Johannesburg
When it rains it POURS in Johannesburg. I'm not quite sure if I have ever experienced rolling thunder, lightening and pouring rainstorms all together mid-afternoon before...but I did today. The weather is kind of like Portland, sunny in the morning, hot and wonderful, then pouring down in the afternoon and cold. I thought Portland was the only place that had schizophrenic weather patterns. I'm not sure if I've written much on Joburg. This city is probably not the first place I would want to go in the world, but do love the team and the people I've met here. There isn't too much to look at...mostly a lot of land with housing, a city-skyline in the distance and trees. Downtown Joburg actually has the highest crime rate in the world. You might as well figure that if you head down there too often, you will eventually get your car hijacked by knife-point. There is a very high murder and theft rate here and all the homes in the surrounding areas have gates, electric fences, barbed wire and guard dogs. I read an article that placed South Africa as the the 3rd most dangerous country in Africa behind war-torn Sudan and Burundi.....that makes it the most dangerous peaceful country in the world. But, no need to be worried...I do feel very protected and the families have all lived here for years, a few burglaries being the worst that has happened. But please continue to pray for my safety and protection if you think of it! Despite the crime and unattractive appearances of Joburg, there are many wonderful things happening around the city. The past 2 days I had the opportunity to spend time with some of these amazing people that are making a difference in their community.
Yesterday I traveled to a township community called Braamfisherville. This is a newer housing project just outside the original Soweto town. A little history: The government made a campaign promise several years back that they would build a million homes in these communities to give to families that are "squatting" illegally for free. That's right....they've actually built way more than a million homes and all of these immigrants from surrounding countries can receive their 5m x 5m home for free. They get a toilet in the home, but that is all. They have to add everything else themselves. But hey, it's a promise they made that they've actually kept. Now there are upsides and downsides to these communities...but I wont go into details here. So Braamfsherville is a community that has over 20,000 homes with no real store, no clinic and no police. There are only 2 primary schools and 1 High school, so the students walk over an hour each way to get to the high school. The crime is high and the amount of orphans is climbing at alarming rates. One of the OC couples have felt called to this community. Over the years of meeting people, prayer-walking and trying to start a grass-roots ministry...they found Hermina. Hermina is in one word- incredible. She has a heart of gold and basically is the welfare/fix-any-problem department of her community. She has such a strong faith in God and a heart to help the children. With the help of OC and churches from America, they have built a day-care center on the side of her property and she cares for many unloved children daily. She cares for them, feeds them, prays for them and provides many services for the suffering people in her community. I had fun playing with the children, but my heart did break as I noticed many had the scares of physical abuse from home.
That is Hermina in the middle. She is one of the most Christ-like people I've ever met!
One of the class-rooms at Hermina's daycare in Braamfisherville.
Angelina is another amazing woman in Braamfisherville. She has a heart for the orphans and the forgotten children that no one is taking care of. She has worked hard to get permits and jump through legalities to run her own "soup kitchen." She currently has taken in 3 foster children and has been feeding the orphans in her neighborhood. The problem with HIV/AIDS is that it leaves thousands of children orphaned daily. I heard a statistic which I am afraid to even write...but if it where even half true, that would be hard to swallow....apparently South Africa has 40,000 new orphans DAILY! That is a lot of children that aren't being cared for. So what's happened is there are 13 and 14 year-olds that are now heads of households. If they are taken to an orphanage then they loose their property, home and everything they own. So they stay, and that is a lot of houses in Braamfisherville that have no parents to take care of basic necessities. This is a need that the Gehart's (OC family) has been praying about and would like to help address. They are hoping to find a Christian couple to live in Angelina's home to serve as the pastors for the orphans. There are hundreds and this would transform a community if it became a reality. If the orphans don't get love, education and care they are most likely recruited to the tsotsi (street gangs) and the cycle of violence and crime continues. Please pray for Angelina and Hermina and the Geharts as they partner with the Lord to transform this hurting community.
Angelina's newest little boy. He was found in a plastic bag in the bottom of a trash bin. How could anyone want to give this up??
