Day 6 - National Women's Day and Kruger

Day 6 - National Women's Day and Kruger

Today is National Women’s Day in South Africa this means that it classes as a bank holiday. Hands at Work therefore shut down for the day and nearly all care points do not serve food for the children meaning that we couldn’t get out into community today. Due to the business at the Hands’ Hub when booking our stay we decided that we would stay in Kruger National Park over the weekend and as we weren’t into community today we chose to come into Kruger at 1pm and to explore some of the Park before heading to our lovely lodge. 

After about a minute in the park we were lucky to spot some young giraffes grazing which was an amazing sight so early on. We then spotted warthogs and some Guinea Fowl. After following a loop we were astonished to be greeted by a Leopard as we turned a corner (the first to be watching) and it prowled across the  road, clearly stalking something in the bush. We decided to stop and managed to slow down the other vehicles approaching and the Leopard just stopped in the middle of the road and lie down. We then waited for a good hour with the Leopard moving closer and closer to the side of the road where we saw an Impala (a very common type of antelope in South Africa). There was a loud crowd building around us but being the first on the scene we had a prime position. After waiting for an hour and a half watching the Leopard move closer to the many Impala sat in the bush and the suddenly it pounced and chased away the Impala.

We then preceded our route towards and 100 meters down the road we saw a small family of Zebra who crossed the road in road in front of us, literally a Zebra Crossing. 

On our final route to our lodge we saw multiple herds of Elephants, multiple rhinos in different spots, more giraffes, buffalos and many more Impala. Upon reaching our stunning lodge we decided that a 18:30 swim in the cold but lovely swimming pool (in pitch black) was a great idea! We are all very excited for another full day in the park tomorrow, having already seen 4 of the ‘Big 5’ within one afternoon!

Day 5 - Oshoek Community

Day 5 - Oshoek Community 

We all woke up bright and early (and a little cold!) and quickly got all of our stuff together and ready to go, since it was our last day at the service centre. We had breakfast all together and then met with other members of the service team to have morning prayer and a discussion on chapter 18 of Matthew. We discussed the theme of forgiveness and the story of the Lost Sheep, and found these both useful in linking this chapter to the work that the service centre do; in looking for the lost children in their communities and bringing them safely home. After this, we then set out on our way to Sthobela A, driving along some very interesting roads but absolutely loving the views! We arrived at the care point and were greeted by very happy care workers, which is always a delight to see. After introductions we we then able to just enjoy the sheer beauty of the care point, really taking in the breathtaking views over the mountains. Alice the Second, Clarrie and Sophie then went to help peel and chop potatoes, whilst Lucy and Oliver tackled the cabbages! 

Next, we went into the hall which has an amazing tree made of hands on the wall that was made by the children, care workers and service centre team at Sthobela A. We discussed the day ahead, suggested prayer requests, danced to a worship song and took time to pray for the care point, community and care workers there. We prayed especially for the safety and security of the children who walk 5km to the high school, as there is great worry about a man who is very dangerous to the girls. Alice the Second, Chris and Sophie then led some encouragement for the care workers using Romans 15:13, discussing the hope and trust in the Holy Spirit, especially through this period of difficulty that the care point is experiencing. 

As part of connecting with care workers, we all had the opportunity to listen to the stories of the care workers. This was a wonderful introduction given by Sifiso. Following introductions and a name game with actions to represent each person... from curtsies to clapping, dancing to aeroplanes... we then met in small groups with each of the care workers. 

Alice the First and Alice the Second went to the bottom of the Care Point with Gogo Christina. Christina has been a care worker since December 2018 and is a grandmother to 9 grandchildren. She is 67 but sill going strong, and has a very cheeky giggle! We were able to ask questions and she told us her story. Christina is married, and her husband is still in good health. They live together with two of their three children, whilst the other works away from home as a taxi driver. With them, there are 9 grandchildren and 1 great-grandchild. They are a busy family of 15, but there is sadness in Gogo Christina’s life as she has lost 10 children. In spite of this, Gogo’s heart is full and the Care Point brings her to life. 

