Hello!

Hello! I hope that you all are doing okay and have had a great week so far, smiling bunches and bunches.

Last Wednesday K and I traveled to Soweto where I was greatly saddened by this township which is referred to as an “informal settlement”. I saw children playing with toys they had made from scrap metal, dusty streets, and houses made out of tin and concrete. I was greatly saddened, as anyone would be who saw poverty like this. I was able to talk to three small children through a fence that went around the dirt yard and small groups of houses that was inside this fence. They ran to the fence when we walked by and I talked to them. They were playing with little toy cars. As I looked at where they live and gazed at their dirty clothes and faces, I felt guilt and an anger for all that I have. Why do I have so much and they so little? Why do they have to live in the middle of this type of environment? My heart hurt and I did not know what to think…I kept thinking how we could do something to help them…I now know that I have taken so much for granted-having a warm home filled with love, food to eat, clothes….but despite all these children lacked, they still smiled and laughed…how I want to be like them. During staff devotions a couple days later, we looked at verse Hebrews 13:4-5 “….be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you.” I realized how all comes from God and I should be thankful for all I have each day. God is with us; he is our Provider, he is all we need. But what can be done about poverty in Africa, India, America...how can we help? There is no doubt that God is calling us to reach out, but how can we? How can we bring God’s light and hope?

The next two days (Thrusday and Friday) K and I worked but I felt like my focus was not there. I felt like I was getting impatient for no reason and having a hard time keeping a praising heart. After work on Friday, I finally realized that I am not going to be able to change poverty all around the world and here in South Africa. Yes, this broke my heart, but I should not allow myself to dwell on this and feel angry and guilty because of it. I realized that we need to be thankful for what we have and pray that God will use us to reach those who live in poverty. We can make a difference in our hometown, for there are so many people in need all around the world. If we are able help meet their physical needs-providing food, shelter, or clothing, we are also sharing God’s love and we can hopefully be used by God to meet their spiritual hunger as well…

On Saturday K and I took two babies-aged 5 months and 8 months- to the mall and we had so much fun! I had the idea of letting the 8 month old boy taste ice cream for the first time! How funny-don’t worry, we only let him have two or three licks. He loved it and was so funny trying it. We took lots of pictures. We then came back to our host family house and played. We read books, sang, and just had fun laughing and giggling. Pulang is talking some and is a joy to be with.
At the mall, several people asked us whose babies we were taking care of and we were able to talk to them about Door of Hope. They also want to know where we are from, because well, we don’t look or talk like anyone else in South Africa. Our waitress even got the number from us of Door of Hope and wants to call to see if she can work for them. Did you know that Door of Hope is non-profit? The Africans who work here are paid through church donations and all our materials are donated or bought with donated money. I just think that this is amazing how God truly does provide. The aunties were worried one day because we were running very low on formula; we were out of infasoy 1, but God provided just that kind of formula on that day. Wow!

Speaking of providing, God provided a place for me and K to stay the remainder of our time here. We were unable to stay at the Gospel Tract very long, for it was all booked before it was known that we were coming and a host home had not been able to be found for us. The aunties and uncles were praying and said that they would take us in, but many of them are living in two-bedroom homes with 5-8 children. But God did provide us with a “host family”. But our host family is a 75 year old man who we call Uncle Collin. He is a 75 year old man who has 4 children. One of his daughters lives in Spain, and his son lives in the UK, and his other two daughters live in towns close to Johannesburg. His wife died 3 years ago and he lives alone. He works for Door of Hope; he is called the management man who picks up donations and fixes odds and ends at Door of Hope’s three baby houses. When he heard that K and I needed a place to stay, he was very sweet to offer for us to stay with him. I believe that he was very lonely before. He told me and K that we bring light back into his life.

