TIA, 'this is Africa' is a common phrase we use here in Africa meaning, we are no longer in America living by our rules and customs. We are now in Africa and we do things the way the Africans do it. This is something I was challenged alot with last year. We must live with an 'expect the unexpected' mindset and go with the flow no matter what we are asked to do or where we go, we must adapt and serve in whatever way possible. This is something we've really had to live by this time around. James and I arrived Thursday morning having had little to no sleep the night before and very jet lagged. We were originally moved into the orphanage where we were planning to spend the next two months. We were given a bed to share in the baby room which was shared with the three littlest ones so it was quite cramped as the five of us shared a small room. Shortly after arriving we found out that there were complaints of how many people were staying in the house so we decided it be best to move. We were so blessed that same night my friend Ryan offered for us to stay in the flat he's living in with our good friends, a couple named Grace and Blessing from Zimbabwe and their baby More Blessing. They have been so great to us allowing us to live with them. Its a tight fit but we have no complaints and I am very greatful. Ryan, James and I are sharing a room and the family from Zim share the other room. Its been a great time of fellowship together as we make and eat dinner together every night and spend our evenings together and end the night in prayer as a family. I have been so blessed to see the work of the Body of Believers. Here we are people from all areas of the world with backrounds from every end of the spectrum but when we are together with our hearts and faith in common we have a bond that runs deep. Its so beautiful when you meet a fellow believer for the first time and your hearts just connect. Last night we had a guest spend the night, her name is Hazel and her son Prince. Grace met Hazel in the delivery room when they both gave birth to their baby boys. Hazel is also from Zimbabwe and was so thrilled to meet people from her home country and Christians as well. So last night we all gathered around our tiny living room table eating African style and chatting. I love the hospitality of Africans how they have so little but they give whatever they can. We clearly didn't have much room for anyone else but Blessing chose to sleep on the living room floor so that Hazel could sleepover.
So things here in Jeffreys Bay are going well, we have faced many challenges but God is good and we have been blessed throughout them. The majority of my day is spent at the orphanage which I am really loving. The kids and Nelly have become like family to me. We currently have 12 children ranging from Hope who is 8 months old up to Linda who is 14. God has really just been laying on my heart to have a servants heart and serve Him and others in the little things. My days normally consist of doing preschool activities for Michelle, Blessing and Lady, our toddlers, helping with endless amounts of laundry, cleaning, dishes, packing and spending time with the kiddos. The kids are really doing great and I have seen so much growth in them since last year, physically and emotionally. I am so impressed by the way Nelly raises them and know I can learn alot from her. She teaches the children that rather than fighting they must work out their problems so they have meetings where the whole family comes together and discusses different issues that has come up in the week and how they can deal with it. Its so cute seeing the little kids being like, "Lady you've been wearing my shoes when I asked you not to." Simple little things like that but they choose to work through it, its adorable! They also begin their mornings with devotions together and pray together every night, I love to see that. All the kids are so happy and it is my prayer that they can continue to live with Nelly and grow up in this atmosphere where they are loved and cared for and raised to know Christ. Please continue to pray for each one of them they come from such horrible pasts yet Christ has blessed them with this opportunity to be free from that. Pray that they would be able to stay there and continue to heal from their past and come to know the Lord. Here are the kids names and ages so you know who you are praying for.
Linda 14
Tessa 11
Kelly (around 10)
Thandi 10
Ronaldo 9
Colas 7
Renee 7
Lady 4
Michelle 3
Blessing 2
Angel 2
Hope 8 months
Thanks for all of your prayers and support. God bless. -Sama
"Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think..." Ephesians 3:20
This verse was often my encouragement as I planned my first trip to Africa. I had this huge amount of money to raise and I had no clue how I'd be able to, so I reminded myself of this verse over and over. I cannot explain how amazing it is to have to live by faith, to not have any clue how things will work out but just have faith that God will provide, and then see Him do so. When I started planning my return to Africa I decided not to figure out all the details first but step out in faith and know that if it was Gods will for me to go He would provide. Well He did just that with hardly a hand lifted on my part, within a couple of days I had all I needed and more financially. God has used so many people to bless my life and show His provision!
So it is exactly one week until James and I begin our long journey to South Africa. A long journey indeed it is, we have a three hour flight from Chicago to Atlanta, then we will be in the air from Tuesday at 6:55 pm until Wednesday at 5pm! You think that would be enough traveling but no, we will only be in Johannesburg at that point where we have about a 13 hour layover and then fly out the following morning and will arrive in Port Elizabeth at 8:00 Thursday morning. It will be exhausting, please be in prayer that everything goes smoothly and no flights are canceled or missed!