Sophie and Chris has the pleasure to speak to Liliana, a care worker at the Sthobela A Care Point. She is an amazing woman who has worked at the Care Point since October 2015. She cares for 5 children as well as others that she has adopted. She has such a positive, enthusiastic outlook despite the struggles in her daily life. Her husband and oldest child are looking for work so money is scarce for them. During the discussion, Liliana asked us to pray that they would find work so that the family could be better supported. The work that Liliana does is incredible and we ask that her health, family, and hopes are in your prayers.

Clarrie and Oliver sat with Nonteko to get to know different care workers. Nonteko told of how her daughter goes to a school which is about 5km away from her home. Nonteko’s daughter walks with her neighbour who at the end of last week underwent a traumatic experience with a man who has been see within the mountains and forest which are on the way to the school. When Nonteko reported this to the Police, they said that they would not be doing anything. The neighbour and Nonteko’s daughter have reported back very frequently that they have seen the man within the woods on the way to and from school. This has meant that Nonteko has put it upon herself to walk the girls to school each day which is very straining for her. Clarrie and Oliver then prayed for Nonteko and her family and security within the community and we are going to ensure that we continue to do this.

We then split into three groups, two were going on Holy Home Visits and the other were staying to help finish the painting on the care point. 

The first group to go on a Holy Home Visit were Alice the Second and Sophie...

Alice the Second, Sophie, Sifiso, Brie, Esther and Annie went on a Holy Home Visit to meet a 77 year old woman called GoGo Margaret. She is the grandmother to three children; two of them attend the Sthobela A Care Point and the other is in Osheok looking for work. She had an infectious smile and was a cheeky lady who made many jokes. That’s especially wonderful given her desperate situation. GoGo suffers from very sore feet which result in horrendous and deep peeling - something that makes daily life extremely hard. Luckily her grandchildren help and care for her. Brie was especially excited to be returning to GoGo and explained to us that in May she helped care for her feet and cleaned her wounds so was anxious to see the progress. Thankfully, her feet were so much better and Brie was delighted with the progress. Annie has also delivered a gift to GoGo of new orthopaedic shows to help improve the situation further. GoGo was so grateful and couldn’t believe that people were being so caring for her. Unfortunately it was clear that GoGo was in a lot of pain not only due to her feet but also reoccurring headaches. There were times during the conversations where she would clutch her head in pain. GoGo does take some medication for her headaches but this has run out and the nearest clinic is a long way for her to walk. We ended the visit by praying for GoGo’s health and happiness.

The second group to go on Holy Home Visits were Alice the First and Lucy...

So Alice P ( Alice 1) and myself went off on our holy home visit with Busi and Stephanie . Our trek was further than usual , we could just see the homestead in the distance! Upon arrival we met Angela who came out to meet us and invited us inside her home. The reason for visiting this home was that the grandmother who was living there and caring for 5 children had died last month and there was concern on how the home was coping and who was now living in the house. Angela explained to us about the family set up . Her 2 brothers were now working away , however 2 of their children were living in the house (toddlers) , and then there were 2 older sisters who were still at school . Angela also has a child of 7 months who was asleep on the sofa. School was around 5km walk as the local school has been closed by the government. Angela is 19 and now is running the home, her 2 brothers are sending money to support from their work in Johannesburg but at that young age she was doing very well. Busi asked Angela about the father of her child , he now is a clerk at the school , but wasn’t when she first met him. Busi asked about if they plan to marry , she encouraged Angela that it would be good to ensure their baby was raised with love and support. We discussed the local  community and Angela shared how she felt sad that there was little facilities close by , such as a shop. Busi said she should encourage her brothers to open one up! The closed school was discussed , and Angela said how much better it would be for her siblings as it would be significantly nearer and also if it is adjacent to the care-point; currently they often feel too tired to walk to and from and are therefore missing out on that time and the critical facilities it provides. Busi encouraged both Angela and Steph to attend the community meeting that was planned for next week and speak up /lobby for the school to be reopened . They also discussed other ways which would help the cause which they were both challenged to take onboard. 

