Service Week!

Today was the first day of service week. After a week of adventure, it was a different scene, but we were ready to jump right into it. We had a lesson on service-learning this morning and learned that service-learning should benefit both the receiver and the giver. At 3 we climbed on the bus and headed to Sir Lowry's Pass, a township about 45 minutes from Cape Town. As we pulled up to the school, the kids started congregating, and I knew that what I was going to experience this week would be life changing.

Right when we stepped off the bus, I was greeted by a ten-year-old girl named Kaylee. She was eager to talk to me and play with my hair. The kids just want love. And that's what we're here to give to them. One of the soup moms, the natural leaders in the town, said while introducing herself, "You must give love to get love." I think that this described our goal of the week perfectly. I'm so excited to get to know as many kids as possible and hopefully to make a lasting impact on everyone I come in contact in. I loved seeing how many relationships we're making already. Boys were human jungle gyms and the girls love "Little Sally Walker." It's going to be a tiring, but rewarding experience.

After playing for a while and just loving on the kids, we went to our soup moms house. I was with 4 other students. We received a tour of her home and met her son and two daughters. The other two daughters had moved out. One of the daughters who lived at home had a son named, Lathum, who is a ball of energy and such a joy. They made us dinner and would not allow us to help. They were so kind to us and made us feel at home in a place we were so unfamiliar with. Her son, Jeremy, and Hamilton played the guitar and bass the whole time, and the girls danced and sang. We definitely weren't as good as her daughter, Candice, and her friends though. When we said goodbye, our soup mom, hugged us and said she was blessed to have her own 4 daughters and 1 son, but now she has an additional 4 daughters and 1 son. It was moving to hear her say that and as we said bye to her children, they said bye to their brothers and sisters. I'm blessed to be part of their family already.

I'm so excited become closer to this family and as many kids as I can. Its going to be an extremely fun week, and I can't wait!

-Anna Marchman