Where to even begin...

What an amazing day! First think Thursday morning we went to Shongweni primary.  As we walked into the school we were greeeted by the songs and dances of the children, filling the entire couryard. With incredible enthusiasm they sang songs about never giving up.  Despite life's many hardships here the children are loving, respectful, and most of all happy.  They smiled and waved to us as they sang, and the little ones scootched closer and closer to us they could be first in line for hugs when they were done. 

After they had finished our group presented the school with all toys and games we had collected in Phoenix.  Seeing their reactions made it more than worth hauling over 100lbs of suitcases through multiple airports. 

As the children went back to start their school day we set to work.  One group did touch up paint on the exterior of the building, and another covered  the inside walls with butterflys and other colorful creatures to brighten up the interior of the classrooms.

Around lunch time the group headed back to the creche where the local woman were waiting with their beautifully designed baskets, placemats, pillow cases, and other items. 

We spent the rest of the afternoon working, until it was time to call it quits and head back to to the community center for the incredible feast prepared for us by the woman of Shongweni.  Before dinner the older boys in the village were brought in and all three soccer teams were presented with new uniforms, cleats, and soccer socks.  Once again the response was overwhelming, and half an hour later the boys were still singing and taking turns showing off their dance moves.  The team captains said a few words, and then the groups went outside for team pictures in their new uniforms.

After dinner we went back to the hotel, tired, but I think mostly overwhelmed by the magnitude of such an incredible day. 

Not your average Wednesday

Two more days in Shongweni and a lot has been accomplished.  On Tuesday the painters finished the Dludla house, and the team go to rededicate it to a very excited Nomusa.  As a special gift, she will be getting a porch put in within the next week as well.

The building team continued to work on the storage unit with only slightly less zeal, but considerably more knowledge, than day one.  Under the careful guidance of our local contractor, we constructed all the walls by Wednesday.  If all goes according to plan the roof will be added on Friday, and then the women will have additional food storage as well as an extra place to prepare food for the children.

After being in the village for three days, we are starting to recognize the smiling faces of the children that greet us every morning.  They are easy to fall in love with, and a game of tag or  a push on the swing is the perfect break from the hard work.  Someone in the group pointed out that preschools sound the same the world over, and I can't think of a more motivating noise that of screaming, laughing children as we work.

Welcome To South Africa

(The greetting we recieved upon ariving at the creche in Shongweni)

After a loooon fligh the October team landed in Durban, with feelings of exhaustion, excitement, and everything in between.  We were met at the airport by our local guides and carted of to the hotel for the evening. 

Bright and early Friday morning we headed out to get a truly local experience at White Elephant Lodge and Bush Camp a couple hours away on the border of Swaziland. 

Those in the group who had been on safari before knew what to expect, yet were still in awe of God's awesome creation.  Those of us who's primary knowledge of Africa came from Disney's  "The Lion King" were impressed by the movies accuracy, yet blown away by the magnitude of seeing elephants, zebras and hippos almost close enough to touch. 

After a weekend of relaxing and getting to know each other, we headed back to Durban to prepare for our week of work. 

As you can see from the above picture, saying we were greated with open arms is an understatement.  The kids met us with the kind of genuine love and affection and curiosity that only small children have.  We had traveled 10,000 miles to show them love, and here they were setting the perfect example. 

After lots of hugs and picture taking, we met our local missionaries and Pastor Twala and divided up into groups to get to work.

The group building the storage center had quite a time hauling bricks from the top of the hill to the site, but the teamwork proved effective and by lunch we were ready to build.  After many hours,  and a new appreciation for cement mixers, we laid four rows of blocks and were done for the day.

The group in charge of painting had the awesome opportunity to get to know and work with the Dludla family as they painted the entire interior of the house and even got a head start on the exterior for tomorrow.

A third group worked with the local women to improve their sewing skills, which will greatly increase their chance of bringing in income and becoming self-sufficient.

After a day of hard work, the team went home tired, but excited to head back tomorrow to see what else God has in store for us. 

July Team Wrap Up

After a delay we're happy to provide an wrap-up update from the July 2011 team.

Nomusa, Gogo and four children have moved in to their new home.  It's dry, stable and safe!  The children are doing well and are in school.  On October 18th Nomusa will go in for a medical procedure...Please pray that she comes through this well.

A family in a new home

The next posts will be from our October team.  They will pick up the posts to keep us all up to date on the progress in Shongweni.

The chatter at breakfast was not the same. It was obvious that we were feeling a bit melancholy about it being our last day in Shongweni. Devotions were at the house again this morning, and the excitement started to fill our veins once the first batch of Dakka was mixed.  Dakka! Dakka Dakka! Oy! Oy! Oy!

