Take my baby…please

Take My Baby…Please As I walked into the house it was clear that the mama was sick. Not just sick but dying. She shared with me that she had AIDS and that her ARV’s had stopped working. She was tired and worn down from her illness and from the endless task of caring for 6 young children that had been left in her care as her children died one by one.

A cute little toddler in the house caught my eye and before I knew it he was on my lap. We played as I spoke with the mama and tried to come up with a plan for another relative to take the children. I went into task mode trying to help figure out the semantics of what needed to take place and I was mid sentence this sweet little baby planted a wet one on my cheek. I returned the gesture and a “kiss the cheek” game ensued, each of us trying to surprise the other of when the next cheek plant would take place.

In the middle of task mode and the kiss the cheek game the mama stopped talking and asked if I would take the baby. “Take my baby…please.” she asked. I explained the million reasons that this was not possible and thought she understood that this was impossible. We finished making a plan for the kids to be cared for by another relative, prayed together and I left her home and got into our bakkie (truck).

As we were about to pull away, the mama appeared again at my window and showed me that the little baby was crying. She said “See, he likes you. He cries when you leave. Take him with you. Please, you can take the baby.” I apologized and said again that I could not do that but would check in with her again next week. As I pulled away I felt at peace that I did the right thing but it broke my heart as the desperation this mama must have felt to ask a total stranger – a white total stranger – to take her baby with the hope and prayer that I would do right by him.

I don’t know how it will all work out for this child, only God knows that, but for the role I must play in his life I have made a few decisions. I won’t drop the ball. I won’t let him slip through the cracks. I will follow up and make sure that he and the other kids are taken in by a relative or will make sure they get to a place of safety. I will pray for him, the other kids and this mama. I will not have an ounce of judgment for this mama who in desperation asked a stranger to take her baby. I will thank God for placing me in this place at this time and for this purpose.

*Photo above is of our creche (daycare) in Motherwell.

Prayer Needed

OK prayer warriors…we need you now. Everything in South Africa is going great and our ministries are thriving. On the home front (USA side) thing are not so great. We received notice that the woman renting our commercial property on Pflumm is going out of business and is moving out ASAP. She was already 2 months behind on rent so we are super tight with our money margin as it is. We are open to selling the property or renting it out again but something needs to happen quickly or we will lose our shirts. I never thought we would be one of those families that went through foreclosure and am praying that does not have to happen.

Please pray that a renter or buyer comes along ASAP for our property on Pflumm.

If you know anyone who may be interested please have them call Mike Wagner at 913-940-6685.

Pflumm address: 9230 Pflumm Road, Lenexa, KS 66215

Thank you for your continued prayer and support of our family. For those of you who are also sponsors please know that our sponsorship money and personal money are kept separate and that your hard earned sacrifices will not be used for this mess.

Blessings, Darrell and Jen

Ali’s First Day of School

 

School takes up a lot of time in SA. Orientation for eighth graders is embarrassing. We had our hair in paddy tails and pet eggs that had to have a story. My egg’s story is that she has amnesia and doesn’t know anything about herself. We had to stay the night at the school and have a candle lighting ceremony. For the candle lighting ceremony we repeated what the prefect said and had our candles lit. The centenary hall was dark and we blew out the candles and left.

During the night we sang war songs before we were allowed to eat dinner. Dinner was the 5 star food KFC.  The war songs were loud and we sang some songs in Afrikaans. I didn’t understand most of it but I enjoyed it. We had to fill up a bucket that had holes in it (using a tube with holes in it as well) using pool water. For the egg toss no one brought their eggs so we had to run laps. We didn’t run as a team so we had to run around the track again and again and again. The fashion show was my favorite part. We dressed up Paydon and Xonthe with news paper. The girls put A LOT of padding on Paydons butt and made him a staff. Xonthe had a dress and hat. They looked really….. Interesting. The haunted school tour wasn’t as scary as it was painful. The girls freaked out and were clawing at each other. The prefects had sheets over their bodies and masks on their faces. We went to bed at 4:30 and they woke us up at 5:00. They made us sing REALLY loud. No one wanted to sing and the prefects got fed up and made us run laps (in our pajamas). We ran about 7 laps until we ran as a team.

The next week at school, for the school assembly the whole grade 8 had to sing the school song. Finding classes was the hardest thing since the school is so big. I got lost about 11 times and was late to class about 3 times. The school is HUGE. We got homework the second day of school and everyday since. Homework is big along with sports. I have taken up badminton and will do that on Wednesdays when we have school end early. Badminton isn’t at the school so my parents have to drive from Gonubie to East London to take me to my sport. This is what my school is like.

Jen’s Week in Review

I spent last week doing child sponsorship updates in Motherwell with stop offs at Jehovah Jireh Children’s Village and Door of Hope. What a week! I had my heart broken and restored more times than I can count. After this week long whirlwind work-a-thon I have been assured of one thing. I am exactly where I am supposed to be doing exactly what I am supposed to be doing.

I was bummed that I was away when my kids had their first day of school in South Africa. I was especially bummed that this first day was also each of their first day in high school. Thankfully, God allowed me to have an awesome husband and he took care of business in my absence.

The kids at Jehovah Jireh (JJ) doing great and our family is planning on spending next weekend with all 97- 107 kiddos to love on them and for me to complete their child sponsorship updates to be sent back to their sponsor families. As you walk into the gates of JJ you are are instantly greeted by a swarm of children all offering a hug and outstretched arms asking “Uppy?”. Uppy is what the little kids say when they want to be picked up. Before you can even say hello, there are children dripping off you like ice cream melting down a cone. I loved it!

We then headed to Door of Hope and had an equally awesome visit with the kids and Mama Gladys who runs Door of Hope. Kristi, the woman who has served here for the last 3 years was able to fill me in on the back story of some of the kiddos and after hearing what a rough start to life several of the kids had it was amazing to see how they were growing and thriving in their safe, loving new home. One of the girls even announced that she was going to university in a few weeks. Awesome-simply awesome!

Motherwell proved to be the greatest joy and the greatest challenge. Motherwell is not a children’s village rather it is a township and the updates required we make house visits. I felt completely in my element going from shack to shack or house to house and was blessed by the pleasure of our community care worker’s company. Our community care workers are Xhosa women who live in the community that they serve and are our daily hands and feet in their own community. Awesome women…truly awesome women.

One of the greatest treasures that I received from my time in Motherwell last week was this simple gift: one yellow pepper and one red pepper. One of the families we visited shared how they had started a garden and wanted to gift us peppers in thanks for all we were doing to help feed their children. As I took the peppers from her hands I was overwhelmed by the sacrificial giving I was witnessing. Her family was literally unable to put food on the table to feed the children without assistance and here she was giving this precious resource. What an honor it is to partner with such amazing families. I may not get paid but this is the best “job” on the planet!

Someone…someone

As I was walking home from church today it started to rain. Not beating down on you kind of rain but the light, lovely kind of rain. It reminded me of the many times I have needed Christ to rain on me, wash me clean and restore me back to whole again. How beautiful and sometimes painful it is each time I surrender and allow this restoration.

We currently have many people in our lives both here and in the US whose lives are so broken at the moment and our hearts are broken for them. Someone is currently in a coma after attempting suicide. Someone was recently raped. Someone’s marriage is in such a bad place that they are considering divorce. Someone is in a legal battle.  Someone just got out of the hospital after a 2 day stay likely due to stress. Someone’s grandmother is dying. Someone is fragile right now and my unintentionally ungentle words may have made it worse. Someone is questioning rather life is worth living. Someone is struggling to find the will not to cut themself. Someone…someone…

God has firmly placed in our lives a lot of someones. Each of the someone’s listed above is a very real person in our lives. Please take a moment to pray for them and for us to have the strength to be there for them and be the agent to help bring God’s healing restoration in their lives. Pray that we are never a stumbling block for God’s kingdom as I fear we often are. Pray that our marriage remains strong as we face so much adversity. Pray that our kids have a great first week of school and that they are strong enough to remain true to themselves as they walk into new territory and desire to belong.  Pray for our someones as they are hurting.

I thank you in advance for your prayers. If there something going on in your life that you would like me to pray for as well I would be glad to do this. Please just comment or if you want to keep it confidential please email me at ageesinafrica@gmail.com.

I Have Found My Mission

 

It may sound silly to say since I came here to do a specific job with Oceans of Mercy as a missionary but today I have truly found my mission. As I type this my fingers are getting all jumbled on the keyboard because I am so excited to start this work. A few weeks ago God really put on my heart not to just feed kids but to give them an opportunity to know Him. It is great that I love the kids but it is far more important that they know that they have a Father in Heaven who loves them infinitely more. A father who does not leave them, a father who forgives them, stands with them through adversity and will offer them not only saving grace but a seat at His eternal table. This is my true mission.

Don’t misunderstand, I absolutely, 100% believe in child sponsorship. These kids are starving, they are being denied education because of lack of school fees, not having shoes and are often times silently dying of a disease that has torn this country apart. Child sponsorship helps with all of that. When someone commits to sponsor a child we make sure they are fed, educated and cared for. I actually have 35 or so kiddos that are in need of a sponsor right now. If that is something on your heart click on the “Get Involved” tab at the top of this page or zip me an email at ageesinafrica@gmail.com.

What I hope to do is to add to the awesome work that is already being done in the Child Sponsorship Program. I want to pour into the Community Care Workers in the villages that work with me and are on the front lines every day with these kids and their families. I want to get them resources to help them share the Gospel and the confidence to do so. I want every single family that is under our care to not only be cared for physically but spiritually as well. I’m not at all sure what this is exactly going to look like and I ask for your prayers as I open new doors.

Pastor Schaun chooses a word each year that he wants to define his year and asks others to hold him accountable for living out what his word entails. My word for the year is DETERMINED. I am determined to make a difference in the lives of the families it is in my ability to reach. I am determined not to get sidetracked from this mission. I am determined that I will make my home in South Africa a place where all who enter feel loved, welcomed and cared for. I am determined to do better than I think I can because I serve a God who is bigger than any opposition that may come my way. I am determined.

*Pictured above is one of our kiddos currently in need of sponsorship. His name is Mfundiso and he is 13 years old and in the 4th grade. When he grows up he told me he wants to be a policeman but for now he loves playing soccer.

Xhosa Prayer

Here is a link to the soup kitchen in  Motherwell. We were fortunate to catch a video of them praying prior to their meal. Isn’t it beautiful?

www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXqXJmCnGng

Photo Link

I uploaded a ton of pictures to Facebook. To see the photos you do not have to be a Facebook member. Just follow the link below:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=132941&id=749077528&l=1e5f52c1ff

These photos are of some of the ways we have been serving in December. Enjoy!

Why Were Here

Several people have asked me what our mission/goals will be over the next few months. I will be doing my best to get more kiddos sponsored through our Child Sponsorship Program www.onelifechild.org . For $32/month a family can sponsor a child. This sponsorship provides food, education, medical care and a community care worker in their area to help advocate for their needs. While in the Transkei last week, I added 37 new kiddos in desperate need of immediate help. I will also be visiting the children that are currently sponsored to check on their well being, get updates and be actively looking for areas to improve my ministry.

I have been really convicted lately not to just fill the kids belly but to make sure they are shown the love of Christ in all that I say and do and to make sure that they have an opportunity to truly know the Lord. One small, but embarrassing, example of this was found on a video. We had some teenagers come with us to shop for and serve the Christmas bread and fruit at the soup club in Motherwell a couple weeks ago. One of the teenagers took my video camera and taped off and on throughout the day. I did not think a thing about it until I saw the video the next day.

I noticed that while I was passing out the bread and fruit to the kids after they got their soup, I barely smiled. I was clearly in task mode with so many in the line but it hit me like a ton of bricks. If I am supposed to convey to the kids the love of Christ in all that I say and do then my face that day definitely did not do that. Don’t get me wrong, I wasn’t scowling and did smile occasionally – it was a huge wake up call to be aware that everything I say, do or don’t say or do is being observed by these little ones. You can bet that when we went to the Transkei a few days later that armed with my new awareness, I let those kids know that I was 100% glad to be there and made sure I spoke to the group about how much their Father in heaven loved them, how he heard their prayers, thought they were beautiful, unique and perfectly made.

As for Darrell, he will begin construction projects in the Transkei in January. The kids start school January 13th. We bought their uniforms yesterday – too cute. The kids have made several friends that have started hanging out here – which we love.

The picture above is of one of the kids at the soup club enjoying her apple (photo taken by Kristi Fair). Thank you again to everyone who donated to let the kids have bread and fruit for Christmas. It looks like we actually had enough donated to allow this blessing of extra nutrition go on for another 5 months!  Merry Christmas everyone and Happy New Year!

Christmas Treats Explained

In this video, Alyssa and Jennifer explain what’s the deal with the Christmas treats…don’t judge me by this video, it had been a really long week!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=VU92guu-kFE