This week marks the halfway point for my term with SALT at Lily of the Valley.
Yesterday, I returned to the orphanage after taking a 12 day leave to explore South Africa with my parents. The experiences we had and sights we saw were incredible. We started our trip in Capetown (highlights included having dinner with Mandela's personal guard at Robben Island, the view on top of table mountain, hiking at the Cape of Good Hope, and the FOOD), then went to Kruger National Park (highlights: Seeing the Big Five but especially the two Lion Prides on our night drive with over 15 cubs), and our final stop on the way back to Durban was the Northern Drakensberg Mountains (highlights: staying in a cottage in a place straight out of LOTR, hiking up a mountain range in the misty and mysterious rain). My parents then came to Lily and spent Sunday all day here seeing where I live and what I do. The vacation was a much needed one, however near the end of our time traveling I really started to miss Lily and at that point I realized how much the children and teens here mean to me and how I've learned to see this place as home. That thought was reaffirmed when I was warmly welcomed back and was greeted by everyone including the children.
My relationships with all the children and youth here have steadily growing and I thank God that trust has begun to be fostered between myself and them. I am fully aware of the emotional fragility most if not all of them so I have attempted to just be a consistent mentor, friend, and encourager especially for the youth boys. Before my leave I began goal-setting with my caseload because I think it is crucial that they set things for the new year that they want to achieve. The goals addressed aspects such as academics, leadership in the village, financial decisions, etc. I'm hoping that setting and monitoring these goals with the teens will help them follow through since they are being held accountable. Last night I started homework tutoring for grades 7-10. I will be providing this every evening for those that want extra help in school. Helping them learn in this type of environment is something I enjoy and I hope it will help them achieve higher marks in school since many are struggling to pass.
Lastly, I would ask for prayer regarding the organization as a whole. There are some significant things that are being decided by the board today that could impact the rest of my term.
Peace,
Dominik
