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Thank you for following the blog over the last few weeks. We have valued you travelling with us.

It has been a journey full of challenges - overwhelming need...impossible struggles...

I mean, what do you do if the choice is to sell your body or let the children starve?

Where do you find role models when your grandparents were shot and your parents died of awful illnesses?

How do you raise young children when you are 12, yourself?

How do you motivate 4 teenagers from the same child-headed family who all left school with qualifications and none of whom can find work?

What do you do when you are old and sick and the nearest water is several fields away?

How do you earn money for food when you are too sick to work but without a good healthy diet the anti-retroviral drugs won't be effective?

What do you do when your children have died and you care for their kids but are getting sicker and sicker, yourself?

And yet...surely we have found hope in a hopeless place...

We have met a young man, part of a child-headed family himself, choose to become a care-worker so that other children don't have to go through what he went through...

We have been awed to hear from a beautiful mother whose husband initially didn't support her, whose children were cross with her...still choose to feed other peoples' children who had no food...

We have seen mothers who have lost 1..2..or even more children of their own, choose to daily cook under the blazing sun, for large groups of orphans and vulnerable children...who otherwise wouldn't eat...

We have seen young women with their own struggles, choose to walk miles each day to accompany children or visit their homes to ensure there are locks on the doors and that noone has moved in and taken advantage of the fact there are no adults to supervise...

We have met a Father whose wife died and instead of abandonning the kids like many would have expected, he stuck with them and raised a healthy thriving family...and now helps set up new centres across different countries even... where orphaned and vulnerable children can come and be shown love, given food, offered help with homework...be advised on how to protect themselves...

We have found the love of Christ shared with us (who thought we had so much), by people ( whom we think of as having so little)...We have found abundant faith and hope and love and hospitality and humour and so much more...against the odds...in dark and difficult circumstances...

Ruth

What is poverty?

What is poverty?

Sometimes I cry when I’m alone

These tears I cry are bitter and warm

I cry because my heart is broken inside

I cry because I find it hard to carry on.

If I had an ear to confide in I would cry on

The world moves so fast and it would rather pass by

than stop and see what makes one cry so painful

In the midst of my calamity all my hope

Is gone

We see them in t.v. wearing expensive suits

with beautiful sharp nosed shoes

-proclaiming poverty

But they can’t even define it

Having lot of hunger and having no foods

Not having spare clothes- take a bath that’s poverty.

- take a bath that’s poverty.

Yes needing for shelter but not having one

Child is sick but the parents cannot afford to buy treatment.

Indeed sitting with umbrella on a wedding bed during showering nights

An ill deserted mother selling her child, wishing it will survive- that’s poverty

A defeated and desperate mother poisoning and killing a child

Sharing the same water with cows and donkeys

Thoughtful mother, two mouthfuls rice and three children

That’s poverty

Like David said “We lift up our eyes

To the mountains, where our help comes from”

Nobody is left but only you, God

Be our prayer as we proclaim ‘LET IT BE’

Let the hand that greets be the hand that feeds

Let the hand of salvation be the hand that ends starvation

Let those who can’t see me have time to feed me

Let all who wake up to find work, see what life is worth

Let every hand of a Christian touch a hungry child

Deeper

Let my soul rest in a place where there is peace,

Love, joy and happiness

Pogiso 

Sunday

Sunday afternoon, after the morning service, we took a picnic and headed up through Hazy View and over towards God’s Window- a very special viewpoint and the amazing geographical features of Blyde River Canyon. It was slightly cooler with fine mist rising from the trees and up in the rainforest area we were amazed at the stunning views and beautiful plants.

The week has seen us individually be faced and cope with different challenges- the contrasts between haves and have-nots, the traumas and pressures of other peoples’ lives in survival-mode… heat, tiredness, learning to live in community…to name but a few…so it was great to be out in glorious surroundings and just have fun together and be reminded of the amazing natural resources to be found in this land of contrasts.

Ruth

Mullings...

Over this last week we have experienced many things which in our contemporary Western contexts are unfamiliar- the need to collect water from a local river…the sheer physical effort of walking up hill and down dale, in high temperatures, through fields of maize, to get to the next village…carrying a large bundle of fruit in a cloth on your back…carrying 20+ litres of water on your head…such things are everyday things here.

What will never cease to amaze me is the resilience of the amazing caring women, who whatever the weather, visit the orphaned, the widowed, the vulnerable… and put their own fragile selves and situations after the needs of those they serve. Sometimes in doing so, they are misunderstood or simply not supported and find themselves torn between their families and those for whom they care.

