Author: karuna

Good Morning!!!!

Well, I think I am over my jet lag. I woke up this morning around 5:30 am and out of bed a little before 6:00 am. Same rountine I had in South Africa. I first layed in bed, contemplating whether I should go back to sleep. Then I thought, what am I going to do waking up so early? There were no wake up calls to be given, I did not need to check whether the “Inspection ” team needed any help setting up breakfast or the assembly line to make our lunch sandwiches. I didn’t even need to beat people to the bathroom, or check out budget status. What am I gonna do? haha… come to think of it, I kinda miss all that. I miss all the 16 people I use to wake up with, and all the “good mornings”. As stressful as it was for me at times, I miss those half awake groggy smiles.

So here I am, entering on the blog.. probably the closest I can get to South Africa right now. This trip has been an amazing experience in service. Not only did we perform service in South Africa, but also within the 17 of us. It wasn’t easy initally. Like family we had our tensions and annoyances. But after the first few days of adjustment, we became a happy family. By the end of our trip, there would be too many people in the kitchen cleaning up and usually a struggle between a few to do the dishes. If you needed something, one never had to think who they could ask.. as someone usually saw the need and would fill it before being asked.

I am extremely blessed to have traveled with 16 amazing people, and even though I am at home with my family, I still feel like I am missing my family.

Love Karuna

Yesterday, we visited the Molweni community. At this place Lean on Me is building an orpahnage home. We helped to paint the interior, build a fence, and prepare a garden by pulling weeds. I with several others was on the gardening team. Man, was it hard. The weeds were deep and stubborn. But at the end of the day we had all the weeds out. We started with a team of 4, and as the rest of our group finished their project they came over to help. But we were not satisifed with what we achieved. So today, at the same location we also had a the first christmas party for the community. Many of us, opted to go back to the garden and pick out the roots and the vast amounts of medium and small rocks in the soil. However, today there were 2 or 3 locals that had volunteered there time to help with the garden. At first they would not let us do it. They tried to take the shovels and picks away from us. They said it was too hard for us to do, and they would do it. But we were persistant and together we all worked as one to clean the soil.
Middle of the morning, one of us discovered a large rock. A very large rock. Sukh and the highly experienced farmer dug around the rock to move it. It ended up being a large project for the whole team. We spent most of the morning digging around it. Soon we had about 6 people or more trying to help. We would quickly follow the farmers instruction to dig here and dig that. I t was amazing as we all worked together to achieve this one thing…. to move the rock. In the end, we did not move the rock. Although the farmer was very persistant and wanted to keep going. But we convinced him, that machinary would be available in January to clear the land for more homes and we would be able to utilize them for the rock.
This experience was phenomenal… these people working with bare feet. There was a lady whose both feet were swollen. I had massaged her feet earlier that morning to help her swelling. She was in the pit with the pick jus ripping the dirt apart…swollen feet.. no shoes. And it wasn’t even her land.
It is true what people say.. even those who one may think have “nothing”.. are still able to give from what “little ” they may have.

Lots of Love,

Karuna