“Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed.” Psalms 82:3
The most common question I hear is, “why and what do you do when you’re in Africa?
Why? In 2009 I had the opportunity to travel to Kwazulu Natal (KZN) South Africa to help build a playground and finish construction of a preschool at Ntshongweni Lutheran Church. I fell in love with the people of KZN and was wrecked by the orphan situation. KZN has the highest number of orphans who’ve lost both parents due to HIV. I met so many wonderful kids that didn’t have the gift of one or both parents that I had growing up. The start of 16 years of spending time with our KZN family. So very thankful that God put this burden on my heart as well as the 30+ people that have travelled here from Florida over the years and the awesome support God has provided through them.
What? Some of the things we’ve been able to do this week.
Today we did art class with just over 40 kids from Ntshongweni village. Local artist Nicky helped the kids learn how to paint these awesome toucans. So much focus, joy, and fun with this group.
Early outlines for the kids. Their focus was incredible. Sbu in this photo had the most Picasso looking piece.
Gogo (grandmother) Ngcayi’s family were victims of horrible crime in their old home at the bottom of a valley with no lock on the door. Gogo was overjoyed to have her new home and safety for her family. Pastor hired local folks to build the home but the team spent a day with the family painting the finished house. Here’s Jessica giving Gogo a hug after her new furniture was delivered.
Here’s the team who did the painting with the family. We also had a couple of local guys cleaning up the plaster work in the house. Also, Mlondi, Sanele, Brian, and Bruce helped us finish this house in some battleship gray.
Here’s Gogo with her family at the bottom of the valley last November. Can’t imaging experiencing violent crime and how helpless you feel.
Security bars on the windows and doors as well as being on top of the hills with many neighbors ensure security. The family was cleaning as the new furniture was being moved in.
Thanks pastor Thwala for arranging metal furniture. Will be so much more durable than most.
One of Gogo’s kids who greeted us with a smile every time. So much joy here…
Seeing old friends. We visited, cleaned, prayed, and placed flowers at Nhlanhla’s grave. An awesome young man who was taken too early. We miss him.
We painted Siphe’s house last year and saw her many times this week. Super sweet young lady.
We saw Espesihle who lives next to the church. He’s grown a lot over 16 years and makes us feel like midgets.
Sbusiso is Sanele Duma’s son, one of the first families we met in Ntshongweni. We saw him almost every day. His nickname is chaos like any good little dude.
We had walks and talks with many of our Ntshongweni family including Sanele Duma with Jessica below. Some great conversations with kids who don’t have a mom and dad to talk to. So smart and in touch with their souls, amazing kids.
Menzi was a soccer player for the “Blackhawks” soccer team for many years. Here he is as a young man. So great having lasting relationships with these kids, many who are now adults.
Pastor Thwala is the father of so many kids it’s a bit overwhelming. So thankful for his faith, love, care, and shepherding for the people of Ntshongweni. He reminds me of this verse- “Let not the wise boast of their wisdom or the strong boast of their strength or the rich boast of their riches, but let the one who boasts boast about this: that they have the understanding to know me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,” declares the Lord.” Jeremiah 9:23
Mpilo is the son of Buhle, another member of the first family we met in Ntshongweni. So excited to see him as he continues growing into a young man. Saw him all over the place and drove by his house daily.
Siyonda, helper to so many kids in the village and quite the young man. Here he is working in the sewing factory behind the church. A gifted and grounded man.
Our first day we had lunch with the entire team and pastor Thwala. So great to be with a group of like minded people who love God and love their neighbor as themselves. Thankful for each one of these folks for bringing their unique gifts to Africa.
Food deliveries! We bought a month’s supply of food for 25 of the village’s most in need families. Such a gift to meet and pray with each while walking the streets and pathways of the village.
Innovation- making a soccer field in the dirt and using bottle caps to play the game. Wow!
Thankful to be a part of these families lives and that God lets us be a part of providing for them.
Many of these houses are rough. We find many of the candidates for new homes on these walks to the most in need folks.
Pastor has a magical way of making everyone laugh. Although the jokes are in Zulu, the reactions are priceless and have us laughing as well.
The local boys help us with food deliveries. Such a blessing having them come along and see the whole scope of life in the village.
Africa! What can I say, it’s a beautiful country that my heart longs for. The normal home we rent was unavailable and air bnb hooked us up in a home within a game preserve. This was the view, spectacular.
The view on one of our daily walks. Wow
Blocking the road at our game preserve driving home after a long day. Can’t say I’ve ever been welcomed home by zebras.
Goats! Check out the scenery behind them. The view from the home we painted. This is known as the land of 1,000 hills, you can see why.
This is a piece of what the weeks looked like… It also included painting another home, visiting prior homes to see if they needed any repairs, two church services (a bunch of confirmations/baptisms tomorrow with pastor Brones preaching), one of our team nursing at the AIDS respite center at Woza Moya in Hillcrest, experiencing a food delivery miracle at Gogo Elizabeth’s orphanage in another village, taking village kids clothes shopping, painting Nkululekus new 1 bedroom home, etc…
Life is but a vapor, thankful for the immeasurable joy of serving your neighbor with the help of God.
