Granny groups...Gogo Olympics

"Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this; to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world." James 1:27

The Zulu word for grandmother is "gogo." Gogos have been left to raise their grandchildren after their own children have died from HIV/AIDS. In addition to the struggles of raising their grandchildren, they are burdened with financial issues, abuse, violence, chronic illnesses and the devastating effects of HIV/AIDS.

In an effort to help the gogos deal with these burdens, Cwengi Myeni, a gogo herself, along with a few other amazing women, started Granny Support groups. These groups help the gogos to feel alive again, to pull them out of depression, to get them off the couch. They also help the gogos with finances, promote healthy living, give them a sense of dignity and to develop spiritually.

In their meetings they pray together and share scripture helping the gogos to build personal relationships with God. They learn that no matter how hard life has been, that God loves them. The gogos share their hardships with each other, inturn learning from each other, encouraging each other and they learn valuable skills to help them deal with life. Many of the gogos are unemployed and the only source of income is from government grants which are stretched to help them take care of large families. The granny support groups teach them gardening skills to help them fed their families and to generate income. They also learn sewing, beading and knitting. To promote physical health, they are encouraged to walk and do simple exercises. During the meetings they sing and dance.

The granny groups are scattered throughout the Valley of 1000 Hills. In 2008 there were 4 groups and in 2011, 28 groups with over 1000 gogos. Today the groups include grandfathers and younger women.

This leads me to today. I had the most amazing day at the Gogo Olympics. I am at a loss for words at how awesome this event was. I came away with feeling inspired and encouraged. The granny groups come together once a year for the Gogo Olympics, which was organized by Cwengi Myeni from South Africa and Caroline Nixon from Canada. This is the second year and I am so blessed to be able to attend today. The groups gather together and participate in soccer, netball, jump rope and a few other activities. In the March 2011 Gogo Olympics there were 22 groups with 300 gogos that participated. Today, there were 27 groups with about 1000 gogos. The gogos range in age from 35 - 84. WOW!!!! It was amazing looking at the gogos, so full of life, playing soccer and netball, singing and dancing like they were still teenagers.

It appears that there are no limits to what these gogos can do. What a blessing it was to be there and to just be a part of something so wonderful. My colleagues Ginger and Zeal were there as well. We had a group of 15 gogos from Ntshongweni who came to observe. Ginger will be working with them to get them ready for Gogo Olympics 2013.

"This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." Psalm 118:24

Gogo Cwengi leading the gogos at the opening of the Gogo Olympics

The gogos playing soccer

Jumping rope was no big deal for these gogos

The gogos in a heated game of netball

These amazing gogos watching from the sidelines

Me and Gogo Cwengi

Out of the Mouths of Babes....

"Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it. And he took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them and blessed them." Mark 10:15-16

It is amazing the simple ways that God works in our lives to show us how awesome he is. I had another "Jesus Moment" today. The kids at the creche (preschool) have been learning Bible songs during chapel service. It is a good way for them to learn about Jesus and to learn English. My new colleague Ginger has been teaching them songs like "Jesus Love Me This I know" and "The B.I.B.L.E". The children usually sing songs before breakfast. This morning I suggested that they sing a song that they have been learning during chapel. So the principal gathered them together and much to my surprise they belted out....."Halleu! Halleu! Halleu! Halleuia, Praise Ye the Lord... and sang it beautifully. The smiles on their faces as they sang and their beautiful voices lifted up in praise to our God gave me goosebumps.

It was so good I asked if they could sing another song. They sang "Jesus Love Me This I know, for the Bible tells me so" and used hand gestures. It was the perfect start to my day. So I ran to get my camera to try and capture just a glimpse of this "Jesus Moment." Man do I love serving the Lord.

The kids singing....aren't they cute

Ginger and principal Mzobe lead the children in singing "Jesus Loves Me This I Know"

A Jesus Moment.....

" For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:38

It has been a few months since I have written anything and I must apologize for that. So much has happened and I have been very busy. Something awesome happened today and felt compelled to share this. It is what I like to call a "Jesus Moment." To me there are things that happen or people who come into your life and you just can't explain it. I say that it is the work of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

So let's see if I can do a fairly decent job of sharing with you what happened today. My colleagues Ginger, Zeal and I went to Pinetown (it's the next town about 1/2 hour away from where I live in Hillcrest) to visit the sewing instructor, Gori. Since I will be ending my service in South Africa soon, I needed to get caught up on some invoices and finish up a project that Gori is helping me with. As we sat with her, a lady came in. She seemed slightly out of sorts and briefly said that she had problems finding the shop. She was there to take lessons on how to use an overlocker (a machine that is used to finish the edges of a garment). She was explaining to Gori as we listened that she had it for a long time and wanted to get back to sewing. So she got started with her lesson.

