Our first challenge began when we visited a small primary school within Jeffery's Bay Township. The school's name is Ithemba Primary School. We had some time to pray for God's vision for this school and how we could help and support the community and most of all to help restore what was lost and give children back some dignity. Our first mission was to clean the toilets, classrooms and the area around the school. To give a true insight about the true situation and state of the place: The toilets were broken and used until they were overflowing. Can you just imagine the image? The children only had school for 2 hours because there were no toilet's to use because the people would use them in the plakkerskamp. Well at the time we arrived it could not be used anymore because they were filled up. The backs of the school and along the sides of the classrooms were filled with debris. It felt like cleaning a rubbish dump the deeper you went the more you found debris. |
Can you imagine what type of school we had when we were smaller? We all were so privileged to have clean toilets, working toilets and had a place of safety to learn and we did not even appreciate it at times. These children don't have the safety we had they are surrounded with people walking through their school and using anything they want for what ever reason they want to. The vision we have a prayer we need will be for God to provide the necessary funds and resources to finish this job and even to build a big fence around the school. The school is also allocated right next to a main road and for children it's so unsafe. To build a fence will mean safety for children from harm and the rest of the work will take some time and help |
I had the job of picking up the class and broken window pieces that were lying all over the place. While we were working some of the children started to approach us and wanted to know what we were doing. Some of the children even gave us a hand. I really felt frustrated at this point because I could not speak their language and felt that I wanted to communicate to them to show them that we care and that's why we were there. I decided to draw some pictures for them on some of the pieces of material lying around. One of the shy children decided to draw as well and they all started to draw pictures of people on the planks. What an awesome experience to just spend time with the children and to become part of their world. I enjoyed being close to them and also to do some work that will make their lives a lot easier. I feel privilege to say that I'm part of this journey this year and hope and pray that God will show me His heart for the nations. I also pray that God will teach me how to be a servant like Jesus was. I'm excited and challenge at the same time because I know that this year will be a year of change.
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