So Far...

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!!!

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!

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

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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.

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!!