We waved goodbye to the team today as they headed back to the airport and Carlye and I took the kids back to Swaziland. From there we'll begin our adoption process. Thanks so much for your encouraging comments and for your prayers--they really mean a lot to us.
The time in Kruger went really and we saw a ton of great animals. Last night we did a night drive--complete with spot-lights and blankets (it was freezing!!). We found a pack of lions (about 10) just lying together on the side of the road. Danny kept trying to get them to jump into the truck but thankfully they were very disinterested.
We also spent some time praying with Katelyn last night. She has been great on our team and will be staying behind in Bulembu for another 2 weeks. Please pray for her and her family as they make the transition. I'm confident that she will have an amazing time and I know the Lord will use her!
I know that the rest of the team is really looking forward to seeing you so I hope you enjoy the homecoming!
Again, thank you so much to Matt, Karen, and Bonnie for their help in leading. They did an amazing job!
See you soon!
--Don
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Safari and answered prayer
Is it bad that I get so excited whenever I can find free internet? Regardless, I wanted to let you know that we enjoyed the first half of our game drive today. Granted, there were sometimes more people asleep than awake, but at the very least we were able to take in the beauty of God's creation here in Africa.
The team is staying in a very nice place tonight which will hopefully give them some well-deserved rest. Tomorrow morning we will head out back into Kruger where we will be driving to our next stop and spend the night. We are actually sleeping inside the park which will hopefully provide some interesting sounds to sleep to. Elephants, hippos, and who knows what else!
On Thursday morning the team will head to the airport for the return flight. They will drop Carlye and I off (with Jacob and Abby, of course) so that we can head back to Swaziland and they will continue to Jo'berg with Matt and Karen. From there, my family will begin the formal portion of our adoption process. We already have an "adoption" blog so I will not be updating this one, but if you'd still like to follow along you can read about it and/or subscribe at www.theyhayride.blogspot.com
Lastly, I want to thank those of you who were praying for Sarah H and her stomach. She slept most of the day yesterday and finally seems to be past it. Praise God! Please continue to pray for the rest of the team, though, as fatigue is wearing them down and we want them to arrive home healthy!
Thank you again for all of your prayers and I know the kids (and adults!) are really looking forward to being with you soon!
--Don
The team is staying in a very nice place tonight which will hopefully give them some well-deserved rest. Tomorrow morning we will head out back into Kruger where we will be driving to our next stop and spend the night. We are actually sleeping inside the park which will hopefully provide some interesting sounds to sleep to. Elephants, hippos, and who knows what else!
On Thursday morning the team will head to the airport for the return flight. They will drop Carlye and I off (with Jacob and Abby, of course) so that we can head back to Swaziland and they will continue to Jo'berg with Matt and Karen. From there, my family will begin the formal portion of our adoption process. We already have an "adoption" blog so I will not be updating this one, but if you'd still like to follow along you can read about it and/or subscribe at www.theyhayride.blogspot.com
Lastly, I want to thank those of you who were praying for Sarah H and her stomach. She slept most of the day yesterday and finally seems to be past it. Praise God! Please continue to pray for the rest of the team, though, as fatigue is wearing them down and we want them to arrive home healthy!
Thank you again for all of your prayers and I know the kids (and adults!) are really looking forward to being with you soon!
--Don
Monday, July 20, 2009
Final Day in Bulembu!
All I can say is that your sons and daughters have done an amazing job out here! They have risen to every challenge and have done it all with energy and joy. You have a lot to be proud of.
Today we are visiting a government run school in a nearby community called Milanda. It is very rural and also where some of the children from the Center live. We will prepare their meal (chicken livers, rice, etc) and run a vbs program for them for a few hours. Afterward, we will return to pack up our belongings. After dinner we will meet together for an extended time of worship and to enjoy a bonfire together. Would you pray that God's Spirit would move in our midst and that He would reveal His plans and purposes to the team?
Also, could you please keep Sarah Hanson in your prayers? She's been fighting an unsettled stomach for a few days now and we'd love for her to feel better and get her strength back.
We leave tomorrow morning for Kruger and the availability of internet may be spotty at best. If that's the case, this may be our last update until we return. If so, please continue to pray for safety, strength, and spiritual fruit!
Thank you for all your comments on the blog. I plan to share them with the team and remind them that the families are praying for them.
See you soon!
