Random Pictures!

Goodbye SOUTH AFRICA!  We will forever remember our amazing time here!

Final Destination.

It was a wet goodbye Tuesday morning at MCV as the rain and tears flowed freely.  We had reached the end of our two week stay and it was time for us to move on. We had a wonderful send off of prayer and gifts, and of course, saying goodbye to the children. You could sense the bittersweet realizations of just how much those kids meant to us and how much we meant to them. We left with plenty memories to take home. Like people finishing the construction of a playground  till all hours of the night with headlamps just to get it done on time, or spending our days in the sun  painting a local church and pre-school, or taking care of houses so the mothers could have a day off, and all the time spent with the children. As we left I realized that those joyful children may have had a bigger impact on us than we did them. It would be unfair and just wrong if I left out one of the coolest parts about our time in White River. Thursday night taco nights at Rich and Lynn Hodge’s house!! These two amazing people not only fed us delicious tacos, but also invested in each and every one of our lives and showed us a love that could only come from God.  To top it all off, we where lucky enough to go on a real African safari in Krueger National Park, an unforgettable experience for sure.

It’s a strange to think where the time has gone as we now find ourselves here in Johannesburg with only a few days left of our time here in South Africa. We’re staying in a missionary hostel called “Angel’s Rest” which is a perfect place for some much needed RNR and also some time de-brief our journey over the last five months. Over the next couple of days we get to reflect on what God has done in our lives since day one. Today we talked about where God has taken us spiritually during this time. I realized just how far He has brought me and I explained it a little like this:

Five months ago I was walking in darkness. On that plane headed to Belize I wasn’t even sure if God existed. My time spent in Belize was one of realization. Everything I heard was new to me, I was having light bulb moments left and right. Reading my Bible and praying felt like totally new and exciting concepts. I felt like a sponge, soaking in everything I could. I accepted Jesus into my heart when I was nine but my time in Belize was the real beginning of my relationship with Him who has more love for me than I could ever have imagined. Belize was like reading a story about God and His goodness, and once we got to South Africa I got to see the story unfold before me. His goodness and mercy was being spilled everywhere we went. He brought us to places we never thought we’d be.  Outreach was different than lecture phase but exactly what I needed. I got to put into practice everything I learned. However God continued to work on my heart all the more. He’s shown me His love and I’ve gotten to explore it and I’ve found out just how indescribably important it is. It’s the answer to everything, for me and everyone in this world!  

Thank you for listening and thank you for your support, we have loved being able to share our hearts and experiences with you. We love that you have been following our blog, and your support has been more valuable than you know. Thank you! With love from South Africa,

~ Joshua Duft

YWAM DP 2011 September School

Ligama lami Liqiniso ~ My name is Alicia

Michael's Children Village is so beautiful.  Once hearing in November this place was a destination on outreach, I've been looking forward to it!  I can say the presence of God here is true to the Iris Ministries' name.  This is a community of peace love and thankfulness.  There are eighteen kids currently living here with two sets of house parents from nearby townships.  Teisa and Jean are the amazing epicenter of this program.  They are living some of the fastest paced lives I've ever seen.  It is a privilege to live in this community where we can be with the kids and house parents in our free time.  I've been excited to get my hands in the dirt again with Mama Dube in her garden.  (Dad, I'm remembering all the tips and tricks you've taught me and I'm spreading it to these folks!)

Anyway, the joy of the Lord is our strength EVERY DAY.  At this point physically and mentally we should be exhausted but out Holy Spirit tends to bubble up inside.  I've never been so joyful and fulfilled being a radical follower of Jesus.  He's put rollerblades to the things we've learned in the lecture phase.  There's only a few more days in South Africa but the freedom I've found here will keep my spirit flying even years after the end of outreach!

Thank you for reading and taking a closer look into our lives, supporting this strong team and finding dreams igniting in your heart through our testimonies.

Joy,
Alicia Andrus