Door of Hope Johannesburg, South Africa

Berea, Katherine's boy, Kruger, and Homeward bound!

2010-08-03T22:16:00.028+02:00

Sorry we didn't get to update our blog anymore...internet was in and out and very slow. We got home late on Sunday night and since have been trying to catch up on our rest and adjust back to this time zone. I (Katherine) want to update you on our last couple of weeks!

We went to Berea Baptist Church on our last Sunday off from work. Berea is where the second baby house is located with a "hole in the wall" where mothers can anonymously place their babies 24/7.

We can most definitely say that we had an African worship experience. The music was both in English and Afrikaans and we worshiped for over an hour to songs that made you want to clap and dance around!

Little did I know, after visiting the baby bin, that the very next day 2 sweet little boys would come through! The first, a boy at only 1 day old, came early in the afternoon. Later in the afternoon a boy at 3 days old came. Beth (one of the staff members) went to fetch the second little boy and brought him by the baby house we were staying at and as she walked through the door she announced, "Katherine! It's your baby boy!" Needless to say, I was completely shocked and overwhelmed as she passed him to me. I was given the honor of getting to name him. (I wish I could tell you his name on here and explain how I came to the decision, but because of privacy issues I can't.)

As we spent the next several hours with him, there was evidence of the love his mother had for him. He had on a new outfit with what looked like his mother's socks. He also had a huge woolly snowsuit on with a hat and was wrapped in a big thick blanket. She had obviously made sure that her little boy was warm and well cared for when she left him.

My sweet little guy has beautiful black curly hair and perfect skin. I soaked up every minute I could have with him. I will be receiving updated pictures of him throughout these next several months!

I ask that you pray for my little guy and for his mother. Pray that a forever family comes for him quickly!

We had the opportunity to go to Kruger National Park the Wednesday-Friday of the last week we were in South Africa! It is a huge game reserve that is 350 km (about 218 miles) long and 60 km wide (about 38 miles)! We went on a safari from 6 in the morning to 6 in the evening on Friday and saw so many animals! We saw 4 of the Big 5- which are the buffalo, elephant, lion, rhinoceros, and leopard. We saw all but the leopard. We saw hundreds of impala and tons of beautiful birds. It was amazing to see a new part of God's beautiful creation! It was the perfect ending to our trip!

After we got back from Kruger, we had one more full day until we had to leave to come home. We spent the day playing with babies and soaking up precious moments and memories. We had one last "family dinner" and then headed to the airport. As we left Annie, Susan, Emily, Sue, and Zoe all stood outside and waved. We have been so blessed to have a whole new "South African family"!!
Thanks for all your prayers!
Love in Christ,
Katherine, Mary, and Sandra

Starfish, Zoo, and Nelson Mandela!

2010-07-18T21:04:00.013+02:00

We are absolutely loving being in South Africa at the Door of Hope! I was reading in Hosea 2 earlier this week and it painted a beautiful picture of how God redeems each child and claims them as His own and loves them without ceasing-

"Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak tenderly to her. And there I will give her vineyards and make the Valley of Achor (meaning trouble) a door of hope. And there she shall answer as in the days of her youth...And I will abolish the bow, the sword, and war from the land, and I will make you lie down in safety. And I will betroth you to me forever. I will betroth you to me in righteousness and in justice in steadfast love and in mercy. I will betroth you to me in faithfulness. And you shall know the Lord." (vs.14-20)

Seeing each baby that is here and the hope they have in receiving forever families makes me recognize the Lord's unending love, saving power, and hope more than ever! In fact, 2 of our big babies are going home today!! Praise the Lord!

There have been a few changes in our schedule since we last updated you! I (Katherine) am now working in Starfish! Starfish is a group of 9 babies that are sick and/or developmentally delayed with special needs. We do some therapy with them every morning, have ball time, music time, and time outside in the sun. We end the day with a baby DVD, like The Wiggles or Praise Baby. It's a fun time to just sit and cuddle as they are getting ready to go to bed. I am absolutely loving it and all the kids have already captured my heart!

On one of our days off last week, we went to the Johannesburg zoo with Zoe, a volunteer from England and one of our baby boys! Since it is winter here, we had most of the place to oursevles! We had a wonderful day wandering around the park looking at all of the animals. They were all pretty active and so fun to watch. The baby boy we took with us is always so happy and absolutely loved the 4 on 1 attention!

When we got back to the Baby House, we were exhausted from a long fun day. As we were hanging out upstairs fixing dinner, we discovered our 4 oldest boys in the bathroom shredding toilet paper. They looked so guilty when we found them, but it was hilarious! I absolutely adore them!

Yesterday was Nelson Mandela day! It's a public holiday here, celebrating the 92nd birthday of Mandela. The community is asked to do 67 minutes of community service in honor of him. We had TONS of visitors and the ministry was so blessed with mountains of nappies (diapers), food, clothes, and money to spend as we need. The babies were overwhelmed at the 100+ visitors we had throughout the day, but they loved the one-on-one attention!

I can't believe that we only have 2 weeks left!! Thank you so much for all your prayers!

Love, Katherine, Mary, and Sandra

World Cup, Babies, and Adoptions!!!

2010-07-11T19:31:00.011+02:00

We can't believe it's already week 2 here at Door of Hope! We have been busy, working hard, and loving it! We have been getting creative with some of our daily activities with the babies. We read books, play outside on the playground, go for walks, have ball time, and Mom's latest invention, baby aerobics.
On one of our days off, we went out for some groceries and stopped in at a little souvenir shop we saw. As soon as we walked up to the door of the shop, the owner looks at Katherine and said in a thick accent, "Excuse me, would you mind the store while I go to the loo?" After he walked off and couldn't hear, we all laughed so hard and took a picture of Katherine "minding the store." But, no, we didn't get a discount. :-(

Another fun outing we took was to Moyo's, an authentic African restaurant. Mom, Katherine, and I all got South African dishes. The restaurant was beautiful and the music and atmosphere were wonderful. We went with three of the other volunteers from the United States. As you wait for your food, there is lady who comes around and paints your face. It was such a fun experience!
So many of you back at home were so generous to give money for clothes for the babies here at the house. Yesterday, we went shopping with one of the ladies on staff here at Door of Hope to find some adoption outfits. When a child is adopted, they like to dress them up very nice for their new family. We had so much fun picking out six specific outfits for kids who are being adopted in the next couple weeks, and also several outfits for the staff to keep in stock. The two babies who will be adopted tomorrow have already tried on their outfits and they look great! We are so excited for them as they are meeting their forever families! Special thank-you's to you all at home for your contributions!

Today, we went to a church just a few minutes down the road, and we were able to take one of the little girls with us! She was so well behaved for the entire 2 1/2 hour service! The service was bilingual. The first song was in Afrikaans and the rest were in English. The pastor spoke in English mostly, but would add bits of Afrikaans. The music was awesome and it was extra special to be able to take out one of the babies. Afterwards, we went to the old favorite, Mugg and Bean, for lunch.

We are about to go watch the final game of the World Cup with some of the aunties! We can already hear people blowing the vuvuzelas in the streets!

We appreciate your prayers and support! We ask that you pray for the children being adopted in these next two weeks that they and their new parents adjust well and that it is a good fit. Also, pray for the children and parents that are being matched up for adoptions in August and September.

Love,

Mary, Katherine, Sandra

First days!

2010-07-07T11:15:00.008+02:00

We had breakfast at Mugg & bean on Thursday morning and skyped a little with Ned and Dad. After, we went to get our car and then headed to Pick 'N Pay to get a few groceries. It was a productive day and a good start to getting settled in!

Orientation on Friday went well! There are a lot of details, names, and routines to remember! I think it will all seem easier once we get out of jetlag and in a routine.

Our first day of working was on Saturday. We worked with another international volunteer from Iowa named Emily. She was sweet in answering all of our questions and helping us begin to learn the routine. We enjoyed getting to know some of the personalities of the sweet babies. They soak up all the attention they can with their sweet baby sounds and smiles.

Monday was our first official day off and we went to the Glen Mall and enjoyed lunch out and walking around, getting a little shopping done as well. There is a ton of World Cup banners and advertisments everywhere!

On Tuesday we got to take the 4 toddlers on a walk up and down the neighborhood hills. We got our exercise and the boys enjoyed seeing the different sights and hear the different sounds!

Last night, we watched the Uruguay vs. Netherlands with Auntie Francinah and Lucy in their flat at the baby house. The game was fun to watch, but being with the aunties was a blast-we laughed a TON! Everytime someone would score, Auntie Francinah would blow her vuvuzela and we would all cheer!

Thank you for your prayers! Please continue to pray for forever families to come for our babies.

Love,

Sandra, Mary, and Katherine

Hello from South Africa!