The house build had more team members since the playground build was done and they were able to join in on the house.  Four more courses along the exterior wall were installed and the exterior walls were finished up with bag washing.  At one point during the day Nomusa came by to her see her new home and she literally hugged one of the walls as she squealed with excitement. Seeing that made our sore backs and blisters on our hands all worth it.  The house is pretty much completed, all that needs to be done is the installation of two interior walls and the roof.  Fani will be finishing up the project and Nomusa and her children should be moving in in about 10 days. 

Ready for the roof!

Counseling met with the women's group for the last time and did therapy with the same little girl that was mentioned yesterday.  A report will be written up and given to the social worker to hopefully get this little girl the help she needs. A meeting was also held with the Pastor to update him on the needs of the community.

Vacation Bible School focused on the Easter story. The children made a butterfly craft to represent the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Due to a rally that the community had at the church, for safety purposes, the creche had a lock down, so the children could play peacefully.  Therefore that affected the VBS plans a little bit. Next week will be the last week of VBS, so hopefully just as many children can attend if not more, to learn about Jesus. Overall it was a very successful week and the children have learned a lot. 

We only had a half work day so that we could visit the Hillcrest Aids Center in the afternoon. Having to say our goodbye's was tough. Many new friendships and bonds have been made, but thank goodness for Facebook and email the connections will last a lifetime. 

Our final dinner in Durban was at Butcher Boys - a local favorite.  Exotic meats and delicious steaks filled our bellies as we laughed and reminisced about our week. It has been an amazing experience and has left us all with memories that will last forever.

We are excited to begin our quest for the Big Five at Impela Game Preserve.  We head out early in the morning and it will be a few days before we can update this blog again. Unless of the course the Lions have Internet connection.  Salagahle (Stay Well)

Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood.....

The day started with devotions at the house instead of the church, in order for the rest of the teams to see how things are progressing. God's blessings have been with us on this trip.

The house build team completed all but two exterior walls and one interior wall. Two exterior walls were bag washed and we hope to finish everything up on Friday. We had a nice surprise when an old friend - 11 year old Mozees came to visit and ended up staying the whole day to work with us. He's a special boy to us and it was great to see him.

Playground build team finished the sand the box and painted the beams in colorful, bright colors - red, green, yellow and blue. Just a little more painting and it will be finished. An animal mural was added to the chicken coop and will  be colored in and detailed on the next work day.

Vacation Bible School - the children learned the story of the 10 Lepers. The kids acted out the story and then wrote thank you notes to God or someone important in their life.

Counseling - There was a group meeting with the women in the morning and then home visits in the afternoon, followed by a therapy session with one little girl who has experienced trauma.  

All week our lunches have been prepared by the women in the village. Today's lunch was something to be seen. What an amazing spread, with at least a dozen different dishes ranging from hot dogs to chicken gizzard kabobs. There was enough to feed an army. And we were one hungry army. 

After finishing for the day, we drove up to the 37 houses to visit the orphaned families. We handed out stickers to the kids and everyone was so excited to see us. What blessing to reconnect with these families.

We headed back to the community center where we had dinner with the villagers. The local women brought their hand made crafts for us to purchase.  Beaded art work and woven grass mats were some of the beautiful items available.  

We look forward to our final day, but it will be sad to have to say goodbye. But we're excited for our weekend safari adventure at the Game Park.

Half way there....

We can't believe it's already Wednesday and the week is half over. So much has been accomplished and our excitement continues to build.

The house build is already up to course (row) 12. All but one window frame is installed and one interior wall has been started. If we keep going at this rate, we'll have the roof on before we leave.  We are on fire!
Dakka mixing, hauling over 100 more blocks, and contending with 35 knots winds was all part of the day. Ndumiso, pronounced Domeseeo (one of the orphans that will be living in this house) has been helping us the entire time.  He's 10 years old and can keep up with the best of us. He's a great kid with a wonderful sense of humor and like all the children here, he loves to have his picture taken. All in all it was a very productive day.

House on day three

Playground build is complete and all that's left is to paint it and add a sandbox. The kids were already enjoying it, skidding down the slide and hanging like little monkeys of the netting. It's great to watch our efforts being enjoyed by so many.

Matt posing with one of the children in front of his master piece

Vacation Bible School gave the children the opportunity to study Jesus' baptism. The older children made doves out of Origami, while the younger children "baptized" a doll and drew a picture of themselves with Jesus.  There were over 70 children who got to hear the good news of Jesus, hopefully the next two days will bring even more learning, laughter and smiles!

On the drive home we stopped off at Andrew Walford's, world renowned potter and purchased some of his beautiful pieces.  We enjoyed the visit and the great views from his private oasis. 

Dinner was back at the hotel and a little later than usual.  Note to remember - make reservations when 21 people come in all at once for dinner.  Thanks Drew!

It was a blustery day.....

After a hearty breakfast and devotions our teams split off to conquer the day. 

The house build team was so anxious to get started that we accidently only added one bag of cement instead of two to the six loads of dirt.  We excitedly started to lay the first few rows of block on the other two walls, only to be stopped by Fani who could tell just by looking that something was amiss. "How many bags of cement did you add to the dakka?"  Oops!  As the foundation to the house was built on weak ground, we had to take those two courses (rows) of block down and start over.  The wise man builds his house upon the rock .... and with two bags of cement.

