On Friday morning we packed up our stuff for the weekend and prepared to drive to Jeffrey's Bay. After delay and a little KFC for lunch we headed out. I sat with Lindsay, Carolyne, and Joey. This started exactly what this weekend was about. A getaway for us so that we can get to know one another a little better and have undisturbed fellowship. We drove up to this beach-front holiday house to be semi-shocked by the size and wonder of it. Absolutely beautiful. The girls bedded down in a room with 5 bunk beds and the guys stayed in a 4 bunk room. Unfortunately for the girls we had the room with the view. 150 yards out and you're in the water. Friday night we just bummed around, talked, played pool, walked the beach, and as soon as Ken and Judy got there we ate spectacularly. That's the story of life with Judy. She's always willing to make a meal and make it good. To break into time together as a whole, each team did a reversal-of-roles skit. Hilarious. It so entertaining to see people imitating you and your comrades. Different perceptions on each one. After dinner we all got together and sang for a while before having a talk on expectations and thoughts on what to do with our time here in South Africa. Every time we sing together and Holy Lord comes up I am reminded very strongly of friends elsewhere in the world. Why? Because at the end of the song we always sing it one more time in Spanish. Singing is one thing that really encourages me and brings me back into focus with God. Liz, 'team 1', is constantly singing and bouncing around in a bubbly upbeat way and she just makes me smile. Saturday morning we all got but around 8 and meandered around the area until breakfast. The rest of the day was spent finding seashells, playing lots of pool, reading my book, reading THE book, and hanging out. I know my father doesn't like the term "hanging out" because it implies un-predetermined activities. But that's what I enjoy. It was really good to be able to talk to some of the other teammates one-on-one and get to know a little bit about them. At dinner we conversed about the world (didn't that sound profound) and played games afterward. I played a lot of pool. The house had a mini-ball table and couches that were big and cushy. I'm under the impression that the people who own the house are of large stature. First, there was lots of room and big furniture. Second, the shower heads were a good 4-6 inches above my head. Glorious! I didn't have to bend down to get my hair wet. You see, whenever I go somewhere I wonder how high the shower head is going to be. My 'favorite thing' about here is how sometimes they don't have showers. They just have a little hose in the bathtub to get your hair wet. VERY nice. The devotional was split on Saturday night. Ken took us guys upstairs and the girls stayed down with Judy. The thoughts Ken directed us towards were exactly what I needed to be focused on. I really appreciate Ken for how he approaches things. I thank God for putting me here with such wonderful people. It was good to see things from a different perspective.
We concluded the weekend on Sunday with a service together just singing and hearing some strong, wise words. Then we had a nice meal together and drove back to PE.
The one memory that really sticks with me is walking out to the beach after dark and looking out over the ocean, just hearing the waves hit the rocks and seeing the moon's reflection on the water. It was beautiful. See no footprints and then creating some. God put a smile upon my face.
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