Missing South Africa.. the fresh air mixed with wood smoke, the dirt, the smiles, the huts and the avocados!!
Trying to walk through life here with a bit of my heart in another place. Everyone who has been to Africa has said to me that you leave changed and you leave part of yourself there. I now completely understand that statement. Life here is good and now that its warm being outside a good portion of the day is helpful. Its truly an interesting feeling.. one that is hard to put into words. Its like I'm going through the motions here of this life that I am very accustomed to... yet I feel so different.. everything feels new and strange.

I'll miss Africa... until we meet again....

-H

We are home! What an amazing trip! looking forward to sharing more about our time with the Zulu people of South Africa! :)

Saturday, April 23

We are leaving. What joy, and what sorrow. Last night we talked together about how we can possibly explain this to you all. We've tried, in our own ways, to express some of what we've seen and felt through our e-mails. But they simply don't do it justice. There are thousands of pictures in our cameras waiting to be developed and shown to you that will help tell the story of our experience here. But they won't completely convey it all to you either. So bear with us as we return :) This has been a life-changing time and we thank God for it. We also thank God for you. For all your prayers and your support and your encouragement. We ask that you please continue to lift us up in prayer. We have a long journey home - four take-offs and landings - and little ones who must sit still for a very long time! We have airports to traverse, and customs to clear. And we have much processing to do about all we have done here. We rest easy knowing that God goes before us and with us, and that you all are praying for our safe return.

We hope to arrive at the Detroit airport at 1:45 p.m. on Easter Sunday (God willing ;)), and in Greensboro, NC airport at 6:00 p.m. We will try to let you know as soon as we can if those times change. But please plan to be there to pick us up :) We're anxious to see you!

Until then, we remain in the joy and the hope and the promise of the risen Christ.

He is risen!! He is risen indeed. Amen.

Friday, April 22

Dear Family and Friends,

You are all greatly missed and we look forward to being home with you in 2 days. We will leave here missing our Zulu friends and praying for them, their health and the ACM ministry.

What a way to end our service here in South Africa starting with services at 7 am and Rev Rob preaching twice today, services not ending until 8pm, taking only short breaks and time for meals together. We spent the day alternating between organizing what supplies we will be leaving behind for ACM to be provided to those in need and for next year’s team, packing for our travel home and worshiping with the people of Grace Evangelical Church. The people of GEC and Gubethuka gathered starting last night for fellowship and will continue through Sunday for the Easter holiday glorifying our risen Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

We had the unique experience to meet with the community and provide additional education today in break out sessions. Dr. Amy and Dr. Andy, with the help of our friend Talent, educated young and old in proper oral care and the importance of oral hygiene. Dr. Andy also helped to lead a special break out session with Rev. Rob and Bruce for the men of the community sharing in fellowship, answering much-desired questions and counseling. Dr. Cathy shared with the women much needed guidance and information pertinent to their health care. The people of the community seemed to enjoy this time so much so that other portions of what had planned were cancelled. This is just a testament to how valuable the information that many of us at home get on a daily basis is, this may be the only chance that some of them get to ask questions candidly to a physician and get straight answers. The rest of the team; Sarah N., Sarah R., Heather, Barb, Kristie (the craft queen), Amy, Anna and Megan, during this time enjoyed singing, dancing and crafts with the children of ACM. The joy in their actions, voices and faces is uplifting and inspiring, even the littlest ones that sing “sahamba sahamba” marching in place know what it is to praise our Lord.

Anna and Megan also spent some time dying eggs with the team children and put on an egg hunt between their bouts of running and swinging and playing with their new South African friends.

We were blessed to partake in a traditional Zulu meal prepare by the ladies of ACM, as a send off and holiday celebration, topped off by Italian Easter bread and cup cakes in honor of Bruce’s birthday (I know, an international buffet).

We praise God for a successful trip in that we have shared the love of Christ with many here and amongst our team. God has provided the time energy, rest, strength, supplies needed, safe travel in country, and wonderful people of ACM that gave up their time and committed to translating and traveling with us throughout these two weeks. I believe also that we have each learned something about our selves, our God and one another that I hope will fill our days with growth, praise and building of relationships.

Please pray for our friends here, for our health and safe travel home as we are continuing to pray for all of you back home.

Much love and many blessings in the name of Jesus Christ,

Megan.

Thursday, April 21

Sonibona!

Our last three days have been FULL! We left at 5:00am Tuesday for Inguavuma. The drive was uneventful. We arrived atop the mountain around 8:30 to find all 150 patients there in the yard of Gogo Myani’s (Mercy’s mother) waiting for us. Surely some had arrived by 0400 as with previous clinics. We briefly sang some Zulu worship songs, Sabelo preached from Romans 10:8-10, then we saw patients and handed out meds. Gogo Myani prepared a wonderful Zulu lunch for us (some of us even got to see our first chicken catch and kill….hmm……). Many patients received glasses. All were prayed for. We finished before dark, played with 40 children gathered in the front yard, packed up and headed down the mountain, catching a GORGEOUS sunset over Lake Josini on the way. We arrived at the Game Park in time for a delicious dinner and went to bed exhausted but full of joy and wonder at what God had accomplished. Our 5 clinics were over and now it was time to reflect, process, rejoice and give thanks.

Wednesday we rode through the game park at dawn, at brunch, swam, slept, relaxed, and reflected, then went back through the game park at dusk. It was fun to hear the team buzzing with amazing stories (being surrounded by 20+ giraffes eating and strolling about, herds of cape buffalo, zebras, rhinos, a hyena, 10+ elephants as close as the giraffes but not as friendly!). Our evening devotion was from Psalm 104:24 – “How many are your works, O LORD! In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures.” It was wonderful to see and reflect on God’s handiwork (and between us we probably have 2000+ pictures so be sure to ask to see them when we get home!)

Thursday we returned through St. Lucia, saw hippos and crocodiles, spent a brief moment at the famous St. Lucia beach -- just long enough for the kids (that includes Sarah R.) to get covered in sand rolling down the dunes, much to everyone’s delight – then returned home in time for the Thursday night worship service. Rev Rob preached out of I John – God’s love. One of our team helped Sabelo pick up van loads of kids to bring them to the church for a 2-night Easter weekend “lock-in”. At the moment there are 90 kids sleeping at the church! It was a great reminder that while the game park is amazing and special the real ministry is back here in eSikhawini. Not just the 5 clinics we do in these two weeks but the 1000+ kids that are part of ACM’s weekly bible clubs. Every day the Mafus and the ACM staff reach the next generation with the gospel – and are offering hope and light in the darkness.

I had a moment to talk with Sabelo about the Impilo ministry (several of the older ACM kids have created a separate but similar ministry with a vision to reach teenagers). They have a vision to reach youth with the gospel and sow God’s love and peace and reconciliation. The week after we leave they will host an event at a local high school using mainstream music to start conversations about God. Sabelo will preach about the greatest love, God’s love, a love that never fails. He tells me the school is a large one so they are expecting over 1000 teens to be there. What an amazing example of a ministry multiplying itself! Teens reaching their peers. The ministry here is bearing incredible fruit and it has been a blessing and a joy to have been part of it for even a short while.

As Mary did before so many years ago, we have seen God at work here and now we are treasuring up all these things and pondering them in our hearts. And like the shepherds we will return glorifying and praising God for all the things we have heard and seen. The amazing thing about God’s amazing grace is that it shouldn’t surprise us anymore! But I don’t mind being reminded again and again about the savior who loved us enough to come and die for us, and who bids us Come, Follow Me!

Siyabonga. Lala khahle.

Andy