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summer 2017

Wesleyan Mission Team Serves in South Africa

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    (Pictured from left to right) Elise Harper, Megan Gallagher and Peter Hess make new friends during their time in a township. Whitney Panetta.
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    Annie Cowart plays with children in Diepsloot during VBS. Emily Zavitz
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    (Pictured from left to right) Greg Lisson, Abbie Blauser and Chloe Hangartner enjoy interacting with the lion cubs at the Lion & Safari Park in Gauteng, South Africa. Emily Zavtiz.
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    Children enjoy field games in Johannesburg, South Africa. Emily Zavitz.
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    The South Africa missions team enjoys playing ultimate frisbee during their free time. Emily Zavtiz.

Just weeks after the 2016-2017 school year ended, the South Africa Mission team, led by Elizabeth Ables, Whitney Panetta, Greg Lisson, Andrea Shupert and Emily Zavitz, embarked on their 15-hour-journey across the Atlantic Ocean to Johannesburg, South Africa. Upon arrival, they were greeted by the welcoming staff of Godfirst City Church, their host for the week. After a long bus ride to Hoopoe Haven, a local bed and breakfast where the team stayed throughout the week, they unpacked and settled in. Jet-lagged yet excited, the team was ready to serve.

Children line up to play games during VBS. Whitney Panetta.

From day one, the team was put to work making maternity packs with the Grace Project, writing encouraging notes and packaging supplies for mothers who might not have anything. The following day, the team visited the township, Zandspruit, and partnered with Impact Africa, participating in door-to-door evangelism throughout the town. In South Africa, townships are informal settlements consisting mostly of shacks without running water, plumbing or any of the basic American amenities we take for granted. For many students, this experience was the most powerful of the entire trip.

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