We were finishing up and Zeal was measuring some binding. She started talking to the lady and told her that we are missionaries working in Shongweni and shared about some of the work that we are doing. She was a bit overwhelmed and said that she felt like crying. She shared with us that as she was traveling to Gori's shop that there were many obstacles in her way. She had gotten lost, she has car problems and she even called her husband to say that she was going to give up and go home. She said that she felt overcome by Jesus Christ and that he gave her the hug that she needed as she heard our story. She then told us that she wanted to get back to sewing to be able to help others and that meeting us was confirmation that she needed to go forward with her sewing lessons. Zeal passed on her contact information and the lady plans on getting together with her and Ginger to hopefully visit Shongweni. At this point I am so full of joy, standing in awe at how awesome our God is. He allows things to happen to remind us of His power over the devil. The lady expressed that she felt that the devil was trying to stop her from coming to the shop. Just like Jesus won victory over sin, death and the devil by being resurrected from the dead, He allowed this wonderful lady to feel His presence and guidance this morning.

As this awesome "Jesus Moment" continued, she asked can we talk about Christianity here? She explained that she and her husband live in Dubai and can not talk openly about their faith. Gori the sewing teacher said, "I am a Muslim but feel free to talk openly about your faith here." It is amazing how at just the right time God blesses us with opportunities to share the truth about Jesus with others. Praise be to God for the "Jesus Moments."

Pray that the wonderful lady will be blessed with opportunities to continue sharing her faith and being able to help others.

Pray that seeds have been planted in Gori's heart about the truth of Jesus Christ.

So there it is ..... my "Jesus Moment" for today. Nothing can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus.

10 Things I Love About Living In Africa

1. The richness of the culture and the traditions.

2. How loving and welcoming the people are.

3. Listening to and learning different languages and meeting people from different tribes and countries.

4. The different tribal names that I have been given:

Shaka - Zulu name after King Shaka who united the Zulus

Naaserian - a Maasai name which means peaceful

Ishara - Swahili name meaning sign

5. That each day brings something different. There is never a dull moment.

6. That I don't look different from the local people and they treat me like one of them. They always speak the local language to me.

7. How amazing the singing is. Everyone sings beautifully and with passion.

8. The local food is very good and I have eaten so many different things. In South Africa my favorite thing is steamed bread; in Kenya chapati is my favorite thing.

9. The beautiful and intriquite beadwork of the Zulus and Maasai people.

10. The importance of the relationships and taking the time to develop them.

Getting my face painted and wearing traditional Zulu beads....

Standing with my Maasai friends Evangelists Lazurus on my left and William on the right

Standing with friends from Uganda (Enoch & Frank) who are studying at the seminary in Pretoria

Laboring in love....A look back at Aug/Sept/Oct

“ The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord to send out laborers into his harvest.” Luke 10:2

We were blessed to have several teams from the USA serving with us in Ntshongweni throughout the past few months. They were the hands, heart and feet of God as they labored in love to help the people in Ntshongweni. The August group came filled with lots of energy and enthusiasm ready to serve wherever they were needed. Their project was to help refurbish some classrooms at one of the local primary schools. The classrooms were in very bad shape and we felt that it was important for the teachers and students to have a clean and healthy environment to learn in. For a week we were covered in dust after trying our best to remove the many layers that built up over the years. We repainted the rooms, cleaned the windows and did a few minor repairs. The team members enjoyed taking breaks to play with the children and talk to the staff. The teachers and students

were so excited to see the rooms. They sang, danced and praised God for such a wonderful blessing.

(Working hard dusting and scraping)

(The students and staff thank the team for a job well done)

Pastor Thwala, Julia and I welcomed our new co-worker in Christ, deaconess intern Katelyn Hiett. She will serve with us for 6 months. Pastor Thwala will supervise her, showing her the role of a deaconess in an African context. Julia and I were able to join them for home visits with members of the congregation and the families from the orphan project. It is a wonderful way to strengthen the relationships that we have developed thus far during our time in Ntshongweni.

(The Ntshongweni crew: Shara, Katelyn, Pastor Thwala, Julia)

The team from October brought friends from my home church in Arizona. It is always nice to see familiar faces. The team was happy to see the creche in full swing. They had the opportunity to spend time with the children and teachers. They labored in love by helping to put the finishing touches on the house that was built for an orphan family in July. The team also helped to construct a much needed storage unit for the creche. Those that came for the first time got to use their hands mixing dagga (cement), moving blocks and pushing wheel barrows.

