Participant Blogs

 

Or just invading our hearts... 

Its difficult to describe everything you see and experience when everything you experience is new to you!

Coming into India you are bombarded by a serious sensory overload! I’m still trying to figure out what some of the smells were. I was pleasantly surprised that being so far away from home didn’t feel as alien as I thought it would. Gravity was still pulling, the wind was still blowing and people were still living living their lives all around you.

Turkey update 1 ended with us about to leave Kusadasie. We wanted to go to Cappadocia, but we did not really have the finances for that and I felt for a while that we need to do a hitch hike in Turkey I decided now is the time. The only problem was that I was under a slight misunderstanding of where exactly Cappadocia was in Turkey. I thought it was about 100km from where we were at the sights of the old city of Colosse and Laodicea, but in fact it was about 700km away not at Colosse. This I...

India.   Our last country. The final stretch.   India was challenging to our team in many ways. Besides the fact that the people worship cows, meaning cow pies were everywhere, and don't appreciate hygiene at all, there were worse things happening.   You see India is like a battlefield. Like a war zone. You either suit up, or you get hurt. The places we visited during our time there were all places where you couldn't let your relationship with God slip.   We started off in Delhi, wow, what a city. People and cattle walk side by side. Hindu...

      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...

   We were priviledge enouth to visit the lovely people in the Transkei. At first we had to get there on our own from Jeffreys bay. This was the first official challenge we had and it was a lot of fun and a good way to learn more about our team which is the orange team. We were given R690 to get there which is about $120 for a 700km trip and we had to buy food and to various other tasks including hugging a pig and eating "run aways" which is boiled chicken feet. We started hicking to Humansdorp where...

Hey to everyone and to all out there. My weeks here at J bay have been such an amazing experience and still is. just got back from Global Survivore and wow it was something that I will never forget. had to camp and build my own shelter with my group i was with, had to fight for food and well came last most of the time hahaha but it was a time that we could build into each others lives.Getting ready for a trip to the Trans sky to help build a school water tank fence, garden and much more...

"Hey, Jeremy you want to write a team blog for us?"-Carmen-Ann

"Um....yeah sure, I have no idea what I'm going to say..."-Jeremy

"Just update them about what we do."-Carmen-Ann

"Oh...have we done anything?"-Jeremy

"No, not really but we making head way."-Carmen-Ann

Guatemala - More more more!! We arrived in Guatemala City on the 17 th of May and from there we chicken-bussed our way to a beautiful touristy town called Panajachel, on a lake between some volcanoes. We were received by a modern-day-proper-follower-of-Jesus, ridiculously-on-fire-for-God couple, Ben and Lilly. Each night we received teachings from Ben on baptism, spiritual warfare, casting out demons etc. and we also got our hands dirty and went out and practiced these things!  Ah I love these people!! Our time with them meant so much to me, I am changed for ever! I just want to be...

The life of a refugee begins with the impossible choice: To brave a dangerous journey toward an uncertain future in an effort to escape a violent and grim present day.   "Chai?" (Tea?) "Talg/Shrien?" (Bitter/Sweet?) After offering tea to an Afghan refugee family of 8, they invite us into their 8m x 5m container which they have been calling "home" for the past 22 days. The mother of the home at once instructs one of her daughters to put a pillow behind our backs and to put a tray of oranges and cookies in front of us. She also offers...

In a few minutes I will be 22 years old and I pray that the new year in my life will bring renewal from deep within me. I yearn to burn with passion for God as I have before, I desire to love Him again with my whole heart and soul and mind, I wish to return to Him, my First Love. Jesus Christ. I am tired but quite satisfied when I look back at the past year. A lot has been accomplished. Sadly I have to admit that I did not love God as I used to. Exactly like the people in Revelation 2:1-7. For me...