It is a New Year!

"Aphiwe in his Nativity play costume"


"An attempted Christmas caroling session"

Happy New Years! I apologize for the one month delay in a Lily new years update, but things are finally starting to return to normal here.

I survived my first holiday season away from home! It was a little sad at times being so far away from home on Christmas but we did the best we could to recreate some festive spirit. I got to cook Christmas dinner for all the volunteers, which was excellent practice for my future domestic endeavors! New Years eve at Lily was actually one of my best holidays to date. Although, we didn’t attend a posh party or even get to see the ball drop, we did get to spend time with our entire “Lily family.” We all met in the yard for a midnight braii (bar-b-que), followed up by a firework show put on by some of our male volunteers. Looking around the braii, I was struck for the first time by what an integral part of the children’s lives we, volunteers, have become. When I look back on my childhood memories I see my family, but when they look back on theirs, they will think about spending those major milestone events with us and that just seems like such an amazing blessing that we get to be their family, at least for a little bit.

Now that summer holiday is finally over here in Mophela, our children are beginning a new school year. I am now once again teaching my 1st, 2nd, and 3rd graders English and Math everyday after school to reinforce what they are learning at school. The community school that many of our children attend is extremely overcrowded, averaging 75 students per teacher, not to mention that many of their teachers have only graduated from high school. These facts coupled with their poor health and subsequent poor school attendance makes our supplemental programming vital to their education. Although I am only teaching basic reading and mathematics, having never taught before, I often feel slightly overwhelmed and unprepared when I walk into our classroom. However, recent news reports on the state of the education system in South Africa has renewed my commitment to teach this year. In our province of KwaZulu Natal alone, 36 high schools had no students graduate for the 2008 school year, meaning that literally thousands and thousands of students across the province failed their senior year in 2008, and this is despite the government lowering graduation requirements last year. When I think of how devastating such a trend will be to this country, I am inspired to impart as much as I can to my students, even though I am positive I will never win any awards for eloquent teaching. Anyone reading this who has any knowledge of English as a Second Language (ESL) teaching, please email me!

KwaZulu Natal has been experiencing some unusual severe weather in recent weeks that has caused some damage to Lily’s property and the electric and water systems in the area. Known for its moderate climate, KZN is not prepared for high winds or flooding conditions, making cleanup after a storm slow at best. At Lily, we have had minor structural and physical damage, but more notably are having trouble with our water supply. We haven’t had hot water in weeks, and the water that does come out of the tap does so at a slow trickle. I am learning the ropes of water conservation, and will never again take for granted a hot shower when I return home!

African Antidote of the Week: This week I encountered a spitting cobra stalking its prey (a flock of birds) at sunset about 10 ft in front of where I stood which was consequently very close to my house. It moved so fast and when it got to the birds it stood up, spraying its venom everywhere. I would have found it much more fascinating had I not been standing so close to it without any means of protecting myself. Not to mention that the snake was pretty big. Upon hearing my shrieks for help a team of boys from Lily came running with giant rocks in hand, which sent the snake slithering to its hole. Following the incident the boys geared up in our gum boots and sunglasses (claiming it would protect them from the spitting venom) and set out to “snake-proof” our house, which consisted of throwing some smelly toxic chemical at our door and telling us we needed to eat raw snake in order to show the snakes we were not afraid of it. We declined on both offers.

Finally, in my last blog post you may have noticed a hint of stress and frustration in my tone. Both being understaffed and the hectic nature of the holiday season left me feeling drained. However, during this stressful period a friend of mine pointed me to the Sara Groves’ song “When the Saints.” The song is a catalog of the sufferings and persecutions of past Christian saints. It humbled me to be reminded of my standing amongst the many Christian servants who have come before us, encouraging me to stay the course and endure the comparatively small struggles I face in daily life here. I have written the lyrics of the song at the end of this blog and encourage you to listen to the song if you get the chance.
Through the trivial struggles I have faced here so far, I have learned so much about God, humility, servanthood, and myself. I have three more months of service left at Lily, and I am excited to see what God has in store for me. I would appreciate your continued prayers for our children and our volunteer staff.

