July 24, 2007

Wow. I'm really ready to go home. I lay awake at night and look forward to the next day because it is one day closer to when we go home. I love this place, but I miss my home. However, today was amazing. This morning took us forever to leave (the schedule here is rather frustrating) but we finally did leave for Bohlokong. Somehow word gets out when we arrive there and women and children come to the Bombalela for singing, dancing, and encouragement. Jessica shared her testimony, which was great - it was the first time she had done that before. The women sang beautifully. I was outside most of the time playing with a few boys. After the service, we passed out bread to all the children. They come prepared with bags. The kids are beautiful.

As we were kind of hanging around waiting to leave, I met a boy who was talking to Kevin. His name I can't pronounce, but his English name he said was Harold (in the hat). He knew four languages. He couldn't have been older than 13 or 14 years old. But he spoke with HOPE! I don't know how else to explain it. He had determination and confidence that he would rise up and do something with his life. He told us that his friends smoke and drink and they make fun of him because he doesn't do that. He is intensely serious about school and his education. He clearly sees education as his means out of this life. I asked him what he wants to be when he is older and he said "I need to be a doctor." He was so intent on this. You can see that he wants to change the world. We prayed for him right then that this would happen and he would become a doctor like his heart desired. He told us of how we bring so much hope to these people and that we need to come back. He then began to tell us about his family. He said that his parents used to fight and his father would beat his mother. Then the split up, which made him very sad. He said he wanted to kill himself, but some people prayed for him, and he no longer wanted to do that. He wished sometimes that his parents were together, but when he remembers what his father did to his mother, he is glad they are not. Then he said the most amazing thing ever. He said, "Sometimes I wish I could hate him, but I can't because I've learned to forgive." Wow! Lord, give me that kind of heart. This kid was to me an answer to our prayers on the first day up on that mountain top. We prayed that God would raise up young people who would change this place, the "Place of pain" into a "Place of Hope." I believe that Harold will be one of those people. He was oozing hope all over the place and I am blessed because I met him.