We prayed together and Angela asked us to pray for her family and her community and that the school will get re-opened ( government have said they will next year ). Following our prayer time we said our goodbyes and took a couple of photos of Angela which will be great to remind us of her and her family . We very much hope that Angela feels she is not forgotten and that she is loved and cared for and this encourages her in her future weeks and months. 

While the others were off on home visits, Clarrie, Oliver and Chris stayed to help paint the black outlines onto the coloured wall. This was super fun and we were all humbled to have been able to be a part of the project, as well as having the chance to try and improve our somewhat questionable painting skills! With the help of other service centre members and a few care workers, the painting was finished in super speedy time, and was almost also dry before the others returned from home visits and as some of the under 5s were also arriving. There were around 11 under 5s who came to the care point today and they all enjoyed playing games in their own little playground, overlooking the valley. As soon as a few more children arrived, we danced and sang to Shine (about 5 times!) and all enjoyed spending time together in this wonderful community. Unfortunately out Sthobela A was cut short because we needed to get back to the hub in daylight, and so after eating a lunch of pap, stew and cabbage very quickly, we said some very sad goodbyes to the care workers who we had had the pleasure of walking alongside for the last 3 days. With a heavy heart, but also the love and spirit of Oshoek within us, we set off back to the hub. On the way, we had our debrief with Angie, in which we discussed all 3 days we had enjoyed in Oshoek, particularly reflecting on the good times and the more challenging times we had experienced. On return to the hub we took the opportunity to have showers (as some of us had started to smell a little!) and then had a lovely dinner of homemade burgers and wedges. We then discussed the weekend ahead before all going off to have a well deserved sleep before Kruger tomorrow!

Day 4 - Oshoek Community

Day 4 - Oshoek Community

Our day began early this morning, ready for the arrival of members of the Service Team at 7:30am. When they arrived, we settled and shared rusks and tea, and then split into two groups for a small group study session, tracking the progress and reflections on Hands’ watch word: Luke 9: 48. Focusing on this, and with a Centre on forgiveness and living this love and forgiveness out, we all took part in discussions which were challenging and encouraging. Forgiveness is a considerable part of our calling and witness in faith, and we all shared how this changes our understanding and way of life. This was a challenging discussion, and enabled all of us to acknowledge our weaknesses and frailties in making ourselves vulnerable to forgive and love. The mutuality of these two things was also explored and we then carried this into our day.

On arrival at the Care Point, we were blown away with the stunning view that surrounded us - this was equaled by the welcome from Nelly, Gertrude and members of the Service Centre! They were delighted and we set about introducing ourselves and getting stuck in with chopping carrots, cabbage and enjoying time just to be in Gods creation. 

As part of our time and shared experience with the care workers at the Care Point, we shared in worship... songs, dancing, Bible encouragement and prayer. Following updates and introductions for all present, we joined in wonderful and infectious worship at the home church of Ma Esther. This church is a small building, vulnerable on the top of a hill, made of corrugated iron and home to a chapel, a cooking space for the Care Point and a wood store. After worship songs and dancing lead by the care workers, Oliver, Clarrie and Alice then shared a word of encouragement. They refocused on the end of Corinthians 16: 13-14 to consider and remind the care workers of their strength and courage in their hard work and commitment, and also how their vision and ours is based in love. The care workers were grateful, and fed back to us straight away how much it meant to them, and how much they needed to hear the words. This was a wonderful experience, and was inclusive and relevant for all. We ended in prayer for a care worker with a poorly shoulder, Ma Annie who had just been bereaved, and developments of the Care Point and they begin their expansion work.  

Part of visiting the Houtbos Care Point today was that they asked us to to undertake a “gardening” project to start a vegetable garden for the Care Workers to grow vegetables. Well this was some task, the Care point is located on top of a Mountain and the ground cover was complete, the ground was actually so hard that when you hit it with a spade, it barely made any difference. However after tough work and power from our team, members of the hands team, some help from a very strong child at the Care point and some useful tools, we made good progress and managed to clear the whole top layer of the marked out area which was a big area that can be continued to be worked on ready for planting later in the year.

