Hi, I’m Alice, and it is a privilege to be leading this year’s team to South Africa, and in particular to Mafambisa. Although I say "leading", that doesn't quite feel accurate when so many members of the team have played a vital role in getting to this point. Every member of the team plays a part, bringing their own unique gifts, skills, and experiences, and I am incredibly grateful to those who have stepped up to help make this year's trip possible.
This will be my ninth visit to Hands at Work, and in 2023 I also spent time volunteer teaching in a primary school near Durban. South Africa truly feels like a second home to me. I love my job as an Assistant Headteacher and SENCo in London and the privilege of walking alongside vulnerable children and their families. I feel the same sense of purpose and joy whenever I spend time in South Africa and at Mafambisa.
As our team embarks on what has become an annual journey to South Africa, Hands at Work, and Mafambisa over the past decade, I/We do so with mixed emotions.
The joy of the Care Workers and children is enough to fill anyone's cup to overflowing. Their smiles, laughter, and resilience bring happiness to everyone around them. Yet there will also be moments of reflection and sadness as we remember that Chris (Dad) will not be with us. Somehow, though, I know he will still make his presence felt when we least expect it, or perhaps exactly when we do. After all, who else is going to shout "Ramp!" from the bus as we drive to the Care Points, or manage to get nearly every Service Centre and Care Worker name wrong throughout the week?
Over the years, I have visited Mafambisa and Hands at Work with many different teams, and every trip has been unique and special. No two visits have ever been the same, and I believe this year will be no different. God has carefully brought together this year's team: young and not so young, those who have visited many times, those who have come once before, and those experiencing it all for the very first time. What I do know is that this team already feels like an extended family going to visit our extended family in South Africa.
I love to chop the vegetables, particularly the beetroot! There is something about the way they prepare and cook the beetroot that tastes so good! I love being able to walk alongside the Care Workers, encouraging and supporting them, while also spending time playing, singing, and dancing with the children and seeing how much they have grown from year to year.
Every time I visit, I am blown away by the joy, hope, and love that shines through the Care Points, the Care Workers, the Service Centre staff, and ultimately the children themselves. Mafambisa, along with the other Care Points we have visited and will visit, serves as a beacon of light in communities facing significant challenges. Despite the hardships, the children remain at the heart of everything they do.
As we prepare for this year's trip, my prayers are:
- For safe travels to South Africa and throughout our time visiting the Care Points.
- For our team to encourage, support, and empower the Care Workers and Service Centre staff, and that we may be a blessing to them during the short time we have together.
- For those visiting for the first time to experience God's love, peace, and faithfulness as we journey together.
- For those returning that their faith will be reignited.
- That every member of the team would hear God's voice, be led by His Spirit, and be transformed through all that we experience over the next two weeks.
- For plenty of fun, laughter, and joy in every part of our trip
Please keep reading our blog, comment if you are able and hold us in your prayers. We love to wake up in the morning and read your comments and encouragements. Thanks for partnering with us on this journey.
