A Dream Come True....a look back at October

The Ntshongweni Center and Creche was the dream of Pastor Senzo Majola, the previous pastor of the orphan project. Before his passing in May of 2008, he dreamed of having a place near the church where the little ones could be cared for during the day and a center where the youth and young adults could attend workshops to learn new skills. Construction for the center began in August of 2008 with volunteers from the United States and South Africa.

As many people got involved with the project the dream got bigger. They worked very hard in the USA talking about the project, encouraging people to go to South Africa on teams and holding fundraisers to be able to support the project. The project also received support from partner churches in South Africa. The pastor and many of the youth and members of the congregation of the German Lutheran Church have participated in programs for the children in addition to helping with the orphans homes. The Indian Lutheran Church has donated food and clothing for the orphans.

In May of 2010 a team from Jacksonville put the finishing touches on the buildings. Julia, Pastor Thwala and I were very happy and we started using them for VBS and other programs. The kids enjoy coming to the center. It is a place where they can have fun, learn and be safe. The ladies from the sewing group were happy to have a new place to meet.

As we looked toward the future there was the task of getting the pre-school registered as a NPO (non-profit organization). Julia, Pastor Thwala and I prayed daily for guidance. God lay the path for us which took us to the Department of Social Development, then to the director of the pre-school association. With the help and support of many in the community things were coming together.

Friends from Phoenix, Arizona joined us the week of October 11th - 17th. They worked alongside partners from South Africa to finish the playground and to equip the creche so the buildings would be ready for the dedication. The floors were painted, decorative art painted on the walls of the creche, curtains were hung, they wanted everything to be perfect and so it was. They also had a very special surprise for the soccer team. The boys were gifted soccer uniforms and gear. The look on their faces were priceless as they received them. Their dream had come true.

The dream of a community center and creche has come true. The Ntshongweni center and creche were dedicated on October 17th by the bishop of the LCSA ( Lutheran Church in Southern Africa). There were over 300 people in attendance including guests from the USA, Pretoria, the community and throughout KwaZulu-Natal. It was amazing to see everyone and to be a part of the ceremony. On October 26th, the application for NPO status for the creche was approved and the creche opened on November 1st with 36 children. Thanks be to God.

Pastor Straueli joins Pastor Frank, Ken and John to finish the playground

Julia, Pastor Thwala and I with the team from Arizona

Kat is surrounded by new friends in the creche after painting the wall

Mrs. Zulu the cook, Hlengiwe the principal and I cook up a batch of food from Feed My Starving Children

The soccer team all dressed in their new gear that Ken brought. Don't they look good....

I am getting my face painted in preparation for church and the dedication

Julia and I with Ken and Pastor Frank. We are dressed in traditional Zulu attire.

With over 300 people in attendance, the church in Ntshongweni is packed.

Jim Wolf and Bob Funk unveil the plaque on the newly dedicated Ntshongweni center and creche.

Bishop Weber of the Lutheran Church in Southern Africa blesses the buildings.

The kids eating lunch on opening day of the Ntshongweni Creche.

Hlengiwe the principal teaching the kids.

Many prayers have been answered and God has been faithful. He has blessed us with more than we could have ever imagined. I continue to be thankful for the blessing of serving Him in Ntshongweni.

Yours in Christ (Owakho eNkosini)

Shara

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13

A Look back at September

"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Thanks be to God for the many blessings he has bestowed upon us. September has been a great month. We are very much in preparation mode to get the creche (pre-school) opened in November. In addition to that we had our third session of VBS but only for 4 days. One of the major things that we had to do was to spend time at a few of the local creches. This helped us to see how things operated on a day to day basis. Since this is all new territory, it really helped me get a good picture of what to do.

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During my day at the Khulakahle (grow up well) Creche I decided to help out in the kitchen. It was fun but also quite hectic. There were about 200 kids to feed and I was on rice duty.

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I had the privilege of observing and assisting in the Grade R (kindergarten) class. The kids were very excited to have me there and asked lots of questions. They also enjoyed posing for the camera.

