Monday 9 January 2012

The Village of Hope



This is my first full day at the Village of Hope. I arrived yesterday, somewhat dishevelled, after being picked up from the airport by another volunteer. Tim and Maz, the project leaders, gave me a warm welcome, and then Emily, the volunteer co-ordinator, gave me a briefing and showed me around. The project is set on what used to be a farm, so it's quite rural. A white track takes you up to the gate at the front, and then you come to the volunteer's unit. Then adjoined to the volunteer's unit is the children's unit. They currently have ten children, eight of which I met today :-) Several of them ran up to me and hugged my knees! They are gorgeous and full of beans, and in some ways children are children, wherever they are! But in other ways these children are different, because their little lives have been so difficult.



This morning Tim took me around the town of Grabouw in the jeep, and we drove through the different townships. It's a mind-boggling mishmash of different races living side by side but living entirely segregated lives from each other. But I suppose out here it's normality, it just seems much stranger to me, coming from England.

There's three other volunteers at the moment, and then there's ten house mums, Rob and Emily and their children, and Tim and Maz. So far I'm finding it quite overwhelming- all the different sights and smells, new surroundings, the heat, the culture. And I'm also scared of doing something wrong, and that I won't be very useful :-s But I have to trust that God has put me here and so He must be able to work through me.

Anyway, I won't witter on any longer. I'll write again shortly! xxxxx

p.s seriously thinking about buying some fairylights (!) ...

3 comments:

  1. Hi Jess glad to hear you are finding your feet but its bound to take time at at least you have day one out of the way and tomorrow to look forward to. It sounds as though you will have support and friends and the love of the children. Its great to see the photos and its like having a little bit of you and there here with us. Get the fairy lights its a must xxxxxxxx Lynda

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  2. Hi Chick (not sure if this is like email) but will attempt to send anyway!
    Just read todays' update and seen photos which are great. Bound to take you a while to get used to soooo many different things and whole way of life.
    Looking forward to skyping tmoz. You have got 9 followers already.....................
    Lots of love Noo xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

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  3. Hi Jess, glad you got there safely, it sounds amazing already, yeah, go for the fairy lights! Lots of Love, Uncle Mark xxxxxxx

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