To South Africa with Love

by Michele Zincone

I have been trying to find the words to properly describe my experience here in South Africa so far and I am just not able to do so.  A few words do stick in my mind though - beauty and tangible love.  

This place has beauty all around, even in some of the most unexpected places.  In the landscape, you may see some very hard living conditions but at the same time you see majestic mountains or a beautiful sky and it is like God is reminding you that he is always here.  The most beauty that you will find here, however, is in the people.  Everywhere we go, we are greeted with the warmest smiles and biggest hugs.  And this is where the tangible love comes in - you feel it everywhere, it's palpable.

We have been blessed to have shared wonderful days already at Ma's, Mosaic and Avodah and each place overflows with love, His love, and you can feel it.  There was a moment at Ma's Supersterre program that I will hold with me forever, I know we all will.  After a few upbeat praise songs, a quiet song takes place and this is a time for the children to be still and listen for God and feel His love.  These precious, beautiful children did just that but while doing so, most of them went seeking human touch and they curled up in our laps without even knowing us. We held each other, were still and listened together.  It was so powerful and beautiful and you could feel God's presence without a doubt.  It was tangible love.

There is a Bible verse that Louise shared with me and it keeps presenting itself - Isaiah 43:18-19 "Do not remember the former things or ponder the things of the past.  Listen carefully, I am about to do a new thing, Now it will spring forth; will you not be aware of it?  I will even put a road in the wilderness, rivers in the desert." 

I am trying to listen and I am trying to be aware, but in this beautiful place, it is not hard.  With the love and beauty that is shared here, you can only be present and feel God all around you.  My eyes and heart are open and I give thanks to God for this trip and this very special place.