Beauty

There is so much beauty here in South Africa. I wish there was a way to share it other than through words and pictures. Here are a few of the things I think are beautiful here in South Africa:

• Sunsets
• City lights at night
• Babies laughing
• Children smiling
• Kids yelling "Another one!" when I've run out of books to read.
• Hearing kids sing Jesus songs I taught them
• Watching older brothers take care of younger siblings
• Purple trees in the Spring
• Hearing children chant "Tee-ja Amba, Tee-ja Amba" (teacher Amber)
• Hugs from 60 kids all at once
• Lightning shows that rival fireworks
• Moms with babies on their backs
• Hearing 6 different languages/accents in one prayer meeting

I could go on and on. This place is truly beautiful. I hope some of the stories and pictures I have shown reflect a little of the beauty of South Africa.

Salvation Bracelets

Sunday was our last Children's Church at Troyeville. There aren’t enough workers and way to many kids for the format we were using. So for now we will continue with Sunday School, but Children's Church has been cancelled.

My church in VA sent salvation bracelets for all of the children here in SA. I thought this last Children's Church was a great time to give them out. I told the children what each color stood for. We read a Bible Verse for each color. Then we prayed.

After talking about salvation, I showed them a cartoon of Joshua and the wall of Jericho (this is what the Sunday School classes are focusing on this month). Then we went to Sunday School. I asked the children in my class if they could remember what each color on their bracelet was for.....and they remembered them all!!! Thanks BGBC for the bracelets! The children LOVED them. I have a lot left over. We plan to give them to the youth and then pass them out in the community.

Helping a Little

A picture of me with the Jo'burg skyline in the back ground.

This was taken at the top of the hill after our hike with the youth. It was so peaceful and calm on top of the hill. In fact, the past few days there has been a decrease in attacks. Things seem to be calming down. But the affects of the attacks on foreigners will be felt for many weeks/years to come.

Currently, there are an estimated 15,000 people homeless in South Africa because of these attacks. These people have had their homes ransacked and destroyed. In some cases they fled their homes because of fear that they would be the next target. It is winter here in South Africa, so these people are living in the courtyards of police stations or in tent cities. I have no doubt that the longer they live in limbo with no homes and no space and no privacy these people will become tired, despondent and hopeless. Please pray for the many people who have no home to go to. Pray that the unusual winter rain will clear up and we will be graced with warmer, sunny days. Being homeless and tired is bad. Add cold and wet to the mix and I'm sure life looks bleak!

I can not imagine the trials these foreigners are facing. And I often feel a bit helpless. There is very little I can do as an individual to help. One way I'm able to help is by filling in at the Door of Hope. Many of the workers at Door of Hope are foreigners and need to get home before dark or safety reasons. Because the day shift is going home a couple of hours early, there is a little gap between the day shift and night shift. I have enjoyed a few days of filling in that gap. It has been fun playing with the babies. They are so precious. If this is a way I can help the workers at the Door of Hope get home earlier and feel safer, I'll take the blessing while I can. I know its not much help to all the homeless to play with babies for a couple of hours. But I'm loving the baby time, so I'm doubly blessed.

Pray that those who are displaced from their homes will find peace amidst the crowded, cold conditions. Pray that their basic needs are met: food, clothing, shelter, warmth. But also pray that in all the trials they are facing the needs of their heart and soul are met as well. Pray for them to find comfort, hope, love and joy. Considering that their lives, homes and safety have all been attacked, peace in their hearts and souls may seem impossible. But when we have great needs, we have a great God to meet our needs.

Please Keep Praying

The violence in Jo'burg continues. Things seem to have cooled off a little in the past couple of days. But there are reports of some major trouble on Friday night near the church. Please continue to pray. Once again, let me reassure you that I am safe. But I continue to be angered and saddened by the affect these attacks are having on the children. There was a little boy (no older than 10) who pretended he was going to hit our car with a stick as we drove by on Wednesday. This behavior mimics the attacks happening in his neighborhood. The violence around him has become part of his 'play' and is now part of his life. He will no longer see such violence as abhorrent and unusual.