We quickly made up time and are up to five courses and the doorway is intsalled and looks beautiful. The weather played with us throughout the day and looked like it might rain, but luckily it held off.  We just had to contend with the heavy, chilled winds. Creating a block line and handing over 100 blocks
 from one person to the next warms you up quickly, so the wind didn't slow us down. 

The playground build went well. The ramp, slide, ladder, netting and all the railings were completed. That leaves the swing and tire climb to complete. That should be finished up on our next day.

The young children of the creche with angel crafts.

Vacation Bible School studied the Apostles Creed and the kids also learned about the Nativity story. The older children acted out the birth of Jesus and did a great job.  The kids then created a star catcher craft and angel pictures using their hands. 

Counseling sessions are going very well.  Two sessions were completed with approximately 14 women in each.  Sessions included many sensitive topics to reinforce their self-value to their families and the community.

Our lunches are now being provided by some of the ladies in the community center.  We had wonderful beef curry and some outstanding purple beets. 

For dinner we visited a local Italian restaurant.  The food was very good as we celebrated a successful day by telling stories and laughing into the night.

Over all, everything is going very well and we are all having fun.

4th of July in Africa

The day started with a morning devotion and the assigning of teams. Counseling, play ground installation, Vacation Bible School activities and the building of the house were all on track.  It is better-than-great to spend time working together with our friends in Shongweni village.

Laying the second course of block.

Unfortunately, we had two team members down for the morning with a bout of jetlag and dehydration, but after resting through the morning, they bounced back and were able to join us mid-day. 
The house build is up to the fifth layer of block on two walls and everything is progressing nicely. Mixing dakka (mortar) and hauling 8kg blocks all day was taxing on our backs, but so worth it when we saw how much we accomplished by the end of the work day. The woman of the house for whom we're building the house for (Nomusa) and her 10 year old son (Domeso) worked along side us and it was great to see their excitement.

The VBS program was received with excitement and over 30 children participated.  The children made mobiles about God's creation and sang songs in both Zulu and English.  More children  are expected to show up tomorrow as the word of our arrrival spreads throughout the village.

The play ground installation team made outstanding progress. Nine holes were dug and poles were installed to accomodate a tire climb, net climb, a ladder, ramp and swings. We expect to complete the installation tomorrow morning.

Installing the playground equipment.

Counseling met with the social workers to learn about the preferred topics to cover with the care takers or other women in the village for when they start to meet in small groups. Three home visits were completed with approximately 26 more to go.

The children have heard that we are in Shongweni!

Our day ended with an amazing 4th of July celebration. What a surprise for us to walk into the conference room for dinner and see the entire room decorated with red, white and blue streamers, balloons, and flags. Hamburgers, brats, potato salad, ice cream and cake were all on the menu. Shara and Julie arranged the whole thing and made it very special. They even had sparklers and poppers for us to  go outside and have our own 4th of July Fire Works Show.  We ended it with singing the National Anthem, "Star Spangled Banner" and "Take Me Out to the Ballgame."  Happy Birthday America - African style!

Our arrival in Durban and first visit to the village.

Sanibona!  We have all finally arrived safely in Durban after a lengthy journey.  Our team of 21 members traveled in two groups which involved 30 to 37 hours of travel time!  Once we all arrived, our Sunday began with a visit to the Lutheran church in Shongweni Village to worship with the local people.  It was an honor to witness the inspiring service, partake in holy communion, and be surrounded by their beautiful singing.  We also had an opportunity to meet the family we will be building a home for.  Tomorrow we look forward to getting to know the family more and working along side them as we start their new home. Stay tuned to follow this amazing experience and learn more about how we spend our first official work day in the community.  Our activities will include: Vacation Bible School, grief counseling, installing additional playground equipment, and laying the first bricks on the new home.  Sizobonana!


The new home family and AOP team.



The house we will be replacing...

Here are some photos of the house we'll be replacing for the six children and their caretaker...

The old home is about to collapse.

Where a family with small children currently lives.

1 day and counting...

We're wrapping up preparations and packing for departure first thing tomorrow (Friday) morning.  Our arrival to Durban, South Africa is scheduled for 8:00pm Saturday...after a very long flight/journey.

A total of 21 volunteers are making the trip help the orphans in Shongweni village, SA.  During the trip we will be -

• Building a home for six children (three AIDS orphans) and their caretaker.
• Providing grief counseling (we have a few professional counselors on the team)
• Holding a week long vacation bible school program with many fun games, arts and crafts projects for the local children
• Installing a playground that will be fun for the children and is required to secure some limited government support for the creche (child care facility).

We are all very excited to get going and will keep posting so you can follow our progress and the better-than-great adventure of the AOP July 2011 team.  We sincerely thank you for your continued support.