2010-07-07T11:02:00.002+02:00

Internet has been difficult, so we apologize for this entry being so late. We wrote this last Thursday:

After a couple VERY long flights, we arrived in Johannesburg on Wednesday about 9:30 pm (S. Africa time). We spent Thursday getting settled into our room, unpacking, grocery shopping, and meeting some of the aunties and babies.

Katherine already knew many of the aunties from last summer, and they were all very excited to see her! No one shakes hands--just hugs! We all felt very welcomed.

On Thurday, we picked up the car. Driving on the wrong side of the road and the wrong side of the car! Of course, Katherine drove that day. She drove very well. Mom thought it felt like we were driving backwards.

Thursday afternoon, we spent a little time with some of the babies. Three of the babies were ones that were in small babies when Katherine was here last summer. She was excited to see them so big. We are looking forward to getting to know the babies and playing with them.

We have orientation Friday and work Saturday and Sunday. A work day is from 7am-6pm and includes bathing, feeding, changing, playing, helping with laundry, washing bottles, and anything else that comes up.

Mary, Katherine, Sandra

Baby Clothes Galore!

2010-05-22T21:06:00.005+02:00

In 39 days we will be in South Africa holding babies, playing, and singing songs. In anticipation of all the fun, we and our friends have done a little baby clothes shopping. Each precious one that wears these clothes was created by our Mighty God. As we dream about serving our Lord by holding and praying over these little ones we want to thank you for your contributions.

Pictured below are some adoption clothes, play outfits, and sleepers.

Thanks again!
Auntie Sandra

56 days!

2010-05-05T03:25:00.002+02:00

Guess what? I'm returning to Door of Hope in Johannesburg, South Africa this July…with my mom and sister!!! We are going to be leaving June 29 and returning August 1.

When I start thinking about how I'm going to be back at Door of Hope in just 56 days I get so overwhelmed and overcome with excitement and anticipation. Last summer, God completely amazed me with what He’s doing in South Africa. He is rescuing orphans and placing them in a safe and loving temporary home; He is loving on those orphans’ birth mothers and showing them hope and love; He is calling out forever families to take in and forever love these sweet babies; He is in the city showing hope to the hopeless, love to the hurting, strength to the weary, and peace to the restless. Since I've been back, I came across a song by Sara Groves called I Saw What I Saw. Here are just some of the lyrics-

I saw what I saw and I can't forget it
I heard what I heard and I can't go back
I know what I know and I can't deny it

Something on the road
Cut me to the soul

Your pain has changed me
Your dream inspires
Your face a memory
Your hope a fire
Your courage asks me what I'm afraid of
And what I know of love
And what I know of God

I cannot even begin to tell you how blessed and humbled that God has called and is calling me to be a part of this ministry. I can’t forget what I've seen and experienced. This past school year, God’s been really working in my heart and life and is without a doubt calling me to work and be a part of this kind of ministry- whether it be in a Door of Hope-type setting or in the States at an adoption agency. I can’t seem to get what I saw and felt out of my mind. When I reminisce about all the memories that I have from this past summer, I'm 95% of the time moved to tears (if you know me, you’ve probably seen this on more than one occasion…haha). These tears are the only way I feel that I can express my love for this new passion that God has placed on my heart. So, after I graduate in May 2011, I am planning on getting my Masters in Social Work!

All this to say…I'm SO EXCITED to be returning to Door of Hope in July!! I'm even more excited that I'm going to be sharing this experience with Mary and Mom! We will be taking turns updating the blog as the days get closer to our departure and while we are there.

We are collecting some items to take and give to Door of Hope:

Adoption outfits are the greatest need. For boys this is a collared shirt with pants and a smart sweater. For girls this is a dress with tights and a little jacket or cardigan. Outfits can be topped off with little shoes or slippers.
Boys’ winter outfits size 3-6 months is the biggest need, but any age through 18 months can be used.
Wash cloths
Bibs
Slippers or socks
Winter pajamas, 12 months to 5 years
Winter clothing 6-12 months
Or, you can just give us cash and we will purchase the items once we arrive in South Africa.

I ask that you begin to pray for:

The babies and toddlers at Door of Hope
The parents that give up their children to Door of Hope
The forever families that will adopt these dear ones
The Door of Hope caregivers
Our families at home while we are gone
Opportunities to share the love of Christ
Good health and safety

Thank you so much for your support!

Love in Christ,
Auntie Katherine

Only a week left?!

2009-07-29T13:18:00.015+02:00

Ohmygoodness…Rachel and I will be leaving exactly one week from today. Time here has just flown by! Our last 7 days here are packed…tomorrow (Thursday, July 30) through Saturday we work. Then Sunday morning (really early) we are heading to the airport to pick up Heather and Maria from Cape Town and spending the day with them. Monday, August 3, is our last day of work. Tuesday is our packing day and we will also probably hang out at the Baby House a while. On Wednesday, our flight doesn’t take off until 9:45pm, so we will probably finish packing that morning and hang out with our babies until we leave sometime in the evening. I can’t believe this is all the time we have left here!

Since last Friday (July 24), our days have been packed full of adventure and fun. On Friday, Rachel and I went to the zoo with Uncle Colin and our 2 oldest babies who we call Pooh Bear (8 months) and Big Mama (almost 11 months). We had so much fun!! We just happened to pick the coldest day to go, but we bundled them up in snow suits and wrapped them with blankets. They could hardly move they had so many layers on. Uncle Colin was hilarious talking to the animals and to the babies. He adores Big Mama and pushed her around in her stroller most of the day. He would get so far ahead of us while Rachel, Pooh Bear and I stopped to watch the animals and we would have to run to catch up with him. He’s a great man and Rachel and I love spending time with him. We were all exhausted, but it was a great day!

After we got back to the Baby House, we unpacked our bags and started to change the babies in to their pajamas. Auntie Francinah came up to us and asked if we would drive her to the Baby House in Berea to pick up a new little girl…we did not hesitate to say yes. This is the Baby House where there is a hole in the wall where mothers can anonymously place their babies. When we got to the Baby House, there was a little girl bundled up in so many blankets we could hardly see her face. She had been dropped off by the police just a couple hours before we got there. Two of the aunties that work at that house were with us and we prayed over her before we packed her in the car to head back to the Baby House in Glenvista. In the car, we read the police report and our hearts broke, not only for this precious little girl, but also for her mother. She was found by the police naked in a public restroom at a park just hours old. What kind of desperation had overcome the mother to just leave her baby like that? My heart breaks to think about how her heart is broken in not even knowing if her beautiful girl is alive today. I pray that through the horrible trials her mother is experiencing that she will find God and be filled with joy in the way he fills the void in her heart. On the way home, Rachel sat in the back with her and decided that Rebekah would be a good name for her…it did not end up being her name, but Rachel and I still call her Rebekah. She is beautiful in every way- with big red lips, black hair, and flawless fare skin. The small baby room is full, so Rebekah just stayed with us 2 days before she was moved to another home. Words cannot give this adventure justice…God, “keep Rebekah as the apple of your eye and hide Rebekah in the shadow of your wings” (Psalm 17).

“The LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes. He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the alien, giving him food and clothing. And you are to love those who are aliens, for you yourselves were aliens in Egypt. Fear the LORD your God and serve him. Hold fast to him and take your oaths in his name. He is your praise; he is your God, who performed for you those great and awesome wonders you saw with your own eyes.”

Deuteronomy 10:17-21

We worked on Saturday, then we had the next 4 days off.

On Sunday, we took two of our babies to church! They are two that don’t get to go out much because they are a lot of trouble. One is super fussy and wails if no one is holding him all the time and the other is a little girl who spits up like a fountain. During the service, I was holding the little boy who is fussy and he loved looking around at all the people and just as the sermon started he fell asleep. I was thinking that this was good until he started to snore SO loud. It was hilarious. The lady in front of us turned around and whispered to me, “Just wait until he’s older…it’s only going to get worse.” Haha, so I had to leave and we sat in the cry room. I'm glad I left when I did because his snoring only got louder and he woke up coughing and started to cry and fuss. After church, we went and walked around at the mall and got some lunch. We went to our favorite Thai restaurant and we didn’t even have to order…they knew what we wanted. It’s kinda crazy because we haven’t been there tons of times, but they recognize us and knew exactly what we wanted. From previous conversations they knew that we worked at Door of Hope and were so excited to get to meet a couple of our kids. The little girl that spits up like a fountain only spit up twice the whole time we were out! It was a huge praise!

It’s crazy to me how many people recognize us at The Glen. A lady at church came up to me and said, “I recognize you from somewhere…” and I was like “Oh no…I'm from the States.” But, she had seen Rachel and me and The Glen before and she works in a restaurant that we have never set foot in! Rachel and I also went in DigitalEye the other day to ask a couple questions about printing pictures and they just struck up a conversation about how they had seen us walk by with babies before. We are going to definitely miss all of the friends we have made here at Mugg & Bean and at the grocery store, Pick ‘N Pay. It’s so neat how God is giving us so many opportunities to share about who he is and why we are here. Throughout the time I've been here I've been praying that God would bring me many opportunities to share my faith and build relationships and he has definitely answered my prayers!