Several of the youth at the church have seen people mugged, beat and killed....all because they are non-Zulu. I don't think I've ever been witness to social injustice of this magnitude. Please pray for the tens of thousands of people who are now homeless and living in fear at churches and police stations. Pray for the children who are orphaned. Pray that those of us living in safety can supply the needs of those who are targeted by these hate crimes. Please continue to pray!

Serving Communion

This past Sunday I had the opportunity to help serve communion here at church. They have asked me to help several times, but it always happened to be on the Sunday when I had Children's Church. This time I was available. Passing out the bread and juice has always been the job of deacons at my church. It was a little strange sitting up front and realizing that there was only one man helping and only one deacon helping.

I should have felt more privileged. But to be honest, I was nervous the whole time. Nervous that Pastor Cheryl would ask me to pray. She usually randomly asks someone to bless the bread and someone to bless the juice. Although I've become more comfortable praying in public, blessing the symbols of Christ's body and blood seemed a bit intimidating. But I was lucky, and she didn’t call on me.

The one thing that did strike me happened just before I went to sit down after Communion was over. I looked down at the communion table and noticed how much bread was left after every one had been served. At that moment it occurred to me that there are lots of people who do no accept Christ's sacrifice. There are lots of people who don’t attend church for various reasons. The remaining bread was a symbol to me of all of the people who are missing out on a loving relationship with a loving God.

People should be fighting for the love God offers like they fight for jobs and parking spaces. We should be seeking God and time with Him like we seek a new job. Trying to look good for him like we look good in our interviews. We should be trying to do things that 'pad the resume,' things that are above and beyond the call of duty that make us look good for our God. We should be hurrying to spend time with Him like we hurry to those parking spaces. Wanting to be as close as possible. Instead, we take Him for granted and convince ourselves that Sunday mornings is enough of a sacrifice of time.

So what did I learn while serving communion? There is more than enough Jesus to go around. Perhaps the laws of supply and demand are affecting our views of Jesus? Since there is plenty of Him to go around, perhaps we aren't fighting to get a piece? If there were limits on how many people Jesus could love, would we then be more willing to fight to be one of the chosen few? I'm glad we don't have to fight to be loved by Jesus, but would we appreciate His love a little more if we did? Just a few thoughts I had after communion on Sunday.

Update

Things were quiet at the church last night. Praise God! Bible Study tomorrow night has NOT been canceled. I’m not sure I’m comfortable being at the church after dark. I’m going to pray about it before I decide if I’m going to stay for Bible Study or not.

Other than the unrest in South Africa, I had a very GREAT, very BUSY weekend. Saturday I went with Nomalanga (head teacher at the Day Care), her 2 children and Russell (another volunteer here in Jo'burg) to the zoo. I love going to the zoo with kids. They are always so excited and fascinated by the new things they see. We had a great time!

After the zoo, a bunch of American volunteers went to play Adventure Golf. This is a lot like putt-putt, only the greens are really long and have lots of hills, twists, drops and curves. I’m horrible at putt-putt! But I’m even worse at Adventure Golf. But we had a lot of fun!

Sunday I went on a hike with the youth group. We climbed a hill that had an amazing view of the city. We could see major landmarks to the north, south, east and west. The hike up was rushed (teenagers proving their youthfulness). But I hung back and enjoyed the view. At the top of the big hill we stopped to pray over the city. We especially prayed for the foreigners that are being attacked. Several of the youth on the hike are from other countries. From the top of the hill, everything looked so peaceful and calm. It was hard to believe that violent attacks were happening in various places all across the city.

Sunday night I got to talk to and SEE my dad, grandma, cousin and aunt! We used video on the computers to make the call and get to see each other. It was great to SEE people from home! I can’t wait to see them face-to-face, but until then, this was a great treat!

PRAYER REQUEST

There has been some unrest in South Africa in the past week. For some unknown reason, some of the South African people have begun to attack foreigners. There has been looting, riots and vandalism. People's homes and businesses are being targeted. The attacks seem to be growing and fear is quickly spreading.

In the neighborhood around the church, there have been attacks on the homes of non-South Africans. A mother and her 2 daughters came to the church Sunday afternoon after their apartment had been vandalized. Tonight (Monday) there are 3 families staying over night at the church. These people are from another African country. They are here in South Africa legally, but that doesn’t seem to matter to the people who are attacking.

