Have you ever noticed that Jesus was unusually attracted to people who had emptiness in their lives? And not just sometimes, but often. Losers and loners, the sick and the lame, the weak and the hungry- these were the ones He came for and whose needs He met.
God didn’t sit at the door of a building and say: sorry you can’t be a follower of me because you didn’t take these membership classes, or sorry we don’t accept divorced people into heaven, you killed someone? Definitely not! You love on the wrong side of the tracks?! Think again! You have AIDS, well you must’ve done something terrible to deserve such a punishment. Not in my church! Not in my circles!
Oh but wait…didn’t God call Moses (a murderer) to lead the sons of Israel out of Egypt? Didn’t he call Jonah (a rebel) to go and preach in Nineveh to which the whole city turned from their wicked ways? And why the Virgin Mary and not some princess who would be more fit to raise the newborn King? Why did he go out of his way to meet with the woman at the well? Why would he give the short man Zaccheus the time of day? Do you see a pattern here?! God surrounded himself with the broken and empty people of this world. He rid himself of all societal boundaries by being born in a manger. He could’ve come into this world in the classiest of palaces and then would only associate himself with those of high class. But he didn’t, because love was more important.
Who do you hang around? Who do you pursue? Do you sit in judgment of those who have made poor decisions in their life? Do you prevent true ministry from happening because of all these man made rules in our churches? Jesus came to seek and save the lost. As disciples how can we do this if the lost aren’t allowed in our churches or in our circle of friends?
Then why do we as Christians who are to be followers of Christ, why do we screen people, and exempt people from being apart of the body of Christ. You hear all the time, “oh but I can’t go talk to that person do you hear what they do on the weekends?!” “But it’s in a bad part of town” “That’s for missionary’s” “Someone else will reach them, not me- I’m too busy” “But I might die” “There’s no money in ministry” “But I’m not good at speaking to people about that stuff” “But she’s catholic”
Coming to Africa I’ve had so many moments of weakness. Moments where I thought I couldn’t do it, that I wouldn’t make it. It’s scary, it’s not safe. But when you allow God to move you where you need to be moved and to speak where he wants you to speak he will give you the strength to do anything.
2 Corinthians 12:9-10
And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness. Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.”
This is why I’ve made it here. Only through my weakness have I been made strong. This is why I can be in a corrupt country, this is how I am able to love these children who come from abusive homes, this is why I can reach out to my friend Theresa who has been driven from her home in Zimbabwe because of war, this is how I can reach out to our maid who’s mother just died of AIDS, this is how I can preach the word of God every Sunday through the gift of translation, this is how I can volunteer at an AIDS orphanage for babies, this is how I can leave my family and friends to serve Christ, this is how I have the confidence in Christ to share with political leaders,
this is how I can have the strength to be here alone. The only reason I am able to do what I do here is only through God.
Monday, May 11, 2009
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Pure and undefiled religion is this...
What I love about God in how he expects us to minister, is that there is no formula. There is not a five step program to doing ministry and being the best spiritual leader. It comes down to obedience.
One thing that has really stuck out to me is this whole concept of God’s agenda and not ours. And that is exactly how Jesus operated. Once he saw where the Father was working, Jesus immediately knew the agenda for his ministry. This is where we’ve messed up. We don’t do a nice job of waiting for our Father to reveal where he wants our next steps. We act as if we are continually supposed to be moving and doing something. I wonder how much we have missed out on because we didn’t watch for the first sign of His activity.
Where are your missed opportunities?
God works in ways that we cannot explain. That is why we need to be so close to him that we can hear his heart beat and know and understand the direction he has for our life; so that we can lead those he wants us to lead.
I have found myself waiting more before I make a decision on where to go next and what to do. I wait for the first sign from God. For example, I had visited a orphanage for HIV babies called House of Hope that is a few minutes from where I am staying. First off, for those of you who really know me, you know I love babies!!! I wanted to see if there was a need for me to help there for maybe an afternoon or two a week.
When I visited, the director wasn’t in (maybe sign number 1). So I talked with the lady who was running the orphanage for the day and expressed my passion for babies and wanted to see if they could use extra hands. She was busy cleaning the house and said to come back later; so I came back later. It was my intention to get a better understanding of their ministry and get to know the stories of the babies and then schedule a time each week that I could come in.
The second I got there I was handed a baby and a set of clean clothes and was motioned to the bathing room. Apparently it was bath time and I was not getting a introduction to the ministry, I was doing it. It was so hard not knowing what was wrong with these children but to be so directly connected with them. It was hard to communicate with the other ladies seeing as how they knew little English. In my 1 hour there I changed five poopy diapers, bathed 4 babies, played with 3, fed 1 and loved all of them. House of Hope has about 12 babies that have been abandoned and left to die. Most of them are HIV positive and probably won’t reach the age of 3.
I was drawn to one little baby boy in particular, he seemed to get the least bit of attention. He looks like he should be about a year old but weighs about as much as a 5 month old. He was severely malnourished. I had asked one of the ladies what was wrong with him and how long he had been there. She told me that he has been with them for 2 months and of that he has spent a month in the hospital. He had an I.V. put in his head because there was not enough fat on any other part of his body. However he is negative (is not HIV positive)
He is unresponsive to human contact, he couldn’t even look me in the eye, all he could do was wimper- he couldn’t even get out a good cry. Ugh, it broke my heart! I wanted nothing more then to pick him up and love on him for as long as I possibly could. Of course I didn’t let his medical issues get in the way of me picking him up. So, I went to go pick him up and I seriously thought I was going to break him. I was picking up nothing more than bones. I held him as tight as I could and tried rocking him to try to soothe him. Nothing seemed to work. I can’t imagine the physical pain he experiences because he was deprived of the basic nutrients before his coming to House of Hope. Coming out of malnutrition is not an easy task and it can even kill people if it isn't done properly. It is such a shock to the system when they do get the food they need that their bodies can't handle it. I encourage you all to research it; I am continually learning.
It was bath time and so I was given his clothes and off we were to scrub a dub. I thought it would be easy. After taking this precious babies clothes off I could see his bones sticking out, and his skin was all wrinkled because he had no fat- it seriously looked like he was an old man with his skin the way it was. I had to talk myself into giving him a bath. I wanted to pretend like this wasn’t real and pretend that these children didn’t have to face this. Nothing like being faced with the despair and horrific circumstances these children are in. It was so hard to see him barely hold himself up. I left with my heart ripped out- I left knowing that we have so much to give….but yet we hold so much in.
