Today was the perfect last day (if there could really BE such a thing)! I started it with some of my favorite ladies, going to one of my favorite places- the communities of Mountain View and Ocean View. First, though, I want to share a very special personal story. On the walk to MV, we stopped at a wonderful woman's home in OV named Debbie. She is a client of Living Hope and earns some extra income by doing massages for people both at her home, and travels to other people's homes as well. While we were visiting with her, she asked if she could bless me with a foot massage. Well, I was a little uncomfortable accepting this gift (you know the drill... "Are my feet stinky?" and other thoughts), but I did not want to be rude. As she began to pour olive oil on my feet and massage them, she started speaking to me about my call to missions and began to pray. It was, without question, the most touching and humbling experience of my life. I felt such love and kindness coming through her, and I knew God was there giving me a special moment of confirmation. Before I knew it, tears were running down my face and I had been surrounded by Marguerite, Allyson, Bernadette and Naomi, who were all openly praying for me as well. I have never, ever been ministered to like that before. What a sweet moment that I can remember and treasure! Afterward, we got to Mountain View and visited with some of the people we saw last week. I could not share much about them before because I did not get their permission, but I'm happy to do so now that I've received their consent. Valerie is a sweet woman I met a few years ago on a previous trip. She has lived for many years in a tin shanti in MV, but was one of the people able to get a new home through the government building project that has been in the works for a long time (a few months ago they started getting some people moved in). Instead of a makeshift structure with no plumbing, minimal water/electric use, and temporary walls, she now has a HOME of her own! It was so exciting to see her enjoying this gift from God! I also was able to see Bianca again before leaving! I met her 4 years ago at the local Living Hope teens club, and her beautiful son Nazeer was born in the time I've been away (Nov. 10th... Exactly 1 month from my nephew!) It was so special to see her!!! I was able to see "Auntie Martha" again as well, who used to be one of the Support Group Leaders, but now runs the mommies & babies support group! In the late afternoon, I was blessed with a lovely walk around Kalk Bay with my dear friend Nadine. Since she always cooks for me when I'm here, she allowed me to treat her this time :) We had a wonderful dinner with an AMAZING view of the water, so it really was the perfect end to the day! I leave tomorrow morning for the airport :( I'm incredibly sad, but also really looking forward to seeing my kitty cats, sleeping in my own bed, and starting my new job on Monday! A final good night from Cape Town. Thanks once again for the prayers and love- it truly has been felt! Love, Jennifer LeAnn
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Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. (2 Corinthians 5:20 NASB) Today, I spent the day meeting to discuss more aspects of our new Ambassador program! I am so excited to be partnering with another Jennifer here on this :) We have established some great guidelines for our next steps and I'm so amazed at the progress!!! Tomorrow morning, I'll make one final trip to Mountain View and Ocean View. It makes me so happy to get another morning there before I leave, but also so sad to know I'm almost leaving. It's been a very different trip than my usual ones, and it has been nice to see a little more of "real life" here. I've been so blessed and am already looking forward to hopefully bringing back my own team next year! I have some pics (finally ;) of time out in the communities, including the kids club I talked about yesterday in Masi. Enjoy! See you back home soon, Jennifer LeAnn Today was the start of meetings about the new ambassador program! I'm so excited to be talking through this in detail after several years in the works! I got to meet with Jennifer (the SA one, who is actually here from the US on a long term assignment) and start working through the basics this afternoon. We will get more into it tomorrow and Wednesday, but today was a great beginning to build on! In the afternoon, I got to go to kids club in Masiphumelele, which was awesome! They had about 124 kids at club today, and it was so fun to watch and participate with them. I tell you, I don't know how these LSE's do it. :) Tonight was a great time, as I was able to spend some time with the wonderful friends of mine I met four years ago on my first trip here. I got to hear more of their "God stories" and was able to just enjoy time together. . I was especially excited to spend a bit of time with my friend Bernadette in her home, and meet her daughter and husband (who I was starting to think might be a myth ;) Now I've arrived back at the house and am ready to crash!!!! Have a great evening all! Jennifer LeAnn Wow- what an amazing weekend in Malmesbury at the annual ladies retreat for King of Kings Baptist Church here in Cape Town! I had one of the most relaxing and fun experiences of my life, and all with a bunch of women I didn't know (save for the fabulous Karen Peiser ;) The theme of our weekend was from Psalm 73:28- "As for me, it is good to draw near to God." It was such a time of refreshment, a concept sorely lacking in today's world ;) Speaking of which, sorry guys but I think we Americans may need to take a lesson from the South Africans when it comes to weekend "retreats." In the US, most "retreats" have the following schedule: Crack of DAWN wake up, short breakfast, classes every hour until lunch, more meetings (with a few potty breaks built in for 15 minutes at a time), etc. Overall, a real picture of relaxation huh? In SA, retreats look like this: 8:30am- long breakfast, ONE 1 hour meeting, 3 hour break (with optional activity if you want- like a drawing class, waking/hiking group, or stretching class), long lunch, another 3 hour break (optional activities), ONE more 1 hour meeting, dinner, then games night :) It was awesome and I made several new friends that were just amazing. All the ladies there were so welcoming and sincere (this is huge!) They took a real interest in me and in who I was (not just surface stuff). I really was blown away. Of course, with how the weekend started, I could have used some relaxation- HA :) Some of you may remember from my earlier blog, but I was invited to hike up Table Mountain on Friday morning. Now, here is another lesson I learned about Americans vs. South Africans: If a SA asks you if you are "fit," say NO (even if you run miles every day- "fit" has a different meaning here ;)And if they ask if you would like to go with them on "a lovely hike"... RUN. AWAY. QUICKLY. Here, "walk" means "hike" by my definition. In turn, "hike" means NEAR DEATH EXPERIENCE FALLING DOWN A MOUNTIAN :) Seriously, I thought several times I wasn't going to make it. I could already imagine the news headline- "American missionary plunges to her death off the side of Table Mountain." We hiked Platteklip Gorge, one of the steepest hikes...period. I went with the amazing NaDene Monk- stellar chef at the Team House (where I stay) and avid runner/hiker. This woman has more than 10 years on me, but she made me look like I was 85 years old climbing that mountain ;) And the other girl that went with us was 23 and Nadene could have left us both in her dust if she'd wanted to LOL! However, despite the pain and my 3 emotional breakdowns that thankfully came at a time no one was around to witness, and aided by NaDene and Andrea's encouragement, I made it!!! Tomorrow is a packed day, with the start of my Ambassador "brainstorming sessions," followed by kids club in Masiphumelele, then dinner out with my wonderful friends who live/work in the Ocean View community. Prayers are greatly appreciated going into tomorrow. Please ask that God will give us the wisdom to outline this "program" as He wants it, and that it will accomplish what He desires. Love to all, Jennifer LeAnn Habakkuk 1:5 ESV- "Look among the nations, and see; wonder and be astounded. For I am doing a work in your days that you would not believe if told." Today was go, go, GO! For those of you who don't already know, I am primarily here this year to help Living Hope launch a new "Ambassadors" program in the US. It will basically provide an opportunity for people who visit here (probably on a short term mission trip) and are prompted by God to get more involved to help spread the word of Living Hope's amazing ministry! So, before we begin meeting next week to brainstorm about that, I am saturating myself in as many of the ministries of Living Hope as I can! Of course, even though I have been here 4 times, I still had NO IDEA the enormous reach of this ministry, and feel like I have barely scratched the surface on all they do! I started the day at morning devotions in Ocean View, then headed out to Marine Primary School with a few of the Life Skills Educators (LSE's). This is one of the things funded by the D.A.D. Program. During the week, LSE's visit some of the local schools and do an activity/game as well as a short lesson. This week, the focus was on "families." It was really great to see their involvement (although when asked, many of them guessed I was from Germany LOL :) and also amazing to witness how these kids respond to the LSE's (and in particular, Ashwyn, who is one of the men that has taken on a mantle of leadership in this community). Ash is in his thirties, and is really a role model to many of these young people (especially boys) without a father at home. It just really touched me. After the school visit, I went to visit "Auntie Martha," who is one of my dear friends that now runs a support group for new moms and their babies. Martha shares parenting skills with these ladies and, from what I saw today, almost provides them with a "mother figure" they can turn to for advice and to share their struggles. All of the women there were very kind and shared openly about their lives, successes, and hardships. It was a lovely experience to be part of. The early afternoon was spent with the fabulous bunch of Tennesseans running the Agri Academy at Living Hope. Yes, isn't it awesome that a group of rowdy UT fans is over here? And during football season no less! I feel right at home :) The Agri Academy is one of the ways Living Hope helps to foster economic empowerment in the community. The basic premise of the program is to locate people who have the interest and dedication to become managers and entrepreneurs, and give them practical training in the areas of farming, business and community development, and Christian discipleship. These individuals have the opportunity to go through up to three phases of the Agri Academy over a period of about 21 months. If they graduate the program, they can be "launched" into their communities to build their own sustainable businesses. Another way Living Hope offers help with economic development is by offering a job center and worker readiness classes. The job center searches through multiple sources each week to find available jobs in the area, and then allows people to come in and receive assistance on preparing a resume, scanning and emailing to potential employers, interviewing tips, etc. The worker readiness classes offer training on the "soft skills" of working. Many people in these communities have never been educated about the importance of personal grooming for a work environment, being on time, conflict resolution, etc., so Living Hope helps them in these areas as well. The later part of the day was spent with other LSE's in the community of Red Hill, at one of the afternoon teen's clubs. What an awesome time seeing these teens discuss God's word! Of course, they are normal teens, so it had it's wild and crazy side too :) I thought about joining the soccer game before club for about 2 seconds, but those guys were a rowdy bunch! I came back to the Team House this evening for a dinner of takeaway sushi out on the picnic tables facing the sunset (I know- it's a hard life ;) Overall, another awesome day here in Cape Town seeing all that God is doing here (reference the above passage from Habakkuk :) It just amazes me every year to see the reach of Living Hope growing, and how much the programs are continually developing to serve the community not only more... but also more effectively! I'm off to bed now, but looking forward to tomorrow and the weekend! A last minute spot has opened up on the ladies retreat with King of Kings Baptist Church (this is the church that John Thomas, the founder of Living Hope, pastors), so I am scrapping my weekend trip to the 10K in Pringle Bay, and will be able to go along on the retreat tomorrow and return on Sunday. So don't worry if I am unable to post again until Sunday night- I'm not sure if there is Internet there :) Good night sweet friends! Jennifer LeAnn Today...was...AWESOME! First thing this morning, I headed to the Living Hope office in the community of Oceanview. My friend, and marketing director for LH, Karen and I stayed for morning devotions with the Support Group Leaders (SGL's work in the communities to educate and support people dealing with a multitude of issues that can include HIV/AIDS/TB) and hosting groups for them. This is where some of my absolute favorite women in the world work! I got to see them all (praise The Lord!!) and went into the neighboring community of Mountainview to make home visits with Naomi and Allyson. To my utter joy, I got to see three very special people today. I cannot mention names (unless they work with LH), but the first was a woman I have seen for many years now, and she was finally able to show me her new home (the government is now working on a building project in Mountainview and a few of the people living for years in the shanti "structures" have now been given access to a more permanent home with power and plumbing)! She was so excited and happy to have us as her guests! Second was my (I can tell already :) FAVORITE TRIP MOMENT. I got to see a wonderful teenage girl that I have known for 4 years now. She has had a beautiful baby boy in the year I have been gone, and she is still attending teen's club two nights per week! We found her at home and one of the ladies called to her that she had a visitor. I will never forget her response when she saw me! She lept up from where she was sitting, flew across the room to the open front door, and hugged me so hard I almost fell backward down the stairs (I had to grab the door frame to keep it from happening!) She introduced me to her son, who is PRECIOUS!) and we had some time to visit together. It was incredible! Lastly, I found the little girl I have seen every year since she was in diapers :) She is 5 years old now and has the sweetest smile in the world. It was funny because she didn't remember me at first (she is only 5 and how can you remember someone you've only seen a few times your whole life?) But then... I showed her a picture of Heather, a member of the team that I came here with the last 3 years, and she