"Today, for the first time, I bought clothes pins and they aren't for a preschool craft project."

That is what I wanted to put on my facebook status update today. (funny how everything seems to come back to facebook these days!) or I thought about saying, "My choir kids can handwash clothes much better than me!" But I thought that too many facebook friends with good intentions would misunderstand and make sympathetic comments about my simple life here in South Africa. I don't think I could handle that at the moment.

I have just moved into my own place here and because of a recent visit far into the village next to our school I now have a different perspective on my living conditions. Finding a place to rent here in Komatipoort was a bit of challenge as it seems as if everything is either really nice and too expensive or really cheap and in an un-safe area. But God is faithful and has provided a wonderful place for me to rent that is in a nice neighborhood and has a reasonable rent. It is what the Africaans here in town call a "rondoval" (not sure of the spelling) but I would call it a round brick hut with a thatch roof (which I have now named "Hide-away Hut"). It is more than enough space for me even though it is just 3 rooms. It has a bedroom, a huge bathroom (with a big tub AND a shower.... anyone remember my tiny bathroom in Bloomington?) and a big room that is the kitchen and living room. The kitchen has a single sink and stovetop burners. Kind friends here in Komatipoort have let me borrow a table and chairs, a couch, a TV and DVD player on a stand, a bed and a night stand. All of this is MORE THAN ENOUGH for me and I feel greatly blessed. Did you notice that their a few "normal" things missing.... washing machine, dryer, oven, and fridge (not to mention a desk, book shelves, artwork, comfy lounge chairs, decorative pillows, and all the other things that fill up our western houses)? No washing machine or a dryer means hand washing and hanging clothes out to dry. I thought about taking my clothes to the boarding school to use the washer there (which maybe I will do once in awhile) but I can't really justify doing that often considering that the majority of employees at the school don't have washing machines either. I never see them using the machine for personal use. I thought about buying a microwave but I looked at the price and then thought of the people in the village having only an open fire to cook over then I remember to be thankful for my electric stove burners and the new toaster I just purchased. Right now I am using a cooler with ice as a fridge. Not convient or easy but it works. Honestly, I probably have enough money to buy a little dorm-size fridge and will get one in the near future but for now I am just cooking simply. (and trying not to have leftovers!)

Last week MFL had a day camp for the children who live in the village next to our school. I have drove by the village 100's of times and even gone to church there but I had never been very far "into" the village. The day before camp we took the Land Rover and ventured in to invite children to come to our camp. First we saw many of the houses that are made of concrete blocks that they make and sell in the villages here. They have corugated metal roofs. Lots of them even had some kind of electricity hooked up. We then drove by the "public toliets". Think of what you might see at a State Park Camp Ground. These homes don't have indoor plumbing. Thankfully, every few houses or so there were water spikets in the middle of the yard that the neighbors would share. In this part of the village we saw many people. Women were sitting outside on a mat braiding each others hair with children running and playing all around. Most of the yards were neat and tidy and we saw some pretty nice looking vegetable gardens. Men were working in the yard or sitting and chatting with one another. Many people we walking along the dirt roads with some sort of purpose in mind. Then we took a road that went to the back of the village. It was very quiet here. No one seemed to be around. There weren't houses anymore but shacks. The people had made their homes out of trash.... card board boxes, old tarps, old pieces of wood. I couldn't believe the conditions that these people were living in. It is hard to describe. I would have liked to take photos but it didn't really seem appropriate. I did sneak in one photo of these little boys who were just hanging around. You can see what types of homes they live in when you look in the background. (Click on the photo to make it bigger)













My experience that day was very "real" and it changed my perspective of how I should live. Honestly, right now, I really feel guilty living the way I do when my "neighbors" have so little. I was originally going to post pictures of my new house here but now I feel too embarrassed show the "mansion" I live in. It is most definitely a mansion compared to where these little boys sleep. In their eyes my bed (a bunk bed from the school with a foam mattress) is a luxury. So is my comfy couch. The shower and tub are meant for a princess. In reality I know that God has given me a home so that I can bless others with it and I honestly know I shouldn't be "embarrassed" by how God has blessed me. But at the moment it is too hard to get my mind around it all. I think I'm going to look and pray for ways to sacrifice in order to be a good neighbor. and maybe handwashing my clothes is just the beginning.