I left confused, because I didn’t know if that was something God wanted me to be a part of. I was broken because of the state of the children and how I knew very little about them. I was able to get the phone number of the lady who runs it which will give me a better idea of what I could do. But I’ve been waiting. I’ve been waiting for that sign, and not relying on my feelings and my love for babies.
Since my visit, which was about a month ago, I can’t seem to stop thinking about those children. I even dream about them, and every time I drive by the house my heart sinks. Maybe this is my sign. I plan on calling Jackie the director at House of Hope at the end of this month to see where things go. I have decided to wait until then because we are very busy moving everything out to Restore and I don’t want to neglect the needs there for that now. Waiting on God is so important in spiritual leadership, waiting to know when to move. Until then I wait and I pray.
What do you think this means? “Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself unstained by the world.” James 1:27
This is the kind of spotless religious faith we should be striving for. Those without parents or husbands WERE and ARE an especially needy segment of the church. Caring for them clearly demonstrates true, sacrificial, Christian love. It makes me take an inventory of my the religion I practice. Is it pure as God says pure should be? Am I remaining unstained by the world? Am I reaching out to those who have lost significant people in their life? Is my religion pure in the sight of my God?
Where are your orphans? Where are your widows? Where are the people who struggle to live each day? Where are the people who have lost hope? You don't have to go to a foreign country to do this. Look around you, there are people hurting everyone; it is our job as a Christian to love these people. Love knows no language- it translates into every language. Being here has made me realize this more and more. It doesn't even matter that I can't speak the language- I can still show these kids love. We need to love like Christ loved, without conditions, without fear, without selfishness. They will know us by how we loved.
I want to hear your thoughts on this, so please respond back!
One thing that has really stuck out to me is this whole concept of God’s agenda and not ours. And that is exactly how Jesus operated. Once he saw where the Father was working, Jesus immediately knew the agenda for his ministry. This is where we’ve messed up. We don’t do a nice job of waiting for our Father to reveal where he wants our next steps. We act as if we are continually supposed to be moving and doing something. I wonder how much we have missed out on because we didn’t watch for the first sign of His activity.
Where are your missed opportunities?
God works in ways that we cannot explain. That is why we need to be so close to him that we can hear his heart beat and know and understand the direction he has for our life; so that we can lead those he wants us to lead.
I have found myself waiting more before I make a decision on where to go next and what to do. I wait for the first sign from God. For example, I had visited a orphanage for HIV babies called House of Hope that is a few minutes from where I am staying. First off, for those of you who really know me, you know I love babies!!! I wanted to see if there was a need for me to help there for maybe an afternoon or two a week.
When I visited, the director wasn’t in (maybe sign number 1). So I talked with the lady who was running the orphanage for the day and expressed my passion for babies and wanted to see if they could use extra hands. She was busy cleaning the house and said to come back later; so I came back later. It was my intention to get a better understanding of their ministry and get to know the stories of the babies and then schedule a time each week that I could come in.
The second I got there I was handed a baby and a set of clean clothes and was motioned to the bathing room. Apparently it was bath time and I was not getting a introduction to the ministry, I was doing it. It was so hard not knowing what was wrong with these children but to be so directly connected with them. It was hard to communicate with the other ladies seeing as how they knew little English. In my 1 hour there I changed five poopy diapers, bathed 4 babies, played with 3, fed 1 and loved all of them. House of Hope has about 12 babies that have been abandoned and left to die. Most of them are HIV positive and probably won’t reach the age of 3.
I was drawn to one little baby boy in particular, he seemed to get the least bit of attention. He looks like he should be about a year old but weighs about as much as a 5 month old. He was severely malnourished. I had asked one of the ladies what was wrong with him and how long he had been there. She told me that he has been with them for 2 months and of that he has spent a month in the hospital. He had an I.V. put in his head because there was not enough fat on any other part of his body. However he is negative (is not HIV positive)
He is unresponsive to human contact, he couldn’t even look me in the eye, all he could do was wimper- he couldn’t even get out a good cry. Ugh, it broke my heart! I wanted nothing more then to pick him up and love on him for as long as I possibly could. Of course I didn’t let his medical issues get in the way of me picking him up. So, I went to go pick him up and I seriously thought I was going to break him. I was picking up nothing more than bones. I held him as tight as I could and tried rocking him to try to soothe him. Nothing seemed to work. I can’t imagine the physical pain he experiences because he was deprived of the basic nutrients before his coming to House of Hope. Coming out of malnutrition is not an easy task and it can even kill people if it isn't done properly. It is such a shock to the system when they do get the food they need that their bodies can't handle it. I encourage you all to research it; I am continually learning.
It was bath time and so I was given his clothes and off we were to scrub a dub. I thought it would be easy. After taking this precious babies clothes off I could see his bones sticking out, and his skin was all wrinkled because he had no fat- it seriously looked like he was an old man with his skin the way it was. I had to talk myself into giving him a bath. I wanted to pretend like this wasn’t real and pretend that these children didn’t have to face this. Nothing like being faced with the despair and horrific circumstances these children are in. It was so hard to see him barely hold himself up. I left with my heart ripped out- I left knowing that we have so much to give….but yet we hold so much in.
I left confused, because I didn’t know if that was something God wanted me to be a part of. I was broken because of the state of the children and how I knew very little about them. I was able to get the phone number of the lady who runs it which will give me a better idea of what I could do. But I’ve been waiting. I’ve been waiting for that sign, and not relying on my feelings and my love for babies.
Since my visit, which was about a month ago, I can’t seem to stop thinking about those children. I even dream about them, and every time I drive by the house my heart sinks. Maybe this is my sign. I plan on calling Jackie the director at House of Hope at the end of this month to see where things go. I have decided to wait until then because we are very busy moving everything out to Restore and I don’t want to neglect the needs there for that now. Waiting on God is so important in spiritual leadership, waiting to know when to move. Until then I wait and I pray.
What do you think this means? “Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself unstained by the world.” James 1:27
This is the kind of spotless religious faith we should be striving for. Those without parents or husbands WERE and ARE an especially needy segment of the church. Caring for them clearly demonstrates true, sacrificial, Christian love. It makes me take an inventory of my the religion I practice. Is it pure as God says pure should be? Am I remaining unstained by the world? Am I reaching out to those who have lost significant people in their life? Is my religion pure in the sight of my God?
