Excitement and Changes

by Global Ministries | published on Oct 10, 2014

As I sit down to write the newsletter for this year, I always struggle with what to share. How do you adequately share the daily struggles at Bridgman or the immense excitement that we see on the kids faces. How do you describe having 117 kids show up for bible school in December (with buildings that were designed for about 40 kids)? The pure excitement the kids had, and the excitement yet, almost panic that you have as a director thinking how can we possibly reach all of the kids!

2008 was a year of many ups and downs. As far as the aftercare program was concerned we saw a pretty slow start to the program. We struggled in the beginning of the year to have enough volunteers, and by the time we reached April we had gone through three different sets of volunteers. South Africa was also dealing with its own challenges at the time, one of those being a term we all came to know well “load shedding.” The country officially recognized in January that there would no longer be enough electricity, so we went on daily rotations of losing power.

Around July, we started to see a lot of improvement in the program. We had volunteers that had been there for a few months, and we were all settling in. We were also starting to see some notable difference in the kids, and the program started to thrive. Parents were getting excited about the aftercare and the kids really liked coming. We were even getting a reputation for being able to help kids, taking in a few “uncontrollable” ones. It was exciting to watch some of our older boys, like Gagashe, choosing to hangout after aftercare and play soccer, instead of spending time with his friends who caused trouble.

We ended the 2008 aftercare with a carnival. There were lots of games, the kids earned tokens that they could exchange for prizes, and we had pizza and ice cream sundaes. We were able to end the year strong. As we are starting the 2009 aftercare, the excitement is mounting. For the first time, we were able to pre-register kids for the new year. Currently, there is a waiting list for kids wanting to join, and most parents coming almost daily to enroll their children.

In 2008, we also saw a lot of changes to the GASA program. We started the year with two different groups, the group who completed the previous year, and our new trainees. I don’t think I anticipated the work involved with two different groups. Between mentoring, counseling, and planning sessions for the older girls, and getting to know the new girls and leading them through training, I felt pretty drained most days. In April, once the new girls completed their training we combined into one group. The journey that we went on through out 2008 was a long and difficult one, but also one of great growth. Not too long after we combined the groups, the staff and I became frustrated with the girls and their lack of empathy towards others. We came up with an idea to share some of the struggles that women around the world are facing, looking at female circumcision, arranged marriages, sex trafficking, and sweat shops. Well while this opened their eyes a bit, it also brought new challenges for us, as we learned that some of the girls have experienced these things themselves. One GASA girl had been kidnapped in a rural area, and almost forced into an arranged marriage. Another’s grandmother wants her to undergo a form of female circumcision that happens in a small group within the Zulu culture. In September, we took nine girls on the annual GASA retreat. This is always one of the year’s highlights for me. We take them to a mountainous area, two hours outside of the city of Johannesburg. The theme of our retreat this year was Submission. We looked at submitting our lives to Christ, and other areas of biblical submission such as obeying our parents. Over the weekend, we saw the girls growing in their faith and love of Christ. It was through this weekend, that we introduced the GASA Book Club. We had started collecting Christian books that focused on teenage topics such as dating, friendships, and your calling/purpose. The girls are so excited about the books, and we even had a couple of meeting where the girls shared what they were reading and learning.

I wish that I could share the stories of each girl and their growth, but one girl in particular stands out. Nomvelo, translated to Nature in English, is beginning her third year in GASA. She has been at Bridgman for several years now, starting out in the aftercare program, and moving on to GASA once she started high school. She has lived in the Zola/Jabulani townships all of her life, never leaving the area, until she joined GASA. By all rights, she is a good kid. She does well in school, never gets in trouble, and is at almost every GASA meeting. In 2007, when we were leading weekly bible studies at Bridgman she was always there, asking questions and really searching for some meaning in her life. On the retreat, she really found that. I watch this cute young woman, find the peace in Christ that she had always been seeking. Since the retreat, her life has been far from easy. He mother, an alcoholic, often uses the only money in the house to buy alcohol. Her older sister, the only one employed in their family, lost her job as well. Nomvelo, came to me one afternoon very upset, and overwhelmed by her situation. We went out and sat at the top of the jungle gym, and had a conversation that I will never forget. I listened as she poured out her heart with frustrations over her family, and everything they were going through, and with tears in her eyes she said “I just wish they knew Jesus.” She was not focused on the fact that they often don’t have enough to eat. She says that God has always made sure that they have had something, but she really understands what the power of Christ’s love can do in a person’s life.

Nomvelo’s goal in life is to open her own orphanage one day. She loves the GASA book club. She takes a new book almost every week, opening it up with her bible, and studying, then coming back the next week so excited to share what she has been reading and learning. She became our first, GASA mentor. A position designed by the GASA girls to help the trainees of the program every year, and to act as a supporter to all GASA members.

2009 will be my last year at Bridgman, as I will complete my assignment at the end of the year. We are putting people in place to take over when I leave, and will slowly through out the year be turning over my responsibilities. Nelly, a 2005 GASA member, will take over GASA, with help from girls like Nomvelo. The stories that I have from Bridgman and lessons learned, will stay with me for a life time. I feel so privileged to stand with all of the kids at the center, and to share in the lives of girls like Nomvelo and Nelly. Often as a missionary, you think that you are sent into the world to reach out and share Christ’s love, but I only hope that I have been able to share half of what I have received.

Carla Giger

Carla Giger serves as a Global Mission Intern in South Africa, appointed by the Common Global Ministries Board of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and the United Church of Christ. Her ministry is possible because of funds provided by Week of Compassion of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). She is serving with the United Congregational Church of Southern Africa (UCCSA), Johannesburg, South Africa as an Assistant Program Coordinator.