Today was our last day in Port Shepstone. We began the day by going to a wildlife conservation area and having a game drive. Upon entering the park we immediately saw a group of hippos up out of the water. Apparently it is quite rare to see the hippos out of the water as they generally only come out at night. It was an amazing sight to see these huge animals up close. We also saw ostriches, giraffes, zebras, wildebeests, impala, rhinos, nana, gemsboks and wild boars. It was simply amazing to see the variety of God’s creation up close and personal.
This evening we had the wonderful privilege of leading the youth group at Youthworx. We had a western/cowboy theme going on and it was cool to see that some of the African kids dressed up in Cowboy and Indian garb, too. Tod was all decked out in his cowboy hat and taught the kids how to do some rope tricks. Tod then gave an excellent message, and the kids were all listening intently. Then came the highlight of the evening- the 7 of us, along with the youth pastor, did a square dance. It went off without a hitch, and then we asked if the kids wanted to learn to dance. Many of them did, so we taught a large group how to square dance. Following the square dance, we taught all the kids the electric slide, which they had never done before. We had great fun and lots of fellowship. After the dancing we started a campfire and roasted hot dogs and introduced the African kids to smores. It was an excellent end to an amazing week!!!
As I sit here and reflect back on the week here in Port Shepstone I am in awe of how God has used the people of South Africa to change our hearts forever. We have had such a quick week here, but it has been filled with so many wonderful memories. We have learned so much from these people and I know we will never be the same. One of the things that keeps coming to mind is the huge difference in the attitudes of the South Africans and the Americans. It seems to me that most Americans, despite being so richly blessed, are always asking God for more. South Africans, on the other hand, who have so little, are thanking God for what they have. We can all take a lesson in thanksgiving from the Zulu people! The other thing I keep reflecting on is the desperate need for more help here in Africa. I think too often we see the great need and just don’t know where to begin helping. It seems easier to just turn a blind eye because we feel that as an individual we can’t do anything to change the world. I have learned here that you don’t need to change the world- if you can change one or two hearts, they will in turn change one or two more hearts, and in the end what you have done will make a difference. The Genesis Hope Foundation has so many wonderful ministries and it is amazing to see what they have accomplished here in such little time, but there is still so much to be done. We are looking forward to continuing to follow the work that they are doing. –Sarah Jensen
Here are a few pictures from the sports team’s missionary work this week. – Craig Hill
Much to say about the latest installment of “Kevin learns about God’s love” but I will save most of that for a later time. I’m so very thankful for the joy of being with my daughters. I’ve been with them for many a reason (e.g., soccer game weekends, family vacations, dad-n-daughter dates) but I will say this has been the most meaningful of them all. I’m very proud of the way they served and for their stepping out of their comfort zone. I got to see them grow spritually before my very eyes and have no doubt this experience will add to the foundation of their relationship with God. I’m also very thankful for the team and their own demonstrations of courage and faithfulness; it too will add to my daughters’ spiritual foundation. Thank you Shannon, Craig and Steve for your leadership…you have made us all very proud and a trip we’ll remember for a lifetime!! Peace out…
Pastor Kevin
Hello family, family-family, and family-family-family, Moalo!!! Let me first give you a verse that Brad Mirk shared with me this morning…. Brad has been my faithful prayer partner while I (G. Franz) have been on this mission and I wish I could tell you how thankful for him I am… his daily letters to me have been like “manna” and I have so looked forward to his notes of encouragement and of challenge to me each day… Thank you Brad. Today’s verse was 1 Cor. 3:7 – So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. Now that is truth my friends. As you can see from the picture above… God has grown a lasting relationship of mutual respect and love between peoples from two different continents, out of a vision first spoken by Pastor Kevin as he worked in obedience to God’s word. Some may say this is the work of people only… but I have seen and been party to this wonderful work that God initiated and blessed in our Church. I have every confidence that I speak for us all as I share with you that our time here has been worthwhile and intentional… and God will till the seeding so that it produces fruit in His perfect timing!
You can see how the faces of these little jewels light up around us. I wish I could show you our faces. We came here hoping to bless these kids in some way and though we may have…. our blessing and joy has been way beyond our wildest expectations. It was tough for all of us today as we had to say good bye… tears were abounding all around. The children had put together a poster with each of the classes’ pictures and a picture of the school grounds. The kids signed the poster and we all just busted out in tears of joy. We got to pray over these kids and love on these kids all day. We showed them a slide show on my laptop of the many pictures that we have taken of our times with them… they loved it… sorta like a drive-in movie … everyone watching on my 7X12 inch screen… the kids were calling out the names of children they could recognize and the place got a bit outta control but man … did we so love to watch their joy and excitement. We sang with them and prayed and prayed. One of the teachers interpreted for us and it was just the most exilirating experience I have had in my short time as a Christ follower!!! I took some movie clips as have others… and we hope to put something t0gether for all of you after we return.
The gang with order...
> And I love that about him…
This little guy followed me everywhere...
Asonyela... I love this little girl!
Exercise at Recess...
OK… I am being yelled at to go … we have a Bry (BBQ) tonight at First City Baptist… I have no idea what Yak or Wilda Beast might taste like… we will let you know > Our love to you all… God Bless… and Keep… and Richly Bless you all. More later from So. Africa. Buhby Now!!! G-
Today was our third day at the Murcheson preschool and Gamalakhe feeding program. We could definitely sense a difference in the attitudes today- like we had really earned their trust. The kids ran up to us and began hugging us immediately when our car pulled into the preschool. They wanted to sing and dance with us, and they seemed to want more hugs than the previous days. The girls sat for a long time brushing and playing with Sarah’s hair.
On a side note- we’d like to share a cultural lesson with you that we learned a few days ago. John and Linda had written some wonderful puppet shows in preparation for our time in the preschool. We had four puppets from the Northwest- a jackrabbit, porcupine, squirrel and a frog. Well, it turns out that in the Zulu culture frogs are incredibly evil little creatures who cause lightning. Apparently the Zulus are deathly afraid of frogs because they believe the witch doctors curse frogs to go out and curse people. Good thing we told someone about our puppet show before we busted out the big ol’ frog in front of the kids who already weren’t sure about us…
During lunchtime we had a chance to go back to the Care Center for the last time. It was nice to see the friends that we had made- it seems like most of us have connected with one or two special patients over the few days we have been here and it was difficult to leave.
The afternoon at Gamalakhe was simply incredible. As the children were arriving and before the scheduled worship began, the kids started singing on their own. They were singing the songs that we had been teaching them over the week. It was amazing to see these little children remember all the English words and motions to our songs and want to sing them. Pastor Dumasani asked us to write the words of our worship songs down so they can continue to sing them after we leave. I have no doubt in my mind that when we return next year these kids will still be signing our songs, but with a uniquely Zulu twist.
The most amazing things happened after the Bible story. We were preparing to serve the dinner, and the kids asked us not to serve dinner yet but to stand in front of them because they wanted to say something to us. One little girl came up with a piece of paper and began to read us a beautiful letter. I want to share with you her words, as they impacted us so much. “You guys were very good to us as Gamalakhe and South African children. We enjoy a lot to be with you. I can’t even compare with something how I love you. You know what- what you have done to us, please do it to another people. I don’t have more words but all what I’m saying God bless all of you and keep on singing amazing like this.” It was so heartwarming to hear the kids say that they want us to do these good things for other kids, too. After the first girl read her letter, the kids started coming up one by one reading letters to us. There were a few to the whole group, but most of them were addressed to one team member. It was so amazing to see how each of us individually has touched these kids in our own unique ways. Dumasani had to cut the letter reading short so we could feed the kids, yet they continued to come up to us to give us their letters. I know I can speak for the whole team when I say that these letters and pictures from these precious children will be cherished by us for a long time to come. Dinner was the wonderfully “aromatic” plate of tripe. Yummy!!! After dinner there was more singing and dancing and general celebration. Dumasani told Ruth Ann that we have blessed them and performed a work of healing for him and the children. He said that they used to get funding from a big church in town, but there was a change in leadership at the church and they have stopped supporting Dumasani’s feeding program. He said that he was feeling like his work didn’t matter and no one cared. Us spending the week with Dumasani and the kids rejuvenated him and let him know that there are people that care. It was very hard for us to leave that place, but we are so glad we had the chance to meet these wonderful children and share God’s love with them.
sorry there’s no long post today, but hopefully these pictures will give you all an idea of what we are doing here.
Kids sing to us!
Good morning to you all waking up in America… well both the living stones and sports camps went very well today. Everyone else is out at dinner and I chose to stay back just to catch you all up on our journey here in Africa… not much other time in a day to geterdun > The picture above is of the very special children.. all pre-school age.. greeting the living stones team with our morning song. It is very hard to accurately describe the sound of the song in the hearts of these children.. but it has to be close to what angels singing must sound like! We so look forward to getting back to the school.. not only for the work we are doing but to simply be around these children and their teachers.
We get to interact with the children as they come to … well, do their business at the “long drop” which we all know as the bathrooms. The long drops are actually just that… everything goes way down into a very large hole in the ground. No flush, no wash… just the drop. As you can imagine the “aroma” is quite noticeable but, believe it our not, ya sorta get used to it when you are working around it all day.
When the children come to the long drop, they stand in line and wait their turn. We all then come over and interact with them as they are standing there. We try to learn their names, let them listen in on our I-Pods, and just play with them as any adult would with a bunch of beautiful children who are eager to be with us.. I think we are a bit of a novelty to them. They love to rub the hair on our arms and legs as this is something they do not have themselves. It is sorta like they are petting us… like a big dog or something… we lift them up on our arms and as they leave the ground they let out big laughs… it is just amazing how they all smile and gather around us… I think they enjoy our company as much as we are enjoying theirs.
Here are a few pictures of the work that we are doing now…
Steve and Donna hard at work
YEEHAW
Daryl is in there.. somewhere!
Me and the Boys!
At dinner after a hard day at work and love
OK, so I got a dinner picture in there by accident… I need help on this thing… Anyway, thought I would also send you a picture of the team at dinner just so you could at least see our great team and … know that we are all doing great!
So with that I will close out the blog for today and let you know that we are all holding up well. The weather has not been too bad for us outside … usually in the middle 70′s and though hot … bearable. We are growing closer together as we work and play together. We are trusting God that our presence is showing all the kids what love looks like on behalf of the King! Tomorrow we will actually get our chance to pray with and visit with these children. We so love their beautiful smiles and open hearts. They are regularly learning about God and all his wonders in this world when we have a realtionship to him and with him. We look forward everyday to what may be in store and are always ready to be the hands and feet of Christ in the process.
It has been a most wonderful, tedious and meaningful experience to this point and we encourage you all to consider this as a mission field for you to serve in, in the coming years. We send our love and gratitude to you all and thank you for your notes of encouragement and words of hope and love. You are all the best!!! Ryan McIntosh will get on later to upload a blog for the Sports Team activities. Y’all take care… be well and keep us in your prayers as we also do for you! Later all. G Franz.
The Ugu District in Kwa-Zulu Natal, where we are staying has the highest AIDS rate in the world. In South Africa, one in six adults (over the age of 15) are HIV-positive, and in the Ugu District, the rate of infection is 70% When hospitals feel they can no longer help AIDS patients, they discharge them from the hospital and send them home to die, where they usually do so without dignity. In 2005, the Genesis Hope Foundation opened the Care Center (Hospice) in the heart of the Ugu District to give AIDS patients a chance to die with dignity. They have now expanded and run two wards, each with 20 beds. The patients at the Care Center are sent to them from the local hospitals when the hospitals feel they can no longer help. At Genesis Care Center, the patients receive the nutrition, attention and love that they need, and now 50% of the patients at the Care Center get well enough to return home. Those that don’t get better pass knowing that someone cares for them, and having heard the good news of Jesus Christ.
In addition to the hospice, the Care Center operates a free HIV testing and counseling center. Another local organization identifies need and brings a bus of people from the local townships to be tested for HIV. One of the big problems in South Africa is that people are afraid to get tested for HIV because of the stigma attached to the disease. The foundation is trying to encourage more people to get tested to they can know their status. They provide counselors post-testing should the results be positive. These people need to know that AIDS is not a death sentence and can be treated. It is a blessing to know that more and more people are getting tested, including many young people and even some whites (here AIDS is considered to be a “Black” disease).
Today we had the opportunity to participate in a Chapel service at the Care Center. There were about 15 patients and 10 caregivers and staff. Ruth Ann gave a beautiful message about reconciliation with God and with others. Pastor Marshiani, the chaplain of the Care Center, translated the service into Zulu. We had worship, both in English and Zulu, and the service was very moving and quite emotional for a few of us.
After service we got to tour the hospice and spend time with the patients. Not all of the patients were open to talking, but those that were had such moving stories to tell. We spoke to a 23-year-old young woman who has two children at home who are now being taken care of by her parents. She spoke excellent English and told us that she used to work in an office in Durban. She is praying to get her strength up and be able to return home to be with her babies and go back to work to support them. After talking to her, we asked if we could pray with her and she said, “Oh, yes!” She was such a sweet young woman and we will continue to pray for her even as we return home. We also spoke to a man named Shadrack. He came to the center in April, and since then has made remarkable improvement. He told us that when he found out that he had this disease it was very important for him that his children get tested, regardless of the stigma attached. He believes it was only through the grace of God that his children are negative. He was telling us that he does not believe that this disease is a death sentence and he refuses to live his life as though he has only a few years to live. He says that he believes God will keep him here as long as He has use for him. What an inspiration to here this perspective that is not often heard! We are looking forward to visiting some of these men and women again in the next few days.
