After another long travel day, the Southern Africa team is back home safe and sound! They had an incredible time meeting new people, ministering to children, and growing in relationship to so many local leaders. Join us in praying for them as they come back and navigate reverse culture shock. It can be jarring to experience a culture so different from our own and to come back to a place that feels like it hasn’t changed when so much of who they are has changed as a result of the trip. Pray that the Lord would guide them towards their next step in ministry and draw them close even back in the US. Don’t forget to ask a team member all about their trip!
Thursday (7/5) was our last day of camp with our second week kids.
It was really sweet and we enjoyed another bonfire with dancing and singing. Holly’s dance moves specifically, were really on point. We taught the kids the Macarena as well lol which they started singing “macaroni” instead which I honestly like better.
Then Friday morning we said goodbye to the kids and to our leaders. It was a happy sad, we’re glad to have made an impact in the lives of these kids, but also selfishly sad that we don’t get to see them again.
We were all also feeling pretty emotional as well since we all connected pretty strongly with these leaders since they are all close in age.
We then spent Friday afternoon trying a popular place called Nando’s that was pretty good, mainly chicken. Everything was spicy though, and if you know me, you know I can’t handle spicy. Overall though the flavor was great.
Then we shopped at a flea market type of thing which was fun. The vendors can be pretty aggressive, but we have some hustlers on our team (*cough* Holly, Teagan, and Natalie)
I think I enjoyed them negotiating prices more than the actual shopping.
Then today (7/7) we went to a game park, which is basically a safari. It was an amazing experience!
We saw tons of giraffes up close, rhinos, elephants, impalas, zebras, even the national animal of this country, which is a sable antelope.
We ate lunch in the middle of the safari and it was a really nice meal, we watched the workers feed the elephants right in front of us.
After a bit of lingering, I convinced Myrna to ask the tour guide if he could take someone’s phone and get a close up photo of the elephant then he was asked if we would like to feed it ourselves!!!
I was not expecting that so I was excited, I took some selfies with it, and we all got to feed it some peanuts. That was a 10/10 experience.
Tomorrow we have our last full day here in Southern Africa, we will be going to church and maybe KFC since the menu is different here!
Today was the 3rd day of the second camp! We started the morning off like usual with breakfast and the Bible story. Today we acted out the story of the prodigal son. I played the prodigal son and it was fun to make the kids laugh as I acted out the part where he spent all his money.
After the story my team went to games first. We played some relay games including my favorite, the ballon popping one. The leaders got to try a round of it and that was very fun! Next we had crafts. Today they kids got to decorate picture frames with their photos. It was very touching to see how they reacted to seeing themselves. They don’t get to have very many photos so the kids always cherish these as prized possessions. It’s really sweet seeing how something that we consider so simple, brings the brightest smile to their face.
The afternoon games were water balloon toss and a game where one person was blindfolded and the other had to guide them using animal sounds. Team sharks won the first round! (And lost the leader round, but “shhh”)
I think my favorite part of the day was free time. My and one of the other leaders on my team (Tadiwa) played with a group of kids. I would chase them and pretend to eat them while yelling “shomba” (lion in Shona) and they had a great time laughing and running away. We also took turns showing them some tricks like handstands and back bends and they shocked us with their own impressive feats, much of which I couldn’t do. It’s been really fun trying to learn Shona as well. They kids circle around me and yell out words they want me to copy. I do my best to say them and then they all laugh lol.
We ended the day with a retelling of the boy who cried wolf. Its fun to tell them classic American stories because we know them super well and they have never heard them before. It’s a win-win. Noah was our little lying shepherd and I must say his acting skills are on amazing. It’s fun to see him along with everyone else opening up and becoming more bold with the kids. After our leader meeting we closed with some aggressive “passionate” playing of a game called over the mountain. There may have been a few minor injuries but it was still very fun!
Well, ndakaneta (I am tired) so I am signing off now! Goodnight! – Teagan
Hello friends and family! Natalie and Eva here, coming to you after a longggg day of camp Day 2!
The day started the same, the kids got a nice workout in and then feasted on some yummy breakfast. We then went to the Prayer chapel for our lesson of the day, worship, and introducing the memory verse. Teagan and Holly introduced the parable of the Lost Sheep, and the kids seemed to love it.
Today’s verse was John 3:16, and EVERY kid memorized it by the end of the day!
