Make the Most of Every Opportunity

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

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

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

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