One last update before outreach..
For the house building project in Zwelethemba, we're working with the contractors now, and the people in the community, and they figure it will be about two weeks before we should start to build. Most of the peole from our team will be on outreach during that time, either in Mozambique/Zimbabwe/Malawi or in Tanzania/Kenya, so we won't be able to help build it. So what is going to happen is, the people staying on base are going to 'hire' the the people in that live in the shacks, and work along side of them and build the house. We can see that God is moving in this new plan too, even though it wasn't what we had in mind. This way the people in the community will be involved in improving their living situations, and making some money too.

This past Wednesday we had our final outreach to the kids in Zwelethemba. We planned a Christmas party for them, had a time of worship, a drama, dance routines, and we had a great time! Normally we have about 200 kids show up, but this time 430 came, it was incredible. With some of the money you have supported me with, and money from others supporters, we were able to make little gift bags for the kids to take with them. We hand made bracelets, cut out stars with a scripture written on them, toothbrushes, soap, and some snacks. They loved it so much. As the kids left we made prayer tunnels and prayed over each child as they left. It was really sad knowing that it was our last time there, but it made us really excited for our big outreach that is coming up.

So on December 14th our team will be leaving the base at 2 a.m. and driving to Cape Town to catch our flight to Johannesburg at 6 a.m. From there we fly straight to Nairobi, Kenya. I do not know the exact plans of where we will all be during outreach, but I'll tell you what I have been told so far. We will be at different areas for one to three weeks at a time. In Kenya we will be working with the Masai tribes, staying in the bush with no running water, electricity, nothing really. Where we are staying is where the most african wildlife will be found, so we know this experience will be incredible in so many ways.

We are bringing a lot of shoeboxes with us, and we are meeting up with a church team from Cape Town around Christmas time, and on Christmas day we will be handing out the shoeboxes to Kenyan orphans. I am so excited that we get to spend Christmas day like that, it will be really amazing. I think beginning to mid January we will be driving down to Tanzania, and continuing our outreach there. Some of the things we will be involved with during these two months and areas to pray over...
-visiting children in rehab centers
-working in an orphanage with 800 children, that is currently being run by 2 Christian missionaries
-teaching on rehydration, water purification, HIV/AIDS, farming
-street ministry

I hope you all have a really great Christmas, and a happy new year! I am looking forward to coming back and sharing my experiences with you. Thank you so much for all your prayers and support, it has meant so much.

Hey everyone, hope you are all doing well!
Well, it is getting really busy here, preparing for leaving on outreach, and working with our local outreach. The money for the Zwelethemba project is just over half in. We have R30,000, so enough for the house, but don't have enough for the food, school supplies and uniforms. Thank you so much for all the support so far. Here's a site that we made to explain our work here a little more : http://web.me.com/childreninneedts

So another amazing miracle happenend here this last week Tuesday. There were 11 people here that didn't have their money for outreach and for school fees, in total was over $28000 Canadian, about R180,000. We had been struggling trying to get money, working really hard on fundraising, but its been hard and discouraging because no one here has money to give. Our speaker came into class, and told us to stop doing all of that. He started talking about how money means nothing to God, there is no currency in heaven. He doesn't want us to be worrying about things like that, and he said that everyone would be going on outreach. We are a family, and God doesn't leave his children behind. He told us how God still calls us to give, even if we have nothing. So we started praying and taking an offering within our class..who had no money. People who had no money gave away what they had. Some people brought in their cameras, things that they really valued and just gave them up. Before we knew it we had R100,000 and we were amazed. Then Rich, our speaker got a phone call, from someone he knew asking if there was a South African girl who needed outreach fees paid, and there was, so all of hers came in. Eventually we only had R67500 left, and we were all shocked at what God had done, but there was still quite a few people who didn't have enough. Then we got another call, someone who is remaining anonymous paid it all, all the rest. Everyone was in tears, we were so amazed how in two hours just spent in prayer and selflessness God gave it all.

Thank you for all your prayers, and support, miss you all!