Next we split up into crafts and sports. The kids were able to decorate a shirt and colored a drawing of the lost sheep. For sports, the kids competed in some fun relay races, and all I gotta say is some of the kids CANNOT blow up a balloon! They tried their best, and the leaders had to get involved, but they had fun regardless.
For lunch, if you ask Olivia, was one of the best lunches we’ve had so far because…. They attempted to make hamburgers for us! They put actual ham on some buns, with tomatoes, onions, cucumbers and pineapples! Very interesting, but we were all craving In N Out so it hit the spot!
We ended the day with a yummy dinner, more worship, recap of the day, and an entertaining bed time story. We decided to share with them the story of the Ugly Duckling, and the kids were cracking up!
Overall, another amazing day! We appreciate prayers to increase our energy these last few days, preventing sickness, and cohesiveness as we go into the last two days of camp.
Thanks for keeping up with us!
Oh, also, Mom and Dad I love and miss you! – Natalie
It’s been another fabulous day here in Africa! Holly, Liv, and Noah have joined forces to write today’s update. We hope you enjoy!! 🙂
I’d like to recap on our day at the lion park. We met a 200 year old tortoise named Tommy. He literally has a sign on his shell saying “Please do not sit on Tommy”. Another great experience what getting to hold chameleons. One was named SpongeBob which I can’t get over. It was hilarious.
Now back to today, June 2nd. It was our first day of our 2nd week of camp. Teagan and I ran the team Sharks this week and we have 3 girls with the same name on our team. Also to recap…. Last night we found a STICK BUG!!! We named him Gibby and he was awesome. The local leaders were absolutely disgusted by Gibby but we thought it was great. What’s cool is he didn’t move and was in the exact same spot 24 hours later so we got to say “Hi” to Gibby again tonight. Today was a fabulous day and it’s a lot easier for us to connect with the kids this week with experience up our sleeves now.
That’s it for me Holly!
This morning we woke up and did our usual routine of serving the kids breakfast and eating all together. All the leaders gathered for a wonderful devotional led by Stuart, one of the local staff members, on Philippians 3.
We prepped for some of the day’s activities and headed to morning praise and Bible story. Singing and dancing with the kids was definitely the highlight of my (Liv) day! The joy of the Lord has been so evident during our time here.
Eva and Farnum led the Bible story on the Parable of the Sower and taught Psalm 119:11 as the memory verse. It’s amazing seeing the kids devote themselves to learning Scripture.
Today’s craft was making flower seed art! It was cool to see each kids unique personality and character show through their art. Recreation games were musical chairs and water balloon hot potato. These kids seem to be much more mellow than our last group, so rallying them up for games really helps them open up.
We ended the morning with a delicious lunch all together and prepared to have an amazing afternoon! Thats all for me, Liv, on to Noah!
In the afternoon, we played water games with the kids, then went to the other side of the camp to play a new game (it’s worth mentioning here that with roles getting moved around after some of last weeks leaders left, Alyssa has stepped into a position where she leads most of the Camp, and I have shifted to help lead activities). The new game we played was a tire stacking game, where 5 numbered tires have to be moved from one of three poles to another. The catch is that you can’t put a larger number on top of a smaller number. It was a really fun mind game to watch everyone play!
When the evening came around, me and some of the team told the story of Jonah to the kids (in skit fashion, to make it more entertaining). After they went to bed, us leaders met and talked about our first day of this week. Then, I sat down to play solitaire, and decided to write today’s blog with Holly and Liv! Overall, it was a really good day.
Please pray against homesickness or any anxiety or other sickness that could hinder our ministry to these kids. Besides that, we’re thankful that we started the week on a high note!
Today was Sunday so we all went to one of Hands or Hope’s partner churches. The church was Nazarene and had a Pentecostal/charismatic feel, so I know I can speak for Liv and I that we felt comfortable being there since we both attend more charismatic churches.
Farnum gave a short word and then Noah and Holly shared short testimonies. They both did incredible, as their student leader I was so proud, especially for how they both came out of their shell. It made me so happy to watch; the congregation was engaged as well!
After church we all got to split up and go with some of the local leaders to the neighborhoods where the kids live. Liv and I went to one of the kids houses that was on our team for the first week. His name is Tino (short for tinotenda which means thanks/thank you). We went in and sat on the floor as it is customary for the women to enter first and sit on the floor, and then men sit on a chair. Then we had the opportunity to pray for his mother and Olivia prayed powerfully over her, and her amazing son. This was really special for the Jessup students and was very eye opening.
