Respect

This week has been both great and discouraging at the same time.  The devil used this week to whisper in my ear that I am not good enough.  He wanted me to believe that I don’t have a reason here.  I kept hearing that things are not going to get better.  I know that this is a lie, but that doesn’t mean sometimes I can’t help from being discouraged.
    Tension has been building in this house this week, but there was a relief from that yesterday.  It’s hard when there are 13 girls living together, and many of us bottle up our feelings.  Many of the problems that we had were things that we made assumptions about.  It was really freeing to get out all that we were holding in.  As a team we decided that we are not going to let the devil get in the middle of our friendships.  I know that it is going to be a struggle for us to realize our differences, but I can feel that God is stretching us in unimaginable ways.
    Working at Ithemba this week has been an eye opening experience.  Respect was the theme of the week in our classes.  One day we talked about the good Samaritan and how he chose to stop to help a man in need.  As a class we discussed what they would do if they saw someone in the street that has been beat up.  Most of the kids said that they might help but they probably would keep walking.  When I heard this answer I asked if they would want someone to help them if they have been beat up.  All the kids said there was no way ever that they could get beat up.  I really tried to show that this was only hypothetical, but they just kept saying that of course they would beat the person up first.  One kid did speak up and said he knows no one would help him.  He had a severe burn on his leg and he had to walk himself to the doctor and back.  He felt that after that happening to him, why should he help others.  Another student Nando said that if he got beat up he would climb out of the ditch that they left him with his hands, even if it took him days to get out.  It broke my heart to see how little these kids have been taken care of.  They don’t know what it feels like to have someone honestly care about how they are doing.  Kids will cry multiple times during the afternoon just because they know that it will draw personal attention from us.
    It seems strange that we will only be here for five more weeks until Christmas.  It is as though the summer has never stopped for me.  Going into the winter weather is going to be such a shocker.  I am excited to go home to be with friends and family, and to go to my brothers wedding!  If any of you are wondering the language is coming along.  The kids at Ithemba speak mainly Xhosa, so they are slowly teaching me some words.  All I have to say is praise Him that they can speak a little bit on English.