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Getting to take pictures like this is part of what makes me love serving in Ntshongweni. This is one of the students from the Isiduduzo (to comfort) Creche.

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I am standing with the principal (Thuleleni) and former principal ( Gloria) of the Isiduduzo Creche. Also pictured is Hlengiwe, she will be the principal of the Ntshongweni Creche. I spent the day observing and learning a lot from the ladies. They have been a great resource for me.

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This is the 3-4 year old class at the Isidudzi Creche. They welcomed me with open arms. I really enjoyed my time with them.

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The caregiver support group is coming together nicely. Julia, me and the social workers from the Christian Social Services have formed a great team. The ladies are beginning to support each other. During the last meeting they decided on a name for the group. It is called “ Tholokahle” meaning, we have found a good thing.

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We had our third session of VBS. I am happy to say that we were blessed with 70 to 80 kids daily and with lots of new faces. In this picture the kids are starting the morning with a few songs and prayers before breaking into their groups.

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This is the 2-7 year old group led by Rejoice. She will be one of the teachers for our creche. She worked alongside the other two teachers and they will be a good team. The ladies taught the lessons and my part was simple, I helped with the crafts. A far cry from the first time that we did VBS when I had to do much more. I am glad they were there and the kids enjoyed their time at VBS.

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This is the 8-15 year old group led by Hlengiwe. She will be the principal at the creche. She taught the kids about the seasons and nature so for their craft they did leaf painting.

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The kids in the community came together to do a fundraiser to celebrate Heritage Day. In this picture they are practicing one of the Zulu dances that they will perform.

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My supervisor Cindy Rodewald and her son Jacob (in the orange t-shirt) came down from Pretoria to spend a few days with Julia and I. They joined us at VBS and helped out with the kids. The boys really liked having Jacob around.

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Cindy is helping Mrs. Maduna (one of the teachers) trace some fish shapes for the craft of the day. Since we don’t have a copy machine, we had to make copies the old fashioned way by tracing.

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Cindy and Pastor Thwala are spending time catching up.

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Julia, Cindy and I are watching the girls take part in a friendly dance competition in preparation for their Heritage Day performance. It was so much fun and they can dance very well.

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This was taken on the last day of VBS. The kids are standing with the craft that they made after hearing the story of Joseph.

They are great kids and it is such a joy to spend time with them.

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Thank you all for your continued love, support and prayers. Please pray for the children as they are back in school.

Love in Christ,

Shara

A Look back at August

“For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Ephesians 2:10

August was a bit of a hectic month with trying to get the NPO (non-profit organization) application for the creche finished and submitted. We have been working hand in hand with the folks at the local Department of Social Development. I was able to submit the application during my time in Pretoria. One of the highlights of the month was the visit that we received from Mrs. Nokuthula Zulu, the director of the pre-school associations. Once the creche is operational, we will have to be associated with them. She was very pleased with the buildings (both the creche and center) and the playground.

*Pastor Thwala, Mrs. Zulu, Shara, Gloria & Hlengiwe (principal of the creche)*

*I am standing with Eldah and Primrose from CSS*

In collaboration with the social workers from the Christian Social Services (CSS) we have planned to start doing workshops/support groups with the caregivers both from the orphan project and throughout the community. We had the first caregiver support group and it was a success with 31 caregivers attending. Julia, myself and the social workers were filled with joy to see them. The session started with an ice-breaker that talked about the importance of communication and how we are all connected. The group decided on the topics for future meetings. They include parenting skills, budgeting and issues affecting the children. For the second meeting the social workers talked about how to become a foster parent. The ladies have been very excited about the group thus far.