(The team from Arizona working on the new storage unit)

I am thankful to the Lord for sending out laborers into his harvest. He has blessed us with new GEO missionaries Ginger Taff-Lagergren and Zeal Beale. They will be transitioning into service in Ntshongweni as Julia and my service will come to and end in 2012. They arrived in South Africa in September and will be spending some time in Pretoria serving at the Lutheran seminary before starting full time in Ntshongweni.

Ginger and Zeal joined us for 2 weeks in October to get a glimpse of what was ahead for them. They assisted us with VBS and was able to meet some of the children that they will get to see on a regular basis. The ladies attended the Women'''s League Conference with us and they were so excited to be there with their sisters in Christ. Lastly, they worked side by side with the group from Arizona. It was good for them to be there with a short term team and to experience that dynamic. The ladies will start working more closely with us in December. We will have several months to introduce them to the community and to transition them into the mission and ministry in Ntshongweni.

(GEO Missionary Ginger)

(GEO Missionary Zeal with the kids at VBS)

The harvest is indeed plentiful. All praise and thanks to God for the many laborers he has sent to Ntshongweni. I pray for God's continued wisdom, guidance and strength as I serve in South Africa.

Christmas in July

In South Africa we are currently experiencing the cold of winter. Sometimes I feel like there should be snow on the ground, lights on all of the houses and a tree all nicely decorated. Julia and I have even joked about singing Christmas songs.

We had our second team of the year with us from Christ Church Lutheran (my home church) in Phoenix, Arizona. There were 21 eager hearts ready to serve in Ntshongweni. For me it was like Christmas receiving the gift of getting to see many friends who were part of the team. It was wonderful having them around for a week. The “big” project was building a home for an orphan family. Nomusa, the caregiver and the children were able to meet the team at church the first Sunday they were with us. She spent time with them on the build site and shared her story with them. One of the children, Ndumiso worked side by side with them moving blocks, mixing dagga (the stuff that holds the blocks together), laying blocks as they labored in love to get the house to roof height. Way to go team! It has definitely been Christmas in July for the Dludla family. They will be moving into their new home in a few weeks.

The team also constructed the new playground for the creche. This group was made up of some of the first timers on the group. They were a very enthusiastic group and had fun with the children that came to the center for VBS. It warmed my heart to see all of the new friendships between the children and the group, that helped to make the trip even more special for them. The children gave the playground their seal of approval, we could not get them off when it was time for them to leave at the end of the day. Kudos to the group for an awesome new playground.

There were two very special ladies in the group. This was their second time being back in Ntshongweni. Their speciality is counseling. They held a group for the women in the community where they taught them how to deal with grief and trauma, parenting skills and self-esteem. The ladies also did home visits throughout the community and Nomusa translated for them. She is still talking about the wonderful time she shared with them. They were such a valuable resource. Julia and I along with Pastor Thwala will be continuing the group. Thank you for opening your hearts to the ladies.

Yes....did I forget to mention that in addition to the team being there, Julia and I were entering the second week of VBS for the winter holiday break. Since the start of VBS we had about 90 kids attending. Three of the ladies on the team, also first timers worked with us. They planned the crafts and were kind enough to bring all of the supplies that we needed. By the end of the week they fit right in, playing with the kids and teaching them games. They also made some very special friends that I am sure they will remember for years to come. One of the ladies is a very talented artist. She designed a mural that was painted on the chicken run. Ladies you were amazing!

Thank you to the team from Arizona. You were the hands, heart and feet of God as you served with us in Ntshongweni. You have been a wonderful example of Christ, sharing the love of God with the children and even among yourselves.

(The team with Nomusa and the children)

(The team held devotions in the house before starting work for the day)

(Awesome mural painted by Laura, Rhiannon & Randi)

(Some of the team members on the new playground)

Funny How Time Flies...A Look Back at the Past Few Months

Where has the time gone, I just came back to South Africa in March and here it is the middle of July already. The end of the July makes 2 years in South Africa for me. It seemed like yesterday when I arrived. This place has become my home and I am enjoying being fully immersed in the culture.

The past few months have whizzed by. April... had it’s share of ups and downs. Julia and I went to several funerals. That is one of the hard things about life here in SA. There is too much death. I think that I have attended more funerals in one month than I have attended in the past 10 years. It was a sad time because two of the funeral were for mothers that passed for children that are very special to me and it broke my heart to see them cry. They made me think of my dad who went home to be with Jesus only 6 months ago. I miss him very much, but am filled with joy knowing that he is with our Father in heaven. One of the highlights of April for me was getting to be special guests along with Julia via Skype for a volunteer lunch at the LCMS International Center. I always the opportunity to share about the work that I am doing in SA. I also got to travel to a new place..Empangeni in Richard’s Bay with our sewing instructor Gori. I am going places..woo! hoo! The creche also had it’s final inspection from the Dept. of Social Development. It went very well and we got some good feedback. Even so, it’s still a waiting game. It’s all in God’s hands.

