the start of “an African dream”

I am hot, sweaty, thirsty and pretty much a mess…my skirt is covered in dusty dirt as well as various kinds of human goobers left by little people holding on to me….It was a great day!
  Tyler,
Alexis, Emma, Noah and I joined our dear friends Kriek (Creek) and Jumbo to deliver food to eight care points.
  Jumbo and Kriek are veteran missionaries, although they are younger than Gary and I.
  If you come on a vision trip you will get to know them well, and love them even more. They have opened their home to us, while ours was being painted and repaired.
  They have driven us all over

Swaziland helping us get adjusted and have gone above and beyond the call of friendship, but that is who they are!
  Jumbo is a genius with the practical planning of any project, thank God for him!
  And Kreik is a saint, and she doesn’t even know it.
  She is kind, strong, loving, funny, and loved by all who know her.
 

 I call her my “South African little sister”.

  ( Alexis surrounded by little ones at her favoriate care point)

 

She was very patient with me as I asked her a million questions, partly because I have so much to learn, and partly because I wanted to know more of her heart.
  I was watching carefully as we drove to find these places for myself in the future.

 
 “Okay, drive 20 kilometers, turn right when you see the chicken, left when you see the goat, drive another 50 kilometers and you will see a large tree by a pond, go straight”…I think I must join Kriek a few more times before I attempt it on my own.
  Today as we traveled down the rural dirt roads of

Swaziland I had the opportunity to see this young woman live her passion.
  “this is my African dream”…she said quietly, “driving down the road with the dust flying behind us taking food to the people that most the world will never see.”
  She continued on with a sparkle in her eye and told me about all that still had to be done, schools, medical care, clothing, working kitchens for the GoGos to cook for the children.
  As we stopped and hugged the little ones with no diapers, runny noses, and torn clothing I felt how overwhelming the need really is.
  We could have stayed in one place for days and barely scratched the surface.
  I was filled with hope today watching these children, smiling, laughing and playing.
  They have nothing, and yet they are so joyful, and grateful for what little we could do for them today.
  I agree with my little South African sister, today was the African dream, but I would add, it is only the beginning of the dream…