I detest...

Doing dishes!

I know, almost everyone does. Not on the favorite list of anyone I know. But I have to say, it's even more of a pain living in South Africa. First, there is no automatic dishwasher! Oh no! I haven't seen one since we've been here. I'm pretty sure they have them in this country somewhere, but I can't say I've looked. I'm too afraid I would find one & want it really bad! But I regress! So hand washing it is! Added to that, we have one small (and I do mean small!) sink in our kitchen. With no hot water. And there is no Dawn Ultra dish soap here either! So, here are the steps to washing dishes.

First, make sure everything is scraped & dumped out. Then, plug the sink with the plug that doesn't quite fit by using the scrubby pad under the plug. Then, 2 empty water jugs from the bathtub faucet with hot water. Use 1 jug to fill the sink while pouring in a quarter bottle of dish soap. Then, start with glasses & cups. Use one of the cups to pour rinse water into from the 2nd jug. Rinse each glass & cup with the rinse water, pouring the rinse water back into the first cup as you go. Next, it's on to plates & bowls. Repeat the process of rinsing. Usually, it's time to change the water after this. So, back to the bathtub! Next it's time for the pots & pans. No non-stick here! No siree! Well, one non-stick, very small frying pan, but other than that, nope! So, scrub away! Rinse & repeat. Last, time for silverware. Wash a hand full, stick it in the glass, pour water over & put in the drying rack. Finally! Dishes done. Whew!

And yes, I do realize that I have a 15 yr. old. Unfortunately, she inherited her uncle's gag reflex in regards to washing dishes. But I make up for that with her having bathroom duty! I'm so mean, but hey!

So, I dream. Not of an automatic dishwasher. Oh no. I dream of a nice, big, double sink with hot running water! Sometimes, you have to dream for attainable goals, not necessarily the big dreams!

Home is more than a house...

It's times like now that bring this inot focus. Many of you may have read about the home that the Orlando team built last month. If not, go to www.tenthousand.blogspot.com The home was built for a single mom with 2 children. Often, the neice is there as well when her mother is not doing well with her illness.

Last night, we recieved the news that the mom had passed away. Now, the 15 yr. old boy will be the head of the household, with a young sister to take care of. The immeadiate needs seem overwhelming enough. Money to release the body to the funeral home, cost of a funeral, paying to keep the electricity on, no food in the house. And then to thnk of the long term needs; well, it seems a little daunting to me, I can only imagine how a 15 yr. old boy feels.

Last night, Ryan asked if there was anyone to stay with the children until the grandfather arrived. When we found out there wasn't, Ryan & Mongolisa packed a bag, grabbed some food & headed out. Two selfless guys, doing what neede to be done.

Our job now is to make sure these children don't fall through the cracks. How can we help make sure they are taken care of & not taken advantage of? How do we ensure that their needs are met so the boy doesn't have to quit school & get a job to support his sister? How do we help make sure the sister isn't raped or abused? Thankfully,we are working with a wonderful pastor in the community. Pastor Stembiso & his wife have the heart of God & the faith of Abraham. Our prayer is we can come along side of them & see the children grow up taken care of & knowing the love of the Father.

It's about...

Sometimes, it seems all about the task. You know, potatoes to be peeled, food to be served, homes to be built, etc. There is so much that needs to be done.

But ultimately, it's about this. The children.

Hope for a community

For the last 2 weeks, we have had the privilege to host a short term team from the YWAM Orlando base. This group of 6 men & 6 women raised the money to build a home and dedicated 2 weeks here to accomplish that task. We are blessed to be working with an amazing pastor in the community & he found a family that had a great need. The family lived in this small shack. The mother, who is on her death bed, had 2 children & an aunt had come to live with them with her child to help out.

Pastor organized a group of young adults to help in any way they could. Before the team arrived, they began gathering water in any container they could find & hauling it to the construction site. Throughout the entire 2 weeks, these young people were there to do whatever needed done, for nothing more than the reward of helping someone in need. If there was mortar to be mixed, they mixed it; if there were blocks to be unloaded, the jumped in; if there was a need for scaffolding, they made it. All with a joyful heart.