Feeling Very Blessed,
Palmer

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why for Christ’s sake, I delight in my weaknesses, in insults, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, than I am strong.” II Corinthians 12: 9-10

Prayer Requests:
• Child N is undergoing intensive radiotherapy for tumors. Please pray that her body can be healed. She has also endured severe abuse in recent months before coming to Lily. Please pray that her spirit will be healed as well.
• Lily is in desperate need of a nurse, a doctor, and a social worker. Please pray that the right people will be brought here swiftly and that we come up with the funds to pay them
• Pray for our teaching and the education of each of our children. Pray that we will stay the course and continue to put our all into our lessons.
• Pray for the health of the volunteer staff. Our immune systems have been failing us as of late, and a round of flu has been circulating.


“When the Saints”- Sara Groves
Lord I have a heavy burden, of all I’ve seen and know,
It’s more than I can handle.
But your word is burning like a fire, shut up in my bones,
And I can’t let it go.
And when I’m weary and overwrought, with so many battles left unfought…

I think of Paul and Syllus in the prison yard,
I hear their song of freedom rising to the stars.
And when the saints go marching in…
I want to be one of them.

Lord, it’s all that I can carry, I can not leave behind,
It all can overwhelm me.
But when I think of all who’ve gone before, and lived the faithful life,
Their courage compels me.
And when I’m weary and overwrought, with so many battles left unfought…

I think of Paul and Syllus in the prison yard,
I hear their song of freedom rising to the stars.
I see the shepherd Moses in the Pharaoh’s Court.
I hear his calls for freedom for the people of the Lord.
And when the saints go marching in…
I want to be one of them.

I see a long quiet walk along the underground railroad,
I see a slave awakening to the value of his soul.
I see the young missionary and the angry spear,
I see his family returning with no trace of fear.
I see the long hard shadows of Calcutta nights,
I see the sisters standing by the dying inside.
I see the young girl huddled on the brothel floor,
I see the man with a passion coming kicking down that door.
I see the man of sorrow and his long troubled road,
I see the world on his shoulders, and my easy load.

And when the saints go marching in…
I want to be one of them.

Christmas in Africa

Dear Friends,
Things are changing drastically this month at Lily of the Valley. At the beginning of the month we had 12 fulltime international volunteers and now we are down to five, and with 114 children, we are definitely stretched to the limit. Furthermore, while we are normally only charged with the care of the nursery aged children during the day since the older children are at school, due to school holiday we now have all of them all day long. Time for planning, cleaning, and paperwork is non-existent yet desperately needed at this point. Having so many children in one place at one time with such few staff members to look after them, often leaves all of us exhausted and frustrated as we can never dedicate enough time and attention to each child. With so few resources it seems that our jobs currently lie more in the realm of crisis managers than caregivers.

THIS MONTH AT LILY:
I have recently spent a good portion of my time making hospital visits with children. Since we have roughly 100 HIV+ children here, there is literally almost a child a day that needs to go to the hospital for one reason or another. The hospital that we primarily take children to is in Petermeritzburg, about an hour and a half from Lily. It is overcrowded, understaffed, and wouldn’t meet even the most basic standards of cleanliness in the States. The average wait time that we experience there (even though we have an appointment) is six hours. One day while waiting with a child, I journaled some of the things I witnessed, which included massive cockroaches, raw sewage in the hallways, and people in hospital beds outside because they had run out of room inside the building. It sickens me to think that our precious children who deserve the world, are subjected to such pathetic healthcare.
In addition to my hospital duties, I have spent much of my time in the past month honing my domestic skills as the chief costume and set designer for the Lily of the Valley nativity play. With roughly 50 costumes to design and sew by hand, I had my work cut out for me. Additionally, I was the choreographer and coach of the now famous “Angel Dance,” in which ten little girls fluttered and twirled their way across the stage for three minutes. This may not seem like a considerable amount of time, but when you are attempting to teach these moves to a group of six year old girls with severe behavioral issues it sometimes felt like an eternity. All of the work that was poured into the play, however, was well worth the outcome. The children preformed the play for local churches receiving rave reviews.