On Monday we hung out at the Baby House and helped Auntie Loyce and Auntie Lucy with some of the chores. Auntie Loyce has been the housekeeper since we have been here, but next month she is going to start working night shift. Auntie Lucy, Francinah’s eldest sister, started as the new housekeeper this past Monday. We helped to hang up laundry outside on the line, fold it, and put in back in the closets. From the weekend, there is always a ton of laundry, so there was a lot to be done. We joined Heather and Maria and they lead music time and we played with the babies for a while.

Yesterday (Tuesday), we picked up two of our babies, a boy and a girl, and went hiking at Klipriversberg Nature Reserve! We walked around for about an hour and a half. It was a workout carrying an extra 12-15 pounds of weight. It was a beautiful day!! Afterwards, we came back to Uncle Colin’s house and ate lunch and played. We watched The Incredibles and rested some before we headed back to the Baby House. Rachel and I love to spend one-on-one time with the babies and every time they come out of their shell and talk more and giggle and smile a lot. It is so much fun to be with them in different environments and get to know them.

That night Rachel, Maria, Heather, Melody, Emily, and I went out to an authentic African restaurant called Moyo’s. It took us forever to get there because we got turned around so many times, but when we got there we were ravenous and excited for some food. While we were waiting for our food, they came around and painted our faces! We all got little flower designs on our faces. Hands down, Rachel got the best painting…we laughed SO hard! It was a lot of fun to get to spend some time with the girls before we all head home this coming week.

I can't wait to see you all in just a week!

Much love,

Katherine

Hello all!

2009-07-23T13:56:00.009+02:00

Hello friends and family!! Howzit? (That is something that is said here quite often as a “How are you?”)

I can’t believe that it is already nearing the end of July…time has just flown by. Just two weeks from today Rachel and I will be home! For the remainder of our time here, we have many plans for almost every day until we leave so we can make the most of every minute we have left with the babies, aunties and uncles, and the people in Johannesburg.

I have enjoyed very much being with Rachel in this adventure. She had grown to be an incredible friend. We have shared so many laughs, frustrations, and tears. We have laughed so hard standing over a washer with clothes soaking wet, wringing them out until our hands here numb, over our many coffee dates, and at the funny things our babies do throughout the day. We laugh at the many “oh my goodness, we are in Africa!” moments that we still experience at the most random times. We’ve shared the frustrations of housing situations, driving in the crazy African traffic, and adapting to the different cultures of the aunties and uncles at the Baby House. We’ve shared the sorrow of missing our friends and family back home and have shared tears as we have heard the heart-breaking stories of our sweet babies. We are learning from each other and sharing the incredible moments where God is clearly speaking and teaching us more of his character and passion for his children. Rachel is such an amazing woman who seeks God with all her heart and has a huge passion for loving on people, just has Jesus did when he was on earth. She is an inspiration for me to love without inhibitions or fear. I am so grateful that God allowed me to be here with her for these 2 months. There is no doubt that Rachel and I are going to share these memories forever and we are going to be able to look back and see how God has worked, not only in our lives, but in those around us.

This past Sunday (July 19) we went to Rosettenville Baptist Church with Uncle Colin again and took two of our babies with us! We dressed them up nicely and bundled them up in blankets and jackets. The prior Sunday we went, and it was freezing inside the church, so we were going to be prepared this time. Of course, this Sunday they had the heaters on so high we got really warm. The babies loved getting to see lots of people and looked around during the worship time listening to all the different voices singing. During one of the prayers, a man sneezed behind us, making Rachel’s baby boy jump with fright. It was so funny…we had to control our laughter so we wouldn’t just burst out in the middle of the prayer. The little girl I was holding fell fast asleep during the sermon and didn’t wake up until I started to put on her jacket.

After church, we went for a day of fun at the Glen Mall with the baby girl. We carried her around in a baby carrier. She LOVED being at the mall and getting to spend some time with just me and Rachel. She just talked and talked, laughed, and smiled while we walked around. Her eyes were constantly moving trying to soak in all the sights. When we first got here, this same girl never made a sound and it has been so amazing to watch her open up. It was so fun, and I will never forget the smile she had on her face (I got THE BEST picture; I wish I could post it here, but I will definitely show you when I get home!).

On Monday, Auntie Veronica never showed up for work and she later called to let us know that she was in a wreck on the way to work. She and her husband were fine, but they were pretty shaken up. It was a much busier day without her help. She came to work on Tuesday and her back was a little sore, but she was feeling much better than she did on Monday. Praise God for his protection!

After work on Tuesday, we were invited to have dinner with a local volunteer, Jay, and her family. They cooked us an Indian cuisine feast! We started off with butternut soup and salad and then were served chicken curry, prawn curry, macaroni salad, and rice. It was all so yummy! We really enjoyed spending time with Jay, her sister Pria, her brother, Shawn, and her mom and dad. Jay’s father is the CFO (chief financial officer) of Coca-cola in Africa and the Middle East…so, needless to say, their house was beautiful!! They also own a local pizza place that Rachel and I have gotten take out from a couple times. It’s called Debnairs Pizza and it is SO yummy. They have invited us to their restaurant on Saturday to make and eat pizza with them! I'm so excited to get to spend some more time with them!

On Wednesday, Auntie Veronica was off, so we worked with a girl from South Carolina named Melody. She is living at the volunteer flat at the Baby House with the girls from Virginia. She is really sweet and we love working with her! It was a great day! We got to take some of the kids out for a walk to feel the sunshine and get some fresh air. We had the most hilarious music time yet. Several of the aunties and uncles were all dancing around and being really silly and all the kids were just sitting in bumbo chairs just staring. A couple of them kept falling asleep sitting up in their chair…it was a good laugh. I've attached a video of the crazy music time…

Wednesday ended wonderfully as I rocked 2 little girls to sleep. This is one of my favorite things to do at night before we put them all in bed. The 2 little ones I was holding were crying, so I just talked to them and rocked them until they were fast asleep.

Rachel and I are SO EXCITED about tomorrow (Friday, July 24). We are going with Uncle Colin to the Johannesburg zoo! We are also taking “Big Mama” and another little boy that we call “Pooh Bear”. It should be so much fun! While we have been here, we haven’t seen any elephants or giraffes, so I'm really hoping to get to see some. I'm also excited about getting to spend a little extra time with Uncle Colin. He tells us a lot of stories about growing up on his dad’s vegetable farm, about his late wife, and about all his children. So, I can’t wait to just walk around spending extra time with the family that I have found here. Big Mama should be a handful…she is beginning to stand on her own a lot and is thinking about walking. Rachel and I are definitely taking 2 strollers (they call them “prams”) and a huge baby bag to last the day.

So, I'm looking at my calendar, and we have only 5 more days scheduled to work! Our days off are filled up with taking babies out, so we will have plenty more days to spend time with them. I will be home in less than 2 weeks and I cannot wait to share stories and so many more pictures with you all!

Much love!
Katherine

Prayer requests:
- Continue to pray that Door of Hope can find a social worker and a new manager.
- Pray for our children, that they will continue to be healthy.

Praises:
- 6 of our 12 big babies have been matched with families and will be going in about 2 months! Several of the small babies have been matched as well!

Howzit?

2009-07-18T16:16:00.020+02:00

Hello from Door of Hope!!

Here is a picture of the Baby House where our 30 children live!

There are 12 in small babies, who range from birth to 3 months, 12 big babies, who are 3 months to 1 year, and 6 Starfish kids who are 6 months to just over 1 year. The Starfish program is a small, separate group of kids who have developmental delays or special needs that requires them to have a lot of extra attention. They do all types of physical therapy throughout the day and take them for swimming lessons once a week. Just recently, the Starfish program received an 11 month old girl who had cerebral palsy. She came in with one leg crossed over the other and her arms crossed across her chest. Her muscles were so tight that they could not move her from this position. Through a couple days of therapy, they got her legs uncrossed. Along with this, her shoulder was also dislocated. She has now been sent to hospice, so pray for her healing and that she can find some comfort. The Starfish program has seen a lot of improvements and growth lately! Three of their six kids are walking! One of the girls who is a little over a year is getting adopted on Monday by a family who specifically asked for a child with special needs!

Here is a little peek inside the big babies’ rooms. There are 4 beds in each room. Right now, 2 rooms are girl rooms and 1 room is for the boys. One of the rooms is set aside as a “mixed room” if we ever get any more boys.

