A Day In The Life of a resident

I get asked a lot about what living on the farm is like and what we do. There is a fixed program of activities that provides the necessary structure that is missing when living as an ‘outie’; being on the street. Structure helps build discipline and discipline that provides a solid framework for the recovery and restoration of the residents.

From Monday to Friday we wake up at around 5h30 and a hot breakfast of porridge and coffee is served at 6h00. At 7h00 we all gather in the lounge of the house for Devotions. Moved by the Holy Spirit, anyone is invited to read a passage from The Word. There is then time for a discussion around the message shared. This ‘daily bread’ gives us sustenance for the day, truth that we can mull over, absorb and internalise. After Devotions the floor is open for discussions around the running the farm. Anyone can contribute and it is useful forum to bring up issues before they become problems.

We then slot into our respective work teams at 8h00. Some residents work in the nursery, some collect and cut firewood for resale, some work in our Farm Stall and others are allocated to the kitchen and maintenance jobs.

At 10h30 we have a break until 11h00. The kitchen supplies us tea and a couple of sandwiches to keep our energy levels up. We then work from 11h00 until 13h00 when our lunch-break starts. Lunch is an hour long and some residents take the opportunity to lie down, while others read or watch television.

From 14h00 until 16h00 we enjoy another work session until 16h00. Supper is again a hot cooked meal that is served at around 17h00. Some residents choose to eat then while others will keep their food to eat later. But from 16h00 our time is our own (unless you work in the Farm Stall which closes at 19h30).

The evenings again are for us to enjoy the way we choose. We have television facilities for those interested, but a lot of the residents use the time for Bible Study. On Tuesday evenings, those residents interested, are transported into Grahamstown to a home cell group hosted by a family from The Church on the Hill. This is a wonderful opportunity and an intimate forum to discuss The Word. The theme chosen by The Church on the Hill for 2018 is; The Holy Spirit, and most talk centres around Him.

The weekends are different. On Fridays we stop work at lunchtime and at 14h00 we have a second session of Devotions at 14h00, facilitated by a member of the board overseeing the farm. After devotions our time is our own again.

On Saturdays and Sundays breakfast is served an hour later at 7h00. For most residents Saturday is a day off. However this is a working farm and there is never ‘nothing’ to do. Volunteers water the nursery 2 -3 times during the day. Our plants don’t take a day off! A team from the nursery is also allocated to ‘Out Sales’. We load a bakkie and trailer with plants of every description and travel to Kenton on Sea and Port Alfred on alternating weekends to market our produce there. This is an important source of income for the farm. The Farm Stall is open from 8h00 to 17h00 on the weekends, and the Stall Workers alternate working the weekends.

On Sundays transport is provided to all residents that wish to attend church. Most attend The Church on the Hill, affiliated to ‘Church Of The Nations’, but others attend the church of their choice. We get home around 11h00 and the rest of the day is spent relaxing, unless it is your turn to spend a few hours attending to the chores that need to be done on a daily basis. Then it is Monday again, and a new week begins.

Living and working on a farm is a relief from the pressure of ‘city life’. You are surrounded by the Glory of God reflected in nature. If you have eyes to see and ears to hear it is impossible not to see God everywhere around you. The impact on the residents of the life that we lead is noticeable. Men arrive broken, bent and lacking hope. Within weeks changes are visibly obvious. The posture of the men change as they rediscover themselves in an environment that promotes positive development.

Salem Crossroads Christian Care Centre provides an invaluable service to the community and is well worth any support that you can offer.