Where are your orphans? Where are your widows? Where are the people who struggle to live each day? Where are the people who have lost hope? You don't have to go to a foreign country to do this. Look around you, there are people hurting everyone; it is our job as a Christian to love these people. Love knows no language- it translates into every language. Being here has made me realize this more and more. It doesn't even matter that I can't speak the language- I can still show these kids love. We need to love like Christ loved, without conditions, without fear, without selfishness. They will know us by how we loved.
I want to hear your thoughts on this, so please respond back!
Friday, March 20, 2009
More Love
I’ve found my self in this world of electric fences, barbed wire, burglar bars, tazers, and pepper spray. I wish it were so easy to just go outside for a walk in the fresh African breeze and rest assured that no one would come and attack me.
I am white.
I am female.
I am American.
I am vulnerable.
There’s something leery about the state of vulnerability that I have found myself in. I am a prime target. That’s hard to come to terms with. I’ve never had to think so much of my safety; I’ve never not had to trust someone because of what they could do to me.
I’m tired of thinking. I’m tired of thinking constantly as if I am not an American.
Tired of having to think about every cultural difference that I find myself in. I’m emotionally exhausted from the news, the stories from others, the ladies down the street that were brutally beaten and raped to death, the older gentlemen who is the owner of a B&B just down the street who was robbed and beat. I’m tired of this being my reality, I’m bothered that this has become “normal” for
It is hard to process all of this. Part of me wants to become numb to these stories in order to move on, but I don’t want to get used to the injustice that I am facing everyday. I’m trying to get to a point where I can deal with it. I need to find a way to cope with it.
Since when did hate become normal? It makes me think of the song by Black Eyed Peas, Where is the love? But seriously, have we become so far in our sin that we don’t hold life as a precious gift from God?
In the States you can have a bit of confidence that nothing terribly bad will happen to you as long as you aren’t involved in bad things. Yes there is the rare occurrence of innocent lives being taken in the States but not to this extreme. It doesn’t matter who you are, there’s a mentality of “if you have what I want I will kill you to get it”.
You can’t even help an injured person on the side of the road; they may be faking it until some good Samaritan comes along hoping to help and they pull a knife on them just to take their car and money. True story.
If something were to ever happen to me in the States, I know who to call and know they would be there within minutes. I can’t think like that here. First of all, it’s a waste of time if you call the police here, and there is only one advanced paramedic for each province. I live in two worlds…the world (
I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t scared. But I can’t let my fear consume me. God has his reason and purpose for me to be here. I must be obedient to move when he asks me to move and be still when he asks me to be still.
I wish I could look through the eyes of God to see what he sees. I wish I knew what it felt like to see your creation; your children live like they do, choosing death over life. No regard to love, only regard to self. If only we loved like Jesus did, how this world would be so different. There is no time for hate.
“He who does not love abides in death”- 1 John 3:14b
Do you see yourself in her?
Do you see yourself in her? Have you ever thought you were superior to someone because of your class, race, or where you grew up. What makes a pharmacy checkout lady any better then a small child in Hani Park who has the flu? Were we not all created by the same God? What if the Afrikaans lady had been born into a squatter camp? We would all be going through the same plight had we been born in that type of an environment. How shameful! As disgusted as I am with her response, I see a lot of her in a lot of people around me. If only we had more love and less hate we could reach so many more people for Christ.
We have to look at these people as human beings, not animals. You would dig through trash too, to find any kind of food to feed your family if you had no hope, no home, no job, and not government aid.
“We know love by this, that he laid down his life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoever has the world’s goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him? Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth.” 1 John 16-18
If you claim to be a Christian you have made a decision that resurrects you from death to life, and a turning of hate to love.
A lack of love indicates you are spiritually dead. Are you indifferent to the needs of others? Satan’s children are indifferent to the needs of others.
If you want to understand the epitome of love, look what God’s son did for you- he showed love in the most sacrificial way, he died for you. He died for the Afrikaans lady, he died for the smallest child in
I’ve been challenged this week in so many ways. I’ve been humbled in so many ways as well. I’m a ministry major right?! But boy do I have a lot of learning. I hope my experiences can challenge you as they have challenged me. I hope it has given you a glimpse of what life is like thousands of miles away. I hope you are encouraged to know that we serve a God that is bigger then any problem we face!
I love you all!!!
Heather
Sunday, March 8, 2009
TIA (This is Africa)
One month down, 5 more to go!!!
What an experience! I sit here typing this with the sound of evening thunderstorms in the background and the smell of fresh rain wafting through my room. I had expected to spend the evening emailing people and calling home…hmmm…but the internet connection is so higgledy piggledy I couldn’t get a connection….I guess that wasn’t what I was supposed to do tonight.
I’ve been here 5 weeks and it seems like it has flown by, however I think back to the day I left and it seems so far away. So much has happened around me, within me and to me. I am forever grateful for this experience.
What a once in a lifetime experience. This is really the only time in my life where it’s just me, no husband (not yet anyways) no kids, no full time job….just me and God. My mom tells me I should take it all in because it will all change so drastically. I have to agree with her, she’s a wise woman.
I am taking it all in. I’ve leaned on God more through the last month then I think I have my whole life. You don’t realize how much you rely on other people until you don’t have those people in your life where you are. This has brought me closer to God.
I wish I had the money to fly you all over here to see this country, to experience these people. It’s amazing to me how you can learn so much about yourself, God, what it means to be a Christian by experiencing a different culture…a different way of life.
So what have I been doing lately?
At Restore we are currently in the process of organizing a study centre for students to come and study and get the help on their school work that they need. This includes refurbishing 6ft bookshelves (sanding, painting etc.) Collecting resources, we are in desperate need of teaching aids, chapter books, Bible story books etc. None of these kids own books but they all love to read.
One thing that many Americans wouldn’t necessarily think about is electricity. The kids that we work with in the squatter villages do not have electricity. How on earth can they do their homework without electricity?!
Let’s take Tsumi for example, Tsumi is in grade nine and he walks 11 Kilo’s ( 7 miles) to school each way, 22 kilo’s (14 miles) a day. He is a rather small teenager (due to a poor diet). He is the boy with a photographic memory and loves to show off his "Michael Jackson moves." He has been accepted into one of the best high school programs Thabong can offer. Tsumi gets up at 4:30 AM just to make it to class. Would I have done that at age 17...I DON'T THINK SO. School gets over at 3:00 and takes a couple hours to get home. It starts getting dark around 18:00 (6:00 pm) which doesn’t leave much time at all to do homework. Tsumi lives in Hani Park without electricity and still has homework to do. The study centre would be a huge help for these students to be able to come and use our resources to get their work done so they can stay on task for school.
