TOUGH TRANSITIONS...

From teaching kids how to swim in the hot, South African, summer, sun...



... to Colorado's "HOLIDAY BLIZZARD 2006"



This past week and a half have been hard for me. I left South Africa a week ago, Tuesday, and after about 26 hours of flying arrived back in my home state of Colorado. I was truly so excited to see family and friends again, and be in the comfort of "home", but I haven't been able to shake this pervading sadness. So much changed in my life in just one day (where I live, the people I spend time with, my job, my physical surroundings, the weather, how I spend my time, and the food that I eat). I am trying to get my feet on the ground and figure out how I fit back into this American culture that I have been so removed from. The truth is, I am mostly just sad. I am sad that I had to leave and say goodbye to the kids that I love so much (and a country that I love so much). It isn't that I am not excited to be home, or excited to spend time with my friends and family (who I also love so much), it is just that I am mourning the loss of what was. Change is hard for me, I think. Perhaps it is hard for all of us. So, I am trusting God and leaning on Him. I have peace about my decision to leave South Africa and come back home-- I know the timing is right. However, the transition is still hard. Some things have been pretty exciting though-- like the recent snow storm, or shall I say, BLIZZARD!
Let me share with you a bit about what is being called the "Holiday Blizzard of 2006"...



The top picture you see is of the door to our back yard (which my mom very carefully opened in order to take the photo). Two days ago it started snowing, and snowing, and snowing, and snowing! The wind was blowing quite strongly and soon the blizzard warnings were in effect for most of the state of Colorado. The snow kept falling and only late yesterday did it finally stop (but only after close to three feet of snow had fallen)! Above is a photo of Dad and I after our attempt at trying to clear away the thick blanket of snow that covered our driveway.




The airport soon closed down (with close to 5,000 holiday travelers stuck inside for the night). The governor called in the National Guard and the Red Cross for assistance. By the end of the night all the highways were officially closed down. This is a picture of our house taken from our back yard!




This is a picture of one of the doors to the outside of the house after all the snow had fallen. Don't think we will be going out that door anytime soon. As of yesterday the blizzard warnings had been lifted and the roads were beginning to be cleared. However, all the malls were shut down yesterday, as well as schools, the postal service, government offices, restaurants, and most other businesses. We were quite literally "snowed in" which made a great excuse to stay in pajama's all day, eat soup, and spend time watching old family videos!

It feels a lot more like Christmas here in Colorado, but I still miss sunny South Africa and the all of the precious kids there from Orphan Support Group. Please keep them all in your prayers as Christmas can be a sad and lonely time (reminding them of what they do not have). Thank you!

Love,
Jen (from snowy Colorado!)

p.s. Please also pray for stranded travelers who have had to spend two nights sleeping on the airport floor in Denver waiting for flights out of town.

LOVE CONQUERS ALL-- Angels of God Summer Camp 2006



The following are some pictures of this year's summer orphan camp, which was held at the new farm! It was such a wonderful week full of great teaching (thanks to Dennis Wadley as well as Mama Lulu, Babalwa, and Refiloe), art, crafts, ping-pong, volleyball, jumping on the trampoline, swimming lessons, free time in the pool, a talent show (the talent coming from all of the kids!), horse back riding lessons, and a visit from Santa Claus on the last morning of camp. Each of the children received a new soccer ball from Santa as well as Christmas cards with personalized letters from people in the States which were particularly meaningful to the kids. I really enjoyed spending time with the girls in my cabin, who ranged in age from about 8-11. My favorite times were at night when we all retired to our rooms and I got to tell the girls stories, laugh with them, and go to their beds-- one by one-- to tuck them in and give them a goodnight kiss. Many special memories were created at camp-- for campers and leaders alike. I will never forget moments worshipping with the kids, beading necklaces with them, throwing a ball around outside while waiting for dinner, splashing around in the pool with excited swimmers, seeing the kids play with their new soccer balls, and helping them create Christmas crafts and ornaments to give to loved ones. Thank you for all of your prayers during this week of camp. Lives were truly changed and I believe the kids (and the leaders) left with a greater understanding of just how much God loves them. Many of the kids also came to know and truly believe during this week of camp that God wants the best for them and has great plans for their lives.



This is a photo of two of the older girls working on making beaded slinky bracelets. Notice the camp T-shirts they are wearing!



This is Ben, a Bridges of Hope co-worker of mine, with a group of kids shortly after Santa had visited their rooms. The World Cup soccer tournament is being hosted by South Africa in 2010 so a case of "soccer fever" is spreading like wild fire throughout the South African youth!



Some of the younger kids enjoying time spent jumping on the tramp!




This is Anita, one of the youngest (and newest) girls in the Angels Of God orphan support group. She was in my cabin group and I really enjoyed the chance to spend a lot of time with her and get to know her better.



This is Dennis Wadley taking a group of guys on a ride through the farm on the 4-wheeler (it is amazing how many kids can fit on the back of that trailer!!)

Precious Kids...

