Hume International Ministries

Monday morning and back to work… for most of us. A third of our group had the morning off for a two hour horseback ride.

The energy of the team was fading fast. It was decided that Sunday would be a day of rest and relaxation. We started with an outdoor church service, followed that with a game drive and left the rest of the afternoon for hiking, sleeping or just plain ‘vegging’.

God is so good. The evidence of this has been overwhelming to me on our journey to South Africa. Sometimes we see his goodness in the way he rescues us from trouble. In our case, he has shown us in the way he has kept us from any trouble. I mean, this is my first trip abroad and, aside from the travel time, I just couldn’t imagine any better situation. I am constantly in awe of our beautiful surroundings, the perfect weather, and just the opportunity that we have to work hard to make a difference in a place that shares of His goodness and love with so many kids. God is making it so easy for us to be positive and to be filled with His joy. And we most definitely are!
- MARCO GONZALEZ

Today we are taking a break and enjoying a Sabbath day. We have been going non-stop since Tuesday morning, when we began our travels. Throughout this time, I have been learning patience. First, with the three flights that totalled 22 hours. Secondly, God is teaching me patience through the work that has been assigned to me. It seems that every job I’ve done has required slow movement and a lot of time to complete. Another thing God has shown me is that, even though I’m halfway around the world, I can find people who have the same relationship with God. He teaches them the same things that he teaches me. It’s absolutely amazing. I know that God is not going to leave us the same people that we were before this trip.
- SARA RUPE

Some team members opted for a trip to town to help with grocery shopping. Great insight into local culture is obtained by visiting the local butcher, baker (but alas, no candlestick maker).

The Leadership Centre is just one aspect of the family operations. Late Friday afternoon we took a break from our labors and headed to Moolmanshoek proper. The two “for profit” industries of the property are a 22 bed eco-tourism lodge and a breeding/training facility for 250+ horses.

There is no better cure for jetlag than a good day of hard work. We outlined our project goals: kitchen remodel, bamboo fence removal, covered storage fence adjacent to the kitchen, and structural repair of a gazebo. From there we divided the team and began our work.

We left our hotel for LAX Tues morning @ 4:45AM and arrived at the Centre @ 4:00AM on Thursday morning. Our total travel time was 38 hours. After catching a few hours of stationary sleep, we met for Brunch @ 10:00AM. That was followed by a short tour of the facilities and ministry.

The northern California portion of the team drove 5 1/2 hours to LA on Monday night. We spent the night at the Travelodge just down the street from LAX. After waking at 4:15AM we loaded our bags onto the airport shuttles and headed for check-in. I am amazed at how complicated that process always seems to be. In any event, we received a blessing – we only had to pay overage fees for three bags instead of four! Thanks, God.

 

We have finally made it to LAX. A little confusing at first as self check-in means that 18 of the 20 people checking in need assistance from 2 airline employees working the counter. But, patience paid off, literally. Northwest waived one of our overage fees and saved us $50.00. Thanks, God.

Our next challenge – 50 minutes to change planes for an international flight in Minneapolis.