Hey everyone! Sorry for not updating this more, I've been told by my mom that I better soon, so here I am..love you mom :) It just has been really busy here lately. Last week our school went on an 8 hour road trip to the YWAM base for a Nations to Nations conference in Jeffrey's Bay. All the YWAM bases in South Africa were invited, and there were people from over 60 nations. There were lectures, and awareness campaigns presented by amazing people of God from all over the world, about their passions, and missions that they have started in the most undesired parts of the world. In the evenings we had big celebrations, celebrating all of the different, and unique ways we worship God. It was incredible. This week our lecture phase topic was on worship and so far, it has been really great too. We have our first fundraiser planned for this Saturday. We got permission from the mall to set up a face painting station, and have been really busy making posters and getting everything organized. Next week Friday we're having a movie night, playing Madagascar 2, and inviting local churches and our base. Your prayers that these events will be really successful would be great! There have been tough things going on here lately, I won't go into detail on here, but if you want, you can talk to my family. If you could also be praying against child abuse, and that justice will be served that would also be really appreciated.

This week our lecture phase is on discipleship, and we're two days in now, and once again, our speaker is really good, and we're learning a lot. Tonight our class had a meeting and we were spoken to about the different committee options we could be involved in. There is the ministry team, fundraising, and building. The whole class will be involved with all three but the committees are just there to plan the events, dates, etc. I felt led to be on fundraising, so thats where I am. We are to raise 45,000 rand, which is approximately $6400 canadian. It is a lot of money, but we know that God has made this school happen, and that he will provide. We're building a home for an orphaned family, which we hope to have completed before we leave for outreach in December. We are also buying school uniforms for 10 children, then for another 10 children school supplies, and also 10 food parcels for families. Raising these funds will be difficult seeing as we are in a nation that is not financially well off, and we're all students so we don't have the funds to contribute fully ourselves. Your prayer support in creative, and effective fundraising ideas for my group would be really appreciated. Miss and love you all!

So we are now in our second week of lecture phase, and the topic is crucified life. The speaker is American, but has been doing mission work in South Africa for 16 years. God works through him in incredible ways as a speaker. Everyone always leaves the lectures with so much to think about, and yeah. He's been really great. Today we went on our first outreach, just to the township of Worcester. About a 15 minute drive from our base. My passion for the kids in Africa is what brought me here..but seeing the situation so many of them are in, in reality, hit really hard. The tiny broken down shacks go on forever. Children are parents, children are scarred from being beaten. Few have shoes, they are dirty, and not taken care of. The kids though, just looked so happy to see us, but its difficult because of the language barrier (they speak Casa). Laimon spoke to them, while we just hung out, prayed for..and basically just showed Jesus's love to them. We will be working with that group of kids (over 100 of them) for the first three months, every Wednesday. Your prayers for our team, to get guidance on how to reach these kids would be great :).

Today was an amazing day. We started the day off at 8 am with our first CINDTS class worship session. People broke down, let go, and shared..it was one of those times where you could feel God moving in crazy, exciting ways. In the afternoon we were introduced to our work duties. Monday through Friday from 2 pm, till 4 pm all students, from all the different schools going on here are required to do work. The first hour is spent with routine chores (sweeping, mopping, bathrooms, vacuuming, dusting, etc.) and the second hour is creative work, outside, where we get to start projects on the base to make it more exciting, or just maintenence on buildings (painting, and repairs). Because the base is filled with missionaries, they don't pay for anyone to do these things, so its up to us. Later on in the afternoon some kids, ages 13-16 were brought in to rehearse a dance routine that they later performed for us at community worship. I was hanging out with them for awhile, and learned that they have great hearts but really need direction (spiritually). I am very excited to work with these kids for the next three months. In the evening (every Thursday night is community worship) we had Glory Hall filled with over 200 people from 32 different nationalities. They taught us African songs, and dance. The energy
for Jesus in that building is something I will never forget.

So we are two days into our classes here now. There is a speaker from central Africa that has been flown in (Lysais), he's been involved with YWAM for many years, and has a lot to teach us, really pushes us in every way, and makes us think a lot. This weeks lecture focus is on the nature and character of God. It goes very in depth, and everyone has grown a lot.

There is something I heard the other day at a worship session, and yeah, I'd like to share it with you. "Your existence is because God chose to give you another day to live. Use it. Leave every place you go, better off than it was before." I found that very motivating and encouraging. They are equipping us very well on how to be disciples, and I know already that when we head out on our outreaches, God has huge things planned for this ministry team.