REFILWE--the outside

Refilwe, Life for All--this is where I am and I love it.

It's been a crazy first week! I can't believe it's only been one week. Organizing and filing and planning with the Home-based Care team has been my main priority. It's quite an uphill task, due to the lack of staffing to support them previously. But, I accept the challenges that are ahead. More on work-related thoughts later...




This is the front of my house. It is like all the houses where the families and some of the staff live. They are currently renovating a house where I will move and the Eberly's will join me there when they arrive.





This is the community hall. It is used for Bible studies in the morning, the aftercare program (an after school program to assist children with homework and teach them new things as well), church, youth activities on Saturdays, meetings, and everything else that comes up.

This is a view of the creek that runs through the middle of the Refilwe property. On one side are the offices and homes of the Refilwe families and on the other side are the larger community projects and programs, including the community hall, the daycare, gardens, some staff homes, and primary schools. It's very green and muddy right now because it's the rainy season (end of summer heading into winter).

Now, I know what you're all thinking...there aren't any people at Refilwe! No, that's not true. In fact, how I managed to get these pictures without people in them is somewhat of a miracle. More pictures of people later...

It's good to be back...

I arrived in South Africa, Friday, January 23, 2009, after safe and uneventful flights, welcomed by warm sunshine and African hospitality. Tired and exhausted, yes. But, happy to have a busy first day to keep me awake and avoid jetlag. I met a lot of the staff members and people of Refilwe. I was welcomed with breakfast and a lunch with the director and other staff members I’ll be working with here. I’m excited to start my work with home-based care on Monday. The healthcare department is in transition, so this should prove to be an opportune time to get involved. More on that later.

Refilwe seems to be quite a community. One that I feel like I’m still observing from the outside, but one that seems welcoming and rewarding to those who join. There are many programs and opportunities. Right now, I am trying to learn all about them to see where I fit in and where God wants me to serve. There is a new youth program that is meeting on Saturdays to encourage youth to develop God-given gifts and talents. There are also church services and Bible studies to attend that I’m still learning about. Animal programs, day care services, and skills-training are just some other prospects at Refilwe.
The newness is both a feeling of excitement and a weird kind of insecurity for me. I forgot about this stage and hope it will be over soon. But, I am grateful for it, because it’s part of the process… I look forward to making connections and establishing relationships soon. And through this, being able to minister to God’s people here. That is my heart. It’s good to be back…

Ready to fly...

Sometimes you feel like you're on top of a mountain like this one, ready to leap or fly or run or whatever else, into the unknown. That's where I feel like I am right now as I'm preparing to go to South Africa.

On January 21, 2009 I will be lifting off from JFK to fly to Johannesburg via London. I will be working at Refilwe Community Project, located just outside of Johannesburg. It is a ministry to the needy people of the area, that focuses on spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ by addressing critical needs in the following areas: medical, child care/education, life and specific skills training, and income generating activities. My specific roles will include educating home-based care teams to do home care for HIV/AIDS patients, working at the clinic, and assisting with programs and grants related to nutrition and other projects as they come up. That's what I know now...I'm sure things may change as time progresses. Two friends of mine, Cliff and Kathryn Eberly, will be joining me at some point to volunteer at Refilwe as well. There is more information about Refilwe on their website: http://www.refilwe.org/ Check it out!

So now is the time that I'm saying see you later, making late night Walmart runs, and going on a lot of breakfast dates with friends. I'm ready to dive in and follow God to a new and unknown place. I want to serve Him with all that I am and I look forward to the ways that God is going to work in 2009.