My Time In South Africa

Remember back at Easter time? Before it got hot and sweaty and the summer thunderstorms struck? Two teams went to Johannesburg to build houses with Urban Saints & Amor Ministries & this was Michelle's (one of the adult team) reflections on her trip:

"The Urban Saints/Amor Ministries YMP trip to South Africa was amazing! We all had such a great week and it left me hungry to explore further the biblical concept of servant-hood, and neighbourhood, particularly in a world so divided by wealth.

Having endured the mega-long journey from Manchester to Johannesburg, we were taken to the Ebenezer Care Centre, in Gauteng Province. We had a couple of ‘touristy’ days where we explored the local game reserve, literally stroking lion cubs! The apartheid tour of Johannesburg was certainly an eye-opener to me. To think that such divisions and injustices occurred in my lifetime has really broken my heart and made me re-evaluate my response to other atrocities that are still going on in the world today. Having had the opportunity to witness a small part of post-apartheid South Africa, I have seen the effects of injustice on individual lives, but on a more positive note their determination to have a future that is no longer blighted by such division.

Another particular highlight of the trip was attending a Zulu church service in Soweto. This was such an awe-inspiring morning! I absolutely loved worshipping with the congregation, who so clearly had a passion and joy for the Lord that burned in their hearts!

Let’s not forget though the principle reason for the trip! The hard work began on Monday. And it certainly was hard! And very warm! We were divided into groups and set to work on our structures early on Monday morning, where we mixed cement, laid foundations, mixed some more cement – and then some more…! The physical work was very demanding, but the camaraderie was amazing and really pulled me through when I felt I was too tired and too hot to carry on!! The actual purpose of the trip was to build relationships and to learn how to serve one another, which was demonstrated so perfectly on the building-site where young people were showing compassion, servant-hood and encouragement to others in their team to build them up.

The one thing I will always remember about this trip is the South African hospitality! Pastor Tommy and all at the Ebenezer Care Centre made us feel so welcome, opening up their homes to all 150 of us! Many of the refugees who are temporarily staying at Ebenezer were so helpful, pitching in and showing us easier methods of cement mixing! By the end of the week we all felt like family and it was sad to be leaving everyone behind. I thoroughly enjoyed experiencing the South African culture, but even more so I enjoyed the communion with both the young people who participated in the trip and the people at Ebenezer.

It was a fantastic trip, and really opened my eyes to the relative comfort and wealth that we in the UK take so much for granted. I learned a lot about the love of God and the joy of serving through the people I met at Ebenezer, who have so little – compared to many people in the UK – yet are willing to give so much. When I think back now about what I learned from the trip, I am reminded of the verse in 1 John 3 (verse 18) which says: “Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth” (NIV). I think we all came away with the feeling that actions really do speak louder than words, and my hope is that I will continue to apply this principle to every aspect of my daily life."

Urban Saints is the operating name of The Crusaders' Union, a registered charity in England and Wales (223798) and Scotland (SCO39313)