Saying goodbye

This week I began saying my goodbyes. I don’t feel like I am going to miss Jeffreys Bay as much as I am going to miss the students and the ministries I have been a part of. As much as I love living right on the ocean and having the mountains as a backdrop, it was the children at Algoa Frail Care Center and Virginia’s that will leave lasting memories. When these two ministries were handed to me I took them, mainly because that was all that was left. All I knew of the ministry was what had been told to me. It was a facility housing around 250 disabled children and adults and they were understaffed. I prepared myself for the worst and drove my team the 40 minutes there. The center is located on the outskirts of Port Elizabeth down a long road full of potholes and frequented by construction vehicles. The building to the right was surrounded by tall fences that had barbwire all around the top. We thought we were next to a prison by the looks of it. Later we found out that it is a tuberculosis hospital where residents live there at least 3 years before they can be reintroduced into their communities. 

I remember the first day walking into AFCC. The smells were overwhelming, there were so many children and everything seemed chaotic. We visited each children’s ward, Eden housed the higher functioning boys, Haven housed the higher functioning girls, Harmony was being renovated, and Bambino housed the children with severe disabilities. The thoughts that first came to mind were, “What am I doing here?” My FYM year in New Zealand I worked at a drop-in center with Christian Ministries With Disabled Trust. I mostly worked with adults, and I was in New Zealand, not Africa. What was I doing here? Can I really bring something more to the table? I wasn’t seeing it. For our first day we remained in Eden ward. The boys were very active and we weren’t quite sure what it was we were supposed to do. Some of the children were napping in beds, some were napping on mats on the floor while others were tripping over the sleeping children. Drool was everywhere, children were grabbing your hands either to clap them together or to get you to take them for a walk outside. Once again, I didn’t know what I was doing here. These were impressions from my first day.

My last day at AFCC I arrived a bit frustrated. One vehicle was in use and would be back at some point, no one knew where the key to the other van was and the third van I can’t drive. We were already late leaving, I got the van and it was empty and I got stuck behind a semi going 40 kph for the majority of the drive and it was raining. Once I walked in the doors everything changed. We went into Haven and the girls were excited to see us. We played with them for a while and I didn’t want to leave. It was so easy for me to see them all as children with disabilities instead of as individuals with personalities. 

Denae sits in her bed calling out “Mamma” until you come over and talk with her. While you are over there she grabs your hand and kisses it over and over. Her smile is beautiful and her eyes are captivating. 

Asanda is a very intelligent and understands english. She loves making music and her smile is also precious. She is an active little girl that needs more attention than what she is getting. 

Timbisa fun to be around. She us a normal teenage girl that laughs and 

Nobesuthu is one of the smallest girls I have ever seen. She is also a little trouble maker. Jillian, the smallest girl on our team, loves her to pieces. She doesn’t take any of Nobesuthu’s mischief but holds her in her arms and loves on her.

Colin is in Bambino. He has cerebral palsy and has a feeding tube in. Every time I walk in the room he knows I’m there. His smile tells the world that he knows what is going on. I sit and talk with him and his smile gets bigger.

Mzimkhulu is such a fun boy. He is usually in a chair although Wednesday he was in bed. He likes to give lip but I give it right back to him and neither of us know what the other is really saying. I told him I had to leave and he made a little pouty face. The reality was, I didn’t want to leave. 

Asakhe lives right across the room from Mzimkhulu. Usually while I am visiting one the other calls me over. They enjoy this game. His smile and laugh are both very contagious! 

Paulou’s smile is gorgeous. He communicated through his eyes and his smile and you can’t help but stop and talk with him. 

Each of these children and more hold a special place in my heart. It was a very sad day leaving these precious children.