made a huge smile and pointed at Heather's picture! After that, she was tied to my hip for the rest of the morning :) The afternoon was wonderful as well, as I had the opportunity to spend time with Julie (the full time missionary from Faith Promise in Knoxville, where I used to go to church when I lived in TN). She took me with her to Living Grace (the home of the Substance Abuse and Recovery Program), where we spent the afternoon with clients in the program. Julie does team building with them two afternoons per week and it was great to be included! In the evening, Karen took me to a wonderful market for dinner. It was basically a big building filled with various food vendors, with options for every type of yummy treat under the sun! We shared some spring rolls, sushi, stew, and a brilliant dessert that I can't even describe, except to say it was vaguely similar to a funnel cake (only it was much thinner and crispier, and it was shaped like a flower ;) Now I am thoroughly beat and headed for bed! So I take my leave of you all for the evening :) But remember, I only have 1 week left to raise $600 for Living Hope's D.A.D. Program- if you can help at ALL, please read yesterday's post and let me know! Live from Cape Town ;) Jennifer LeAnn Today was a lesson in appreciation. I spent a large portion of it discussing the plans for my visit and brainstorming about the upcoming planning session for the new Ambassador program launching later this month. Of course, Karen (the marketing director with Living Hope) was kind enough to take me on a little drive along the coastline facing the Atlantic Ocean as well! We stopped briefly at a favorite "God spot" of hers, and I just thought... WOW... I woke up this morning to a beautiful view of Noordhoek Beach, singing birds, a wonderful breeze, and 75 degrees. Basically... BLISS :) I realize the privilege I have in my life, especially when I spend a day with a wonderful woman who is part of a ministry striving to stretch every dime as far as they possibly can to pay for the various missions of Living Hope. What I spend on a Starbucks latte can be used here to provide an afternoon sandwich and piece of fruit at Kid's Club to TEN children. Before I left for South Africa, I had someone (who wants to remain anonymous) offer to donate up to $600 towards the D.A.D. (Dollar A Day) Program, which is one of the areas in greatest need of financial support at Living Hope. This program funds everything we do that involves the lives of kids and teens in the 6 communities served by Living Hope's LSE's (Life Skill Educators). In addition to holding afternoon teen's and kid's clubs (and providing food at these), the LSE's share the gospel and provide an example of Christlike service, mentor young people who often don't have much support at home, respond to daily situations/needs in the communities (which can include some pretty serious issues), etc. The D.A.D. Program pays for their salaries, gas in cars, food, and countless other items. All of Living Hope is obviously in need of funds, as it is a non-profit ministry, however the Life Skill Educator program is the ONLY part of Living Hope that is completely donor funded. So, an anonymous donor has challenged me to raise funds for this program while I'm here in South Africa! For every dollar donated (up to $600), they will match it dollar for dollar! This kind of money would be HUGE for the LSE's!!! I am asking for your help to reach (and even exceed!) this goal. I will share more detail about the program each day, and hope you will prayerfully consider donating on the Living Hope website (details below). When you donate, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE do one of the following: -Email me at [email protected] with your name and the amount you donated (so I can keep track of the progress!)- there is no way I can find out from the back end through the website -Facebook message me with the above info -Post a comment on my blog site at www.jennifer4africa.weebly.com with the info I am SO excited to see what God will do! If 200 people give $30, that is all it would take, and I think God will surprise us in the end (In fact, I shared about this with one person before I left the US and she instantly gave me the first $20 :) I have until 9/10 to reach this goal and really appreciate your help! To make a physical and eternal impact on the lives of kids and teens in South Africa, please visit www.livinghope.co.za and click on "donate." Then, please select "Dollar A Day (D.A.D.)" from the drop down menu. If you want, you are welcome to become a monthly D.A.D. supporter (I became one years ago and am so happy I did!), however a one time gift is also perfect. My prayer this morning was this: "Lord, let all that I do this week be FOR You, and THROUGH You, and TO You. Use me in whatever ways You see fit, and give me the wisdom to choose Your ways above my own. To God be the glory..." I encourage you to make this your prayer as well. Good night from Cape Town, 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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