Exhausted!

Hey everybody!
Wow i am tired. This last couple of days we have been swamped with schoolwork. Last night I didn't get to bed until four and had to wake up at seven to finish reading a book and tonight I have to write a paper on the book...whoa nelly! Besides the work the last couple of days have also been the most eye opening on this trip. We went to the orphanage yesterday which was located in kye-leche township (not really sure how this is spelled. I can not begin to describe to you the conditions or poverty of this place. It is unbelievable. You think of a township as a small place, but the pop. is close to a million! Miles and miles of tin roofs, a sea of tightly packed humanity. I have heard that the murder rate in this township is the second highest in the country! As our van turned off of the highway and started toward this place I had a whirlwind of emotions and feelings. I myself have not yet sorted them all out. There was this feeling of anguish and fear, willing the bus to turn around and take us far away from this place. This feeling was complimented by a further feeling in the heart, a peace and the knowledge that this is where Christ would have me. If Christ were to physically walk the land of South Africa, this is where he would be found. Not along the beautiful streets of Cape Town of staring at the Sea at the Cape of Good Hope, but here among his children. The orphanage is sequestered in the middle of the township down one of the side streets. The tiny complex houses just around 150 kids ranging from newborns to the age of 18. kids are often abandoned by their parents and left on the doorstep or wander in and are given a home. It is heartbreaking that most of these kids never find homes. If their parents don't claim them by the time they are 18 they must leave the orphanage and usually live in the township and try to find a job in the city. The children are beautiful.One boy was eager to give us a tour of the entire complex while some of the younger children just ran from person to person wanting to be held. We were not able to spend as much time there as I had hoped, but the time we did have was precious. We played with the kids, held them, and loved them. I took a box of latex gloves and fascinated a group of them when I blew them up and turned them into cows and people. Everyone wanted one and even as i climbed into the van to leave i was still trying to blow up gloves for the sea of kids calling outside. We left the undertakers with many gifts to give to the children, but as i was there i came to realize that this was not really what the children need. Sure the gifts are great, but they have clothes and toys and candy-maybe not much but just enough. What the really need is us...to love them...to hold them... to give them the acceptance and security that they never received from their parents. In this matter we are to imitate Christ. Yes he occasionally blessed people with gifts such as food, but his true ministry was the giving of Himself.We too are called to give, not just of our pocketbooks, but of our hearts, our labors, our lives.
I must write my paper now, but I hope the Lord is blessing and keeping you all under His wings. And Chris I hope that you are not too bored at SPU without us...me and Kali were thinking you might be :)

JOSHUA