MY YEAR AS AN INTERN
Francois Visser
The internship… “That is not a particularly wise choice”, “I
don’t understand the concept”, “Why don’t you rather go study or get a job”.
These are words that all of us will eventually hear from someone at some point
in time when mentioning that we will be doing an internship at a church,
whether it be from our family, close friends or just a random stranger. To tell
the truth, I was not shocked by these words, as the idea of giving a year of
your life to building the church is considered crazy to the world. For me, it
means something completely different.
As one would, I too had my doubts coming into this year,
asking myself if this is worth it. The simple answer is YES!
Throughout the
year I had the privilege of working alongside great leaders in the community of
Gugulethu, helping out with feeding schemes, running an afterschool kids
program, and joining in on sports programs. God was showing me that through the
trials, through the hardships and through all the pain in life, there is always
time for laughter. You see, these people are broken, poor, disabled, their
lives filled with daily hardships…Yet, they never stop smiling, they always
have time for a conversation and they are filled with the love of a thousand
mothers. This community is full of great people with great hope. It really puts
a spin on my silly daily complaints.
All in all this year has taught me to love. To love not only
those closest to me, but to love everyone around me, so that they might
discover Jesus through that love.