Our daily schedule is roughly:
7 am Eat Breakfast
8 am Drive to Mosaic houses (building site) - About 10 minutes from guesthouse where the group is staying.
12 pm Break for lunch - Our group eats lunch at the Mosaic community center which is about 5 minutes from the Mosaic houses or building site.
1 pm Back to Work
4:30-5:00 End Workday
6:30 Eat Dinner
It is sunny and in the 80s during the day. The weather has been beautiful to be working outside!
Our walls are getting higher! As you can see from the photos the walls are now shoulder height. On Wednesday, we will need to use scaffolding or at a minimum a board over some bricks for us to stand on.
On Tuesday most of our group went to the Mosaic community center at 3 pm to visit the after school program. Around 60-80 kids attend the program that runs from around 3 pm to 6 pm. We visited for the first hour where the kids played organized games and ate a snack. We then went home for a quick shower and some came back for 5:20 to 6:00 to go to the Bible study portion of the after school program.
Pastor Vicki spoke to the teenagers about 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 after seeing this sign hanging in the girls bathroom. We broke up into small groups of 4-5 to talk about which of these options are easy and which are hard for us to follow. The teenagers can be a tough group. They don't talk much in a group. The small group I was in did a decent job participating.
I have been to South Africa over 10 times now. My husband Tony and I generally come 3-4 times a year so we are getting to know the Mosaic kids. It is hard because they can change a lot between our visits as they grow. I love these kids even though being around kids is not my strength. God is growing me and all I can do is to do my best. My memories from the after school program include:
- Some of the smaller kids recognized me and ran to me for hugs which was nice.
- The teenagers barely acknowledge me but I know they know who I am. They are a tough crowd but I can love them as they are. I don't know if I would be friendly to me if I were in their position.
- My challenging little friend from the summer VBS mission trip was there. It was great to see him. He is still a challenge but it was nice to see him.
- A couple of years ago, one little girl learned how to jump rope and criss cross as she jumped. Most kids gave up when they were trying to learn but she keep at it until she figured it out. I saw her and remembered her.
- One girl around middle school age who does not like to have her picture taken has become my friend. She always comes over and talks to me.
Our evening finished with dinner at our house where we celebrated Louise Conradie (co-founder of Mosaic/Meyer Conradie's wife) and my son Seth who turned 15. We have a friend Hennie that caters some meals while we are in South Africa at our house. (My husband Tony and I bought a house in South Africa in March 2016 which is why we go visit South Africa so often.) Hennie did a fantastic job with the meal and making a special cake for Seth and Louise. It was a great evening to celebrate them.
I need to get going the group is waiting for me but I wanted to post something quick. I am sorry if it is kind of scattered.
Cammy Brantzeg
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