This past Friday (July 10), we went out to lunch with Auntie Veronica and her daughter Nikki. We went to The Glen and ate at The Ocean Basket and afterwards went to Milky Lane to eat ice cream. Rachel, Nikki, and I got feesh and chips (some type of fish…I think heike and French fries) and Auntie Veronica got prawn, which is like JUMBO shrimp. It was really weird because it still had its eyes and antennas on it…I couldn’t watcher her eat it…it looked too alive. Auntie Veronica was all dressed up and seemed to be really grateful for the extra time we wanted to spend with her. She was a lot quieter than usual, but we had good conversation and had fun getting to know her daughter. We drove her back to her home in El Dorado Park which is about half an hour away. We drove past 2 huge shantytowns, which are small shacks built by the government that sit right on top of one another. It was crazy to just see acres and acres filled with these types of houses and the extreme poverty. Auntie Veronica has to take 2 taxis (which hold up to 14 people and are more like a bus system with stops) to work every morning, and it takes her a little over an hour to get to work in the mornings. It was so good to spend some extra time with Auntie Veronica in a different environment and to just sit and talk.

On Monday, Rachel and I did night shift with Auntie Betty and Auntie Esperance. Night shift is from 6pm to 7am. We didn’t get there until 7:30, but there were still tons of things to do. Each of the 12 big babies gets fed twice each night and the 12 small babies get fed 3 or 4 times each night. Along with the feedings and nappies changing, we had to change the water in the sanitizing buckets where we store the bottles, rings, tops,

and caps, sanitize the toys, wipe out the fridge, and make 144 bottles for the next day and night. There are 4 different formulas to make: infa 1, infa 2, infa-soy 1, and infa-soy 2. Some of the babies just get 4 bottles of 175ml, while others get 8 of 50ml. We have a chart hanging in the kitchen that helps us to know the types and number of bottles that need to be made for each child.

It was a lot of work…I have no idea how just 2 aunties handle all that work every night. We were completely exhausted in the morning and came back to Uncle Colin’s house and slept and rested for the remainder of the day.

Uncle Brice is the supervisor for big babies. He works Monday to Friday from 8-5. He is trained as a pediatric nurse, so he is very knowledgeable about keeping our babies healthy. He is from the Congo and has been working for Door of Hope for a year now. His wife just moved here about 3 months ago and owns a beauty parlor. You can tell that he loves the babies and the older ones always turn and look when he walks in the room. Two or three times a week, Rachel and I help Uncle Brice make purity for our kids’ lunch. We cut up butternut squash and potatoes, cook them, and then mach them until they are really smooth. Other times we cook rice and squash and combine them to give to our two oldest babies. Our favorite thing to make is apple and banana purity. The kids like the fruity stuff the best because it is sweeter than the vegetable combination. Uncle Brice also has an obsession with our cameras. He LOVES to take pictures and sneaks up on us often, taking our picture. This is how the picture of Rachel and I making the purity came about. Uncle Brice has a huge passion for Door of Hope and prays everyday during devotions for the ministry and for the babies. Throughout the day, every time he changes a nappie, he prays for that particular baby. Uncle Brice makes a ton of funny noises that gets the kids, as well as Rachel and me, laughing and smiling.

Heather, one of the volunteers from Virginia, brought her guitar and often sings and plays for the babies. They love it! We put them in the bumbo chairs so they can all see Heather. They all just sit and watch her, listening close. We get out bells for some of them and they shake them. We usually do this right before bed time, so it is a good way for them to unwind and begin to get sleepy. It was so funny the other night, because one of our boys was raising his hand like he was moved by the music. He kept his hand up for a while and we all laughed so hard…I guess you had to be there to see it in person, but it was hilarious.

In our group, the oldest is a girl who is almost 11 months. The aunties and uncles call her “Big Mama” because she is so huge. She is 10kg and hardly has any hair. She is on medicine for TB which causes her to gain a lot of weight and have gray hair. When she first came in, she was really malnourished, but now she is definitely well fed. She is our grunter. She grunts all the time and has the highest-pitched scream ever. She definitely demands a lot of attention. She is growing up so fast! When we first got her she was doing the army crawl, but now she is crawling on all fours. She can pull herself up and walk when her hands are being held. She is starting to stand a little on her own. Yesterday, she was zooming up and down the hall with a toy on wheels. She was squealing and laughing so much. I think she is going to start walking soon!!

This is a picture of Rachel and I’s bedroom. It’s really nice and the sun shines in it during the day, so we hang out in there a lot on our days off. Sometimes we eat dinner in our bedroom sitting close to the heater to keep warm because the rest of the house does not have any heaters. Uncle Colin is so sweet to let us stay with him. The other night we came home from work and he was making us dinner. We cooked carrots, potatoes, onions, green beans, cabbage, and butternut. It was a lot of work, but we enjoyed spending time cooking and eating with him.

Here is a picture of Auntie Veronica, me, Auntie Loyce, Rachel, and Auntie Bebe:

Can you believe that we only have 18 days left?! We will be home in a little over 2 weeks! It’s hard to think about not seeing our babies everyday and for a couple, it’s really hard to let go because they are not in very good situations where they may be going back to their families who have previously treated them badly. I came across a song on Rachel’s computer called “Hold on to Jesus” that says “Hear me dear Jesus, rock this little one to sleep. Keep her close when she’s scared; give her grace when she’s weak. I know she’ll stumble, but I know she’ll make it through if you hold on to her just like you say you’ll do. Hold her Jesus, she’ll hold on tight to you.” This is a beautiful prayer that I will be praying often for all our babies. Also, (thanks to the flip book Mom made me!) Psalm 17 says, “Keep [insert baby’s name] as the apple of your eye; hide [insert baby’s name] in the shadow of your wings, from the wicked who do [him/her] violence, [him/her] deadly enemies who surround [him/her].” God has each child in the palm of his hand and he will not lose his grip.

Much love to you all and I can’t wait to see you soon!!

Good Morning!!

2009-07-09T13:47:00.007+02:00

Last Wednesday (July 1), Cornee, Sam, Melody, Rachel, and I went to Soweto. Soweto is an overcrowded township that is stricken with poverty. The streets are lined with shacks made with aluminum siding by the government and they refer to them as “informal settlements”. It was really sad to see the poverty and the state of their houses…it gets so cold here at night and surely their houses do not provide enough warmth. I was reading in the newspaper just this morning how a man (who was already ill) was found in his shack dead because of the cold and he didn’t have enough blankets and clothing to keep warm. It broke my heart to see this condition also knowing that most of the kids that come to Door of Hope come from Soweto. Soweto is also the main place where the protests and violence of Apartheid took place. We visited the Hector Peterson museum that walked us through the events of Apartheid. It was a very informative day, but my heart was heavy with what I learned and saw.

This past Saturday (July 4), Rachel and I took out two of our kids for a day of fun! After we have been here a month, we can start to take out babies that are older than 4 months, so we took out a 4 month girl and an 8 month boy. We had to pack a baby bag, take a driving test, and show that we can put in a car seat. In the baby bag, we had 4 bottles, purity with a bowl and spoon, 2 bibs, 6 nappies, wipes, bum cream, a towel, and their charts…it was a big bag. So after we passed all the tests, we headed off to the Glen Mall for lunch. We fed them their bottles and purity while we waited for our food. It is so crazy how many questions we got about the kids…if we had adopted them, where they came from, where we come from…It was really neat to get to tell people about the Door of Hope and why we are here. We even got to give our waitress the phone number of Door of Hope because she has always wanted to work with children at an orphanage. The kids were so good and were constantly looking around with wide eyes taking in all the different people and places. After we left the mall, we came back to Uncle Colin’s house to read books and give them their last feeding. They were pretty tired from the day, so we got them back to the Baby House and got them ready for bed. It was such a fun day and Rachel and I plan on taking out kids as much as we can!

On Sunday, we went to church with Uncle Colin to The Baptist Church of Rosettenville. We got there an hour early because Uncle Colin leads a prayer meeting before the church service to pray for the pastor and the different prayer needs of members in the church. After that, we stood at the entrance of the church and he introduced us to almost everyone that entered. Auntie Margaret, who works in small babies, was there with her family. It was so good to meet them because she talks about her family all the time. There were so many different kinds of people that made up the congregation: Africans, Whites, Indian, Oriental…it was so neat to worship with so many different nationalities. This church has an English service at 9, a French service at 12, and an African Languages service at 2. It does an awesome job of trying to reach all of the community that surrounds them. I cannot believe we just have one more Sunday off before we come home!