Ministry goes further then meeting the spiritual needs of people. It starts by taking the needs of a given people finding a way to provide for those needs while sharing with them the dire need to have Christ in their life.
I have been teaching Sunday school which is always so much fun. We will be moving Sunday school out to the RESTORE site hopefully by the end of the month.
Teen ministry is my favourite day of the week. It’s every Friday at 4 we go pick up the boys from Hani Park…eventually we will have girls but the boys scare them off. These boys don’t get much positive attention and don’t want to share it with others…something we have to work on.
Basically it is like a youth group. We come together play games, worship, have a lesson eat dinner together and hang out for a bit afterwards. So much fun let me tell ya!!! This meal is so important, these kids only get one good meal a week and that is when they come to teen ministry. A lot of our boys are malnourished and skin and bones…we are trying to figure out the best way to get them the nutrition they need so they can be healthy. Pray for them! Pray for what ways God may be leading you to help!
What have I learned so far?
There are nearly fourteen million children who have lost one or both parents to AIDS. It is predicted that there will be more than twenty-five million of them by 2010.These children will grow up without the love and care of their parents, and most of them will be deprived of their basic rights- shelter, food, health, and education. Many will be subjected to abuse, violence, exploitation, discrimination, trafficking, and loss of inheritance.
Before a girl can get married she must prove that she is “fertile”. She is to prove that she is able to bear children for her future husband. This creates many problems as you can guess. Not only do these girls give birth to countless babies but these babies are not wanted…they are nothing more to these people then a way to get married. And so it goes. This is Africa.
One thing I’ve learned is that you can’t save them all. This is hard for me to admit because I wish I could say everyone has a fighting chance. The statistics are bleak for these children and unfortunately there aren’t enough missionary’s and ministries to accommodate all these children. (Matthew 9:37, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few”- referring to the spiritual harvest of souls for salvation) It is better to really invest in the lives of 20 children and dig deep into their spiritual life than to barely scratch the surface with 100 kids. Quality is better than quantity. We can change a generation if we get into the lives of the children affected by this darkness
Within a two year time span, six million people in South Africa have died as a result of HIV/AIDS. And, worst of all, that within the next twenty years seventy million people will die unless drastic action is taken. No one ever dies from AIDS, but because of what AIDS does to your immune system, your body becomes unable to fight the most common sicknesses that eventually will kill them.
There needs to be proper education to the people of South Africa about what AIDS is, and how it can be prevented. No one ever dies of AIDS but of sickness that cannot be fought due to the attack that AIDS has on the immune system. If only people knew how it is spread, and that it can’t be completely be cured. We need to put an end to these myths and these lies that are being spread throughout the villages and actually give these people truth. Truth and hope is what they need. And it can be met when we meet the spiritual and physical needs of these people
South Africa is a very poverty stricken country. Recently coming out of apartheid it has been hard for the blacks and colored to make a decent life for themselves. Under apartheid, the South African economy was characterized by severe state interventionism: Where blacks could live and work, and what type of jobs they could take, were all determined by the state. The main idea was to push the blacks, who accounted for more than 70 percent of the South African population, into ‘homelands’ or ‘Bantustans,’ which made up 13 percent of the land. ( I encourage you to do some research on apartheid- it’s horrific what happened to these people)
We must know that one of the greatest assaults to human dignity is poverty, where you wake up not knowing where you’re going to get your next meal, where you cannot have decent accommodations for yourself and for your children, where you cannot feed them, where you cannot send them to the high school. That is the greatest assault on human dignity, and that is why we should pay particular attention to the poor, who are ill, whose immune system is not capable of resisting these terminal diseases. This is a huge reality for the people that I am working with in Welkom.
Matthew 25: 35
“For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.”
Jesus no longer walks this earth which leaves us to be the evidence of saving faith. What fruit are you bearing? I encourage you to really look at this passage and study it for its true meaning. Deeds are not the basis for our entrance into the kingdom, but merely is the manifestation of God grace in our lives. Why wouldn’t we want to share that with other people?!
What an experience! I sit here typing this with the sound of evening thunderstorms in the background and the smell of fresh rain wafting through my room. I had expected to spend the evening emailing people and calling home…hmmm…but the internet connection is so higgledy piggledy I couldn’t get a connection….I guess that wasn’t what I was supposed to do tonight.
I’ve been here 5 weeks and it seems like it has flown by, however I think back to the day I left and it seems so far away. So much has happened around me, within me and to me. I am forever grateful for this experience.
What a once in a lifetime experience. This is really the only time in my life where it’s just me, no husband (not yet anyways) no kids, no full time job….just me and God. My mom tells me I should take it all in because it will all change so drastically. I have to agree with her, she’s a wise woman.
I am taking it all in. I’ve leaned on God more through the last month then I think I have my whole life. You don’t realize how much you rely on other people until you don’t have those people in your life where you are. This has brought me closer to God.
I wish I had the money to fly you all over here to see this country, to experience these people. It’s amazing to me how you can learn so much about yourself, God, what it means to be a Christian by experiencing a different culture…a different way of life.
So what have I been doing lately?
At Restore we are currently in the process of organizing a study centre for students to come and study and get the help on their school work that they need. This includes refurbishing 6ft bookshelves (sanding, painting etc.) Collecting resources, we are in desperate need of teaching aids, chapter books, Bible story books etc. None of these kids own books but they all love to read.
One thing that many Americans wouldn’t necessarily think about is electricity. The kids that we work with in the squatter villages do not have electricity. How on earth can they do their homework without electricity?!
Let’s take Tsumi for example, Tsumi is in grade nine and he walks 11 Kilo’s ( 7 miles) to school each way, 22 kilo’s (14 miles) a day. He is a rather small teenager (due to a poor diet). He is the boy with a photographic memory and loves to show off his "Michael Jackson moves." He has been accepted into one of the best high school programs Thabong can offer. Tsumi gets up at 4:30 AM just to make it to class. Would I have done that at age 17...I DON'T THINK SO. School gets over at 3:00 and takes a couple hours to get home. It starts getting dark around 18:00 (6:00 pm) which doesn’t leave much time at all to do homework. Tsumi lives in Hani Park without electricity and still has homework to do. The study centre would be a huge help for these students to be able to come and use our resources to get their work done so they can stay on task for school.
