Little Things Matter

There’s nothing like a 24-hour plane trip (from liftoff in Nashville to final touchdown in Cape Town) to help you appreciate little things you normally take for granted, and notice things you might otherwise miss.

Like sleep, for example. I was able to lie down horizontally this evening for the first time in about a day and a half, for a quick nap before dinner. It was glorious. I’ve never slept long or well on a plane, and a long trip usually turns a regular sleep pattern (if I had one) into intermittent dozing, and makes “awake” a relative term at best.

Another thing I miss on a trip like this is the sense of control over my own schedule; being a single person with no kids I have quite a lot of that, usually. But being subject to the schedule of the airlines and then the team encourages the team member to regress to early childhood: “Where do I sit? When do we leave? When do we eat? May I have a drink? I’m done with my dinner now. May I go to the restroom? How do you flush this thing? How come I can’t hear this movie? Why is that man wearing THAT? Are we there yet?” If becoming like a child is key to entering the kingdom of heaven (and we have it on good authority that it is), then travel can definitely benefit one’s spiritual life.

In reality, this trip is pretty low on the “suffering and sacrifice” scale when you look at the whole spectrum of what missionaries have gone through—and continue to go through—for the sake of the Gospel around the world. Financial hardship, isolation, threat of death (even at the hands of those being ministered to), disease…and let’s not even mention the travel conditions; it wasn’t exactly on a luxury liner that took Lottie Moon to China, and it took a lot more than 24 hours.

Yet everyone on this team has had to give something up to be here (some more than others, and most more than me); time with loved ones, time at work, opportunities to do other things that are good in themselves. Yet I seriously doubt anyone would trade what we will experience for anything in the world. A trip like this is a great “wake up call” to my soul, bringing my focus back to who I am in Christ and who He is, and what’s really important. It’s hard to do a complete “cost/benefit” analysis, because so many of both are known only to God. But I am convinced that the results, short-term and long-term, for everyone involved, directly or indirectly, are worth the cost, because He is worthy.

We Made It!

Well...we're here. 24 hours after we left and all of the luggage made it as well! No hang ups @ all...God has been SO good to us already! Upon arrival we have been able to see the whales playing off the coast, some walked the beach, we've sorted crayons for the children, eaten dinner, run through the rules and regulations of the Team House. (And yes, the ice cream freezer is FULL)

This is my first time in South Africa and what is hard for my brain to handle already is the extreme beauty and the extreme poverty residing side by side. 60% of the people here don't have running water or electricity. HIV/AIDS is out of control....the list can go on. At the same time I'm encouraged to see how God has blessed King of Kings and the Living Hope center...because of their obedience to go into their community and to take care of the poor. Erwin McManus writes "God clarifies in the midst of our obedience, not before hand."

Again...hard for me to put my mind around everything, espcially on 3 hours of sleep in the last 36ish.

With that being said...I'm off for bed.

Heather

Ready to go (?)

It's after midnight and I've set my alarm to allow me a "luxurious" 3 hours of sleep before I get up, get ready and catch my ride to the airport. I've obsessed over the details of what I might need according to the plan, what I might need to cover contingencies (like luggage loss), and tried to remember how heavy an ounce is when it gets together with its fellow ounces in my backpack (some sort of weird physics going on, where addition becomes multiplication over time) and pack it light. I admit I've been an easy target for the marketers of all things miniature; those shelves full of travel-size items have drawn my attention more than once these past few days.

My new large suitcase (a "sorry we dented your hardshell suitcase, in the rounded corner--the hardest part" gift from Delta last year) has surprised me with its capacity for...well, capacity. Not used to being able to close a suitcase without sitting on it.

I'm too tired to be excited at the moment; maybe it will hit me at some point tomorrow or the next day, when we're in the air.

Grace and Peace,
Mark

Team members

Here is the list of our team members, according to our primary assignments. Of course, most will get to do more than one thing, and our plans are all subject to change, since what we actually end up doing may be much more, much less or very different from what we expect. This is true of life in general, if you think about it; one more benefit of the missionary life.