This week we worked Monday through Friday. It has been SO good! All of our babies are healthy, so the whole family is back together and we are back on our normal schedule. The schools here are on winter holiday for 3 weeks, so we have had a lot of volunteers come through. We have 2 really sweet girls that have come every day this week named Alexis and Shari. They sometimes come on the weekends too. They are so helpful and really fun to talk to. I've had fun getting to know them more this week. On Wednesdays through Fridays last week and this week there has been a group of 16 middle to high school students coming from 12-2. It is so overwhelming to have them all in the house at once, but they get a lot of stuff done! They clean windows, bathrooms, the kitchen, help with the laundry, mop the floors, vacuum…the house sparkles when they leave. They also help with the feeding of the big babies and play with them. When they leave, the babies cry because they are all not being held and getting one-on-one attention…but we quickly distract them with music time or taking them outside.

I have realized this week just how big some of our babies have gotten and how much they are changing! One of our boys that is 6 months is really behind developmentally because he was born really pre-mature. Just this past month he has started smiling and looking people in the eye. He has started talking a little when he given one-on-one attention. He has really bad eczema and his skin is slowly getting better.

One of our little girls, who is 5 months, used to hardly ever make a sound- she was always so quiet and unresponsive to people and toys. She rarely even cried and smiled. Over the past week and a half she has become a chatter! She talks so much, even when she isn’t being held or given attention. When she smiles her whole face lights up…her nose scrunches up, her eyes sparkle, and she usually lets out a high giggle. It’s so awesome to be a part of these kids lives for 2 months and get to see them growing up.

Last night, we went to a Thai restaurant with some of the volunteers to celebrate Cornee and his time here. It was so yummy…it might be my new favorite food! We got Cornee’s email address and plan on keeping in touch with him. After dinner, we went to Milky Lane and got some marvelous ice cream! Pray for safe travels as he leaves at 7:30pm (1:30 NC time) and as he starts back to work on Monday.

Tomorrow (Friday), we are going to lunch with Auntie Veronica and her daughter. Rachel and I share the same schedule with Auntie Veronica. It is so neat to see how our relationship with Auntie Veronica has changed since we got here. At first it was really hard and we butted heads a lot. Auntie Veronica is an intense woman and likes to have things done her way…and quickly. Rachel and I struggled to do things in a way that pleased her. Rachel and I pray every morning on our way to work and many times the focus has been on healing our relationship with Auntie and teaching us how to love her. It is so cool to see how God has given us an amazing friendship. As we have gotten to know her, we have formed a great team and she calls us her “new daughters”. I am looking forward to meeting her daughter and getting to spend time with her tomorrow!

This morning I was reading Praise Habit: Finding God in Sunsets and Sushi by David Crowder and God really spoke to me. The chapter was on Psalm 146:

Praise the LORD!
Praise the LORD, O my soul!
I will praise the LORD as long as I live;
I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.
Put not your trust in princes,
in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation.
…
The LORD sets the prisoner free;
the LORD opens the eyes of the blind.
The LORD lifts up those who are bowed down;
the LORD loves the righteous.
The LORD watches over the sojourners;
he upholds the widow and the fatherless,
but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.
The LORD will reign forever,
your God, O Zion, to all generations.
Praise the LORD!

At the end of the chapter, Crowder writes, “Salvation life is the sweetest of living. The psalmist begs us here to pursue such soaring life, to pursue such a heavenly God rather than remain fixed on the ground, living as unredeemed humans. Read again how the psalmist attempts description of the indescribable mercies and savings of God. Read as he calls 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 the 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 would stop you in the street to tell you this.”

God has been teaching me lately to make the most of every opportunity that I am given to proclaim the mystery of Christ (Colossians 4:2-6). Reading this passage this morning renewed my passion to proclaim the great love and grace of Christ. I pray that Christ fills me with boldness to be light in darkness and that I will proclaim the gospel clearly.

So…something funny happened this morning. We tried to do some laundry because we haven’t done any since we moved here from the Gospel Resource Center. We couldn’t exactly figure out the washer and could never get it to do the spin cycle…so Rachel and I had to squeeze out all the water from our clothes and hung them outside to dry. It will probably take several days for out jeans and jackets to dry. We opted out of doing our second load until we can ask Uncle Colin to teach us how to use the washer. Our fingers were numb…if anything, it was a good laugh. I am definitely thankful we have dryers in the States.

Here is my July work schedule:
2-3, 6-8, 11-12, 16-17, 20-22, 25-26, 30-31

Our last day working is August 3.

I will be home in 27 days! Our time here is going by so quickly!

Prayer requests:
-Russell is now permanently back home in Virginia. Pray for him and that the administration can find a replacement soon.
-Continue to pray that Door of Hope can find a social worker.
-This week they will be matching up several babies with families!! Pray for guidance.

Praises:
-Baby House 1 in Berea has opened!
-One of our boys got adopted this past Monday and a girl from the Starfish program is leaving this coming Monday!

Happy belated birthday Sarah Callahan!!!! Much love!

Make the Most of Every Opportunity

2009-06-30T14:01:00.020+02:00

Hello friends! Rachel and I are currently sitting at the Mugg & Bean drinking bottomless coffee and eating banana muffins. Enjoy reading!!

This past Friday (June 26^th), Rachel and I went with Cornee (pronounced “corny”) to the Bruma Flea Market. Cornee is a 40 year old volunteer from Holland who is here for 6 weeks working in the small babies’ room. He shares the same schedule with Rachel and me, so we decided to go to the flea market on one of our days off. Bruma is located in the inner city of Johannesburg in Troyville- just about 30 minutes away. It is filled with lots of homemade crafts. When we first walked in, there were several aggressive salesmen trying to get us into their shop areas. We fought them off and walked around the whole flea market to see what was available before we began to make purchases. A lot of the people tried to overcharge us, but we successfully negotiated down the prices. Rachel and I were a little too slow in making decisions for Cornee, so Rachel and I plan on going back soon so we can finish our shopping.

After we left the flea market, we went to eat at a place at a nearby mall called Ninno’s. This was a time of good food, and more importantly, good conversation. Cornee is not a Christian. He has a really hard time believing that God is a personal God and just views him as “the man up in the sky”. We all shared what we were learning so far by being in South Africa and working at the Door of Hope. He also shared with us his story that was filled with heartbreak and disappointments. He came here to re-find himself and learn more about who he is as a person. Rachel and I shared how we were here to glorify God is all ways and serve Him by serving at the Door of Hope. After we shared what we had been learning, I asked him what his biggest drawback to Christianity and to God was. He shared with us that he desired to have his own identity and lead his own life. He couldn’t imagine finding his identity in Christ, because he wanted to be his own, unique self. Thankfully, that past Sunday at church we talked about the body of Christ in 1 Corinthians 12:12-31 and Ephesians 4:1-6. I got to share with Cornee about the body of Christ and how we all have different and unique gifts that work together to point to Christ as the Redeemer. Isn’t it cool how God reminds us and teaches us things in preparation for the very near future?

“For the body does not consist of one member, but of many…But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there a many parts, yet one body…Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.” 1 Corinthians 12:14-26

He loved the picture that these verses painted. Please pray for Cornee as he is searching to find himself. Pray that he finds God and is made complete through Him. Pray that Rachel and I, and all the other people at Door of Hope, take every opportunity to share Christ and be a light for Cornee. Pray that we have a sense of urgency to share the gospel with him as he leaves next Thursday (July 9).

“Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” Colossians 4:2-6

Well, we are officially moved into Uncle Colin’s house. This was the smoothest move so far because we knew it would be the last time! Uncle Colin’s house is very nice…it is really big. Rachel and I are sharing a room with a double bed and a connected bathroom. Uncle Colin stays in a room that is just down the hall. The kitchen is really nice and there is a dining area, living room, and a TV room. None of the houses here have heat. This past week, there has been a cold front. It got down to -1°C a couple nights. Every night, Rachel and I crank up our space heater, wear several layers of clothing, and sleep under 5 layers of blankets. We are staying warm, and hopefully it will start to warm up soon. We love having 2 big dogs to greet us and play with. They are so sweet! Here is a picture of me and Frankie!

This past Saturday, I had to help a lot in the isolation rooms with the sick babies. One of our little girls has been struggling to keep down any food. I was going in to feed her and as soon as I picked her up, she threw up all over me. It went all over my shirt, jacket, and even my shoes. Poor baby…Rachel captured my cool new look before I borrowed a shirt from Maria for the rest of the day.

Yesterday, we got to do the coolest thing. Russell (the volunteer coordinator), Sam (Russell’s friend that is visiting), Emily (a new volunteer that came Saturday), Cornee, Rachel, and I went to The Lion and Rhino Park! It was so amazing. We drove on rocky, dirt roads through huge fields and got to see so many cool animals! We saw kudu, rhinos, zebras, ostriches, hippos, monkeys, alligators, snakes, lions, tigers, cheetahs, flamingos, lots of weird-looking birds, water buffalo, white lions, warthogs, and lots of deer-like animals. The animals were just walking around and sometimes crossed the road right in front of our car! It was so cool to see them so close and in their natural environments. One area of the park, we got to get out and walk around. There were lion cubs and cages and we got to go in and play with them! They were so cute and very playful. It’s so hard to describe everything that we saw, so I've put in a lot of pictures!

