No Sweeter Words

"There are no sweeter words than this - nothing lasts forever."

Have you ever heard this quote? Does anyone know the source of it? Google wasn't too helpful, it mostly gave me links to fanfiction written by some angsty teenagers. A necessary right of passage, perhaps :). 

Every now and then I find myself reflecting on the concept of permanence. On the sweetness and simultaneous pain when things are only temporary. I think its an inevitable point of reflection when you are an expat. I think this blog will hold some points of reflection based on this. It will center around our ministry, but there is a point of difference for Elijah and I - he ministers in his backyard. But part of this deal for me is that I am inevitably away from 'home.'

The key source of this reflection is that my Mum left yesterday after a wonderful four week visit. It was an amazingly blessed time, and I am so lucky to have a mother who is so supportive of me living halfway across the globe. It's not easy for my tight-knit family, but she believes in what I'm doing. But, goodbyes are always sad, and a stark reminder that nothing lasts forever. 

I'm also reflecting because it's Australia Day, and I'm not there right now to partake in the rowdy BBQs and giant inflatable thongs with the Australian flag printed on it that seem to be a mark of celebration. Being an expat can be marked by missing things. In the last year or so I've missed my Poppa's death and funeral, my cousin's wedding (and new baby!), my sister's engagement.

But then I posted something on facebook about Australia Day, and so many of the 'likes' were from Aussies living aboard, including my best friend in Scotland (Hi, Chez:). And I felt part of a larger expat community.

Don't get me wrong - I love my life. You will see so much of the richness of living elsewhere chronicled here. But today is an honest account of the other side of being an expat, the people and places you miss.

Even life here doesn't last forever - I'm an alien, a stranger. But I don't agree with the quote I started this post with. Sure, nothing lasts forever on this earth. But:-

I think the greatest sweetness lies in knowing that heaven lasts forever. 

Mine and Mum's farewell selfie :)

Introduction

Hello internet! For our inaugural first blog post I thought I'd introduce us a bit more in-depth (while I'm still trying to figure out how to insert a tab to do that for me!) as well as explaining why we're staring this blog.

Here's a little more information about us:

We're made up Rachel and Elijah. Rachel is a born and bred Aussie who fell in love with South Africa as a teenager and subsequently moved here six years ago (reverse migration trend, anyone?!). Elijah is a born and bred KZN man who surprised himself and his family by marrying an Aussie girl, but life is defined by such adventures.

The Serious Stuff:

Rachel couldn't quite make up her mind what career she wanted to pursue - she has an arts undergrad, a counselling and communication postgrad and is in her final year of a Master of Human Rights. She uses a mix of these skills in community development and has been involved in various initiatives using counselling, communication and training with different NGOs, with a focus on women's and children's issues for the last five years. Her current self-appointed job title is human rights consultant.

Elijah was more decisive and completed his Honours in Law at UKZN, before subsequently combining his love of youth and sport to uplift communities. Currently he is serving as the youth pastor and head of sports development at an NGO called The Isaiah House in a voluntary capacity. He has great visions for how sport can be used to uplift the youth of South Africa.

The Fun Stuff:

Rachel enjoys hanging out with her friends, skyping her family in Australia, music, proper grammar, and lying on the couch with her laptop watching beauty videos on youtube. Her recent interest in gardening has her concerned that she is turning into her mother sooner than she anticipated.

Elijah enjoys watching soccer (don't insult Chelsea or Barcelona F.C in front of him, bad idea), playing in a soccer league, playing FIFA on PS3, and downloading copious amounts of movies off the internet. So basically, chat with him about soccer and you'll be instantly beloved.

The most important thing about us is our relationship with Jesus, in whom we move and breathe and have our whole lives. 

Now that you've got a little more information about us, I'll expand on the motivation behind this blog.

The idea mostly came from comments of people in Australia, people who support our work in various ways, but don't necessarily know how to picture it, and wanted a better understanding. In many ways South Africa is similar to Australia - in weather, in certain geographical features, in their mutual obsession with sport and braais (BBQs for my Aussies out there). However, there are also vast differences. This blog is to provide an honest account of the work we do. 

Being in community development provides us with the privilege of being invited into the intricacies and vulnerabilities of many people's lives. We want to do them justice in any stories that we write, though all accounts will express our own personal views and experiences. 

We aim to show, through words and pictures, the richness and diversity of South Africa. The personal stories and people behind the 'poverty.' If we're really lucky, perhaps we'll even challenge some existing stereotypes. 

But this is also for us - to expand and challenge ourselves, to provide a place of reflection in the hope that we can constantly be improving ourselves, and doing the best we can in whatever adventures we embark upon. It's most likely that most blog posts will be written by Rachel, with some guest appearances by Elijah :).

So we hope you enjoy what you see here. Please leave any comments (so I know someone is reading other than my Mum :), and with any questions that you have.

Watch this space!