At Hands at Work, our volunteers are called by God from all over the world to serve the most vulnerable in Africa. Each of us has a unique story of how we were transformed when we stepped out in faith and were obedient to His call. Caiver shares his story and the journey that has led him to fully trust in God and serve in his home country of South Africa.
As a young child, I grew up in the community of Masoyi with my mother and five siblings. Life was extremely difficult for my family growing up, as my mother was a single parent. We went to church every Sunday and I had the opportunity to attend school. Often times my siblings and I went to school with an empty stomach and we didn’t have proper uniforms. I had to drop out of school in grade 11 because my mother did not have enough money to send us to school.
Before I started serving with Hands at Work, I was working many different part-time jobs as there was nothing permanent available. Simon, African Volunteer (South Africa) and I had gone to school together and one day he told me about an opportunity with Hands at Work. I started working with Hands in 2006, which was during the initial stages of the maintenance team at the Hub in South Africa.
In the beginning, I did not know that I was being called to serve the most vulnerable, however my life has been changed throughout the years I have been with Hands. I have realized that God has called me to live my life serving the poorest of the poor. When I have the opportunity to go on Holy Home Visits in the communities, I can see the ways in which God is calling me to serve in my own way. I have seen many vulnerabilities throughout my time which I did not think I would ever see. I thought that I knew and had seen the life in the poorest communities, having grown up in one, but there are things that I did not expect to see.
During my time with Hands at Work, God has taught me many lessons. I have realized that I have put myself first too many times in my life. I am not the same man that I was when I started. I have been able to go deeper with God and I pray that God will continue to take me deeper with Him. God has a purpose for me. My highlight when I am in community is walking with the most vulnerable. I am not the only one who brings encouragement but I feel deeply encouraged when I leave.
I am praying that God will give me wisdom so that I can start a men’s Bible study within my own community. I pray that God will open the hearts of the people He wants to come and that we will be able to encourage each other in the will of God.
Caiver lives in Masoyi, South Africa with his wife, Thandi, and their three children. Caiver continues to serve on the maintenance team at the Hub in South Africa.
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