Whilst the team were gardening Alice the first had a lesson in cooking Samp, beans and cabbage from Nelly one of the Care Workers.... the lettuces to chop had just come literally straight out of the garden and were therefore covered in caterpillars and flies - we washed them in salt water before chopping them up.... Alice and Nelly made up a rhyme “chop chop chop” which became the mantra for the cooking demo... then it became “stir stir stir”! As they cooked she shared they chatted away - her English was very proficient. She shared about her family of four - three girls and one boy... her eldest was at university away from home studying to be a teacher- she was in her first year and Nelly was supporting her financially. This was 400r for accommodation and 400r for food which is SA is a large amount of money a month. Nelly is not working as is a Care Worker at the Care Point. The financial support is largely coming from her Fathers Disability Allowance. Nelly was inspirational in sharing that she trusts God to provide for her, her daughter and her family and that this is the journey towards the light at the end. We encouraged her that God is good and will provide for our needs and it is both honorable and amazing that she is choosing to support the most vulnerable of children in her community over work.

It was time for home visits. We split into three teams with Alice P staying behind to help at the Care Point. 

Alice S and Sophie: 

Alice the Second, Sophie, Brie, and Sifiso went on a Holy Home Visit before the children arrived at the Houtbos Care Point. After a long walk down a very grassy mountain with the most amazing view, we arrived at the house of Sienna. It’s home to 16 people living in 4 rooms. We had the pleasure to meet the beautiful Sienna - a young woman of 21 with a small son and the most infectious smile. She spends her days caring for three other babies in the family. Shockingly, the house is home to 4 sets of twins ... that’s right, 4! The youngest is 8 months and the oldest is 17. Within the family, 9 of the children attend the Houtbos Care Point. We spoke at length with Sienna about her life, her struggles, and her hopes and dreams. Despite spending her days caring for many young children, Sienna is desperate to return to school to study accounting because of her love of numbers - something that nobody in the team understood! Sienna also lives with her two sisters although we unfortunately didn’t get the chance to meet them. They were out looking for work to support their family. Part of the discussion also centred around one of the younger sets of twins. Brie had actually met the family before on a previous visit and remembered that one of the sets of twins suffered from a reoccurring cough. We asked about this and unfortunately they are still suffering from it. What’s worse is that the nearest clinic is too far for Sienna to take them and the rest of the children. We finished out visit by praying for Sienna and her family, that she would achieve her dreams and be able to complete her education, and for the health of the twins and their cough. 

Lucy and Chris:

So today Lucy, Angelle (our Hands host), Nesta (Oshoek Service Centre) and I (Chris) went on a fairly local Holy Home Visit. The first home that we planned to visit, unfortunately no one was home and so Nesta quickly change our plans and we walked onto the house of Care Worker Nelly.Nelly was busy preparing food at the Care Point, however we met her Son, Peter, who was busy doing his washing! Peter graciously arranged seats for us and we talked to him about his situation. He told us that he had just finished his exams and was awaiting the results. We talked about the subjects he had taken and he shared that his favorite subjects were Life Science and Geography. Peter was unsure of what was next for him, whether it be university or whether he would try and get work ( but he said that it would be wrong to say that job opportunities were scarce, as they are actually non-existent. Peter asked us to pray for him and his situation and to guide him in the decisions that he will need to make. We started praying and to our surprise Peter actually prayed for us which was really lovely!

