This last week has been a crazy one to say the least. Not sure if I gave this or not but here is our more permanent schedule
Mon. - Day off
Tues. - Class
Wed. - Class
Thurs. - Outreach in Masi
Fri. - Outreach in Masi
Sat. - Day off
Sun. - Outreach in Masi or celebration ( celebration is when all the home churches come from the all the townships and we have what we would call church as well as lunch which normally consists or margarine and jam sandwhiches serves with tea or coffee)
This above schedule will be until April 22. We leave April 23rd for our Outreach. Here are my choices: Zansabar, Zambia, Zimbabwe, SA(Red Hill, Masi, or Ocean View). If we stay in SA for outreach we may be living in the townships but I'm not sure yet. I am leaning toward Red Hill, or Zambia. There is an orphanage in Zambia that I would love to work at but I'm not sure if that's an option. Be praying cause I would love to work in an orphanage and always have wanted to but it's not church planting so I'm not sure if the powers that be will let me do that.
When I go on outreach here I am working in Masi. I am working for an organization called Vulnerable Children (VC). VC was started by and is run by All Nations. What VC does is help children who are head of their household because their parents have died or are too sick, usually with AIDS, to work and bring food to the house. These kids are anywhere from 8 to 16 and taking care of multiple siblings. They do it all, laundry, cook, clean, look after the little ones, take care of sick parents, and on top of it all, go to school. Some of these kids are fortunate enough to have a grandparent or uncle to look after them, even so most of them will live in a seperate house form that relative. So, if the kids qualify for the program they get, a food pack every month which is very large in amount and size, a new school uniform every school year, and VC designates a person working with VC to visit them, check up on them, look for sickness, quality of the house, any changes good or bad, last but not least disciple them and their family members. VC also does a kids club once a week to share a Bible story, play games , and give a snack. There are 20 families in the VC program right now and each of them has a sponsor. As it stands now VC has lots of resourses, and sponsors and wants to take on new families but they don't have enough workers to divey out the families to so we can check up on them and make sure the money is being used properly as well as disciple these kids and their families. I have been working with a woman named Kaylyn who is trying with everything in her to get me to come and help take over VC. I've been praying about it and nothing form God yet so we shall see.
This week in class we had Joe Ewen come and talk to us and teach about Spiritual Gifts. He is a great little guy form Sctland and I really enjoyed his accent. Here is a highlight of our class time, it was pretty intense. We proficide over people in class, we spoke in tounges and interpreted in class, we healed people in class, we spoke words of knowledge and wisdon over people in class, Joe spoke the gift of faith over all of us, and then Joe spoke on the discerning of spirits. After learning and experiencing these gifts in class we went out and did it in the townships. I feel I have always excelled in the gift of discerning spirits and in proficy but after this class I have a clearer way of hearing God. my nickname is actually prophetis now but some of the guys on my team. God really used me in Masi a couple of times and it was powerful and amazong to experience.
On to food my most fav topic...........So, here are some random food facts and stories.
I went to this little coffee cafe with my roomies and they ordered a muffin, it came served with a small dish of jam, a small dish of butter, and a small dish of shredded cheddar cheese. I proptly ate the cheese and they enjoyed their muffin:) All fruits and veggies in the grocery store ar organic natually, no organic section needed. There is a fruit called Letchi and I am loving it. Letchi juice i sgood stuff also. There is a corn dog stand in the mall, they dip some amazing things in carn dog batter and fry it. Such as cheese, chocolate bars and of course hot dogs. I tried the cheese corn dog and had an out of body experience because it is just that good. It puts the fair to shame. Needless to say I make sure I never pass that store ever again because I won't be able to fit on the plane to come home. Children here as young as 3 drink coffee and tea with milk and sugar. Lamb is cheap here and we have it all the time for dinner. I looked at the package last time Sylvia was cooking and she bought 6 lamb chops for what converted to 6 dollars!!!!!!! I love lamb and am getting spoiled. Sylvia works for All Nations and cooks us amazing hot meals for lunch almost everyday. I met Sylvia when I came here the first time about a year and a half ago. We get along great and have become good friends, I love her fmaily as well. She is married, her husbands name is Cedric he works for All NAtions in transport. They have 2 kids, Rivaldo 7 and Chelsey 3, and one on the way. They think it's a boy and if it is his name will be Cole (sounds familiar to anyone's name you know of?). Yes he is being named after his Auntie, at least that's what Sylvia says:) OK, one more food story..........While in MAsi I saw people grilling and they had these big things on the grill. I asked what they were and was told they are called smileys. You might want to clear the kids out the room for this one. .........smileys are sheeps head that they grill whole and they call them that because it looks like they are smiling and their tongues stick out of the corner of their mouth. I haven't had the honor of eating a smiley yet but am sure the opportunity will arise. I'll keep ya up tp date how that goes.
Here are some new term I have learned:\
shops- stores
serviette- napkin
Is it? - really? / no way?!
bry - grill
More random thoughts and happenings.......I have started jogging with a group of girls, we are very slow and walk alot but it's something. We had more flea outbreaks and I am now covered with a whole new batch of bites. Oddly it isn't bothering me that much, I think I am getting used to it.....yikes! We had more snakes, so that makes 2 cobras in all. One 4 ft long anf the other 2 ft long, both killed by Paul ( a student here who has a wife and 2 smaill children, he is the great snake protector). Another snake was spotted but not killed. We have 2 mice living with us now, we haven't actually seen them together so we nbamed them both Bob. We have some bugs here. Beatles, mosquitoes, flys.....correction swarms of flys(if they landed up could scoop up handfuls), and biting gnats of which have also contributed to my many itchy bites covering my body. There are also german roaches, you know the dirty ones. There is one stuck in the screen part of the microwave, oddly he doesn't bother me much anymore either. There are spiders here in SA as big as your hand and they run after your shadow aka at you. I have yet to see one of these and hope it stays that way. There are also little pintcher bugs that have been known to crawl in your ear, haven't experienced this and hope I never do.
And last fact but def not least. I keep foprgetting to tell you guys we have no heat or ac. So much fun and very sweaty:)
About pictures. I want more than anything to upload pics for all of you to see on here but it costs lots of mula and takes lots of time to upload and download pictures. I am trying to work this out and upload a couple but no promises.
Thank you to those of you that have sent in support money to make this journay of mine possible. I greatly appreciate it and you ar not forgotten or taken for granted. Thank you so much also to those of you that are still sending money in either monthly or one time!!! I can'express my thankx enough but I do appreciate the sacrific each and everyone of you make for me. ......THANK YOU!!!!
Well all, that officially takes us into the month of March. I know I am jumping up and down. Ilove being here but oh my I can't wait to set foot on American soil again!! Keep those emails coming, it helps me get through rough days and gives me something to look forward to.
Prayer requests:
Continued wisdom in managing God's money
Wisdom in which outreach place to go to
Patients with my living situation......don't get me wrong, all is well but prayer doesn't hurt
Health, I'm fine but agin doesn't hurt
That everything with tiny teeth will stop biting me!!!!
Love to all
Nicole
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