I had heard about the poverty, the crime, and the orphaned children of South Africa, but soon our Point of Grace Church missionary team would have an opportunity to see this first hand. Me and my daughter, Kinzie left home at 4:05 am for the Des Moines Airport for a 1 1/2 hour flight to Atlanta, Georgia. There would be an 11 hour layover in Atlanta. To pass the time, we took the Atlanta airport MARTA train to the downtown area to explore. We returned to the airport at 5 pm and by 8 pm, our airplane departed. We arrived in Johannesburg the evening of the following day. As we entered Welkom, we saw barren streets with few vehicles venturing out into the night. There were no large intersections, stores and restaurants were closed, and only one gas station appeared open as we drove through town at only 10 pm. The homes had barred windows, and gates and fences surrounded each home. Being the winter time for Africa, the temperature ranges from 40-60 degrees. Our layered pajamas and blankets kept us warm throughout the night.
So excited for you all! Know that you will be a huge blessing to all in South Africa and that they will in turn be a blessing to you. Anxious to read your blog and keep up to date! Tim, Michelle & Drake
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