It's picture time!

Good afternoon followers!

I'm finally here with a handful of pictures to show you from our trip! I know it isn't many, but there are much more on Facebook. As it turns out, Facebook is the only picture sharing site I can find where you have basically unlimited space to upload and share photos. Nevertheless, here are some of the highlights:

Toju, Wanda and Stefanie hard at work on crafts the first night at the Laughren's house

The rest of us also working hard!

Denzil, Matt and Toju playing video games before bed

Worship at George Church of Christ

Andy preaching before the congregation with his interpreter, Jerome

The first group gathering/meal at Brother Max and Sister Priscilla's house, where we got to know the church members of Graaff-Reinet

Blowing up balloons to decorate the auditorium for VBS!

The village where the children came for VBS

Here they come in truckloads! :)

Kids lining up for Vacation Bible School!

Fran with Cornell, welcoming the kids every day

Time to worship!

Monday's lesson: the story of Noah, teaching on Faithfulness on the flannel board!

Stefanie loving on some kids in the front :)

Elizabeth and Andy helping to pass out crafts

Ashlyn helping the kids with their craft, as well

Andy worshiping with the kids

Amy playing a very tiring version of tag with a group of kids

Sandy doing what she loved most: loving on the kids

Amy loving on some kids too :)

Sandy, Max, Priscilla and Elizabeth

Elizabeth and Sandy helping in the kitchen

Group shot on the beach in Mossel Bay

Also, I'll bring the blog up to date on what happened our last two days. On Tuesday, after the group returned from Knysna, we all loaded into the van and drove down to a town called Mossel Bay, where we visted Jukani Wildlife Predator Park. Personally, I could write an entire blog on how incredible that place was, but for everyone else's sake, I'll hold back and just say that it was absolutely amazing. It was mostly a refuge for big cats, including lions, tigers, leopards, jaguars, pumas, cheetahs, caracals and servals, as well as other carnivorous mammals. We watched our tour guids hand feed these beautiful cats, and took hundreds of excellent photos. I was so grateful for such an incredible experience! After we left Jukani, we drove back to George and ate our last dinner at Nando's. It was the perfect way to close out the day.

The next morning was an emotional rollercoaster for most of us. We packed up and drove to the George airport, where we said goodbye to the Laughren's. Other than the tears, though, the day went rather smoothly, as we flew to Johannesburg, did some shopping, then caught the flight back to the states. The flight back to Atlanta was a bit choppy and very long, but now that we're home we've been catching up on sleep and recovering from jet lag. And, of course, we had to get some non-airline food!

Now, I should conclude this blog with a sense of completion and just a few words. But honestly, that is far easier said than done. Simply looking through the pictures to choose the highlights was impossibly difficult. I can't put into words what this trip has meant to me personally. God was truly working in each of our lives, and His love was shown in every person we came in contact with. The Laughren's truly made our trip complete by not only hosting us and driving us everywhere, but taking us to amazing places like Jukani, Cango, Knysna, Mossel Bay, Oudtshoorn, and all the other amazing places we traveled. The church at Graaff-Reinet, as I mentioned earlier, was incredibly generous and hospitable, and we were extremely grateful for them. Now that we're home, I just pray that we can hold on to the joy, love and service shown to us while we were over there.

And to you, our followers and supporters, I can't thank you enough for providing the means for us to come on this trip. Without you, we would not have had the unforgettable experiences that we shared there. From the bottom of my heart, thank you so much. All of you.

I pray that God will continue to bless the church in Graaff-Reinet as well as the church in George. I ask that you continue to pray for the Laughren family and their ministry there in South Africa, and for every aspect of their life. Pete, Fran and Denzil are such amazing individuals, and we love them so much.

Well, I suppose that concludes this blog. Thank you for sharing this adventure with us, and helping fund this God-led trip. After all, the glory is all His!

Love in Christ,

Amy Daugherty

It's almost over already?

Hello again followers! It's a rainy day here in George, but hopefully not so rainy over in Knysna where the rest of the team is. I stayed behind this time so that I could finally write the blog I've wanted to write, and with me is Terri, Denzil and Fran. Fran is sadly very sick, so Denzil stayed behind to take care of her, and my mom and I are enjoying our last day here in George spending it relaxing and hanging out with Denzil.

I'll just be honest--I've been sitting here in front of my computer screen for about an hour, wondering how in the world I can possibly condense the past four days into one blog. Not just because of the number of things that have happened, but the sheer depth and intensity of it all--I can't put it all into words. But I will do my best and keep it short, and pray that my message gets across and maybe I can convey how incredible these days have been.

Maybe I should simply begin where I left off.
On Friday morning, the Laughren's took the team for a tour around the city of Graaff-Reinet. We visited the huge church in the middle of town, the Dutch Reform Church, and visited several local shops with lots of interesting goods and souvenirs. I've already bought a backpack and a purse (for my friends who know me very well--big shocker there, right?), along with a few other handmade treasures. Most of the team was saving their money for Knysna (where they are now), but it's hard not to spend money on all the beautiful things around here!

