Wednesday was my first day in the orphanage and my heart has been aching ever since. The orphanage was started by a woman whose daughter (Sibongile) died of cerebral palsy at a very young age. The woman promised Sibongile on her death bed that she would dedicate her life to caring for other children with this disease and others.
The good news is that the Lord is doing great things. Sibongile currently has 2 locations and is working on a third.
The first location is just two large metal cargo containers with a few cribs and a pile of blankets on the floor covered by disabled children. There are 3 "mama's" and about 20 special needs children within the two containers. Almost all of the children must be fed through tubes in their tummy's.
The second location was a small house that was actually quite nice. God is doing great things and soon blessing Sibongile with a third location. The children that are currently in the metal cargo containers will be able to move into a home and the containers will be used for an office.
In other news....
My outreach location has been confirmed and I will be going to India!! I will get to you soon with more details.
I'm leaving tomorrow for outreach in Jeffery's Bay. I will be there staying in the townships for 6 days. Please keep me in prayer.
Love you all.
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Blessed
Just a quick hello and praise report!
I've been stressing out a little about how to befriend the local street kids as they seem to be a little apprehensive about talking to tourists. If I could just befriend some of them I could start to share the Good Word!
Last night I was jogging around the neighborhood with a couple girls from the base and we ran into a bunch of kids playing soccer and asked if we could join. They didn't seem to excited about 3 white girls cramping their style and I haven't played in a few years so I was a bit rusty. I can't really explain what happened next, but the Lord has a sense of humor. It was like God oiled my joints because within a couple minutes I was full of energy, running around the feild, and scoring on these very skilled boys. Oh my it felt great I was whoopin em! hahaha. So I played for about 45 minutes, but then had to get back to the base for my daily work duties. As I was walking back one of the boys ran up behind me and asked if I would come back and play with on Wednesday!!
God is good.
I've been stressing out a little about how to befriend the local street kids as they seem to be a little apprehensive about talking to tourists. If I could just befriend some of them I could start to share the Good Word!
Last night I was jogging around the neighborhood with a couple girls from the base and we ran into a bunch of kids playing soccer and asked if we could join. They didn't seem to excited about 3 white girls cramping their style and I haven't played in a few years so I was a bit rusty. I can't really explain what happened next, but the Lord has a sense of humor. It was like God oiled my joints because within a couple minutes I was full of energy, running around the feild, and scoring on these very skilled boys. Oh my it felt great I was whoopin em! hahaha. So I played for about 45 minutes, but then had to get back to the base for my daily work duties. As I was walking back one of the boys ran up behind me and asked if I would come back and play with on Wednesday!!
God is good.
Friday, October 16, 2009
Outreach Locations Confirmed
The outreach locations have been confirmed. I will be praying over the weekend as to where God would like me to be, please join me in this prayer. Monday I have to submit my decision.
The locations are:
Thailand
India
Kenya
&
Swaziland
The locations are:
Thailand
India
Kenya
&
Swaziland
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Happy Birthday to me!
Hello everyone! Yesterday was my birthday and I missed you all terribly! Everyone here has been great though. I had a fabulous day of binge eating. A group from the base took me out for an American breakfast and it was WONDERFUL. For lunch some Zambian guys from base made me their favorite dishes from home and it was wonderful! A 3 course meal, eaten entirely by hand. After evening classes my entire DTS surprised me with cookies and ice cream and singing.
Things have been great here. I went to a new church last week in one of the townships and it was amazing. No lights, no sound system, no band. Just two young girls lifting their voices leading worship. The Holy Spirit was heavy in the small building. The townships really tore on my heart strings. Hundreds of 20x20 huts, walls made out of cardboard boxes and scrap metal or whatever they can find. The people are just so happy to gather and praise the Lord in this old church with broken out windows and old rickety pews.
We've started ministry with the local street kids and prostitutes, just loving on them and praying for them. There are so many in need here. Its difficult to even walk down the street to the market without passing 15-20 people begging for money or bread.
Next week I will begin work at one of the many local orphanages. It is an orphanage for disabled children. I'm very excited, but praying for strength.
Tonight is a very special night for one of my fellow students, Collins. One of the local cafes is having a "Kenya Night", with food and music from his homeland and we are all going with him. In fact I need to be off to finish my daily work duties so I can go! Update you soon!
<3
Things have been great here. I went to a new church last week in one of the townships and it was amazing. No lights, no sound system, no band. Just two young girls lifting their voices leading worship. The Holy Spirit was heavy in the small building. The townships really tore on my heart strings. Hundreds of 20x20 huts, walls made out of cardboard boxes and scrap metal or whatever they can find. The people are just so happy to gather and praise the Lord in this old church with broken out windows and old rickety pews.
We've started ministry with the local street kids and prostitutes, just loving on them and praying for them. There are so many in need here. Its difficult to even walk down the street to the market without passing 15-20 people begging for money or bread.
Next week I will begin work at one of the many local orphanages. It is an orphanage for disabled children. I'm very excited, but praying for strength.
Tonight is a very special night for one of my fellow students, Collins. One of the local cafes is having a "Kenya Night", with food and music from his homeland and we are all going with him. In fact I need to be off to finish my daily work duties so I can go! Update you soon!
<3
Friday, October 9, 2009
I rode the train for the first time this week to go into town and buy a phone card. Was it ever an experience! I have never seen so many people pack into one train, but not even just the cars! On top, in-between cars, and hanging off the edges, for miles! We the train stopped in front of me and the doors opened, hundreds of people flooded out, it didn't seem to end! Women were screaming bloody murder as they were trampled and children were mindlessly pushed out of the way.
A friend of mine here has a car and that doesn't seem to me much safer than the train. She picked me up for church last Sunday evening and we headed into Cape Town. People drive crazy here! No one stops at stop signs because it is common for their windows to be punched out and to be robbed in just that short time. It is intense!