*The caregivers during the ice-breaker*

*I am standing outside of the Dept. of Social Development in Pretoria*

*I am presenting my Bible study to the ladies, part of the deaconess course*

*The deaconess class*

Julia and I were invited to the deaconess course at the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Pretoria. We were part of a class of 9 ladies. The women came from South Africa, Botswana and the DRC (Democratic Republic of the Congo). Deaconess Grace Rao from LCMS World Relief and Human Care was the instructor. A deaconess is a servant of the Lord who teaches the faith through Bible study and catechism, does spiritual care by means of counseling, visitation and mentoring and performs acts of mercy by working with the youth, orphanages and even battered women.This course was a great opportunity for me to continue learning.

*Me and Mama Sheila (from Botswana)*

Since the course was held at the seminary, I had the opportunity to get to know many of the seminarians who have come from all across Africa (Ethiopia, Sudan, Kenya, Nigeria, Uganda) to study. One of the fun parts of the day was getting to play volleyball and just talking to them about life in their countries. It is such a blessing to be in fellowship with the body of Christ.

*I am standing with Minka (Germany), Noxy (South Africa) and Julia*

PartyLite Fundraiser

In an effort to continue raising support for my service in South Africa I will be participating in the PartyLite Fundraising Program. How the program works is that I will receive 50% of the total sales. Those funds will go toward my financial support for my term of service. I will be working with my dear friend and PartyLite consultant Virginia Handrich. To receive the brochure, email me at shara004@gmail.com. Please consider supporting me. Check out PartyLite at www.partylite.biz/vhandrich

Sala kahle (stay well)

Yours in Christ,

-Shara-

VBS Round 2

Since the schools were on holiday for the world cup, Julia and I planned another round of VBS. We asked for volunteers from the church and school to help us. The teachers were excited the we had something for the kids to do. The overall theme was the trinity and we used Bible stories to answer the question who is God, follow the life of Jesus and talk about the Holy Spirit. The volunteers picked out the stories and planned the lessons and Julia and I supported them by putting together crafts and supplying the resources for them. We were also there to assist them.

Julia and I didnʼt know what to expect. We prayed that the kids would come and that they would enjoy what we had planned for them. On the first day we had 70 kids and day 2 we had 100 kids. WOW!!!! As the weeks went on we average about 60 kids per day. We were very happy to have such a great turn out. The day was suppose to start at 9:30am but when Julia and I arrived at 8:00am there were always kids there waiting to play. The kids ranged in age from 2 yrs to 14 yrs. We broke them into two groups.... ages 2-7 and ages 8-14. I was brave enough to take on the older group. The day started by gathering the kids together for singing and prayer, then we split the groups, the Bible story and lesson, craft time, snack time, play time or movie then a final prayer before leaving. Some of the older boys always stayed behind to play soccer or to help us lock up.

We were blessed to have volunteers from the German Lutheran Church. The pastor, the vicar and some of the youth came on twice to lend a hand. One of our colleagues from Pretoria spent 3 days with us and a good friend who is a Mormon came out to see what we were doing on one of the days. One of the pastors from the seminary was with us as well and he taught the kids a worship song in English. I had the opportunity to teach many of the lessons. The volunteer who initially did it had to take some time off for medical reasons. So with the help of my dear friend Ntokozo, who translated for me, I was able to pull it off. We did stories like the Good Samaritan, David and Goliath and the life and Miracles of Jesus. The kids even acted out the stories and did a great job at it. One of the things that I did was to give ten spelling words in English from each of the stories we did and rewarded those that got 10 out of 10 with sweets. I also found word finds for them to do focused on each of the stories. The kids got into groups of 4 and they loved...loved...loved doing the word finds. On one of days we went through the

Salvation Story and then made the bracelet. That day my Mormon friend came to volunteer and he was great with helping the kids put the bracelets together and even made one for himself. He also spent time with the boys playing soccer and getting to know them.

It was an amazing 3 weeks and I feel more connected to the kids. One of my boys, Nhalhla invited me to come and see his home and I am looking forward to the visit. Another of my boys, Mlondi said that I needed a Zulu name and so called me Shaka after the great King Shaka of the Zulus. God blessed us with wonderful volunteers and children. We look forward to planning another round of VBS for the next school holiday.

