One word to describe today: JOY
What a last day. I tried to gear up mentally, emotionally, and physically for our last day at Walk in the Light. I knew it was going to be a long day, especially since we decided to arrive earlier and leave later in order to give our last efforts to Mandla’s house. In the morning we started out with a message from Tanya and with our favorite Zulu songs. Our spirits were high and it was fun to dance, laugh, and sing before a day’s work.
We then gathered our supplies and headed off to start building. The walk between WITL and Mandla’s house has become one of my favorite parts of the day. It takes maybe 10 minutes, and despite the fact that most times I am trekking with bundles of branches or poles on my shoulders, I love the walk into Haniville. These walks give me time to think to myself and really pay attention to my surroundings, have great conversations with friends, or hold hands with my new little friends. Many of these walks are filled with anticipation. Whether it’s anticipation to start a new days work or anticipation for lunchtime, I love the feeling of wondering what exactly lies at the other end of my short journey. Although I leave Mandla’s house every afternoon knowing exactly what progress we made that day, I love seeing it for the first time the next morning, proud of what has been done, yet anxious to continue. Another feeling I experience on these walks is satisfaction. The days at WITL are so draining but incredibly satisfying. Knowing my hands have gotten dirty to benefit someone else is a wonderful feeling. To feel the ache in my back as I walk down the dirt path for the last time that day is something I wouldn’t trade for the world, knowing my back aches because I cleared land to bless a man with a home.
Today our goal was basically to get as far as possible on Mandla’s house. We knew that what didn’t get finished will be completed by some of the Sr. Youth boys who live in the neighborhood and have been helping us with the house all week. It was comforting knowing they would be there to complete it, but all of us really wanted to finish the project we began. I think because of that mindset and the cooler temperatures we were able to finish a ton of work today. We didn’t finish the whole house, but the amount of work that did get completed was unreal and we were all very happy with the progress. It now looks and feels like a home! It rained in the morning, and that was fine because we got the roof on! There are windows in the walls, a doorway, and we began mudding the walls. That was the fun project of the day. Similar to stomping grapes for wine, in Africa you stomp mud to build houses. By the end of working from 9:30-5:15, we were literally covered head-to-toe in mud. I sort of feel like we took more of it home on our bodies than what ended up on the walls, but somehow the job got done! Once the walls are filled with rocks, you take the thick mud (not too watery, not too dry, juuuust right) and throw/slap it onto the walls. It was so fun! Especially when a friend is standing on the other side of the wall and the mud you throw goes through a crack and lands in her mouth! Sorry Lauren ☺ Anyways, we all had a blast. I did end up with bruised and cut bottoms of my feet, but limping is always fun.
In the afternoon I stayed back for a couple hours to play with the Jr. Youth. Of course I sat with my love who I found out is named Andiswa. All of my peers who I stayed back with decided to leave WITL at 4 so I was left with all the kids. Luckily two guys from Sr. Youth (who have been working on the house with us) were there too and hung out with me. Sihle and Snash even walked back to the house with me. It was so wonderful getting to talk with them. Snash turns 21 in May and Sihle turns 20 in April. They are both so kind to the kids, to the point where I am always asking, “Is that your sister or brother?” They seriously treat each kid like they were his sibling. Anyways, I found out that Andiswa is actually Sihle’s cousin’s daughter. That made me feel better since I always seem to find this 3-year-old wandering the streets of Haniville alone. Snash is in his first year of college and Sihle has not been back to school since matriculation (high school graduation). He worked at KFC for a year but now doesn’t work. I asked them both about their siblings and home life. Unfortunately I discovered that Sihle’s parents are both deceased. Reality hit me right then that this is life for these boys who are my age. This is their life and they are allowing me to enter into their realities and be exposed to how harsh the contrast is between our lives. Although there is a long list of differences between us, I then thought about how easy it was for us to talk and to joke around with each other. I recognize that our situations are incredibly different and they have lived through far more than I could ever imagine, but we are so similar in many ways as well. When we arrived to the house we were able to laugh and throw mud on each other, as if we had known one another for months. That was a conversation and afternoon that I really value.
After finishing our work at the house, Bruce had us head back to WITL for a special communion service he had set up across the street. We pulled up to this beautiful field dotted with trees and a gorgeous view of Pietermaritzburg. He talked about loving our neighbors and sacrificing ourselves. We then had a few moments to personally reflect on our last few weeks and pray over Haniville and all that we have witnessed. I stared out over the city and captured the lights of PMB in my brain. This is a city I truly do not want to forget anything about. I thought of the people I have met in Haniville, each individual story that is filled with not only heartbreak, but also a sense of comfort and joy knowing God is somewhere in that story. This is a township drowning in disease, poverty, and sadness, but I can sense the powerful healing hand of God. Each smile I witnessed, I wholeheartedly believe was placed on their face by the Lord. There is nothing of this world that could help people recover and find light in the darkness. If I learned one thing from this experience, I have learned that it has to be God. It has to be. No one else. I have to remember that even when I left Haniville tonight, it is still in God’s hands. I don’t have to witness the results of my work, I am satisfied knowing a tiny seed might have been planted and it’s up to the Lord to see how it is harvested. Somehow I am at peace with that. I took my final walk tonight with a sense of anticipation at what great things God can do, and with satisfaction knowing I might not ever know exactly what those things are.