Team Leader (our “quarterback”):
Aaron Bryant

Team Liaison:
Jay Johnson (joining us from Atlanta)

Construction:
Bill Bedi
Chad Moore
Steve Galloway
Brian Watt
Walt Miller

Children’s Clubs:
Leigh Ann Cates
Danielle Schneider
Leslie Todd
Mark Kelly Hall
Heather Proctor
Keeli Lonas

Computer work for Living Hope offices:
Jerry Clark
Bobby Stewart

Crafts:
Marsha Miller
Sue Raley
Shannon Carter

Teaching (equipping church staff in Bible-based evening courses on stewardship, etc.):
Liz Clark
Aaron Bryant

Unassigned/part-time (our “all purpose” members joining us from California):
David Horton
Kerri Horton

Awaiting the Aroma of Life

"For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing; to the one an aroma from death to death, to the other an aroma from life to life. And who is adequate for these things?" II Corinthians 2:15-16

As we anticipate South Africa (now only 9 days away!) I can't help but think of those already ministering @ the Living Hope Center. They on a daily basis face morality of man. Every one that has come there has walked away with life more abundant. I can't imagine it's a sweet smell here on earth, but I can only imagine the fragrance in Heaven!! I'm excited to have a small part in the much larger story of God.

Heather

Looking Back...and Looking Ahead

The 2004 mission trip to South Africa, undertaken by a motley but loveable crew from TN (and 1 from FL) is now a distant yet vivid memory. But the relationships that were formed and the work that was done then continue to have their impact on both sides of the world.

We have a new group of 20 or so from Brentwood Baptist getting ready to head South again, and apparently will have some other Yanks there with us at our beloved guest house (a.k.a. Heaven Down Under). A few of us had to go back for more, and much of the team are 1st-timers.

For a verbose but hopefully entertaining recap of last year's trip, see my Notes and News entry called "South Africa: There and Back Again" (I steal from the best). You can also read all about it in previous posts to this blog (see the archive section).

And tune in again to see how the partnership between Brentwood Baptist Church and Living Hope will impact us as individuals and as a team. Sign me up for some computer time as soon as we get to Cape Town! Called it.

Mark Kelly Hall

Back in the Northern Hemisphere

I think I am finally over my jet lag, and back to "normal" life. It has been hard answering people's questions about the trip. Some just want to know about the animals we saw at the Game Park. Others are curious about the landscape and temperature of South Africa (much cooler than I thought it would be!), and some ask me to boil it down to my favorite memory, or the thing that impacted me the most. Those are the hard questions, because it's impossible to condense those 2 weeks into a single lasting memory that sticks out because our team was involved in so many different areas.
I went to Muizenberg every day to the homeless shelter there and worked in the kitchen. I came to care so much for the people I met there in just a short period of time. Our team was able to celebrate a birthday with one man, and mourn the loss of a baby of another woman. Our morning devotion time was special for me, as they quickly volunteered me to sing for them. While working in the kitchen, my new friend Leslie would teach me phrases in Afrikaans amidst our playful banter, and Carol, Leila, and I would sing Beatles songs. I was able to have several spiritual conversations with the people there and offer them the hope that Christ has bigger and better plans for them that are beyond what this world has to offer them. I watched as Kathy read from the Bible and had a discussion with a man named George, and I witnessed Joanne surround a young lady named Marleen with love and comfort. The above picture of Joanne praying with Marleen says more about what we did in Muizenberg than the words I type ever could.
So those are just some of the memories from South Africa that I take with me. Now back home Brentwood Baptist seems smaller, as I saw 5 or 6 team members at church on Sunday that I never would have known if it weren't for this trip. We come from all ages and backgrounds, and various places of ministry within the church, so it's exciting to see how through our different circles, we can share the message of what God is doing in South Africa, and what God is doing in our individual lives. The trip may be over, but the mission work has just begun.

South Africa Wrap Up

I hope to see a few other team members offer some closing thoughts as well.

I could write about this trip for years to come, however space is limited, so i'll try to be brief.
As with many mission trips of this nature, team members spend an extremely larger amount of time together and get to know each other quite well. Sometimes too well haha
I have to say that I began some very good friendships with several of the team members. I learned so much from watching them and sharing with them, as well as listening to their stories. I had the opportunity to see christians put into practice things I sometimes just hear people speak of doing. This was a high point of my trip. The bonding that occurs is something that words can not describe. When several people are united for a single purpose and cause it cn be overwhelming to see the results at times. I can think of two team members that really has a major influence on me during our two week stay. The sharing of feelings and insights were so helpful and touching. Also to see how they are so passionate about their walks with Christ. I won't mention names, each team member was special to me in one way or another, although two really had a major impact. They know who they are, I have shared this with them both. I just want to say thank you for all they taught me and for showing me where I need to improve in my walk.