In a society where so many children grow up without positive male role models we have been so privileged to have met some of the exemplary male care-workers and Hands staff who steadfastly serve the poor. Some have themselves been in child-headed households…or have experienced great personal loss but have then chosen to follow the tough call, of looking after their neighbours so that others will know that they are loved.

Ministry in the wild

We had an early start this morning- well-prepared for the visit to Kruger National Park- with the sun rising beautifully, it assured us of a great day ahead. ‘Maybe we will be very lucky and spot all of the ‘Big 5’ animals’ I thought.

We spotted a leopard in the distance but it disappeared very quickly into the bushes. The following animals which we spotted, were in groups and they were not scared like the leopard. They stayed until we finished taking pictures.

I was reminded of the saying ‘united we stand, divided we fall’.

There was also a time we saw birds on top of the animals feeding on the tics (insects) which were causing the animals pain. For me this was ministry in the wild - Love your God with all your heart and love your neighbour as yourself’.

After a very interesting day with the driving skills of our game-ranger ( Andy) we spotted 3 of the big 5 – leopard, rhino and the elephants.

Kgowe

one by one

Life is so fragile here... and so many kids are growing up without parents...it is heartbreaking.There is such a dearth of daddies - caring fathers who will stay with the kids, not chase away women or beat them or spend away their house-keeping money. Pray that God will raise up a generation of fathers who will be examples...role models... prophets to the following generations

Global warming starts to affect seasonal rainfall is a headline which we might barely discuss at home...but the impact here, is that the whole community struggles because they have no water...No water? And how often do we just leave the tap running?

It's so hard too, to get your head round the poverty when it is side by side with all the 'mod cons' we are used to. South Africa is so full of such contradictions and contrasts.

Thought for the week is definitely the one that Madiba said and we keep repeating- that serving the poor is not an act of charity it is an act of justice.

It just cannot be right to ignore the suffering of the orphaned and vulnerable.

Things have to change.One child at a time.One care-worker at a time. One by one.

Ruth

Siyathuthuka 2

It's been an amazing journey so far... we are a team drawn from different parts of the world thrown together to learn and grow and it's been awesome but challenging to face up to the realities of life which some people face.

In Siyathuthuka they usually get water brought by the Government in a tanker every two weeks...but last time it didn't come and they don't know when it will come again. So instead of a regular water supply for the family, the Grandparents we met were having to fetch it from across the hillside container by container. These 25 litre containers are really heavy- I could hardly walk straight with one- but they carry water from a young age and make us feel very weak and unfit!

The parents of these children have died. So Gogo and Tata ( Granny and Grandpa) are supporting everyone off a meagre state pension.This particular Grandfather - a pensioner-and his 2nd wife try hard to meet the needs of their dependants, but it's tough. In small bare, breeze-block shacks, he shares his home with a wife, 6 kids and 5 grandchildren. The other 16 of his children live in the surrounding area.

Last year there was so much rain it was no good for the crops. This year, on his land, he planted a field full of maize- but there has not been enough rain and so only a little will survive. Pray with us that rain will come here in Mpumulanga...

Ruth

A few pictures to show you...

                                                                                                         Children at Siyathuthuka

At the Cathedral on Sunday morning in Ikageng

Playing games with the children

Oshoek- Visit 2

Wednesday 4th March- Karen's blog...

It's easier to leap out of bed at 6am ( eek!) when the sun is shining and it's already 25 degrees. 7am. Simon  and Bethuel- care-workers- travelled with us to Oshoek- on the Swazi border- where we walked with Sarai for a home visit.

I no longer have to imagine what it is like to sit in the dust with women alongside small children, outside their one-room shack- home for 12 people. We listened and watched as they told their stories.

The scene changed with the arrival of the 15 year old boy who had returned unhappily from school. Having to be in a class with 12 year olds was humiliating and he was NOT going back again,

Without an education his future is bleak and his whole family is depending on him to merely scratch out a future. Sarai and Bethuel quietly encouraged the boy to return to school.

Sitting in the dust with nothing to offer, say or do, except listen and simply be there, reminded me of the words of David Primrose at our Commissioning Service.

Isn't God great?!
Yeah!
Isn't Jesus great?
Yeah!
Isn't the this team going to Matlosane great?
Yeah!
STOP!
When they get there they will not be great. They will have nothing to offer, they know nothing and they go with empty hands.

David was right. All of our education, eloquence, abilities and gifts mean very little here. We can only sit in the dust alongside the people we meet and be surprised when they express hope in a hopeless place.

Hands at Work= hope at work.

Thnankfully the return to the Care Point brought some lighter moments as we enjoyed games and singing, fantastic fun and moments of real connection alongside the feeding of 50 children.

Back at Hands at work we considered how our team is like Chakalakka- lots of ingredients mixed up with a common sauce- or is it Source?