Today I traveled into Soweto with Janelle again to do beading work with a group of AIDS patients. The pastor and his wife, Buthele, are godly role-models to the people they touch daily. Their church has fantastic ministries that reach into their community. One of those is helping men and women that have already advanced from HIV to AIDS. They educate them, give them vitamins and medicine and feed them twice a week. They have seen many pass away, but they love them and give them an opportunity to fellowship and read through the word of God. The money they make from their beading goes to help feed them and kids in their community. Again, I have seen Christ in these servants all across a part of the world that is full of violence, corruption and suffering.
Doing Swazi beading with a couple of the AIDS patients in Moroka (Soweto).
Yesterday I traveled to a township community called Braamfisherville. This is a newer housing project just outside the original Soweto town. A little history: The government made a campaign promise several years back that they would build a million homes in these communities to give to families that are "squatting" illegally for free. That's right....they've actually built way more than a million homes and all of these immigrants from surrounding countries can receive their 5m x 5m home for free. They get a toilet in the home, but that is all. They have to add everything else themselves. But hey, it's a promise they made that they've actually kept. Now there are upsides and downsides to these communities...but I wont go into details here. So Braamfsherville is a community that has over 20,000 homes with no real store, no clinic and no police. There are only 2 primary schools and 1 High school, so the students walk over an hour each way to get to the high school. The crime is high and the amount of orphans is climbing at alarming rates. One of the OC couples have felt called to this community. Over the years of meeting people, prayer-walking and trying to start a grass-roots ministry...they found Hermina. Hermina is in one word- incredible. She has a heart of gold and basically is the welfare/fix-any-problem department of her community. She has such a strong faith in God and a heart to help the children. With the help of OC and churches from America, they have built a day-care center on the side of her property and she cares for many unloved children daily. She cares for them, feeds them, prays for them and provides many services for the suffering people in her community. I had fun playing with the children, but my heart did break as I noticed many had the scares of physical abuse from home.
That is Hermina in the middle. She is one of the most Christ-like people I've ever met!
One of the class-rooms at Hermina's daycare in Braamfisherville.
Angelina is another amazing woman in Braamfisherville. She has a heart for the orphans and the forgotten children that no one is taking care of. She has worked hard to get permits and jump through legalities to run her own "soup kitchen." She currently has taken in 3 foster children and has been feeding the orphans in her neighborhood. The problem with HIV/AIDS is that it leaves thousands of children orphaned daily. I heard a statistic which I am afraid to even write...but if it where even half true, that would be hard to swallow....apparently South Africa has 40,000 new orphans DAILY! That is a lot of children that aren't being cared for. So what's happened is there are 13 and 14 year-olds that are now heads of households. If they are taken to an orphanage then they loose their property, home and everything they own. So they stay, and that is a lot of houses in Braamfisherville that have no parents to take care of basic necessities. This is a need that the Gehart's (OC family) has been praying about and would like to help address. They are hoping to find a Christian couple to live in Angelina's home to serve as the pastors for the orphans. There are hundreds and this would transform a community if it became a reality. If the orphans don't get love, education and care they are most likely recruited to the tsotsi (street gangs) and the cycle of violence and crime continues. Please pray for Angelina and Hermina and the Geharts as they partner with the Lord to transform this hurting community.
Angelina's newest little boy. He was found in a plastic bag in the bottom of a trash bin. How could anyone want to give this up??
Today I traveled into Soweto with Janelle again to do beading work with a group of AIDS patients. The pastor and his wife, Buthele, are godly role-models to the people they touch daily. Their church has fantastic ministries that reach into their community. One of those is helping men and women that have already advanced from HIV to AIDS. They educate them, give them vitamins and medicine and feed them twice a week. They have seen many pass away, but they love them and give them an opportunity to fellowship and read through the word of God. The money they make from their beading goes to help feed them and kids in their community. Again, I have seen Christ in these servants all across a part of the world that is full of violence, corruption and suffering.
Doing Swazi beading with a couple of the AIDS patients in Moroka (Soweto).
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