CHRISTMAS:
As the Christmas season approaches we here at Lily are gearing up for the holiday. Since we are isolated here in Mophela, our Christmas decorations are limited. However, those of you who know me well know that I have a deep love for the holiday which cannot be extinguished by a mere lack of resources. My roommates and I have become creative, converting scraps of material and paper into full-fledged decorations. In fact, the house of male volunteers has challenged our house to a Christmas decoration war. I pity them, though, because going into the dare they were unaware of the intensity of my Christmas spirit! I will keep you posted on the results, which are to be decided upon by several of the children.
Another facet of Christmas here involved several of the children leaving Lily to return to their extended families for the holidays. Although, at first glance it would seem that this should be a welcome event as the children get to return to some normalcy at least for a few weeks, it is actually something that causes us much anxiety. Most of our children’s health is so fragile, that the idea that they will be returned to the same families who neglected them in the first place is a scary thought. In past years, many of our children have returned from a break and have to be immediately admitted to the hospital because their families failed to give them any medication at all, even though the ARV’s that they are on require 99% compliance to the drug to be affective at all. The children are, however, technically property of the state so we have little to no jurisdiction on custody decisions. We are left with our hands tied, watching the children we love so much leave to go into environments that we know are literally life threatening.

NEXT MONTH:
On December 28th I will be heading to Rwanda for two weeks to serve alongside a small mission team from a local church here in KwaZulu Natal. We will be working with street ministries, sitting in on peace and reconciliation talks, as well as working with the refugees who are currently flooding in from neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which is currently in the midst of a devastating civil war. I am not sure exactly what to expect while I am there, but am eager to get a glimpse into how God is working in the country post-genocide. Being the International Relations nerd that I am, I have studied the Rwanda conflict in-depth all throughout college, so the prospect of visiting the nation is very exciting to me. In addition, I will also get to celebrate New Years in Rwanda, and cannot wait to see what that festivity will look like there!

I apologize if my blogs and emails seem to be convulsive- jerking from extreme highs to extreme lows, but that seems to emulate my life here. On the one hand, I recognize the blessings that I have here in that I get to work with and love on these children on a daily basis. Their laughter is infectious. While on the other hand, in the midst of their joy I am simultaneously faced with the reality of their circumstances and am left angry and overwhelmed. It is a strange dichotomy in which I find myself now, and I am daily seeking to reconcile the extreme emotions to which I am subject here.
That’s it from this side of the world for now. Have a very merry Christmas and please keep us in your prayers this holiday season!

In Christian Love,
Palmer

“For I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:11-13

Lily Prayer Requests:
• Justice and healing for our newest child N, who is the victim of severe abuse perpetrated by a member of her own family.
• That the right people will be raised up to join our staff, and that the leadership of Lily will have wisdom in making management decisions.
• Strength and patience for a staff and volunteer force that is currently severely understaffed.
• That the children who are allowed to visit family members over the holiday will remain healthy and safe while they are away.
• That the children who will remain at Lily over Christmas will feel at home there and will begin to understand the true meaning of Christmas.
• There have been many deaths in the families of several of our staff members this month due to disease and violence. Please pray for the families of Ma Margaret, Ma Little Margaret, Ma Monica, and Emanuel as they mourn the loss of loved ones.
• That the volunteers and staff members will have the words to say and the hearts to deal with the ongoing trauma our children face daily as a result of their past abuse and neglect
• My Rwanda team as we head to the country December 28th- Januray 11th.

A Day in the Life of Lily

A glimpse into an average day at Lily of the Valley...


We… read!


We... Climb on things!


We... learn to wink!


We… do chest physio!


We... are fashion forward!


We...act like angels!


We...eat cake!


We...laugh!


We…act like divas!


We... read our Bibles!


We...break dance!


We...slip n' slide!


We...go on game drives!


We...eat bugs!


We...sew!


We...dress up!




We... have tickle wars!


We... hug our friends!


We...LOVE!

Life at Lily in October

A month and a half into my journey in KwaZulu Natal, I have finally settled into my home here at Lily of the Valley Children’s Home. Life here is extraordinary. The window to the little house I share with two other volunteers overlooks a compound of 22 houses filled with 114 orphans. Our property backs up to Tala Game Reserve so from my window I can see herds of Wilderbeast and Giraffe! About 90% of the children here have HIV, and another good portion of them have suffered from TB. They are very sick, but you would never know it. They act just like normal, perhaps even more joyful, kids. Each has a unique and equally devastating past, but I often have to remind myself of this, as they are so resilient, are rarely let you see their pain. Only when their immune systems fail them, or they have a moment of anxiety or angry outburst am I truly aware of their reality. I have so much to learn from them, and feel so blessed to get to spend my time with them.

