Bittersweet feelings as we are headed to our Florida home. Many great memories and blessings. Many Ntshongweni family members to miss until next time. A beautiful family and friends to return to in Florida. Here are some of the memories and blessings from these past 10 days...
The church preschool. A hundred children doing what children anywhere do. Playing, laughing, acting up... The preschool teachers love, teach, coach and prepare these kids for education. They share The Gospel with them every day. My biggest blessing; having one of these kids who is now 8 years old tell me that she still has a picture of me holding her when she was 4 years old. Highlight for sure. Telling these kids UJesu uyakuthanda (Jesus loves you) and have them tell you the same thing later, maybe years later.
Visiting the Duma family. Here's Jessica hugging Nobuhle while holding her son Mphilo. Highlight- playing for some time with Mphilo with tennis balls, toy trucks and coloring books. Taking time to look over Nomfundo Duma's grave behind the house and saying a prayer for her siblings. I know she's looking down from heaven and we miss her. As we go to depart, having little Mphilo say as clear as a bell - "Goodbye Jessica,"after speaking isiZulu the entire time. Definite highlight. Seeing Sanele Duma progress at University for Journalism - blessing X 10!
Gogo = grandmother in isiZulu. With an entire generation absent from the community, Gogos have stepped in and become mothers and fathers for many children and young adults. Gogos provide orphans with the support they so desperately need. So what a blessing to do a Gogo lunch and give these ladies a break. Great idea Nomthandazo Thwala! They loved it. Joking with them and hearing their stories = highlight. They are living this verse everyday: “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”
James 1:27 NIV
http://bible.com/111/jas.1.27.niv
We use a local builder- Johannes and his helpers to build homes for families that couldn't get help elsewhere. Here's Gogo Rosemary's new home that needed some paint. When we arrived she and her neighbor had removed everything from inside and prepared for a few coats of paint to help seal the plaster. Such a blessing to see it progress with many hands making for little work. Highlight- watching Alex help Rosemary put her kitchen back together. Also, having Pride and Prosper come home to a freshly painted house.
Highlight- walking home through the valley with Jessica. Seeing people along the pathway and in their homes and stopping to talk with them. "Sawubona!" I see you - being the isiZulu greeting. It doesn't take long for people to figure out we aren't fluent, but I think people appreciate us trying.
Getting to do new things! A boat ride with 29 kids and chaperones. Hearing the kids sit on the bow and yelling like they are on a roller coaster ride as we exit the inlet in 8-10 foot swells. Going to the beach and seeing the kids play soccer, throw each other into the ocean, jump waves, laugh and share friendships. Seeing Alex play with his Ntshongweni family that he's known for the past 6 years like he's been living here the past 6 years.
That Toyota Quantam taxi is smooth. Especially with 861,000 km or 535,000 miles on the odometer. Especially considering the type of duty these babies do, the roads are challenging and they spend some time off-road. Sorry Mr Khoza, I never quite got 2nd gear perfectly without a littl grind...
Worshipping with our Ntshongweni family reminds me of; “After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.””
Revelation 7:9-10 NIV
http://bible.com/111/rev.7.9-10.niv. Hearing The Gospel and singing in isiZulu reminds me of this day when every people group will be on their knees before The Lord; powerful and definitely a highlight.
Seeing our Ntshongweni family make progress with the help of The Lord and Pastor Thwala, His light on a hill in this community. Imagine, Pastor has hundreds of children that are without their parents and God has prepared him to be father to many. He helped Sindisiswe get her state identification. Something she couldn't do on her own without her parents. Pastor made it happen by cutting through large amounts of red tape. She held this ID like it was gold, she's so proud of it. Amen pastor, you remind me of this verse; “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”
Galatians 6:9-10 NIV
http://bible.com/111/gal.6.9-10.niv
Here's Sindisiwe's Gogo, when we met her a year ago she wept as Jessica held her. Streams of tears as she did what she could to support herself, Sindisiwe, and others. She reminds me of this scripture; “But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents. Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others.”
Mark 12:42-43 NIV
http://bible.com/111/mrk.12.42-43.niv
Playing every free moment... Jessica definitely has the touch of bringing joy to these kids... You guessed it, reminds me of this verse; “In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”
Matthew 5:16 NIV
http://bible.com/111/mat.5.16.niv
We are so blessed that we are saved by faith in Jesus and our salvation doesn't depend on us...
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
Ephesians 2:8-10 NIV
http://bible.com/111/eph.2.8-10.niv
In response to that grace, what has God prepared in advance for you to do?
Hamba Kahle (go well)
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