Laura writes...

As a pebble is thrown into a pool of water, ripples start off as many and close together...but then become more spread out and far-reaching. The ripples touch other rocks and objects in the pool, which then create other ripples in different directions.

If that pebble is a person, we have to ensure that the ripples we generate are ones of respect, compassion and love. I hope that whoever they reach and touch they continue to be far-reaching.

The Care centre we saw today in Oshoek is relatively new but like throwing a pebble into a pool, the ripples of thee Care centre embrace the 25 orphaned and vulnerable children who are dependent on it. The care-workers submerge themselves in their work and visits pushing the ripples further out.

Bearing witness to this, we allow the ripples to wash over us revive us and bounce off us, reaching further, but also leaving us looking deeply at the reflection that remains. As the Care centres grow, and facilities expand, it will be like throwing, not a pebble but a large stone, then a boulder into the pool, More people will have ripples lapping up against them and they will then generate ripples of their own.

Please note all blogs are personal reflections and do not represent the views of Lichfield diocese.

Please note that all blogs are personal reflections and not the opinion of the Diocese.
Tuesday 3rd March

Terry's Blog

Today we went to Siyathuthuka Life Centre in the Clau Clau region. Here we witnessed remarkable work being carried out with the most vulnerable children. The children we met appeared to be very needy in so many ways and I know that there many tragic stories behind the smiling faces we saw. The children were a joy to be with and they made it very easy for us to be with them. They laughed and played and were very curious about us. Some children were fascinated by some of the hair of the women in our team and also they were fascinated by the hair on my arms (I don't have much on my head!)

One young girl aged about six sat on my knee for a long time and when she left another child climbed on my knee only to be pushed off when the little girl returned.

The children loved having their photos taken and when shown the results they laughed and laughed and pointed each other out.

There were many touching moments but the one that stands out for me was when I saw a young boy dividing his food and putting half in a broken plastic container to take for someone at home. He was a child who had very little materially in his life and yet he still shared.

The care workers were amazing. They give so much time and put so much effort into caring for the most vulnerable children. We were blessed to meet with them and they were gracious in the welcoming of us.

A great football match was organised by the two youngest and most energetic members of our team. The South African national anthem was sung and all the players shook hands before the game started. One of our older team members elected to play in goal and only let twenty two goals in so he didn't do too badly although he blamed his defence for twenty one of those and a bad refereeing decision for the other one!

A blessed day for us all.

We Have Arrived

Hi everyone! Sorry it's taken so long to be able to blog, everything is fine!

We have arrived!

Thankfully, our flight was uneventful and we came through the airport and collected our vehicle very smoothly. It is really warm here but we had heavy rain and thunderstorms on our way down to Potch ( Potchefstroom) . As we drove past Soweto, the deepest mine in the world and various towns, the landscape flattened out into rolling plains and the traffic got madder- despite improved road surfaces. As we travelled we swapped tales and testimonies of things in our lives as we thought about all the unpredictabilities of the next 2 weeks and we laughed a lot together, which was great. Daunted, tired and excited. Bring it on!

In Potch

We are being hosted by Rev Paul Letlala and his parishioners in Ikageng township. Matlosane has opened its arms so wide for us again and it’s been lovely already to meet up and talk of mutual friends and share a lovely meal at MaSinas and chat through photographs of each others’ families.

Having collected us from Mugg and Bean café at Mooi River, we were given a look around the beautiful cathedral church in Potch, where between 500 and 1000 people from Ikageng township worship each Sunday. (Incidentally Kaz has been asked to speak on march 1^st. )The shape of the church roof is made of curved pine which Terry reckons also offers great acoustics. All sorts of beautiful birds roost around the building and it’s amazing to hear of such vibrant faith in touch contexts.

Paul shared with us later about the challenges of high levels of youth unemployment and resultant social ills here. Potch is a University town and many young people have degrees but there is nowhere near enough work. Andy & Terry have now gone off to stay at Mike & Duky’s while we women have stayed at Ma Sina’s. We’ve met her granddaughter and neighbours, watched a bit of soap in Venda language and talked about Anita, Roseanne and others who were part of establishing the new build church up at St Augustines.

Sunday

We rose early to go to the Cathedral for the 8 o’clock service with hundreds of others in their Sunday best from all over Ikageng. Wa! What a service! Surrounded by warmth and welcome, 4 part harmonies, friends and family we raised the roof with praise. Ma M’s dancing was so moving and Tata X’s sparkling eyes and weathered face seemed to be lined with a thousand stories. Kaz marked her 60^th with a great sermon and we each spoke in turn bringing greetings and sharing thoughts of amazing hospitality, warmth of welcome and joy despite being so far from home.