After 4 months of avoiding doing the blog post I have finally taken on the task. I've never been the best with words or sharing my thoughts but felt I needed to highlight the challenges we face doing mission in a beautiful, frustrating, diverse country such as South Africa.

I came on mission to step outside my comfort zone, experience life in another country and of course, serve! The popular song by Hillsong 'Oceans' sums it up 'spirit lead me where my trust is without boarders'. But I never quite expected to face so many challenges or to be so far out of my comfort zone that I thought I would never make it back. However here I am writing about some of the things we have had to face while I am forever closer to being back in my depth (which isn't very deep considering my height ;) )

Working in Amoti 1 has never been easy but has always been exciting. It was in the middle of all the madness that it struck me; where do you begin to help where the need is so great ? The answer I do not know, but what I do know is you just have to rock up and roll with it. This is never the easiest thing to do when you have grown up in our western culture where the systems are far from perfect but are more established and structured compared to the places we work where communication is lacking and corruption is rife.

For example trying to work with the social workers to get a young girl out of her home where she is being sexually abused and all that is stopping this from happening is a phone number of a guardian is needed. It is in these situations where I can't help but question how there can be so much injustice and corruption, and these situations where I have learnt not to give up but persevere through the frustration and to fight for justice.

Last week was different in terms of projects, our house turned in to a small factory and we spent every waking moment making hanging heart decorations, bracelets,  journals and drawing logos on what felt like a million pieces of brown card. All to sell at the Hope Market which was took place at Grace church and supports local charities/businesses. The market went well and helped to raise valuable funds for LI.

In all of the challenges, each day we see glimpses of hope and it is these small mercies which keep us going.

Pippa