Rape. Yet hope.
HIV/AIDS. Yet hope.
Poverty. Yet hope.
Abuse. Yet hope
Orphaned. And yet hope.
Transkai a place very few people know or hear about unless you live in South Africa. It is the heart of the Xhosa culture and a place of deep traditions. Villages, rural areas, busy towns, women carrying 10 gallon buckets on their heads to fetch water, the students walking miles to school, dirt roads, cows, sheep and donkeys crossing the road and backing up the traffic. This is the place I spent a week doing the Beat The Drum project, in the town of Lusikiski in the Transkai area of South Africa.
Lusikiski is completely different then my town of Jeffreys Bay. Jbay is a surf town. A hot vacation spot, but still filled with poverty. The white on one side, the coloreds in another place, and the blacks on the other side. There is a McDonald's, a mall, nice restaurants, a beautiful beach and big supermarkets. Life here is pretty comfortable. The locations (where the coloreds and blacks live) are poor. Shacks use to be everywhere, but now the government is building houses for a lot of the South African citizens.
In every way I have explained Jbay, Lusikiski is the opposite. A white face is rarely seen among the people there. The town is crazy, the traffic out of control with what seems to be no traffic laws enforced. People fill the streets selling meat, veg, fruit, and many other things.
As I walk through the town with some of my friends, I see a man almost in rags carrying all his belongings, then there is another man that has been severely burned. He approaches my friend Mnoza asking for money, instead of answering his question, Mnoza starts asking him questions about himself and be interested in him. The man shares his story that there was a fire that killed his whole family except him. Now, he can't work because of how the fire destroyed his hands and now has no way to support himself. Mnoza encouraged him and also prayed with him. As we walked away I tried to somehow imagine the pain this man experiences every day, as I am processing what has just happened, I see a little 2 year old boy sitting on the side of the street all dirty and alone with no one caring or for him. As we arrived back at our place I wanted to sit down, pray and cry for what I had seen and experienced. During my experience in the town, God really spoke to my heart that this is the life He has called me to. It wasn't easy being the only white person and having everyone stare at me. But God has called me to an uncomfortable life of taking up my cross daily and following Him where ever He leads me, even leaving Jbay where I have made my home for the past two years.
In June during my holiday time I stayed with one of my teammates Khanyo in her community among the Xhosa people. During my time there God really gave me more of a love and a passion for the Xhosa people. I use to think I would leave South Africa and go into East Africa, but this year God has really changed my heart and shown me my season here in South Africa is not finished. My vision and dream has always been to work with the orphans, prostitutes and the least of these in the villages and God has continually been confirming that these past months. I thank God He took me to Lusikiski to confirm what He has already been telling me. I am not sure of my plans next year, but I ask you to join me in prayer as I seek what God has for me either in Lusikiski or somewhere else in South Africa.
I do not lean on my own understanding, but trust God that when I place my trust in Him, He will lead and guide me in His ways.
