Photos!

As the “official” team photographer I spent most of the trip with my camera either on my hip or in front of my face. As someone who loves taking photos, it’s so amazing to have the opportunity to capture moments as powerful as the ones we lived through all week.

Due to bandwidth costs, we could only post a few photos during our time in South Africa. But now that we’re back in the land of unlimited broadband, I’m finally able to share the rest of the photos with you.

Click here to view the full gallery of 500+ high-res photos

Day 11

I can't believe that it is finally time for us to go home! These past few weeks have been so incredible and we have had so many great moments. We have met so many amazing people during our time here. It is hard to leave this place since we have made so many new friends. However, we know that God has been a part of what we have been doing this week and He will continue to work even though we are leaving. Today was a very relaxing day for all of us. We didn't have anything planned today and spent it packing and sleeping. It was a much needed rest for all of us. Please keep us in your prayers this coming day as we travel back home. Hopefully we won't have as much turbulence as what we did on our way here. Thanks again to everyone for all your prayers and support. It was much needed!

Day 10

Today was our last day with the Overcome Heights community. We went to the Nazarene church this morning. It was a moving experience for all of us, both the team members and the members of the church body. Like last week, the church welcomed us with open arms when we entered. This week was a bit different since we had come to know these church members over the past week and they were no longer strangers, they are now our friends.

During the service the pastor asked for anyone who had been touched by our team this past week to come up to the front of the church. Nearly half of the church came up to the front. It was touching for all of us to see the impact that we made in this community in just a week. We really felt like we were part of this family and it was great to see that they felt the same way about out. It is definitely hard for us to leave knowing that there is so much more that needs to be done for this community. Our work here is definitely not done and neither is God's work.

After church we stopped by Greenmarket Square, a craft bazaar in downtown Cape Town. There are a number of booths set up that sell native crafts. Afterwards we went back to the team house and relaxed for the afternoon. It was a much needed break from the busy time that we have had for the past few days.

Thank you all for your prayers for our team and this community these past few weeks and months. God's hand has definitely been with us during this trip. Our team has grown so close despite how different we are. We have come together and been able to have a huge impact in this community. We are so grateful for this opportunity to do what God has called us to do and allow ourselves to be open to changing and a new experience. All of us will be forever changed since we have seen God's work first hand. Please pray for us as we travel back tomorrow. It is a long journey and we are all exhausted!

Day 9

Saturday was definitely a day of relaxing that we all needed. This week has been draining on all of us. Some of us weren't feeling good and all of us were just plain tired. Spending the day being a tourist was much needed!

We went out to Robben Island in the morning. That is where Nelson Mandela was held prisoner for many years. The trip out there was very informative and we learned a lot about South African history. It is incredible to think of how separated the whole country was only a few years ago. Although apartheid is officially over, it became apparent this past week that the idea of it still exists. The townships are often built based on race and fights often start based on race or gangs as well. The history of South Africa is really quite similar to America. Slaves were a huge part of the country for the longest time and racial separation has been part of our history as well. The only difference is that South Africa is a few years behind what we are. South Africa during the 1990s is really quite similar to US history during the 1960s. It will be interesting to see how South Africa continues to progress in the years to come. Racial tension is still an issue in America even nearly 50 years later. It takes a long time to change a person's perspective on issues that have been such a part of life for a long time.

After Robben Island we spent the afternoon walking around the waterfront, purchasing souvenirs and enjoying the afternoon off. Dinner was at Mama Africa's, a restaurant in downtown Cape Town. We were all feeling adventurous and tried all kinds of new food including crocodile, springbok, ostrich and others. It was great to spend time as a team. We have come to know so much about each other these past few days. What I love the most about our team is how much we laugh. No matter what we are doing, something always happens that causes us to laugh so hard. I think this has been one of the best things about this trip. Even among the most intense situations, we have not forgotten the ability to laugh and make fun of one another and ourselves. God has been so good to us this past week and it is evident in the way we have been able to bond as a team during our time.

Day 8

Friday was our last day of working with Living Hope. Our group was separated in the morning. Three of us went out to work with the drug and alcohol counseling program that Living Hope has each week at the container in Overcome Heights. The remaining members of the team went and helped out at Living Grace, a food shelter to those in the community.

