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