Tuesday

Hello, All-greetings from beautiful Capetown. Tuesday was again an adventure for us all, and the team got to see so many interesting things.

The nursing team was able to go with community nurses to make house-calls, which was eye-opening, to say the least. I went with 2 nurses to about 10 houses-most of the patients are elderly, home-bound, and bed-ridden. Many have diabetes, high blood pressure, pressure sores-same stuff we have, but then throw in tuberculosis and/or HIV and minimal access to healthcare resources, and the problems become even more complicated. But the people are so gracious and grateful for anything the nurses can do. Just as we were about to leave the first house, the woman asked (in very broken English) if the American would pray for her, as if somehow because I am white, my prayers are more effective or something. Very interesting--

The construction team is making great headway on the Masi Baptist Church project-more to come on that.

The kids club team spent yesterday afternoon at the Red Hill township, which is one of the poorest neighborhoods in Capetown. From what we saw, there is no running water, electricity, plumbing, etc. People live in shacks they've built out of cardboard or wood scraps or sheets of tin roofing material that are maybe 12x12' with 10 or more people living in them. We worked with about 30 kids from 3 to 11 years old, very few of whom spoke English, but there was no mistaking the love they felt towards us. As we pulled up in our mini-van, little kids came running up to us and couldn't wait to be picked up, hugged, sit on our laps, anything, any kind of contact at all. We couldn't understand much of what they said, but we had a great time making crafts, singing songs, eating snacks, and just loving on them. Our team leader, Leigh Ann Cates had brought her digital camera and a very small photo printer with her. We took pictures of each child and then printed the photographs and gave each child his picture. It was amazing to see their reactions; many had never seen a picture of themselves, so this was huge for them! Also, there are 3 of us who have long blonde hair, and the kids are so funny about it. For a while, I just sat down in a chair while kids would come up behind me and mess with my hair-it is so foreign to them. Wednesday will be kids club at the Capricorn location-we are expecting around 100 kids. Please pray for this.

If I could sum up what I've seen so far, it's this: there is such a marked disparity between those who have and those who have not. From the time I was a little kid, I have heard the verse that says to whom much is given, much is required. I thought I knew what that meant all along, but I didn't have a clue...please continue to pray for us and the people we are with.