Pastor Eboro from the seminary spends quality time with one of the kids

Sanele the student becomes the teacher and shows Nhlanhla and his friend the rules of chess

The kids with the lions they made from the Daniel and the Lions Den lesson

Me and my boys after a soccer game. They let me play and showed me a thing or two

Shara, Coral and Julia on the last day of VBS...

Sewing in the new center

The sewing project continues and the ladies are happy to be in the new community center. Even though the class was small today the room was filled with the excitement of being in a new place. We started the class with a prayer and the ladies set up their machines and were ready to sew. The task for today was to make a cosmetic purse. It may sound easy but there was a zipper involved and they are not that easy to put on. As usual there were a few mishaps with needles breaking and needing to be replaced, the bobbins not being wound tightly enough and having to unpick the zipper because it was not sewn on properly. After all was said and done the ladies surprised me with some lovely cosmetic purses and they were very proud of their work and so was I. They will continue to make the cosmetic purses and other items in hopes of generating an income for themselves. Please keep these wonderful ladies in your prayers.

The ladies hard at work

The ladies standing with the finished products (Daphne, Bongi, Sbongile, Zama & Phatheleni)

Team Jacksonville... you were awesome!!!

Team Jacksonville worked very hard for the remainder of the week to get all the painting finished on the inside of the creche. They were also able to finish installing the Sonke. The Sonke is a developmental playground with a series of tires and a balance beam. In the afternoons they continued to interact with the children and help with the lessons on the USA and South Africa. It warmed my heart to see the team members hugging the children. Scott tried to teach them American football and he had a blast. Pastor Kaster could be seen with kids climbing all over him. Stella and Virginia jumped in and ran the craft table. Bill was the master builder helping the little ones with the blocks.

On Thursday the team visited the Ntshongweni Primary School. Upon arrival we were greeted by 100's of smiling faces. The school choir sang for us and we returned the favor by singing our national anthem. We didn't sound too bad and received a round of applause. We were able to visit the first and second grade classrooms and the children were very excited to have us. I had a few moments of fun dancing with the kids. It feels good to hear the kids calling out "hello Shara" as I walk past their classrooms. After the school visit, some of the team members walked back to the center with Pastor Thwala, Julia and myself. They were able to see more of the community.

Friday came quickly and we started the day at the Hillcrest AIDS Center Trust. We wanted the team to see some of the programs that have been successful. The staff has been very gracious to share their ideas with us. Following the visit to the center the team wanted to get South Africa soccer jerseys since it was indeed "soccer jersey Friday." All over the country people wear their soccer jerseys in support of the World Cup and to support the South African team. I thought that it was very cool of them to take part in it. That afternoon we talked about South Africa and the kids sang and did a bit of Zulu dancing for the team. Stella and Karen did a bit of dancing and showed the kids how to do the "Hokey Pokey." The Sonke and tire tower were finished and it was great to see the kids playing on them. In the final moments we were able to get the team and all the kids together for a picture. As the team walked to the church the kids were very sad to see them go.

Team Jacksonville, thank you for all of your hard work and for the love that you shared with the children. God's blessings to you. Please keep the children of Ntshongweni in your prayers.

Bill helps the kids build the great wall of China

Stan and Scott painting the tires for the Sonke

Stella and Virginia help the kids paint their prayer rocks

Pastor Thwala, Pastor Kaster & Bill work on the tire tower

The team stands with the staff and choir of the Ntshongweni Primary School

Julia, Bill & Pastor Thwala painting the tire tower... it's looking good

Pastor Kaster takes a break to play with the kids... "High five"

Scott shows Spha his wrestling moves

Stan & Karen did a great job with the landscaping

The kids having a blast on the new playground...woo hoo!!

The tire tower was fun for these girls

Bill is showing his support by getting the South African flag painted on his face

Pastor Kaster with his buddy Sifiso on his shoulders

The team and the kids waving good-bye.....