After we saw all these animals, we went out to dinner at a place called Carnivores. It was a feast! We started out with honey bread and red bean soup. After that, they brought out a lazy susan that was filled with different kinds of salad. There was a lettuce salad, corn and pineapple salad, zucchini salad, bean salad…it was all so good. Then…the interesting part of the meal started. They started to bring out big skewers with meat on them. They shaved off slices on our plates if we wanted a taste. We were served chicken liver, chicken wings, pork sausages, rump steak of beef, and lamb. Then we were served the game meats. Before I tell you what we were served, I want to tell you that I tried ALL of these. I only like a few, but I had one or two tastes of all of these meats: venison meat balls, venison sausage, zebra, kudu, warthog, and crocodile. My favorite of the game meats was surprisingly the zebra…it was kind of like pot roast. Rachel’s favorite was the kudu…it was also kind of like roast beef. The servers kept coming and coming with the massive skewers until we lowered our flag that sat in the middle of the table letting them know that “we surrender”. After the table was cleared we were given dessert options. The options were chocolate mousse, fruit salad, ice cream, cheesecake, or malva pudding. Emily got malva pudding, Rachel got fruit salad, and I got chocolate mousse and we all shared. We were stuffed and I think I ate enough meat last night to last me the rest of the summer. The pictures are of me eating crocodile and Rachel eating her massive plate of meat!

Can you believe that today is the last day of June?! My time here has flown by, and I know that July won’t slow down! Thank you for all your prayers and encouragement. God is doing so much here- teaching me about myself and teaching me about His character and presence.

Praises!

- Our move to Uncle Colin’s went smoothly and we are happy and settled in!

- 10 of our 12 babies are better! Praise God that the yucky stomach thing is going away.

- Praise God that Rachel and I have the same schedule with Cornee and that he wants to spend time with us again before he leaves.

Prayer Needs:

- Pray for our 2 babies that are still sick.

- Pray for Cornee and Rachel and I as we spend time with him. Pray that we will not miss an opportunity to share the gospel with him.

- Continue to pray that the Door of Hope will find a social worker so we continue to do adoptions.

Love you all and I can't wait to see you in August!

You Are Faithful

2009-06-25T09:45:00.004+02:00

I want to share a video of Auntie Betty singing to the small babies. She works the night shift and is all by herself in the small baby room...a HUGE job. Day shift does it with 3 people. Other than taking care of the kids, she has to fold laundry and help make the bottles for the next day and night. When they are all crying and her hands are full feeding or another chore, she sings to them. She has a beautiful voice! She is singing in English and in Sutu. You can hear some of them crying in the background. This video is taken by Rachel! :)

Children of God

2009-06-24T22:04:00.007+02:00

This past Friday, a lady that checks for developmental delays came to evaluate 4 of our kids. We have been given exercises to do 3 times a week to help them strengthen their neck and stomach muscles so they can begin to sit up and crawl and interact with people and toys. They have to practice things like holding toys with one hand, gripping a large ball with both hands, lifting their heads when lying on their stomach, and tracking objects with their eyes.

Friday night, after we got off work we went out to dinner with Maria (from VA) and Melody (from SC). They are 2 other volunteers that are here for the summer. We ate delicious pizza from Mimmo’s. We sat on their outside patio. Supposedly, it never rains in the winter here in Johannesburg, but it started to pour when we were almost through eating. We were under an umbrella, but it was leaking awful and we all got completely soaked…it was a good laugh. I'm so thankful for new friends here. It feels like I've known them for longer than just 3 weeks!

Yesterday (Tuesday), I had to work with the small babies because one of the aunties was sick and couldn’t come to work. Being in small babies is very different than being with the older babies. All day we just fed, changed diapers, and tried to keep a few from not wailing constantly. About 2 weeks ago, we received twins from the hospital that were just a couple weeks old. They are very pre-mature and I feel like they would still be in the NIC-U if they were back in the states. Now they are about 4 weeks, but still so tiny. The girl is 1.93 kg and the boy is 2.13 kg (which is both about 4 lb). They are so fragile and I was so scared that when changing nappies or even picking them up from their crib they would snap in half.

There is another girl that came in last week that is in small babies. She is about 1.5 weeks. She has a heartbreaking story…she was found in an abandoned apartment all by herself. In the apartment there were a lot of rats and they ate at her feet so her feet (heels especially) are really bad. The hospital could not treat her, but thankfully they found a private clinic that is providing free medical care. She is on a couple medicines and for pain and healing.

One of the aunties that always works in small babies has been working at Door of Hope since it was opened 10 years ago! Her name is Auntie Margaret and she has 4 children of her own and also takes care of her sister’s son. She was with Cheryl Allen when she found a dead baby in a dustbin in Berea and from that point on, she has dedicated her time to taking care of the babies that come to Door of Hope. She took in the first baby in her house and watched after her until she was adopted. She now lives in North Carolina! Auntie Margaret is so sweet and always encourages and looks after Rachel and me.

Today was hard. A stomach virus and chest cold is going around in big babies and 8 out of our 12 babies are in the isolation room. We had to set up one of the bedrooms as an isolation room and pull a couple of extra beds into each. It is so hard to have so many babies sick… We are feeding them re-hydration water to help them stay hydrated. The girl that is getting adopted on Monday got the stomach bug this evening, so pray that she gets better before she leaves.

But, the coolest thing happened today!! About 2 weeks ago, 2 boys got adopted into families from Sweden and Holland. As part of the adoption procedure, the families have to stay in South Africa for about 2 weeks before they return home. Before the families headed home, they came by to see the Baby House and meet the aunties and uncles. It was so amazing to see the families and how the 2 boys were already so much a part of their family. I got emotional as they met and hugged the aunties and were given a tour of the home where their sons had lived and been loved. It amazed me to see how big they have gotten since we last saw them just 2 weeks ago. One of the families had adopted a boy from Door of Hope about 3 or 4 years ago. This boy was first tested as HIV positive and through lots of prayer and patience was tested again and the results came back negative. He was given a new name and his new little brother was also given a new name. The whole time I could only thing about how I am adopted into the family of Christ. 1 John 3:1-3 says, “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure.” I am overwhelmed with gratefulness and my love tank bursts when I think of how Christ died on the cross so that I could have a way to become part of his eternal family. And, just like the family, Christ has given me a new name! Isaiah 62:2-4 says, “The nations will see your righteousness, and all kings your glory; you will be called by a new name that the mouth of the LORD will bestow. You will be a crown of splendor in the LORD’s hand, a royal diadem in the hand of your God. No longer will they call you Deserted, or name your land Desolate. But you will be called Hephzibah, and your land Beulah; for the LORD will take delight in you, and your land will be married.”

Well…tonight is our last night at the Gospel Resource Center in Alberton. Tomorrow afternoon we are moving in with Uncle Colin who works as the handyman for Door of Hope. He is 75 and is currently house sitting for someone just 5 minutes away from the Baby House. There are 2 friendly and really huge dogs named Frankie and Buddy. The house is really nice and this will be the last time we are moving…praise the Lord!! I'm so thankful that we could find housing for the rest of our time here. Unfortunately, this house does not have wireless internet…we have been spoiled here at the Gospel Resource Center. We will start going back to the Mugg & Bean on some of our days off to update blogs and email!

Every day we work, we get to see the sun rise and the sun set...it is always so beautiful!!

Funny words that are used here…
-Robot- traffic light
-Rocket- lettuce
-Chips- fries
-Nappie- diaper
-Dummy- pacifier
-People say, “Oh, shame” a lot…

Prayer requests:
-Currently, the Door of Hope does not have a social worker. They need to find one quickly so they can continue to do adoptions.
-8 out of 12 of our kids have stomach bug and cold…pray they heal quickly and the healthy ones stay healthy!
-2 more of our kids leave on Monday for adoption! Praise the Lord!
-Pray that our move to Uncle Colin’s goes smoothly and we can settle in quickly.

Love always, and thank you for your prayers!
Katherine

Finding God

2009-06-16T16:51:00.007+02:00

Yesterday (Monday, June 15^th), was an amazing day! Rachel and I ventured out for the first time by ourselves to Klipriversberg (Klip=Rock, Rivers=River…of course, and Berg=Mountain) National Park. It was about a 15 minute drive from where we are staying. After passing the road we needed to turn on several times and having to make several u-turns, we arrived at the park. As Rachel and I were looking around, we were very, very under-dressed. There was a memorial service going on and no trails in sight, so we got back in the car and drove down the road to the Klipriversberg Recreation Center. They told us to go somewhere completely different, so we just returned to the first place and asked the manager for directions.

