Holiday Club Week #1

First week of Holiday Club is officially over!!! wooohooooo. 

FIRST OF ALL. here is a picture I took on Monday morning around 7:30. I was out in Overcome getting ready for our first day of holiday club. Since the team I am with works in both Overcome and Capricorn, we split up and some have been in Cap and the others have been in Overcome. I am one of the ones who gets to spend my days out in Overcome during the next 3 weeks. This is the view I see every day. It may look like a dump...but I have absolutely grown to love this place and the kids that call this home. I believe that even in the ugliest and darkest of places you can find beauty...it just might take a little longer. 

now only 2 more weeks of it till we can take it easy for awhile. It's been a great week so far, though I think if I never hear the waka waka song by Shakira i'll be okay. Next week we have a team coming in so it'll be nice to kind of sit back and let them take some initiative. 

So this first week the theme has been the olympics. Naturally I have worn my Texas jersey everyday (thanks nanny). Though the days have been long they have been really fun. Monday we didn't have a big turn out, which was actually quite nice because we didn't want full overload and run out of steam on just the first day. The second day we had a good amount of kids but this was the day the Lord decided to open the floodgates of Heaven and send the rain a pouring. Now the only thing we have in Overcome is a old container...so imagine 4 adults and 65 kids squished into this. 

We made due and there was no such thing as personal space. We thankfully had a movie, so when the rains came the movie went on. During this week I have been in charge of crafts which is right up my alley. Alot of coloring really...but what kid doesn't enjoy a good coloring page! I think Tuesday has been my favorite day thus far. We had our speakers out and while I was in the container with the little kids (7&under) I softly played some music. Well after about two songs Adele's Someone Like You came on. Right as I got up to change it...thinking I doubt these kids even know this song...EVERY child in there was singing along, loudly. It was the cutest thing ever. Since then we have played a little Adele every day

This precious face, Tyrone, STOLE the show when Adele came on. He stopped whatever he was doing got up and just sang. Eyes closed, hand in a fist with imaginary microphone, oh best believe he was on fire! haha I wanted to get it recorded but my phone was hooked up to the speakers...Emily may have gotten some footage, if so yall will certainly get to see it on here! 

ohh what else is share worthy...

well I guess a picture can tell a thousand words right? I'll let these few pictures do the talking for me ;) 

the gang. last group picture with Marti, Emily && Allison! :(

Stacey and Ilana

Caleb 

Cameron, Lwando and hmm a new kid! 

since being here i've learned you must ALWAYS take two pictures. because the first is either always bad...or super sweet. Sibusiso and Adrian 

kids being kids 

LOVE this child. his name is Adrian...he gives the absolute best hugs.

Well those are just a few that have been taken this week. Emily had her camera so once she puts her pictures up I'll have more to share. 

This morning it was my turn to do devotion. I actually completely forgot until late last night and thankfully had my Jesus Calling book. I opened it to the devo it had for today and for those of you who don't know what this book is, it's a 365 day devotional. It has a little devo for every day...got it from the Upps for graduation :] anywayssss today I talked to the group about how God is good and the more we experience him the more apparent that statement truly is. 

"Taste and see that I am good. This command contains an invitation to experience My Living Presence. It also contains a promise, the more you experience me, the more convinced you become of my goodness. This knowledge is essential to your faith walk. When adversaries strike, the human instinct is to doubt my goodness. My ways are mysterious, even to those who know me intimately. As the heavens are higher than earth, so are my ways and thoughts. Do not try to fathom my ways. Instead, spend time enjoying me and experiencing my goodness."

I think, especially being here, I need to remember this. For the life of me I may never understand why God chose these kids to be born into the atmosphere they are in. To be diagnosed with HIV at a young age or lost a parent to the disease. To not be scared of the 'monster in my closet' but of guns, knifes and drugs. What I need to do is not fret about those things but bring to light all the amazing things God IS doing in these kids lives. He is always up to something and has the power to change any situation for the better, whether we realize it or not. Like it says in the text, when adversaries strike, it's our own human nature to doubt God. Throughout my time here I have had some bumps along the road. It hasn't been perfect but through these imperfections God has shown me that he is constantly around and will always be there guiding me to where I need to go. I have always said that God will use not only your strengths but also your weaknesses, because when you accomplish something you thought you couldn't do, or something you have dubbed as one of your biggest weaknesses, that is when God is showing you with him anything can happen. It is like I said about the picture I took of Overcome...you can still find beauty in the ugliest and darkest of places, it just may take you a little longer. God is everywhere whether you feel his presence or not it's just a matter of time until he opens your eyes to what you need to see.  

