Rail Line to Knysna

Kynsna (pronounced n-eyes-na) is a small fishing town about an hour's drive from George, which would normally be drab and not worth the visit. But on a old-school steam train, now that's another story! After morning devotions (go Brittni!), we drove two blocks to the George train station and boarded, what looked to be, something straight from the set of The Great Escape. Complete with a cafe car, toilets and full-on wooden seats, this ride was at least going to be a throw back in time. Our plan was to take a morning off and ride the line all the way to Knysna, look around for Pete, get in the van, and return quickly so that we wouldn't be late for the final night of VBS. The ride? Awesome. The total trip time was nearly 3 hours, half being along the coast. Our first view of the sea came after we cleared a tunnel and saw 20 or so surfers braving the freezing waters, which looked to be breaking right at 6 feet. (I don't really know what that means but, I've seen a few surfing videos and that's what I remember.) Ninety minutes into the ride we stopped at a little railside town called Sedgefield. There's was this small cafe 12 feet off the rail, selling coffee and breakfast foods. Yet another jewel we've stumbled upon here in SA. We finally did make it to Knysna, found Pete and returned home safely, ready for the bell lap of VBS.

Final Night: 364
Fran informed us that normal Fridays during VBS weeks are considerably lower in attendance. Not this one! We lost 35 kids from the night before and in a one-room Church, that's something we didn't even notice. Three-hundred and sixty-four children returned, ready for more snacks, more crafts, more singing, and more stories about God. Terri led both the singing and the lesson for the night, doing a great job at keeping everyone's attention. The singing was, of course, very loud and hard to control but, oh well, it's fun. After the children were bused home, we all sat around for about 20-30 minutes, talking with two local teenagers named Patrick and John. These two boys had been helping us all week and were quite sad to see us go. To wrap up the night, Patrick spoke a sentence in Xhosa that had every click, snap, pop, and any other sound that Xhosa has - it didn't even sound real! When you're in the groove, doing your thing on these trips, it's hard to stop and take notice of what's going on around you; you're just too busy making sure sure that 400 kids get enough glue on their "God Keeps His Promises" craft and keeping an all-out riot at bay. But after the final night, we did have some time to breath and debrief. Scott asked each of us to share what made the biggest impression on us this week. Here are the responses:

Terri - hearing the Lord's prayer in Xhosa
Melanie (from Berea) - the singing with the kids
Stefanie - the singing and the picking up of kids in the vans
Lindy - getting to know returning kids throughout the week
Scott - driving the kids home each night and getting to know them throughout the week
Brittni - the hugs from the kids
Derek (me) - talking with the youth pastor of the area and learning his struggles
Eric - getting to know the kids
Carol (Berea) - that this acutally works (VBS)
Joy - just being with the kids
Pete - the unexpected help from locals during the week
Fran - the car loads of kids that came and how each night seemed liked the first

The greatest lesson: Learning how to serve (like this) back home, in the states. The more mission trips I take, the more I learn to transfer habits formed here to life back home. It's hard. We have a great deal of easiness in ministry at home, regarding the tools we have at our desposal and the means to use them effectively. I don't have to worry about whether or not the Church floor is going give way and cave in. (That was a real concern this week, actually.) I don't have to think too much about electricity going out simply because I forgot to buy more. In these ways, it's easier at home. But what I (and all of us) must learn to do is return with the same spirit of serving and helping that we are "forced" to do here. Romans 12:1 says, "Therefore, I urge you, my brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, for this is your spiritual act of worship." That's the lesson we're constantly revising in our own lives and in our group. It's tough. But it's the right way to journey.
Once again, sorry
I lost track of time yesterday and was not able to update for you and for that, I'm sorry, once again. We're headed back to Knysna tomorrow morning for Church and a traditional African wedding. Look for the pictures of that one!!!


Just a picture of my cup of tea...random.