On Sunday, we went to church with Uncle Colin and I was surprised to see people from all nationalities worshiping God together. The congregation was african, indian, white, and oriental. A man with a guitar led the music and the congregation sang to the top of their voices and sang with their full voices. I was giggling at one point because Uncle Colin was singing beside me and he was singing his own song (the same words as us, just not in the right place and off key) and when we were clapping, he was always clapping at the off beat. But he did not care-he had his eyes closed just praising God. I realized that God truly does not care what we sound like, he just desires us to worship him in spirit and in truth and with our whole hearts. Psalm 9:1-2 “I will praise you, O Lord, with my whole heart” and Psalm 51:17 “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart.” When we go to worship on Sundays, are we focusing on praising God with our whole heart and being broken and humble and genuine before God?

I want to tell you that I am so thankful for Katherine! We have become very close friends and I have been blessed to share this with her. She is a constant encouragement. We have shared so many laughs as well as tears. K makes me laugh so much! How awesome it is to have a friend with me to share Scripture with me and to pray with me. I love her a lot! I am also thankful for the friendships that I have made with the Maria, Heather, and Melody, who are also volunteers from America. Our friendships are brought together in that we all love the children so much and desire to live for the Lord. Every Friday night, we go out to eat and spend the evening together, whether it is watching a movie (so far we have watched Rescuers Down Under and Aladdin) just talking, or playing card games. I am so thankful for the fellowship found here! Maria has even spent the night a couple of times and three of us in our small double bed is quite funny, but we are so tired from working that we just fall asleep no matter where we are. On Monday, there were some difficult circumstances that were happening at Door of Hope and after work, we came together with heavy hearts and just prayed together for what was happening. Truly what peace is found when we take everything to God in prayer. I am so thankful for the friendships that I have found here, not only in the other volunteers but with the aunties. Tomorrow, we are going out to eat with Auntie Veronica and her daughter. I am excited! And another best friend that I have made is one with Auntie Loyce, the housekeeper. I try to help her with as much as I can and this week I have been able to help a lot with the laundry during the children’s nap-time and she has been so grateful. She gave me and K a peppermint at lunch yesterday, telling us that this came from her inner-most heart. How sweet!

K and I have been here a little over a month and I have been able to see so much change in the children in just one month! This truly is amazing. I know how to make each child laugh and have seen them begin to try to talk and giggle and roll over and even crawl. Our oldest girl is going to begin to walk soon and I hope that I get to see this happen! She is quite a handful…when a smaller baby is crying, she will often crawl to them and look at them as if she is wondering why they are crying and then she pulls their hair! I wonder why she thinks this helps…it only makes the baby cry louder. But she makes ma laugh. Her name means “blessing.” In the African culture, the meaning of the children’s name is very important. This week, we have gotten four new babies and I have heard the aunties discussing what to name the precious children. One of our new babies is named a biblical name-one of my favorites! A couple of nights ago, when we answered the doorbell, a very young lady with a downcast face asked if this was 15 Barbara Street, which is Door of Hope’s address. She was carrying a bundle of blankets. We took her to the office and a few minutes later, she left and she looked so sad. She left her baby with Door of Hope. She did not name her one-day old son. She wants so much to keep him, but is unable to provide for his needs. But there is still hope for her to get involved in a program where she can get help and find hope and get a job and learn how to take care of her son. We can pray for this young mother and so many like her…

I want to share some Scripture that I read this morning really quick with you. I read Psalm 146 this morning and read a little devotion that K has in a book called “Praise Habit” by David Crowder. Psalm 146:
“Blessed is he whose help is in the Lord, whose hope is in the Lord, the Maker of Heaven and Earth, the sea, and everything in them-the Lord, who remains faithful forever…He defends the wrong, feeds the hungry, frees prisoners, gives sight to the blind, lifts up those whose are bowed down, takes the side of the orphans and widows. The Lord reigns forever, praise the Lord.”
David Crowder says, “Read this psalm and think about how God is calling us to someplace above the gray, through the clouds to a place where there is hope and healing, where justice and mercy rule, where the King of Creation cradles and widows and the orphans and the fallen, where the blind see and goodness is champion. This is our God. There is no love greater or more beautiful.”

I love you all!
Rachel

P.S. Today is Lucas’s 19th birthday! HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Send some birthday wishes his way!!!!