Another high point was seeing our money (BBC'S) in action. It's one thing to donate money to the mission's offering, but something entirely different to see it in action. BBC is partnered with Living Hope Centre in South Africa and to actually see how well this money has been used , and the results from our support, as well as seeing results from the SA Mission team service in just undescribable. So many times we saw volunteers and staff completely sold out to God and to doing his work. It was so amazing to see how so few people have been able to touch the lives of so many.

This was an humbling experience and one I wish each of you could personally experience. Our photos, videos, and stories can not adequately express all that we experienced. I'm convinced that God's hand was in BBC'S decision to partner with this organization. The SA Team witnessed first hand that God is alive and well.

Thank you to each one that prayed for us , and supported us in other ways too. Each one of us could feel the prayers of those back home praying for us each day. There is still much work to be done in South Africa, and I hope to have the opportunity to return on the next trip.

I pray that each of us team memberswill be able to take what we have experienced and learned and make a difference in Brentwood as well.

Roger

Opportunities are everywhere

The trip to the game park was supposed to be for fun and a chance to wind down , after our work was completed in Cape Town. I think there was no one surprised when we discovered there were many opportunities to continue our work while at the Edeni Game Park.

Our accomodations were a little different from Cape Town. We stayed in very nice tent/log combinations. We were only semi-roughing it. The reserve was very beautiful . As we entered we were greeted by wildlife, such as waterbuck, impala, zebras, among others. We took a safari ride the night of our arrival that was just breathtaking. After seeing much wildlife we were treated to one of the most awesome displays of stars I have ever seen. The sky was completely clear, and with the only light being from our guides spotlight everything was well viewed. The southern cross was very prominent, as were Scorpio, and the milky way. I had never had the opportunity to really see just how "milky" the milky way is. It was so peaceful and beautiful , words can't describe the feeling of trying to process exactly what we were seeing and experiencing. As Aaron had stated so many times on the trip....."Big Bang Theory...YEAH right!" How could anyone not believe God created all this.

As the next few days came, we took a morning and evening ride thatw ere each 3-4 hours . We also took one final ride on the morning we departed. We saw 4 out of the big 5, with the leopard being the only one we couldn't find.

It was a little strange to be awaken on the first morning by the sound of baboons screaming "Raaalloooooo". This was around 4am and our wake up call was not until 5:30am. Then who could forget "something" trying to get into the tent Jason and I were in on the second morning around 1am.

As I mentioned earlier we had many opportunities to share with the staff. Tommy and Nina had a wonderful opportunity to witness to and council a lady from house keeping. The group I rode with on the safaris had interesting conversations with our driver, Jubalani, about how many christians worked at the reserve. We also learned that the owner is also a christian. A special highlight was when he asked Amanda to sing into his two way radio so his brother (driving the other land cruiser) could hear it and be blessed.

This was a wonderful way to wrap up this leg of our journey.
Hopefully as we al begin to readjust to USA time we will be able to post our wrap up comments about the trip. Please check back over the next few days for these.

Roger

Even after the trip is over, the mission continues

The house is quiet this morning, since most of the team has left for Johannesburg to go to the game park. Three of us--Mark Mattson, Rhonda Price, and myself--will fly home today (through tomorrow). We are all going to miss the rest of the group, but I think I speak for all three of us when I say we're glad that, because we have a later flight, we didn't have to get up as early this morning!

Friday was a rewarding day for me personally. The original schedule had called for us to be finished working on Thursday and just be tourists ("ministering" to the local economy...???). But there were a couple of projects we didn't want to leave undone at the hospice, including preparing the flowerbeds around the building and putting up shelves. So we extended our work through lunch and took care of those things; the shelves are up and the flowerbeds are almost completed. Also a few of us went to the homeless shelter and participated in the devotional time in the morning and spent more time with the guests.