We returned back to our cottages and packed for the last day of VBS, praying for the best. We were all so nervous and excited, and yet very sad to say goodbye to the kids. But once we got there, everything fell into place beautifully, as it always did. The craft was a little challenging (as you can probably imagine, being that there were 763 kids!) but we managed, and had one of the best days of all. We concluded VBS with a slideshow that Ashlyn, Terri and I had put together the night before, and we had no idea what an impact that small thing would have on the kids. For those of you who've never been on a mission trip like this, the kids absolutely adore getting their pictures taken and seeing it immediately after. With this slideshow featuring 77 pictures with as many kids as we could capture, we watched and listened to their ecstatic reactions, and it made for a perfect conclusion.

Then came the weeping, at least for a few of us. Once the tears started, they just couldn't stop. Saying goodbye to the children that day was by far the hardest thing I've done all week. It even brings tears to my eyes as I type this. Following saying goodbye to the children, we had another meal with the church members. This time our team brought the food--KFC! It was also delicious!

The next day we went sightseeing with everyone minus Fran, who stayed behind to rest and get better. We went to the Camdeboo National Park, where we hiked and drove up mountains, got some excellent photos, and had quite a few adventures. Next we visited the game and wildlife reserve of the park in the bus, and actually took our own safari! For all those Disney fans out there, I have to say that Walt Disney World did a pretty good job recreating a real safari with the ride "Kilamanjaro Safari" in Animal Kingdom, because the safari we took here in Graaff-Reinet was almost identical. It was incredible! Pete even raced two ostriches in the van. Oh yeah, it was great.

That night we went to Max and Priscilla's for another meal, and we watched a game of Rugby. It was very interesting--the European version of American football. Another great night of fellowship with the church.

The next morning we went to church with the volunteers of Graaff-Reinet and enjoyed another beautiful worship service. My dad delivered the sermon, and Stefanie and Wanda led the congregation in worship. After the service was over, Brother Max and Brother Pete presented each of us with beautiful gifts to take home with us. We ate lunch with most of the congregation back at their house for the last time, trying very hard not to cry. Thankfully though, we'd have one more time to hang out with most of them at Youth Camp on Monday night. Once we left their house, we were on the road back to George.

Monday morning came bright and early, and most of us piled in the van again to visit the beach. Shortly thereafter, we left for Oudtshoorn, about 2 hours away. First we visited the Ostrich Farms for an educational tour and a chance to ride an ostrich (which Ashlyn, Matt and Elizabeth took advantage of and had a blast)! Next was, my favorite, the Cango Wildlife Ranch and Park! We took a tour (with an excellent tour guide named Craig), and saw bats, otters, crocodiles, snakes, meerkats, porcupines, vultures, storks, wallabies, otters, pygmy hippos, hogs, and best of all, big cats! Lions, tigers, (not bears), leopards and cheetahs! Following the tour, Wanda and the whole Daugherty family took the opportunity to go in and have an encounter with the cats! Wanda went to pet the tiger cubs (adorable!) and the Daugherty's went to visit with two adult cheetahs. It was an unforgettable experience, and we loved every minute of it.

That night we traveled down to the Youth Camp, which was a gathering much like the camps we have at Woodland, but with combined youth groups from around the area. Some of our friends from Graaff-Reinet were there, along with dozens of other middle and high school students from surrounding churches. We shared a meal with them (the last meal made by the wonderful ladies of Graaff-Reinet), worshipped, and joined them in their first "night session", with Andy as the speaker. The lesson was clearly the Spirit-led, because it landed perfectly in line with what the teenagers needed to hear. The worship, however, took the prize for being the best part. Three boys from one of the groups (named David, Peter and Riley) blew us away with their voices--they sang a perfect accapella version of "Holy Holy Holy", and it brought tears to our eyes. I pray that someday a talent scout somewhere will find them because they were incredible. Several other teens had phenomenal voices as well, and we enjoyed every minute of it.

After the service, it was time to say our last goodbyes to the church of Graaff-Reinet. And the tears kept coming. Just about every member of our team had grown close to someone of that church, and it broke our hearts to say goodbye.

Today is our last full day here in South Africa, and we're going to do a little more sightseeing. I'm very excited, yet full of sorrow to say goodbye. I know I personally have never seen the face of Christ as clearly as I have here. I've never seen a church like the one in Graaff-Reinet. I can't help but hear Acts 2:42-47 in my heart when I think of them.

"All the believers devoted themselves to the apostoles' teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord's Supper), and to prayer. A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders. And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need. They worshipped together at teh Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord's Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity--all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved." (NLT)

This is the church I witnessed. These were the people we encountered. I can honestly say that I saw Jesus in every face I've seen here in South Africa. I will forever be changed after this week, and I know several of us feel this way too. I am determined to bring this joy home with me this time--not just as a spiritual high that lasts a week, but to last forever, and to be shared with my friends and family.