Genesis Care Center is doing remarkable work here in the Ugu District. We have a HUGE prayer request regarding this foundation. Until now, much of the funding for this center has come from the President’s Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). Now, though South Africa has the highest AIDS rate in the world, they are viewed as having enough resources to combat the problem, and are losing the international aid through PEPFAR. Please pray for additional funding for the hospice, as the PEPFAR funds run out on November 30th. If there are no additional funds by that time, the Care Center will need to shut down 20 of their beds as well as the free HIV testing and counseling. Please pray that God will provide the funds needed to continue to do the wonderful work that is going on here in the Ugu District.
We had a great day today playing with so many beautiful Zulu children. We started the day at a preschool in Murcheson. Before you hear about our day, it is important to understand the significance of the work being done in this area. The city we were in has the highest AIDS rate in the entire world. 7 out of 10 people are infected and the situation is quite desperate. One of the projects of the Genesis Hope Foundation is a Community Center in Murcheson. The Community Center will house a gym for young men, an arts and crafts program for young women, a music academy, a daycare center and a gardening program to teach the women of the community to be self-sufficient. The Community Center is still in its early stages, but it was a blessing to see the vision of this place and how a Center has the possibility to transform this community. The two programs already running are the preschool and the gardening program. Because of the high crime rate, the school has been broken into numerous times and has lost all of their curriculum and most of their supplies. While we were there, the preschool received a donation of new blankets and the teacher began singing and dancing with joy- it was humbling to see how much joy the little things bring to the people here! There were about 20 kids at the preschool and we had so much fun with them. Adrian did a fabulous job of leading the kids in worship and a Bible story. The worship was great- the kids had fun singing and dancing even though they didn’t understand the words. Adrian taught about David and Goliath and Tod did a wonderful job playing Goliath! We had a great time with the kids, but they definitely wore us out!
After lunch we returned to Gamalakhe, the township where we went to church. Pastor Dumasani runs an after school feeding program where he welcomes any children. He told us that while he is living there he will never let any child go hungry. Dumasani does not have much materially, but in 10 years of feeding the children in the neighborhood he has never run out of food. Dumasani’s requirement for the children is that before they get the meal they must listen to a Bible story and praise the Lord. There were almost 100 children there. We led the children in song, and then they graciously sang some of their songs for us. Dumasani plays the accordion, and it was awesome to hear him play and lead the kids in worship. We have all decided that this is what worship in Heaven will sound like. Adrian once again told the story of David and Goliath and then dinner was served. The older girls help prepare and serve the food and really look out for the younger kids. While they were eating we were mingling and speaking with the kids. Adrian was talking to a group of older boys and they asked her if she knew Mr. Obama. It was a great opportunity to share with these boys that they, too, have the potential to do anything they want. This is one of Dumasani’s goals- to break the cycle of apathy and make leaders of these kids. He feels very strongly that the future and hope of South Africa lies in the hands of these children and they need to understand their worth.
Da Terminator...
Good morning from So. Africa everyone! G. Franz here once again. I am sorry for not getting out a blog yesterday but still having issues with getting time paid for on the computer. In any case, we were able to get it done today. This will be a short blog and then I will put more on this evening after our work day is over and devotionals are done.
You can see our Pastor modeling in front of a muscle picture… he fancies himself as buff ya know… I just don’t have the heart to tell him otherwise… have you seen his legs by the way??? I rest my case. In any event this was at a local mall on Sunday where we went for lunch… I thought you all would appreciate this picture.
The “living stones” team is way ahead of schedule at the school we have been working at. Looks like we may be done with all the construction and painting today. Then one more day there tomorrow to spend some visit time with the children and to pray over them and to love on them. I gotta tell you, these kids are so wonderful… their eyes are killing us cause they are just so darned cute. They sing to us every morning when we arrive and yesterday we got a few other chances to interact and play with them.
Sprucing Up...
The picture above shows Steve and Donna working on the paint of one of several metal buildings, most commonly known to us at home as “connexes” or the big metal containers you see on ships. These have been converted into classrooms and office spaces for the school to use. We are scraping and painting as many as we can which looks like it will be four or five. Today we will also paint the bathrooms that we just finished roofing yesterday.
Can’t tell you all how much our team talks of all of you back home. We miss you all and are truly thankful for the way you all support us and blog to us too! I will write later on tonight. We pray for you as we know you are praying for us. It is wonderful that in Christ we are all part of the same body.. Our love to you all. Stay tuned.. more to follow with more pictures tonight. Buhby for now > G-