I spent the morning at the Christian radio station across the street, CCFM. The station is another result of the ministry vision of the church, and continues to grow in its outreach and community presence. In a conversation with Avril Thomas (wife of Pastor John Thomas and manager of the station) at dinner the night before, I had found out they were planning to do a songwriting workshop in a couple of weeks, as part of a continuing series to develop local Christian musicians. So I offered to compile a list of resources, such as articles, websites and books by professionals, to help inform her on the topic. She was very appreciative, and I felt I was being used to encourage her, by offering these "loaves and fishes" of information. While I waited to get on the office computer there, I sat in the studio to watch the live talk program they had going on at the time. The host was very professional, as she interviewed a woman who represented a Christian children's home in the area, introduced a song or two between segments, read recipes to her listeners, etc. I didn't feel like I was doing as much "hands-on" work Friday morning, but I felt I was there to help build a bridge of relationship for our mutual benefit. I must admit I was glad to be clean all day for a change!

Friday afternoon most of us went on a tour of Robben Island, off the Cape Town waterfront. This island had been used over the centuries as a place for social outcasts of various kinds, including lepers and the mentally ill, and in 1964 it became a depository for political prisoners including Nelson Mandela. There was a bus tour of the island and a walking tour of the prison itself, after which we were invited to take a "short walk to freedom" (a pun on Mandela's autobiography title) back to our ferry. The prison tour was led by a former prisoner. He was of Xhosa background, very articulate and pointed in his lectures; reminded me of John Houseman in "The Paper Chase." He had the unfortunate duty of asking a woman to try to keep her little girl quiet; the girl was around one and a half years old, and kept humming to herself, happily oblivious to the dark nature of the place she was in. She never did stay quiet for long; I supposed that was HER song of freedom! Our guide confessed, when pressed, that the reason he continued to work on the island, the last place you'd think he'd want to be, was that even with the changes that have taken place over the past 10 years, it was still tough for many non-whites to find jobs, so there he was. As we have found in our own country, true change takes time.

Well, it's time to eat my final breakfast on this trip; I would not be surprised if I find myself back here again someday in the near future...in fact, I look forward to the opportunity. Meanwhile, the mission continues and the work goes on.


Grace & Peace,
Mark Kelly Hall

And we're off...

Goodbye Capetown. Our work is done, but really only just beginning. We've met so many wonderful people here- our host family, the Johnsons, John and Avril Thomas, Big John, and Uncle Edsil- some of my personal faves- and all the people at the homeless shelter in Musizenberg this week has made this trip so worthwhile. I realized that it wasn't about the work projects being done, or the tasks to be completed. For me, it was all about the relationships I formed, showing God to others, and seeing God in them as well. It was so much harder than I ever could have imagined leaving the shelter in Muizenberg today. There were some heartbreaking moments, some joyous ones, and some bittersweet ones.

I became fairly close to one of the men there named Leslie who worked in the kitchen. He was teaching me some Afrikaans, and he and I would engage in playful banter everyday. I really think of him as a big brother type, so it was hard to say goodbye not knowing if I would ever see him again. On one hand, when I return to South Africa I would love to come back and work in Muizenberg, but I don't want Leslie to be there. I want him back to work as a silk screen printer, which is what he used to do before the governmental change, and what his heart longs to do again. So it's bittersweet because, yes, I want to see these wonderful people again, but in a year or two when I come back, I pray that I don't see them at the homeless shelter. Hopefully through programs such as the Lifeskills classes that Living hope sponsors many of these folks will be off the streets and able to support themselves. My biggest task in helping them comes now when I begin to pray for them faithfully.

Tomorrow morning we leave for Johannesburg, or Jo-Berg or Joey, as the Captonians call it! We have another plane flight ahead of us and then a 4 hour bus ride to get to the game park where we will hopefully see some elephants, among other animals. (ps- I finally saw the penguins today and I cannot tell you how exciting that was!!!) No internet connection there though, so you'll have to be kept in suspense until next Wednesday when we will all be safely back in Brentwood and ready to share our pictures and stories with you all who have been missing us and praying for us. Thanks for the comments- you guys are great!

Mission Possible

Well, it seems as if we have been together here for at least a month. That's a good thing, not bad. We have been able to coexist very well and are sad that this was the last day to actually work. I was at the Capri worksite today, this is where the Hospice is located. We all decided to skip some sightseeing and work an additional half day. This allowed us to finish up a few projects. We also left the next team less work to do.