Oliver and Clarrie:

Our holy home visit was the furthest house that was visited (which we did know before we left the care point), so after walking for 25 minutes we ended up within a South African forest. We were joined by Busie, Caleb, Nellie and Nontebeko, we found out while walking that we were going to be visiting a family where the four children were new to the care point. However, the care workers had noticed that the four children (a girl Naomi, aged 8, and 3 younger boys, aged 7, 6 and 4) had not been visiting the care point regularly and recently having only joined with the new intake in June. When we arrived at the house that the family are staying in there wasn’t any sign  of the family members and as there were dogs on the property we couldn’t enter as we were unsure of how they would react. Although, after a while of waiting and looking around we discovered that the Father and Mother were at their plot of land which was opposite the house that they were staying in (the fathers’ uncle’s house). We were welcomed into the home by the father, Samuel, and the mother, Polly, and we went and sat in their partly made new home which they hope to move into by the end of September. We began chatting to the father (who spoke very good English, having been schooled in Swaziland) about the reason that the children had stopped coming to the care point at which point he explained that he was often away and therefore wasn’t around to encourage the children to attend the care point and he identified that the mother was not very pro-active in encouraging the children. Busie tried to build a good relationship with the father. Informing him about the care point and the role of the care workers and what they want from the parents and children. The father then agreed that he would give 50KG of the crop to the care point to try and build that relationship and to encourage the family to get involved with the care point pro-actively. However, after long discussions we came to the conclusion that the father was going to speak to and encourage the children to attend the care point. We then prayed for the family and for the good work of the care point before we left and we then walked back to the care point where Busie shared that she was unsure as to whether what the father was telling us was the truth as she knew of other family troubles which have been made known recently. As we walked back to the care point we were joined by the four children and we were able to play some games with them as the other children were running late on the school bus.

Alice P: 

Whilst the others were off on Home Visits Alice P stayed behind at the Care Point to continue to help Gertrude another care worker to finished preparing and cooking the food for when the children arrived. It is a great opportunity to spend time encouraging and just listening to their stories...Gertrude shared about her family of four and how her eldest child who would be 28 now has died and it reminded the team that these Care Workers who have chosen to care for the children in the Care Point are often in similar situations themselves. 

Once we had all arrived back from holy home visits, the children had not yet arrived back because of some delays in transport, so the team quickly ate some lunch of samp, cabbage and carrots, and beans - which was all super delicious! The children finally arrived and we fed them immediately and with the help of Oliver, Lucy and Alice, all lunches were served. Once the children had finished eating, we started to play games, including a big game of throw and catch with a football! We then got the bubbles out which provided a massive source of fun and joy for both children and care workers, as well as to the team. As we had done the day before, the speaker was all set up and we danced and sang to Shine and Great Great Brill Brill - both of which the kids and care workers absolutely loved! It’s truly amazing to see the joy and smiles on all of their faces, just simply because of some songs. We said our final goodbyes and headed back to the service centre.

Once back, the team decided to cook for our host and the service centre team so we all mucked in on a homemade pasta bake, homemade garlic bread and fruit salad before a time of debrief and discussion. It was so useful to share stories from our home visits, questions that arose and also feed back possible homes or children to follow up on. Angelle encouraged us to think of one person that we would like to hold in our prayers for today, our rest of our time at Hands and when we returned to the UK. It seemed a fitting end to an amazing day in the community.

Day 3 - Oshoek

Day 3 - Oshoek

The day dawned bright and early and following breakfast cooked by the boys on the veranda, the girls all headed to Ladies’ prayer. This session was held in the peace and calm of the sunlit chapel, and was lead by Agnes. Our prayer and focus was on women; it is women’s month in South Africa. She described her view on arriving at the hub as one filled with loved and cared for flowers- we are all flowers, made strong and nourished in God’s love. Agnes guided us through a reflection on the origins and the biblical strength of women, and used Titus 2: 1-8 as a source of instruction, with the prevailing message as one of integrity and inclusivity of women in the world. Having shared praise points and prayer requests, we closed in a time of prayer. 

We then set off with Angelle to Oshoek. This was a four hour journey, broken by an unpredictable soundtrack, and we arrived right on time at the Oshoek Service Centre to quickly take things out of the bus and head up to Sthobela B care point. 

We were greeted with a warm welcome from the care workers, lead by the wonderful Ma Esther and Ma Annie. Their welcome was infectious and their passion for their children was amazing. This week is an important week for the care point; this week, they have welcomed 25 new children to the care point and today was the second day for catering for 82 children. This growth is fantastic, and very important for this rural community. 

