Several years ago I remember my mom telling me that Pastor Seefried and Mrs. Sally had moved to South Africa. Pastor Seefried was the Pastor at the church our family was part of when we lived in Germany. They had heard about the vastness of the spread of HIV/AIDS and God brought them here to have an impact. Through a vision God gave them The Pines Christian Care Center was started in 2005. It is an orphanage for children with HIV/AIDS or children that have lost their family because of it.
I have wanted to be get a chance to come to South Africa and visit the orphanage ever since then. When my team was told we would be an Unsung Hero’s team this month I was beyond excited! We could visit The Pines and see if there was potential to send a World Race team there in a future! I got in touch with Mrs. Sally and the arrangements were made to spend two days there with her.
After our first afternoon there we were already wishing that we could just stay there for the rest of our month. The day had been a hodge podge of experiences. We had gotten an orientation to the rules of the land, a tour of the grounds, taken time to rest (overnight bus rides are NOT good sleep), and gotten our first taste of tutoring.
What really stood out though was the time that we got to spend talking with Mrs. Sally, Phil and Alana, and Linda. We got to hear their stories of how they had come to be a part of the Pines and to pour so much love into it. We got to hear how the Pines began, how its been developed, and their dreams for future plans. These four are the main staff for The Pines and it is clear that they have such a love for all of the kids.
They wanted us to understand the area and the culture surrounding the HIV/AIDS pandemic that was ravishing the area so they arranged a short tour for us the next morning. We were shown the gold mines that had provided jobs and brought the people to the area. Unfortunately the gold mines also brought with it the prostitution that was to blame for a large part of the spread of HIV/AIDS in that area. We were taken through the township where most of the kids at The Pines had been rescued from. An area where Grandma’s are taking care of grand kids because most of the adult generation has passed away. Next we passed by the graveyard. An area that grows exponentially every year and bodies are buried on top of bodies to save room.
It was a tour that in just a few hours opened our eyes even more to the importance of what happens at The Pines. It is a place where these kids are given another chance at life. The Pines is a giver of life. Yes, the Pines provides the physical necessities; clothes, medicine, and food for the kids but it does not stop there. It provides an environment where they get to experience God’s love, and be shown what is looks like to love and serve Him. It provides the children a place of encouragement to excel in school, and to be able to influence their community around them. It provides an environment of love. It provides second chances.
Want to know more about the Pines, to see more about their work and how you could possibly be involved? Check out their website! http://www.myaimi.org/thepines/
