I gathered all the ones who wanted to play volleyball and we played around with some games. However the boys were being very aggressive and the girls were just getting frustrated and withdrawing. Earlier this particular group of boys that were being aggressive had asked me if I had any sons or daughters. I said I didn't and then one of them responded with "well, we can be your sons". It was adorable. This particular community is full of broken families often with an absent parent or kids raised by extended family. Alcohol, drugs and abuse are often a familiarity or will be to these kids as they grow up in Ocean View. These boys or self elected sons of mine started to joke around and call me "baby" which I didn't know how to reply to. Luckily Calvin was walking by and I called over to him that these kiddos want to call me baby. He started chatting with them and getting to know them. This group of friends was obviously close and stuck together. Calvin sat with them for a long time talking to them about respect. Respect for adults, for each other, for girls, and for themselves. He encouraged them to do the right thing no matter how hard it was and to take the route to be a "good gang."
At this same time the girls had stayed with me and we continued to play around with the volleyball. We soon found ourselves just talking so we sat down and continued to talk. We talked about what we want to be when we grow up, what school subjects they like, and even tougher topics like discrimination. Some of them had experienced racism while growing up but we talked about how we were all created by God and therefor equal and our skin color has nothing to do with our worth. For the generation that has grown up post-apartheid, there is a confusing disconnect when it comes to equality. In school they are taught that everyone is equal yet there is still a stark gap socioeconomically and the living conditions vastly different between the races. It takes a long time for things to change after an oppressive system such as apartheid which has affected the country in such a diminishing way. This system has only been gone for almost 20 years and I would argue that even America still suffers from its previous days of slavery and segregation.
More girls joined us and we continued to hang out. We played some "stuck in the mud" and when we were exhausted from that, we talked about movies we liked and they asked me about America and where I came from which is always fun to talk about home. I didn't want the day to end but it was time for lunch and for winding down.
My girls!
Sharon had sent a text later on in the morning saying that she really feels like we should tell the kids we are available to pray with them especially about home situations and stuff along those lines or anything really. As we stood in our closing formation, Calvin expressed that many of the leaders are available for prayer and that we care about them. I started to hug many of my girls goodbye and as they asked when they would see me again I had such a hard time saying that they probably wouldn't. The hardest thing about doing these short term things is that I can't build long term relationships but only pray that seeds were planted and they felt loved. It gets me excited to invest in a community back in Austin. The more I work with kids, the more I realize how much I love working with them. They are so full of life and potential. Three of the girls came up to me afterwards asking for prayer. I felt so honored that they trusted me but also heartbroken to hear the kinds of things they were going through. After the prayers, the hugs and goodbyes I stood there looking at the empty playground. I couldn't believe our sports clinics were over and that I wouldn't get to spend more time with these kiddos.
It was heavy but I didn't have that much time to process everything because I had to hurry up and pack for a weekend get away with a group of friends. There were nine of us and we stayed in a cabin in a place called kunje which was three hours drive and completely surrounded by mountains and beauty. It was an amazing retreat. I was able to spend a lot of time alone in nature and get rejuvenated. We went on a group hike up a mountain. Hikes here are so much more hardcore because he have to actually climb up boulders. I was pretty sore the next day. We ate good food, had great conversation, shivered during the cold night and enjoyed the camp fire. Almost half of the people that went are in the film industry and were quite entertaining. Some of them have worked with such actors as Halle Berry, Ryan Reynolds and Denzel Washington. I was sad to hear Denzel was a demanding and not so warm guy. But the other two are apparently nice. Overall the weekend was a blast and I had many laughs. It is so beautiful in this country.
Haha we had fun with taking photos :)
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