It felt bitter sweet to be there working today, seeing so much accomplished, but so much more that could have been completed. It was such an awesome time the past few days.

This afternoon we went over to waterfront for lunch. Then we toured Robben Iland (yes that is spelled correctly) . This is the prison where Nelson Mandella spent most of his 27 years in prison. The ferry ride to and from the Island was much fun. Next we concluded the day by eating dinner and doing some shopping. Aaron was adventurous and tried the big game sampler and shared with everyone. I have one question for you Aaron, how fast acn a Kudu run ? LOL

Tomorrow we leave at dark thirty for the game park, so no more posts until we are back in the states. Thanks for reading , thanks for your encouragement, and your prayers!!!

Roger

no spiders here

I can't believe that tomorrow is our last day in Capetown... we all agree that next time, and there definetly will be a next time, we want more time at the sites doing work. Two weeks seems to be the standard amount of time for teams, not including the days spent travelling. It's been pretty amazing to see how God has changed our hearts and opened our eyes to the rest of the world. Sometimes as Americans we get isolated from the rest of the planet. Yes, we hear how things are in other places, but sometimes like Thomas, we need to see them to believe them. I praise God for him showing us real life examples of what it means to fully live your lives for Christ through the team members and volunteers from Living Hope.

Luckily for me, I have not had any more run-ins with the local wildlife, although we did almost hit some guinea fowl on the road today. More humorous moments today: the use of the word "buttload" creaping into team's vocabulary- you can thank Leigh Ann for that one. JoAnn calling our host, Jay Johnson this afternoon saying, "hello Jay? This is JoAnn Rankin from the United States of America..." and us almost seeing Tom Cruise in a movie shoot tonight- ask the white Komvi about that one.

All this to say, most of us did not know each other before we came on this trip, but now we look forward to running into each other at Brentwood and beyond. It serves as a reminder at how big our church is, but how vast the opportunities are to be involved. Many of us are already involved in various ministries within the church, but now I would say we will be spread out even more. You find what God has called you to do, and you do it. And it becomes joy, not a job- the people who volunteer here absolutely love what they do- yes it's hard work, but they wouldn't rather be anywhere else. True ministry happens when the work we are doing for God isn't work anymore but becomes as much of a blessing to the servant as it is to those being served.

Some food for thought: Here's what I finally decided I miss about the States today: Iced tea!!! When I get back I am having me a big old glass of the stuff. I do love having tea time mid-day though- that's something that would be nice to catch on over in the U.S. One week from today: iced tea with lemon, here I come. Till then, "Dankie" for the prayers- I love and miss you all!

you would not believe

OK so here goes today was definitely different! Some of us got the wonderful blessing of shoveling dirt and starting to make flower bed by digging and turning the dirt. Some of us were even more blessed to help get the compost (wonderful smelling stuff) and shovel it into wheelbarrows! I was fortunate enough to get to do both and I wanted to share what happen today! Jason and I were over at the compost pile talking and I was looking at a snail because they are everywhere here and they are huge well I was looking at this snail when I felt something on my shoulder and then I brushed it away and it landed on my hand and it was a SPIDER. That is correct a real live SPIDER! I was screaming because we all know how I feel about spiders! Well, Jason ended up killing it and Karen was blessed enough to see it as well. So we all though it was a tarantula but we later found out that it was a wolf spider and they like to bite! It was a little scary but God did protect us and I even went back to the pile and did not see any more spiders.
The rest of the day was good we had the teen club adn the kids sang for us and it was such a sweet blessing! They were so good. Oh and I now have a Xosha name and I hope to be able to say it by the time I get home! We are about to go out to dinner so BYE for now!

In Christ,
Danielle Schneider

It's Official !!!!

I had to post , since it's now 12:10am and officially my birthday! I can't think of a better way or better group with which to celebrate :-) Although it's supposed to be cold and rainy today, I can't think of anywhere else I wold rather be . It's not everyday , one gets to celebrate his birthday in South Africa, so it should be one to remember :-)

Roger

Capri and Children's Club

This morning began with construction. I along with Mark h. helped our construction guru , Alan, purchase 30 concrete slabs. We made two trips both times loading and unloading the slabs. These were to be buried in the ground aroung the Hospice , for the future patients to have something to brighten their days. Between trips I was able to drive Alan's "South African" nissan truck. It was really strange driving a manual shift with the shift on the left . I'm used to steering from the right hand side , because of my job, but not shifting gears with my left hand.

