“Smiles Bring Faith” By: Lloyd Pember

Surprise! We are going to spend the night in a township tonight was one of the first things I heard Tuesday morning. As we drove 45 minutes out of Cape Town we sat in awe at the miles and miles of rundown townships. Little kids were roaming alone on the side of the highway, members of the townships were going to the bathroom with absolutely no privacy, and the houses were not houses at all. My heart was racing and I couldn’t imagine what we were getting ourselves into. As we pulled up to Sir Lowry’s Pass we were immediately overwhelmed by hundreds of children running after our bus with the biggest, warmest smiles I have ever seen. We spent the day dancing with children, playing soccer and rugby in the streets, and just getting an overall workout giving piggyback rides and tossing children in the air. We spent most of the day at Mrs. Fila’s house with all of her soup children. The biggest eye opener of the trip was when Mrs. Fila’s husband stood up in front of us and gave us his testimony. He had previously lived an incredibly rough life and just wanted to share his story with us and how thankful he was for us. He grew up in the ghettos, his life was filled with violence, and he didn't have a care in the world. One day God spoke to him and he has now learned English, has a family he loves, and a roof over his head. He said he never thought he would be where he is today and that he is extremely thankful for the work of God. Our Global LEAD group came into Sir Lowry’s Pass enthralled, looking at it as if it was the worst place to live. However, these people are absolutely amazing, positive, and extremely thankful for what they do possess, although it is not much. The community is so strong and loving and everyone looks out for one another. Teenage boys were carrying small children home and bundling them up in their jackets, the soup mothers were feeding hundreds of children so that no child would go hungry, and there was just an overall feeling of love and warmth. The people of Sir Lowry’s Pass live truly amazing lives and taught me so much about how I should be living my life. They really made me step back and think about the small things in life that I should cherish. I realized that my friendships and relationships back home are the most valuable parts of my life and I am anxious to build on them in the future.

Life in Three Words: Smiles Bring Faith