JEFFREYS BAY – On 26 June, 18 grade 10 learners, along with their teachers, embarked on Global Leadership Academy’s fifth TravelSCHOOL.
This year they explored South America, travelling to Paraguay, Uruguay and Brazil, even taking a bus through Argentina, and returning to South Africa on 2 August.
Jacomien Hauman, Coordinator of TravelSCHOOL, said that in Paraguay and Uruguay, they focused on serving like-minded people on their farms.
During this time, they helped by removing invasive alien plants, harvesting manjoka (a local staple), preparing fields for planting, digging foundations for new buildings, and performing other upkeep tasks.
Hauman said that they had the opportunity to visit locals in their homes to encourage them and pray for them.
In addition, the group visited world-famous sites like the breathtaking Iguazu Waterfalls in Brazil and the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Hauman further said that the capital city of Paraguay, Asunción, was also explored in smaller groups while doing a challenge with tasks like playing soccer with locals, sharing the gospel with someone, tasting maté (a traditional drink), and praying for learners of another Christian school.
Learners shared their reflections on the experience.
Lizé Serfontein said that TravelSCHOOL taught her how to get out of her comfort zone, while Tané Jansen van Vuuren said that the experience was not just about the adventure and the places they reached, but hearing God’s whispers along the way.
Tristan du Toit said that they set out on a school adventure, but God turned it into a journey of hope, meaning and growth.
The goal of TravelSCHOOL is to come alongside the vision of GLA: Making Disciples, Shaping Leaders.
Disciples who are:
• firm in their Christian faith
• willing to share the Gospel
• aware of the global need for the church to take its rightful place
Leaders who are:
• able to endure hardships to (further) develop true character
• willing to embrace learning in a different way
• loving and serving
• ready to have fun and adventure
Hauman said that GLA was birthed from the mission organisation called Global Challenge, which is based in Jeffreys Bay.
She said that this organisation annually challenges young people to go throughout the world to deepen their personal relationship with the Lord, spread the gospel, serve the local church, and care for the marginalised, while travelling in a simplistic way and awaiting adventure in unexpected places.
“TravelSCHOOL which started in 2019, aims to expose grade 10 learners to a similar experience during the five and a half weeks that they are travelling while completing their academic work,” said Hauman.
“The school strongly believes that learning intellectually, emotionally and spiritually is often enhanced when confronted with different cultures, environments, and challenges.”
Hauman said that they aimed to provide a transformative learning experience for learners, and although the trip only took place in June, the staff started a discipling journey with the learners in February, with weekly Bible studies in a small group, a preparation camp in April, and regular meetings to help them prepare.
She said that during TravelSCHOOL, learners were required not only to take responsibility for their academic work, but also for cooking, washing and general cleaning duties.
Hauman said that they also travelled simplistically, sleeping on camping mattresses, making use of public transport, and taking everything they needed in their backpacks.
Adding to this, Principal Stefan Kleyn said they do not want to foster a culture of entitlement, but rather come alongside local churches and communities to experience what their daily lives look like.
Hauman further said that they hope to have awakened hearts for servanthood in their learners, showing them that it is often our willingness to help, and not necessarily our skill sets, that can open doors for relationships to be built.
“Exposing a grade 10 learner to a variety of serving opportunities could also spark an idea of what career path they could follow after school. For example, one of our learners, Anine Slabbert, says that she might consider a career in agriculture,” said Hauman.
She said that the outcomes were pursued while aiming to have fun and adventure, often experienced in moments as simple as singing on a local bus ride or exploring a foreign marketplace.
“It is a big vision, especially for five weeks. But we trust that the Lord is not limited by time and opportunity. We believe that this was just the start of a great discovery for our learners, and that it stands to advance His Kingdom,” said Hauman.
The teachers who travelled were Stefan Kleyn, his wife, Estee, and their daughters Elsofie and Rebecca.
Additional travellers were Jacomien Hauman, Jeanette Naudé, André Agenbag (student teacher), and Hanlie Fry.
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