We began this project with two, then commandeered 3 others to help. These slabs were about 4 feet long and 35 lbs each. Jason C. , Mark J., and Mark M. all pitched in on this project. This was rather frustrating work , seeing as how we couldn't get the first angle or corner to set. Then everything fell into place.

After lunch a large group of us went to the children's club. We had 63 kids today, that is almost 3 times as many as yesterday. It was so touching to see the kids repond to the love and attention we were showing them. It was also heart warming to see Stacie carry two of the kids, then sitting in the floor with three or four. Jason had several attached to him. Mark had an entire herd of children trying to climb on him. I was swinging kids in a circle, and Rhonda was giving kids rides on her back. Remember all this was after working at manual labor type projects for about 4 hours. The point is, we were all smiling!! No one felt burdened by these kids. They seemed to be so starved for love or even one on one attention. I couldn't help but think that maybe the snack we fed them was the last time they would eat today. There were probaly only about 1% of the kids that spoke any language, but I think this helped us to be more aware of the children and able to connect with them even more.

Tonight in our devotion we were reminded that 1 out of 4 of these kids might not even be living in a year or two. The ones that do not become HIV positive will still lose parents or siblings to this disease. It's truly an emotional roller coaster that we have been on. Hopefully this will all make us more aware of others and realize just how much we take for granted in our own lives.

Roger

Living Hope: living by faith

Last night was one of the most special times for me thus far in Cape Town. Pastor John Thomas and his wife Avril had the entire team, along with our host family, the Johnsons, over to their house for dinner. This man is an exceptional example of what it means to follow God by faith. I cannot count the number of stories I have heard since I have been here about this church stepping out on faith and punrchasing a building before they had the money to pay for it, and God providing! One time for us would be a big deal, but these people see that as simply being obdeient to God- not being out-of-the ordinary. Their church is 4 years old and has 400 members. From that church, Fish Hoek Baptist church that later changed its named to King of Kings Baptist Center, was spawned a Christian radio station (the 3rd most listened to station in the greater Cape Town area), the Masi Baptist Church, an AIDS hospice, the Muizenberg homeless shelter, the Capri cente, and the Ocean View Center! This congregation has an absolute passion for what God is doing and sharing the love of Christ with those that do not know him. It's very humbling to see what a church of 400 has done to impact its community verses our church of 4000. My prayer is that our team would come back to Brentwood and be on fire for God, fanning the flame and encouragivinng others to join our cause as well. True, we may not have the AIDS pandemic on our doorstep at home the way it is here, but that doesn't make the problem any less. We live outside the capitol city of TN- I know there are homeless and needy people there who could desperately use a helping hand, and there are lost people everywhere in a world where we almost assume that people are Christians. Just because the wealthy and the poor do not live a mile apart the way they do here doesn't make it right for us to turn our heads to the greatest problems at hand. The biggest lesson I have learned in this regard is that Living Hope pools their resources and takes care of their community, then praying with faith that God will in turn provide for them, whereas we have gotten in the habit of taking care ouf ourselves and then helping out with whatever we have leftover! Where is our trust in the Lord? God is really breaking us down this week and teaching us what it really means to live by faith, and I am excited to continue to learn more.

He really DOES have the whole world in His hands!

We’ve just returned from our second Children’s Club at Masiphumelele Baptist Church. These have gone very well so far. The children are well-behaved, although like any group of energetic kids, we have to keep them occupied or they’ll be in a frenzy before we know it.

I’ve enjoyed leading the kids in singing a few songs. Fortunately, they have already learned many of them in English, so we can sing together. “He’s Got the Whole World,” “Amen,” and even “Jesus Loves Me” have gone very well. When I got them going on “Jesus Loves Me” today, they went on to sing it in Xhosa, so the rest of us just enjoyed! The keyboardist for their choir, Walter, has been adding his efforts, playing along with us and also playing while they color with crayons, etc. The participation of the local members in leadership (sometimes unasked) has required me to adjust a bit, but I’m glad to do it because locals ministering to locals is the way it’s supposed to be.

