Rebuild South Africa - 11th to 21st July 2014

Well we did it. Over three years in the planning/ thinking stage - lots of taunts from the lads about never delivering on our promises - and then all of a sudden (once we decided to go)  having to raise £18,000 in 4 months (we raised close to £22,000) - and before we knew it , twelve of us had crossed the equator, had a great week, built a house and returned home. 

So what did we get up to? The attached pages will hopefully both show and explain what we did day by day, but what photos can't show you are my reflections;

1. Boys to Men - we've been working with the group of lads who came to South Africa for between 5 and 8 years each. It was incredibly satisfying to see the lads work hard, organise themselves into teams and get on with it- not just on the build , but in every aspect of the week. All I did was act as their alarm clock.. Otherwise they were totally independent and fully dependable. If this was a rites of passage event - they all passed with colours. (Evidently the locals have a rites of passage week for 15 yr old lads - the village elders encourage them to commit crimes !). 
2. A life changing experience?  - we may have come with the expectation that we would face such abject poverty that we would come home with a completely different mind set and attitude. That didn't happen. What we experienced was a more complex situation (see 'Introducing Delmas'), but I believe in the long term, as the boys reflect on this situation (life is a messy contradiction at all levels) and as we continue to worship God and receive teaching (as we did every evening ) that the renewing of our minds will be all the more deeper and transformational than a quick short shock.  And the week was life changing for at least one of the lads. 
3. Apartheid. It may have technically finished 20 years ago - but it is still alive and well in the hearts of many whites and blacks in South Africa. Four local pastors - 2 black, 2 white - gave after dinner speeches on the importance and impact of what we are doing to help transform these prejudices, especially in the rising generations. There was an exciting sense of what God is doing in the destiny of this country - and we've been part of it. 

So thank you all for your support, prayers and encouragements.  Any suggestions for the next challenge?

Jeff