Don
Today we are visiting a government run school in a nearby community called Milanda. It is very rural and also where some of the children from the Center live. We will prepare their meal (chicken livers, rice, etc) and run a vbs program for them for a few hours. Afterward, we will return to pack up our belongings. After dinner we will meet together for an extended time of worship and to enjoy a bonfire together. Would you pray that God's Spirit would move in our midst and that He would reveal His plans and purposes to the team?
Also, could you please keep Sarah Hanson in your prayers? She's been fighting an unsettled stomach for a few days now and we'd love for her to feel better and get her strength back.
We leave tomorrow morning for Kruger and the availability of internet may be spotty at best. If that's the case, this may be our last update until we return. If so, please continue to pray for safety, strength, and spiritual fruit!
Thank you for all your comments on the blog. I plan to share them with the team and remind them that the families are praying for them.
See you soon!
Don
Saturday, July 18, 2009
The last day at the center
Today was our last official day at the Center. The team has done a great job and their getting tired to prove it!
Friday they were back at the Center doing the VBS program, playing games, singing songs, and telling the kids about Jesus. Some finished some construction projects we had started like a sandbox, a storage box, and carving out some stairs on the side of a hill. Others were able to meet with some orphaned children after school and help them with their homework. You know you're fitting in when the children begin to ask for you by name!
This morning in our devotions Eric challenged the team to seek out meaningful conversations with one another and to allow God to break up the furrowed ground in our lives. As we wrap up our time here in Bulembu, would you pray that prayer for our team? Would you pray that God speaks to them and claims every portion of their lives for Him?
This afternoon we are going for a sunset hike up near the South African Border. It should be a beautiful way to end our day. Tomorrow we have church in the morning and I'll be preaching. Would you please pray that God uses us? On Monday we will be heading to a government run school in a nearby area called Milanda. We will be preparing meal for them (chicken liver, rice, etc!!) and running an all day program with the students. Then on Tuesday morning we will depart early for our drive up to Kruger. Please pray for safety and a smooth transition for us out of Bulembu and into the next phase of our trip.
I'm surprised how quiet the blog has been so feel free to post any comments just to show your reading these updates :-)
Thank you so much for your prayers!!
--Don
Friday, July 17, 2009
Winding Down the Week
Hi there! I wanted to let you know that we're all still alive and doing well. Today is Friday and our last "official" day at the Center. Tomorrow we going on a hike as a team and then finishing up some of our work projects.
Yesterday was a great day as a portion of our group worked on the after school VBS and another portion delivered meals to families living in a very rural portion of the area. It was a great experience for both groups! I am so thankful for the opportunities that God has sent our way and for the strength that He's given the group to run wholeheartedly after everything.
There will be numerous stories when they come home so for now I'll just say that as parents you have so much to be proud of.
I'm sorry I dont' have time to write more but hopefully this will help stem your curiosity and better inform your prayers.
Miss you!
Don and the team
Yesterday was a great day as a portion of our group worked on the after school VBS and another portion delivered meals to families living in a very rural portion of the area. It was a great experience for both groups! I am so thankful for the opportunities that God has sent our way and for the strength that He's given the group to run wholeheartedly after everything.
There will be numerous stories when they come home so for now I'll just say that as parents you have so much to be proud of.
I'm sorry I dont' have time to write more but hopefully this will help stem your curiosity and better inform your prayers.
Miss you!
Don and the team
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Still going strong!
It's been a busy few days so I'm sorry for not being able to send an update sooner. The team has been working so hard and they are each doing such wonderful work. I am praising God that everyone is still healthy and strong--albeit pretty tired at times.
Here's what's been going on:
Monday: We participated in the morning assembly of the local Christian school called Bulembu Christian Academy. The team was then able to visit the classrooms of the children and see what school is like for them. Afterward, we went down to the Center and did our vbs program again. The team worked on crafts, music, stories, games, and a whole lot of energetic "kid" time. The little ones here are like sponges and they are so joyful to receive the love that our young men and women are giving them. Matt and some of the guys have also been working hard to install a sandbox for the kids to use. This has involved digging through some very thick and rocky soil and assembling the materials from scratch. They've done great!