After introductions and a quick name game, we were split into two groups. Three members of the team remained at the Care Point to support and worship with the care workers, and four of us went on Holy Home Visits (these are an important part of the relationship vision of Hands at Work and enable the flourishing of children in vulnerable communities). 

Lucy and Alice the First (P) went on a Holy Home Visit to Gogo Mary and Baba John, a short walk away, heading to the yellow house on the hill. On our journey we talked to Esther about the home we were going to. The grandparents were caring for 4 grandsons and the care workers were concerned that the eldest boy had stopped coming to the Care Point and they were trying to understand why, and if it was because he felt too old for the activities they wanted to understand what they could do to encourage him to attend. Upon arriving at the yellow house we were greeted by 7 dogs and then as we waited Baba John came out to see us. After some conversation we were invited in to the house where we discussed with Baba more about the concerns the care workers had . A long conversation continued , Baba John spoke about how this boy was at an age where he knew best in so many things ...he was reassured this was common back in the UK by Lucy. Baba spoke about how he was concerned the eldest boy was potentially also taking a place at the Care Point that another more vulnerable child could use; and was very grateful that the care workers had picked up on the boy not attending and thanked them for their concern. We were about to pray and then leave when Gogo Mary arrived and a discussion took place explaining the concern. It was suggested she came back to the Care Point to see if the boy arrived off the school bus so it could all be discussed. We prayed altogether and then left the house and returned to the Care Point with Gogo Mary, the school bus arrived but unfortunately the eldest boy was not onboard so probably got off a bit earlier and therefore avoiding the need to socialise with anyone. We feel blessed that we had the opportunity to go on this Holy home visit . 

Meanwhile, Alice the Second (S) and Sophie went on a Holy Home Visit to the small holding of Gogo Miranda. Here Miranda lives with her husband, two daughters and three grandchildren. All three grandchildren are part of the new intake of children into the Care Point, two boys of 9 and 13, and their little cousin, a girl of 20 months. The boys have started to attend the Care Point as the school bus drops them nearby, but the little girl has not been brought yet. This was a concern for the care workers with us and in their conversations tried to address this. They’re also hopeful that in bringing their children to the Care Point, that both of Gogo Miranda’s daughters will attend the Care Point as care workers, even if only for a few days a week. This is problematic at the moment as Gogo Miranda has recently lost her job, as has her husband, so there is a need for members of the family to search for work. However, in their local area, work is somewhat limited and hard to come by. These issues facing this family at the moment are where the need and vulnerability for the support and encouragement of this family. 

Following these Holy Home visits, the group was back together at the Care Point, caring and playing with the younger children who do not attend school. On the arrival of the majority of children from the school bus, we played with the children, and also taught and shared in dancing ‘Shine’. This was really popular and enjoyed by children and adults alike... so continued all afternoon with a range of songs from Holiday Club!  Everyone shared in worship songs and prayer before food was served by Sophie, Clarrie and Alice the Second- rice, beans and beetroot. Whilst eating alongside the children at the Care Point, there was an opportunity to learn more about the older members of the Care Point family, sharing in school days and their hopes and dreams.

As children began to leave, some quickly after eating given the rural area and the need to be home in the light, we continued to play and hear the stories of a range of children. The youngest children were left and these were under the care of the Care Workers, and as they left, we too made our back to the Service Centre. 

Returning with the team and with some of the longer term supporters from Hands, we enjoyed a meal together of pap and chicken, and debriefed about the days’ stories, communities and children. 

It has been a busy first day in community, and has been a fab introduction to community life and the vision and work of Care Points to Lucy and Sophie.

It’s now time for an early night as we prepare to climb a mountain to Houtbos tomorrow!

Day 1 and 2 - Travelling and Arrival

Day 1/2 - Travelling and Arrival

After a sunny and successful Holiday Club send off celebration, the team made their way, with plenty of time, to London Heathrow - thank you again to Rosemary and John for providing the transport. The West Midlands team then joined us at check in lead by Lesley (Chris’ sister) and after a slightly stressful check in, we wandered around the airport waiting for take off. 10 hours, some chicken casserole, and some in-flight-entertainment later, we arrived safely at Johannesburg airport.

