Back to School Part I

This morning even before we left the house we learned that many things are different in South Africa….roosters crow at midnight and the water swirls down the drain backwards. Now as we end our first full day in Molelwane village, we've learned that many things are the same the world over.

We learned that that there are people here who share the same passion we do to serve God. We walked over to the church next door where we got to meet the pastors, caregivers, and cooks who make up the staff of HHIA. One of those people is the deputy headman of Top Village, who at 80 years young, rides his bike daily to visit and provide care for the sick people in his village.
We learned that simple gestures from little children bring great joy to big people no matter where they are. As we drove into Molewane village, we were greeted along the way by the enthusiastic waves and big smiles of the local children who were standing in their barbwire enclosed yards.

We learned that song has a way of bonding people together no matter what language it is sung in. We shared such traditional VBS songs as Father Abraham and Jesus Loves Me This I Know with the preschoolers. While the children did not understand the meanings of the words, they certainly understood the message.

We learned that children all over the world crave love and attention. No one had an empty lap or a hand unheld today….some of us even had children on our backs.

We learned that play is universal. We all (big and little) had fun kicking around a half-inflated soccer ball, jump roping, and hula hooping. A big highlight was batting around balloons with homemade paddles. Although we look different than the people we met today, do not speak the same language, and live in vastly different homes we are all the same in Christ.

Verse for the day: Luke 18:16 But Jesus called them to him, saying, "Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God.

~Carol Mathews