Zoe News

Sally’s Big South African Adventure… with kids of course!

This September, I arranged a ‘test’ field trip with a few of our orphans to see how it would go.  JUST WOW!!!!

Near Majakaneng village, there is a very, very special school named

“Opkyk Pathways Therapy and Educational Center”.

https://www.facebook.com/Opkyk-Pathways-Therapy-and-Educational…

This school is especially oriented for vulnerable children, like our ZoeForKids orphans.  Inside a converted old farmhouse they have built a computer and therapeutic school for children of need… and, close to my heart as you know, EQUINE THERAPY!  YES, I SAID HORSES!  The only thing better would be horses AND DOGS, but I digress!!!

But back to our story….

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Our story starts in Majakaneng village school, where I chose 16 of our orphans to be our ‘test pilots’!

As we departed their township by taxi, two of our cooks lead us in a little prayer.  We then piled into a local taxi!  AT THAT MOMENT, the great adventure had begun!  The eyes of these 16 children were as big as the moon.

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You see, many of our kids have NEVER been in a taxi, and have NEVER gone beyond their township!

Their response was priceless! 

 

As we were leaving, the taxi driver put on the music of their culture… and suddenly the brightest sunbeam hit inside our taxi… it nearly blinded me in tears!  The hard outer shells of these abused and rejected children cracked – they became true ‘children’… smiling, boisterous, rejoicing children.  Excitement beamed from each face and they began to dance and bounce  with the bumps and turns of the taxi.  I seriously, lost it.  I wanted to hug each child and never return them to their meager shacks.

 

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One child, who is albino, and her brother have been part of ZFK since 2008.  I had NEVER seen them smile before.  They had NEVER felt comfortable enough to interact with me, personally.

 WELL, on this day… I got the smile I was waiting for… it brought heaven to earth for me.  I had to fight back tears.

 

 

 

We soon arrived at the Opkyk Pathways Therapy and Educational Center.  For perhaps the first time in their lives, they were able to just be kids, to let loose and JUST PLAY!

 They lighted off rockets,

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            … they practiced balancing,   

                   … they ate good food,

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                            … they jumped on trampolines,

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                                       … they became masters of ‘sand art’…

 

 … and most importantly– learned how to take care of a precious horse named Mercy,

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walked and rode her and her friend around the arena,

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… and loved on them ALL DAY LONG!

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Most of all, they had FUN, they were able to be just kids enjoying their youthful energy and learning to open their hearts to the possibilities that life offers… a very rare opportunity to experience ‘life outside the village’… more than they have ever known or dreamed possible.  I’m sure it was a surreal experience for them.

The thought keeps coming to my mind… that this is what going to heaven will be like for us.  We are each so used to the routine and limitations of our lives here on earth, that we cannot even imagine or dream what God has in store for us.  The boundless joy, the happiness that I saw in those little dear eyes… is just a foretaste of our future with our Lord Jesus in Heaven.

I still have not stopped smiling.  Praise to our God the author of all true joy and satisfaction!