Sheep.

We went to church today with Ndaba and his wife (the people that run the place where we are staying). It was soooooo good! The pastor was so good and it was really refreshing to be with fellow believers. Everyone was very welcoming and seemed genuinely excited for us to be with them.

The best part was that there were all sorts of people there! People from America, England, Argintina, South Africa, Germany and probably more..not to mention the mixed races. It really was great to see a congregation that didn't care about your race or background, all that mattered was that everyone was there to praise God and learn more about His Kingdom..so great!

The pastor spoke about John 10 and focused on verses 1-10..it was really good about us being sheep, Jesus being the gate, and God being our shepherd. The metaphor about God being our shepherd is found all through the Old Testament..it was really cool. He was funny too. He was speaking about sheep and talked about how stupid they are and how we are just like them, hahaha! He said, "The stupid sheep need their Glorious Shepherd to take care of them." It was a good service.

I finally got to talk to my mom today! It made me feel much less homesick..thank the Lord for internet! ;) Also, I am very thankful for my brothers who have been extremely supportive of me. Especially Matthew who has done so much by remembering to mention me in prayer at church, and even on his twitter. He is a good one...and of course, little Dave, he is so sweet and I know that he has been praying for me and is excited for me. "I love you all around the world, even in South Africa!" I miss my family but I am so very excited to be here. God is opening my eyes so much.

Tomorrow is my first day in the Baby House..I'm excited about really getting to know the babies and workers. I am ready to start my service and work from God..this is why He sent me here!

Please continue to pray for me as I start my work and that I will be ready for any opportunity that comes my way. Thanks! (=

Everything Here Is Opposite!

I'm in freakin' Africa!!!! That's how I've felt since our plane touched down around 9:30 Thursday night. haha..I'm so excited, exhausted, overwhelmed, and blessed!

The couple that picked us up from the airport are Frank and Joy Pretorius. They have been such a help to Susan and I. I am very thankful that God put them into our path during our time here. They are very encouraging and very faithful. Frank is the chairman at Door of Hope (the orphanage we will be working with) so he informed us of some things there. He also helped us learn how to drive on the opposite side of the road and took us out for dinner last night. It was really good to have them with us on our first night.

We also went to the orphanage yesterday. The kids are so great and all of the "Aunties" are wonderful....here in Johannesburg calling someone "Auntie" or "Uncle" is a sign of respect, similar to our "Miss, Mrs, or Mr." All the of the volunteers and full-time staff that work with the kids are "Auntie" or "Uncle," starting Monday I will be one too!! An Auntie that is...........haha.

It really is totally different here..Johannesburg is a very "Americanized" city, but it is nothing at all like America! There are so many different people groups here, and there is not much unity. Racial barriers, even though they were legally ended in 1994, are very noticeable. Since it was so recent, there is still a lot of revenge in people's hearts. I haven't heard or seen anything major yet, but you can still feel some tension in the air.

People have different sayings here.

"Honk the Horn" = "Blow the Hooter."

"Napkins" = "Diapers."

"Robots" = "Traffic Lights."

"Boot" = "Trunk."

"Glove Compartment" = "Cubby Hole."

and there are a lot more..those are just the ones I can think of right now. Also, there is soccer stuff EVERYWHERE because of the World Cup. It's really exciting! I want to buy everything I see for my brothers, Matthew and Davis, but unfortunately I don't have enough money for that. haha! People here in South Africa are really hoping that the World Cup being held here will help bring unity to the country, so we'll see how that works...but it really is awesome to see so much soccer stuff and I really want to see some of the players, but I doubt that will happen...

We've already made new friends! Becca is 18 and from England. She is really sweet and does not seem 18. She volunteers at Door of Hope (aka- DOH) and I am really excited about hanging out, working with, and getting to know her better! Also, Lindsey and Ferdi are in their 20's and they work full-time at DOH. Lindsey is from New Jersey and Ferdi is from Johannesburg, they were married in January. They have been a big help to us. Ferdi went with us to get some groceries since he knows all about the money exchange and the best foods and selections. He also helped us get our car yesterday. Lindsey went with us to the mall today and helped us drive. It was really great to talk to her since she just moved here from the states a few months ago. She has such a great heart and really wants to do some amazing things.

On Monday, we have orientation at DOH and then our first official day of work is Tuesday. Seeing the kids yesterday was so great. We were so overwhelmed and trying to get used to everything, but as soon as we walked into the orphanage it was like a feeling of calm came over us. I just thought, "This is why we were are, this is it." I am so thankful that God gave me this opportunity and has set everything into place. I know that I do not deserve it at all, but God is merciful and uses those who trust Him. I am so happy to be here - even though I miss home like crazy and my body is mad at me for sleeping at the wrong times. haha! I am ready to start being with the kids and showing them the love of Christ!

Ok, so I guess that might be all I have to say right now...I feel like I just rambled on, but I don't know what else to do in these blog things..

I hope everyone has a great day!!

"The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners." Isaiah 61:1 (NIV)

Let's Fly!

So, I'm sitting in the Charlotte airport getting ready to board my first flight! Susan, my teammate, and I will be flying to New York, Amsterdam, and then our final destination........JOHANNESBURG!!!!! I am so excited!

Thank you all for your prayers and support. I would not be here if it weren't for you!

I am so excited, my thoughts keep running together...we just finished orientation weekend, it was a really great experience and it was an encouragement to be with the other college students and graduates serving this summer! (=

Ok, I think that is all I can say right now.....I'm too excited!

Please continue to pray, this trip is all about God's will and love. (=

"Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9 (NLT)

Elisabeth Elliot: "It is God with whom we travel, and while He is the end of our journey, He is also at every stopping place."

Preparation.

So, in exactly 2 weeks I will be on a plane flying half-way across the world! (p.s.- I'm screaming on the inside!) I leave from Charlotte to meet the girl I'm going with in New York. From NY we will fly to Amsterdam and then to Johannesburg.

I am so very very excited and am getting extremely nervous! I know that this will be life-changing. It is a once in a life time experience and I am so blessed and thankful to be going.

I just can't wait to show the love of God to the children I come in contact with. For those of you that don't know, I felt God calling me to Africa when I was a sophomore in high school. I knew that he had a plan for me there, I was just waiting on the right opportunity. In the fall, there it was: Summer Missions to South Africa. Two girls are chosen each year, and I knew this was my year. This was God's plan.

It really is all for Him, He deserves all the glory! If it were up to me I would be just like every other Mitchell County college student returning home, searching for a job, ready to spend a care-free summer with family and friends. God, however, has bigger things in mind and I must follow where He leads. I don't want to end up in the belly of a whale like Jonah, I'm going to follow the call the first time! haha.

I still have so much to do before I go.. I just don't know where to start....

So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love. -1 Corinthians 13:13

Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world. -James 1:27