This afternoon when we were done with kids club, we had a break before we had to be back for teens club. I went to my car and went to start it and nothing...the engine didn't even try to start, my car was silent every time I turned the key. Of course everyone in the car with me thought I was just joking because, well lets face it...I probably would too if I were them. From different things I have heard since being here, Overcome might be the last place you'd want to be stranded. It's certainly not the safest of places. Thankfully I was right in front of our container. Within seconds guys that were just hanging out in the street came over, popped my hood and had another car sitting in front of me jumping my car. Another guy just happened to walk by who was a mechanic. I couldn't believe how all these guys had everything they needed to help me out. Just comes to show that God does work in mysterious ways and will use the people we are least likely to expect. After some pushing on this and wiggling that, my car started (apparently the starter was stuck, yeah idk) and I got to meet some of the locals...God once again turned, what seemed to us, a bad situation into a good one, even opened doors to share with these guys what we do in their neighborhood everyday. 

And if that wasn't the icing on the cake...we got back to Capricorn to find out that the summer volunteers had bought us all lunch! how sweet are they. Emily, Allison and Marti. 

there last day with us was today. they have been here for 5 weeks. BLOW MY MIND that they are leaving. It's kind of scary how fast that time really went. We had gatsby's for lunch which are these huge sandwiches. the insides consist of chicken, sauce, tomatoes, lettuce, and fries.

of course I needed a picture with the ginger beer. 

Well I hope everyone back in the good United States of Awesome is doing wonderful. And for anyone who is going through a hard time right now...I promise God will turn it into something good. You may not know what it is now..in a few months or even years, but I do guarantee you that you are not alone and only time will tell when your eyes are opened to the beauty that God is waiting for you to experience. :]

Kindness..a language the deaf can hear and the blind can see. Love this sweet boy and even though he'll never hear a word I tell him..hopefully he'll see my love through my actions :]

be thankful.

This morning I woke up and watched How I Met Your Mother and the episode I watched was when Marshall lost his dad. When the show was over I remembered a DVD I had in one of my bags. It was a DVD of my papa's funeral. My family brought it when they came over and I haven't listened to it, not that I didn't want to... just because I haven't been ready to listen. Today I did. When I looked at the date on the cover it said February 22, 2012...4 months and one day ago my papa was buried. Now I don't want you to think this is going to be a sad post, because I don't want it to be. It is about someone I am thankful for. Someone I have learned a lot from through my 22 years of life. I believe my want and desire to travel to new places is from him. My curiosity in new cultures far different than my own is because of him. Finding the beauty of God's people in the ugliest and darkest of places is thanks to him. He is my papa Norton and will always be just that. 

The day I found out he was gone was my first day working here at Living Hope. I didn't share it with anyone besides Jennifer and went through out that day acting like nothing was wrong. A big part of me just wanted to leave and go back home but that night I went to Monday night small groups for the first time and met everyone there for the first time. At the end we went around saying our prayer requests and when it got to my turn all the emotions i had kept in all day came out. I remember trying SO hard to not cry until I left but I couldn't help it. That was the night those strangers became family because they made me feel at home. So thank you everyone here at Living Hope, you may not know this but you have each made an imprint on my heart. 

Well today while I was listening to what had been said about him, I found out that if I am half of what he was, I'll be proud of myself.  

 One of my favorite things I heard while listening to this was when Mike Washburn said: 

"To some, Harvey might have seemed gruff or intimidating or forceful or I don't know what...but to me, he was soft hearted, he loved to tease, and I loved to tease him back, whether I would go see him in the hospital, at church, or where he worked, or on the ranch...whenever I got to see Harvey Norton it brightened my day."

You know I have heard by many about how big of a temper my papa had and that you wouldn't want to be within a mile of him when he was letting it show. I thankfully have never seen that side of my papa and I am glad that I will always and forever only have good memories of him. The few months before I left for here, the whole family got together for christmas or something. Anyways my papa was at the point where some moments he'd seem to know what was going on while others he probably didn't have a clue where he was. I vividly remember standing by the table where he was sitting and hear him say to his caretaker, 'see that girl right there, that's my great granddaughter. She's going back to Africa! how great is that!' Knowing he knew I was coming back here and was excited to tell others when he was 'back to his normal self' will forever be the reassurance I needed, the memory that needed to be remembered as to one of the many reasons why here is where I needed to be.  

