Team Reactions #4

Red Rocks Team Reactions #4

Below is an entry by Amara Filan, who just returned from working with our Red Rocks Team in South Africa.

South Africa

Our trip to South Africa changed my life forever. Every aspect of it still has me trying to figure out how I really feel. The experience was unforgettable & I am so thankful that Troy (Amara's husband) & I got to go. I feel like I got to meet angels on earth & it was so inspiring to see people who truly dedicate their lives to serving others in such a humble way.

The kids were incredible. Each one touched my heart & I miss them & pray for them often. To know what they have experienced in their short lifetime shocks me & breaks my heart. It saddens me to be here & know that there are still so many kids who live in S.A. & worldwide that are still living in terrible circumstances. These kids have such a sweet soul & are so innocent; I do not understand how anyone could possibly do anything to harm them. It breaks my heart.

Knowing the children’s stories was so important to me to see what they have been through & how far they have come. The kids were so accepting of us & embraced us, not wanting us to go. I find it harder to be here then there at this time, as I think of what some of the kids are enduring as I write this. I also find it difficult to not dislike some of the kids here in the Western world. The kids in Africa are so happy to simply be loved & have a meal a day & one outfit to wear, where I find most kids here are so materialistic & self centered & always need more (the adults too). That has been so tough for me.

Some of the people we met in South Africa have changed the way I think. They serve others so selflessly & do it with love. The doctor (Dr. Neil) I spent the day with amazes me. I asked him how he survives daily life as the need is so overwhelming & depressing. He said that in SA they say “ You don’t eat the whole elephant at once, you chew it one bite at a time” and that’s how he is motivated. He knows that even if he helps one person, it’s enough to keep going. That inspired me.

I met a woman in 4^th stage HIV (as her body rejected medication) who is in the final days of her life & her smile & attitude will always be engraved in my mind. Despite her immense pain, she was able to smile & hold my hand.

The doctor’s wife runs a program counseling the people of Rustenburg. She takes in babies at any given moment & is on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, willing to do whatever it takes to improve a life. She truly works for God & changes lives.

The woman (Martha) & her daughter who don’t work so they can feed needy children from their humble home move me beyond words.

The YWAM group does so many great projects & helps so many people as well. All of these people will forever be heroes in my mind & I am eternally grateful for the opportunity I had to meet them.

I am thankful for Lincoln listening to God & bringing our group to Rustenburg. I don’t think that any of us came back the same. I know it challenges me in the way I think & live my life & I hope I will never go back to the way I was before this trip. I believe Troy & I will be back in South Africa & can’t wait to go & get more involved.