My duties here change day to day, but I have found myself doing more activities, which resemble teaching than I planned. Every weekday afternoon we hold “homework club” in which we help the children with their homework and/or work with them on basic math and English skills. A lot of our children are behind in school because of illness or their turbulent past, so it is our goal to get them caught up to their grade level. I have never possessed the gift of teaching, but after discovering just how far behind our kids are when compared to children back home I have found a new motivation to cultivate my teaching skills. I am now an expert on my times tables, phonics, and basic addition facts!

Here’s a list of some of the things I have learned here thus far:
• The power of touch: It is amazing how much anger and hurt can be melted away with a warm hug, or a good tickle war. Several of the little girls will not speak to adults, and put on a hard demeanor with everyone whom they come into contact. However, after several days of hugs after Homework Club, they have begun to smile at me, and seek me out when they have a problem.
• To sew by hand: I have become the resident seamstress. Years of cross-stitching and quilting at Grandot’s house is paying off, as children now daily bring me their holey worn clothing to mend or resize for them. We do not have a sewing machine, but I am learning to patch everything by hand, and even how to dye my own string using tea, lipstick, or whatever I can find around the village.
• What a blessing running water is: We often have water shortages in this area. The main pipe line that runs to the village goes through another rural township called Mophela. When the locals do not feel like walking miles to get water, then they improvise by breaking the major pipelines that run in front of their house. This means that on the days following their lethargy, we will not have water. Going without water for days at a time is not fun! Needless to say, the drip of water from the tap has become music to our ears!
• Basic Zulu: At the village community center, Zulu classes are being offered twice a week. I am getting the basics down, but have only mastered three of the twelve “clicks” in the language, so I am not sure I will ever manage to speak properly.
• How caring and helpful our kids are here: From the moment I got to Lily, the kids have bent over backwards to make sure that I can get from place to place. Whenever I get stuck in the mud or need to go up a big hill, children come running. Even ones who I have yet to meet or who are shorter than my chair itself come to help. Last week two six year old boys tried to pick me up when I was getting into my wheelchair from the floor. They seem to always be eager to lend a helping hand. One 12 year old boy, Stambiso, who is generally filled with a lot of anger, for some reason has chosen me to be nice to. Last week he came running up to met to inform me that he had been researching “healers” for me and he found a great one in Jo-Burg that I must go to immediately. Although I had to explain to him that my body is healed and that God is working through my disability, I was touched that he wanted to help in any way he could. Despite the terrible things in these children’s lives, they turn around and are ready to serve me!
• The need for and power of prayer: Both because of the love and because of the pain that radiates from our Lily kids, it has been impossible for me to ignore the faithfulness and ever-nearness of God. I am constantly reminded of my need for him as I attempt to serve in an environment that is always overwhelming. Prayer is beginning to be a constant conversation between the Lord and I, instead of a once a day chore that I do so that I will fulfill my duties as a “good” Christian. I am learning that if I try to do this without prayer and constant reliance on Him, I am going to fail miserably.

I would love to have you all partner with me in prayer. Here are a few prayer requests for the time being.
Prayer Requests:
• That I and the other volunteers would have the motivation and strength to serve to the best of our abilities.
• The health of our HIV+ children who are daily struggling with their health.
• For the two new children D and B, who came to Lily today, that their transition would be smooth and that they would come to feel safe and at home here.
• For the leadership at Lily, that they would be able to make wise decisions about the future growth and plans for this place.

Also if you are a fan of snail mail I would love to hear from you via:
Lily of the Valley
ATTN: Palmer Harston
PO Box 185 Gilitts 3603
KZN South Africa

Or if you are more of a skype fan my cell number here is:
+27 72 982 3676

That’s it for now!
Blessings,
Palmer

“For I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.” Philippians 4: 11-13

Two weeks down...

As of today, I have been in South Africa for two weeks, and although I have yet to even start my main job here, I have already experienced and been challenged by a lot. For the last few weeks I have been working for World Changers Academy, volunteering at Shepherd’s Keep Home for Abandoned Babies, writing law school essays, studying for the LSAT, and trying to survive in a house that has 30 people living in it. Each day has brought a new challenge, a new emotion, and a new lesson. Although I have enjoyed my time so far, I am greatly looking forward to next Wednesday when I begin living and working at Lily of the Valley, because I am desperately longing for some routine and consistency.

