It
was in mid-2011 when a friend - Wilf - first told me about his plans to take a
team to South Africa to serve with the charity, Hands at work Africa – ‘Hands’.
As with many great things, my journey started with this simple idea. I was
completely unprepared for the significant and life changing implications of
this one. I had no desire to go to South Africa, or any part of Africa in fact
- *ever* – except save some vague notions of ‘one day’ to go diving in Egypt,
or to go on a safari somewhere. I certainly had no desire to go to Southern
Africa on any kind of mission. However, as I mulled over the idea, prayed about it and chatted to Wilf
about this more and more – I became peaceful, resolute and excited about the
idea.
South Africa 2012
The
trip to South Africa in April 2012 saw a group from Eternity Church, Guildford
meet with a group from Liberty Church, Johannesburg to serve ‘Hands’. This
charity is based near White River, Mpumalanga in South Africa and, in brief,
equips and assists churches to care for the orphaned and broken in vulnerable
communities. ‘Hands’ work in eight countries, across approximately 80
vulnerable communities.
Our
role as volunteers was to simply be there to serve and encourage the community
care workers (who volunteer in their own communities) and the vulnerable
children and elderly people that they in turn serve day-in, day-out. This was
an amazing time spent with each other, the community and the Hands family that
had a profound effect on us all. Being with those who have nothing and who know
what it is like to suffer in every way was both eye-opening and heart-breaking.
Something broke in me on that first day that I cannot really put into words.