Ministry goes further then meeting the spiritual needs of people. It starts by taking the needs of a given people finding a way to provide for those needs while sharing with them the dire need to have Christ in their life.
I have been teaching Sunday school which is always so much fun. We will be moving Sunday school out to the RESTORE site hopefully by the end of the month.
Teen ministry is my favourite day of the week. It’s every Friday at 4 we go pick up the boys from Hani Park…eventually we will have girls but the boys scare them off. These boys don’t get much positive attention and don’t want to share it with others…something we have to work on.
Basically it is like a youth group. We come together play games, worship, have a lesson eat dinner together and hang out for a bit afterwards. So much fun let me tell ya!!! This meal is so important, these kids only get one good meal a week and that is when they come to teen ministry. A lot of our boys are malnourished and skin and bones…we are trying to figure out the best way to get them the nutrition they need so they can be healthy. Pray for them! Pray for what ways God may be leading you to help!
What have I learned so far?
There are nearly fourteen million children who have lost one or both parents to AIDS. It is predicted that there will be more than twenty-five million of them by 2010.These children will grow up without the love and care of their parents, and most of them will be deprived of their basic rights- shelter, food, health, and education. Many will be subjected to abuse, violence, exploitation, discrimination, trafficking, and loss of inheritance.
Before a girl can get married she must prove that she is “fertile”. She is to prove that she is able to bear children for her future husband. This creates many problems as you can guess. Not only do these girls give birth to countless babies but these babies are not wanted…they are nothing more to these people then a way to get married. And so it goes. This is Africa.
One thing I’ve learned is that you can’t save them all. This is hard for me to admit because I wish I could say everyone has a fighting chance. The statistics are bleak for these children and unfortunately there aren’t enough missionary’s and ministries to accommodate all these children. (Matthew 9:37, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few”- referring to the spiritual harvest of souls for salvation) It is better to really invest in the lives of 20 children and dig deep into their spiritual life than to barely scratch the surface with 100 kids. Quality is better than quantity. We can change a generation if we get into the lives of the children affected by this darkness
Within a two year time span, six million people in South Africa have died as a result of HIV/AIDS. And, worst of all, that within the next twenty years seventy million people will die unless drastic action is taken. No one ever dies from AIDS, but because of what AIDS does to your immune system, your body becomes unable to fight the most common sicknesses that eventually will kill them.
There needs to be proper education to the people of South Africa about what AIDS is, and how it can be prevented. No one ever dies of AIDS but of sickness that cannot be fought due to the attack that AIDS has on the immune system. If only people knew how it is spread, and that it can’t be completely be cured. We need to put an end to these myths and these lies that are being spread throughout the villages and actually give these people truth. Truth and hope is what they need. And it can be met when we meet the spiritual and physical needs of these people
South Africa is a very poverty stricken country. Recently coming out of apartheid it has been hard for the blacks and colored to make a decent life for themselves. Under apartheid, the South African economy was characterized by severe state interventionism: Where blacks could live and work, and what type of jobs they could take, were all determined by the state. The main idea was to push the blacks, who accounted for more than 70 percent of the South African population, into ‘homelands’ or ‘Bantustans,’ which made up 13 percent of the land. ( I encourage you to do some research on apartheid- it’s horrific what happened to these people)
We must know that one of the greatest assaults to human dignity is poverty, where you wake up not knowing where you’re going to get your next meal, where you cannot have decent accommodations for yourself and for your children, where you cannot feed them, where you cannot send them to the high school. That is the greatest assault on human dignity, and that is why we should pay particular attention to the poor, who are ill, whose immune system is not capable of resisting these terminal diseases. This is a huge reality for the people that I am working with in Welkom.
Matthew 25: 35
“For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.”
Jesus no longer walks this earth which leaves us to be the evidence of saving faith. What fruit are you bearing? I encourage you to really look at this passage and study it for its true meaning. Deeds are not the basis for our entrance into the kingdom, but merely is the manifestation of God grace in our lives. Why wouldn’t we want to share that with other people?!
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Go make disciples...
I have been here approximately 15 days and it feels like I’ve been here for months. I am finally starting to get myself in a routine…it’s taken me about 2 weeks to finally get a normal sleep pattern, seeing as how South Africa is 7 hours ahead of Indiana time.
Some of you may wonder what South Africans eat. Well their grocery stores are very comparable to what we have in the states…just not as much variety…no family size anything…and for the most part much cheaper than food in the states.
My South African favorites:
Braii: the braii is a South African barbecue…and consists of lamb, pork, ostrich, crocodile, steak etc. South Africa probably has the most delectable meats in my opinion…my favorite is pork strips.
Couscous: you can get this in the states but it is a common dish here in SA it is like rice but in smaller pieces…I absolutely love it!
Malva Pudding: this is a common dessert in SA it is a custard pudding poured on top of a vanilla shortbread…yummy!
Coca Cola: ok so you are probably like…that is so not South African…but let me tell you…the Coke in SA tastes much better than the Coke in the States. They use cane sugar here instead of corn syrup like we do in the States.
Tea: My favorite is South Africa’s Five Roses tea…mixed with milk and sugar….goes great with some Nuttikrust!
Appletizer: this is a beverage that tastes just like apple juice but is sparkling…with bubbles as they call it.
Fruit Chutney: Amazing sauce for any braii meat!
My South African not so favorites:
Ketchup: their ketchup here is very sweet…maybe because they use real tomatoes but I don’t like it so much.
Mustard: same thing with ketchup…too sweet!
Sour milk: Ami Maas…yuck. Grocery stores actually cell sour milk…people here like it on their mealy meal.
Tripe: dirty pig intestines…like whole intestines…stringy and all. I refuse to try it.
For the most part I have not tried anything here that I have not liked.
Here are some facts about South Africa
South Africa is about the size of Texas
Africa as a whole could fit 7 United States in its continent
There is no such thing as a self serve petrol station (gas station) Tenants fill up your car, wash your windows etc. This is a great way to provide employment for many of the struggling South Africans.
AIDS is not talked about here. It is a shameful thing to admit to someone that you have AIDS. Because of this, many people who could’ve been treated if they got the ARV drugs die because they don’t admit it. Even if someone does die of AIDS…they say they died of the 4 letter word. No one dies from AIDS really but sickness that comes as a result of the body’s lack of ability for its immune system to fight common sicknesses.
