Joy..In So Many Ways

Friends, we have not yet been in South Africa for a week, and already it feels like a month. As my colleagues have said we have climbed Table Mountain and experienced God in our midst, we have been to the beach, the Waterfront, and swam in the Indian Ocean..

..and we have experienced Joy in so many ways. I say this because we spent most of yesterday and last night in the Township of Guguletu. Guguletu is in the Cape Flats, where it is windy constantly and there are always people around. The guest house that we spent the night in is owned by a wonderful woman named Joy. Joy sees her guest house in the Gugs (as Guguletu is known in Cape Town) as something that represents what she and her fellow sisters and brothers are. Joy showed us a true hospitality when she invited friends and neighbors to be with us, talk with us, to teach us songs, and giggle at us while they taught us to dance. There is a constant smile on Joy's face, and it is her desire to help us understand who the people of Guguletu are, and to show the people of Guguletu that she hopes to bring people to the guest house for their benefit, not their destruction. My favorite night thus far was spent feeling a true sense of South Africa, with people who are proud to be from Gugs, who are proud of their heritage and who are deep grounded in their faith. I can only hope that I am able to mirror Joy and all that she is to herself, her community, her family, and God.
Peace & love.