amily and Friends,
We made it! We arrived in South Africa later in the evening on Tuesday after a long 16 hour flight across the ocean. After a variety of movies, some not-so-bad plane food and a little turbulence we were all ready to be on solid ground again.
We spent out first African night in a hotel near the airport before we enjoyed a breakfast of eggs, jam and toast, an assortment of meats, cereal and fresh squeezed passion fruit juice. We were pretty sure we could get used to that, but instead we jumped on a 20-passenger van and headed out on a beautiful ride towards the Swaziland border.
The travel was uneventful outside of a couple animal sightings, an incredible landscape and beautiful African women carrying huge baskets on their heads. We had to remind ourselves more than once that we REALLY are in Africa. We actually made it!
The missionaries we’re working with are incredible and they spent the evening sharing their passion for this land, giving us a deeper understanding of the history and showing us the cultural norms that we needed to follow. And then we were off. We got to spend the entire next day working at a carepoint where our organization feeds hundreds of children every day. Most of whom, this was their only meal for the day. We got to carry them, hold them, hug them, snuggle with them, laugh with them, teach them games, sing them songs, and simply care for them. Many of these children are orphaned from AIDS and receive little attention where they currently reside. We got to step in and be the tangible LOVE that they so desperately need. There’s honestly no place we would rather be right now.
This weekend we’re splitting up into smaller groups and heading out to a local children’s hospital to pray for malnourished/abandoned babies and work with women who make headbands and purses to help support their family. Please continue to be praying for us in the weeks ahead. We are encountering some hard things and we want to see God show up in mighty ways. We KNOW He is able. We KNOW He is needed. And we KNOW that He has asked us to step into these places and bring His hope, truth and love. And well, we cannot wait.
We miss you all! Thanks for being such a vital part of this journey.
LOVE you all,
Team Beloved [Swaziland, 2012].
Riley!
LB!
Jamie!
Jess!