Today, more than 6,000 children will lose a parent to AIDS

This past Friday (Dec. 1st) was World AIDS Day. It was a day to bring AIDS awareness worldwide as well as fight the stigma that is tied to the disease. I thought a lot about the kids that I work with in the Orphan Support Group (most of whom have lost their parents to AIDS) and was very aware of the fact that the pain, suffering, and sigma associated with AIDS doesn't just affect the person with the disease, but it affects his or her children as well. Many, many, children are left parent-less and alone to trying to make it in this harsh world. I know that God desires that we care for the orphans and it is so exciting to see people all over the world proactivly working to protect and care for orphans. I recently read the following in an article written by Chuck Colson:

"The United Nations reports that some 143 million children worldwide have lost one or both parents. That's roughly equal to the population of Russia. In 2003 alone, 16 million children were orphaned. Every fourteen seconds, a child loses a parent to AIDS. Genocide, war, famine: These are just a few of the reasons for so many orphans. And in our own country, more than 800,000 children pass through America's foster care system each year. Some 120,000 of them could be adopted.
This month, Focus on the Family, Family Life, and Shaohannah's Hope, founded by my good friend Steven Curtis Chapman, along with nearly fifty other organizations will join together in the Voice of the Orphan campaign to raise awareness and encourage Christians to become involved in this issue of global concern. If we truly value life, what better way to show it to the world than by caring for life in its most vulnerable forms"

Please pray for the kids around the world who are orphaned. Also, please pray for the group of 56 kids in the Orphan Support Group who are coming to camp this week! We have been working hard to get the farm ready for the kids and it is now prepared (bunk rooms, trampoline, playing field, library, game room, big worship room, ping pong, pool, etc.) I am very excited for this upcoming week and would love your prayers for each child and leader who will be present. Please pray that hearts would be softened and that lives would be changed. Pray that healing would occur, walls be broken down, and that the kids would know and experience the deep love of God. The children have all experienced a lot of hurt in their lives (more than I have ever known) and I hope and pray that God would meet them in their suffering and draw them to Himself. The theme of this year's camp is "Love Conquers All". I know it will be a memorable experience for all involved. I can't think of a better way to spend my last week in South Africa than with the kids that I love.

Thanks for your prayers!

Love,

Jen

Cultural Experiences

I have had many fun opportunities recently to enjoy Xhosa culture; music, festivities, food, and traditions. Let me tell you a bit about the church dedication ceremony in Philippi-- but first an explanation of the white face paint you see below...

In Xhosa culture, the face is decorated with white paint during times of celebration or for traditional festivities and ceremonies. We have had a lot to celebrate lately! Most significant is the new church building in Philippi that was just completed! Let me tell you about the church and the recent dedication service and celebration of this new building... The photo above is the interior of the new building taken from the top balcony looking down. This church is one of the tallest buildings in Philippi and the cross on top of the tower can be seen from long distances away. This building serves not only as a strong and beautiful structure for the people of Philippi to worship, but also as a physical symbol in the community of hope, growth, peace, change, and development. "UZUKO KU THIXO" means "Praise be to God"
Directly following the dedication service we enjoyed a Xhosa feast which we helped prepare the day before. A cow was slaughtered right on the church grounds (after being led over to the church on a rope). A man leaned over to me and said, "...this is the freshest meat you will ever eat!" I was fascinated to see how every piece of the cow was put to use. The "mama's" (older women in the community) traditionally get to enjoy the brain while the eyes are saved for the oldest and most respected man. I got to see the whole process of cleaning, scraping, shedding, cooking, and serving-- it was really something! I now know that there is a lot of work that goes into making those nicely cut slabs of meat that are cleanly packaged in Saran wrap for us at our local grocery stores. As I was sitting in the kitchen of the new church peeling potatoes with a group of mama's I was shocked to see a pile of about 15 goat heads under one of the tables on the kitchen floor (right next to where we were working). One of the girls in the room must have seen my shock because she smiled and picked up one of the heads without even thinking twice! I couldn't believe it! Needless to say that little goat head is now in the stomach of a nice, happy, church-goer who celebrated with us the new church building God provided in Philippi! "Celebrate good times, come on"... (African style!!!)

Beautiful South Africa

Lately I have been profoundly aware of just how beautiful South Africa is! Last weekend I spent the day at the beach (pictured above) and enjoyed watching people play volleyball, wind surf, and casually walk along the waters edge.
These past few weeks I have spent the majority of my time working at the farm (Bridges Academy/Retreat Center), which is shown in the picture above. Each day that I drive out to the farm I am struck by the brilliant green of the vineyards and hills complemented by the magnificent blue sky. It is so beautiful!
This is a photo of some of the mountains ("hills" if you are from Colorado) that surround the town of Stellenbosch (where I live). At night, when the sun sets, the hills turn pink and purple against the darkening sky-- it is amazing! I have a view of these hills from the window of my flat just above my kitchen sink (which makes doing the dishes a little nicer)!
This is another picture of Bridges Farm where we have been spending a lot of our time painting, scraping, tiling, and remodeling to prepare it for the upcoming orphan retreat in December.
Above is a picture of the coastal route which runs along the Southern edge of South Africa. Tomorrow I am leaving for a long weekend get-away to enjoy this stretch of beach. Three friends and I are taking this road and stopping along the way to surf, eat at fun restaurants, enjoy leisurely walks on the beach, play volleyball, and maybe throw the frisbee around. Our final destination is a beach town down the coast. I am truly so blessed to live in this beautiful country and experience God's creation by going on road trips, hiking, backpacking, camping, working on the farm, and looking out of my kitchen window!