LIFE IN NKOMAZI SOUTH AFRICA

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We had a wonderful intense week in SA working with Musik 4 Life (this is not the real name of the group, but close). The best part of it was living in the community with a wonderful family. We had 10 of us from the States, the mother, her 3 daughters and 2 grandkids, living in 3 bedrooms a living room and kitchen. The mother gave up her bedroom and privacy to allow Regina and Chris and I have her bedroom. The 3 girls slept in the living room floor and the 3 guys on the kitchen floor. We were sooo blessed that this family gave us their best - they kept trying to make it so that we would eat first, then they would do all the clean-up while we sat around. We fought them about this a few times, but usually ended up going with the flow. Of course there were the normal inconveniences of thirld-world poverty living - a few bugs, an uncomfortable potty and shower setting, a bit less privacy than we are used to, the chickens that start crowing at 2am, etc.

This wonderful woman also has 21 orphans who live with her part time (see them in this picture, lined up getting goodies we brought). Actually they have homes nearby, but their existence is pretty miserable, so they spend as much time as they can at Venola’s. She gets bread from Thembelathu to feed them a 2” slab of bread with jam daily so they don’t starve at least. Often she feeds them out of her own meager stores. Some of them live in a home together with no adult, and others live with a granny who resents them being there – making even the 7 or 9 year olds do the cooking and cleaning and firewood gathering. Supposedly they are mistreated and unloved. But Venola loves them and when I asked her about them she cries for them quickly. She plays games with them, teaches them songs and long recitations to perform for visitors, gives them clothes and trinkets. We brought along with us a ton of things to pass out to them and she could not keep a single thing back for another day, but had to give it all away at once – bubbles, bouncy balls, dresses, necklaces, jump ropes, puzzles, little cars, pencils and paper tablets, etc. I wish we had had more room to bring more blankets – I’m sure they all could have used some of them. I walked with a couple – wanting to walk them home to see how they live, but when they got to the crossroad, they would go no further till I went back – they are ashamed of their home and did not want me to see it.

We are going back there in a few weeks and hope we can get more real info about how they live so that we can help them with what they need. I think these may be some of the orphans we have been asking God to lead us to so we can help them. Perhaps we can sponsor some of these orphans or the orphan headed household – I will try to work on this.

I also made preliminary steps to set up another micro business loan bank in this needy area.

Let me tell you about the area – it is in Nkomazi region of SA : near the northern border of Swaziland, and just a couple hours from the Moz border. This area is a melting pot of Swazi, Moz, South African blacks. Many come here to look for work on farms and end up with HIV and living unemployed with a new wife and kids after they have left there family in another country. It is 50% HIV rate; 5-6 dying weekly in a small village; leaving 5-10 orphans; the system of available homes for orphans is already so overtaxed that we are running out of places. There is a need in this place for more orphan homes with loving families to care for them. There is also a need to give micro business loans to encourage stable church families to consider taking in an orphan or two.

So this is what we are offering to a church in this area – find a board of responsible citizens with the pastor as the head of the board, we will give money for a number of small business loans which they will review applications for, give the money, and receive payments as the loans are repaid. Then they will have money to reinvest in more business loans for others. The only requirement is that the business seems feasible, the applicant is an orphan or caring for orphans, and they are in need. We will start small and hopefully if it is successful, we will invest more and more. We are hoping many church people will take in orphans and get freed from poverty.

The family we stayed with will hopefully be the first applicant and loan recipient. She is a hard worker and very godly and responsible.

Just as we were leaving the health and welfare people from the state were there at her house asking her if she could take in another orphan – the girl had been orphaned and went to live with grandparents. Both grandparent were just killed in a car accident. She has nowhere to go. This is the common story of life in this region. Poor Venola – she just looked at me with desperation, knowing she had nothing more to give, but how could she just ignore this poor girl who had nowhere else to go?

We are so blessed with the leadership of Liana in this team. She is able to identify with every difficult element on the team and gently, honestly bring truth to the situation in a way that invites and compels an honest response from the person who is in their trench and determined to fight to the death. Walls are coming down, confession, healing, unity, forgiveness… Jesus is working us over as a team and I am so blessed with the growth that is happening in each member.

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Left off the team at the airport today. We have really grown close. I am lonely today for my family and church at home. I hope this is what we are supposed to do. We could use the time for fun and travel and sights. But we are sent by God to do this work. So hello to all our family and church at home. We love you and miss you.