The Last Day

So, it is up to me to wrap up this trip in a nice neat little bow. 11 days, close to 44 hours spent in planes or at airports, countless hours spent in a non-air-conditioned bus, literally hours stuck in construction zone after construction zone.
Then there is the heat, at least 90 degrees most every day, and some days in the 100′s. Hot, sweaty nights again with no fans or air-conditioning. Working on a roof with sheet metal that literally burns your hands and knees.
Frogs in the bathrooms, showers, and beds and millipedes at every turn. Watch out for snakes at every turn, and I am not talking garter snakes. Cobra’s, black mamba’s and pythons that can swallow an impala!
WHY would ANYONE ever want to go on a short term mission trip?

The answer to that: Ask anyone who has gone on a short term mission trip. We will tell you a story about Yolanda, a pride of lions, or an orphan that touched our heart. We might tell you about the walk up the mountainside to explore the stations of the cross. We might tell you about man-eating gecko’s, not showing up for breakfast on the very last morning, or the smile on a childs face when God uses you to wrap that child up in His strong and loving arms. We might tell you about meeting our sponsored orphan for the first, second, or even third time. For some, the highlight is touching a lion cub, while for others it is just the joy of being there.

Ultimately, you must know that the why would I go question is answered simply. GOD WANTS YOU THERE! It is what we as Christians have been called to do. We all have our hang ups, we all have our fears. That’s why we are Christians in the first place, isn’t it? We can choose to run and hide (I can’t seem to find that option in the bible, though there are numerous examples of those who followed this path), or we can simply obey our calling and go. God loves the widows and the orphans, it is up to us to show them that love. We must be his hands and feet.

Seriously, ask any of us from this trip or any of the past trips, and I know you will find the same answer. If your God isn’t big enough to cover your fears, then you don’t really know how big God is. Totally submit your life to Him, give Him everything, and he will heap blessings on your life that you did not know were possible.

Drew

Well. . . the F…

Well. . . the FBC Matipane GO Team boarded the plane in Johannesburg as scheduled! They are headed home!! The team should be landing at Detroit Metro at 11:30 am Monday and should be back at FBC by 1:30 pm if all goes as planned!  Can’t wait to hear their stories!

Lori

More Wildlife Adventures…

March 10

Day 9

We were awoken this morning to the bongo drum alarm at 6 am then got ready to go on our walk with the  big cats. On our drive over our awesome bus driver, Johnny, was a super safari guide & was able able to find a few animals we were not able to see on our safari. We saw giraffes, zebras, & impalas. Then we walked with Bobez and Sheila, two playful lions, who were about 14 months old. We had to be careful to not move quickly or bend over lest they think we wanted to play & jump on us. We also saw a hippo, king cheetah & a caracal.

After a delicious breakfast at Tshkudu we set off for what was supposed to be a 6 hour drive; turned into a 9 hour trip (orange cone season happens here, too!!!) with beautiful scenery, including sightings of sable, kudus & monkeys. What an awesome day full of God’s creation.

LeeAnn & Treva

Tshkudu Safari!!!

***It’s a bit late but here it is!***

March 9

Day 8

We left Ave Maria this morning, the place we’ve called home all week. The staff was wonderful and the food was even more than we’re used to at home. 

We first stopped at the Horizon Office. Andreis and Nellie were glad to receive the orphan packages and the drugs/medication we brought. We got to do some shopping there as well, choosing from the many things that are made at the sewing centers such as bags, pillow covers, tablecloths, and beaded jewelry.

Then we stopped at Hoedspruit for some quick souvenir shopping and lunch on the fly. We had to make sure we arrived at Tshkudu in time for our scheduled safari, which was wonderful. We saw impalas, cape buffalo, and a crocodile who came out of the pond when prompted by a tasty, whole, dead chicken.We saw hippos that were keeping cool underwater but periodically would stick their eyes and nose up to say Hello to us. They can hold their breath for 8 minutes! The Horned-bill birds were everywhere- they have a large, curved, yellow beak (think of Tszazu in The Lion King). 

The highlight of the evening for me was seeing the entire pride of 5 lions from 20 yards away. The male had a round belly so we assumed he had recently eaten, probably a wart hog. He was lying down while the female and 3 1-year-old cubs wandered around close by. When a driver revved the engine, the male would give his reply. The sound was so loud and deep and awesome- impossible to describe here. Our guide told us that he perceives the engine noise as a challenge to his dominance, so his reply is “Whooooo’s the King? Whooooo’s the King? Me! Me! Me!” You’ll definitely want to see the video of it!

Dinner after the safari was interesting. There was impala stew, beef sausage, and lamb, along with various vegetables and salads. Dessert was bread pudding with custard. 

It was an unforgettable day of experiencing Gods’s creatures, great and small, up close and personal. 

