Check mate......

In an effort to broaden the minds of students, the first chess class was given at the Charles Memorial Primary School. Mr. Mdu Msoni taught the basics of chess to 12 students and 6 of their teachers. The students come from grades 5 through 7 and they were all very eager to learn. They listened and looked attentively along with their teacher as Mr. Msoni showed then the various elements involved. They repeated enthusiastically the different pieces, "rook, bishop, knight, queen." It was very exciting to be there with them. By the end of the class they were able to set up the chess board, identify all the pieces and move them around the board. I asked the students if they enjoyed the lesson and they all said with smiles a very big "yes". I wonder what will be on their minds tonight.

In addition to Charles Memorial Primary School, chess will be introduced to La Lelani and the Ntshongweni Primary Schools. It think that this will be wonderful for the students as it will allow their minds to think in a new way and have some fun at the same time. Keep the students and Mr. Msoni in your prayers.

Zama's story

This past Friday Pastor Thwala found out about a young girl who is orphaned. Her name is Zama. One of the ladies in the sewing class brought it to his attention. So he asked Zama to come to the church to meet him and so that he could hear her story. At a young age she was given away to a lady who lived in Ntshongweni. Her mother did it because she was heavily into drugs and alcohol and she does not know who her father is. Zama grew up in Ntshongweni in the home of the lady she was given to and was verbally abused by the family. The lady who she was given to recently died and she went to live with a family member of that lady. The verbal abuse has continued in this new household. Zama is 17 years old and in grade 10 and has a baby. The father of the child matriculated last year and has moved to Johannesburg. When he asked if there was a way to find any family members she said that she did not know any of them and heard that her mother had passed away sometime ago. I met her at church on Sunday and she is very humble young lady.

Please keep Zama in your prayers.

School supplies.....

I want to send a big "THANK YOU" to all the teams that brought school supplies last year. I was able to give them to the children to help in getting them back to school. It's funny how sometimes we take things for granted. This afternoon as I was on my way to the homes I saw children coming from school and it made me sad to see that instead of a school bag all some of them had was a plastic bag and they were carrying their pencils and other things in their hand. I also saw a small boy, probably about 5 or 6 years old just crying his eyes out. I asked someone to find out what was wrong and someone stole his shoes at school so he had to walk home barefoot. It is only the second day of school.

Please keep the children in your prayers.

Happy New Year...... back to school

Happy New Year!!! The year has started off with a bang for me and I am ready to dig my heels in. Last week Pastor Thwala and I spent a few days meeting with the orphan families to get school information for the children. There are 92 children that will be going back to school on Wednesday. Today Pastor Thwala and I met with the caregivers in Pinetown to go shopping for school uniforms. I thought that it would go by quickly since folks would have already done all of their shopping. Not!!!!! The store was packed and it was sheer madness with folks grabbing pants, shoes, skirts, backpacks. After a long 6 hours we got most of what we needed to get the children off to a good start.

Please keep the children in your prayers as they head back to school. Pray for a good year for them and that they will get good marks. I ask this because the recent matric results across the country were not very positive. There were 18 schools that had a zero percent pass rate and across the country the pass rate was very low. Education is key to their future.

Christmas Eve...

Joy to the World , the Lord is come!

Let earth receive her King;

Let every heart prepare Him room

The words of this song are in my heart and mind as I sit alone on Christmas Eve. Christmas time is indeed a joyful time because of the gift of Jesus to mankind. May each of our hearts prepare room for Jesus since he was sent to us out of love and to reconcile us to God the Father. I am thankful for Jesus since this year I am away from my family and friends. Today I am filled with joy and sadness. Joyful because I am blessed to be here in answer to God's call to serve him in South Africa and sad to be away from home. I don't feel alone because Jesus is with me and that makes me happy.

Christmas time in South Africa has been very different. There is no winter wonderland filled with snow. Instead it is summer time, so everyone is on holiday and people are having fun at the beach. There are Christmas trees in the malls and stores but there aren't very many lights. In Phoenix and around the U.S. there are towns decorated like Christmas villages, zoos are covered in lights and I miss that. I love Christmas songs and I used to listen to the radio everyday to hear them. There haven't been many songs on the radio, so I am glad for iTunes. There was no Charlie Brown Christmas, or the Christmas Story with Ralphie shooting his eye out. I did see the Grinch that Stole Christmas today. I am thankful for all of the blessings and it will be a good Christmas because of Jesus.

To my family and friends a blessed Christmas to you.

Invictus

I saw the movie "Invictus" today and in my opinion it was a very powerful story. Of course the critics can always have something negative to say. I highly recommend seeing it. The angle that Clint Eastwood took and the story that it told was perfect. Nelson Mandela after being released from prison after 26 yrs became president of South Africa. Now as the leader of a country divided he looked to the captain of a rugby team to unite the nation. Many opposed him, but he did what was necessary and he saw his country come together. In spite of the evils of apartheid which kept him imprisoned for so long, he approached his presidency with a forgiving heart. The message that I got was that if we seek vengeance against those who harm us them we are no better than they are. Instead we should forgive.

The movie got it's title from the poem Invictus by William Ernest Henley. The word Invictus comes from the latin word meaning unconquerable. Nelson Mandela first discovered this poem when he was locked in a very small cell during his time on Robbin Island. In the movie he said that it gave him the strength to stand when all he wanted to do was fall. Mandela shared this poem with the captain of the rugby team, Francois Pineaar before the start of the world cup where 43 million South Africans stood in support of their team the Spring Boks. I share this poem with you.

Invictus

Out of the night that covers me,

Black as the Pit from pole to pole,

I thank whatever gods may be

For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance

I have not winced nor cried aloud.

Under the bludgeonings of chance

My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears

Looms but the Horror of the shade,

And yet the menace of the years

Finds, and shall find, me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,

How charged with punishments the scroll,

I am the master of my fate

I am the captain of my soul.

World AIDS Day.....

Today is World AIDS Day and all over the world people are showing their support by wearing RED ribbons. I don't know if any of you have lost a friend or a loved one to AIDS. I lost my Uncle David to AIDS many years ago. I didn't understand the far reaching effects that the disease would have. I happened at a time in the U.S.A. when people thought it was only the homosexuals who got it. But HIV/AIDS is much more than that. It knows no boundaries affecting people of all ages, gender and nationalities. It is crippling our world.

In 2008 there were 22.4 million people living with HIV in Sub-Saharan Africa, more than two thirds of world's total. In South Africa there were an estimated 5.2 million people living with HIV/AIDS, more than any other country and there are 1.4 million AIDS orphans. I am in a country surrounded by people who are living with HIV and many don't even know it. On this day South Africa's message is three-fold: (1) I am responsible - calling on everyone to know their HIV status, (2) We are responsible - encouraging couples to protect each other and remaining faithful and (3) South Africa is taking responsibility - the government is providing leadership to ensure that every South African can prevent HIV.

So today on World AIDS Day, I first ask that you pray for all of those infected and affected and for God's healing and peace. Go for a HIV test, wear a RED ribbon to show your personal commitment to stopping new HIV infections and to support people living with HIV, talk to family, friends and co-workers about what they can do to stop the spread of HIV and be educated on how to prevent HIV, how to manage it and how to help others cope with it.