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!

Stuck in Stellenbosch

--Taxi Strikes in Cape Town--

Yesterday was the first day that we were advised by our Philippi staff not come into work, but instead to stay at the office in Stellenbosch due to heightened violence, tension, and chaos in Philippi and around the Cape Town area caused by a large taxi strike. Today things have escalated and the unrest gotten worse because the strike has gone national. Please pray for the Bridges of Hope staff who are in Philippi. Pray for their safety as well as the safety of all involved. Please pray for a quick and peaceful resolution to this strike. Selfishly, we are bummed to be missing things that are going on in Philippi (a CHE monthly meeting yesterday, orphan support group today, and possibly a committee meeting on Monday), but really just desire that no one gets hurt and the whole strike ends quickly. We will have to wait until the roads have reopened and we have received word that it is safe before we go back in (and we hope that is sooner rather than later).

FROM THE LOCAL PAPER...
Chaos as CT taxi drivers strike 26/10/2006 12:24 - (SA)
Cape Town - A bus was set alight and two hijacked during a violent protest by taxi drivers in Cape Town on Thursday morning, the Golden Arrow bus company said.
One of the hijacked buses had been used to block off the N2 highway.
"There have been numerous stonings and several bus passengers and drivers have been injured by shattered glass," said the company's general manager, Francois Meyer.
Because of the danger, the company was currently not operating in the Nyanga, Khayelitsha's Site C, Potsdam and Du Noon areas.
Police were not immediately able to confirm reports that members of the force fired rubber bullets to disperse drivers as they embarked on an illegal march from the Cape Flats to Cape Town.
In a memorandum of demands distributed to the media, the drivers protested against what they said was harassment by law enforcement officials.
"Officers must stop hiding behind bridges and bushes," they said.
They said no taxi driver should be arrested on the road as this left commuters stranded.
'Sick and tired'
They also asked for "separate cells" at police stations, and called for the cancellation of all outstanding traffic fines and warrants "as they were accumulated because of the problems we are highlighting.
"City police must stop assaulting and harassing taxi drivers should this continue taxi drivers will be forced to defend themselves," the statement read.
Cape Amalgamated Taxi Association spokesperson Alfred Maseti told Sapa that when drivers began marching from ranks including Nyanga and Khayelitsha, the police stopped them as the march was illegal.
"And then the rubber bullets fly," he said. He had not received any reports of injuries.
He said it was the drivers themselves who had decided to go on strike, rather than any of the recognised taxi associations.
"We did try to stop them on several occasions, but at this point in time it was beyond our power. They said they are sick and tired," he said.
Law enforcement officials said one of the roads blockaded with vehicles by taxi drivers was the Borcherd's Quarry road, which is the access road from the N2 to Cape Town International Airport.
There was a strong police presence at various points along the N2.
Democratic Alliance provincial spokesperson for transport Robin Carlisle said the taxi blockades and demonstrations had to be dealt with firmly and as a matter of urgency.
"The public not only expects the police to disperse the taxis, but that arrests are made and taxis are impounded," he said.
"Both provincial and municipal officials have at last commenced with regulating the taxi industry. If they lose their nerve now the industry will be out of control for years to come."
Cape Town - Police fired rubber bullets on Thursday to disperse protesting taxi drivers on the N2 highway outside Cape Town, SABC radio reported.
About 200 protesters were on their way to an illegal meeting in the city, and many were armed with pangas and sticks.
The road was cleared after the police action, and traffic flow restored by 07:00.
A few taxi drivers were arrested.
The drivers intended marching to city to show dissatisfaction with the way they were being treated by the police and metro police.
Meanwhile taxi ranks at Khayalitsha were empty as commuters used buses to get to work, the radio report said."