Living in a foreign country by myself has allowed me a lot of time alone with my thoughts. This is the first time in my life that I have had to face the frustrations, curiosities, and thrills of a completely different culture alone, with no one else to turn to for reflection. It has been a huge time of growth in my life as I have wrestled with quandaries of faith, politics, and culture on my own. Not to mention, I have endured much ridicule for my strange “Yankee” accent with no one to back me up that it is indeed “y’all” not “you all.” Yet through this struggle, I have learned to cling to the foundational principles of my faith, as without those I truly would be on my own. In truth, I am thankful for this time of inward struggle and discovery, as I am confident that perseverance through challenge yields strength. If these first two weeks are any indication, I am confident a great deal more personal growth derived from trials is in my foreseeable future.

Today was somewhat of a paradox for me. I woke up to President Mbeki’s announcement that he would resign as South Africa’s president after allegations of political manipulation from his equally corrupt political opponent Zuma. The government, which has been in shambles for years, is finally beginning to show its true colors on the international stage. If something of this magnitude had happened in our country, the nation would have been in an uproar. Yet in this country that has become disillusioned and apathetic towards the status of their government due to years and years of corruption, no one seems to have even taken notice that Mbeki has left. Frustrated at the hopelessness that seems to be hanging in the air here, I drove to Shepherd’s Keep Orphanage, the NGO with whom I have partnered the past two summers. There I held a tiny three-week-old baby, who had been found abandoned in a bush on the side of a highway. Although her chest wheezed with each breath from a life-threatening infection that has set in, I couldn’t help but find hope in each labored breath. She has a fight left in her. There is a reason she was delivered to this high-care center, instead of dying on the side of the road along with the 2,000 other babies who are abandoned in this province each month. As I looked at her I realized that the work that is being done in the NGOs, churches, charter schools, and others who have joined the cause is not in vain. There is still hope for her and the rest in her generation that things can be turned around. I am so privileged to get to work with such innocence, because I am becoming convinced that it may be the only way to escape the ever-growing disillusionment festering here.

In the book “Mountains Beyond Moutains,” (which I highly recommend you reading) the author tells of an old Haitian proverb, which essentially says that beyond the mountains there are more mountains, meaning that when we overcome one obstacle there is certain to be another equally as challenging obstacle waiting for us on the other side. At first glance this may seem like a depressing thought, but the author goes on to explain that victory then may not necessarily come in the defeat of the obstacle, but may instead come in the perseverance. We succeed because we refuse to give up trying. It is with this mindset that I am excited to begin working at Lily of the Valley Children’s village next week.

Look for more substantive and detailed posts in the weeks to come as I get to know the children and stories that make up Lily of the Valley…

Africa Bound

So I’m off! And since according to the flight map on the seat in front of me it is currently 4:45 am and I’m flying high over Namibia, it looks like there is no turning back. About hour 7 of this 19 hour flight, I began to question my sanity for making this voyage, but the Lord is faithful, and as soon as my doubts set in a precious Senegalese family with a 2 month old child sat down next to me in the bulk head row of the plane. Those of you who know my addiction to African children, know that this quelled my doubts immediately. Over the next few days I’m going to need little reminders as to why I left house and home to come all the way over, but I’m confident that when I meet the children of Lily of the Valley my anxiety will be subdued.
For those of you who don’t know I will be living in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa for the next ten months. I will be living and working in Durban with several organizations that I have partnered with the last few summers for the month of September, but come October 1st, I will spend the remainder of my trip working at Lily of the Valley orphanage (www.lilyofthevalley.org.za) located in the Valley of a Thousand Hills.
I plan to update this blog as much as possible, however, I do not yet know what my Internet situation will be like in the coming months. I would love for y’all to come on this journey with me, and thus I plan to post prayer requests, orphanage needs, and other ways for you to get involved as much as I can.
Habakkuk 1:5 says “Look at the nations and watch- and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe even if you were told.” I am eagerly awaiting the fulfillment of this passage this year!

