Gifts

The relationships I've formed from being a part of the South Africa ministry have been an amazing gift. My relationship with my sponsor child, Sive, is one of those gifts. It was such a blessing to be able to go back and spend time with her again this past summer. I'm so grateful that our communication doesn't end when I leave South Africa. We're able to write letters to each other now, so we can continue to encourage each other and learn about what's going in each other's lives.

My relationships with my teammates are another blessing that have come out of these trips. Whether it be a listening ear, a hug, an encouraging text, or just laughing together, I know that I've made some true friends. The encouragement and love that they still bring to my life makes me incredibly thankful that we were called to serve in this ministry together.

My relationship with the South Africa ministry continues to grow as I serve on the leadership team at ROCKHARBOR. The responsibilities I hold on that team allow me to continue to serve the children in Sweet Home. Currently, this involves developing curriculum for the Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) camp that the new team will use when they go in January.

If you want to learn more about this ministry, I would invite you to look at two websites. The first is the ROCKHARBOR team blog: rockharborinsouthafrica.blogspot.com. On there, you'll be able to find information about what's happening with our current team that we're sending out, stories from past trips, and information about our community events. ROCKHARBOR isn't in this ministry alone. We partner with Bridges of Hope. Their website is: http://www.bridgesworldwide.org/. It is through them that we are able to go and serve at Bridges Academy and in the Sweet Home township. Their staff are the ones who continue to bless these communities in South Africa throughout the year. I really encourage you to check these websites out.

Finally, I would love to ask you to continue to pray for the people of South Africa. Pray for the teachers in Sweet Home. Pray for the children living in Sweet Home to find hope and light and love. Pray that the students at Bridges Academy would continue to grow not only in their studies, but also, in their faith. Pray that they would make wise decisions regarding their health and their friendships. Pray for the teachers and administrators at Bridges Academy as they prepare to add more students to the school in January and as they love and minister to all of these students. Most of all, please pray that healing would continue to take place throughout South Africa and that lives would be changed through the joy, hope, and love found in Christ alone.