It’s likely that I will not blog much this month in the interest of squeezing every last ounce out of this World Race experience. That being said, I do want to give a bit of an update on what ministry looks like this month.
Chasing Jubilee is placed in Pretoria, roughly a thirty minute subway ride from Johannesburg. Fun fact – our ride actually took nearly two hours on a subway which (after the fact) our host told us that “even the black people avoid.” So yeah, we took the wrong subway. Yikes. Jesus was watching over us because we traveled with all of our belongings, that is to say that 7 women and 1 man (our squad leader, Wesley, was with us for the first week), all boarded with our huge packs on our backs and daypacks strapped to our fronts.
We were basically chameleons, OK?
Don’t worry, we arrived safely to be greeted by our host, Joanne, who is from the UK. She is likely the most organized host, apart from in Japan, that we have encountered, as she sent our team leader, Kaysea, the entire month schedule BEFORE we even arrived. What??? Unheard of. Our living accommodations consist of mattresses in a big conference room. During the day, the room is used for classes, so we pack up our mattresses each morning.
You now know why the second half of the title of this blog contains the word, Pretoria. The first half, PopUp, is the name of the ministry and it is an abbreviation for People Upliftment Program. The organization began as a soup kitchen which developed into a homeless shelter and eventually became a lifeskills training center. The building that houses the organization is a 116 year-old railway building. Pretty cool. It housed the homeless shelter, but eventually, it became clear that something needed to change. The individuals living in the shelter had no reason to leave because everything was being provided for them. As you can imagine, when the decision to make the building into a training center was established, they had some challenges with the folks who had been living in it. Fortunately, the organization is still thriving.
As the plans for the next steps were being arranged, the leadership team had to choose a people group to hit. As Alistair, a pastor and one of the founders explained to us, they did not want to be a “jack of all trades and a master of none.” The focus then became the homeless. Now, in present day, individuals become a part of a program. They begin with a 2-week lifeskills training and then choose a specialty, where they continue classes for various lengths of time. While at PopUp, they can receive discounted childcare, free medical attention, daily lunch, and access to clothing. All of this, regardless of the duration of study, comes in at the whopping price of 100 rand, less than $10. Prior to “passing” lifeskills, the students, who have a variety of ranges and extremely challenging backgrounds, take a pre-assessment of their English abilities and learning. We helped proctor some of this and the assessment was of a third grade level. It was sad to watch because many of them could not get through simple reading comprehension and addition. If they do not score at a high enough level, they are referred to a center where they improve their English before re-entering the PopUp world.
Once they have entered their program, they attend classes. The programs include training to work in an office, hospitality which involves cooking and preparation for working in a hotel and several others. In addition to the classes related to their program, they attend a session which is called CPR: Continued Personal Restoration. For the time that our team is here at PopUp, we are leading these half-hour sessions. So far, a testimony has been given and the topics of worry and integrity have been discussed.
I’m so impressed by this organization. God is truly at work here because there is this sense of purpose for everyone, including our team, who comes through. In the lifeskills, legitimately tough topics are discussed such as sex, suffering, and identity. Many of the learners end of giving their lives to Christ and they are well taken care of. The teachers have such depth and want to invest in the learners as well as our team.
I’ll admit that I’ve been pulling my foot out of my mouth about this month because I was originally very frustrated that our team was not placed in one of the “good” locations in South Africa such as Jeffreys Bay, Port Elizabeth, and Capetown. Silly me. I could not have asked for a better place and ministry to end this journey. Truly, there is a sense of rest and joy in this place. Quite honestly, this is the type of organization that I would love to work for because it builds people up and helps them make something of their lives. Great stuff.
At this point, I am writing with a week and a half left of ministry, a final debrief, an international flight, and a brief stay in Washington DC before I am fully home. Wow. One word, and it is one that often describes the end of seasons, is bittersweet. I’m so grateful for all of the opportunities, experiences, challenges, growth, teammates, travel, and just life, that the World Race has brought me. It definitely feels like I’ve been gone for 11 months, and I will be ready to come home to all of your smiling faces. Bitter and sweet. God is good, all the time, and all the time, God is good.