1st week in Kwa Zulu Natal

Sabonne from South Africa!
So sorry that I have been MIA for the past week, but I have had a whirl wind of a first week back in Durban and I am just now settling in. We landed in Johannesburg at 5 p.m. last Wednesday and ended up getting stuck in the Jo-burg airport until midnight because it was snowing! That was the first time its snowed here in 26 years. Luckily Durbs is on the sea so its not quite that cold, but still chiller than last year since we are currently in the dead of winter here.
This first week we have been working at Shepherd’s Keep, the same orphanage for abandoned HIV infants that I worked at last year. Upon our arrival on Thursday, I was sad to notice that there were not as many babies as last year, as they only had ten children. The nurse explained to me that currently there is a new trend for mothers to sell their babies on the black market as opposed to completely abandoning them, because the government gives foster grants to anyone caring for a child who is not their own, so it’s a way for people to make a quick buck. So tragic! But luckily, while we were there this week we got two new babies!
Gugu and Joshua, two babies with Cerebral Palsy, were still at the center as its very hard to find anyone willing to adopt special needs children. Josh is now 1 ½ and Gugu is now 2 ½, and both have been battling one illness after another. Gugu was originally found tied up in a trash bag and tossed in a trash bin, and they think it was the suffocation in the bag that caused her brain damage. Josh was found on the back of a bus, so they are not sure about the origins of his disorder but he is a little higher functioning than Gugu. However, we actually thought that we were going to loose Josh this week because he had such a terrible case of pneumonia, but he decided he was not ready to give up the fight and ended up pulling through. In fact, today he was even strong enough for me to sit on the floor with him and do his exercises. It breaks my heart though, because the knowledge and services for special needs children is almost non-existent here. If theses children were in the States, their quality of life would be so much better, but because they are here they have doctors and therapists who are literally playing guessing games with what to do with them next. Please pray for them, as they really need to find a team of doctors and therapists who are specialists if they are going to make it much longer. What is so great about working with Gugu and Josh, is that the smallest things, from a smile to a hand grasp. are so rewarding as its so obvious how hard they must work to accomplish it. They have taught me so much about God’s timing, as they are so obviously in his hands. He must have big plans for them, as he has revived each of them so many times when they have been knocking on death’s door.

Taylor has also fallen in love with a precious baby boy who is 2 months and less than 10 lbs. He is a premature baby named Matthew who just recently came out of the incubator. He is beautiful huge brown eyes and a fragile little body. He must stay in the hi-care nursery, so Taylor spends most of her days sitting in hi-care with him, rocking him and singing to him. I have also fallen in love with one of the new babies, a beautiful Indian little boy who is 2 months old and must also stay in hi-care due to a bad chest infection. He was brought in by the police on Monday after his mother who is a prostitute gave him to another prostitute and then never returned. Although he has a skin disorder, raspy lungs, and likely has HIV, he has a full head of hair, hysterical facial expressions, and I have come to adore him. Prayers for these two little ones are also needed as their future in the custody court system have still yet to be determined.

The final update from Shepherd’s Keep is very exciting. A baby girl, who has been there for several months, named Rejoice, underwent massive brain surgery on Wednesday. Rejoice suffered from a birth defect in which her skull closed too early before she was born, causing facial and brain deformation. A doctor from the United States agreed to do the surgery free of cost, and flew over this week to operate. Rejoice is only the 12th person in the world every to receive the operation. In the surgery the doctor took off her skull, repositioned her face and then reattached everything. After such an intense surgery Rejoice must remain in the hospital for quite some time, but I am thrilled to report that she came through it and is doing wonderfully. The doctor also said that through some miracle, she should not have any brain damage, which is normally a complication of the disorder. This little girl really is living up to her name.
Although many of the babies have come and gone from Shepherd’s Keep in the year since I have been gone, the passion and mission on the orphanage has not wavered. It seems that with each new challenge that they face, God has met them their and has continued to bless them for their efforts. I am excited to say this year we have taken video footage of our time there, and interviewed many of the staff and volunteers as we hope to make a video when we return to the States, so that each of you can have a better understanding of the miracles that happen there on a daily basis.
To end our first week back in South Africa, the family that we are staying with had a 4th of July celebration for us. Although we were not on the lake, nor did we have fireworks, we did have a proper South African “braii” (sort of like a bar-b-que), and they even put American flags on our cake. I made a apple pie and Taylor broke out some Oreo’s that she had stashed in her bag, so we were all set. As many of you know the 4th is my favorite holiday, and even though I didn’t get to spend it in the states I still had a spectacular holiday.
That’s it for this week, but next week we will be headed to a new organization called World Changers Academy on the outskirts of Durban, where we will actually be working in Zulu townships. I love you and miss you all!