What a last day. I tried to gear up mentally, emotionally, and physically for our last day at Walk in the Light. I knew it was going to be a long day, especially since we decided to arrive earlier and leave later in order to give our last efforts to Mandla’s house. In the morning we started out with a message from Tanya and with our favorite Zulu songs. Our spirits were high and it was fun to dance, laugh, and sing before a day’s work.
We then gathered our supplies and headed off to start building. The walk between WITL and Mandla’s house has become one of my favorite parts of the day. It takes maybe 10 minutes, and despite the fact that most times I am trekking with bundles of branches or poles on my shoulders, I love the walk into Haniville. These walks give me time to think to myself and really pay attention to my surroundings, have great conversations with friends, or hold hands with my new little friends. Many of these walks are filled with anticipation. Whether it’s anticipation to start a new days work or anticipation for lunchtime, I love the feeling of wondering what exactly lies at the other end of my short journey. Although I leave Mandla’s house every afternoon knowing exactly what progress we made that day, I love seeing it for the first time the next morning, proud of what has been done, yet anxious to continue. Another feeling I experience on these walks is satisfaction. The days at WITL are so draining but incredibly satisfying. Knowing my hands have gotten dirty to benefit someone else is a wonderful feeling. To feel the ache in my back as I walk down the dirt path for the last time that day is something I wouldn’t trade for the world, knowing my back aches because I cleared land to bless a man with a home.
Today our goal was basically to get as far as possible on Mandla’s house. We knew that what didn’t get finished will be completed by some of the Sr. Youth boys who live in the neighborhood and have been helping us with the house all week. It was comforting knowing they would be there to complete it, but all of us really wanted to finish the project we began. I think because of that mindset and the cooler temperatures we were able to finish a ton of work today. We didn’t finish the whole house, but the amount of work that did get completed was unreal and we were all very happy with the progress. It now looks and feels like a home! It rained in the morning, and that was fine because we got the roof on! There are windows in the walls, a doorway, and we began mudding the walls. That was the fun project of the day. Similar to stomping grapes for wine, in Africa you stomp mud to build houses. By the end of working from 9:30-5:15, we were literally covered head-to-toe in mud. I sort of feel like we took more of it home on our bodies than what ended up on the walls, but somehow the job got done! Once the walls are filled with rocks, you take the thick mud (not too watery, not too dry, juuuust right) and throw/slap it onto the walls. It was so fun! Especially when a friend is standing on the other side of the wall and the mud you throw goes through a crack and lands in her mouth! Sorry Lauren ☺ Anyways, we all had a blast. I did end up with bruised and cut bottoms of my feet, but limping is always fun.
In the afternoon I stayed back for a couple hours to play with the Jr. Youth. Of course I sat with my love who I found out is named Andiswa. All of my peers who I stayed back with decided to leave WITL at 4 so I was left with all the kids. Luckily two guys from Sr. Youth (who have been working on the house with us) were there too and hung out with me. Sihle and Snash even walked back to the house with me. It was so wonderful getting to talk with them. Snash turns 21 in May and Sihle turns 20 in April. They are both so kind to the kids, to the point where I am always asking, “Is that your sister or brother?” They seriously treat each kid like they were his sibling. Anyways, I found out that Andiswa is actually Sihle’s cousin’s daughter. That made me feel better since I always seem to find this 3-year-old wandering the streets of Haniville alone. Snash is in his first year of college and Sihle has not been back to school since matriculation (high school graduation). He worked at KFC for a year but now doesn’t work. I asked them both about their siblings and home life. Unfortunately I discovered that Sihle’s parents are both deceased. Reality hit me right then that this is life for these boys who are my age. This is their life and they are allowing me to enter into their realities and be exposed to how harsh the contrast is between our lives. Although there is a long list of differences between us, I then thought about how easy it was for us to talk and to joke around with each other. I recognize that our situations are incredibly different and they have lived through far more than I could ever imagine, but we are so similar in many ways as well. When we arrived to the house we were able to laugh and throw mud on each other, as if we had known one another for months. That was a conversation and afternoon that I really value.
After finishing our work at the house, Bruce had us head back to WITL for a special communion service he had set up across the street. We pulled up to this beautiful field dotted with trees and a gorgeous view of Pietermaritzburg. He talked about loving our neighbors and sacrificing ourselves. We then had a few moments to personally reflect on our last few weeks and pray over Haniville and all that we have witnessed. I stared out over the city and captured the lights of PMB in my brain. This is a city I truly do not want to forget anything about. I thought of the people I have met in Haniville, each individual story that is filled with not only heartbreak, but also a sense of comfort and joy knowing God is somewhere in that story. This is a township drowning in disease, poverty, and sadness, but I can sense the powerful healing hand of God. Each smile I witnessed, I wholeheartedly believe was placed on their face by the Lord. There is nothing of this world that could help people recover and find light in the darkness. If I learned one thing from this experience, I have learned that it has to be God. It has to be. No one else. I have to remember that even when I left Haniville tonight, it is still in God’s hands. I don’t have to witness the results of my work, I am satisfied knowing a tiny seed might have been planted and it’s up to the Lord to see how it is harvested. Somehow I am at peace with that. I took my final walk tonight with a sense of anticipation at what great things God can do, and with satisfaction knowing I might not ever know exactly what those things are.
Starting to make mud!
Patting the mud into the walls
One of the walls. It was a long process
The kids waving goodbye
The view from the communion site
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