Diane

Just an Update…

After a long and exciting day at Tshukudu Game Reserve, the team fell into bed before they could update the blog. So… they are all doing well and will let us know all about the safari and such in the coming hours. I do know this- on the safari today they were able to see the entire lion pride with the Dad, Mom, and 3 cubs. And they got the male to roar!!! Stay tuned for more updates about the African Wildlife Adventure at Tshukudu!!!

-Ellery 

Some Sight Seeing!

March 8

Day 7

Today was a different day from the previous three. It was a day of travel, education, amazing sights, and stories. We started the day visiting the Madumaleng drop-in center. The children were not present because they were in school. We had a great time listening to and singing with the staff. The staff were very excited to receive their gifts and shirts. We also walked through a newly planted cornfield and a grassy area to view the recently purchased land where the new center will be built. All eyes were fixed on the ground watching for anything that might slither or move. 

We then traveled to the Baobab tree where the first GO Team stayed three years ago. It is a 6000 year-old tree (147 feet around the trunk) that is amazing to see.

It was then off to Sekgopo to visit the third drop-in center. It has a wonderful staff with well-developed programs and a beautiful building. The high school choir sang for us and the high schoolers shared Bible lessons. 

The highlight of the day was meeting with and hearing the testimony of Andreis and Nellie who direct all the activities for Horizon in Limpopo Province. We spent the evening with them and we were all amazed as they shared their faith story with us.

Tomorrow our journey continues as we end the day… well stay tuned as it will have an exciting conclusion!

Thanks for praying!

Pastor Gerten

 

T-Shirt Day in Matipane!!!

March 7

Day 6

Eesh, what a great day. It rained during the night but stopped as we got on the road to the village. Cooks made French Toast, a new meal for them. We all got busy getting tools and supplies for the pavilion roof. The girls finished cleaning the library. Games went even better today, as well as crafts. Bible story climaxed with the Resurrection of our loving God. We got kids all 156 kids together, prayed over them, and handed out the colorful t-shirts and head bands. What a joy seeing the kids excited! They put their new shirts on and we all gathered and sang. The kids were dismissed for a very late lunch. 

Sunset, followed by the moon over the mountains, was awesome on our ride home. Dinner was waiting and Johnnie and his wife joined us for dinner. We all gathered and went over our day and visited. Just another day is Africa! We miss all of you and look forward to seeing you soon!

Gale

Matipane Day 2!!!

March 6

Day 5

It rained through the night which was such a blessing as it cooled everything off (no hurricane!!!). After breakfast we left for Matipane. The first project was to finish framing the roof of the grandstand with the sheet metal going on tomorrow, Lord willing! The women were busy finishing brickwork for the stand to hold a water tank, then moved to cleaning the library and were greeted by at least a 10 ft lizard which Claude (alias “Gecko Wrestler”) had to wrestle out! 

After a break for lunch we split the kids into three groups being crafts, sports, and drama. Everyone felt the kids were much more attentive today. At the end of the day we were able to meet with out sponsored child and give them some special gifts we brought for them. Ron and Gale were each able to meet their child that weren’t available yesterday. 

We are currently back at Ave Maria preparing for tomorrow when we pass out all the t-shirts purchased by the congregation and pray for each child. Please pray for us as we expect 200 children!!!

Ron Smith and Alice Sims

(aka Moses & The Redneck)

Matipane Day 1!!!

March 5

Day 4

Another beautiful day in Matipane. The day started with another great breakfast at Ave Maria, then off to the village to start our work projects which entailed removing part of a roof over the stadium to replace with a new one and loading and moving bricks to build a platform for a holding tank and working in the garden. Needless to say we were exhausted after all that but then the children started to arrive and the fun began! It was great for those returning to see our children again and for the first timers to be able to meet theirs for the first time. God is good! Looking forward to doing it all again tomorrow!

Claude

Day 3

March 4

Day 3

Where do we begin? We started the morning bright and early hearing the monkeys fighting (or was that the ladies laughing in the dorm next door). After a delicious breakfast we headed to church called Don’t Blame God International Ministries in Madumalenge, which is held in an empty liquor store. Not much for asthetics, with no ceiling or power, but enough energy to fire up Pastor Gerten and the service lasted 3 hours. There was lots of singing, dancing, hallelujahs and overall rejoicing. Wow, what a service!

After service we went to a tea plantation for lunch. We all ate way too much. The grounds were amazing, but unfortunately the tea leaves are not being harvested as there is not a plant nearby to process the leaves. So a few thousand locals sit unemployed waiting….

After returning we rested before dinner (not the ladies, they were too busy talking, or laughing, or giggling – not sure what they were doing). After dinner we worked on getting our VBS supplies ready for tomorrow, only to be interrupted by a brief power outage. This may be a prelude to what is expected in the next few days as a cyclone is brewing
off the coast of Madagascar and we are expected to get a lot of wind, rain and humidity. We shall see ….

Mark