Hitting the tarmac at 15 degrees, the team had a slightly warmer welcome than last year where temperatures reached a shivering 3 degrees. After another slightly stressful bag collection and hire car collecting, we were off.

We travelled in convoy for 2.5 hours to Alzu where the team were greeted by rhinos, zebra, and a refuelling snack before we continued the journey to the Nelspruit to source supplies from an authentically South African ‘Pick N Pay.’ 27 hours from when they set off, the team arrived weary from their travels to an enthusiastic and warm welcome from the Hands team. 

We completed a quick briefing and orientation from Jill, one of the Hands volunteers, with basic living and kitchen information. We were then treated to a lovely dinner which was prepared by the Hands Team - boer sausages, mashed potato, and butternut squash. With cups of tea and rusks in hand, we had our first orientation and briefing with our hosts - Jo and Angie - who outlined the next couple of weeks and the communities that we would be visiting. 

Feeling prepared, enthusiastic, and ready to support and love, the team then packed ready for tomorrow, showered, and went to bed in preparation for the early drive to Oshoek in the morning.

We’d like to quickly take this opportunity to thank all those involved in our team, for your generosity and encouragement, and we can’t wait to share our time in South Africa with you!

Commissioning Service - Saturday 3rd August 2019

Commissioning Service - Saturday 3rd August 2019

On Saturday we met slightly earlier with all our bags and any extra bits we have to take out. After so many kind donations from families, friends and colleagues we had to organise getting all our toiletries, shoes and games for the children out to South Africa. From the sheer generosity we decided that we would take 2 extra ‘hold’ suitcases with all of the toiletry bags, more toiletries and games in to play with the children.

Once we had sorted all the packing and getting our passports scanned, we sat down for dinner with our friends and family. It was lovely to sit as a team (obviously missing Alice Parker, who is already in Sough Africa) and share a meal together. We had great conversations over our quiche, chicken, ham and salad with many many laughs shared.

We then were joined by lots of friends and family in church where we started our ‘Commissioning Service’. Alice, Clarrie and Oliver shared the vision of the 2019 Team which is ‘Love’. They shared about why it is so important to love everyone and especially to love in the communities we visit. Clarrie spoke about how we need to learn from the children that we visit, to reflect on childhood experiences and to be child-like when within the communities. Oliver shared about the darkness within the community which seems to always be put out by the light which shines through both the care workers and the children at the care point. Alice concluded by encouraging love between us all and to use our faith as a source of strength, she explained that although it will be tough, everything must be done in love.

Rob then shared some words to the team about his trip to South Africa and what that meant to him and how it shaped him. This gave the team something to think about and it was great for our team to hear about another experience out with Hands at Work. The team were then provided great encouragement by Jessica who shared words from the ‘Hands’ vision as well as an encouraging story from her time in Zambia a couple of years ago.

The time then came for our hands to be anointed by Rev’d Guy, to go and to represent our community back in St Andrews out in South Africa. We then finished the service in prayer, led by John.

The team would like to thank all those who shared within the service, all those who came and supported and everyone who has donated, supported, prayed or provided encouragement for the team. We hope that you will continue to pray for us as we venture out to South Africa and that if you are able to you can provide words of encouragement either here on our blog or on our Facebook posts.

This is just the beginning of ‘Team Africa 2019’ and we cannot wait to share so many amazing memories with you on our return.

Meet the Team - Sophie Child

Sophie Child

Hi, I’m Sophie and I am 24 years old. I am a Secondary English Teacher and absolutely love my job and adore the students that I teach. I am going with the team to South Africa for the first time this August. After hearing about Alice and Clarrie’s amazing experiences there I just couldn’t turn this opportunity down. I am looking forward to challenging myself whilst there. I want to truly immerse myself whilst there and but also learn from the amazing communities.