The police are overwhelmed. They have foreigners crowding the police station seeking safety. The attacks are often so spread out that the police cannot be in enough places at one time. And some of the mobs have been so large that the police cannot break them up and then the police become targets of the mob. In a couple of instances, the army has been brought in to help.

The neighborhood around the church has taken on a new feel. There is tension that can be felt as you go down the street. Children are not wandering around like usual. In fact, many children were not allowed to go to school today. Their parents kept them home to make sure they were safe. People do not stand around; they are now quickly walking to get to their destinations. Many shops are closing earlier than usual. And the shops that belong to foreigners are not opening at all due to fear of being looted.

The unrest seems to be secluded to poorer areas. There has been no violence near my apartment. The attacks also seem to be black South Africans attacking black non-South Africans. Due to my color and nationality, I do not feel I am in any more danger than I have ever been in South Africa. If people could see beyond color and nationality, we would not be having the current violence here in South Africa.

I will continue to take common-sense precautions (no walking alone and NEVER walking out after dark, etc.) Gates, doors, locks and barbed wire have never been as comforting as they are right now. I want to be very clear that I do not feel in danger. But I do mourn the fact that the women I work with now live with constant worry and fear. The fear and worry increase by leaps and bounds as the sun begins to set! I mourn that the children are being exposed to violence and greed.

Please pray for the safety of the people here in Johannesburg. Pray that the violence will disappear as quickly as it has arrived. Pray that tempers are cooled. Pray that people who are seeking safety can find it. Pray, pray, pray!

Strangely Quiet

Life in South Africa is so much like life anywhere else. There are crazy busy times when you dream of a minute alone to breathe without sharing space and air with someone else. And there are times when life becomes so routine and regular that you wish life was a bit crazy again. The past few weeks have been strangely quiet. Almost too quiet. I have that feeling that you sometimes get that says I need to keep my guard up because SURELY something is going to happen soon....and I want to be prepared to face it. There is a Rascal Flatts song "Feels Like Today" that keeps popping into my head. I don’t know if anything exciting/traumatic/unusual is going to happen. But I pray that if it does, I’m ready to face it. And if nothing out of the ordinary happens, I hope I’m smart enough to see the wonderful, small, every day miracles in a new light so that these predictable days don't become boring. I never imagined that life in South Africa would be routine and boring. But some things never change. I still don’t make my bed. I always have dirty clothes and dishes. Sleeping late is a luxury I will never get tired of. And I let my car's gas light come on before I remember to fill up the tank. So saying that I live in South Africa sounds like a big, grand adventure, but the reality is that most days here are just like days at home. The biggest differences are the length of time it takes me to get to my Grandma's house and a 6 hour time difference when I want to call home. But let me tell you, those two differences are the hardest things to try to get used to!

Best time to call home…..after 5PM when people are out of work=11PM South African time! (See why I like to sleep late? Hahaha)
How long it will take me to get to my grandma’s house……53 days.
Busy days seem to go by faster. I'm wishing I was REALLY busy right now! ;-)

Video Conference

I just got off the phone with 3rd graders in VA! Through the marvels of modern technology, our Giraffe Class got to call, talk to and see the 3rd grade class at my cousins school in VA! It was amazing to see these kids in America and get to talk to them. The children here at the Touch Life Centre were amazed. I was proud of our kids. They sat quietly, took turns speaking and didn't move a muscle unless they were called on.

The 3rd Graders let us know what questions they were going to ask ahead of time. We practiced the answers to these questions....but when it came time to actually talk, the kids were so overwhelmed by seeing and hearing kids in America, they forgot their answers.

At the end of the call, our children didn't want to leave the room. They didn't want it to be over. It was a great experience! Now our kids have friends in VA. Who would have thought that my kids here at TLC would get to talk to and see kids in America? Thanks to my cousin Christie for a great idea!!

Mother's Day

Sunday was Mother's Day. The church had a special fellowship time after the service where we served tea and cakes. While the adults ate their cakes, we went straight to Sunday School and got busy. My Sunday School class is preparing for exams. Here in South Africa, the Sunday School Association has 2 exams a year. They give you a teacher's manual that focuses on a specific topic. There are 7 lessons that all connect together. The exam at the end of these lessons is pretty rigorous and tests knowledge of the stories as well as Bible verses. We are currently studying Joshua. We begin with the Israelites at the Jordan river, ready to cross over into the promised land. We will end with the Battle of Jericho. On Sunday, we got the Israelites across the Jordan River and then we took some time to make cards for our Mothers for Mother's Day.