Thank you all for your prayers and encouragement. God bless you. -Samantha
Its less than a month now until I will be heading off to Africa!! I have had people interested in the past in donating things to the children (new or used) and so I wanted to let you all know that we'd more than love if you'd donate supplies that we could bring over to the orphanage. I have begun to write a list of ideas but if you have other ideas let me know. If you desire to donate supplies please keep in mind we have to fit this all in our suitcases! I am hoping to bring one suitcase solely for donations...here are some of the ideas and please let me know if you are interested!
Basketball
Soccerball
crayons
markers
paper
colored paper
coloring books
activity books
childrens books
movies (childrens movies and especially developmental ones such as baby einsteins!)
childrens television programs (some ideas...Lazy Town, Veggie Tales, Seasame Street, Backyardigans, Wiggles, Signing Time, other ideas??)
Games (keep in mind they have to fit into a suitcase!)
CDs (the children LOVE music, they have the high school musical cd and listen to it everyday and have even choreographed all of them!)
Clothing(here are the ages and sexes of the children 14G, 13G, 10B, 9B, 6B, 6G, 3G, 3G, 3B, 2G, 3 month old G but she will be 4 months when we get there)
Its hard for me to believe my time here in Oaxaca is coming to an end. I have a week and two days left, I know this because I am asked numerous times a day by the children. I have been so blessed during my time here with relationships with people of all ages and backrounds. God has really showed me what amazing things you can learn through having relationships with people of all ages. I remember when I was younger always looking for friends amongst people my own age and with my same interests, how boring! Who wants to be friends with themselves? My relationships here have been with people everywhere from Elaine, a lady in her 50's from Canada who experienced over 20 years of being deaf. She has shown me a beauty that has impacted my life so much. Then there is Leticia a middle aged woman who would go on walks with me many mornings and shared with me about Gods greatness in the hardest of times. She lost her only child 4 years back and yet in it all as clung to God and has experienced his love so deeply. Jill and Janelle are two single ladies in their thirties who have touched my life so much with their friendship. They have been here now for about 2 years and have chosen not to live normal lives of working and raising their own families, but rather pouring their lives into ministry here and the children here. My sister Carmen has showed me a life of passionately giving your all to the ministry you've been called to. She doesn't do things the easy way as she's raising 10 boys, she could easily just let them entertain themselves and run free but rather she pours herself out daily finding new things to do with the boys and teaching them. Reyna is a beautiful young girl who has had more than her fair share of pain but yet greets everyone with such sweetness and love. Life has given her more than most could bare but yet she has chosen, dispite things not going the way she has probably planned to raise her daughter alone, when she had her at the very young age of 14. The children and teenagers here bring me so much joy everyday. Everywhere I go I am greeted by them and given many hugs and kisses. These children have experienced so much pain but yet they are so resilient, they don't sit and feel sorry for themselves, they move on and LIVE, they live with such joy and passion! They have all played such a huge part in my life, every person here and I am thankful for the blessing all of them are to me.
I like to share quotes so here is a passage I found in a book I am reading called "Light from Lucus"
Make the decision to laugh more often, take more risks, love more deeply, complain less, help a neighbor, offer a kind word, clean up a mess that isn't yours, forgive someone, say "I'm sorry", say "thank you", pray for a friend, pray for a stranger, learn something new, set a new goal. Little by little the choices you make today are writing your story. Whether you're given a few more hours or many more years, choose to make a difference, to live your (life) with passion and make every moment count!
We need the eyes of deep faith to see Christ in the broken body and dirty clothes under which the most beautiful one among the sons of men hides. We shall need the hands of Christ to touch these bodies wounded by pain and suffering. Intense love does not measure it gives. ~Mother Teresa
I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me. Matthew 25:40
Do you know what its like to hold in your arms a baby who has been so malnourished that at 7 months old he only weighs 10 pounds and doesn't even know how to eat? To bathe him and see every bone in his body? Do you know what its like to have only known a child for a couple hours but already he's stolen your heart? Do you know what it feels like, after loving this little one with all your heart, he slips away, another one stolen away by HIV.
When you step into the doors of 7th Heaven Children's Haven you're immediately greeted by smiling children. They jabber nonstop and jump into your arms. By their appearance you'd think they were normal happy children, but if you look a little deeper, if you take the time to hear their stories, you'll learn otherwise. With each child who arrives the stories become more haunting. A little girl is raped by her father and contracts HIV. A beautiful smiling toddler refuses to go to the bathroom, when examined we realize she's been horribly molested. A tiny baby boy left in a back room to die when his family finds out he's HIV positive.
