Thursday - Share

The day started with breakfast and prayer on the veranda in the hot heat that has finally arrived. After breakfast several of us had to visit the porcupine that Herman had caught.

We left at 9am to travel to our next community of Share with Kat from the "Hands at Work" team via the Hazyview Service Centre where Audrey, Floyd and Bethwell work. After the three hour journey it was lovely to be greeted at Share by some familiar faces and we were put straight to work grating the largest cabbage ever!

Whilst the ladies were hard at work cutting and shredding vegetables the boys decided to fix the sun shelter as it had broken in the wind. Vaughan led the team in using wire, string and other pieces of material that was found on the floor.

At Share today there was a Primary Care Givers (PCG) support group meeting that happens once a month. We also sat with the Care Workers and Care Givers inside the Care Point ready for worship, which was very long! The meeting started with introductions, followed by worship and then a message from Floyd around Psalm 23 and John 3 v 16 about how we should love our neighbours as God loves us. The Care Givers led us in worship which put smiles on all of our faces. Sometimes it is easy to forget that the Care Workers are volunteers and need guidance no matter on how experienced they are e.g. Audrey had to remind them that it was important to set a time for the support group so that everyone arrives at the same time.



Sophie (one of the Care Workers) then asked the Care Givers what we need to do to care for the vulnerable children in our care. After this the Care Givers shared their worries and concerns and we prayed for them. In particular we prayed for Primrose's mum, Katherine's Son and Blessing's mum. Then we served the Care Givers their lunch which was Pap, Soya Mince, Gravy and Cabbage!

After we had eaten we divided into 3 groups to go on our Holy Home Visits. Today we visited three of the Care Givers Homes that had been at the support meeting. We visited Blessing's home. In Blessing's home lived her Grandma Betty, Mum (Thelma), Her brother Mark and Blessing and her two children  Maria aged 10 and Peter aged 7. Her mum was poorly with TB and was refusing treatment which is quite often the case in this community. She had been to hospital on Monday and even though she looked unwell it was not serious enough for her to be admitted. The hospital was an hour away and her children were really worried about her health. Blessing is the main Care Giver in the house and it is her children that attend the Care Point. Blessing is 27 and nearly finished her Matric.  In South Africa you are able to take a break from school when you have children and then finish your exams at college later on. We admired her commitment to finishing her exams at 27 in order to create a better future for herself and her family.  

Whilst Claire, Susan and Chris encouraged and prayed with the Care Giver and her family, Alice played with her neighbours child. On the way to the home the little boy had picked up broken bricks and given them to her to carry. When we arrived at the home, he had already started a pile of broken bricks. Alice and the little boy then played trains, cars and built towers! He enjoyed making the different noises!

When we arrived back at the Care Point there were lots of children were already there. We played with the balls and parachute that we had brought with us until all the other groups returned. Then it was time for dinner which we served to them. We only served half of the children because the older children finished school later. It was encouraging to see that the Care Workers had decided amongst themselves to stay late and feed the older children instead of sending food home in a box.

At 4:30 we said our goodbyes and left for Wits knowing that we had to drop Floyd off on the way. On arrival at Wits we checked in and enjoyed a dinner of Lamb Stew, Rice, Exotic salad and desert of meringues! We debriefed with Kat from Hands!

Blogged by Claire and Alice