The children in my Sunday School class all said "Happy Mother's Day" to me. They were shocked when I explained that I'm not a mother. I guess they assume that all adult women must be mothers. This is a universal belief of children. Adult=Parent

Here is a picture of my Sunday School Class on Mother's Day:






After church, some of the American volunteers were invited to lunch at the home of one of the deacons of the church. Janice and her son Joshua made Bunny Chow for us to eat. Bunny Chow apparently comes in many shapes and flavors. Our Bunny chow had hamburger, beans and cheese. It reminded me a little of a Sloppy Joe. The unique part of Bunny Chow is how you eat it. We took unsliced loaves of bread and cut them in half. Then you pull out the bread in the middle, leaving only the crust. You fill the middle with the Bunny Chow and cheese. And you enjoy! It is the same concept as using a bread bowl. By the end of lunch we were all VERY full. So we had to burn a few calories. We tossed around the Rugby ball and chased Thabo and Oyisa.

In the photo: Russell and Thabo, Joshua, Drew and Oyisa

After Bunny Chow and chasing kids, I was tired. So I had a nap on the couch followed by a call to my mother. It was a good day!

Giving Thanks

We had a church service of thanksgiving last week. There were 3 churches and several other organizations that came togehter to have this special church service on a Monday. The whole purpose of the service was to thank God for providing for our needs for the past year. Pastor Cheryl commented at the beginning of the service "In the Bible there were 10 men who were healed by Jesus and only one came back to say thank you. Today we will not be one of those who forgot to thank God for all he has done." It was a great service. This video clip is from the service. All of these women in the video work at Troyeville Baptist church in one form or another. The woman leading the singing is Malt, one of the teachers at the Touch Life Centre. They are sining in Zulu. Don't ask me what they are saying or what it means, I dont have a clue! But it sounded great and I know they were praising God! These women are such a blessing. Please continue to pray for them. Their names are: (from left to right)

Lindiwe, Mahmsi, Nomalanga, Faith, Aurelia, and Malt

6 Weeks!

My best friend and one of her sons have been planning to come visit me here in South Africa. I use the word visit lightly because I plan to put them to WORK. She will help do some training with the teachers here; he will get to fill in where ever he is needed. (I giggle at the thought. He is going to be SOOO busy!) I've been excited about them coming, but yesterday the plane tickets were finally ordered!! That makes it so real and so much more exciting. I have 6 weeks (from today!) until they arrive in Johannesburg. 6 WEEKS!!! Since they will be leaving July 2nd and I will be leaving here not long after that, I basically have 6 weeks to finish this curriculum!! 6 WEEKS!! I think it can be done, but I’m going to need some prayer. Please pray that I’m efficient with my time, not easily distracted by other things....and pray that God makes this curriculum better than I could make it on my own.

Also pray for my best friend and her son as they prepare to come and minister here in Jo'burg. Traveling to Africa is expensive and scary in many ways. Pray that God provides security and comfort and that He takes away all worry and fear. What a blessing to get to share this wonderful place and these wonderful people with 2 great friends! What a blessing that they are willing to step out of their comfort zone and seek to serve God far away from home. What a blessing that God plans for them to minister here and that I get to share it with them! God is good!

TLC Birthday

The Touch Life Centre of Troyeville Baptist Church has been open for 2 years!! To celebrate, we had a birthday party for TLC. We invited the parents and sponsors to come and have some snacks, cake and fun! We also had the children perform some songs.

It was a great time to remember what an impact this ministry has on the community. We are providing affordable child care for families. This gives them the chance to get a job and provide for their kids without spending all the money they make on child care. This also provides a safe environment for kids who might otherwise be roaming the streets. The children are fed 2 meals and 2 snacks while they are with us. Its amazing to see how the kids plump up as they spend more and more time in our care. TLC is making a difference. What a blessing to be able to be a part of this ministry!

Happy Birthday TLC!!