The manager’s name is Bishop and is the manager for 5 national reserves in Johannesburg. He showed us some of the trails and ended up giving us a tour of the reserve and hiked with us for over 3 hours. He was full of knowledge of the area and told us interesting stories about the plant lives, the different animals, and the history of the tribal ruins from 1800 that we walked through. At one point, we walked across a long bridge that overlooked the beautiful reserve.

He also told us about his life…this guy has had one crazy life, and he is only 28! His first job was working at an animal reserve park and he lived out “in the bush” with the animals. One night while he was sleeping, he got bit by a cobra. He killed the snake and then was rushed to the hospital to receive anti-venom vaccinations. He also was attacked by an elephant, but was not hurt. While he was in college, he and his brother and a couple of his friends got lost in the jungle for 2 days with no food or water. He said that, looking back, he was really glad he got lost…he’s so crazy. He also climbed a mountain (I can’t remember the name of it) and reached the top after many hours, and on the way down had to be rescued by a helicopter because it was so steep. He has lived in Cape Town for 3 years with his brothers and sisters. He has never been out of Africa before, but he is going to Holland in September to be the best man in his friend’s wedding. He told story after story about crazy adventures he has been on and we got to hear his story of growing up in his township, making bad decisions, and finally settling down.

The mountains that surrounded us were so beautiful. The terrain is very different from the mountains in North Carolina- it is a lot browner because it is dry season. There was a lot of different kind of plants like cabbage trees, cactus, and different-looking flowers. They are in the process of burning parts of the land because it is overgrown, so some parts were black and in some places the sky was hazy with smoke. There was a lot of red clay, animal poop, and rocks covering the trail. Even though it is winter, we were sweating like crazy as we climbed steep hills to the top of the mountain. There were lots of animals out…I cannot remember the name of most of them, but translated it meant “wild beasts”. There were horses around as well. There is an old man named Joseph that lives in a house in the middle of the reserve that feeds and takes care of the horses. The coolest part of the trip was near the very end when we ran into some zebras! They are wild and have never been tamed, but we got within 7 feet of them, and they never ran away! There were 4 of them just chilling and eating grass. Their stripes were so beautiful and each one had a unique pattern. I was in awe of their elegance.

I am currently reading Praise Habit, Finding God in Sunsets and Sushi, by David Crowder, and I am learning that praising God is a lifestyle and a constant act. As I was standing just watching the zebras, I praised God for his creation. Standing in front of a creature that was so beautiful and unique, I could not imagine that they were created only through chance. They have the same Creator as the mountains that surrounded us, the babies at the Door of Hope, and the huge blue sky over us. God is so creative and the evidence of his presence surrounds us every day.

I pray that I start to recognize his presence everywhere and praise him in all things- whether I am standing in front of zebras, or waiting in a long line at a grocery store, or simply holding a small baby in my arms. God is everywhere, all the time. In the book I am reading, one chapter focuses on Psalm 84: “How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of hosts! My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the Lord; my heart and flesh sing for joy to the

living God…For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness…” David Crowder writes in response to the Psalm, “We often find ourselves in spaces that seem the last spot on earth we would have picked to insert ourselves, engaged in things that we never imagined ourselves having to do, but we can know this comfort: that wherever we are, we are in the very residence of God and this is sweeter and greater than anywhere without Him…These moments are holy because we know that wherever we find ourselves we are in the very house of God. And there is space and comfort here exceeding anything offered elsewhere. Even if it leads us to dark places on our hands and knees, it is sweeter than lying on a beach in Greece because the sunshine of our Maker’s presence is brighter and stronger than a thousand stars, and it reaches wherever we are.” God is everywhere and my prayer is that I begin to recognize his presence.

Today has been slightly overwhelming. We had a change of plans and instead of moving on Monday, we moved today to a place called the Gospel Resource Center. It is in Alberton, about a 15 minute drive from the Baby House where we work in Glenvista. We had been staying at the volunteer flat in the basement of the house, but we had to move out because 2 more people are coming in this evening that reserved the room before we did. The Gospel Resource Center is really nice- it has a washer and dryer, wireless internet, a nice kitchen, and a television with a DVD player. Rachel and I share a room that has two single beds and room to settle in. The bad news is that we can only stay here until the end of June…Russell, the volunteer coordinator, is trying to find us a host family to stay with for all of July and the beginning of August. Rachel and I really need your prayers as we move around…it is hard not to already be settled in for the summer and have to keep moving around. We are staying positive and hoping to hear soon about our next accommodations.

Two more of our kids are getting adopted on Monday! That will make 5 leaving since when we got here 2 weeks ago. I love seeing them go to their forever families. This picture below is me and the little girl that is leaving on Monday. She is a sweetheart, and I will miss her!

The little girl that is in the isolation room that is on oxygen has had to go to the hospital because she got a chest cold and was struggling to breathe. They said that she should be able to come back to the Baby House by the end of this week or next week. Keep praying for her health and healing!

I miss you all and wish you could be here with me to see what I see and get to experience the things I am. I feel like I am not doing them justice here on my blog, but I hope you are getting a glimpse of how God is working in me and the people here in Johannesburg. You are always close in my prayers and I am so grateful for your support and encouragement. I cannot wait to be back with you soon!

Love you all!

Katherine

“Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you.” Isaiah 49:15

So Far...

2009-06-12T11:46:00.004+02:00

So far, my time here has been amazing. I can’t believe that it has already been a week and a half! I'm getting to know the babies and learning their names…some of them are so hard to pronounce! I'm also getting to know all the aunties and uncles. It’s so cool to get to hear their different stories about how they found Door of Hope and about their families. The secretary that works here used to work as a secretary for a law firm. She said that it was really stressful and she was really unsatisfied. She was looking at the ads in the newspaper and saw a job opportunity for a “Born-again secretary”. She called, and since she has been working as the secretary for Baby House 1.

I've also gotten to hear a couple of the babies’ stores. They are so heart-breaking and it helps me to know better the different personalities of the babies better. One baby, who is about 5 months old, was given to the Door of Hope by his mother because she was sick and in the hospital. When she got well, she took him back, but died soon after she got settled back at home. Her relatives could not take care of him, so they returned him back to the Door of Hope. She had already started feeding him unhealthy solid foods and things like soda. It made his stomach grow too quickly and now he has tummy trouble. Also the healthier foods we are feeding him here don’t make him feel as full as he is used to feeling. So, he is fussy and cries a lot. It is so heart-breaking to hear him cry and he is not satisfied until he is being held. There are so many other babies here that need love too, so it is hard to balance the attention we are giving.

Here are the days that I work in June:
13-14, 17-19, 22-24, and 27-28
I don’t have my schedule yet for July, but I will post it as soon as I get it! We only have 2 days off at a time and have to work every other weekend.

This coming Monday (the 15th of June), we are moving to an old monastery called St. Peter’s. Rachel and I will be sharing a room and we will finally get to settle in. So far we have just been living out of our suitcases. They do not have a kitchen that we can use to cook our own meals, rather they cook for us. They make a lot of casseroles and it costs 45R per meal (which is about $6). Rachel and I will still probably come to the kitchen at the Baby House to cook our own meals more often than eating there. St. Peter’s also has a washer and dryer that we can use for laundry. They do not have internet, so we will have to continue to have to come to the Mugg & Bean Café. St. Peter’s is about 10 minutes from the Baby House, so it’s pretty close.

This past Wednesday (the 10th of June) the little babies group got twins-a boy and a girl! They are almost 3 weeks old. They were given to the Baby House in Berea (I am working at the one in Glenvista), which is the one that is most well known that is in the middle of town. It is in a more dangerous area. They came bundled together in a fleece blanket. They are less than 3 pounds each. Right now, they are being kept in the isolation room just because they are so tiny and new. This helps them to be away from so many other babies and people and avoid catching any sicknesses.

There are two isolation rooms at the Baby House. One is downstairs, and the other is up on the main level. The baby downstairs will be 1 year the end of this month, but she looks like she is just 3 months. She is on oxygen and has liver failure. We are throwing her a big party at the end of the month to celebrate her life so far! There is also a room upstairs where the twins are being kept and also another girl who is only 2 months. She is being temporarily kept here because she has HIV. They are caring for her until a more permanent home can be made available.

Another one of our big babies is being adopted on Monday!! Can you believe it? I am so excited that they are getting forever families. The one that is leaving is our most active, so it will be so different without him! He is always getting in trouble and making the other kids cry. He’s a sweetheart, and I'm so excited for him.

The weather has been really strange since we have been here. Winter is the dry season, and it has now been raining for 4 days now…and it’s cold! I think it’s supposed to clear up and the sun is supposed to come back out by next week. When it’s cloudy, it feels a lot colder. There is no heat at the house, so we have been bundling up at night and having heaters on during the day. The babies wear so many layers of clothes…long sleeve underwear, long sleeve shirt, long pants, socks, and jackets with hoods. When the sun comes back out hopefully it will warm up the house when it shines through the windows.