A year after a woman gives birth to her child she is prohibited from having sex with her husband for a year so she can tend to the needs of her newborn child. During this time, the husband will most commonly find other women…sometimes other wives in which the AIDS virus is contracted and spread to the wife. True story: One lady in Sandy’s Bible study had her child and adhered to the rule for 1 year but during that time her husband had an affair with another lady who had AIDS…the lady passed it onto the man and the man passed it on to his wife without her knowing.
Politicians here give their advice on how to cure AIDS. The current president encourages people to take a shower after they have sex with someone who has AIDS. I wish I was lying when I say this, but the people actually believe this.
Another politician said to take multivitamins and eat healthy. Again, people still believe this.
There is this myth that in order to cure yourself from AIDS you must have sex with a virgin…thus spreading the disease to innocent children…babies even.
In the squatter camps Saturday’s are funeral days…and believe me when I say funerals happen every Saturday…people are dying right and left. The whole middle generation of people is nearly obsolete because of the AIDS pandemic.
Funerals are a way for these people to please their ancestors. The family of the deceased is responsible for giving their loved one a proper burial no matter what the cost…in order to please their ancestors. Many of them go in debt for this very reason.
Driving here is a bit crazy…and as soon as the dust settles after Jake and Sandy’s kids leave I will be learning how to drive a stick shift in this crazy place.
Not only do I have to worry about driving a stick…I have to do it with my left hand…because I am sitting on the opposite side of the car as I would in the States…and on the opposite side of the road (the left side) in a city where there are no robots (stop lights). Welkom was designed by a woman who decided to put round a’ bouts in place of robots. Plus street names aren’t marked well so you have to go by landmarks.
I am going to be one cultured woman!
I taught Sunday School on Sunday to the Hani Park children. Oh, it was great! I didn’t realize how much I missed teaching. I taught about when King Solomon built the temple and what each part of the temple’s purpose was and how that all changed when Jesus died on the cross. What a great reminder that we can worship and praise God everywhere!
I will be teaching again next week to bring some relief to Sandy as she has family in town. I just have to remember to talk slower because us Americans talk to fast sometimes which makes it difficult for others to understand. Pray that more kids from Hani Park will come to church and hear God’s word!
I had the opportunity to have breakfast with a man who works for the ANC (a corrupt political party in SA) he was staying at the B & B because the president was making his rounds to all the provinces. (Keep in mind this is the President who has the belief that AIDS can be cured by taking a shower)
Pray that I was able to plant some seeds in this mans life. He asked if he could join me for breakfast…so I said he could…it beats eating alone! He had just been out the night before partying and such….and had quite the hangover. God’s will is better than mine. So here I am conversing with this man about his job and all the places he has been and he asked me what I was here for. So I explained to him that I will be here the next 6 months working with missionary’s in the squatter camps…his face suddenly changed…I don’t know what was going through his mind at that moment but he seemed to have been processing a lot…some may say it was guilt…but I believe it was God creating in him an uneasiness about the work that is being done in Welkom.
Pray that I can talk further with him. He frequents Jenny’s so I know I will most likely encounter him again in the next 6 months, and hopefully it is when he is sober! God knows where he is placing me at the right moment and time, my job is to be as close to him so I can know the words to say and the things to do to be obedient to his calling.
Some of you may wonder what South Africans eat. Well their grocery stores are very comparable to what we have in the states…just not as much variety…no family size anything…and for the most part much cheaper than food in the states.
My South African favorites:
Braii: the braii is a South African barbecue…and consists of lamb, pork, ostrich, crocodile, steak etc. South Africa probably has the most delectable meats in my opinion…my favorite is pork strips.
Couscous: you can get this in the states but it is a common dish here in SA it is like rice but in smaller pieces…I absolutely love it!
Malva Pudding: this is a common dessert in SA it is a custard pudding poured on top of a vanilla shortbread…yummy!
Coca Cola: ok so you are probably like…that is so not South African…but let me tell you…the Coke in SA tastes much better than the Coke in the States. They use cane sugar here instead of corn syrup like we do in the States.
Tea: My favorite is South Africa’s Five Roses tea…mixed with milk and sugar….goes great with some Nuttikrust!
Appletizer: this is a beverage that tastes just like apple juice but is sparkling…with bubbles as they call it.
Fruit Chutney: Amazing sauce for any braii meat!
My South African not so favorites:
Ketchup: their ketchup here is very sweet…maybe because they use real tomatoes but I don’t like it so much.
Mustard: same thing with ketchup…too sweet!
Sour milk: Ami Maas…yuck. Grocery stores actually cell sour milk…people here like it on their mealy meal.
Tripe: dirty pig intestines…like whole intestines…stringy and all. I refuse to try it.
For the most part I have not tried anything here that I have not liked.
Here are some facts about South Africa
South Africa is about the size of Texas
Africa as a whole could fit 7 United States in its continent
There is no such thing as a self serve petrol station (gas station) Tenants fill up your car, wash your windows etc. This is a great way to provide employment for many of the struggling South Africans.
AIDS is not talked about here. It is a shameful thing to admit to someone that you have AIDS. Because of this, many people who could’ve been treated if they got the ARV drugs die because they don’t admit it. Even if someone does die of AIDS…they say they died of the 4 letter word. No one dies from AIDS really but sickness that comes as a result of the body’s lack of ability for its immune system to fight common sicknesses.
A year after a woman gives birth to her child she is prohibited from having sex with her husband for a year so she can tend to the needs of her newborn child. During this time, the husband will most commonly find other women…sometimes other wives in which the AIDS virus is contracted and spread to the wife. True story: One lady in Sandy’s Bible study had her child and adhered to the rule for 1 year but during that time her husband had an affair with another lady who had AIDS…the lady passed it onto the man and the man passed it on to his wife without her knowing.
Politicians here give their advice on how to cure AIDS. The current president encourages people to take a shower after they have sex with someone who has AIDS. I wish I was lying when I say this, but the people actually believe this.
Another politician said to take multivitamins and eat healthy. Again, people still believe this.
There is this myth that in order to cure yourself from AIDS you must have sex with a virgin…thus spreading the disease to innocent children…babies even.
In the squatter camps Saturday’s are funeral days…and believe me when I say funerals happen every Saturday…people are dying right and left. The whole middle generation of people is nearly obsolete because of the AIDS pandemic.