As horrible as their pasts have been, these kids greet you with joy, because they have been given another chance. They have hope because a lady named Nelly listened to what God commanded His people and she acted upon it. Nelly is a single lady from South Africa who put her faith in the Lords provision and began taking in needy children. After working with Nelly for 5 months I realized God has aligned our hearts in so many ways and I needed to continue to work with her. In the months since I have been gone every day my heart longs to return, to be with my children again.
I am writing you all today to update you all on the journey God has put me on the past year and what He's laying ahead of me. Ever since I was young God has been laying it upon my heart to love His children and so far He's blessed me time and time again with opportunities to do so. He laid particularly on my heart, those children of Africa. My life long dream came true when I was able to spend 9 months in South Africa. I was able to plug into some existing ministries there, including an after school program for children in the poorest areas of South Africa, a youth group in that same area, and I was able to work at 7th Heaven Children‘s Haven. When I left Jeffreys Bay I knew in my heart my time there was not over, I needed to return. My original plan when leaving was to return to Wisconsin for the year, save up money and go back to school and then return to South Africa the following fall. I have learned that God has quite different plans than we do sometimes, and instead of returning to school I found myself in Oaxaca, Mexico. Since October I have been working at an orphanage here and its been a huge blessing. God has taught me immensely since being here, lessons I don't think I would have ever learned anywhere else. I was also blessed to be able to spend this time with my sister Carmen and her husband. Although my time here has been wonderful, and the people have stolen my heart, I always know, deep down, I'm only here for a season. I must return to Africa.
After spending much time in prayer things began to fall into place and God opened up an opportunity for me to return! 7th Heaven is planning to relocate and expand in February. This entails much work for Nelly, the lady who runs the place. Already being quite burned out from caring for 14 children on her own, I knew this move would only exhaust Nelly more. My hope is for my cousin James and I to arrive at the end of February to help them get settled, and relieve Nelly of some everyday tasks she needs to do, such as clinic runs(as many of the children are HIV positive), helping children with homework, taking care of everyday needs, encouraging Nelly, and of course, loving on the kids. Not only will we be working with the orphanage but James and I also hope to plug back into some of the ministries I worked at last year. This time will also be a trial time for me as I am considering returning next fall and committing more long term.
The thing is, I can't do this alone. I need YOUR help, as the body of believers to join in this ministry with me. We're all called to love the orphans and the widows, the sick and the dying, please join me in doing so. You can help first and foremost with your prayers, and also financially. I saved enough money to pay for my round trip plane ticket but any expenses while being there I need to raise in support. Please let me know if you're willing to give, any bit helps. I apologize but I am going alone this time without a sending agency so any donations will have to be sent directly to me where I will deposit into my account. God bless you all and thank you for everything you've been to me.
Samantha
I wonder how much digging it would take to find the church in the purest forms- people whose love and compassion for God overflows into the lives of the most needy." -Red Letters
As we sit in the kitchen of my friend Jill and Janelle's apartment its no wonder that 6 year old Sol cannot focus on her homework. In the Jenny Jump Up baby Vicki is bouncing away, the teenagers, Eduardo and Yoli futzing around with the computer playing different music and Andrea and I are chatting away. I have been assigned to work with Sol on her homework for vacation. Working with Sol has proven to be a huge task as the majority of the time she refuses to do anything and takes about 20 minutes to copy one word, when she has been assigned three pages to copy. If it weren't for her being so cute she would drive me literally insane. Finally realizing she's not going to get anything done with all these distractions I send her away to another room to work.
Life here in Oaxaca has taken a new turn, instead of my usual surrounding of little boys I have been given the job of being in charge of 10 teenage girls ages 13-18 for a couple days. At first I was terrified to, I always feel so intimidated by them because they are really hard to get to know. The teenage boys are thrilled with any extra attention you give them, and the little kids, well they are little kids of course they are easy to spend time with, but teenage girls, they're a little more difficult. Luckily I have been able to get to know a couple of them during Christmas break so I at least had my foot in the door. My time with them began Monday morning at breakfast, I am not much of a talker when I first wake up so being with little kids in the morning can be a bit overwhelming for me, teenage girls on the other hand, they are more my style. As I looked around the table hardly a word was spoken, all of them just stared blankly barely able to eat. As they continued to eat one by one they began to wake up and there would be a little bit of chatting and giggling here and there. As the day went on some of the walls seemed to have come down and I found myself laughing and talking with the girls. With every moment I spend with them I love them a little more. They get so giddy when they talk about their crushes and all that petty stuff it cracks me up! It's been great as my friend Andrea is in charge of the teenage boys so Jill and Janelle's house, where we've been camping out while they're gone, has become the common grounds of both sexes.