(The children at the creche during playtime)

April showers bring May flowers....not in South Africa. The weather is getting cooler as winter approaches. We are looking forward to the first team of the year from Pittsburgh and New Jersey. The team will be installing rain catchment systems of two of the orphan project houses. This will enable them to use the water from the rain as we are still waiting for water to be connected to some of the houses from the local municipality. They will also build a chicken run. The chicken run will enable us to move forward with the chicken project. The hope is to use some of the eggs for the creche and to see others throughout the community. We will start with 15 chickens. It was wonderful serving side by side with them. Pastor Jamison Hardy led devotions at the creche and shared a message using John 3:16. Deaconess Jenny shared a lesson from 1 Kings about the prophets of Baal with about 40 kids that came to hangout at the center. Afterwards they had to write or draw about the ways God provides or shows Himself to them. I enjoy working with teams, it reminds me of my days going on short-term mission trips. Both projects were successfully completed and the team had a great time getting to know the children at the creche. The social workers from Christian Social Services received some funding that enabled them to have a 3 week course that would train and certify a person to be a security guard. Twenty youth from the orphan project and throughout the community enrolled. They were able to use the church. Julia, Pastor Thwala and I attended the graduation. They all did very well and had a new confidence after a job well done. We pray that God will provide jobs for them.

There may not have been many showers (we did have a little rain) but there were opportunities to share about the ministry in Ntshongweni. Julia and I video skyped with a school in Ohio. We got to answer question from the kindergarten class. They were so cute and asked good questions. I think my favorite was....” Is there a Mc Donald’s where I live?” Julia and I visited the town of Piet Retief with Pastor Thwala. It is where he grew up. We spent time with his family and heard lots of great stories about him as he was growing up. It was nice getting to see him with his family. During our time in Piet Retief we took a day trip to Swaziland. We visited Pastor Thwala’s family and they spent the day showing us around. It is a beautiful country. I am still amazed by the fact that Swaziland is it’s own country inside of South Africa. We finished our time in Piet Retief by attending a mission festival at the Lutheran church in Salaam. There were folks from Lutheran churches from the provinces in South Africa and also from Botswana. The body of Christ in action.

(Some of the team members with our chickens)

(In Piet Retief with Pastor Thwala and his family)

The moon in June....There was a total eclipse of the moon on June 15th and I totally missed it. How often does one get to see that, not very often at all. We had a very important meeting at the Hillcrest AIDS Center Trust with Gogo Cwengi. She has been instrumental in putting together support groups for grandmothers (gogos) and she works with 27 in the Valley of 1000 Hills. We told her about the support group that we have in Ntshongweni and she was going to join us for the upcoming meeting on June 27th. We were blessed to have the Harrison family from Jacksonville, Florida join us for week in Ntshongweni. They came with hearts, hands and feet ready to serve. It was a busy week but awesome at the same time. They helped out at the creche, helped to dig and pour the footings for an upcoming house build and we were able to visit many families. Thanks to donations from Bethlehem Lutheran church we were able to help provide food to some families in need. It was a blessing to be able to share God’s love with them and the smiles on their faces were priceless. One of the families that we visited is made up of 4 orphans who have been on their own since their mother passed away 2 years ago. As we talked with them and they shared that, I could feel the tears welling up.... it just broke my heart. The children are 19, 18, 16 and 12 years and the amazing thing is that they all go to school. The 16 year old plays soccer for the team at our Lutheran church. We will do all that we can to continue to help them.

We had a support group meeting on the 27th and Gogo Cwengi attended along with some friends that assist her with her groups. They were very pleased with all that has been going on in Ntshongweni. Gogo Cwengi shared with the ladies the importance of supporting each other and good health/keeping fit. She led them in a round of singing and dancing. What joy it brought to my heart to see the gogos dancing. The school winter holiday break will start on June 24th so Julia and I have been planning and preparing for VBS that will start on June 29th and end on July 14th. We have been asking for volunteers from the church and community and God blessed us far more than we could have imagined. At our planning meeting they very excited about it and came up with songs and activities for the kids. The topics for VBS will be the 10 commandments, the Apostles’ Creed, the Lord’s Prayer. We will use stories from the Bible to talk about our Triune God. VBS started with a bang on June 29th and there were 90 kids on day one. YAY!!!!! God is good!

(Gogo Cwengi and her friends visit Ntshongweni)

(Some of the kids from Day 1 of VBS)