Monday

It was another great day for us here in Capetown and another lesson for our team in flexibility. Our group of 14 or 15 is subdivided into 4 smaller groups: a construction team, a medical team, a crafts team, and a team working with kids in after-school clubs.

The construction team is working at the Masiphumelele Baptist Church doing several projects: building a ceiling, painting walls and the aforementioned ceiling, tearing out and rebuilding a fence and whatever else they can get to in the time we have. No casualties so far, although one team member spent some time dangling from the rafters today when the scaffolding he was working from gave way, leaving him swinging in mid-air.

The medical team spent time this morning in the Living Hope Hospice and will be going out the next few days into the communities with local "carers" who make house-calls to the patients. HIV is so prevalent here, and resources are available to many, but the social stigma associated with having HIV keeps many from seeking out help. It is a sad situation with so many in need and no easy answers.

The crafts team will really get geared up tomorrow working with ladies who are HIV-positive and attend support groups at Living Hope Centre. The women make hand-made crafts that they then sell to make money for themselves and for Living Hope. More about that tomorrow-

The kids club group has their hands full! Today they worked with about 30 kids ranging in age from 5 to 13 in the OceanView township. We're talking to the kids this week about taking care of your body, being clean and hygienic, eating right, keeping your heart clean as Jesus commanded us, and sexual purity (with respect to preventing the spread of HIV). There is so much these kids need and need to know, and it's hard to know where to start and how to talk about it, especially with such potentially sensitive subjects and such a wide age range.

The weather continues to be beautiful and we are all having a great time. Our team is comprised of very different people with different personalities and such different backgrounds--it is great to just spend time together and hear everyone's stories. Needless to say, there has not been a silent moment since we arrived, and I've never laughed so hard in my life.

Oh, and we ate dinner last night while watching yesterday's 11 o'clock service on our laptops via the live video-streaming. (We are 7 hours ahead of Brentwood, so our dinnertime was exactly as the service was starting.) Pretty cool to be halfway around the world and still attend our very own church service. We even passed the offering plate. Somebody can tell Mike the check's in the mail.

Thanks for your love and prayers-