Last night as I sat watching a movie with the girls I looked around the room and got really sad, I only have a month left here but now I so badly long to pour into these girls. I hate the fact that my spanish is so poor because there is so much I want to talk to them about. I am only a couple years older than most of them so I feel like I could really be able to relate with them. I want them to know how much they are loved, even if their pasts haven't really convinced them of that. They need to know their worth despite what they've been told all their lives. Sometimes I look at my life and feel so guilty, why have I been so blessed when so many others have experienced so much pain? It reminds me of a part of a song by Bretty Dennen when he says "in a world of suffering why should I be so blessed?" One thing God teaches me over and over however is no matter where He has you in life, whether it's in a time of suffering or a time of extreme blessing, use it for His glory. There is so much that can be learned and taught in the face of suffering and in a time of blessing I believe you should really pour into others. So that's a bit of my life at this point in time. Sorry I haven't been keeping up better with this! Hope you all are doing well and please feel free to write me, I love hearing from everyone and what's going on in your lives as well. I must apologize at times I can be slow to respond but I WILL at somepoint! Take care and God bless! -Sama
One of the teenage girls, Yoli and I playing with Andrea's MacBook
As I laid on the couch watching Miracle on 34th Street with the boys I had little Izar snuggled into my side. All of the other boys, including the helpers Jose and Sergio sat restlessly trying to watch the movie. Every few minutes we'd be interupted by a pillow flying, wrestling boys followed by a bloody nose, tickeling, climbing on eachother, giggling, fighting...boys will be boys. I have realized since being here that nearly all of my time is spent with boys, but I love it! Since I was young I just felt like I fit in with them better. In my family there are 4 girls first followed by 2 boys, I am the last girls so I was always clumped along with my little brothers. When my parents yelled "girls!" it meant Katie Carmen and Sarah, when they called the boys, it included me and my brothers. I like to wrestle, and act goofy right along with them, however sometimes that gets me in trouble, sometimes I am a little too rough and manage to hurt grown men(you can ask my africa team about that one!). Today I spent my entire day with the guys. My friend Andrea and Ricardo invited me along with them as they brought the teenage boys to Oaxaca to hang out in the city. We had a wonderful time together, we ate at McDonalds and then Andrea and I sat and had coffee together while the boys walked around. At one point while we were sitting there all 9 boys and Andreas husband decided to check in on us. You can imagine the waitors response when he saw 10 Mexican guys standing around these 2 little Americans stealing drinks of their coffee. A waitor immediately came to our sides and told them they all must leave. It was quite an akward moment for all of us as we had to explain to the waitor that no, everything was okay and they were with us! I think he was embarrassed but we were glad that he was willing to help us if it were an emergency! The way home was a blast, I sat in the back with the boys teaching them english and goofing off. I had them saying different things like " I am so cool!" without explaining to them what they were saying, oh it was a great time. When we returned home I immediately joined Sergio and Jose as they were taking care of the little boys so the rest of my night consisted of time spent with my other boys.
(Andrea Ricardo and some of the teenage boys)
(boys will be boys!)
As I spend more and more time here, I fall more in love with the people around me but I have realized something, I always think of these kids as "their kids." The little boys are Carmen and Fabi's kids, the teen boys are Ricardo and Andreas kids, and so on. I know deep down, they're not mine. I can sense in my spirit, I am here for the time being, but I am not meant to stay. The whole time I've been here I knew I needed to return to Africa. Those kids are "my kids" those are the kids I poured my everything into for the past year. Those are the kids my heart aches for every day. I know God has me here for the time being, I know I am here for a reason, but I know its temporary and I must return to Africa.
With that being said I wanted to share with you my future plans. A couple weeks backs I decided I really needed to start taking steps towards returning to South Africa. It was quite a God thing because it was shortly after that my cousin James asked me about coming here to visit in Oaxaca. I suddenly had the idea of him going with me to Africa and asked him about it. He had planned to take the semester off and travel South America with his sister but plans had fallen through and he was thrilled about considering joining me. Since then we've been in constant prayer about it and both feel like this is where God wants us. We will both be taking steps out in faith as we do not have the money we need to do this, we will have to trust God to provide for us. Our hope is to go at the end of February and stay until the end of April. We will be staying at the orphanage I worked at last year and helping Nelly, the house mother out. The orphanage is relocating in February and so we hope to help them with the move as well as relieve Nelly of some of her responsibilities. Nelly has been extremely burnt out lately as she is often the only one caring for up to 14 children, including many babies and toddlers at times. We want to be a blessing for her and help her out in any way possible, which may include, caring for the kids, doing clinic runs(much of her time is spent in the HIV clinic with the kids), helping around the house, cooking, cleaning, whatever we can do. I'd also really like to reconnect with the people I built relationships with last year, especially the youth group. This time will also serve as a testing period for me as I consider returning next year to help out more long term at the orphanage. I haven't begun working on support letters yet, but I WILL have to raise support. Please be praying about whether or not you'd like to join us in this ministry by supporting through prayers or financially. We can't do this on our own, we need the help of the body of believers, which includes YOU! Please contact me if you'd like to help, don't feel like you need to commit to anything much, the littlest bit counts! Thanks for all of your prayers and support. May God bless you.