The Orlando team was determined to finish the home in the short time span they were here. After 10 days of working their tails off, the home is 99% finished with only a few small things to be done. The amazing thing to me in all this tho was every time I was out there, I saw this team engaging relationally with the kids from the home, the young adults that helped & anyone from the community that came by. The Orlando team not only accomplished the task that theyhad set out for, they also engaged people from this community in relationships. Everyone in the community & here at Ten Thousand homes will be sad to see them leave. They not only brought hope to this family, they brought Hope to a community.

And so what do you do?

Today when I went to Kabokweni, Elizabeth asked me to go with her to check on some children. She was told about them from the home based care workers & wanted to see for herself. After driving half way up the mountain on what were called roads, we finally parked the truck & hiked the rest of the way. Thankfully, it wasn't too bad. When we first got to the house, my initial thought was that it wasn't too bad. The house was small, but looked like a nice little log-cabin type. When we went inside tho, it was quite obvious how hard things were. The home was maybe 10 x10, with a small area partitioned off. The floors were dirt & the only thing inside was a small shelf with oil & salt on it and a very thin mattress. The walls were covered in blue plastic. You could see 2 inch gaps all throughout the house.

The lady who lived there had a 6 yr. old, 2 yr. old & a 2 month old. The baby had recently been in the hospital. The mother told us that the husband had left while she was pregnant & she had delivered the baby in the home by herself. There was no food in the house or any blankets.

I have to say, it was pretty heart-wrenching to see this. And to not be able to do anything, well, it makes you feel so helpless. At the very least, I know the two older children will be able to eat at least 3 times a week. But for the rest of the time? And the mother with the newborn? And how will they stay warm on these nights when the temp is dropping into the 30's? How will I sleep tonight knowing they are struggling with no hope?

Mornings...

Yes, I'm a morning person. I routinely wake up between 5 to 5:30, even without the alarm. Some people think this is insane, but I love it. There's nothing like the quiet of the morning. It's still dark and things are still & peaceful. Slowly, the last few stars begin to fade. The birds start to rouse, chirping & flying about. It seems like if you sit still and listen, you can hear God's soft whisper. Right before your eyes, the horizon turns the most beautiful shade of indigo, slowly softening to a soft pink. A new day has arrived.

What is in store for this day? What does God want for me today? God, how can I show your face to others today? Or better yet your heart? Can I give someone an encouraging word? Will my arms wrap around a child who has no parents? What if I just help peel potatoes & chop onions? Will someone feel your love from that?

All I know is that if I first seek my God in the still quiet of the mornings, I'm better equipped to show His love the rest of the day. When I see His beauty as the day breaks, I'm better able to reflect His beauty the rest of the day.

There but by the grace of God...

As they drove farther into the bush, Lauren explained to the team that the floods that had hit Mozambique the year before had really hurt the people here. There was very little food, no medical care & jobs were scarce. Lauren works for Youth For Christ and had taken the group into the village she helps in. Instead of the normal pap, she serves the chilfdren a much thinner porridge style mealie meal. That way it goes farther. Still, the children are hungry. Lauren often uses her meager funds to supplement the porridge with veggies. It's all she can do.

When the team arrived, the children all came around. The team had brought bubbles and balloons for the children. Their eyes got big as they blew bubbles. They didn't even careabout blowing up the balloons, as long as they could hold them.

There were many little girls, around 5-8 yrs. old, who cared younger siblings tied to there backs. This children would take care of their baby brother or sister all day. One girl, about 5 yrs. old, wore her little pink chiffon dress. It was ripped, had missing buttons and not veryclean. But she was so proud of her little dress. Another boy, about 8,came in his little 3 peice suit. He wanted to make a good impression on the visitors.

As pooras this community was, these children had one thing that was amazing. Their smiles. They were such a happy group of kids. The joy and happiness was beyond understanding. But it was there. And so was God.

As related by John after his trip to Mozambique