After that we said our official goodbyes to the first group of kids. One of the boys gave Natalie a paper heart and said “my heart is yours.” That was pretty funny.
Then we came back to the compound and got ready for the second group of kids to come. We did a short introductory night session with them. We shared the 3 little pigs story and sang a worship song about following Jesus. I was quite nervous as Helen is not with us since she is sick, and I have been stepping in her place. But, with the support of our team and the local team, I really had nothing to worry about. We ended the night playing a big game of spoons with all the local leaders, including the new ones (I won by the way).
We have some great leaders and it’s been awesome to see everyone shine in their own ways. We are all feeling much better at this point, and I just love this team a lot!
Prayer requests:
“Pray for slay” – Olivia
& health – also Olivia
Continuous energy to thrive in this next week of VBS – Holly
Hey there, it’s Eva! Today has been such a blessed day, definitely one for the books! From it being our last day with the kids at VBS to having the most incredible time at the Lion Park, it’s been non stop excitement.
We started the morning off with a delicious breakfast with the kids. The food has been so good and pretty healthy, in my opinion!
After breakfast, we headed out to the field for one last group photo with all the leaders and kids. Soon after, we played with the kids one final time before sending them off. It’s been such a heartfelt week, from helping them learn their memory verse to teaching them new games and them teaching me new things along the way.
Once the kids left, we packed up and headed to the Lion Park! It was a bit of a drive, but absolutely worth it. As soon as we arrived, we drove through this massive “park,” and the first thing we saw was a gazelle, followed by some pretty zebras. It really felt like we were in another beautiful country.
We made it to the top of a mountain where you could see everything God truly created the most beautiful places! On our way down the mountain, we ran into a giraffe, which was the cherry on top (it’s one of my favorite animals). We kept driving a little longer and finally entered the lions’ enclosure! It was a huge cage you drive through, and we got as close as possible to the lions of course, keeping the windows shut and the doors locked. Don’t worry, we were as safe as possible!
As we turned into the enclosure, boom there were two lions lying on a rock. We kept going, with my car and the other car (because there were too many of us to fit in one vehicle). We got within five feet of those lions, it was AMAZING to see these majestic animals up close! The closer we got, the more lions we saw, both males and females. Now that was the real cherry on top.
After this incredible experience, we went to the park’s animal area, where we saw everything from hyenas to crocodiles, monkeys, more lions, and so many other species.
After this long but amazing day, we headed back and had dinner. Later, we had a short but meaningful devotion led by Olivia about encouragement. Now, we’re winding down and about to head to bed, feeling so full of gratitude for everything today brought.
Jirise, friends and family! This is Noah writing on behalf of the team here at Hands of Hope.
Today we finished up the last day of our first week of VBS. Tomorrow morning, the kids from this camp will head home, bringing the Biblical truths we taught them back to their home environments. We’re ending on a high note to be sure!
To start the day, Natalie and I told the story of the Good Samaritan to the kids. We had a good conversation with our group afterwords about what it means to be a good neighbor. After that, we had some morning games like tug of war and duck duck goose, followed by a craft where kids made bags to put all their other crafts in.
After lunch (and after Holly, Liv and I found some kittens), we played a game of four way capture the flag between our four teams. It was fun, chaotic, loud, confusing… all the things you would expect! It was great seeing all the teams work together and strategize.
We started ending the day with evening praise and a game from Alyssa and Natalie. Then, one of our leaders, Uncle Stewart, led us to the bonfire for s’mores and a story. While roasting s’mores, the kids were dancing to all sorts of music from Macarena to popular in-country favorties. They started singing traditional songs on their own after the music ended, and I was struck by how in tune they were with one another (literally and figuratively)! I looked around and all I could see were kids in harmony with one another. The fellowship was beautiful.
Uncle Stewart ended the night officially with a moving story that I hope I can remember and retell back in the States! Overall, today was an amazing day full of kids working together and being shown the love of God. Thinking about how we have positively affected these kids lives is truly heartwarming. This first week has reminded me how important it is to focus on the big picture that God has, and to work to follow His plan above any plans I could ever make. I mean, my team all followed His nudging to Africa, didn’t we? I can’t wait to see what’s next.