Funerals are a way for these people to please their ancestors. The family of the deceased is responsible for giving their loved one a proper burial no matter what the cost…in order to please their ancestors. Many of them go in debt for this very reason.
Driving here is a bit crazy…and as soon as the dust settles after Jake and Sandy’s kids leave I will be learning how to drive a stick shift in this crazy place.
Not only do I have to worry about driving a stick…I have to do it with my left hand…because I am sitting on the opposite side of the car as I would in the States…and on the opposite side of the road (the left side) in a city where there are no robots (stop lights). Welkom was designed by a woman who decided to put round a’ bouts in place of robots. Plus street names aren’t marked well so you have to go by landmarks.
I am going to be one cultured woman!
I taught Sunday School on Sunday to the Hani Park children. Oh, it was great! I didn’t realize how much I missed teaching. I taught about when King Solomon built the temple and what each part of the temple’s purpose was and how that all changed when Jesus died on the cross. What a great reminder that we can worship and praise God everywhere!
I will be teaching again next week to bring some relief to Sandy as she has family in town. I just have to remember to talk slower because us Americans talk to fast sometimes which makes it difficult for others to understand. Pray that more kids from Hani Park will come to church and hear God’s word!
I had the opportunity to have breakfast with a man who works for the ANC (a corrupt political party in SA) he was staying at the B & B because the president was making his rounds to all the provinces. (Keep in mind this is the President who has the belief that AIDS can be cured by taking a shower)
Pray that I was able to plant some seeds in this mans life. He asked if he could join me for breakfast…so I said he could…it beats eating alone! He had just been out the night before partying and such….and had quite the hangover. God’s will is better than mine. So here I am conversing with this man about his job and all the places he has been and he asked me what I was here for. So I explained to him that I will be here the next 6 months working with missionary’s in the squatter camps…his face suddenly changed…I don’t know what was going through his mind at that moment but he seemed to have been processing a lot…some may say it was guilt…but I believe it was God creating in him an uneasiness about the work that is being done in Welkom.
Pray that I can talk further with him. He frequents Jenny’s so I know I will most likely encounter him again in the next 6 months, and hopefully it is when he is sober! God knows where he is placing me at the right moment and time, my job is to be as close to him so I can know the words to say and the things to do to be obedient to his calling.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Wow!!! I finally made it to sunny South Africa! I left Sunday February 1st at 6AM to fly to Atlanta where I had a 7 hour layover (not so much fun) but God had his reasons...
His reason: During my layover in Atlanta they were having an interfaith church service in one of their small chapels. Who knew airports had church on Sundays?! I didn't. I was a little hesitant not knowing what exactly was going to be preached. But I was blessed. The pastor brought to us many passages about finding God as our comfort (2 Corinthians 1:3-4). God's timing never seizes to amaze me. I needed to hear that. Here I've left my family, friends, boyfriend...everything that was "normal" or comfortable to me and I board a plane headed for everything I'm not comfortable with.
How reaffirming of this calling that I have to serve for 6 1/2 months in South Africa. After my layover in Atlanta I had a 8 hour flight to Dakar, Senegal then a 9 hour flight to Johannesburg, South Africa. Once I arrived in SA Sandy (the missionary/mentor of mine) came by to collect me where we drove 3 hours to Welkom, South Africa.
I have arrived. I've been here 10 days. And believe me it has been a whirlwind of events. Our first line of duty was to check out the Restore site, which is the new ministry site for the Hani Park people. I am amazed to see how God has worked in preparing the way for the building to be restored and renovated. We have got the auditorium roofed/carpeted...and hopefully church will start at the beginning of March. (I will be putting up pictures/video of the building to give you a better idea of what we are working with)
I now know what it means for "the harvest to be plentiful and the workers are few". There is so much work here that needs to be done. There are 35,000 people in Hani Park (the squatter village) that are seeking hope and restoration. The tricky thing is not doing too much...in that we will spread ourselves too thin. Pray for God's guidance as we look for ways in meeting physical but most importantly the spiritual needs in Hani Park.
In addition to working on work projects on the restore site, I will be involved in developing a outreach program for girls age 11-13 in Hani Park. The girls are harder to reach out too...they are not as visible in the village. So pray that God will help me break cultural boundaries to be relevant to these girls. I will be helping out with an adult Bible study on Wednesdays, Teen ministry for Hani Park boys on Friday, Ladies Bible study on Saturday, and Sunday school teacher on Sundays.
I will go into more detail about each of these later as time goes on.
I've been busy setting up my life here...got the cell phone, tazer, pepper spray, Bed and Breakfast situated....next I will learn how to drive a stick shift...on the left hand side of the rode...on the opposite side of the car...in a city where there are no stop lights...only round a' bouts. God has a sense of humor!
I have learned so much in the few days I have been here, things I am still processing. I am shocked at the corruption and evil that is so prevalent here. I never realized how blessed I am to be an American. I want to share with you the truth and history of this country that is made it what it is today...but I don't want to just dump it all at once.
I am very new at this blogging thing...and want to share with you my experiences but also be able to challenge you to grow closer to our almighty God. Please if you all have any specific questions that you would like to know about what I am doing...please email me at :hopeforafrica22@gmail.com
I will update more tomorrow with more details. I love you all and miss you! Thank you again sooo much for all of your prayers and support! We are on this journey together!!!
His reason: During my layover in Atlanta they were having an interfaith church service in one of their small chapels. Who knew airports had church on Sundays?! I didn't. I was a little hesitant not knowing what exactly was going to be preached. But I was blessed. The pastor brought to us many passages about finding God as our comfort (2 Corinthians 1:3-4). God's timing never seizes to amaze me. I needed to hear that. Here I've left my family, friends, boyfriend...everything that was "normal" or comfortable to me and I board a plane headed for everything I'm not comfortable with.
How reaffirming of this calling that I have to serve for 6 1/2 months in South Africa. After my layover in Atlanta I had a 8 hour flight to Dakar, Senegal then a 9 hour flight to Johannesburg, South Africa. Once I arrived in SA Sandy (the missionary/mentor of mine) came by to collect me where we drove 3 hours to Welkom, South Africa.
