Hello from Africa!

The kids arrived today, and they are so excited to be here! Their smiling faces and eager hearts have shown me what all the hard work and travel and fund-raising were all about. Thank you so much to every person who helped get us here! I miss you all, but it will be hard to come home ;) -Tae

It's hard to say what it is that makes things run so well in spite of so many snares that have been left, but I am convinced that this camp is being run on faith and love. These kids came off of the bus today and I have been constantly impressed by how much everyone is working in spite of the travel and setup we all went through. It really is true that the heart of Jesus lives in this camp and I am so humbled to be here and so happy that I can help it work.  Thanks to everyone's support and prayers.JJ

First Time at Camp

I am enjoying my first day at the swamp camp it is my first. Camp and.I am.loving all the counselor are so friendly. And sweet  I'm loving making new friends and increasing my relationship with. GOD AND I JUST WANNA THANK. EVERYONE WHO ORGANISED THIS EVENT.THANK.YOU LOVE FROM  SINDI.  ANGELOS. DURBAN. SOUTH.AFRICA
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Sitting on a Bench having a deep meaningful chat about our future because we are in our last year at school. We are going to use these last few days to figure out what

Sitting on a bench having a deep meaningful chat about the future as we are in our final year of school. Going to use these next few days to try and figure out what God wants and what I need spirituality to succeed. Linzi and Kerri, Durban,South Africa

Everyone Is Here

The other buses arrived...we are all accounted for: 204 campers, 33 counselors, 11 adult volunteers and 5 directors. It is so cool to hear the kids voices, their laughter, the other languages...the camp breathes life. We are looking forward to a great week!

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Message from a local

Loving the energy that the swamp corps team has brought to south africa. So grateful that you are here. Can't wait for a super week. Teens just started arriving... (Yay!)

James & Maura
Cape Town (south africa)
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Campers are Here!

The campers are here! The campers are here!

Campers are coming from two different locations, one bus load from Pretoria and two others from the north side of Joburg. The Pretoria group showed up but the other two buses ate running late. Either way we are glad the campers are here. Now we can get our camp on. Continue to pray for us.  Jeff

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Poitjie the Pig

Kingdom! As I am writing to you, we are all sitting around the table munching on a South African dish called poitjie kos. Sounds like a Northerner saying porky. Everyone is buzzing with excitement of what is to come tomorrow. Today was all about team building and creating a family with people literally from all over the world. We got to share our insecurities and our dreams of how God will change the hearts of the kids...and ours. Please continue praying for us, especially since the kids will be coming tomorrow...all 185 of them. Much love from South Africa.

Maranda Modlin

Shout out to my boy Reg!
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AT SWAMP

Hey this is Braxton, so today we are at the camp for the first time and it is really beautiful, just the scenery and everything has been great! We've been going through some training, well mostly for the counselors but it has been very relaxed. We also got to meet the African counselors which was the most exciting thing and they are really fun and just a great group of people. And just because I didn't get to say it before, I loved going to see the lions on New Years it was really fun hen got to chill with the awesome family I'm staying with and now I'm late for the next meeting so bye and thank you for all your support its really been a truly amazing experience and I know we all feel so blessed! Bye!
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Africa New Years

I've done so much these past few days before camp has even started. On Saturday night the church there had a new years dance party. The whole church came to dance and celebrate the new year then have a midnight communion service. I tried imagining the church in Athens doing this. Anyway. In the party I got to crowd surf for the first time. Although this wasn't the smoothest thing Scuba claimed this would only help me get a girlfriend. This is a common subject with him since he himself is trying to find him an "African Princess." To top the night off the communion service was great with three prayers in three different languages and the new year marked the first day of my dads job for Swamp. Four hours later my host family took me and Adam, James, and Stephen at five in the morning to a game reserve where we saw giraffes, elephants, springbox, wildabeast, rhinos, boars, zebra, and baboons. We were incredibly close to many of the animals and got outside of the car, five feet away from a family of baboons. I also almost slapped a zebra on the butt because it  was in the middle of the road. After that we bargained in a market where I got a Zulu mask and a rhino and lion sculpture. I have done so much and I'm just now on my way to the camp.
Nick

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Hanging with Our Hosts and Seeing Some Sights

We rang in the new year in South Africa! As we hugged each other and our new friends we all felt a sense of disbelief. Afterward we did a communion service. Three brothers prayed in three different languages - English, Afrikaans, and Zulu - so cool and inspiring. I thought about how the only reason we are in South Africa is because of the blood of Jesus. Not only are my sins forgiven and heaven is waiting, God gives me incredible opportunities in my life here on earth.

Today we are all hanging out with our host families doing different things.  A group of 13 of us went to tour Soweto. We saw Bishop Tutu's home as well as Nelson Mandela's.  The most moving place we saw was a memorial to the student
uprising that took place on Soweto in 1976. Many high school age students were killed in the protest and South Africans mark it as the event that led to the end of apartheid.  I am inspired to think about our teens and college students leading a spiritual uprising!

Tomorrow we head out to the camp!  We are eager and ready to begin what we came for especially after being inspired by the children of Soweto...truly our children can change the world.

Happy New Year!

Love, Jennifer