07 "How are you paying it forward?"

Everything we planned for this trip has been thrown on its head. I should’ve listened closer when Vicus and I visited one of our family friends in the hospital before we left. He said: “It’s great that you’re going and planning all of these things, but once you get there - forget about it and let yourself be led by what’s going on around you and not your head.”

I had this beautiful picture of doing certain things (I’m great at making to-do lists), but I haven’t been able to execute them… yet. The ironic thing is, the one thing that I thought I would be using the least, I’m actually using the most. I’ve been giving these Pilates classes in the morning. Facilitating the classes free of charge, it’s been so fulfilling to be able to offer these services to people and help them find relief from back pain or diastasis recti or strengthen their bodies by assisting them with basic Pilates exercises. 

We’ll still be here for a while, so I’m not throwing my list away yet. 

Yesterday was very special at Liwa. We were able to attend the church service at the Pentecostal church. They especially prepared an English song for us. I had to hold back my tears; it was so beautiful. Then they asked Vicus and I to sing a song. I didn’t realize that they recorded us, and when Vicus and I joined the pastor and his wife for a lovely meal after the service, we heard the song being played in the distance. The men were using the recording as part of their practice session for worship.

So, my closing thought for today is: maybe you’ve got a job back home, and it’s part of your day-to-day routine and life. When you go on holiday or think of serving the people around you, are you over-complicating it and thinking of everything else you think might make a difference in someone’s life? Maybe by just being yourself and offering your services free of charge, you can impact someone’s life (big or small). How are you paying it forward?