What are we doing in South Africa???
Well, a lot
actually!! We are in the town of Back
Door…yes, that’s the name J Back Door is
a small rural community on the out skirts of Nelspruit…but as most rural
communities go, it shares very few similarities with the affluent town within a
stone’s throw. The roads just got an
asphalt covering a couple of years ago and water is scarce. Like many of the poorer towns we have been to
in both the Caribbean and Asia, many of the children wear hand me down clothes
that aren’t quite their size and having shoes on is not a given. But also, like the other places- despite
snotty noses and the probable lice, they all have huge smiles!! In Back Door, it is not only the children who
have welcomed us here. The local women especially
are friendly, talkative and welcomed us like old friends. It is in this community that we are pouring
our efforts and energy.
We are helping an
organization called Iris Ministires.
Originally started in Mozambique by Heidi and Rolland Baker, the org now
has over 7000 church plants and has moved down into South Africa. Our contacts,
Tiesa and Jean Nicole have worked for Iris for many years in Mozambique and now
have moved to Back Door to support and build up this community. They are both a bundle of energy and have
already fallen in love with the locals.
The greatest thing about seeing what they are doing here is seeing the
harmonic combination of how they meet both practical and spiritual needs. So let’s see…what are we doing here…
© Every day at 3pm we help at the children’s feeding
center. We share a 10-15 minute bible story and sing
some songs and then help the ladies feed the kids. My favorite song we sing
with them talks about smashing in the face of the Devil!!
© A couple of mornings a week we go to a local school
assembly to do a presentation about Jesus and His love. They all line up perfectly and even pay
attention in the early morning fog!
© We are helping to clean and ready houses that Iris
will soon turn into children’s homes, fit with house parents for each house so
that a family unit can be established for kids who either have no parents or
need to be taken out of their current family situations.
© We have been planting a garden behind the houses to
give families, who will be moving in next month, a head start on providing
their own food.
© We also helped extend a garden in the village of
Cork. It was amazing how fast we had
cleared the land, tilled up the soil and had seedlings planted. All to help feed the orphanage that will be
accepting more kids very soon.
We have attended both a youth service and Friday
night revival! The African people sure can sing and dance! They invite us share testimonies and messages
which is always fun.
© Oh yes, and A LOT of playing with the kids!!!
