First Full Centershot Ministry Day

From August 18th

I think that today everyone was pumped to hit the road and get to a school to start serving!  It was exciting to head into Mokopane to serve at two different high schools.  Our two groups had prepared and were ready to share archery and Christ with the kids.  The last moments before we left this morning were spent rounding up a few supplies for Crystelle's object lesson.  It's amazing what you can do with a rock, sand, golf pencils, a container to hold water, and and Scripture passage were Jesus has a "verbal object lesson" for us.  It was exciting for me to see Crystelle's willingness to step up and be one of the people to lead the Bible time with the kids throughout the day.  I know she has a gift in this area and will do a great job.  As we arrived at the schools it was fun to see the excitement of the kids as they were given permission to come join us for their special time.

At our school we were able to setup quite easily and had good locations for our games, archery and Bible time.  The school that we were at was an "all black" school.  These kids are so enthusiastic and willing to participate.  Unlike North American high schools were kids seem "too cool for high school" these kids are willing to be goofy and loving and seem to all get along so well.  I have never met kids that you can make smile so easily!  That is why one of the fun things that I figured out to do with them today while they waited to shoot bows was having a serious stare down no smiling contest.  There was only about 5 kids out of 140 that were able to give me a challenge.  Terrace also joined in and did pretty well and 'schooling' them!  Terrace was a huge help with the archery and is able to help teach kids that are her age and older without any issues.  I helped with the archery and we have learned that we always have to adapt our plan to fit the situation.  Helping to get the kids to go where they need takes a lot of work through the day but we managed to get a good system going by mid morning and only had to adapt a bit based on the size of classes that they sent us.  It was a wonderful day of sharing the gospel directly with them through the Bible lesson and loving them as Christ would through the archery and games time.  I loved being able to look over across the field and see Jaelyn in her element relating to kids of all ages and leading them in fun games along with a couple of the other girls.  How wonderful to serve between your two girls, while Crystelle was also just a hundred feet away telling kids about the importance of Christ in their lives!

I love the way our team also began to come together and start to bond even before they day began with the students.  While setting up and waiting for the students our prayer request for our girls to start bonding with the other girls was already being answered.  The interaction between the families and in particular the girls has already begun to grow.  I enjoyed playing tag with Grace before our day started and before long Grace and Peyton (our two youngest team members) where seeming more comfortable with our girls as well as the other team members.  It is a blessing to see the students gathering around all of our kids and wanting to be with them and touch their hair and have pictures taken with them! We will never know the effects of our trip until we arrive in heaven one day but we are thankful for the opportunity to love these kids and spend time with them just the way Christ would have when He was on earth as a man.
Matthew 19:13-15  We pray that some day because of our work here that the kingdom of heaven will belong to some of these children.

After we were done at our school we joined the other half of the team to finish up at their school and then we were able to eat some KFC at the school while we planned for the next day of ministry.  After we were done eating and planning a good portion of us opted to go to a "drop in centre" to serve and play with the kids that would be coming there.  This centre is in a part of the city that is very poor and where many of the homes are led by another child.  There may be parents but either they are single parents and have to work or perhaps are away in another location for an extended period of time for work.   Some of these kids are also likely true orphans and who knows what their living situations are like.  Some may be with grandparents if they are around.

This area reminded me so much of some of the poorest areas that we saw in Mexico.  The homes here are small brick square structures and may have wood or tin roofs.  There are people walking everywhere and their seems to be all kinds of activities going on all around you.  People selling things, sitting on side of roads, little business' everywhere.  The homes vary but are mostly very simple and have very little space around them.  Their homes and property are likely the size of your kitchen and living room put together.  No grass, few trees, just dirt and garbage everywhere.

When we arrived at the drop in centre there were only three little boys sitting there on chairs.  The rest of the kids would trickle in over the next hour.  The centre helps them in any way they can from giving them a place to be after school while parents are away, to feeding them, helping them with homework, providing life skills, and just spending time with them playing. We were going to try to do the same today for them!

To break the ice with these boys I just started some of our simple little games again such as "round and round the garden" that ends with the tickle and the guaranteed giggle from each of them.  We soon had enough kids for "ring around the rosie" and that leads to the obvious "monkey, monkey, baboon" again.  In half an hour our game had expanded to have about twenty kids it.  We had a blast!  Hope they did too.  The rest of the time included praying for the kids in a big group, then serving them supper of pap and chicken feet (yup that right, although some got that crappy back piece of chicken with all the bones in it).  The we played more games with hoops and balls and we finished up with Crystelle doing her object lesson for them and teaching them the importance of God's Word in their lives along with knowing Jesus.  We took a bunch of pictures, gave hugs, and prayed a blessing for the kids and the and to leave.  What wonderful staff and volunteers they have at this place.  They serve tirelessly to cook and help in  any way.  God bless them all!  The images in our minds and on our cameras will forever make an impact in your life.  The poverty makes me sad but the reality is it doesn't seem to bother them.  I've seen it in so may places now through several trips and even at home.  Sometimes I feel more sorry for our seriously spoiled kids in our affluent parts of the world.  They are harder to reach for Christ than these kids and seem to have far less joy!  The reality to me is that they all need Christ or they will never see heaven.  We need to love them all we don't and can't always fix their circumstances.  They just need a sense of purpose and to know they are valuable.  I hope we were able to give them at least one piece of that puzzle today!  I could not help but think of this passage today.  Matthew 10:29-32  Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father.  But even the hairs of your head are numbered.  Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.  So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven.