Well, I am truly digging in here. No longer do I feel I am on an outreach, I feel I am immersed and learning so much.
I'm a bit lonely, but very glad brooke is here. I think we are making progress.
Today is Friday and we had to make our end of the months report to turn in to the Dept of Health. This is exactly why I don't work with the government in America... too many forms, South Africa is the same.
We have l0 caregivers, and we had to tally all their visits and clients. With the language barrier, it was amazing we got it done, but it took ALL day. We will turn in the forms Monday and see where we went wrong, or right!
Out of l0 caregivers, we had 3 deaths this month and one of the caregivers turned in another OVC (orphan of vulnerable child).
This little girl we will go see monday. She lives with a l5 year old sister, no grant coming in yet and she is 7 and has AIDS herself. Pray for wisdom as we go to help this family. next week we will also take the boys from last Friday to get uniforms for school and shoes as some people have come forward to provide this. We do need to continue to help a bit with food. Pastor Prince and Brooke drove out to the Aunts yesterday and she wasn't there, but amazingly the older brother 21 (who went with them to the country looking for the aunt), called prince today to say, they now had all the documents so off to Social Services Monday for them as well. Praise the Lord, we are moving forward.
Today there was a TB meeting so our caregivers came in two shifts. At lunch with the first shift, one of the caregivers started sharing with me (she has good English) about the need for school fees for her l4 year old daughter, her 23 year old daughter had been helping her until she was murdered a year ago July. It was the most tragic story. Just left with a friend of her ex-boyfriend and never returned, her body was found mutilated and decapitated. The mother accused the boyfriend who, now has threatened her so she lives somewhere differnt. it was so sad. After she verbalized it all to me, Prince came in and she told it all over again to him (he later told me he had read about it but they never knew it was her daughter). She cried and I ministered to her while Prince took the others next door. It is pretty hard telling a mother of such a horrible act, that for her sake she needs to forgive and trust the Lord for vengence. (please pray I didn't say anything stupid as there is a bit of language barrier and it is really hard to express yourself sometimes when ministering. Must rely on the Holy Spirit to bridge the gap and cover the errs.
It was a long day. Glad the weekend is here for a bit of a break. Monday we will move forward with the orphans, and begin to check on each patient seen by our caregivers to guarantee the visits and needs are being met. Then the first full week in october we begin feeding the TB patients.
Please pray for our meeting with the 7 year old with AIDS and her l5 year old sister.
Pray for finances for each of these projects., The caregivers need support (trying to raise $l00 each) and we have l sponsored
9 to go.
Also for the extra funds to begin buying food for the TB feeding scheme.
it is a bit wierd as the schools have "spring break" next week and all the stores are breaking out their summer stock. Strange stuff. Enjoy the colors if they are out and one of those crisp fall days for me.
Much Love and appreciate your prayers. I know God is going to show himself to each of these we come in contact with. Great Is His Faithfulness.
Friday, September 26, 2008
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Update!!!
Just a quick update. We took the older brother to the schools, the elementry school waived the fee, and the older boys we need to get a letter for. The 21 year old was nice but admitted he couldn't raise these guys (the 3 have the same father deceased, the older one had a different dad. He was a nice boy, but that is a commitment, apparently there is an aunt who has all their documents, so we have to track her down. There is a chance she is getting their money. Please pray we can track this down. We do have some funds now and we will buy them shoes and new uniforms. At the elementary school,the principle said 1/2 the students are orphans isn't that amazing.
Well, we are trying to not be overwhelmed. Our scripture Brooke and I got was "Don't grow Weary in Doing Well....the harvest is coming". I will have to give you the reference later...have to run for now. Thanks for your prayers, i will fill you in on the household of girls we went to today! We have been working with them since May.
Be blessed and pray, God is the Love we have to offer, the hope, their provider, and the lover of their soul.
Penny
Well, we are trying to not be overwhelmed. Our scripture Brooke and I got was "Don't grow Weary in Doing Well....the harvest is coming". I will have to give you the reference later...have to run for now. Thanks for your prayers, i will fill you in on the household of girls we went to today! We have been working with them since May.
Be blessed and pray, God is the Love we have to offer, the hope, their provider, and the lover of their soul.
Penny
Saturday, September 20, 2008
The other shack:
Okay, no pictures this time, sorry for the previous blog my picture titles got mixed up with the text and so the first few paragraphs read funny and niether Brooke or myself could edit it. We'll learn.
It is saturday and I have spent the whole day inside, a few people have popped by, but overall it was a day of catching up and resting in the Lord after a very busy week. So much to process. It is rainy and cold here which I hear is unusual for spring, it is more like winter. After yesterday I am so grateful for my home with electricity and all my electronic things working (ie computer, ipod, etc). We take those things for granted don't we? I want to share yesterdays experience with God in another "shack"........
Friday morning Brooke and I were ready early and made our way to the grocery store, we bought food for the lunch we serve the caregivers, but I felt led to buy some basic things to take with us as we went to find out about the orphans living in the mud and stick shack. I bought rice, beans, mealy meal, sugar, tea, cookies, cornflakes, long life milk, and butter. We had a good meeting with the caregivers and shared the good outcome of the man in the shack!
After the meeting, we went to see the man and his family with supplies and then headed over to his neighborhood to take a picture of where he lived and then down the path to check out the orphan situation. When we arrived, it was muddy, drizzling heavily, gray and cold, the wind whipped right through our thin jackets. We carried our parcels and went to the house, as we went aroung to the front, we found l window with most of the panes of glass broken out and door barely fitting the hole it occupied.
Prince knocked and as soon as the door was opened the three of us stepped into the dark room out of the bad weather. (I always feel so bad, people are so shocked to see us whites in their area especially when we step into their homes, usually if there is a lighter person with a Zulu it is the police...not us). The one who let us in was a tall boy, we were to find out he was 15 years old, he was in a school uniform, the sweater was tattered, the tie was short (like a 5 year old's tie) and the shirt was not very white. Oh he seemed shocked but gentle and sweet. There was also a little 7 year old boy there. You could smell the paraphin stove was cooking something. Prince introduced us to him and we handed him the parcels saying a neighbor told us they were struggling a bit.
We found out there were four of them living there, all boys. A 21 year old who worked opening doors for the taxi's (not much money), and then this 15 year old a 13 year old (not home) and the 7 year old. Their mom had died in April of this year 2008. Their father who had never been in their life had died in 2004, and because they didn't have his death certificate they hadn't gotten grants. There was no social worker, and the school was going to kick them out if they didn't come up with R110 ($15 ) each for the 3 still in school. (didn't the school know their circumstances?)
The neighbor had given them a few potatoes to cook, they were almost out of paraphin for the burner, Prince handed them R20 to purchase more. The kitchen area was up one step and the walls were mud and wood with gaps allowing wind in. there was a double bed in the corner. Prince asked if they had blankets and they said yes 2 (there were 4 of them and the 15 year old was tall, it had to be freezing. Yep the house was messy and brooke noticed a room off the main room with the door locked but we could see a made up bed through the crack. They said it had been their mom's room and she had been a very hard working to mom who tried to make a life for them. (this was very much Princes life so he was really identifying with all except the loss of a mom).
No electricity (only candles), no water (only a pump outside somewhere and an outhouse).
We told them we wanted to help and got the brothers number and left ours. They thanked us and we left. Tears or rain, it was hard to tell. I felt God was weeping for the grief of those boys and they lived there barely noticed in their sorrow. Where was the church?
I was ready to go shopping for everything. Prince held me in check and as we went to the store, it was hard, I wanted to buy meat (they had no refridge), I wanted to buy a kettle (no electricity), we bought, candles, cups, Milo, matches, salt, bread, peanutbutter, laundry soap, body soap, deodorant, toothpaste, soup, it was so hard. We took 4 washed blankets we had. You know they wanted to keep clean but no money. To move them from their house means they could lose their land. We definately need the Lords wisdom and guidence.
Well, Monday we will go to the councellor, social services and the school after we meet with the older brother, who called prince and thanked him for what we did???? What we did? buy a few meager groceries and promised to look into options. Well I guess you know I am ready to clean out and paint some rooms to let them move in and finish school at the ministry. They are near the area the councellor wanted to give us buildings in. You want to do so much. However I am seeking Him for understanding of all the things He has shown me this week and what steps we are to pursue...buildings, taking in kids, what is He asking us to believe for? Please pray with me.
People who are mourning and can barely bury their mom
People who are dying in shacks, alone and sick. (but this had a happy ending)
People, children who are trying to maintain school and live, with no parent, no income and the most pathetic living conditions I have ever seen.
What do I know..... His heart has been in each one of those shacks, loving on those people, and amazingly He used us to come and help them with transport that many of you have helped us with, with food out funds you have donate, AIDS education, do a funeral, offer hope to the orphans and healing to the sick. I think of all the believers, and all the church buildings and I say.... come and see.....as much as we don't understand, or comprehend, all I can say is I see God's heart breaking for each of these ......and He is giving His Church the opportunity to help.