A friend of mine here has a car and that doesn't seem to me much safer than the train. She picked me up for church last Sunday evening and we headed into Cape Town. People drive crazy here! No one stops at stop signs because it is common for their windows to be punched out and to be robbed in just that short time. It is intense!
Week 2
(sorry this is a draft I forgot to post about a week ago)
Hello everyone! Another week has passed, and it has been even more amazing than the first.
It is so beautiful here. The weather is great, but still pretty chilly. Despite the beauty though, there are many street kids, homeless, gangs, and prostitutes. It is a city stricken with poverty and crime.
We have been interceding in prayer as to where our 3 month outreach should be and so far we have confirmed that one group will go Thailand. There may be up to 3 other groups. Possible locations so far are Cambodia, China, Swazyland, and Kenya.
Tonight at 6PM we will start a 24 hour prayer 6 to 6. All YWAM bases worldwide will be joining in. Please jump in and pray at anytime!
Hello everyone! Another week has passed, and it has been even more amazing than the first.
It is so beautiful here. The weather is great, but still pretty chilly. Despite the beauty though, there are many street kids, homeless, gangs, and prostitutes. It is a city stricken with poverty and crime.
We have been interceding in prayer as to where our 3 month outreach should be and so far we have confirmed that one group will go Thailand. There may be up to 3 other groups. Possible locations so far are Cambodia, China, Swazyland, and Kenya.
Tonight at 6PM we will start a 24 hour prayer 6 to 6. All YWAM bases worldwide will be joining in. Please jump in and pray at anytime!
Monday, October 5, 2009
Week 1
Hello everyone! I've been dying to update you on my adventure, but only recently was able to gain access to the internet. An entire week has gone by already and what a week it has been! I left Portland late Friday night. With a combination of layovers and in-air time, I was in Johanasburg, South Africa about 25 hours later. The flight arrived about an hour late, so I was in a dither trying to collect my bags and get to my final flight. Being my first time flying alone, as well as my first time in Africa, I imagine I must have looked like a prime target. A nicely dressed man walked straight over to me and grabbed my luggage cart and said he wanted to help me. I ran after him asking "Wait, why are you helping me? Who are you?" He told me he just saw me looking confused and wanted to help. So in my head I think "Oh nice! God sent me an airport angel to make sure I don't miss my next flight!" By this time I'm just running behind this man and my luggage, not realizing we were cutting in all the lines or realizing what he was whispering to the workers behind the counters may not be good. In about 2 minutes we had checked my baggage (bipassing all the lines) and arrived at the next security check point. It was here he told me that my baggage was actually too heavy and there was going to be a $39 dollar fee. Confused, I explained I hadn't had any problem in America, then it hit me. Then I was annoied. "Alright, what is it that you want? A tip?" He denied it up and down, but still being nervous I handed him the smallest bill I had which was 10 Rand and regretfully went on my way. I solemly boarded my plane thinking to myself, "Aw man, I can't believe that just happened. I can't afford to spend any extra money!" However, without this man scamming me, I very well may have not made my flight. I was just excited to get to YWAM. I struck up a conversation with a nice girl I was seated next to and told her the story. She sympathized with me, but smiled as she eased my mind by telling me 10 Rand is actually only about $1.30 USD. In 2 hours I was in Cape Town, where Noel and YWAM staff were waiting for me. After a 20 minute car ride I was in Muizenberg at the YWAM base.
There are about 28 students in the DTS. The base is extremely crowded though. There are 3 other schools being held here. School of intersesory prayer (SOIP), school of biblical studies (SBS), and a church planting school. In addition, we are letting a 20-some odd student DTS from Perth, Australia stay with us for the moment.
On the 2nd night the base was broken into in the middle of the night. Thankfully no one was hurt and nothing was taken, but our water pipes were cut. They came in to steal our pipes of all things! Copper is a hot commodity here. We have great local security though called Mountain Men, and they responded very quickly. So everything turned out okay, we just went without water for a day until we could have our pipes repaired.
Unfortunately tragedy struck on the 3rd day. One of the SBS staff members was working on something on the roof of the base and fell off and was killed almost instantly. It was extremely hard on the entire base, but especially for those students of the SBS. Please pray for comfort for those students effected and this mans family. His name was Fou Fou and he was from Brazil. He had been a part of YWAM for a couple of years. He was just 28 years old. We spent the rest of the week thanking God for Fou Fou's life on earth and for the celebration taking place in Heaven.
It has been an interesting first week and I am so excited to see what God is going to do. Please keep me in your prayers!
There are about 28 students in the DTS. The base is extremely crowded though. There are 3 other schools being held here. School of intersesory prayer (SOIP), school of biblical studies (SBS), and a church planting school. In addition, we are letting a 20-some odd student DTS from Perth, Australia stay with us for the moment.
On the 2nd night the base was broken into in the middle of the night. Thankfully no one was hurt and nothing was taken, but our water pipes were cut. They came in to steal our pipes of all things! Copper is a hot commodity here. We have great local security though called Mountain Men, and they responded very quickly. So everything turned out okay, we just went without water for a day until we could have our pipes repaired.
Unfortunately tragedy struck on the 3rd day. One of the SBS staff members was working on something on the roof of the base and fell off and was killed almost instantly. It was extremely hard on the entire base, but especially for those students of the SBS. Please pray for comfort for those students effected and this mans family. His name was Fou Fou and he was from Brazil. He had been a part of YWAM for a couple of years. He was just 28 years old. We spent the rest of the week thanking God for Fou Fou's life on earth and for the celebration taking place in Heaven.
It has been an interesting first week and I am so excited to see what God is going to do. Please keep me in your prayers!
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