The time at Living Grace was a great experience for those of us involved. Each day they open their doors to serve breakfast, lunch and dinner. We were there that day for both breakfast and lunch. We gave a brief devotional in the morning followed by singing hymns. Hearing the singing by a group of approximately 30 men who are struggling each day to survive was a very moving experience. They sang with so much joy and so much emotion that it touched us all. Even when it may appear to us that they are so poor and broken, they are so filled with the strength and love of Jesus that they rejoice and move us all.

In between the meals we helped out with folding the clothes donations as well as helping a man make greeting cards. We learned his story and were completely touched by his ability to stay positive on life. Back when he was a teenager, he was outside and was shot in the back by a group of teens fighting and has been unable to walk ever since. The worst part of the story is that he wasn't even involved in the fight personally. He was down a few houses from the fight and was accidental shot by a stray bullet. Initially when it happened he wasn't able to move out all. Through physical training these past few years he has now been able to regain his upper body strength but will never be the same. In talking with him that day, he was all smiles and full of hope and light. It was so incredible to see how God has been able to use something bad for the good. He was a true inspiration to all of us to not take anything for granted and praise no matter what the circumstances may be.

The lunch hour was very similar to what we experienced in the morning. We had more singing and a devotional. We had about 60 people there for lunch and actually ended up running out of food. One of the hardest things at the end was while everyone was leaving, a few people came up to us and asked for extra bread. As we have written so many times before, this trip has been so eye opening to the problem of poverty in our world. In America it is so easy to ignore poverty and pretend that it doesn't even exist. Our poor communities are often isolated into certain spots of the city and if we don't want to go through them, there are often easy ways around them. Here in Capetown, poverty is everywhere. Even in the nice communities, it is impossible to escape poverty. Everywhere you turn there is a run down building or someone begging in the streets. The majority of stores have bars up on the windows, even in the nicer areas of town. It is so heart breaking to meet people who deal with this reality and have no opportunities to escape it. In America we have numerous government programs that are designed to assist those in need and numerous charitable organizations also designed to do the same thing. Here in South Africa, the government programs are almost nonexistent. It is heartbreaking to know that there people may never have the opportunities to get out and make their situations better. This same despair can be found in America but at least we have programs in place to help those who want to make a difference.

Friday morning was our last time to do ministry in this town. I think for all of us it made us realize just how vital organizations like Living Hope are for these communities where the government may not be as responsive to the problems facing it. While the problems seem overwhelming, there are steps we can take to make it better for all. It will take time but there is always hope when Jesus is involved in the plan.

Friday afternoon was a time for us to relax and it was much needed after the week that we had. We went out to one of the large wineries in the area that also had a cheetah reserve. On our way to the winery, we passed the largest township in the Capetown area. Nearly 1 million people live in this township of makeshift houses very similar to what we saw in Overcome Heights. The government took over their land that they had originally and sent them way into the outskirts of Capetown. Of the 3-4 million people who live in the Capetown area, 1 million can be found in this community. It was such a heartbreaking site to see of the endless shacks that lined the streets and hills as we drove past. At the winery, we were able to pet actual cheetahs, something that none of us had ever done before. What an incredible experience to touch an animal that many of us see behind bars in a zoo. Apparently cheetahs are actually quite harmless and instead of attacking their prey, they run away.

That evening Mike and Pam Talle came over and had dinner with us. They are the outreach directors at Living Hope. It was great to have the opportunity to see them again and hear more about their story and what they experience every day at their organization. They have so much passion for what they do and it is such an inspiration to all of us. Not many teams have the opportunity to meet with them so we are truly blessed to have met with them as well as John and Avril earlier in the week.

After dinner we had our devotional as a team. We talked about love and went around the group saying what each one of us loved about one another. We have been doing devotionals as a team all week long. This one was much needed because it provided words of encouragement to all of us. We have all been exhausted by the things that we have witnessed this past week and were running low on energy and strength. We have been truly blessed to have such an amazing team that is unified and encouraging of one another. God is great and has been able to provide so much to us. We are thankful for this opportunity to serve Him and come to know both Him and each other even more.