Rachel and I went to the mall on Wednesday to get some things from the grocery store and buy a CD for our car. We got a pack of 3 CDs for just $15! At the CD store when we were checking out, Rachel asked the lady how she was doing. She looked at us funny and asked why she was asking. Rachel told her that we were just trying to be nice. She laughed and said that she was having a bad day, but we just made her day a lot better. We chatted with her for a while about South Africa and her dream of coming to the States. Just before we left, she came and gave us a huge “welcome to South Africa” hug. I have found the people to be so welcoming here and so open. I hope that we can go back and see her again and hear more of her story.

There are two new volunteers here from Virginia named Heather and Maria. They are staying in the tiny volunteer flat with us. They are both so sweet and I am so glad they are here. Heather brought her guitar with her and she has a beautiful voice. She has been playing and singing for the babies, and they all stop crying and fussing and just listen to her. This past Tuesday, after all the babies had gone to bed, we went into the living room and jammed out with Heather on her guitar while Maria, who is a drummer, got a put out of the kitchen to keep a beat. We sang worship songs together for about an hour. It was a great way to unwind from a long day of work.

Here are some things that you can be praying for:
- The 4 babies that are in the isolation rooms: for their health and healing.
- That homes will be provided for the children who have not been placed yet.
- That Rachel and I will be God’s light to the aunties and uncles here and in the city.
- Our move to St. Peter’s on June 15th.
- That Rachel and I, as well as all the other volunteers, have endurance and energy for the days we work.

Thank you so much for your prayers! I can feel them!

This us this past Sunday after we got back from church!

This is one of the paintings in the hallway at the Baby House.

Love you all!

I'm Here!!!

2009-06-06T14:44:00.008+02:00

I feel like I have so much to tell, but I am having such a hard time finding words. God has already been so good to me in preparation by providing financial support and sending so many people to encourage me and pray. Rachel and I have already had so many adventures..I don't know where to begin! We survived the 16 hour flight from Atlanta to Johannesburg...sitting directly in front of the lavatories. It wasn't too smelly. We had plenty of things to distract us with the little TV that was on the back of each seat that you could play games on, watch movies, and track the flight. We didn't get much sleep because the seats were tight and there was not much room to spread out.

When we landed, it took us a while to get through customs and find Cat, a volunteer from England, who was picking us up. We are still settling in to our room, but we are moving to an apartment-style flat in about a week and a half. Thursday was our first full day in South Africa. It was a very overwhelming day with grocery shopping, having an ATM machine eat my debit card and getting it canceled, and getting to know the people and place we are staying. Getting to meet the aunties, uncles, and babies has made everything worthwhile. Everyone is so sweet and welcoming.

Yesterday (Friday), we had orientation starting at 7 in the morning. Rachel and I will be working with 12 "big babies" (3 months-1 1/2 years). They all have such different personalities and are so sweet. I wish I could post pictures, but because of privacy laws, I can't post any of their faces. We start out at 7 waking them up, changing nappies (diapers), bathing, and dressing them. They all hang out in a big room with toys and blankets all over the floor. We feed them, play with them, and love on them until they go for a nap from 10-12. During this time, we clean up and have tea time with the other aunties and uncles. Yes, Rachel and I are called "Auntie Rachel" and "Auntie Katherine". Around 11 we have a devotion time. At the end of all the devotions, we gather in a circle holding hands and all pray aloud at one time. This is so cool because everyone is praying in a different language. It's so amazing to think about how God understands each one of us. Around 12, we start getting the babies out of bed and change nappies, feed them lunch, and just hang out. Sometimes we take a couple out to play on the playground or a walk around the house. At 3, we change them into their pajamas. Some days they have music time or a couple of them get to go on outings with some of the aunties or uncles. After Rachel and I have been here for a month, we will be able to take out some of the kids for a picnic or to the zoo. We do one last feeding and chnage nappies one last time arund 5, then as the babies fall asleep, we put them in bed. They are all in bed by 6. At 6, the night shift comes in and we give a report of how the day was and anything important they should know about a particular child. We pray together, then we will be free for the rest of the evening to rest or hang out with any of the other volunteers that are here.

Also on Friday, we went out with Stephanie (the Baby House 1 manager) to rent a car! Yes, I have driven on the streets of South Africa...on the left side of the car, on the left side of the road. It is really different, but very easy to get used to. It still seems so unreal that we are here driving around and getting immersed into their culture. Racehl is such an awesome friend and encourager. We work really well together, and I can't wait to spend the rest of my summer with her!

Door of Hope is such an amazing ministry that not only takes in and cares for newborns, babies, and toddlers, but they also reach out to the mothers of these children and do everything they can for them. Since 1999, over 700 children have come through the Door of Hope and about a quarter of them have been adopted. Two of the big babies are being adopted on Monday- one going to Holland, and the other going to Sweden. Two of the little babies will be moving up to our group.

I am so blessed and honored to be here! I love the feeling of rocking babies to sleep and getting to wake them up in the morning while they are still warm from being under the covers. I love the feeling of a baby pulling up on your leg so he can stand and get into your lap. I love to watch the babies drink from their bottles. I don't so much love getting puked on or changing nappies, but I love making the children feel loved. All the aunties and uncles here love the children so much and have a special connection with each.

Thank you all so much for your prayers. I have felt them from the time I left to even now as I am writing this. I ask that you continue to pray for Rachel and me as we start working on Monday. Pray also for the aunties and uncles, the children, and the people of Johannesburg. It amazed me to think how present God is here just as much as He is in the United States. God is sending people to the Door of Hope from England, the UK, Australia, Canada, and the United States to care for His children, and at the same time He is reminding me and opening my eyes to just how much He cares for me. How amazing and beautiful is the love of Christ!

I hope to update my blog and reply to emails at least once a week. Rachel and I are sitting in an internet cafe at The Glen Mall. When we move to another place in about a week and a half, there is a possibility we will have internet there!

Some Details!

2009-05-09T17:32:00.016+02:00

Flight schedule:

June 2- Greensboro to Atlanta, 4:25 pm-5:51 pm
Atlanta to Johannesburg, 8:05 pm-5:10 pm (June 3)

Coming home:
August 5- Johannesburg to Atlanta, 9:05 pm-7:20 am (August 6)
Atlanta to Greensboro, 9:30 am-10:53 am

__________________________________________________________________

While I am there, I will be working 10-13 hour shifts helping to care for the babies by feeding, bathing, and playing with them, doing laundry, and helping out in the kitchen.

From what I understand, I will be working mainly at the Berea Baptist Church where 12 babies are kept. There are 2 other baby houses around the area that I will be traveling to as well. Below is a picture of the Berea Baptist Church.

It will be winter while I am in Johannesburg. The winters there are very mild with highs in the mid-60s and lows in the upper-30s to lower 40s. So...it looks like I'm skipping summer. Those temperatures do not look bad at all compared to winters in Boone! Thank goodness!

I will keep you updated with details as I learn more!

God is faithful.

2009-05-06T21:21:00.000+02:00

God never ceases to prove himself faithful. Throughout this whole process- the application, interview, decisions, and commitments- God has been whispering in my ear that he is a constant presence and a hand in every step and decision that is made. He goes above and beyond my expectations and needs. Here are just a few examples of how I have seen God's faithfulness:

My plans for this summer were to work at Discovery Quest, a church day camp, that I have worked at for the past three summers. I wanted to work full-time to save up money so I could do missions next summer. When I heard about the opportunity to go to South Africa to work at the Door of Hope orphanage, God began to ignite me with a passion to go and serve sooner than later. Every step of the process, I have had a peace that only God can provide.

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6-7

God has given me a huge group of people who are supporting me financially. Family and friends have rallied around me, providing for my financial needs. Once again, God took my worries and exceeded my expectations. To this date, I have received 126% of my needed funds! Of the needed $2,000, I have received $2,520! Thank you all so much for being a part of this incredible journey.

I not only have a team of people supporting me financially, but I have a team of people that are supporting me in prayer. I am a part of an amazing campus ministry at Appalachian State that believes fully in the power of prayer. They are committed to praying for all the students that are going out this summer to various places all over the United States and the world. I am truly blessed to be a part of this amazing college family. My family has also been praying. This is a huge stretch for us because we are so close and have never been this far apart for this period of time. I know it will be challenging, but I am so thankful for their prayers and support.

"The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." James 5:16b

I know throughout the summer, God will not only work in the lives of those in South Africa, but in my life and all who are involved in this journey with me.

"Your steadfast love, O Lord, extends to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds. Your righteousness is like the mountains of God; your judgments are like the great deep; man and beast you save, O Lord. How precious is your steadfast love, O God! The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings." Psalm 36:5-7

I cannot say it enough: THANK YOU for all your support!!