SA Update

Hello my friends.
Last night I was overwhelmed with American pop culture. I did not even know what to do with myself. First, I saw my first ever Lady Gaga music video. I was rendered speechless. Then at dinner, I was told that Heidi and Spencer Pratt are getting a divorce! The combo was just too much for me. That was enough craziness to last me until November.

On another lighter note, it is whale season here. I am enjoying it so much. And yes I am totally and unashamedly bragging about the country that I live in. Almost everyday I drive along the coast and see the whales frolicking and blowing water everywhere. It is mating season, and for some reason that brings them along the coastline. Where else in the world can you see whales on your way to the grocery store?

Yesterday I brought some pop rocks into Masi for some of the kids. I saw the usual group of girls that scream my name and chase my car down the street. They couldn’t stop laughing at the popping noise coming from the candy. One of the girls is a part of our Vulnerable Children’s Project. She is the youngest in her family at 11 and the oldest in the family is 19. I was shocked at she told me her 19 year old brother was stabbed to death on Monday. She told me as if she was telling me about any other part of her day. Death is such a part of everyday life for them. It seems as common and insignificant as you or I getting a cold. It broke my heart to think that this young girl does not know what it means to grieve. Now the oldest person in the family is 16. We are working to make sure they are properly taken care of. I never thought to be thankful for the opportunity to properly grieve the death of a loved one until yesterday. It means I am blessed enough to live a life where loss is uncommon.

I have been continuing with my investigation efforts over the past month. I am working closely with South Africa’s version of the FBI. For some reason we have incredible favor in their eyes, and they refuse to work with any other NGO. There are a few places in town where I KNOW human trafficking is happening. Yet, I need more proof than I have at the moment. Would you pray that I stumble upon the right information so that I can hand it over to law enforcement? I hate knowing and not being able to do anything about it. I could also use your prayers for continued energy. Sometimes just knowing this information can be exhausting.
Some other prayers requests:
1. My health- I am taking medication for parasites, and I have had to change my diet quite extensively in order to bring some peace and calm to my stomach.
2. I am still saving money to try and upgrade to a more reliable car. Thank you to those of you who have given!
3. Because of my health, I have had some unexpected expenses that have strained my finances the last few months.
4. A lot of the missionaries I work with take a break at this time of year. Many of them are home, and this has put an extra strain on me in some areas.

Thank you all for your continued support. I know I say it a lot, but I really do hope that you see me as an extension of you. I know that many of you can’t drop everything and move overseas, but I can and I am happy to do it.

Love you all.
Christina