Day 3

Today was such an amazing day. We got up early, had a devotion and breakfast and headed out to Overcome Heights to go to church. This was our first look at the community that we would be working in for the week. Driving in was such a humbling experience. The people in these communities life in makeshift houses from cardboard, metal and whatever else they can find. These houses are literally right next to one another and have none of the conveniences that we have in America. On Tuesday we will be doing door to door ministry in the community and will get to see these houses up close and personal.

Our church experience at Overcome was an experience like no other. The people there were so incredibly hospitable and friendly it was amazing. We hugged probably everyone in the church at least twice! We came in and immediately felt welcome. There were about 100 people crammed into a small room. We sang a variety of songs that were familiar to us. Our OCC pastor Mike Howerton preached the message at church. We met many adults and children whom we would be working with during the upcoming week so it was a great start to the relationships that we would be building as we are there. We were invited to come back that evening for the kids program that they were having. We stayed flexible and were able to work it into our evening plans.

Right after church we headed out to the Cape of Good Hope, the most southwestern point in all of Africa. On the way we saw lots of wildlife roaming around. We ate lunch near a bunch of penguins. We were able to get up close and personal with them. We passed a few groups of baboons that were sitting on the side of the road. One group of tourists were out taking pictures of the baboons and left their doors to their car open. One baboon crawled right into the backseat of the car! These animals are quite dangerous and if you aren't careful, they will open your car doors and walk off with whatever they can find. We also saw a few ostriches on our way out to the tip.

The view from the Cape was truly amazing. South Africa is one of the most beautiful places out there. It was such a clear day and we could see for miles. The ocean was a bright blue with sandy beaches and huge waves crashing in. It reminded us of what we have seen on the beaches of Hawaii. All of us were in awe of God's amazing creation and are feeling so blessed that we can minister to communities living in this area. We hiked up to the lighthouse at the Cape and wandered around the area for a while. We weren't able to stay too long since we had to head back to Overcome for the kids service.

The kids service at Overcome so encouraging to watch. Kids from all over the Cape Town area came to participate. Various groups performed skits, songs, and dance routines. All were done to Christian songs. It is so wonderful that the churches in this area have provided Christian activities that the kids can be involved in to give them something to have hope in and confidence in themselves. There were so many kids of all ages there. At first they looked at us smiling but were a little shy and stayed their distance. As the program continued, the slowly became more comfortable and came over and sat by us. It was so much fun interacting with the kids. They were so friendly and loving. They are so excited to interact with us this week and we are so blessed to be able to work with them. We could have stayed at the church for hours after the kids program but we had to head back to the Teamhouse for dinner and planning for the week.

The ride back from the kids program we were all pretty quiet. Today was our first interaction with Overcome Heights so I think we were all just quiet in amazement of what we are about to take on. There are so many children in this community that we are hoping to reach. Through God's power we are able to accomplish anything! Please keep us in your prayers this week as we are ministering to this group. They are a group thirsty for Christ and excited for us to be involved in their community. We are excited to start our work and know that God will truly bless us and our work.