I enjoy watching the local teacher, Natalie, give the lesson; even though I don’t understand the language, the similarities to a scene in a typical Sunday School are striking. Kids are kids everywhere, even when the lesson is on why we should say “no” to sex outside of marriage; this is the kind of thing they have to teach very early to try to reduce the spread of the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

We also visited the Christian radio station CCFM started by the church today. Compared to most radio stations in the U.S., the “presenters” (announcers) at this station have an incredible amount of freedom and responsibility (depending on how you look at it) for putting together their own programming, choosing music, etc. for their time slots. They are required to include 40% local music, which is a challenge for them at this point, because obviously Christian music is not as common in South Africa as in the U.S. It does make the station much more relevant to the local community, though. CCFM has a large listenership, including many Muslims, and offers counseling and help to those who call in to the station. The pastor shared with us tonight that Nelson Mandela told him he had listened to the pastor's sermons when in Cape Town from time to time. That's the kind of feedback you dream of in broadcasting!

Grace & Peace,
Mark Kelly Hall

Construction

Today, I was part of the construction team. Originally it was going to be for just the morning and then head over to help with the children's club. There was more need for workers at the construction projects, so I worked there. The first project i was involved in was helping Cathy P. , Jason C. and Stacie with removing paint and primering. The former center had substained quite a bit of water damage in the walls and we were trying to repair these. I think we inhaled a little too much dust, about 30 minutes into the project we were already creating really silly songs and making some really bad jokes. I was told that I have a "happy place" in my mind, long story behind that one :-) This may have been from my wearing a dust mask as a cool hat?? Hmmmmm...not sure.

We continued with this for a few hours, then split up the teams again. Stacie and I worked on more paint in an apartment. Jason and Cathy finished the original project. Lunch came and we again divided teams and projects. Tommy and Nina were finishing applying paint primer , as Jason , Cathy, and Stacie left to help at another location. We finished all we could on the paint projects , then Tommy, Dao, Mark M , and Walt built a retaining wall. There is a horrible erosion problem caused by high winds and very often the Hospice has sand filter in under the door. If anyone knows how to solve the sand problem, all suggestions are welcomed.

This was an all work day, although we accomplished quite a bit of work, we still have a long long way to go. It feels good though, to be able to help ready what will be a safe , nice place for people with a terrible disease to go and seek treatment , and learn there is hope.

The work has been hard and at times we question why we are doing task in the way that we are, but we understand that it all has it's purpose. I agree with the statement that Amanda made in her post. She mentioned feeling ashamed about things we take for granted, that are considered a luxury in certain parts of this area.

Hopefully someone else will fill you in on the children's club activities for today.
Everyone is exhausted at this point and we haven't even had dinner. It's difficult to explain how working hard and being tired can actually make you feel better. Knowing that we have done some small part to make someone's life a little easier or brighter after so many have told them that there is no hope, that's reward within it's self.

Muizenberg

A team of 6 today went to Muizenberg to work in the homeless shelter. 3 went upstairs to teach crafts- cardmaking- to the people so they can in turn learn how to make these on their own to sell. I was with the other 2, Cathy Wilcox and Joanne, who worked downstairs in the kitchen. Our "job" for the day was to interact with the people there. We all got there in time for the morning devotional and were able to pick up some of their songs fairly quickly. After devotional we split up. I don't have time to tell you about the many people we met today, except to say this place was so filthy that it was hard to eat the lunches we had packed, and no one wanted to use the bathrooms there. When I did break down to do so, I was so ashamed. These people use these facilities every day, and that's if they're lucky. Again, I cannot imagine how blessed I am, and how often I take it for granted.
The others will probably be posting about the construction and children's club they participated in today.
One more quick story, is that Jason, Leigh Ann, Mark Hall and I got to sing the song "Somebody's Praying Me Through" last night at the King of Kings church- coincidentally, this is the same night that Brentwood was doing the musical at the church, although I think we had them beat by several hours! I know I was blessed by the experience, and judging by those congregation members that I talked to afterwards, they were blessed too.
The line has formed- several are waiting to use the computers, so fare well for now.