... the punch line

Durban, South Africa

Well it's the week I've been waiting for... Staff Retreat. This week Johnny, Jason, Anita (my co-leaders) and I will enjoy one whole week of R & R away from the students, with really nothing on our schedule except continue to soak in the beauty of this country. Conveniently enough the guest house we are staying in overlooks the Indian Ocean, which if you ask me is not a bad way to start each new day!

We spent the past week in rural South Africa on the Wild Coast. The Mdumbi Backpackers, was a great backdrop for another week of the journey. It was a rare and unique week of my life, aside from sleeping in a traditional Xhosa (African Tribal) hut, and having one of the number one beaches in the country essentially all to ourselves, it was a great week for our group as a whole. We did a "knowing yourslef" unit which provided students the opportunity to better understand their personalities, spiritual gifts, passions, abilities and talents. Something that maybe more of us could benefit from evalutating from time to time. The fact that we were in such a remote location meant that we spent a lot of time together as a group, instead of the usual division that happens in a town/city setting. I watched people who had barely spoken to each other all year laugh over a game of cards, people who had grown apart and allowed conflict to distance them went for long walks as a way of reconnecting, and of course good friends continue to soak in the final month of time they will spend together, possibly for the rest of their lives!

The highlight for me was a time of encouragement we had with our Bible Study groups. We each took time to affirm the gifts, abilities, passions etc, that we see in each member of our small group. Coming from someone who thrives off of words of affirmation, it served to be the punh line to a long winded joke, six months ago this adventure, called Outtatown, began and people-work is hard to measure. But the other afternoon I felt loved and affirmed in a way that makes it all worth while as I get glimpses into the lives and changes that others are experiencing!