This is Noah signing off for the night – God Bless!
Today we served breakfast to the kids once again, but forming an assembly line. All the food has been very good so far. The first day we got to try the local food but then the rest of the food was fairly familiar to us. I was surprised to find that I loved sudza, a starch like dough that you eat with meat, sauce and greens. A few of the nights I was able to get more since we fed it to the kids. One of my favorite dishes she made am was a salad that had pineapple, red onion, and bell pepper with a chutney sauce.
I was in charge of leading today’s story/ lesson and I was quite nervous before hand, but it turned out really good. We acted the story while I narrated. In the discussions we asked the kids what their favorite part of camp was so far and a lot of them said the stories. Which was encouraging because it showed they were listening to us and getting something out of it. The games were really fun as well today. We did a lot of relay race games and it was super funny to watch the kids. One game they had to blow up and try to pop a balloon by sitting on it which made us all laugh. The craft today was a picture frame the kids got to make and keep with a photo of themselves in it. They all loved it.
During free time I spent time learning Shona words with the kids and teaching them some English. We also shared dance moves and I got even the shy ones to dance with me. Later I learned some hand games and then we taught them “down by the bank” which they all loved playing. At one point the kids stared filling buckets with water and had a water fight. I got caught in the middle and the the kids wanted to get their “Auntie Teagan”. I tried to fight back but there were too many after me. After that Farnum and I played volleyball with the kids and taught them how to hit the ball properly.
For our closing story Farnum ended the night with a story about a boy and his boat that he made. He tied this story into how God made us and then paid again with Jesus’s death on the cross. Then we closed in a team huddle and prayer.
After the kids went to bed we ended with our usual leader meeting with the local team and Jessup team. It has been really fun becoming true friends with them as well. For Myrna’s birthday today they surprised us with a delicious chocolate blackberry cake. We all agreed the cake was one of the best we tasted, as it was super light and airy and not too sweet. They then sang happy birthday in English, did the song and dance they do for birthdays here, and Alyssa sang to her in Spanish. I thought it was a very cool moment to have her birthday celebrated in three different languges.
Overall our time here has been super fun and I have loved getting close to the kids. Today was the first day they ran up and hugged me when they saw me. Often times hugs are saved for people you are very close to in this culture so that made me really happy. Near the end of the day it stared to hit me how our time with the kids is almost over. After tomorrow we will get a whole new group of kids which is bitter sweet. I have grown to love these kids so much in just 3 short days so it shows how much more God loves them. Today it hit me how hard it will be for these kids again after this camp when they will have to go back to eating only one meal a day if they are lucky. It hurts to think of these kids we now know and love struggling in ways we can’t imagine. So this is a reminder to be praying not only for the team here in Africa, but also for the kids and their lives after we are gone.
Specific prayer requests for our team would be:
– Olivia: who had been feeling really tired and has had trouble sleeping
– Teagan: I am feeling much better but still have a sore throat and am loosing my voice
– Holly: who is starting to feel homesick
– The whole team: to be able to rest and serve well and to stay healthy. It is the winter season here so many kids have colds, making some of us nervous we will get sick.
We started this morning with a delicious breakfast made by Lucy. She prepared us beans on toast, yogurt, tea, and eggs. The food has been amazing here.
We started at 8am by helping pass out meals to the kids. At 9am we had our team leader meeting. We finished Philippians 1 which taught us about being joyful in hard times like when Paul was locked up but joyful that the word of God was still being spread. It was a great way to start our morning.
After that, we started morning worship and introduced the theme for the day. “Get God’s Love” and the “Lost Sheep” story.
Throughout the day, the children were becoming more comfortable around me and Teagan. Calling us Auntie Holly and Auntie Teagan. It warmed my heart. A great way we were able to connect with them was asking them to teach us words in Shona.
One of today’s games was Gagaball. It was so fun to play for the first time. I absolutely loved it. We also had an intense giant Jenga tournament of which the Purple team won (Olivia and Alyssa’s team)!!!
At night, it was time for us to lead the bedtime story. We decided to share the 3 little pigs fable. I played the pig that built their house out of brick. Noah did a great job narrating the story and tying it back to what life is like trusting and giving your life to God compared to not even knowing God.
What’s really awesome is that the local team leaders are all around the same age as us. We are spending the night tonight with our debrief of sharing our highs and lows and teaching the local team Uno and Spoons.