He is not truly gone because now he is free to travel with me as I see and experience the world. What an amazing travel buddy I will now always have :)  

My papa was a builder. He could build a business, build a ranch, build a school, a children's home, a church, the kingdom of God, his life was about building. && because of that I have absolutely no doubt in my mind that when my Papa met Jesus for the first time, he said 'well done my good and faithful servant, welcome home.' 

His journey ended at his final destination. There were no airport security and no rough seas. Best of all, his fare was paid by a gentle, loving savior.

It is never too late to count your blessings. 

you spent a heck of a great 95 years in this world. 

So glad I got to know you for 22 of em

Christ has no body on earth but yours,

no hands but yours, 

no feet but yours.

Yours are the eyes through which 

Christ's compassion for the world is to look out;

yours are the feet with which He is to go about doing good; 

and yours are the hands with which He is to bless us now. 

-Saint Teresa of Avila 

Holiday Club is apon us!

First of all I hope that all you fathers out there had an absolutely fantastic father's day! I texted my dad wishing him luck in getting the rest of my family to take him out for some seafood! If you know my mom at all...I'm sure you know this request probably didn't happen. haha But heres my little shout out to the guy who has always been there for me and showed me what it's like to have a humble heart and be a sneaky prankster ;) lol Love you dad! 

Well my first week back after being gone with the family was good. It was nice to get back into my routine. This past weekend I did absolutely nothing. Now usually that is something I can't do, I am one who can not stay in my house for more than a few hours. Here, however, it's my favorite time of the week. Just get to sleep in...do what I want...when I want to. haha its nice. So this last weekend I didn't really leave the house but maybe once to go to the store. I watched How I Met Your Mother pretty much the whole weekend. I think I have seen every episode but it's one of those shows that you can watch it over and over and will still laugh at the ridiculous jokes. haha love it. Well the weather here has been absolutely gorgeous the past few days! Sunny every day with a cool breeze, winter is starting to roll in. It's actually been very cold in my room at night because these houses are built for summer...so they trap in all the cold air. Which is awesome during the hot months...but now not so much. 

I have been here for 4 months now (weird!) and it still amazes me how pretty this place really is. One of the summer volunteers that is here for 6 weeks took this picture this past weekend. But this is where I spend my every day. Now Im to the point where I don't even notice this kind of view when I'm driving to work. When I first got here I remember not being able to take my eyes off of this beauty. Can't believe I'm to the point where I'm just like eh yeah it's gorgeous...but looks the same as yesterday! haha. 

Anyways not too much exciting things have happened this past week/weekend. Just living each day and not worrying to much about the next really. Still trying to balance out how to work on my boys in Capricorn...with not ignoring every other kid there. I honestly think I've been doing a good job at it which is nice. The other day some of the girls wrote me a card during their free time. little things like that mean SO much to me. Then today when I was driving through the township to drop off the food, we got to the house where the lady lives. Now when I pull up my car gets surrounded by a lot of the kids that come to club. They always wait for me to pop the trunk so they can get the containers out to bring into the house. Well today we crammed Roger, Illana, Marti, Allison, and Emily (our 3 summer volunteers) into my car. When we got to the house I rolled down my window to say hi to the kids and just a little small talk. Then I heard one of the boys say that I was his favorite leader to everyone else. Talk about a way to put a huge smile on my face. I love being around these kids. :) Today I took the 3 girls back to their house and while we were driving they asked if I was going to be sad when I left. They leave in 2 weeks which is INSANE. It literally feels like they got here yesterday. Well I had to think about it honestly. Yes I am going to be sad about leaving this place, when your here for almost 9 months, some of these people just become your family. I'm also going to miss these kids...but I think when October rolls around I will be more excited to get home. Yes...family go ahead and get excited about that statement, doubt you'd hear that from me eh? haha. But yeah I told them it'll be bittersweet. I think if I didn't have people to go back home to...like friends, family, Eric, then my response would be a little different. But I then said I honestly don't know how I will react until the day I leave. When I was in Ghana I knew I was going to be sad...I mean I was with those kids from 8 till 9:30 everyday. When the last day came I was perfectly fine the whole day...was doing a fantastic saying my goodbyes...getting TONS of goodbye letters from alot of kids...but right when one of the boys I got super close to over the summer came up to me and gave me a big long hug was when I lost it. I had to leave and go hide in a classroom to cry. I remember being so mad at myself because I was doing so good at not being sad. When I came out he was standing there and told me 'I don't want to be around you right now, because I make you cry and I don't want to see you upset'...which naturally made the tears keep coming! haha I only share that story because who knows if one small hug or a smile in my direction will turn my 'emotional' switch on and make leaving here become something extremely hard. I guess 4 months from now I'll find out. Im kind of nervous about leaving here and heading back home. Selfishly I wish nothing has changed and everything will be the exact same when I get back. It's going to be weird to go back to Abilene and not being able to see everyone I was used to seeing when ever I wanted to. It'll be weird not having Quinn, Dan, and Eric live together in the house I used to spend much of my time at. I'm nervous of the unknown. I know awhile ago I talked about how I had that moment when I freaked out about what my future holds but God used Pinterest to show me this picture... 