The strategy??...we wait for, the funding??... we wait for, but I am beginning to understand George Mueller a little bit more as I go to Him and say.....we have kids to love and feed and house and educate, we have sick we need to feed, and house and care for. This is what you have put before me today so please provide this need. I believe the more we give out the more that will come in and we will never lack. He said ask.........believe me I am!!! And as long as He goes with me, I will go to shack after shack after shack, because no matter what we have or don't have, we have the answer..... a relationship with a loving and caring father, who will NEVER leave us nor forsake us!! He is there in each shack I've seen so far.
Please pray for us and be blessed......He loves us.
Penny
It is saturday and I have spent the whole day inside, a few people have popped by, but overall it was a day of catching up and resting in the Lord after a very busy week. So much to process. It is rainy and cold here which I hear is unusual for spring, it is more like winter. After yesterday I am so grateful for my home with electricity and all my electronic things working (ie computer, ipod, etc). We take those things for granted don't we? I want to share yesterdays experience with God in another "shack"........
Friday morning Brooke and I were ready early and made our way to the grocery store, we bought food for the lunch we serve the caregivers, but I felt led to buy some basic things to take with us as we went to find out about the orphans living in the mud and stick shack. I bought rice, beans, mealy meal, sugar, tea, cookies, cornflakes, long life milk, and butter. We had a good meeting with the caregivers and shared the good outcome of the man in the shack!
After the meeting, we went to see the man and his family with supplies and then headed over to his neighborhood to take a picture of where he lived and then down the path to check out the orphan situation. When we arrived, it was muddy, drizzling heavily, gray and cold, the wind whipped right through our thin jackets. We carried our parcels and went to the house, as we went aroung to the front, we found l window with most of the panes of glass broken out and door barely fitting the hole it occupied.
Prince knocked and as soon as the door was opened the three of us stepped into the dark room out of the bad weather. (I always feel so bad, people are so shocked to see us whites in their area especially when we step into their homes, usually if there is a lighter person with a Zulu it is the police...not us). The one who let us in was a tall boy, we were to find out he was 15 years old, he was in a school uniform, the sweater was tattered, the tie was short (like a 5 year old's tie) and the shirt was not very white. Oh he seemed shocked but gentle and sweet. There was also a little 7 year old boy there. You could smell the paraphin stove was cooking something. Prince introduced us to him and we handed him the parcels saying a neighbor told us they were struggling a bit.
We found out there were four of them living there, all boys. A 21 year old who worked opening doors for the taxi's (not much money), and then this 15 year old a 13 year old (not home) and the 7 year old. Their mom had died in April of this year 2008. Their father who had never been in their life had died in 2004, and because they didn't have his death certificate they hadn't gotten grants. There was no social worker, and the school was going to kick them out if they didn't come up with R110 ($15 ) each for the 3 still in school. (didn't the school know their circumstances?)
The neighbor had given them a few potatoes to cook, they were almost out of paraphin for the burner, Prince handed them R20 to purchase more. The kitchen area was up one step and the walls were mud and wood with gaps allowing wind in. there was a double bed in the corner. Prince asked if they had blankets and they said yes 2 (there were 4 of them and the 15 year old was tall, it had to be freezing. Yep the house was messy and brooke noticed a room off the main room with the door locked but we could see a made up bed through the crack. They said it had been their mom's room and she had been a very hard working to mom who tried to make a life for them. (this was very much Princes life so he was really identifying with all except the loss of a mom).
No electricity (only candles), no water (only a pump outside somewhere and an outhouse).
We told them we wanted to help and got the brothers number and left ours. They thanked us and we left. Tears or rain, it was hard to tell. I felt God was weeping for the grief of those boys and they lived there barely noticed in their sorrow. Where was the church?
I was ready to go shopping for everything. Prince held me in check and as we went to the store, it was hard, I wanted to buy meat (they had no refridge), I wanted to buy a kettle (no electricity), we bought, candles, cups, Milo, matches, salt, bread, peanutbutter, laundry soap, body soap, deodorant, toothpaste, soup, it was so hard. We took 4 washed blankets we had. You know they wanted to keep clean but no money. To move them from their house means they could lose their land. We definately need the Lords wisdom and guidence.
Well, Monday we will go to the councellor, social services and the school after we meet with the older brother, who called prince and thanked him for what we did???? What we did? buy a few meager groceries and promised to look into options. Well I guess you know I am ready to clean out and paint some rooms to let them move in and finish school at the ministry. They are near the area the councellor wanted to give us buildings in. You want to do so much. However I am seeking Him for understanding of all the things He has shown me this week and what steps we are to pursue...buildings, taking in kids, what is He asking us to believe for? Please pray with me.
People who are mourning and can barely bury their mom
People who are dying in shacks, alone and sick. (but this had a happy ending)
People, children who are trying to maintain school and live, with no parent, no income and the most pathetic living conditions I have ever seen.
What do I know..... His heart has been in each one of those shacks, loving on those people, and amazingly He used us to come and help them with transport that many of you have helped us with, with food out funds you have donate, AIDS education, do a funeral, offer hope to the orphans and healing to the sick. I think of all the believers, and all the church buildings and I say.... come and see.....as much as we don't understand, or comprehend, all I can say is I see God's heart breaking for each of these ......and He is giving His Church the opportunity to help.
The strategy??...we wait for, the funding??... we wait for, but I am beginning to understand George Mueller a little bit more as I go to Him and say.....we have kids to love and feed and house and educate, we have sick we need to feed, and house and care for. This is what you have put before me today so please provide this need. I believe the more we give out the more that will come in and we will never lack. He said ask.........believe me I am!!! And as long as He goes with me, I will go to shack after shack after shack, because no matter what we have or don't have, we have the answer..... a relationship with a loving and caring father, who will NEVER leave us nor forsake us!! He is there in each shack I've seen so far.
Please pray for us and be blessed......He loves us.
Penny
Friday, September 19, 2008
The Shack in South Africa
'The Shack' in Ntuzuma, S. Africa
To those of you reading this, many of you are friends and family and also fan's of the book,
"The Shack" (an amazing book if you haven't read it).
I heard it said, the shack represents our hearts where we meet with God. Well this week doing ministry I met the heart of God in a shack (viewed to the right) and another mud shack not pictured.
Please bear with me as I am attempting my first
The inside of a shack where we blog entry, it is about my experience Thursday
found a sick man the door pictured and friday of this week September 18 and 19.
is where we found him laying
The work we are starting here is called Ukukhanya Life Care Center, and the area wehave begun reinstating is our home-based care.
We have 12 caregivers who work in the section they live in and care for those with HIV and AIDS, the elderly and disabled and to identify the
OVC (Orphaned and Vulnerable Children).
The week began for us with my first Zulu Funeral, many of you got my email about my first day back in S.A. and Zola the Zulu lady who died two weeks back. Her funeral was Tuesday and it was a cool and windy day, the family was so poor they couldn't rent the typical tent and chairs for a
A man's home from 1984......the shack! funeral, so they put up a tarp and borrowed chairs from our church. Prince did the funeral and I helped with a short word. 3 ladies from our team came to do the singing (no instruments of course only their god given voices, lovely). The cemetary was desolate, there were already about l0 graves dug, and Zola's was one. Prince and I were the transport, with my rented Hyndai Getz, and his corolla. plus one van from the funeral home for family. After we get there and say a few words the men lower the casket covered in a blanket, and shovel the pile of dirt over it, there are about 3 shovels so they shovel and fill in the deep grave, and then when tired others take over. The observers stand and sing the whole time.
no headstone, only simple crosses (if they can afford) and no flowers. Since we didn't know we were doing the funeral til 6:30 in the morning, we picked flowers at the last minute, we were the only ones to do that. The son, laid a stick with leaves on the grave. But this isn't what I wanted to write about... it is the shack story.
Wed. night two of our caregivers in "C" section (actually one of the nicer sections of Ntuzuma) called and asked if Prince and I could transport a patient on Thursday to the clinic, a new, very sad case. Of course we said yes and arranged to pick them up at 8:30 am. We went to a cul de sac (where we know a Pastor with a sick wife lives). but we walked past his house, around a few other houses and came into a clearing where there was the shack.
A neighbor came up to talk with us, and then I followed the two caregivers into the shack. It was dark, with light shining through the slates of the two wooden walls, and the flapping piece of rusty tin. On an elevated door covered with a folded blanket, lay the thinnest man I ever saw. One eye was missing, his hair was matted and thin, and clothes were hanging along the wall, covered in dust and dirt. He pulled himself to a sitting position when i entered. (I think when they see me around as a mulungo (white person) they think a ghost has just entered. Whites are almost never seen in Ntuzuma, let alone off a footpath in their home).
He immediately tried to put socks on as he knew we were taking him to the clinic. (apparently the place was quite cleaned up by our caregivers as today at meeting they said there had been feces everywhere (as there is no running water, no electricity, and and outhouse somewhere but not in the vicinity as I looked today and never saw one). We grabbed his I.D. book, got some pants on him and began to walk him out. He was leaning on our caregivers as we picked a path straight up a hill strewn with tin cans, alcohol bottles and weeds. A neighbor going before us kicking the path clear. When we reached the top, I took the keys from Prince and Prince scooped the old man into his arms and carried him the rest of the way. He was in such bad shape. We all piled into the car, I gave him my water bottle as he said he was thirsty. We headed to the clinic.
