Pointing in the right direction ---->

To the left you see Ezile, one of the youngest orphans who comes to the support group on Fridays. She is a fireball of endless energy and enthusiasm. Lately, I have noticed something ironic and quite amazing. I came to South Africa to help the orphans grow in their relationship with God and try to do everything in my power to direct them closer to the Father, however, I have found that little Ezile and the other orphans have been the ones helping me grow and pointing me in the right direction (closer to God). Though I trust that the orphans have been learning and growing as well, I have been struck by all they have to teach (whether they are aware of it or not)!

I have been thinking a lot lately about the simplicity of these kids' faith. When we tell them stories about Jesus' life they are not prone to ask question after question, trying to analyze the probability of historical accuracy of the particular occurrence. No, they simply trust. I know it is important to be discerning and wise in our quest for Truth, and that sometimes means questioning and probing deeper, but there is something to be said for the child-like faith and trust that these orphans demonstrate. They believe. They trust. It is as simple as that.

I think that sometimes we spend too much time and energy focusing on what we believe when we should be spending the time and energy thinking about how we live-- and actually living in a way that is pleasing to God. I think God cares more about how we are loving our neighbor than if we have worked out for ourselves a solid, impenetrable, theological framework. In this sense, the kids have gotten it right (and I, so often, get it wrong.) Christianity is about loving God and loving our neighbors. It is about faith, and trust. I pray we can all, by the grace of God, obtain a more child-like faith. I am thankful for precious Ezile who helps point me, and all of us, in the right direction!

Match Made In HEAVEN!!!

On this Valentines Day, 2006, I want to tell a touching story of matchmaking that I share as a praise to God for His unending faithfulness and provision. There are three people involved in this story; all in need of love. First, let me tell you about Asanda...

Asanda (pictured on the right) is 17 years old. She is an orphan who has been attending the orphan support group. She has had an incredibly difficult year. Her mom was diagnosed with HIV/AIDS and she and her dad together cared for her mom. One night as Asanda's dad was coming home from work he witnessed a rape and tried to intervene and stop it. He was killed. Shortly after her dad's death Asanda's mom also passed away. During the time that all of this was happening, Asanda was in the beginning stages of pregnancy. Asanda gave birth to a healthy little girl (top left photo) in August. As of last week, Asanda wasn't enrolled in school, had no diapers or food for the baby, and was living alone in a shack without even a mattress to sleep on. Bridges of Hope desperately wanted to step in and help Asanda and her baby, but has committed to not sponsor a child without a responsible adult care-giver also living in the home. This is in order to make sure the funds are responsibly spent and to try and discourage child-headed households. So, we started praying that a caregiver would step up who would be willing to move into Asanda's shack with she and her baby. We were also praying that Asanda would be excited about this potential caregiver moving in. God answered our prayers...
Mama Lulama has been involved with Bridges of Hope's beading microbusiness for quite some time. She is living with HIV/AIDS in a small shack that is too small to fit two parked cars inside of it. With its rickety tin-roof the shack is roasting in the summer under the hot sun and very cold and wet in the winter rainy season. Lulama lives alone. When approached and asked about the possibility of moving in with Asanda, Lulama's eyes lit up. She is a loving, nurturing, compassionate, woman who saw an opportunity to move out of her small shack and into Asanda's bigger shack where she could really help another person and make a positive impact in Asanda's life. Asanda was also excited about having Mama Lulama as a caregiver. In a meeting that was held, Lulama told Asanda, "Now... I am a very nice woman... BUT... I will not let you do whatever you want!!!" This really brought us a sense of relief because, truly, this is what Asanda needs. Love and discipline. A parental figure. Someone who will take some of the burdens off of Asanda and allow her to be a kid again.
This has been such a neat development, one that I really believe was orchestrated by the Divine Conductor. It is an answer to prayer. An American donor has stepped up and committed to support the household financially. Asanda is now enrolled in school, the baby is in day care, the shack is furnished, and everyone living in the shack is well-fed and provided for. Please pray that this transition would go smoothly (as it has so far) and that Asanda and Lulama would come to really love each other. Pray that Asanda would have a soft, humble, heart and be open to having a "mother" figure in her life again after living on her own for quite some time.

Thank you, Lord, for being so good! Thank you for meeting our needs in ways that we couldn't even imagine. Thank you for working for good in a world that is full of pain and heartache. Thank you for your deep, unconditional, love for us.

On this Valentine's Day may we reflect on the love that our Father has for us, and how we can spread God's love to those around us!

Please Pray for Sinoxolo

In Xhosa, the word "Sinoxolo" means "peace be with you." This is an accurate description of who Sinoxolo is-- a person who spreads peace and love to those around her. She is a sweet and sensitive 10-year-old who has a smile that can light up a room and heart-warming hugs that she gives freely and frequently! She truly brings a "peace" that is evident when she enters a room.

She and her two older brothers attend the orphan support group that meets every Friday. My heart has been heavy for Sinoxolo as she is getting increasingly thin and has been sick for quite some time. Sinoxolo has AIDS. She contracted it from her mother who died not too long ago. Last week I stooped down to give her a hug and felt as if I were wrapping my arms around a skeleton. This is very hard and scary. She has been too weak to participate in many of the activities at group, and last week she sat limply on my lap while the others played.

In Philippi, only those that have progressed to stage 4 of AIDS are eligible to take ARV's. Sinoxolo has been at stage 4 for a while now and has been taking these "cocktails" which are supposed to help build up her immune system. We noticed her getting significantly stronger when she first started taking these drugs and she was even able to go back to school. Only recently have we seen her losing a lot of weight and getting weaker. Please pray that these drugs will really boost her immune system and allow her to gain strength and put on weight. Please pray for her emotional health and she tries to cope with this life-threatening disease and deal with constantly being sick and weak. Please pray for friends who will encourage her and for her aunt who is her primary caregiver. Pray that God would heal her little body and restore her to health. Pray that she would know and feel God's presence with her.