Monday afternoon I took some of the team into a neighboring town to get supplies for ourselves and for an upcoming food delivery. On the way back, our van got stuck on a very messy road/steep hill. Fortunately, Lee-Ann (the director of the Center) was behind us and she was able to get a tractor to come and tow us up. Lesson learned: next time we need an SUV instead of a small bus :-)
Tuesday: Tuesday morning we were back at the Center running our VBS. After lunch, we took the entire team up to a neighborhood of brightly colored and tightly packed homes referred to as the "smarty boxes". This is where many of the children live and so we brought the children home and also presently the families with enough food to feed them for weeks. Each member of the team had a chance to present a "package" and pray for the inhabitants of the home. This was a very moving time for everyone as they again realized that these children were coming from very difficult home situations. Many of the children we dropped off were simply alone because there was no father and the mother had gone away for a few days. Other children were left with aunts. Sadly, not a single child was living in what we would consider a healthy, nuclear family with a mom and a dad there to love them jointly.
Our debrief time Tuesday night was significant last night as the team wrestled through the harsh realities of life for these children and how it contrasts tremendously with their own lives. Please pray that the Lord continues to soften our hearts.
Wednesday: We are back at the center this morning running our vbs. After lunch, we will be going up to the "BMS Homes" and we'll have a chance to interact with some older children who come from single parent homes or are orphans. These children have been placed in homes where they can be cared for and loved. Our team will have a chance to do some tutoring, playing, and more loving on these kids.
Overall, everyone is doing so great. If I had more time (and more battery life on my laptop) I could tell you how each of them are making such a difference for Christ and His Kingdom. You should all be so proud! Please continue to lift them up in prayer. God has been so good to us, and I believe that your prayers are a huge factory contributing to that. They are holding together really well and will no doubt bring home many stories to share.
I'll try to get another update out tomorrow so (hopefully) you'll hear more then!
Sincerely,
Don
Monday, July 13, 2009
An Update From Swaziland
Greetings from Bulembu!
I’m so glad to report that our team made it here safely Friday night and we are all settled in. Our flight went great and we landed Friday morning in Johannesburg. From there we traveled to Swaziland and crossed the border Friday night. Saturday morning we had a tour of the area and then made our way down the Center and met many of the children that we will be working with throughout the week. The team played soccer, ran around on the playground, served lunch, and cleaned up afterward. A group of the guys also worked with Mr. Roessler as they spent a few hours digging out a trench for a sandbox they are building.
Sunday morning was another beautiful day as the sun rose and the sounds of birds were in the air. We had our morning devotions as a team and then they went off on their own to have an extended period of quiet time. We met for worship with the local church and had a great time worshipping with our African brothers and sisters. What amazing singers they are! During church, the team worked on the children’s church and helped out in so many ways.
After church we hiked a few miles and took in more of the beauty of God’s creation. Finally, tonight we will be having a brai with the local people here in the community. A “brai” is an African barbeque which will definitely provide some unique foods for the team!
Please continue to pray for us. Praise God that everyone’s health is doing great—please pray it stays that way! Please pray for us on Monday as we begin our programs at the Center both in the morning and in the afternoon. The students will be organizing the games, teaching, music, and crafts which I know will be a big hit.
Again, thank you so much for your prayers and for interceding on our behalves!
Don Hay and the CHS Swazi Team
I’m so glad to report that our team made it here safely Friday night and we are all settled in. Our flight went great and we landed Friday morning in Johannesburg. From there we traveled to Swaziland and crossed the border Friday night. Saturday morning we had a tour of the area and then made our way down the Center and met many of the children that we will be working with throughout the week. The team played soccer, ran around on the playground, served lunch, and cleaned up afterward. A group of the guys also worked with Mr. Roessler as they spent a few hours digging out a trench for a sandbox they are building.
Sunday morning was another beautiful day as the sun rose and the sounds of birds were in the air. We had our morning devotions as a team and then they went off on their own to have an extended period of quiet time. We met for worship with the local church and had a great time worshipping with our African brothers and sisters. What amazing singers they are! During church, the team worked on the children’s church and helped out in so many ways.
After church we hiked a few miles and took in more of the beauty of God’s creation. Finally, tonight we will be having a brai with the local people here in the community. A “brai” is an African barbeque which will definitely provide some unique foods for the team!
Please continue to pray for us. Praise God that everyone’s health is doing great—please pray it stays that way! Please pray for us on Monday as we begin our programs at the Center both in the morning and in the afternoon. The students will be organizing the games, teaching, music, and crafts which I know will be a big hit.
Again, thank you so much for your prayers and for interceding on our behalves!
Don Hay and the CHS Swazi Team
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