Forgot to put this with the last blog, people wanted to see how my feet looked. Actually another really cool thing to add. Many of the students were really impressed by what I did. Which was kinda cool because I didnt really think tooo many people even noticed it. But the afternoon that I was finished a couple of them suprised me with something so crazy. & Actually really humbling to me. They washed my feet, I mean dang.I was opposed to it at first untill they began to explain which was neat. Like I didn't know what to do, they totally blew my mind.

Update, Sorry it's long.

These past few weeks have been filled with so much stuff, recently getting done with Holy Spirit Week, then traveling about 8 and a half hours to the Surfing Capital of the World! Jeffrey’s Bay South Africa. Although the weather wasn’t exactly cooperative while we are there we still got to experience some of what this new location had to offer. It seems like everything was just amplified at their beaches. The seashells where huge, the waves were really nice, it was SO MUCH colder and there was a sighting of a 25 foot great white shark. Yeah, practically a swimming school bus. I can now say that I have now swam in the Indian Ocean, even though it was scary seeing all the gross squishy bodies of the jellyfish on shore that were seriously about 2 and a half feet wide across the top! I’ve never seen anything that size. Even though the beach was nice on the two days of solid weather, we were there for a conference. “Nations to Nations” a celebration of the work God is doing all over the world. YWAMers from everywhere around Africa gathered in many nights of Worship & fellowship, it was pretty swell. There was even someone from Orlando! Her name was Faith, and she works for Disney. Pretty cool considering I haven’t seen another Floridian in so long. Never realized that I would actually miss my hometown, I really miss the beach. Back here in Worcester it’s sad to think that the ocean isn’t just a 6 minute drive down the road. To be honest, I wasn’t impressed with the conference in all though, but I sure do appreciate getting to see a new part of Africa! Even though Jeffrey’s Bay has been deemed the Surfing Capital of the World it is a place in such need. I was walking to the church where the boys were lodging at about 11 one night after my shower. I was alone and all of a sudden I find this little boy running up to me. I was so worried I wasn’t sure exactly what was happening, he began to beg and ask for things but with the language barrier I was unable to understand. I felt so bad having to walk along with nothing to give, once he realized I had nothing or the fact I couldn’t understand him he ran back into the alley where he had been sleeping before he heard me pass. Along with the poverty of the people in that town they have been finding a large number of babies in plastic bags (Yeah it’s graphic and gross, but it happens). Babies that have been born by incapable mothers who believe it is ok to simply put the just born child into a trash bag and dump it on the side of the road. It’s so heart breaking to hear a story such as that. I mean yes orphanages are full and your baby may never get adopted, but it doesn’t deserve to rot in a ditch like last Monday’s meat loaf. Luckily there is a group of individuals who were moved by these occurrences and they knew it was time to do something. They created a building in the middle of a main intersection in town called the “Baby Safe”. It was so encouraging to see that people cared enough to build a nice place for the children to be brought to. Although there was something on the side of this building, a mail slot of sorts. I began to think about it and was later confirmed when I asked a lady in charge. The “mail slot” is just like a slot on a mail box at the post office and the women come late at night and place their babies inside this slot and close it, it drops the baby into the building where it is taken care of and safe. It sounds so horrible but I definitely approve of a child be put in a slot rather than a bag. But, it is still disheartening when you ask the question and get the answer, “Yes, it has been used”. Once the week was finished we packed up our 4 cars and headed for home, all happy campers. For some reason I don’t think many people really enjoyed our home away from home. On our way back we happened to see Ostriches, Monkeys, and Elephants! The Monkeys run free, the Ostriches are farm animals and the Elephants lived on a wildlife place. Pretty cool though, especially the ostriches; looked like the Lion King. Lately I have had this thought in my head “How can I help people when I don’t understand what they’re going through?” Every Wednesday as we have outreach in Zwelethemba I have spoken before about how I feel so much for those children, many not having shoes. Having to walk on the hot pavement and then on the rocks and gravel and glass seems like such a pain, literally. So roughly two weeks ago before outreach on the Wednesday of the 21st I slipped off my shoes and socks. Promising myself that I would not put anything on my feet until I saw those children again, to at least get a glimpse of what they deal with. I wasn’t quite thinking about us being in Jeffrey’s Bay the next week so we wouldn’t be back for two whole weeks. What had I gotten myself into, two weeks with no shoes? I was destined to finish as bad as I had imagined it would be. Good News! I made it; I went two weeks with no shoes. There were certainly times where I wanted to give up, but I promised myself and it seemed as though the other students were rooting for me. This experience really made me appreciate shoes and carpet and water, each a blessing from God. It was nice to see that situation I started with myself kind of end with me realizing the little things that God gives us really do make an impact. Something started with no spiritual intentions found its way there. I am trying to really make the best out of Africa, trying to do as much and make as many experiences as possible. I have made a great friend John Knox here, he is from Kansas. We spoke about fasting a bit and discussed how I had never done it, but he has only for half a week or so. After not very much preparation I found myself on the first day of our fast, the first day we left for J-Bay. I was so worried, worried that I wouldn’t be able to go a whole week without food, I mean look at me! It just seems like a death wish haha. Anyways God did it with this too! He took me a whole week man, only water! Courtland Cory, I almost still can’t believe it. Totally shows you how strong God is. My trust in him grew so much over that week, and he really blessed me with the strengthening of a great friendship during that time as well. So with all of my new ventures over we just wrapped up our last day of the “Week of Worship.” It was wicked sweet, I cannot wait to come home and share all this stuff I have learned. I have an ever expanding notebook of things I have written down that I want to talk with people about! Intercession and Spiritual Warfare are the two topics of next week’s teaching. Hope it is interesting, considering I always find my head hurting after all the classes. Anyways I hope everyone is having a great time back in Florida and where else you are reading this from. Youth Sunday is here and I’m totally bummed that I won’t be there for the students to make me proud. It’s going to be so awesome.
Anyways, Love you guys.

Courtland


P.S. here is my Address for those who are asking.
Courtland Cory/ CINDTS
P.O. Box 926
Worcester 6849, South Africa