Thank you for your prayers!

I wanted to share with you an update on Nomafili and let you know of some specific ways that you can be praying this upcoming week.
There is a missions team here right now from Rolling Hills Community Church. There are eight of them here and the team is comprised of people on the worship team at their church in California who are gifted in directing, singing, and compiling music. They brought with them high-tech equipment for recording and are in the process of recording songs sung by the church choir and the orphan choir. The team will then put together a CD/DVD combo to be sold. The proceeds from these sales will go directly towards the care of Orphans and vulnerable children in the township of Philippi. Please pray that the recording will go smoothly today (Monday) and tomorrow and that all those involved will be blessed by the process of practicing, filming/recording, editing, and compiling the CD and DVD. Also, please pray for safe travels as the Rolling Hills team leaves to go back to California on Thursday.
One of the ladies on the Rolling Hills team, Karen, is is gifted singer and actress. On Friday she planned and led a drama workshop at Orphan Support group. About 45 kids showed up and they were encouraged to use their imaginations and be creative as they practiced acting. They even performed for us at the end of the day. The above photo is of some of the children who gathered at the end of group to sing the Rolling Hills Team a Xhosa song of thanks and appreciation.
I would like to report a praise! Nomafili is feeling a lot better. I don't think that any of her external circumstances have changed, but she seems like a different person this week, full of joy and happiness. She is involved in the orphan choir that is currently in the middle of recording for the CD. This is a really fun and exciting experience for all that are involved. After meeting with the committee, Bridges of Hope has decided to sponsor Nomafili and her siblings by paying for food, school fees, etc. but under the condition that an adult caregiver moves into the home. Then, the money would go to the adult caregiver and she could keep record and make sure that they money is spent wisely and responsibly. Please pray that Nomafili would be open to the idea of an adult moving into the home and that the right caregiver would step forward and volunteer to do this. Thank you for all of your prayers and concerns for Nomafili. I could really tell a difference when I saw her on Friday. She was singing loudly in the choir and seemed to be filled with joy. Praise God!
Please pray for a little girl in the Orphan Support group named Sinoxolo. She is ten years old and has AIDS. She was gone for the holidays visiting extended family and Friday was the first time that I had seen her in a while. Though happy to be back, she looked incredibly thin and it was clear to me that she had lost a lot of weight off of her already thin little frame. It is so sad to she her walking and trying to play with the other kids; literally just skin and bones. Please, please pray for Sinoxolo. Pray that she will fight this battle against AIDS. Pray that she might enjoy health. Pray for her strength (emotionally, spiritually, and physically). Pray that she would gain weight and be able to go back to school.
Thank you for joining with me in prayer for all of these things. Have a wonderful week!

Love,
Jen

Nomafili

Here in South Africa I frequently hear stories that break my heart; stories of pain, suffering, disease, loneliness, heartache, depression, and death. This is especially true at the Friday orphan support group where kids feel safe to open up about struggles they face dealing with their parents death, feeling alone, insecure, and afraid.
This past Friday, a sweet 16-year-old came into group late and pulled me aside. We stepped outside and as soon as we sat down I could tell that she had a heavy heart. Nomafili's parents died not too long ago and she was left in charge of her three younger siblings. Her parents died without writing a will, thus allowing selfish extended family to step in and take all of the families belongings, leaving only the shack for the four kids to survive in. Being the oldest, Nomafili has carried a heavy burden, one that no child her age should have to bare. This Friday I could tell that she was beginning to break under the weight.
She began to tell me about her problems. Every day she wakes up wondering where she will find food for she and her siblings to eat. Her younger sister, Onele (8), came to her and begged for some money so that she could buy lunch at school just for one day. She told Nomafili that she is so embarrassed at school when all of the other children are eating lunch and she doesn't have anything to eat. Nomafili had to tell her little sister that they don't have any money and she has nothing to give. I asked Nomafili how much she eats a day and she says that she can usually eat about one meal a day. She feels the burden of trying to raise her siblings and take care of their needs while trying to balance her own studies. She worries about their safety. She worries about the younger kids beginning to steal from others because they are hungry. She feels totally alone, fearful, broken, desperate, and without any hope for the future. She told me that her heart hurts so badly that she wants to take it out and throw it far, far, away.
She looked me straight in the eyes with tears streaming down her face and asked, "Jen, how could God do this to me? How could he leave me alone with all of this? I can't do it! Why did he let my parents die?" I wish I had some healing words for her at that moment. I wish I could have answered her questions in a way that was clear and comforting. All I could do was hug her as she cried and assure her that God hadn't left, even if she couldn't feel Him.
I encouraged her to go to God and express her anger and hurt. I told her that it is helpful to pray about all of those things on her heart and mind. At the end of the day, I found the following prayer in the prayer box written by Nomafili:

"You know? I don't know what Jesus want from me? He give me the hard thing for my life and I don't know how to do with those things. Sometime I feel like he don't love me or look after me or maybe he is playing with me? Does God love me or not? There are so many things that hold my wish, I do have dream for the future but he is letting my dreams down. Amen."

Please pray for Nomafili. Please pray that she would experience God's presence and really turn to Him as a Father, Comforter, and Protector. Pray that she would continue to turn to God and express what is on her heart and mind instead of running away from Him. Pray that she would experience a renewed trust and faith. Also, please pray that Bridges of Hope would be wise as we discern the ways that we can intervene and help Nomafili and her siblings without creating an unhealthy dependency. Pray that we could find an adult in Philippi who would be willing to move in with these four kids and help take care of them.