I have arrived. I've been here 10 days. And believe me it has been a whirlwind of events. Our first line of duty was to check out the Restore site, which is the new ministry site for the Hani Park people. I am amazed to see how God has worked in preparing the way for the building to be restored and renovated. We have got the auditorium roofed/carpeted...and hopefully church will start at the beginning of March. (I will be putting up pictures/video of the building to give you a better idea of what we are working with)
I now know what it means for "the harvest to be plentiful and the workers are few". There is so much work here that needs to be done. There are 35,000 people in Hani Park (the squatter village) that are seeking hope and restoration. The tricky thing is not doing too much...in that we will spread ourselves too thin. Pray for God's guidance as we look for ways in meeting physical but most importantly the spiritual needs in Hani Park.
In addition to working on work projects on the restore site, I will be involved in developing a outreach program for girls age 11-13 in Hani Park. The girls are harder to reach out too...they are not as visible in the village. So pray that God will help me break cultural boundaries to be relevant to these girls. I will be helping out with an adult Bible study on Wednesdays, Teen ministry for Hani Park boys on Friday, Ladies Bible study on Saturday, and Sunday school teacher on Sundays.
I will go into more detail about each of these later as time goes on.
I've been busy setting up my life here...got the cell phone, tazer, pepper spray, Bed and Breakfast situated....next I will learn how to drive a stick shift...on the left hand side of the rode...on the opposite side of the car...in a city where there are no stop lights...only round a' bouts. God has a sense of humor!
I have learned so much in the few days I have been here, things I am still processing. I am shocked at the corruption and evil that is so prevalent here. I never realized how blessed I am to be an American. I want to share with you the truth and history of this country that is made it what it is today...but I don't want to just dump it all at once.
I am very new at this blogging thing...and want to share with you my experiences but also be able to challenge you to grow closer to our almighty God. Please if you all have any specific questions that you would like to know about what I am doing...please email me at :hopeforafrica22@gmail.com
I will update more tomorrow with more details. I love you all and miss you! Thank you again sooo much for all of your prayers and support! We are on this journey together!!!
Friday, January 2, 2009
Here is an email from Jake and Sandy- the missionaries that I will be working with in South Africa. This is their Christmas letter and would like you all to see it. Please be praying for God's provision in the upcoming year for all the children. I ask that you would consider blessing others with what you have been blessed with!
Dear Praying Friends,
Dear Praying Friends,
Remember how we reminded you how desperately we need your prayers and how mightily God will use them even beyond anything we could "ASK OR THINK? We had two businessmen visit us from the USA and one from our own country, South Africa. Looks like we are going to get another roof put on our next building. It's not "signed sealed and delivered, but please continue to pray. As people arrive and see our feeding project in action and the close proxemity of our 5 buildings and seventeen acres to where we are ministering to the kids of Hani Park, they want to get on board! We hope you too can pay us a visit some day soon and sense God's WIND BENEATH YOUR WINGS! Our worship centre and classrooms have been roofed.(1000 sq meters). We are in the process of putting down carpet squares. The classrooms are tiled. Just the hallway needs to be tiled and the main activity room for our preschool. Wish you could see it for yourself. Folks, so many children are going to be helped. It's wonderful to see piping hot food being served out to desperate little munchkins, but we plan to do much, much more (come out and see for yourself)!
A FALLEN EAGLE: You have been praying for Mokete, the teen whose mother died in a hospital about 200 miles away. Well, Mokete had just scored a goal in a "friendly match." The angered goalie kicked the side of his leg, "snap!" Mokete was in hospital for several days. I took the guys there to visit. When the nurse in charge saw all the guys coming, she refused entry. But when we explained our team's concern for their fellow Eagle, she relented. How badly this teenage boy needed this visit. He is "home" now in his little tin shanty. His younger sister is cooking for them and helping to care for big brother who has a big pin in knee. How we would have loved to taken him to Restore to stay in a much cleaner environment. I was shocked as Oscar, our team captain pleaded with the sister to try and help him get ready for the Sunday service at Welkom Baptist. He said, "Pastor, Mokete needs to know the Lord as I know Him!" That response caused a big lump in my ole throat. Our teens had the entire Christmas service at Welkom Baptist church with yours truly giving the closing message. We showed up Sunday morning but Mokete's knee had been bleeding (when his sister helped him change this huge bandage. We thought it best he stay put. But his eyes were "glued" on me and Oscar for he had heard Oscar's witness that he needed salvation. Please continue to pray for Mokete. May he be saved soon.
A RISEN EAGLE: Our Christmas letter spoke of Taboho who had been strongly tempted to turn back to drugs and sex. Taboho (English name Aubrey) showed up to ride in with the life skills team for our "Christmas" service. What a surprise! Oscar, our team captain and Piet gave testimony to their new life in Christ. Piet, or Black Piet as he used to address himself to me had been training to deal drugs since age nine. As I gave the invitation Maboho (Aubrey) raised his hand high in the air to receive Christ. He kept his hand raised the entire invitation! Finally, I asked him to come down forward and join me, he did! He put his skinny long arm around my neck. I said, "Hey take at easy I bruise easily!" He laughed. The congregation was over joyed!.....................So were the angels in heaven! Pray for Aubrey's continual growth and our Eagle with the "broken wing would be saved soon.
OUR CHRISTMAS WISH LIST FOR 2009:
(1) Folks, please send us copies of the latest edition OF Our Daily Bread.
(2) Would you like to help us purchase mealy meal (corn meal) only $40.00 per month.
(3) The kids need basic meat in their diet at about $75.00 per month. (It is cooked as a broth)
(4) We want them to have bread with their one hot meal about $140.00 a month.
(5) Sugar beans at about $30.00 per month.
(6) Samp ( a corn derivative) about 35.00 per month.
(7) Propane gas to cook the meal (there is no electricity in Hani Park) about $200.00 per month.
(8) Monthly support to our 5 ladies who do all the work. One going to work at 3:00 AM. $200.00 per month. They have no other means of support.
The social services of South Africa have ceased their assistance about March 2008. We thank our gracious Lord that churches and individual have been helping. The responsibility now lies upon Restore Ministries. Help in any of the above items would be such a blessing to our kids....and our budget. Send all checks to Christian Bible Fellowship, 1290 Springwood Ave. Gibsonville, NC 27249. Make the check out to Christian Bible Fellowship. In the lower left hand corner of your check put "Food For Restore." If our Lord should lay it on your heart.......come join "our witness." Math. 25:34,35.
Believe us folks, so many of you truly are "THE WIND BENEATH OUR WINGS."
Our many thanks,
Jake & Sandy.........................& about 300 or so kids.
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