I have been away from my home on the Isle of Man and in South Africa for 4 months now, which means that I am half way through my adventure time here! The first term in Wellington at Timothy Ministry Team (TMT) has been amazing. I don’t even know where to start.
Everyone at TMT has gone from being great friends to being like family to me. I’ve been amazed at how 9 girls can live together in one house and not only survive, but also become great friends. We’ve created so many fun memories over the last few months: dancing around the kitchen like we’re in a Disney musical, being amazed at how the dirty dishes in the sink magically appear there, gathering our energies and all getting involved to then help clear the magically appearing dirty dishes. Each one of the girls has gone out of their way to make me feel so at home here.
It’s like living from the safety in your father’s lap, as opposed to living from a place of constantly trying to get onto your father’s lap.
The main thing that has made this first term so significant for me has been what God has done in my heart and spiritual life. I had gotten myself into an unhealthy mindset, thinking that I needed ‘do’ things to earn God’s attention. I needed to read my Bible enough, pray enough, do good works…otherwise God wouldn’t reveal Himself to me. God has shown me how that’s not the case, but rather it’s Him who chooses to reveal Himself to me – it’s all about what Jesus did for me and not what I can do for Him. It’s like living from the safety in your father’s lap, as opposed to living from a place of constantly trying to get onto your father’s lap.
I have found the TMT classes really interesting and lots of fun! This term we have had a lot of drama classes, which I would normally find tough to do, but they have been great. I love how practical TMT is at times and how it’s not all about theory.
I have had such fun with the kids in Mbekweni (a local township) as we try to act out stories and attempt to speak isiXhosa. I found it really challenging at first. I didn’t want to just go into the daycare and only entertain these kids – I wanted to really help them with their problems – but what I have realised is that one of the biggest things they need is someone to teach them how to play with each other, to take time to be with them, to love them, and to teach them things as simple as colours or the alphabet. These are all things that I took for granted; that my parents did for me. I love teaching them hand clapping games, and it has blessed me so much seeing them interacting with each other, laughing over small games like this.
These girls have heart-breaking stories, and it’s amazing to be able to be a part of how Jesus heals them.
Then I also go to Bovlei, which is a youth club for the farming kids. We interact and play with the kids and then have a time where we get into small groups and chat. I have an amazing group of teenage girls I meet with and we have been speaking together about the way God loves us and sees us, and how then we can love each other. These girls have heart-breaking stories, and it’s amazing to be able to be a part of how Jesus heals them.
This term has been so packed and I have loved getting settled into this amazing country (despite almost dying in the heat of 40 degrees, and then 30 degrees being a cool day), and I am loving how God has been moving so clearly every day with me as I spend time with Him. He is such a personal God, showing me areas of my life that I didn’t even realise were areas that I needed to work on, and blowing my mind at how real He is.
Find out more about applying to join TMT for 2018 here: https://www.archive.four12global.com/events/2018-timothy-ministry-training/
