______________________________________
Hidden under piles of trash and behind the doors of the matchbox shacks lies the township of Kayamandi, simply waiting to rise out from underneath the burdens that have been covering up this township's glowing beauty. I had the opportunity to get to know this township and although it was only three short days that I had there, God revealed more to me than I ever could have imagined.
Our site was split up into groups of 3 or 4 and after spending a morning exploring the township, with guides who grew up in Kayamandi, each group was given a small budget in order to create its own service project. I truly believe that it was in discovering the community by walking the streets, holding a child’s hand and simply observing the day-to-day life in Kayamandi, that God revealed Himself to me in unexpected, yet clear ways.
We were advised to not only identify the needs that we saw in this township, but to look deeper and identify the assets of the people and the community as well. I was able to open my eyes and see not only the brokenness of the community, but also the beauty that was flourishing; I realized that I have so much to learn from their way of simplicity and especially from the emphasis on relationships. I was inspired by the amount of love and caring that was shown among neighbours. If someone was in need of a hand there was always a neighbour close by to help. For instance, one of our groups helped a 27 year old woman and her 4 year old son tear down and rebuild their shack because it had started to shift and as a result was crooked and not suitable for keeping the rain out. Amidst the three Outtatown students working on repairing the house was an abundance of neighbours joining in to help put this home together again.
The beauty of this relational attitude was made incredibly clear to me through my own group’s service project as well. We decided to build a fence for one of the many local crèches (nursery schools), because the children were constantly escaping through one of the many gaps in the existing fencing, however, we had absolutely no idea how to put up a fence. We walked into this project blindly, but when we started working and trying to figure it out, the neighbours, who had built many fences, came and showed us how to put it up. The fence would not have made it up, nor would it be stable without the help of the two men who picked up our mallet and drove those long poles into the ground for us. I am incredibly thankful for the help they gave us.
God was not only revealed to me through the hospitality and genuine care of the neighbours, but also through the way that our service project played out. As I’ve already mentioned, none of us knew how to put up a fence, or even what type of tools and supplies we’d need, so even going to the local hardware store was difficult. I really missed Canada and the friendly and helpful service that Home Depot offers since the local Builders Hardware was definitely lacking in that department! And yet, it all worked out brilliantly and plans seemed to fall into place. God revealed Himself to us in every step of our project.
Had we just driven by Kayamandi, like we have with so many other townships, I never would have discovered the beauty that it possesses. My judgment of the township probably would have stopped at the poverty, piles of trash and world that is in many ways opposite to the one I come from. However, I now see that God’s love is evident in all parts of this world and through all people. He was in our service. He was in the help that was offered to us by the community. He was in the children’s hands that we held. He was in the children at the crèche. It’s not hard to find God once we open our eyes and look past the trash that blocks our vision.
Written by: Jen Nickel
The following photos are of the house that one of the groups (Ben, Meagan, and Krystal) helped tear down and rebuild
No comments:
Post a Comment