The valley of the unknown… :)

September 6, 2010
The first day of orientation!

The quote in my prayer journal for today’s date says:
“As you walk through the valley of the unknown, you will find the footprints of Jesus both in front of you and beside you.”

What a perfect quote for this day. Coming to volunteer with Hands at Work is such an interesting step, because they purposely don’t tell you exactly what you’ll be doing until they get to know you and see where you might fit. So this is definitely the valley of the unknown! That being said, every step of the way I can feel that God has prepared the way for me, and that He is walking beside me constantly. There is no better feeling.

The day started with a worship and prayer session that happens every Monday. It was so beautiful and Spirit-filled! After one of the staff shared a word, we began to praise and worship, and different people came in and led their own songs… it was so beautiful and moving. Definitely the perfect way to start off my time at Hands at Work!

After that session, orientation began. We (the seven new volunteers) went to the volunteer coordiators’ house to learn a bit more about one other by playing a really cool icebreaker. We basically had to “sell” our hometown to the rest of the group. Then, we voted to see who would want to visit which place. Surprisingly, Southfield/Detroit got 2 votes from the crowd… which is even more surprising since my roommate is from Cape Town, and you can’t get much better than that! Anyway, after that we went through a lot of the “rules” and things like that, and went on a bit of a tour of the grounds.

In the afternoon, we heard from two staff members about the eight “core values” of Hands at Work. They talked a bit about each one:

Priorities: 1. God, 2. Family, 3. Ministry
Living Servant-hood
Reaching the poorest of the poor
Giving Freely
Loving God and your neighbor
Valuing Relationships
Supporting local community ownership
Being accountable

It was a really interesting talk, and I think it gave each of us volunteers more insight into the soul of the organization, and the foundation of that which they (we) believe.

After that, we did a grocery run into town. (The “Hands Village,” which is what they call the grounds we live on, is about a 20 minute drive from the nearest city, White River.) When I got back, I was going to just cook and then relax, but of the ladies invited me to the women’s book club/Bible study that takes place at one of their houses on Monday nights. They are already halfway through their book, so I wasn’t going to go, but she convinced me, and I’m so glad I did! I had the opportunity to bond with some of the ladies who work at Hands, and get to know them on a deeper level. We had some interesting debates and discussions about points the author made, and I grew in my understanding in the process. Everyone was just so friendly and welcoming… one even said she wanted me to just keep talking because she loved my voice/accent so much! How sweet!

All in all, it was amazing first day, and through it all I kept remembering how great and faithful God is… I mean, I could never even see this day coming to pass… it was SO far off into the impossible. But somehow, some way, God made me able to come work with this organization, and now I am here! In real life! I really do have to pinch myself. But I’m actually glad it was a struggle to sort everything out, because it makes me that much more grateful to be here. I can only imagine what an incredible 9 months it will be.

September 7, 2010
Wow… what a powerful day it was.

Today we had women’s prayer in the morning, which was a really nice time to present our prayer requests and pray for one another. One of the ladies also shared a short word with us. It was a lovely way to start the morning! Then, we met with George for the rest of the morning. George is the founder of Hands at Work, and he is an incredible man of God. We first spent time telling our stories of the journeys which led us each to Hands, and after each person spoke we prayed for that person. It ended up being a really deep time of sharing, because most were testimonies of God’s faithfulness, His ever-present involvement in our lives, and the beauty of our very diverse stories all leading us to the same place. It was truly awe-inspiring.

Next, George spoke about the heart of Hands at Work, and so many things he said truly brought tears to my eyes. He told us the history of the organization and the principles on which it was founded, and something he said really hit me. He said that the purpose of Hands is to disarm us, because we must realize that it was not our skills which brought us here, but rather, it was God’s fingerprints on our hearts. We are nothing without God, and no qualifications or talents can ever replace what it means to serve God, to channel His love through us, and to follow His direction in being His hands and feet on this earth.

And then the next thing he said hit me to the core: “The most powerful thing in the world is the human touch.” Anyone can provide services for the needy, he said, but what is most important is the WAY in which we serve. To touch people, to ask how they’re doing and mean it, to develop personal relationships, to lay hands at pray, this is what sets Hands at Work apart. And it’s amazing, because I have always known that God has given me a very loving personality, in both an emotional and physical sense. I love to love on people! And it’s incredible to know that this organization places THAT as paramount. And it’s even more incredible to remember all the prophetic words that have been spoken over my life in the past few weeks about my hands, and God using my hands to touch and show compassion and pray for people… and this is at the center of what the organization does. In fact, it is called “Hands” for short! God is really incredible… a God of such detail and wisdom beyond what we can ever comprehend. I stand in awe!

*Exhale*

So after that was lunch… me and one of my roomies went on a short walk and took a few pictures (which I put on facebook so you can see my new surroundings!) and then we watched a documentary which focused on Hands’ work in Mozambique and Zimbabwe. To see footage of their work and of people who had been impacted by it was heartbreaking and encouraging at the same time. It also made me so proud to work for this organization.

After that, we had a Welcome Tea where all the staff came down to mix and mingle with us new volunteers. It was so much fun! We played one of those getting-to-know-you games and it really helped me to meet the few staff members that I hadn’t yet been properly introduced to. Everyone is so friendly and fun and laid-back, and I already feel at home!! The young woman who picked me up on Saturday, my first day, commented on how comfortable and relaxed I seem around everyone. And I guess I am! It’s so different, though, a much different environment than I’ve ever experienced. The Hands staff is literally from EVERYWHERE: the founder is a white Afrikaans-speaking South African, there are tons of South Africans both black and white, lots and lots of Canadians, a few Americans and British, and then many from various African countries: Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Nigeria… I can never underestimate the gift that God gave me in raising me in an environment where I was surrounded by people who did not look like me, because the versatility and comfort I feel in all kinds of settings really is such an asset. The group of incoming volunteers I’m with, however, is all white, which is an interesting situation for me. There’s me, a British girl, a South African girl, and then two guys and two girls all from Canada. Obviously we come from a wide range of experiences, so God is really teaching me about looking at people for who they are, and loving and appreciating them for being first and foremost brothers and sisters in Christ. And we are all bonding quite closely while at the same time meeting all of the amazing Hands staff. Of course, I get a lot of questions about the way I speak and where I’m from, but it’s actually fine because everyone is from somewhere different, so we are all learning from one another. I can really tell that God is beginning to grow me, to break down even more barriers and shape me into the woman He wants me to be.