 Our
team has continued to meet with the student council members
(prefects who attended the leadership adventure camp)
with an after school “Discovery Club.”
Today some members of our team had fun with a
“Life Auction” – where the kids were
given paper money (1000 R) and an opportunity to bid on
things like wealth, fame, a successful marriage, unlimited
access to drugs, peace with God, etc.
Daria, our team leader said, “I was surprised when
two girls were willing to spend their entire pot of money
on A SUCCESSFUL MARRIAGE.”
She thought it was very telling to see what each teenager
feels is important in life and sparked a very interesting
conversation about values!
Today we met with Warehouse
– and were impressed! They work through local churches
to…
- provide high-quality used items to the poor
(clothing, bedding, household items, etc.)
- mentorship programs for gangsters
and at-risk-youth that offer a refuge and support
- find and nurture entrepreneurs -recognizing
that entrepreneurs are those individuals who will create
employment for others
- offer training courses in Christian
social transformation
We hope to get to know them better!
Craig, Julie and Elizabeth
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Clothing to be distributed to the poor
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Wow! Today we had
breakfast with Joe O'Connor - an amazing man whose vision
is to is to design, build and operate state-of-the-art
community centers and sports venue in the poorest areas
in the world!
He is also passionate about offering affordable
housing to the disadvantaged.
One of his best and largest learning project
is an inner city youth sports complex that he designed,
funded and installed in an impoverished community in
North Dublin, Ireland. He also has several projects
in poor urban areas in the US.
As a lawyer and business man, he is able
to leverage profits from his businesses to fund these
community enrichment centers.
Another incredible idea of his
is to build a community of small cottage homes for the
poor.
A Village of Hope represents a new paradigm
in developing non institutional, affordable and sustainable
housing for the poor - as we also address employment
challenges, family dysfunction, substance abuse and
financial accountability.
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A dignity cottage is about the size of a small
apartment and can be “mobile” or it
can be set permanently in place.
The Village of Hope is a network of dignity
cottages designed to eventually serve up to 100+
families enjoying a fresh start.
We can't wait to partner with Joe on these
exciting projects here in South Africa!
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The Amazing African Women Film Society has
continued to go well and we have had many inspirational
women come and speak to the girls.
Speakers have exclusively been successful
women from South Africa (including a doctor, hair designer,
social worker, CEO, and fashion designer).
Most of the speakers told stories
about overcoming abuse, with the help of God, and achieving
success and breakthrough in their life.
The girls have learned how to use the FLIP
video camera to film the speakers and conduct interviews.
Next week we will show them how to make a movie using iMovie.
This week we had a special time with
one girl in particular who shared her personal story of
rape at eleven years of age, murder and brokenness.
We are praying for ways to minister to this special group
of 10th grade girls!
Over the last month we have been holding a free
computer course for single moms in Ocean View!
We have helped about half a dozen women set
up an email account for the first time and have showed them
how to look for jobs online.
Today we finalized our “official computer
class curriculum” and will soon open up the class
to more people.
Certificate of completion notes these
skills acquired...
- Setting up and managing an email account
- Locating job opportunities
and items for sale online
- Developing and editing a CV (resume)
- Creating a Gum Tree account to advertise
skills
- Mastering 8 finger typing
- Creating a blog (writing
personal stories and contributing photos)
See
Computer Class Curriculum
See
Computer Class Completion Certificate
It's finally here! As many of you know, this
is the first time an African country has hosted the World
Cup.
Here is Floyd McClung's (director of our
organization All Nation) recent twitter post:
Film Club 10th Grade Girls (with Suretha
and Julie)
 Our
Amazing African Women Film Society girls met for lunch today
to celebrate our time together and to interview our last
speaker.
Val, the CEO of a non-profit organization,
was raised in a township but was able to get multiple degrees,
has been happily married for 40 years and enjoys a successful
career.
She spoke to the girls about the importance
of not hiding your true self and keeping your dreams alive.
She performed a very powerful illustration
by pouring a glass of Coke half full – explaining
that Coke is the “real thing” (for those
of you that remember the 1970 Coca-Cola slogan) and
represents the "real you."
1. She then poured oil on top of
the Coke and told the girls that life can bring
along many hurts and pains that cover up the real you
(oil suppressing the Coke – limiting your dreams
and stifling your potential).
2. She sprinkled glitter on the
oil, saying you often try to cover the pain with
a glitzy fake you.
3. Then she poured a liter of Coke
into the glass and flushed out the oil and glitter -
illustrating that when you pour God into your life (the
True Real Thing - a liter of Coke), you flush out the
junk and become the person you were created to be.
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The prefects shared
their ideas on how to
change the school and leave a legacy |
Desire sang a beautiful
song
a cappella about All Nations impact |
We took the prefects (student council
members who went to the Adventure Camp) to coffee and
listened to their ideas on how they want to change their
school.
One girl wants to create a program to keep
the bathrooms clean and another person wanted to start a
school news paper with contributions from everyone!
They also want to meet together to
do Bible studies and encourage one another!
See the video:Karl
enouraging prefects to love each other by serving each other
Ocean View Discovery Bible Study Women
We normally meet in the library for
our Ocean View women’s Discovery Bible Study,
but today was a public holiday and the library closed.
Instead, we devoured pizza together, and
I showed them an incredible 5 minute video on God’s
Amazing Love for us.
They were moved to tears, shared from their heart
and the newcomers seemed interested in coming to
future Bible studies.
It was a great day!
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Our time in Ocean View has officially
ended for CPx!
This week is a time for debriefing with our
team and connecting with other All Nations students returning
from outreach to...
- Zanzibar
- Zimbabwe
- Zambia
- Namibia
- Cape Town (Masi and Ocean View)
We will continue to meet for the Bible study
with our Ocean View friends until we return to the states
mid-July!
We will also spend time planning for the community
center/sports venue, developing a model for micro enterprise,
and expanding the computer course.
 One
of Karl’s best friends from the US came to visit us
recently. Karl had purchased a $20 phone for his week’s
stay (since you don’t want to be caught in Africa
in an emergency without a cell phone – have you seen
Blood Diamond?).
I remembered one of the women from our Bible
study had lent her cell phone (given to her as a Christmas
present) to a friend – who then left town and never
returned it.
With Karl’s friend's departure, we
had no immediate use for the phone. I mentioned to her at
Bible study that she could have it.
Unbeknownst to be she had written this prayer
in her journal a few days before…
Father, that phone You gave to me as
a Christmas present…I wait patiently for You to
send my cell phone back to me, Father. If I made mistakes,
I humble myself in forgiveness and stand before you naked
in repentance… All I ask of you Father is to send
my phone back to me in Jesus name. I thank you in advance
for my phone that you gonna send back to me...You are
the Beginning and the End. And I believe in my heart that
you are will and shall come through for me. Thank you
Father.
Isn’t it cool to be a part
of God’s plan to bless someone? Sometimes
God comes through for us like we think He will...and sometimes
He doesn't. But isn't it awesome to know that the Lord of
the Universe cares about the hairs on our head and the cell
phone in our hand?
Journal entries:
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June
9th - Computer Class Expands 
