An Update for Sara Hansen I will start this attempt at an eloquent rambling with an apology. I’m sorry. That is has taken me so long to update the interested world on what life has been since moving to the North West Province of South Africa. I’ll start by saying, I am proud to be an American, but I’m pretty sure I was supposed to be South African. Here’s a paradox – as uncomfortable and stretching as some instances have been since moving my life to the Rainbow Nation, the unfamiliarity of it all has me thinking I could live in this country for the rest of my life. Maybe not this exact area; there is so much to explore still, becoming a local here has just reconfirmed my love for this nation, its people, and all that the Lord is doing in this rich, dynamic country. What am I doing here? January 1st of this year I began a trek from the southeast coast of Florida, my hometown, to Tempe, Arizona where the US offices for Orchard: Africa are located. I spent four months there developing an overseas Internship Program, and learning the ropes of the Missions Department. May 1st I boarded a plane to embark on a journey to fulfill the role of the Missions & Intern Manager in Mafikeng, South Africa. What does that mean? I will try to summarize best as possible what Orchard: Africa does, and how I humbly fit in. Orchard: Africa is a non-profit organization restoring hope to the vulnerable by creating sustainable change in rural African villages. Currently, we are committed to 30 villages in the North West and Western Cape provinces of South Africa, and Zambia. By next year we have a goal to bring sustainable change to a total of 50 villages within these regions. Neat. What does that mean? Working through the church, Orchard: Africa brings empowerment programs to impoverished communities that lack government attention. Currently, there are three main programs we work with pastors (the head of the community) to implement: - Feeding programs that serve an average of 200 children daily - Orphan intervention care for children who have lost their parents, likely to the AIDS epidemic - HIV/AIDS awareness programs that educate and enable 1,000 youth annually to make wise choices and to break the traumatizing cycle of HIV/AIDS We also have a dedicated team of Orchard: Africa ‘carers’ who tirelessly visit village patients in need of medical attention due to impoverished circumstances. Some of these carers are elderly, and/or sick themselves, yet still walk miles a day to visit the sick, change bandages, make sure their patients are getting treated at local government clinics, and eating so they can take their medicine. These people are some of my heroes. How do I fit in? Introducing our Teacher Trip to Dihatswane Village. My main role is to facilitate groups from Western churches, schools, etc. interested in restoring hope. These are visitors from the US who have the opportunity to see our programs in action, and to help in any way they can. Currently, I am facilitating my third group this season, a team of 10 teachers from across the US who have come to work in one of our villages, Dihatswane. They have come to learn how our educators here teach their ‘learners’, and to offer suggestions and teach new methods of instructing our youth. This is one of the most taxing parts of my job, however, it is when I am functioning in this role that I feel I am doing exactly what I was made to do. It’s always a good day when I get to be a lover and supporter of the incredible children in our villages. I really believe the last 7 ½ years of my walk with Christ, my involvement in international missions in 22 countries, and the last three years of full-time ministry have been preparing me for this position. Oh, to know that you are serving a meaningful purpose, no matter how big the struggles seem some days. This is not an easy position in which to serve, but I consider myself very blessed to know how it feels to make a difference at a young age. Our 2013 Summer Interns: Joel, Jessica, me, Heather and Griffin. That covers the ‘missions’ part of my title. The other half involves overseeing and discipling university students that are part of our Internship Program. This summer semester I have been blessed with four, American students. Heather (youth ministry), Jessica (education), Joel (agriculture) and Griffin (missions) have become like family to me. We live together, work together, worship and play together. They are working to implement sustainable solutions in their focused areas until the end of July. I will welcome another group of Fall Interns the beginning of September through December when I return to the US for a holiday break. In midst of this busy season, your prayers that I would be blessed with wisdom, discernment, continued health, endurance, and a large, gorgeous South African man who is wild about the Lord are appreciated.
Posted on: Wed, 10 Jul 2013 15:01:03 +0000