A message from Julie

Not sure exactly how to put this day, this feeling, this experience into words but Shannon said I can write whatever I want so here goes. HOLY SMOKES! This is just unreal. Today was another day filled with joy beyond measure. We had a good workday. Joe suggested we have lunch at the job site with the local guys we’ve been working with. The Ma’s delivered our lunch to us and we ate as a full team, which seems like exactly what we’ve become, Hopewell, Johannas, Power, Samkele, Sallie, Desmond and on and on, a team.  The bricks are finished and the roof boards are on top of the houses and ready. We shared a meal and laughs and conversation and it feels like we’ve trusted each other longer than a couple of days. We were down a few players but hopefully everyone will be 100% by morning.  We left the site early today and got to visit Franschoek.  It’s a beautiful town, Dick and Vicki compared it to Palm Springs. Lots of shops, art galleries, boutiques, and a great place for dinner.   I think it’s  funny that I’ve had pizza twice so far in South Africa, no chicken feet, but pizza twice.  

One of the strangest things to me is the contrast.  It seems like we are experiencing  the most heartbreaking and the most breathtaking of South Africa simultaneously. It’s  bazaar and exciting and a lot to process but every second has been enjoyable and filled with lessons. Yesterday’s devotional was teachability and the enormity of what there is to learn here is magnificent.

If anyone talks to Pastor Steve this week, please tell him how much I’m thinking of him and thanking him from almost 8,000 miles away. I learned a lot (during my first 15 hours of the journey with Jen) about how Hopewell’s relationship with South Africa began.  There is a raging fire here, spreading like wild and we are so blessed and so fortunate to be caught up in it. The passion Steve felt when he first experienced those barefooted South African children all those years ago, and later the trust he had in Jen Lisowski to become a foot soldier here on behalf of Hopewell is incredible. Ask a lot of questions if you don’t know the whole story because it’s awesome! This chain reaction takes all of us, from Downingtown to Paarl and everywhere in between, on this journey with God. We are pretty blessed right?!?!? 

Julie Pook

Julie hard at work filling in holes before we plaster

Pizza from dinner in Franschhoek

Brian playing with Savanna, the guest house puppy