The last couple of weeks in review...

Its been a busy but good couple of weeks. Jack Hughes (the pastor at my sending church) and Scott Ardavanis arrived two weeks ago to preach(along with my dad) at our South African Shepherd's Conferences. The conferences seemed to go well and the preaching was awesome! All three of the main speakers were practical and convicting! I had also forgotten how much fun it is to not just hear Jack preach but to see him. He's got great mannerisms when he preaches. Spiritually, it was a refreshing time. I heard Jack preach on God's providence three times in three days. It was so great to be reminded how God can and does use evil in our lives to accomplish His plans (the doctrine of concurrence. And later that week when my electricity went out and someone backed into my gate, I realized in part why God wanted me to hear it so often.

On a personal level, it was really fun to have someone from home to show what is happening here. Someone compared having a visitor from home to having a cool glass of water on a hot day. Its a great description. I had the chance one day to take Jack to see some of the things we are doing in Katlehong and introduce him to some of the people. We also took him to a fun restaurant called the Carnivore. They serve all the wild game meat- even Rhino and Crocodile. Its quite an experience when they come serve you the meet on this huge spear. It really was fun.

(Pictured 'stolen' from the Archers blog)

I also had the opportunity last week to host two couples from Georgia (the Enters and Blackburns) who had come to visit and see the ministry here. It was encouraging to have people come to South Africa not as a tourist but really with a desire to see what is happening here. It was a great week! They even survived a night without electricity :). More importantly, Paul says of Philemon that he refreshed the hearts of the saints. I truly felt that way after spending a week with these couples. My heart was refreshed. They were encouraging, gracious people to be around and I really don't know when I have laughed that much in a long time.

Then Saturday we had a work day in Katlehong at the school. We had about 20 people show up from the two churches involved. We were able to get the broken doors replaced, the broken windows replaced, the roof patched were it needed it, some ceilings fixed and various other odds and ends done. One of the coolest things was to see people form the community there working right alongside of us. The other encouraging thing is to really see progress in building relationships within the community. People are so overwhelming thankful that someone is finally taking an interest in their school and fixing it because no one else has. That has given us some opportunities to share why we are wanting to help. Please continue to pray that God will give us wisdom as we seek to bring the gospel to these people. We don't want to simply be a bunch of 'do-gooders'.

The funniest part of the day was when they did traditional dancing for us as a thank you for coming. The girls come up to dance and next thing you know they are taking off their shirts. Apparently, in their culture this is done to show that they are pure and innocent still. It was one of those times when to make an issue out of it could have possibly undone a lot of the good that had been accomplished that day.

And this Friday the fun continues when my brother and his family arrive! How exciting!

Quick Update

Thank you for praying for Thandzle. Before surgery, they took an other cat scan which should that the large part of both lungs is dead. So, they decided that it wouldn't be worth it to perform the surgery. There was too much damage to correct. I think from reading between the lines that in part they are saying that she probably won't live much longer and the surgery wouldn't have added enough quality to her life to make it worth all the pain and suffering in recovering. Its actually kind of sad news. We have a couple of other children who aren't doing very well right either. So, it has been a kind of sad week at Lambano.

Please pray

Please be praying for Thandzle (Tan- dazzle). She is having a pretty serious operation today. Part of her lung has died and they are going in to remove the dead portion. From what I understand, the dead cells are killing off the live cells in her lung. She will be in ICU for at least 3 days on a ventilator and then in the hospital for awhile. Because of the seriousness of the operation, we have decided to pay the monies for a private hospital and surgeon to insure that it is done correctly. It pretty scary stuff for an adult but even scarier for a 7 year old.

Super Conrad to the rescue!!!!

Tuesday morning was not the morning I had planned. To being it overnight it had gone from summer to winter. My brother laughed when I told him it was freezing but it really was. It was in the 20's when I got and it was bitter cold. I'm not complaining, just stating a fact, but I still can't figure out why in the world people would build houses without central heat. And when they tell you it doesn't get cold here- its a lie :) I saw my breathe in my house the other morning. :-)

Anyway after I woke up, took my shower and began to get ready for the day, I walked into my spare bedroom. I listened for a moment and thought, "That's a weird sound. It sounds like rushing water above my head. Hmm....." I then looked on the bed and saw that the bedding was soaking wet. Another hmm...... I thought, "This is why I never wanted to own a house. When things go wrong, there's no one to call and it all comes out of my pocket to fix it."

Thats were Super Conrad comes in. He's pictured above with his wife Jennifer. They're here for a year volunteering. He's been building the AIDs hospice and she is teaching Lambano preschool. I quickly canceled Bible Study and called Conrad to check and see what was happening. He willingly and cheerfully climbed up in my ceiling and found the problem. It wasn't a burst pipe just a leaky connection. Someone working on the pipes before decided to seal them with electrical tape. He spent several hours in my ceiling and was able to fix the problem.

I am often challenged by Conrad's willing, cheerful servant spirit. He is quick to lend a hand and do whatever. Nothing ever seems to much or inconvenient. He really is an example to emulate! (And he'll be very embrassed that I wrote this blog about him.) What a blessing to our church and to me! Not sure what I'll do when he's gone back to Canada. Not sure if we'll let him go back to Canada. I often wonder what people do who aren't saved. Life would be a lot more expensive without a handy man to call :) What a blessing to have brothers and sisters to be able to help when needed.

Exciting News!

I don't want to give the impression of being excited or anything but my brother and his family arrive here to live in...................... 18 days!!!!!!!!! Yahoo!! Ok so maybe I am somewhat excited :) We're still working on getting my older brother to move here but as I always say- someone in the family needs to earn the money to support us and help keep us here :)

Where do liars go?

We had a staff worker who was fired for lying. The kids knew that she had gotten fired for lying. It was a great object lesson in how sin has consequences for them. The other day I was talking with them and they told me that liars go to Malawi because thats where Mamma Sara went when she lied. Sieya looked at me with all sincerity and seriousness and said, "So, if you lie God will make you go to Malawi." Wonder what they're going to think when they find out that Pastor Brian and Auntie Anita are going to Malawi.......

God as Protector

I have often told people that one of the benefits of living in South Africa is that you come to know what it means that God is our protector in new ways. Last night I was reminded of this (or should I say I reminded myself of this often as I tried to fall asleep.) I awoke at about 1am to the sound of the alarm going off next door at the Lambano house. I assumed that a cat or something had set off the outside perimeter beams. I laid their for awhile waiting for them to turn it off so I could fall back to sleep.

I waited... and waited... and waited getting a little annoyed. What were they thinking??? So I called and asked if it was their alarm. Our worker told me that they were waiting for the security company to come because she had seen two men trying to open the gate. They were trying to steal my car that had been left in the driveway earlier that day.

I heard the guys from the security company come and waited a couple of minutes. I stood there in my bedroom thinking how I should go over and check and make sure everyone was calmed down and see how the staff were doing. I was ready to go over but for some reason I didn't. What I didn't know was that the men were trying to open the gate from inside the yard and not outside. The had stayed in the yard when the alarm went off. The loud noise I heard after I had decided not to go over was the crooks jumping on the roof and running across it to jump into the yard on the other side (Another Lambano house) If I walked over when I wanted, I could have walked into a bad situation.

God is good and continues to watch over us and protect us. I woke this morning praising Him for that! We have had several thefts lately at Lambano in the middle of the night but no one has been hurt and the items taken have been insignificant in some ways.

A funny note... I was talking to the kids this morning at one of the other houses. Apparently, their alarm went off in the middle of two of them having a fight. Noma said "It was a cat." Junior said, "No it wasn't. It was God telling you to shush and not fight." Noma insisted it was the cat and Junior said, "Nope God was saying be quiet...." It was really cute.

Some Prayer Requests

1. Please be praying for a foster mother training course I am teaching in the township. We have about 45 people attending each week. This is a tremendous opportunity to help these people learn how to better care for the children in their care and also to present the gospel. One of the issues we will be discussing next Friday is how Christ and the gospel are the answer to the AIDs epidemic.

2. I speak tomorrow at a Mother's Day tea on Biblical Relationships. Please pray that God helps me accurately handle the Word of God and uses it in the lives of the women there. Pray that they are doers of the Word and not hearers only.

3. In the coming weeks, there will be many people traveling here for various ministry trips. Matt Davis, a TMC student will be coming on Tuesday for 10 weeks for a mission's internship. The following week my pastor from the states, Jack Hughes, and Scott Ardavanis will be coming to speak at our South African Shepherd's Conference. In addition two other couples will be coming from the states to visit and see some of the work here. The beginning of June a team will be coming from GCC for a short term trip. And more excitingly, my brother and his family arrive June 8th to live here. Yeah! In July, two women from the states will becoming to volunteer for a few weeks at Lambano. Please pray that God would keep them safe as they travel and more importantly, that God would use their time here both in the lives of those they will minister to and their one lives.

Thanks so much for your prayers! You are a vital part of the ministry here.

God is Good....

All the time! We were talking today in the Lambano office about God's goodness to us this year and I wanted to share. Last year at this time of the year, we had buried our 4th baby. This year we are about to send our 4th baby out for adoption! What a difference!

As we were discussing this, Martha got an e-mail and called us over asking if we thought it was for real. We received a note from a company telling us that they had deposited R195,000 into our bank account. That's about $30,000. After checking it out we discovered that it was part of this company's tithe. Another evidence of God's goodness to us. Last year we struggled many months to cover salaries. In fact, one of the workers in the office went for several months without getting paid. This year, God has abundantly provided for us. I am reminded though that God was just as good to us last year when we struggled. Our faith was strengthened and we were taught to trust Him in new ways. Good lessons to learn.

Another Find...

Every now and then I find something at the grocery store that excites me. Tonight was one of those nights. I found....... (drum roll please)......... Haagan Daas ice cream! Ice cream here doesn't excite me at all so it was exciting to find some worth eating. It was outrageously expensive but well worth it!!!

Get this....

Ok, I found out today why the school I have been mentioning does not have permanent buildings. Apparently, it was placed on land that could become sink holes. Can you imagine that? Putting 1300 students on land that has the potential to swallow them up!

Here's the craziest request I have gotten in awhile.... Yesterday someone buzzed my gate. My instinctual response is to open the gate when someone buzzes. I have learned to resist and look to see who it is. I looked and didn't know him. The guy (who was obviously high or something) told me his car had broken down and was wondering if I could give him and his friends (who were nowhere to be seen) a ride home. Hmm...... let me think about this one......... My reaction was to want to say, "Do I look that dumb? I wouldn't even do that in America." In case you're wondering, I said no.

Its a pretty common thing to have someone stop by asking for money, food or trying to sell me something. There was one guy who stopped asking for money to pay the mechanic to get his car back from the garage. He had left his wallet about 45 minutes away but once he got his car he would pay me back. The funny thing was that he was back a couple of weeks later. Only thing this time it was his TV that was broken and he needed the money to get it because he had left his in his brothers car who lived about 45 minutes away. He would bring me the money later. I told him he had really bad luck to keep forgetting his money like that. :)

Lunch at Subway

Normally, lunch at Subway doesn't excite me. But (and that's a big but) when the only other American restaurant is MacDonalds, its pretty exciting to have something taste normal. We found this last weekend by accident. We were looking for an other restaurant. It was a pretty good accidential find. The only thing better would be finding a Starbucks or a real Mexican restaurant- even Taco Bell would do :).

The School Continued.....

This is their playground.

The principal in one of the classrooms. He said today, "I don't go to church but I do pray twice a day." Pray that as we partner with this school that we have opportunities to present the true gospel to him. That's our hope and prayer. We don't just want to be do gooders. It would be easy to be overwhelmed by the needs. Meeting the needs not only helps us obey the commands of Scripture to act mercifcully but it also helps build trust in a community lacking it. As that trust is built, we then have tremendous opportunities to not only tell them about Christ but to show them Christ. My generation in the townships are either dead or dying. That in part makes it even more important to reach this young generation. The gospel is what will bring hope and change South Africa. That's the goal.

More Pictures of the School

We went back to the school today to talk to the principal and I was able to take some pictures with the kids there.

The kids were very excited to see us and eager to get their picture taken. It was hard to get them to go to class.

How are these for crowded classrooms? Notice the lack of books on the desk. When someone needs to come to the front of the classroom in the picture below, they have to climb on top of the desks to do it.

Packages From Home

I had a friend who spent some time in the states recently and brought back some packages from some wonderful friends!!! Thanks so much Eilene, Carol and Sandy! You are amazing friends and are like sisters to me. Included in the packages was the beautiful pillow above which matches my living room perfectly. My friends who were here when I opened it commented on how "Beth-like" it was :) . The also included some things I needed like Tylenol Sinus and a few other things.

Included were also somethings I enjoy like chocolate chips and spice jelly beans.

More then the items, it was wonderful to have reminders that people from home care and love me! It makes home feel not so far away. It was such an encouragement to me. I always struggle when people ask me what they can send me. Its not that I don't have a list of items that I miss because I do. I'm not sure what it is but it seems weird to ask people to give you things. I know they don't view it that way and I'm glad for those who ignore me when I tell them not to do it.

More on the township schools

This is where the 2nd grade class meets. They only have 60 kids in this class but clearly don't have enough desks or chairs for all the students. Notice the hole in the floor in the 2nd picture. Its been that way for several years. They keep requesting it be fixed but no one comes to fix it.

This is the whole in the wall of one of the buldings. You can see right through to the other side of the building. The pictures actually make the building look much nicer then it is.

Imagine though sending your child to a school in this condition or to a classroom with 60 children and one teacher. Imagine not having textbooks or school supplies. It made me very sad for these children. What kind of hope do they have for a future better then their current life?

Township Schools

I spent most of today in Katlehong. We had some visitors from Luxembourg in town who are helping to raise money for some of our projects. One of the projects is a hot meal program that we hope to start in two schools. This program will help feed approximately 2300 children. For many, it will be their only hot meal each day.

Part of what we did was visit the schools we will be helping. Both schools have prinicpals that really care and who often give of their own money to help the students. Neither of the schools have facilities that are anything to brag about. Both schools have few textbooks and few school supplies. Both schools have overcrowded classrooms but the one school really made me want to cry.

This is a picture of the school building. They are containers that have been placed together and are being used because the government won't provide the money to build proper classrooms. These containers were donated to the school.



The next two pictures are of the room used for the kindergarden class. They have (sit down when you read this) 92 students that meet in this room. That's not a misprint: 92! Can you imagine???? In addition. the roof leaks and there is no heat.

Katlehong Update

Last week I had to write up reports for some of our sponsors about the families we are helping in Katlehong. I thought I would share some of them with you.

This is a family whose mother has died. The grandfather is raising the children but they have nothing. Its really sad. In South Africa, children have to wear uniforms to school. These children don't have the money to purchase them. This means that they get in trouble and are made fun of at school. The grandfather has been trying to get government grants for money but has been unable to get them because he does not have birth certificates for the children. He's been trying to get the birth certificates but has been getting the run around. Thats a very common issue here.

This is a family we are helping to feed and provide housing for. They are very sweet children and all have big dreams for their lives. Two want to be doctors and one wants to be a certified accountant. The sad part is that in reality those are probably impossible dreams. The education in the townships is not what it should be and in there is probably little chance that they could come up with the money to pay for any kind of higher education. I asked the one girl what made her life different then other peoples. She responded that others live in nice homes while there's is small and in her words 'not so nice'. She said the most difficult thing was when her mom didn't have enough money to send her lunch and she had to go into the kitchen at school and ask for food. Its hard for us to imagine not having enough money to give our kids a lunch to take to school.

These children are being raised by their grandmother. She is a very old woman. All of her children have died and she is the only one left to care for the children. This is a very common thing in South Africa. The issue becomes what happens to them when the grandmother dies? Many of these children are left to raise themselves.

Sobering Statistics About AIDs

1. Worst Epidemic in History: In the fourteenth century, the Black Death struck Europe, wiping out a third of the population. Early in the twentieth century, influenza killed 30 million people in Europe, Asia, Australia, and the Americas. Today, a new and terrible epidemic is ravaging Africa. If nothing is done, an estimated 55 million Africans will die an early death from AIDS by 2020”.
2. Worst Health Problem in the World: “HIV/AIDS is arguably the worst health problem facing the world UNAIDS/WHO estimated in December 2003 that 34-46 million people were living with the virus. Of these, 4.2-5.8 million had been infected in the previous year. Approximately 10 men, women and children were infected with HIV every minute in 2003. More than 23 million people have lost their lives to the virus, an estimated 2.5-3.5 million in the last year alone” (p.12).
3. One of the Seven top diseases in Africa and Southeast Asia: “In 2001, nearly two-thirds of all deaths among children and young adults (0-44 years) in Africa and Southeast Asia were due to seven diseases: AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis, diarrhea diseases, measles, acute respiratory infections, and maternal/prenatal conditions. The combined death toll from AIDS, TB, and malaria alone was roughly 6 million for the year, including infants, young children, mothers, and fathers in their productive years of life”.
4. 40,000,000 AIDS Orphans by 2010: “Current estimates indicate that there could be as many as 40 million orphans due to HIV/AIDS by the year 2010. This number does not include those who are caring for parents who are chronically ill due to HIV/AIDS”.
5. Widows and Orphans: “…the AIDS epidemic, a scourge that already has killed 25 million people, robbed 14 million children of parents, and turned 10 million wives into widows-many of them sick and desperate to find someone to care for their children when they die, too” (p.247).
   

Source:
The Hope Factor: Engaging the Church in the HIV/AIDS Crisis. Ed: Yamamori, Tetsunao, David Dageforde, and Tina Bruner. Federal Way, WA: Authentic Media/World Vision (A division of OM), 2003.

So I am officially old :) I went to a concert Friday night (Tree63) and kept thinking all night, "Does it need to be this loud?" Tree63 was great but why are warm up bands so bad?

Three Words I Never Expected to Say

Here are three words I never expected to say. I miss exercising. Because I've been sick an in solitary confinement, I haven't been able to exercise for about a week and I miss it. I also have missed Carmel Frappucinos and American Ice Cream this week. Funny how being sick makes you miss your usual comfort foods.

My Frustration

I talked to my brother for awhile today on Skype. No that's not my frustration. :) (Yea for being able to talk for free! Even cooler was the fact that they have a web cam which means I got to see my nieces. Even cooler then that is the fact that they will be here in June!) Anyway, we were joking that since I am home sick I should use the the time to write about my deepest feelings and emotions in a blog. So this blog is for you Josh.

My frustration is this. I have been in many meetings over the last couple of weeks- talking with people about the health care crisis our country is facing. Just in the townships near us we have thousands of children dying from AIDs monthly. Children, who if they had access to the right drugs, would be alive right now. Every week we go to the township with the hope of helping to identify children who are HIV positive and are falling through the cracks. The problem is when we find them and send them to the government clinic to get put on ARV's they often are sent home without help. The drugs are there available to people but they can't get on them.

My frustration is this: frankly, many just don't care that children are dying. And the people who seem to not care that they are dying are the ones who can do something about it. Nobody seems to want to acknowledge the fact that there is a problem much less do anything about fixing it.

Prayer Request

Please be praying for a guy from our church, Garth. His grandmother was raped and killed last week. Please pray that God would encourage and comfort him at this time and that he would stand strong. Pray also for his family- not all of them are believers. Pray that Garth would have opportunities to share the gospel with them. Thanks!

Movie Recommendation

I don't recommend movies very often (if ever) but I saw one the other day that I think is worth watching. Its called Catch a Fire. Its the story of a black man who accused a crime he didn't commit during apartheid. Its a very powerful story. Most of us have a hard time picturing what life was like in South Africa during this time period and I think that while it is a little biased in favor of the ANC , it gives you a picture of what life was like for many. It is very eye opening. (Brief disclaimer: It did have a fair amount of violence but they were violent times.) It was out in theaters while I was home in October so it should be available in your local video store.

Quarantine

Yes, I am in quarantine. I discovered this morning that I have German Measles. It is one of the side benefits of working with children. (We had a recent outbreak of them in one of the houses.) I am suppose to stay away from people for at least 5 days. Can you say stir crazy??????

Pictures from Katelhong

Meise giving out a food parcel



A picture of one of the homes we helped to build. Believe me, it is in upgrade!


Their cooking facilities

 

Updated Prayer Requests

Here are some updated prayer requests:

1. Please continue to pray for Rose. She has experienced some persecution because of the stand for Christ she has made. Pray that she remains firm in her commitment to Christ and that our times together will be profitable.

2. I spend every Thursday morning in Katlehong with a doctor (Vivi). She is not a believer. Please pray that I would have opportunities to share the gospel with her and be a faithful witness.

3. Katlehong (like most townships in South Africa) is in desperate need of a solid biblical church. Please pray that God would raise one up that we could minister along side.

4. Please pray for the two small groups I am leading at church. Pray that these women would be equipped to minister to other women in our church.

5. Please continue to pray for my safety. I currently in the township once a week and will be going more frequently in the coming weeks. The township is not a particularly safe place.

6. I am in the process of applying for permanent residency. Please pray that God grants me favor in the eyes of those making the decisions.

Question of the day

Yesterday someone asked me, "So if I pray in my heart and not out loud can God hear me?" It would have been a cute question if one of the children had asked me that but it actually was one of the staff workers. It kind of gives you a perspective on how little the women I work with know about spiritual things.

A Midnight Visitor

(Before I start this story I would like to make a disclaimer: Most of us don't think that well or rationally at midnight.)

So, last night for some reason I started watching a movie at about 10:30. It wasn't anything great but for some reason I decided to stay up and finish it. About midnight as I was walking back to my bedroom, I thought I heard something or someone in my kitchen. Now remember I live in South Africa, the land of crime :), my immediate thought was how in the world did they get past my security system and my heart started racing. I then heard whatever it was coming towards me and my heart really started racing. We take intruders very seriously here. I was a little relieved (but not much) when it raced past me and I thought, "oh my word, that is a huge rat......"

I quickly got in my bedroom and shut my door and it hit me that it wasn't a rat but was a cat. Almost as bad in my book. I could hear it race towards the kitchen and jump on something and knock something off the counter. I stood there thinking about what in the world I was going to do. We have a lot of wild cats here so I was also thinking about diseases and germs and things like that. I thought about pressing my panic button and making the security guy get it out of the house but decided I didn't want to be the story they tell to everyone about the dumb American. So, I peeked my head out and made sure it was still in the kitchen. I quietly snuck into the living room and opened my front door. I then went and got the broom out of the closet. (Didn't want to have to touch it- that whole disease thing and I could tell it was scared and mad and didn't want to be bitten or scratched.)

I found it in the kitchen trying to climb up my burglar bars to find a way out. (It had come in through an open window so I think it was trying to find one to leave by.) It saw me and raced back to the study to try and get out that window which was now closed. It raced back and forth several times before I realized that instead of trying to get it to find the door if I opened one of the windows it would jump out of it the next time. It eventually jumped out the window and left. Needless to say, it was a very comical sight that I wished someone else had been there to enjoy :).

Some good entertainment

If you would like to see something very entertaining, please follow the link below. Its the video of our Lambano Christmas concert. It was very fun to watch. Lambano Christmas Concert.

First Day of School

 
 

Last week was the first day of school for four of our children. Yes, the little girl at the bottom was as scared as she looked. I was surprised at how hard it was to drop them off and how hard it was not to cry when we left them. 

I didn't come to South Africa expecting to develop a burden for the poor. I think in part I didn't even begin to know what poverty was until I came to South Africa. I mean I used to think I was poor. I was perfectly content to focus my ministry the women in the church and the staff at Lambano. Yet, the longer I am here the harder it becomes to keep that my only focus. But I keep thinking, what are we doing to reach the large majority of our country that won’t come through our church doors?

It would be easy to stay comfortable but every time I drive down the street passed the local squatters camp I think, "What is the church doing to minister to these people?". That question has become more personal recently. I now think, "What am I doing to minister to these people? What am I doing to bring the gospel to the needy?" In some ways, it was easy to sooth my conscience. I mean I work in an orphanage for HIV positive children. But is there more I should be doing? I have been convicted as I have read Scripture of the priority it places on the church being involved in mercy ministries. (For more on this check out my brother's blog: Africa Bound.)

You see I am convinced that the answer to the AIDs crisis in South Africa is the gospel. Its not the result of a lack of medicine or a lack of education. Yes, those things would help but the AIDs crisis in part is a result of a worldview that is shaped by ancestral worship. But its hard to share the gospel with someone who hasn't eaten in days and not be concerned with feeding them as well. Another GMI missionary recently put it this way to me, "For hundreds of year the church has been telling people the gospel, its time to start showing them what the gospel looks like."

Well, what does this all mean for me? Lambano has started a work in one of the local townships (Katlehong). We provide food to families impacted by HIV. We also have been involved in raising the monies to build houses for people who had no place to live. Each Thursday we take a doctor and an occupational therapist and run a clinic for HIV positive children. (Do you know that in just one of the local cemeteries over a 100 children are buried a month? The majority of these would be AIDs related deaths.) In addition, we train foster mothers so that they can get the government funding they are eligible for and we will be starting a feeding program that will provide lunch for over 1800 school children each day. For many, this will probably be their only meal of the day. We also would like to develop a sustainability project and teach them a trade so that will in turn help them earn an income. The goal: to show them what the gospel looks like. This ministry has provided us with tremendous evangelistic opportunities.

The problem has been that there has been no one to work with this project and lead it which is were I fit in. As of January, I will be helping to head this part of of our ministry up. In about a year, this will all come under the work of the hospice we are building. What’s exciting about that is that the hospice is on the same piece of property as our church plant. There is a tremendous lack of good churches in the black community. To have our ministry geographically close to a solid one will be a tremendous help in helping establish people in the church.

Please pray for this. Pray specifically for opportunities to share Christ with those we will be ministering to. Our desire is to not merely be another humanitarian group but to really bring the truth of God's Word to bear in these people's lives. Pray for wisdom and strength as I add this into my current responsibilities. Pray for my continued safety. Katlehong (the township we are ministering in) isn't the safest part of the city. In addition, pray that God will raise up a good biblical church in Katlehong. Our church plant is currently to far from the township for many of them to go to but there really isn't anywhere else to send them to.

Update on Rose

Sylvia and Rose

Thanks to all of you who have been praying for Rose. The transformation that God seems to be doing in her life is amazing. She truly is not the same person. She and I have started to meet together. She even invited me to her house this week which is amazing. In the past, she kept so to herself that if you even asked her a personal question she got upset. She never would have invited anyone to see where she lives.

We are going through God's Solutions to Life Problems. It is a little above her head but she is working diligently to complete it and learning from it. Please continue to pray for her. She does get some comments about the fact that she is meeting with me and some of the other staff have given her a hard time about it. She also is about to get a promotion which will make them even nastier to her. In the black culture when something good happens to someone, they don't get excited for each other. Instead they get jealous and often begin to attack the other person. Pray that God will continue to work in her heart and life and strengthen her for what lies ahead!

 

Lambano Staff Christmas Party Pictures

 

Lambano's Christmas Concert

This year Lambano put on a Christmas concert. Our kids memorized about 45 minutes worth of Christmas songs. Somehow it seemed a little strange though to hear kids sing about dashing through the snow in tank tops and shorts :). 

The Last Few Months in Review.....

Obviously, because Thanksgiving is connected with American history, it isn't a holiday that South Africans celebrate. So, this past Thanksgiving we introduced a few South Africans to a real Thanksgiving dinner. I must admit it felt wierd to put out Christmas snowmen as part of the centerpieces in 80 degree weather. I've also included a few pictures of some people I wish I had been able to celebrate Christmas with just because they're cute. 

The Difference 5 Weeks Makes

I know it has been awhile since I have updated my blog and I do plan on updating it soon. I did want to post this picture. This is Zintle, the little girl pictured below. In her first 5 weeks with us, she gained about 12 pounds. Amazing the difference being fed and on proper medication can make. She looks like a different girl! Praise the Lord!

Why Lambano is Needed..........

This is Zintle. She came to live at Lambano about a week and a half ago. She is 6 years old and weighs half of what she should for her age. She has AIDs and TB. Now, looking at her you would think she had not had access to medical care. However, Zintle has lived in a clinic for the last two years. While it is obvious even for non-medical people looking at her that she has medical issues, she was not given medication for TB or antivirals. In fact, while she has all the symptoms of TB, she was not even tested to TB while in the clinic. Thus, she got sicker and sicker. It really makes me upset just thinking about it. There is no reason why this little girl should be as sick as she is. None!!!

Shortly after coming to us, she was tested for TB and put on the needed medication for it. She already is doing better. They say a picture is worth a thousand words and her picture clearly shows why ministries like Lambano are needed here in South Africa.

Life isn't about being comfortable

Can I be honest with you and tell you that I like America? I like having choices in the stores. I like being able to go to Starbucks. I like Macys. I like eating Mexican. I like not having to look over my shoulder all the time and I like feeling safe. I love being able to spend time with some treasured friends. I like going to my home church on Sundays. The bottom line is that life is comfortable in America and in many ways it would be easy to come back and live.

Honestly, I was a little surprised during my visit at how easy it was been to adjust back to life here. There is a sense that California is home. Now, don't get nervous. I'm not making any plans to move back and live in the states but it has caused me to do some thinking. I've thought about why I chose to move to South Africa. I didn't leave the states because I wanted to get away. I left and will stay because life isn't about being comfortable. Life is about being compelled by the love of Christ. When I think of the ulimate sacrifice that Christ made for me, ("He made Him who knew no sin to become sin on our behalf so that we might become the righteousness of God." 2 Cor. 5:21) it makes me realize that the sacrifices I am being called to make really aren't that big of a deal and are small in comparision to what God has done for me. It kind of puts things in perspective.