I saved it onto my desktop and now whenever I have these random moments of 'what in the world is next' I just pray. Simple as that...because you can't worry and pray at the same time. If you are praying, God is taking your worry away && well if your worrying, then you sure aren't praying. So to whoever is reading this...if you pray as much as you worry about it, you won't worry anymore. 

Well next week Holiday Club starts and it is 3 weeks of non stop club. The first two weeks were doing something along the lines of olympics and then the last week were doing waste watchers...just about keeping your community as well as yourself clean. Well Holiday Club involves alot of planning...because instead of normal afternoon club, we have kids in the morning and teens in the afternoon. So the days are long and your nerves get tested. Im quite optimistic about it but everyone knows that the tiredness is bound to happen. Holiday Club is awesome but exhausting. So once these next 3 weeks get past us I'm sure I'll be one happy camper. Today we had to go to training to start planning for the first week of club. During it each branch had to write on a big piece of paper what they were worried about with this coming up stuff. Here is our paper! I think it's pretty self explanatory. 

After that we got all our supplies for the next 3 weeks and then got to sort it all out. Im pretty sure us at Capricorn got the most stuff..it seemed like it anyways! 

haha Meagan already looks ready for Holiday Club to be over. I feel like the best way to explain this to y'all is it's kind of like VBS in the states. You have to prepare ALOT and then your going from 9 till 4...and you get to do it for 3 weeks straight. So just be praying for all us Life Skill Educator's these next few weeks. It will be greatly appreciated! 

Here's some pictures from club this week :] 

 haha this is Darren...he has recently decided that I am a human jungle gym. Today he successfully made it from my back up to my shoulders. Then he got scarred so I had to use all my might to slowly get to my knees. Love this boy...but there's been many times he's almost taken me down. He will get a running start, and just jump on me. Most of the time it's when I have absolutely no idea it's about to happen. 

 Jeremiah. :] he pretty much grabbed my heart the first day I met him

 yes...it's cold enough here to wear a beanie and not think twice about it. 

&& this is Cameron. He is going to be a heart breaker with that perfect smile! 

&& there's life as I know it. Thankful God has given me the opportunity to have these kids in my life. I hope they are being impacted through the things not only I do...but Living Hope as an organization is doing! 

Live each day like it was your last y'all. cliche...yes but we all need to take it more seriously. 

OHH best picture of the night -- tonight is Monday so we had the normal monday small groups. Tonight was different however, there was only 6 of us girls..no Tim..no summer volunteers..and Natasha had made some cinnamon rolls and this is how she baked them. 

yes...that is a heater.

lol..this is only half true. She did this for awhile to activate the yeast?..her words not mine...I don't bake. Still hilarious. These African folk sure do some weird things around here ;) 

Your beliefs don't make you a better person...your actions do!! So with that said...BE the change you want to see in the world! 

Movie Teaser

CHECK IT OUT! 

there is a documentary being done on Living Hope and here is the first movie teaser. I was interviewed by David while he was here filming so I may end up in a second or two of the final movie! Anyways see the incredible work God is doing with the people I've come to call family.

appreciate it! 

Africa with a touch of Texas

Well after being gone for a week it's nice to be back in my house and settled into my normal routine. Having the family here was fantastic and it was nice having a sense of home over here. I think they enjoyed themselves...seem to anyways! 


 Yesterday I still didn't have to go to work, so I slept in then decided I wanted to go to club. When I got out to Overcome it was nice to be 'welcomed back' by the kids. But my happiest moment was this afternoon. This morning I went into the main office in Capri and saw everyone..did some work then went out to Capricorn. Now like I've mentioned many times before, there are some boys I'm really trying to encourage and work with. I've seen some progress in Denzil about not being disruptive and mean to the other kids but nothing besides that. Well TODAY I get to club and he rides in on his bike with his normal tough guy facade and is riding around popin wheelies when he sees I'm watching. Then he comes over to me and stops his bike. I just say hey and he looks at me and goes...Shelby! Where were you ALL week last week?? I just smiled and said 'I was with my family...what did you miss me or something?' and his tough guy facade turned into a smile and he said yep and hugged me. My heart melted a little bit, it was super nice coming back to that. Then when club was over Denzil and Jeremiah stayed later and said they wanted to hang out with me a little longer. Slowly but surely I'm getting through to these boys and I couldn't be more excited. Just hope God continues to use me even if it's just to show them someone here cares very much about them and loves them. Soooo yes. Great first day back :) 

SOOOOOO now to this last week with my family! 

