3-14-08
4:45pm - African time
Update written by Megan Eastland

We made it! Our flights were all on time, our transfers were great, and everyone arrived in great spirits! Upon arrival at the airport, Schaun announced a surprise– that we wouldn’t be staying at the camp in J. Bay for our first two nights– we’d be staying in a game reserve! However, when he announced it, he received one “oh!” and the rest blank faces– because no one really grasped what that meant! We soon found out though!

As our four vans pulled onto a dirt drive, we arrived at a large Jurassic Park-looking gate and were allowed to enter. As we were dropped off at our assigned cabins, the gamekeepers gave us an orientation. “Welcome! Please don’t roam around at night, but if you want to walk between cabins, use the 8ft-high walkway, and watch out for animals before you enter into the open area.” He also mentioned seeing water buffalo grazing around the cabins the night before. I don’t think any of us really believed him, or still really understood what was going on, until we heard a knock on our door late that night. “Rhino!!” Becky informed us. We all peered out of our doorways, ran to the walkway, and peered down at at giant African rhino grazing in our backyard!!! We couldn’t believe it! That’s when the idea that we were pretty much in a zoo with no fences hit us! (Don’t worry though, the cheetahs are safely caged up!)

The next morning, we awoke to giraffes, zebras, water buffalo, rhinos, cheetahs (caged!), warthogs, ostriches, and breathtaking scenery all out our front doors! It was an African dream come true! It was an incredible start to the trip!

We soon got on our way and visited a township called Motherwell. There we helped serve at a soup kitchen and loved and played with awesome kids. After that we divided up and visited homes of AIDS patients. We talked with them a bit, found out about their lives, and prayed for them. They were good times where we were able to show God’s love to people who are unloved in their communities.

After that we drove to the town cemetery that seemed to stretch endlessly into the horizons. The oldest grave I managed to see was one from 2002. Most that I saw were very recent. Schaun said that about 3,300 people die a day from AIDS– he said it’s like 9-11 happening every day, but no one talks about it much. We had an African girl hanging out with us during this, and I heard that she even exclaimed, “I live here but I didn’t know that all these people were dying.” So many people don’t talk about the disease because there is such a bag stigma attached to it. We took time to walk around and take it all in. Their were countless babies’ graves, mothers’, fathers’, grandmothers’, grandfathers’ graves. It was truly a sight that enabled us to put a picture with the suffering taking place in South Africa. As believers, we are all called to do do justice, love mercy and walk humbly, and I know that all of us felt honored to have been called on this trip in order to do just that.

Lunch overlooking the beach followed with Jameson and Kaylyn “accidentally” swimming in the ocean! Ha! They dried quickly though! We quickly went back to Motherwell to another soup kitchen and spent time playing games, dancing, holding children and showing love to as many people as we could.

This afternoon we are resting and walking along the bridges looking for animals and tonight we’ll be having a brai — an African barbecue!

Everyone is in great spirits and having a great time. The hard sights have cultivated compassion in us and I hope have helped prepared our hearts for the days ahead to have overwhelming love, compassion, fun, humor and hope to give the people that we get to meet. Please pray for continued unity, for stamina, patience, and abounding love!

Pictures - Click to enlarge: