Yes- you read that right. While we were in South Africa this past week, Lewis decided to become a D.A.D.!!!
Let me explain :) The Life Skills Education Program works with children and teens in impoverished and challenging home-circumstances in 6 different communities to bring hope and to show God’s love. Through the various programs offered, the children have a place to feel at home and loved, the South African schools get to learn about Biblical Principles and AIDS Prevention, and it helps to provide godly male and father role models in the communities. This all gives the communities hope in Christ, helps to build the children with Christ-honoring values and helps to reach South Africa for the Lord. The programs offered include afternoon children and teens clubs, holiday clubs, school and preschool ministry and parenting workshops to name a few. The Life Skills program depends on funding from our D.A.D. campaign – and right now we have a donor willing to match all the D.A.D. funding we bring upto 300 D.A.D.’s. So we need you to partner with us to help raise support for this program. I have witnessed the power of the Living Hope LSE ministry first hand for 3 years now, and I am a D.A.D. myself. Believe me, $30 a month is far more reaching here than in the hands of our coffee shops ;) To become a D.A.D. like Lewis, and make a difference in the lives of children and youth in South Africa, visit http://www.livinghope.co.za/become-a-d-a-d/
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Saturday was another wonderful day in Cape Town. It was Living Hope's "Open Day," a day specifically set up to share the ministry with the local community and have some FUN at the same time :)
Our team did a little bit of everything... Talking to folks (my specialty!), cooking "pancakes" (crepes) and a popular local sausage called "boerewors," which is similar to bratwurst (don't panic- I didn't do any of the cooking- LOL!), washing cars, and a few other odds and ends to offer support for the event. It was SO great! I see events on Living Hope's Facebook page from time to time and am always so jealous that I'm not there to help, so it was really wonderful to be a part of this. I met several people, including two difference couples who lived in the area and had heard of LH, but really didn't know anything about it, so I was able to share with them! Afterward, we spent our last evening with a lovely dinner out together at the V & A Waterfront, a very nice shopping area in downtown. The place we ate at was called "Moyo," an urban restaurant focused on sustainable products (they even have aquaponic lettuce growing in "planters" on the walls)! It was a very neat experience, and they even brought a basin to wash your hands at the table and painted our faces with white tribal paint. All in all, a complete change from the usual surroundings we have during our visit to Cape Town, but a really nice way to spend our final night. Sunday morning, we packed up the van and made our way to Hillsong Church Cape Town before heading to the airport. The service there was similar to the style of Faith Promise, so it was wonderful to be back in that kind of worship experience. After church, it was straight to the airport, with sad goodbyes to Julie and also to Frans (our amazing driver and a dear friend). Frans jumped right in with my typical practice of giving members of the team nicknames, so (although I wish I actually looked something like her- about 50 lbs less :) Frans gave me the nickname "J. Lo" (or sometimes J.P. Lo ;) He made us laugh all week and we will miss him dearly! Right now, it is Monday afternoon. We are back in the US, and after flight delays out of Africa, I missed my connecting flight in DC and am not flying back to Tampa until tonight now. The rest of the Faith Promise team is just about to board their flight back to Knoxville and I miss them all like crazy already. It was one of the best trips we've had, and I can't WAIT until the next one. Within the next week, I plan to post ALL of my trip pics in an album on Facebook, so keep your eyes peeled :) Also, a very special thank you to everyone who helped make this trip possible, both in prayer and financially. My heart is so full and I hope everyone who is reading this is able to have a similar experience with The Lord some time soon. It may break you, but I promise that it will also build you back stronger and with more faith than you had before! All my love, Jennifer LeAnn I've been dealing with a pretty nasty sore throat and, more recently, a cough. This morning, I unfortunately missed the entire ministry at the Health Care Center so I could go to a doctor instead. The verdict is that I have a throat infection, so she prescribed an antibiotic and a gargle rinse for the sore throat.
The time the rest of the team spent at the center was great (from what I hear :). They took a craft for everyone to do, sang in the men's and women's wards, visited with the patients, etc. I am very disappointed to have missed it, but I do think it was the smart decision to go the doctor. The afternoon was filled with a little "play time" including a visit to the Waterfront (a nice shopping are in downtown Cape Town). After this, we split up and the "newbies" went to Robben Island (the prison where Nelson Mandella was held), while the rest of us went to the Slave Lodge and the District 6 Museum. I have to tell you- it's really not a good idea for me to go into places like these. I have several black friends, whom I love dearly, and I don't take segregation and racism well at all. BUT, just like with missions, I am a firm believer that sometimes (more often then we'd prefer) you need to be uncomfortable. Change never happens when people stick their heads in the sand. Reading the stories of people who had been sold as slaves, separated from their families, and had their homes torn down right in front of them- it all makes me sick, but I appreciate their honesty and applaud them for rising up against the outrageous oppression they endured. Missions to third world countries is pulling your head out of the "U.S. sand." People often tell me- I'm glad you are going there, but I couldn't do it... I couldn't watch those people (kids especially) suffer. Well, I mean this with all the compassion for those people I can muster- GET OVER YOURSELF! Of course it is not enjoyable and easy to go into an area of the world where people are starving, sexual abuse and drug use running rampant, and people all over are sick and suffering, but it is what Jesus has called us to do. Like I often say- this is the hardest and BEST week of my whole year. (Okay Jen, hop off the soap box...) At the present moment, the group is sitting in the living room watching a movie and enjoying our afternoon/evening off before the Living Hope Open Day event tomorrow. Well, at least we WERE watching a movie- until the power just went out :( News flash- in Cape Town, you PREPAY for electric. Apparently we are all out- LOL! Are you ready for the the rest of it??- to get more power, you run down to the local gas station to buy more. Seriously, even I can't make this stuff up... Have a great night everyone- more from Cape Town tomorrow! Jennifer LeAnn On day 5, we started with devotions at Ocean View with the support group leaders. What a wonderful mixture of personalities that creates the "sisterhood" that can be found in that group! Dustin brought a great word from the story of David and Goliath, and a different perspective on the "giants" we face in our lives. We were all blessed by it!
After devotion time, we went straight to the Living Hope offices to do a team building morning with the Health Care center staff/workers. We had about 15 people attend and it was really wonderful to interact with them, and see them support and build up each other during the games and discussion times we shared. For lunch, we went to Boulders Beach to see the penguins!!! They were absolutely everywhere, and all the "newbies" on our team were especially excited to see them. We ate our packed lunches on the beach there. I've never had so many peaceful and beautiful lunch spots as I have this week. Once lunch was finished (with a quick stop by the ice cream shoppe on the way out :) we headed back over to Ocean View for a quick meeting before teen's club started in Mountain View. Bianca was there again and I was so very excited to see that she came back! A few people in our group shared testimonies about how gangs have impacted their lives (as I may have mentioned before, the topic of conversation this week in teen's club is gangsterism), and then we did a fun craft with them. We made wallets (they call them purses here- and what we call purses, they call bags ;) out of duct tape and it was a blast! In the evening, Karen from Living Hope's marketing and volunteer department came by for a lovely dinner. She was able to share a little more with us, but really just wanted our feedback (especially from the first-timers). Afterward, our group shared an end of day meeting together. We do this every day, so we can recap events and share stories of the way the day impacted us. I didn't really share because my throat is hurting so bad still, but I will share one comment from someone else. She was talking about being in Mountain View during the day and feeling such heartache for the children there, in light of all the things we have been told this week. To see a small, smiling child, who just wants love and attention, and know that there is an incredibly high chance that he or she has already been sexually abused-'it just rips your heart open. Please continue to pray for the people here. One of my biggest "irks" when I get back is when I shared about SA with people, and they will say, "We'll, we have needs in this country." Please don't be offended, but if you say that, you have very clearly never been to a 3rd world country (or at least not in the trenches of it). The poverty level here is unfathomable and I promise you that it is far, afar worse in this country than it is in ours. With the government benefits we have in the US, no one really starves to death. They may be hungry, and there may be times people do risk death, but the scope of that here is so far beyond what we can imagine. Pray that God would open all our eyes so we can see that we were given what we have so that we can help others. Love, Jennifer LeAnn Today was another beautiful day outside! The weather here has been really awful lately (very cold and rain, rain, rain), so it's been a very big blessing to have warmer weather and clear skies. Before I tell you about the day, let me first share with you one of the funnier things about being here...
English is one of the 11 official languages in SA (and one of the top 3 used), so we have a wonderful benefit of being able to communicate with a lot of the people we meet and work along side. However, I've learned this visit that English isn't always English. For example: Hooter = car horn Boot = car's trunk Cubby hole = glove compartment Robot = traffic light Trolley = shopping cart And my personal favorite... Napkin = feminine pad or baby diaper (so you can just imagine the look I got today when I asked for a napkin to blow my nose with :) Okay, so enough of the English lesson :) Today was amazing! It began with a tour of Living Hope and a "run through" of the various ministry areas. Here is a very, very quick overview: Living Right is the "arm" of the ministry that provides counseling and support services, life skill educators that work with mostly kids and teenagers, and mobile clinics. As Avril Thomas often says, "It is better to build a whole child than to mend a broken man." Living Grace started as a soup kitchen, but now provides homeless aide, an addictions recovery program (normally only available to wealthy people), and a food share program. Living Care started as a "spin off" of the counseling program with home based carers who go door-to-door in the communities to help people who cannot afford to go to the hospital, but need medical care. It now includes the health care center and support groups for people dealing with all kinds of ailments and conditions. Living Way, the final branch, focuses on job training (including both hard skills- learning a trade, and soft skills- how to get and keep a job). It is also the home of the agriculture program. I have included pictures of some of these ministry areas, but would have to give you the real details in person when I return. After the "Living Hope tour," we went to eat our lunch at Fish Hoek beach, then off to the Ocean View community to help with kid's club (easily one of my favorite things to do here). We played, played, and PLAYED, then participated in the afternoon program. I saw several of the kids from last year and it was so great!!! Tonight was a wonderful dinner of ostrich and apple crisp- mmmm... Nadine is such a rocking awesome cook! Well, now I am going to prepare a bit more for the devotional time I am leading at Living Care tomorrow. Good night from SA!!! Jennifer LeAnn Wednesday started with devotional time at Living Grace. It was so wonderful to see "Aunty Joan" again (she is 71 years old and probably the only person who could walk through the streets of Muizenberg in the middle of the night and have no one lay a finger on her :) We sang songs with the clients there, shared a devotional time, had tea and biscuits, and then the clients headed upstairs for their support group. It was great to see their enthusiasm and willingness to share with us about their pasts (some very recent) and how many days "clean" they are right now. Living Grace provides a safe place for them to do a type of outpatient rehab, and get their lives back.
After they headed upstairs, we got right to work, sorting donated clothes, unloading a food donation truck from a local grocery store, sorting and chopping up vegetables, cleaning, etc. I love working at Living Grace and talking to the different clients and volunteers- the work going on there is really changing people's lives. After Living Grace, we came back to the house for a quick lunch, then off to kid's club in Mountain View. What a BLAST!!! It was so special to see many of the kids again, and meet some new faces who had not been there Monday. We played in the yard area and then went in for club. Still on the topic of bullying, our team performed a skit for the kids (of course, I had wondered why they looked at us funny when we said we were going to do a skit- apparently the word for "skit" in Afrikaans means to "shoot" someone. Ah, language barriers ;) Heather and I got to see Mumfie again. Please pray for children like her. There is so much abuse in these townships and very young children are often mistreated and sexually abused. You can see if in the way some of them walk and act, like they are 20 instead of just 6 or 7. It has been a predominant thought had by several of us this week. Today, we are off the the Health Care center for the morning, doing a team building event there for the workers. Pray that God will use us to strengthen and encourage these wonderful people, who give their all every single day to care for people. Pray especially for our Julie Rumph, who works in the center as well. Have a great day everyone, Jennifer LeAnn "It is better to build a whole child than to mend a broken man." -Avril Thomas
Living Hope started in the late 1990's by people from Fish Hoek Baptist (now King of Kings) church, after John Thomas, the pastor of the church, heard an incorrect statistic at a meeting- that 44% of people in Masiphumelele (a neighboring township) were HIV+. At the time, anti-retrovirals (ARV's) were not available to the public in South Africa, so contracting HIV was absolutely a death sentence. They began The Masiphumelele Baptist Church and soon after began helping to provide counselors for HIV/AIDS patients. Oddly enough, the correct statistic John should have heard was actually 27%, and now, years later, is about 14%! Think for a moment of the flea that jumps high until a glass jar is placed over it. After a while, that flea learns only to jump as high as the glass is tall. You can remove the glass, but that flea will never jump higher again. That is what Living Hope is dealing with in terms of the people they are working to help. Living Hope has now branched out into 4 distinct ministries: Living Right, Living Grace, Living Care, and Living Way. Living Right was formed because they saw a great need for accountability and encouragement within the communities they were serving, especially in the young age groups.This is why Avril makes her statement often about building a whole person from the start, instead of picking up the pieces AFTER the abuse, drugs, crime, teenage pregnancy, etc. have started in someone's life. Living Right, therefore, consists of: - Counselors - Life Skills Educators (LSE's)- they run the kid's and teen's clubs in every community reached by Living Hope - Mobile clinics Living Grace started as a soup kitchen. Then they began teaching people a skill and how to train people on how to work so they can support themselves (give a man a fish to have one meal vs. teach a man to fish so that he may always eat). Now, there is a facility in Muizenberg that people can eat a meal, shower, lock up their few belongings, etc. and go work for the day cleaning streets and the like. Living Grace now consists of: - Homeless aide - Addictions/Recovery outpatient program (65% of high school age people in thenOcean View township alone have a methamphetamine addiction- which is a huge issue and extremely addictive substance. Theft, crime is a BIG problem as a result) - Food share program (when food at local stores get past the "sell by" date, many now donate it to Living Grace and it is distributed to people who come through the various Living Hope programs) Living Care started with home based carers in a "spin off" of the original counseling initiative. They go into the communities door-to-door to help with people who need medical care and cannot afford (or get to) a hospital for help. In the public hospitals in SA, you have to wait, many times on the floor, for a bed until one is available. The health care center started in 2004 after lady in the late stages of HIV died on the floor of a hospital waiting for a bed to become available. John heard about this and could not stand to hear of someone dying with that kind of indignity, so the idea of caring for someone under those circumstances is what spurred on the idea for the health care center, which was initially really a hospice to care for the dying. Once the clinic (hospice) started, 80% of initial patients died, but once ARV's became available in South Africa, 80% of patients could walk out of the clinic. Thus, the name of the building was changed to the health care center. By comparison, by the way, the US has had ARV's available since the 1970's (remember Magic Johnson). But South Africa was unfortunately behind the times, and the president of SA at the time was telling the people that ARV's were a mind control drug put out by the West to control the people (so there was a TON of misinformation and fear related to this disease). Now, the HC center has turned toward help with cancer, strokes, etc. (to include physical therapy services offered by Julie, a member of Faith Promise Church who now lives in SA full time doing ministry here), as well as HIV/TB, etc. The center is also now a part of the Dept of Health. CSI (corporate social investment) is very important in SA, so sometimes corporate employees will come and help. Once such group came in for a day and found out it was one of the patient's birthdays, so they sang happy birthday to him and gave sodas and chips to everyone in the center that day. The man went to pieces and later shared that he had never had anyone sing happy birthday to him before (he was turning 42 yrs old). From this moment, he decided to fight his HIV and take his retrovirals! Living Care takes responsibility for the following: - Home based care - Health care center (22 beds) - Support groups (education about HIV/TB- how HIV can be prevented to pass from mother to child, etc). Living Way started after John spoke with a 16 yr old girl one day. She was HIV+ and John asked her how she came to have the disease (accident after sex with boyfriend, etc.) She explained to Pastor John that someone told her when she was 14 that sex was good and if she had enough of it, she could get AIDS and die. Faced with the future before her, and not wanting to live a life like she saw all around her, she CHOSE to do just that, and told John at 16 yrs old, "Pastor, I am on track." She was HIV+ and the road to death. This birthed Living Way. If this young girl had had an education, job training, etc., she would have stood a much better chance of getting out of that situation. The flea had learned that she could not jump any higher. The Living Way campus was formed. They teach the "soft skills" of worker readiness (importance of being on time to work, ethical work attitudes, etc.) along with the hard skills (actually developing a craft, farming, etc). The home of "Adam and Eve," the first 2 hydroponic farming tunnels are at the campus as well. There is a sewing school, a graphics and film program, a baking program, a computer skills lab, etc. There are also several shoppes started by people who have come through the programs. The food items that are produced by Living Way are of such amazing quality, that they are now sold to local grocery stores, including Food Lovers Market, which was actually started by a South African company's visit to the US's Whole Foods! Due to the unique attributes of hydroponic farming, the team at Living Way can literally schedule their items to arrive on schedule with the market's peak season, thus getting a higher return of profit and teaching their students prudent business practices as well (business development, math and English skills, etc. are all a part of the program). In addition, they are now teaching the younger kids how to farm with just water and dirt mixed with a compost mixture. The new "Glenhill site" nearby has added both vermiculture and aquaponics technology to the farming program at Living Way. Aquaponics is used by growing plants in large water-filled vats with hundreds of fish at the bottom (currently Mozambique tilapia). The water from the aquaponics vat is cleaned through filters. The clean water goes through to be reused and the fish "poop" goes into a mixture, along with the worm "poop" from the nearby vermiculture containers, which creates a more potent "fertilizer" for the plants. When the fish get large enough, they are harvested as well. In a short time, they will actually pull 40,000 lbs of cucumbers (12-15 inches long) in about 30 days out of ONE tunnel!!! Living Way now consists of: - Worker readiness program (soft and hard job skills) - Job center (local companies now know Living Way and are more likely to take these "students" as workers because they know the quality of the programs and therefore what they are getting) - Agriculture program (tunnels/greenhouses) Acquisition of the current land took place several years ago and is really just another "God story" you hear about here. The current place where the Living Hope offices/main campus are used to be an old pub, the owner's house, etc. and was on just over 5 acres. King of Kings (church) was looking for a place near Masiphumelele where they could set up a space to work (the Health Care Facility is also here now). The church had heard about an auction of the land and, since 7 is a biblical number, John Thomas went to the auction and had a max approval from the church of 700,000 rand (about $7,000 US). Three men were bidding on the land and the last went up to 700,000 rand. God prompted him to place one last bid for 701,000 and he did. The other man dropped off! His max bid was also 700,000 rand and he just did not feel he should go over, even by $100.00 US. Upon leaving, the auctioneer asked for the "closing money", which John did not have. Right then, a member of the church drove up and said that his business had done well and he wanted to give an extra donation (it was for the exact amount the auctioneer needed)! John called the man over, who was surprised that the money had just "appeared" suddenly. Living Hope is built on stories just like this. Now, Living Hope has just acquired new land! John was in the US and was talking to someone about the Living Hope ministry, which had received HIV/AIDS funding from the US gov't during the Bush administration and funding was cut for these programs when Obama took office. At the time, money was very short and Living Hope is, of course, constantly expanding their reach and services and was in need of more space, but mostly needed money to supplement what they were losing in US aid. Well this guy worked in property acquisition and development, so John moved on after the conversation. Later, in SA, John was at an auction looking at more property and this man came back in the picture and offered 1/4 million dollars towards the purchase of land if John could find a match donation before end of Nov. On the last day of Nov, they found a match donor! Now they had a half million and, with other resources, purchased 19 acres of neighboring land. The land must now be cleared and plans are just beginning to form as to what the land will be purposes for, but God is so good and is providing everything they need! The community of Masiphumelele (was named by the people- it means We Will Succeed) is really where the ministry of Living Hope started. To the SA gov 't, it was "Site 5" (once apharteid ended, it was the 5th site given to the people for settlement into a community). Masi was built to accommodate 5,000 people, but actually has a population of over 40,000. So there are roads, plots, etc., but there are tin shanties built between the houses everywhere. Due to the close living conditions and large population over a very small amount of space, the community is consistently plagued with fires (especially in the "wetlands" area, which is pretty much a marsh with shanties built all over it). Since there is no heat, etc. available to them, fires lit inside the little shack homes to keep warm can easily catch fire and the families who live there can lose the few belongings and homes they have. Also, one of the largest problems in the Masi community is that there are about 400 people to 1 toilet. And since the people do not really have access to toilet paper, there are big blockage issues caused by magazines and newspapers. I cannot imagine having this problem in the poorest part of the US, and it makes me so sad to see that people in this world are facing basic human needs issues like this. The Xhosa people are the primary ethnic group in Masi, and ancestral worship is very prominent among their people. The ancestors are still considered part of the community of the lineage. They believe the ancestors reward those who venerate them and punish those who neglect them. Many mix ancestor worship with their Christian faith. There is a strong sense of loyalty among the tribe or community. Most things are shared and those that have more are expected to share more. Many people who live in Masi don't ever leave (in fact, many don't even realize there is an ocean just a few miles away). A lot of the people we spoke with last year, when we asked them to name a place they would like to visit someday, said they would like to go to Muizenberg (a nicer part of Cape Town literally 25 minutes away). This puts a whole new perspective on the situation. Living Hope originally came into the Masi community to help with English education (that was all they were permitted to do in the beginning). But what they really wanted to work on was HIV education, so they would fit it in however they could ("A is for apple, J is for jersey, P is for penis, V is for vagina. Boys, don't put your penis in the girl's vagina," etc :) Well, after just a short while, the gov't said, "We see what you're doing here," and finally allowed them to help with both English teaching AND the HIV education. That is how the work in Masi started. We met Gloria in the Masi clinic. She attends to people with HIV/TB issues, dog bites, burns (especially children- because of where they stay, the shacks are very small and may small kids will sit on the heaters, boiling water, etc.) Again, there is just such a huge need for education about these things. Many people will also try home based remedies instead of coming to the clinic, which can cause people like Gloria to really have a challenge on their hands by the time they reach these folks in need of medical help. There has been, and continues to be, a lot of stigma and misinformation in SA about HIV. At one point, the president of SA told the people that if you took a shower after having sex with someone with HIV you wouldn't get the disease. Another horribly sad story that went around just a few years ago was that, if you had HIV and had sex with a virgin, it would cure you. So there were rapes of children as young as 9 months old during that time. A big purpose of Living Hope's in these communities is education and dispelling the myths surrounding these issues so that people can make informed choices, get well, and stop the cycle of disease and poverty. They have their work cut out for them, but they are making a difference with every step, every single day. If you would like to become a part of the amazing work of Living Hope, there are several ways you can get involved. There are options to help for as little as a dollar a day (and I have seen first hand how this money is used to help the communities directly). Please visit www.livinghope.co.za to make a difference in the lives of these precious people. Much love, Jennifer LeAnn Today was a packed day filled with familiar faces and moments of such joy that I worried my heart would explode right out of my chest. We started the day in the Ocean View community, where I was privileged to lead the devotional. I taught out of Psalm 18, Psalm 91 (one of my personal favorites!), and Ephesians 6:10-18, where I was able to share an encouragement to the ladies who are support group leaders about WHO God is, WHAT He does in our lives, the TOOLS He gives us to use, and how we can be a part of fighting for the people in our lives that are going down the wrong paths. We then had a time of prayer and treated all the ladies to breakfast at a wonderful restaurant!
When we originally got to Ocean View in the morning, I could not sit down. My dear friends, Bernadette, Allyson, Martha, Marguerite and Naomi, have been all I can think of for the last 2 months or so, as we have gotten nearer to the trip. They ALL joined us for breakfast and I pounced on every single one of them for huge hugs the moment I saw them! When God puts a person in your heart, it is like nothing else on this earth. From the very first time I met each of these women, I knew I would carry them in my spirit forever, and each precious time I see them, my heart bursts with joy and emotion. I would say that, although there are many reasons I have a passion for South Africa and Living Hope, it is these 5 people who really drive my great love for this place. They live and breathe a life of service to their communities every single day and it is awe-inspiring to witness. After our amazing breakfast, we went to Mountain View (our "home" community) and did door-to-door home visits alongside the support group leaders. This is another favorite part of trips to Cape Town for me. I still remember the first time we did this years ago, and how it just scared me to death- the thought of just walking around the community knocking on doors and talking to people who very much primarily speak Afrikaans. BUT...God. (You hear that A LOT here, by the way :) I wish I could explain the feeling, but these people LOVE you. They are so open and kind, and with HUGE smiles they welcome you into their home. Even though they live with their family in about a 10x10 to 10x15 space, you are their guest and they want you to sit in the best chair (and sometimes the only chair) they have, etc. We split up into small groups of just a few people each, and I went with Bernadette and Allyson, as well as Brenda (one of our team), and Brooke (one of the staff of Living Hope, from Brentwood, TN). Several of the people we saw were those that I remembered from previous visits, like Valerie, Frank, and Frederick, amongst others. Valerie is a wonderful woman who is raising her late sister's 2 children (one is a 15 yr. old teenage boy who is really struggling with decisions about sex, drugs, gangsterism, etc). Our topic in teen's club this week actually deals with gangs, so we prayed with Valerie for him and that he would not follow the path set before him into a life filled with crime, jail, and ultimately death. Also, beacuse of the devotional I had given this morning, I was able to encourage her with the message of Psalms 18 & 91 as well. Frank (called "Opa," which means "grandfather") is another man who is very dear to me. In fact, when we got to his shanti home, they knocked at the entrance and called out for Opa. When he popped his head out, I yelled "Hello Frank!" with a big smile, and he laughed and smiled a huge smile. I think people there are extremely surprised when we remember them by name. We spent some time with Frank and heard that he just lost a family member who had been receiving help from Living Care. The family is grieving, but Opa's faith is so strong and he will not give in to an attitude of bitterness. He kept saying, "Yes man, but God is good. My God is faithful. He has a plan for me." What a testimony this man is in the midst of a deeply troubled community. Just before leaving Mountain View, we saw Frederick. This, friends, was a "God moment." Frederick lost his wife 2 years ago and explained to us, through the translation of Bernadette and Allyson, that he had been turning to alcohol a lot lately to deal with his loneliness and loss. He was trying to hold a brave face for us, but slowly began to cry and was then overwhelmed by sobbing. Brenda's husband was killed 4 years ago and immediately shared his pain. Frederick began to speak loudly and threw out his hand to her, still bearing his wedding ring. She stepped in to hold his hand and began to share with him her ability to understand what he is going through. As she spoke, his tears fell, and she told him how drinking for his pain would only continue to drag him down, but that Jesus could build him up and help him to find joy again. The whole time he listened intently to her, and when she started to pray for him, still holding his hand, he began kissing the top of her hand over and over again. Needless to say, there was not a dry eye in that room. THIS is the power of Living Hope, and the reach of the ministry there. Until just a few years ago, Mountain View was a dark place filled with despair and hopelessness. But...God. He saw their needs and their broken hearts and spirits, and He sent a light into the darkness. The people here KNOW Living Hope. They trust and rely upon these support group leaders to share their struggles and help them find a way through their circumstances. It is a power unlike I have seen anywhere else. Another treat was that I got to see Mumfie again! I have met her every year and it is really something to see her growing up. Her mother has been in prison for several years, and her grandmother, Sonya, has had a very hard time taking care of the kids. While I was still making home visits, the team showed Sonya and Mumfie the "Lewis Goes to Cape Town" book I had made for my niece Libby last year (Mumfie's picture is in the book). They were so thrilled to see her little face in the book and even let me take a picture of her standing next to it :) After a lunch back at the Team House, we returned to Mountain View for teen's club (every Tues/Thurs). A few years ago, I met Bianca, a bright and beautiful young lady who stole my heart away (just like the young boy, Maurice, the first year I came here). I have looked and looked and had never been able to find Bianca again, until today! She is 16 now, and pregnant, but I encouraged her to come back to club and she did. We sat together and it was so very wonderful to see her smile again. We talked about the baby and how she has been depressed and withdrawn lately. After club, I pleaded with her to come back on Thursday and she promised me she would. I really hope she does as I would be so very glad to see her again. Tomorrow, we will spend the morning at Living Grace (don't worry- I will also do a post tomorrow explaining the different ministry "arms" of Living Hope). I'm not quite sure what the rest of the day holds, but it is an extra early wake up so I must get to bed :) Lots of love from the Cape! Jennifer LeAnn Good evening everyone! Sadly, I have written this wonderfully detailed, long blog already and it keeps getting deleted for some reason. Frankly, I am too exhausted to type it all over again :(
The cliff notes version is that we did the full "tour" of all the ministries of Living Hope (please do go back to my post from last year to get the details on this). I will try to post a blog solely on the details of Living Hope tomorrow. After this, we had a beautiful lunch at Fish Hoek beach before going to the Ocean View community to help with kid's club. I got to see many of the kids I've gotten to know over the last few years and it was a wonderful time!! I still have to prep for devotional time tomorrow morning, which by now is only a few hours away, so I apologize for cutting this short. However, I have learned the importance of saving what I type so this doesn't happen to me again :) Good night everyone, Jennifer LeAnn Today was, in a word, WONDERFUL. It started with church at King of Kings in Sun Valley/Fish Hoek (the church of John and Avril Thomas- and the birthplace of Living Hope) and the service was really wonderful. What was especially great was the message- it was basically about Psalm 19:7-11 (read it- fantastic stuff!), but it really spoke to me about reading the Bible much more often and take it into my heart as a source of help, power, encouragement, etc. After that was a visit to Masiphumelele Baptist, which I always look forward to :) The entire service is done in Xhosa (one of the primary languages in this area), so I didn't understand a word of it, but you can definitely sense the hearts of the people as they sing and it is really so beautiful that I could stay there all day! They don't have instuments or any sound equipment of any kind, but I tell you the ladies of that church sing louder and with more passion than you could possibly imagine. Even though it is only 20 or so minutes, it is one of the best moments of the trip!
After church was a wonderful lunch, including the best salad I've ever had in my life, at Bluewater Cafe (a restaurant at Imhoff Farms). This is near Ocean View- another of the communities Living Hope works in. There were camel rides and a snake park, but I headed for the chocolate shop instead ;) Upon leaving, we drove to Cape Point and the Cape of Good Hope! I am convinced this is the most beautiful place on planet Earth, as you will see by the pictures. The view from the top will literally take your breath away in person... I really didn't sleep much last night (I figure I've had about 7 hours of sleep in 2 days), so I am counting the minutes until 9pm so I can go to bed (any earlier and I'd be really sorry tomorrow :) Monday (tomorrow), we will take a drive to several of the ministries of Living Hope and finish our day knee deep in kids- I cannot WAIT!!! They ask us to steer clear of pictures in the communities until Thurs/Fri (you wouldn't want strangers taking pictures of your kids, friends, etc.), but I will post an update each day on what we did for the day, along with pictures of any of the tourism spots we may hit (again, this country is amazing and filled with beauty in its people and landscape). Love to everyone back home- Quia nand (good night)! Jennifer LeAnn |
AuthorI am passionate about world missions, specifically the country of South Africa. As an Ambassador for Living Hope Ministries in Cape Town, I am honored to serve with them in impacting their community for Christ! Archives
August 2018
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