They arrived on Friday, June 1st. Now the plan was that I was just going to go check in at the hotel and hang out there untill they got there from the airport. Now who in their right mind would really think I'd go along with that plan...I OBVIOUSLY went up to the airport to surprise them. At one point I thought my mom saw me while walking across the bridge and I threw up my hood and crisis was adverted. 

Well I stood behind some people to get these pictures. I guarantee you someone in that airport was thinking I was up to no good. Finally Kenzie saw me when they were all there talking to the lady that was picking them up and then it was a big ole surprise. :] 

this will be a mostly pictures entry

** if you click on the pictures you can see them bigger**

Well while they were here we did alot of things! 

Went to Cape Point, where we saw some Ostrich's. I was slowly getting closer to it and it began to make noises at me. So this was as close as I thought necessary! 

We then went and checked out the Two Oceans Aquarium. I love love aquariums && zoo's...yep I pretty much turn into a little kid and ohh and ahh over everything! 

Also went and checked out Boulders beach. It is where you can go hang out with the penguins. Now for all of yall who doubted me when I said there are indeed penguins in Africa....proof! 

Then we drove the 3 hours to Cape Agulhas. Now this place is a tiny town and is known for being the most southern point in Africa, where the Indian Ocean and Atlantic Ocean meet. I told everyone that there is absolutely nothing to do here except say you've been...so we naturally went! Mom will never give up a good photo op. 

 This picture of my nanny && pop might possibly be my favorite ever. 

Another fantastic thing we did was go up on Table Mountain!! the morning we went it was beautiful. The morning fog in the city was slowly leaving so we got a beautiful view of Cape Town. I found out that Table Mountain is now one of the 7 wonders!! so awesome...I know they are constantly changing but visiting the 7 wonders is one of the things on my bucket list :] 

p.s. I live on the other side of the last mountain you see in this picture :] 

ohh I had to.. :] 

After we went up on Table Mountain we went over to Signal Hill. Here the SA Navy sets of a cannon at noon every day except Sunday and Holidays. I promise there is a certain reason...but unfortunately I only remember getting my eardrums rung after standing a few feet behind the cannon when it went off. Shelby-0 Cannon-1 

Hope yall are enjoying the pictures! 

Saving the best adventure for last! Got to cross something off my bucket list this past week. We went on an African Safari! Now the weather was certainly not ideal but I still loved every second of it. I really want to go up and do a week long safari now! We got to see the big 5 (cape buffalo, rhino, elephant, Lion, leopard) with the exception of the leopard. Our guide said he has been working there for 3 years and has only seen the leopard once! Now I took quite a few pictures here of course but I'll just show my favorites to spare yall some time!

 beautiful rainbow to end the trip

So yes that was our week in South Africa in a few pictures! When we weren't off sight seeing or visiting new places you'd find all of us down on the waterfront. Our hotel was just down the road so we were here every night. 

 Im officially the adventurous eater in the family. This meal consists of kudu, crocodile, ostrich, venison sausage && warthog! 

Well it comes without saying that I had a great time showing my family around and letting them see where I work. I think their eyes were open to the hardships that many people in this world, especially in Africa, face...extreme poverty. I remember the first time I was in Ghana, experiencing it for the first time, looking into the eyes of people who live in mud huts, having my mindset completely changed. It's one thing to hear about it but it's a totally different thing seeing it with your own eyes. My dad actually told me that he was talking to one of the guys that worked at the hotel and I came up in conversation and my dad mentioned I worked with the kids in a township and the man apparently couldn't believe I actually went in to work there. I just thought why not? These kids need just as much if not more love and attention that any other kid out there. I love doing what I'm doing and I know that God is keeping us protected while were doing what we do. I am not any superior to these people in God's eyes and that's the mindset you have to have when working here. 

Mankind wants glory. WE want health. We want wealth. We want happiness. We want all our felt needs met, all our little human itches scratched. We want a painless life. We want the crown without the cross. We want the fain without the pain. We want the words of Christ's salvation to be easy...

- John Macarthur