Prince asked where he was from and he told him a rural area. He said he had no family around.
We left him at the clinic with the caregivers and we called an old folks home prince knew about in the rural area. We thought we would take him there and post a picture in the paper asking for family (does anyone know this man)? When we went back to the clinic, he was getting an iv of fluids, and prince was able to get an address out of him for family in Kwamashu the neighboring township. We decided to go there since he wouldn't be done until 2:00pm. If no family we would go to the old folks home in the rural area an hour away. J1111 was the house number, so we drove around. We had his name and ID book with a picture in it (like our passports).
We found the house, and walked around back, a child came out and a teenager. Prince spoke zulu to them, then a woman in her 40's came out, probably a niece to the man who turned out to be 58. She looked at the picture, said (in zulu) it looked like her uncle but the name and info didn't match. (later we were to find out the white man he had worked for got him a fake id so he could get services as he had lost his). The niece went in and an older woman maybe 60's came out. She looked at the picture and confimed he was her brother.
I held my breath.....would they care, would they help, what was all this history. I knew from my AIDS work in america alot of times there are burned bridges. The story unfolded...............
this man had left home when he was 23, never to return. He lived in this shack not that far from his family (quite a distance walking but a neighboring township). They had no contact with him except a few years back they bumped into him at a clinic and he ran away saying he had diahrea, but I am sure it was shame. The two ladies spoke to the children in the home, and put on shoes and jumped into the car with us. We still had an hour til his IV was done so they wanted to see where he stayed and we wanted to see what they wanted to take. We went to the shack
again. The neighbors saw us and came over. When they saw this was the family the look of shock was unmmistakable. They had helped care for him and then called in our caregivers. He had lived there for 24 years and said he had nobody. The neighbors were so relieved and grateful to us, for finding his family to take him in. My heart ached as I walked with the shack with the two ladies, tears filled their eyes as they saw the gaps in the walls and said how cold he must have been, and looked at the door he used as a bed. They accessed his meager belongings and began to pack his things. Prince came in and said, lets go see what is happening at the clinic and we will come back for his belongings.
At the clinic we went back to the room where he was laying on a bed receiving IV fluids, he was dehydrated. he had just received an HIV test where it was confirmed he had AIDS and TB.
We went in the room and he raised up when he saw his family. It was all in zulu, but I knew they said he was coming home with them and that was that. The nurse confirmed no point in going to the hospital at this time, and we could take him with us. (oh that room had a 14 yr old or so girl, so thin and getting IV's along with a mother (young who was pregnant) with a 1 year old getting IV's. I was quite sure all in that room had AIDS. The girl went to the hospital. And when the nurse asked about us, Prince said we were here since our caregivers had found this man, we had found his family and our plan was to build a hospice. She said there is such a need.
We took the man home and I waited in the car with him, while the ladies and Prince went down to pack and lock the shack. Up the footpath, came the neighbors and family carrying garbage bags of clothes and blanket, and a plastic pan filled with pots and pans. (amazingly all fit in our car. The five of us thanked the neighbors and drove to the sisters homesite in kwamashu, where we helped them unload and take him inside. We informed them of his status, advised they burn the blankets and we would bring new tomorrow. We would bring gloves and diapers (PTL). we exchanged numbers and left.
Prince and I prayed as we returned to the office for the family and the man, and actually rejoiced that in such a dire, desperate situation, we witnessed the fathers heart, inside the shack!
The family forgave, and took him in like the prodigal! the neighbors showed love and compassion as papa tells us we are to do. Loving one another. The caregivers, gave of themselves as they had cleaned him up and called for help, in a situation of very unsanitary conditions. I think it is called laying down their lives for one of the least of these.
Today, Friday, after taking the caregivers home from our weekly meeting, we took supplies to the family and checked on the man. He lay on a mattress in a home filled with kids, cleaned up, filled up (as he had started to eat), and on clean bedding. He looked 75% better. Isn't it amazing what Love can do????
I leave you with that as I must go to sleep. Tomorrow I will blog, where this encounter led us to another shack needing the fathers love. This one ......was pointed out to us as we took the family to the man's shack a neighbor thanking us for helping pointed down the path to a mud and stick house and said there are some orphans living there in dire straights. We promised we would come Friday, and today (friday we did) .......I will write tomorrow.
He loves us and He continues to show me, He is especially fond of each one! He will go to great lengths to reach the one person. Knowing what to do and how to do it, keeps us so utterly dependent on Him!
Much Love,
Penny
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