hope of those who have every reason to give up. I also could not have asked for a better group of people to experience this journey with. I’m challenged by the lack of innocence these children have, at such a young age they daily face far more traumas than any of us would experience in our entire lifetime.
• Charlotte: Feeling very blessed by the relationships we are forming with the youth and leaders at St Phillip’s, the people we meet at the Warehouse, the deepening of existing relationships in our own group and my relationship with God. Struggles are found in acknowledging the extremely dark situations that even very young children that we are meeting find themselves in and the heightening of emotions that comes with a degree of sleep deprivation.
• Josh: I feel enlightened by the people we have met on or journey so far. They live completely different lives to us and yet the many similarities between us are also apparent. However, some of the experiences and situations of the school children we have met have been quite hard-hitting.

PS Please pray for the township of Manenburg particularly those working for peace in that fractured quasi-community. Chris <><