Life since Carmen and Fabian returned has been much more tranquil. As many of you know my sister and brother in law had to leave abruptly after the death of Fabians Dad, leaving me in charge of their 10 boys. It was a pretty crazy time and I wanted to kiss the ground they walked on when they returned. When I saw them coming down the drive way of the mission I was so ecstatic that I couldn't wait until they arrived, so I ran meeting them half way. I was so thrilled to have them back, not only because they'd relieve me of the boys but because I honestly really missed them. The last couple weeks since their return have just been another adjustment, trying to find out where I fit here and how I can be of use.
Last Thursday was thanksgiving which ended up being a wonderful day. There are currently 5 of us Americans here and we made up for in excitement whatever was lacking from the rest of the base. We began the morning listening to Amy Grants Tennessee Christmas and cooking. Carmen and I reminisced as we listened to the music we had grown up with, it was so wonderful to be with family again for the holidays. I was in charge of doing the decorations so Carm and I spent the rest of the day coloring thanksgiving pictures and creating little tissue paper turkeys. Before we knew it the day was over and it was time for the party to begin. Fear rose in us as guests kept filing into the comedor, many of which we didn't even invite. "Would we have enough food?" was on all of our minds. But everything went smoothly and we even had extras. I don't know if anyone really enjoyed the meal as much as we Americans did however. American food is very different for Oaxacans and they don't usually like it, many were wondering where the tortillas and salsa were. But in the end everything went wonderfully. We had a splendid time of fellowship with each other and filled up on turkey, mashed potatoes, and pumpkin pie, probably the last American food I'll be eating besides McDonalds for the next few months!
I hope you all know that I very much appreciate your prayers and words of encouragement. They seriously mean so much to me. If you could continue praying for me, prayers are always needed. This weekend I may have the opportunity to go to the mountains to help serve with a team. Please pray for our protection and that we'd be able to be an encouragement to the people there as the area we are going to is very dark spiritually. Also please continue to keep my decisions about Africa in your prayers. I have to make decisions very soon whether or not to stay here longer or return to Africa to help Nelly with the orphanage. Pray that I'd be able to see the Lords hand and will in it all. I thank you all for everything! God bless. -Sama
the comedor all ready for the guests to arrive
The Family!
Me, Sergio and Jose (the teen helpers in Carmens house
Eduardo Carmen Fabian Jeovani
Geovanni Dany Jose Hector Chuchito Yovani Tulio and Izar
Right now I am reading 'No Greater Love' by Mother Teresa. I know many people have different takes on her and tell me what you want but I don't see how anyone could have the love she had without Christ. I think she is a beautiful woman of God and she can teach us a thing or too but here are some quotes I really enjoy from her.
"I have experienced many human weaknesses, many human frailties, and I still experience them. But we need to use them. We need to work for Christ with a humble heart, with the humility of Christ. He comes and uses us to be His love and compassion in the world in spite of our weaknesses and frailties."
"I feel that we too often focus only on the negative aspect of life-on what is bad. If we were more willing to see the good and the beautiful things that surround us, we would be able to transform our families. From there, we would change our next-door neighbors and then others who live in our neighborhood or city. We would be able to bring peace and love to our world, which hungers so much for these things."
"Let us conquer the world with our love. Let us interweave our lives with bonds of sacrifice and love, and it will be possible for us to conquier the world. We do not need to carry out grand things in order to show great love for God and for our neighbor. It is the intensity of love we put into our gestures that makes them into something beautiful for God. "
"True love is love that causes us pain, that hurts, and yet brings us joy. That is why we must pray to God and ask Him to give us the courage to love. From the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. If your heart is full of love, you will speak of love. I want you all to fill your hearts with great love. Don't imagine that love, to be true and burning, must be extraordinary. No; what we need in our love is the continuous desire to love the One we love."
