trees.

Even though we've only been in South Africa for a week, it feels like we've been here forever.  We've settled nicely into our routine.  Wake up at 7:00.  Eat.  Drag trees up a hill all morning.  Eat.  Drag trees up a hill all afternoon.  Wait "patiently" for supper.  Eat.  Internet.  Crash by 9:00.  Wake up.  Eat.  Drag trees up a hill...

We've been clearing brush away from the river, and working on building a new fence in the same area.  These projects are both for security reasons, because there have been some break-ins.  The brush offers cover for people who are trying to sneak in, so we've been clearing it.  The fence is self-explanatory. 

Last night we had dinner with Jaco, the man in charge of Refilwe.  It was very encouraging to hear about some of the new projects they are starting.  They are beginning to plant orchards, and they are launching a company called Wormcycle.  All the profit from Wormcycle will go towards supporting Refilwe programs.  Refilwe advocates sustainability in all their projects, and they are excited to be able to take a step towards supporting themselves financially through Wormcycle.

This week, members of our team have continued to go into the community.  On Monday, Amanda, Jaclyn and I visited the man who we prayed for last week.  As soon as we walked into his house, the change that had come over him was obvious.  His eyes were bright and he was smiling!  Some of his pain had returned, so we prayed for him again.  We prayed for some other members of the community as well. 

Other members of our team got to go into the informal settlements with Home Basic Care, a program where they assess the health needs of the community and provide care and education about problems such as high blood pressure, TB and HIV/AIDS.  The informal settlements are completely different from anything you will see in America, Canada or England.  It's like what you see on TV.  People live in tin shacks that barely fit a bed and a couch.  These shacks are really close together.  The biggest informal settlement in the area had a population of around 150, 000 the last time they checked, which was two years ago.  

There are more than ten of these settlements in the area around Johannesburg.  It's hard to comprehend.  There is a silence that hangs over the place.  The squawk of a chicken, the sound of children in the distance...they pierce the silence, then fall dead.  At times our footsteps are the only noise.  The road we walk along looks more a boulder field than a road.  Broken glass and bottle caps litter the ground.  Little children run around in bare feet.  One little girl - she can't be more than two - plays with a handsaw.  Our eyes take in these images, but do they really register?  Each person who lives in the informal settlements; this is their life.  Every day of every year.  I see it, but it doesn't sink in.

That's why seeing Mama Sanette and Mama Thandi at work is so inspiring, why walking around with the Home Basic Care team is so encouraging.  They are actually making a difference in these settlements.  One of the women on the Home Basic Care team lives in the informal settlement that she is working in.  We ate lunch at her house after doing the assessments.  Refilwe is educating people and teaching them skills so that they can break free from the cycle of poverty.  It is inspiring to see.

-Grace