I'll go ahead and wrap this up for now. Once again, thank you so much for your prayers. It has been very evident that we've been wrapped in the Holy Spirit this week, and we've all been incredibly blessed. Continue to pray for us as we journey back home, and pray for continued strength and stamina, as most of us are still fighting illness. Thank you so much, and we'll see you all very soon!

PS: The pictures truly take FOREVER to load here. But I promise we'll post them as soon as we return home! :D

Hey guys! This is Terri. Amy is getting ready to go to Cango Wildlife Ranch so I'm posting a few pics. The first two are some of the beautiful children we met in Graaff-Reinet.And this last one is the skit done on Paul and Silas in prison (the teaching was on joy, peace and patience). Starring in our skit are: (left to right) Denzil as Paul, Matthew as Silas and Toju as the jailer. (I played the demon-possessed girl. Somebody tell Miranda - she will love that.)
Anyway, just a brief glimpse into the amazing journey God has brought us on these past days. We can't wait to share all the details. Be ready to sit awhile and listen! Wishing you were all here with us. Later...

Terri

Sorry... Another quick update.

Hello everyone!

I just wanted to stop by and assure you all that I haven't forgotten about this blog, and I'm trying hard not to neglect it. We just arrived back in George this evening around 7:00pm, so now we have unlimited internet access again! So a few of us were sure to check our Facebook's, email and other internet things as soon as we arrived, and I started writing an entry about the past two days I've missed.

Unfortunately, I realized a few things in the process of writing my blog.

1. I'm extremely tired and can barely keep my eyes open.
2. Even though I am on medication, I do still struggle with my ADHD. So even though I took a dose of meds this morning, it has since worn off, and I sat staring at my computer screen for about an hour and got practically nothing done.
3. So much has happened over the past two days that, with those above mentioned factors interfering combined with the intensity of emotions connected to the events I'm supposed to convey, there is no way I can write a blog tonight.

Therefore, I apologize again for delaying the blog [again...], but I promise I will spend lots of time and [medicated] focus on it tomorrow morning for sure! But here's the events in bullet points so that this blog is not completely without purpose:

Friday:

• Explored Graaff-Reinet: shopping, picture-taking and other touristy activities
• Assisted in conducting the final day of Vacation Bible School for the children, complete with a picture slideshow we let the kids see
• [Several of us] Cried our eyes out saying goodbye to the kids for the last time on this side of eternity
• Ate our last dinner with the Graaff-Reinet church and fellowshipped with them
• Went to bed relatively early

Saturday:

• Slept in!
• Enjoyed a nice relaxed day of exploring the beautiful mountains and savanna-like terrain of the area, including the national park hiking trails and wildlife reserve
• Saw lots of wild animals, including more springbok and monkeys, ostriches, tortoises, wildebeest, a meerkat, and a majestic black eagle!
• Joined Max and Priscilla for another meal at their house and watched a game of Rugby on TV
• Went to bed relatively early again!

Sunday:

• Went to church in Graaff-Reinet, where Andy preached and Wanda and Stefanie sang before the congregation
• Said goodbye to most of the church members after lunch at Max and Priscilla's house (more tears)
• Traveled back to George

There will be more to come tomorrow, as well as the pictures I promised. It has been a very emotionally heavy and exhausting few days, and most everyone else has gone to bed, so I'm going to do the same.

Goodnight and thank you!

Quick update!

Hey everyone!

I don't have very long to post for today, but I figured I'd go ahead and update you on how things are going here in Graaff-Reinet! Today's our last day with the kids, and since we're all caught up on crafts, we wanted to explore the town and shop until lunch. So here's a brief update.

Yesterday was yet another incredible day of God's abundant blessings on this trip! We had a few less children then we've had the past few days, but it's still been amazing in every way. Honestly, the day really did fly by--one minute the kids were piling in the auditorium, and the next minute they were gone! But we're enjoying every minute of worshipping and loving on these kids... I can't emphasize enough how encouraging it is to be here.

Last night after another delicious meal prepared for us (South African lasagna--my favorite so far!), Pete and Fran surprised Matt and Denzil with a HUGE purple and blue birthday cake! We shared it all with the group and it was awesome! Matt was honored to be able to celebrate his 16th birthday in South Africa with these incredible servants of the Lord.

I'll definitely go more into detail later, but now I'm using up more minutes of the internet cafe, so I'll wrap this up. Please continue to pray for us as we finish out our last day of VBS and say goodbye to the children. I know it'll be hard for many of us, and I know I'll probably cry a lot today. Also, continue to pray for our health. I can tell we've been covered in prayer already because several of us are doing much better!

Thank you so much everyone! We love you and miss you and can't wait to share all the stories and pictures!