Brutally Honest

I had told myself that I needed to be brutally honest when I was here in Jo'burg. And I have tried to share some of the good and the bad. But I admit that I havent been completely blunt about the social and cultural problems here in Jo'burg. Partly because I am slowly becoming aware of the problems and partly because I am in shock about the volume of needs. I want to share one specific example with you.

There is a little boy at the DayCare (we'll call him Nero). He is 4 years old and struggles to follow directions. Although he is partly stubborn, he struggles mostly because of language differences. His English is VERY limited. Nero's clothes are too small and his shoes are falling apart. He is being raised in a home with an alcoholic Mom, and his Dad is slowly dying from AIDS.

Nero's dad brings him to church and makes sure he is at school. His dad seems to be the one to make sure he is clean and fed. Nero's dad was recently baptized! His dad is the one who takes care of him.....but his dad is not going to be there much longer. I worry about this little boy and the many others like him.

Dads are rare. Proper clothing is rare. Stable homes are often rare too.
Poverty is common. AIDS is common. Broken families are common.

Please pray for the children here in South Africa! Pray that God is such an enormous part of their lives that they become the generation that makes big changes here in South Africa. Pray that these children will be so surrounded by God's love that they cant help but have it pour out of them and into their communities. Pray that God provides for these children. I thank God that I can be His hands and feet in a small way here with these precious children!