Quick Prayer Request

I know that we haven't had an update in the past day regarding what has happened to our team. These past two days have been jammed packed as we have wrapped up the majority of our outreach and ministry. We have been truly blessed as a team and have seen the fruits of our ministry. For those of you who may not be aware, the organization we have been working with this week, Living Hope, recently had a substantial amount of their funding pulled due to the Obama administration coming to office. Changes were made in how funds were distributed to faith based organizations and Living Hope will soon be losing a substantial part of the funds used to accomplish their amazing work. John Thomas, the founder of Living Hope, will be having an important meeting tomorrow that could have an impact in the pulling of these funds. Please pray for this meeting in the upcoming day that all will go well and according to God's plan. If it is God's plan that they have these funds, let that be so. If not, please pray that other doors will be opened and the organization will find the necessary supporters to allow the ministry to continue to operate to its fullest purpose.

Day 7

Sorry we haven't been able to post this sooner. Thursday was an exhausting day for all of us. It was bittersweet in many ways since it was our last full day of ministry. We were out of the house early in the morning and headed off to the container. Thursday morning we took part in the HIV testing that Living Hope was having. Testing tents were set up for HIV, diabetes, TB and blood pressure that anyone could come to for free during the day. We had such an amazing turn out and couldn't believe how many people we were able to see that day that we had met earlier in the week. Over 120 people came by to do the various tests which is a total blessing. We spent the morning assisting with the testing tents as well as continuing to build relationships with those who were there.

Here in the townships, HIV has a negative stigma. If it is known that you have HIV, people will look at you differently. As a result, many people are afraid to be tested. They don't want to face the reality. Also, they are scared that if one of their friends or neighbors see them, people will start to say things and look down upon them. This negative stigma makes it difficult for infected people to get proper treatment. HIV is so widespread in South Africa partially because of this. Since we had testing for other diseases at the tent, it helped reach a number of people. We did find out that of the 100+ people who stopped by, approximately 30 were found to be HIV positive.

Thursday evening we had a worship celebration at the Nazarene church in Overcome Heights. During the week we invited people to come as we were doing the door to door ministry. The celebration was supposed to start at 6 and when we pulled up at 5, there were already people outside waiting for us. Before the service started, we took the kids aside and painted their faces. Each one of them had huge smiles and loved it that we took the time to do something special for each one of them. They rarely get this one on one attention so it was quite a special moment for each of us to be a part of this.

We managed to pack the church which was a total blessing from God. We sang a variety of songs, gave a few testimonies and enjoyed each others' company. It was a very moving service and towards the end, a few people even came to know the Lord. We prayed for a number of people both to come to Jesus and also for specific needs of believers already. It was so amazing to be a part of this and see the fruits of our work this week. After the service we handed out soup and sandwiches to everyone. We had 100 sandwiches made for the adults and each one of them was distributed. We had many smaller ones made for the kids. For some, this may have been their only meal for the day.

Our prayers go out to everyone that was there that evening as well as the additional people that are in the community. We never cease to be amazed by the amount of love and gratitude that these people have. Not only have we been able to play a role in their lives, they have changed all of us forever.

Day 6

Today was another incredible day of seeing God's amazing power at work. After the super rainy night that we had, we were all worried that we would wake up and find it still pouring. To our surprise, the sun was peaking through among the puddles everywhere and we were able to do the door to door ministry without getting soaked. God is definitely good! We did have a little bit of rain during the day but by God's amazing grace it was when we broke for lunch. When we were heading back to the kids club in the afternoon, the skies were blue and the sun was shining. We never stop being amazed by God's powerful work!

We shared our door to door stories with each other through out the day. It is incredible how we have been able to touch so many lives in a community that is struggling to survive. We have visited so many individuals and seen them be completely transformed. Each of us has our own stories of who has made an impact in our own lives that we will all be sharing when we return. There have been countless stories of families being broken by drugs, alcohol and disease. What has been the most incredible thing to see though is how so many of these families have not lost hope. The things that they have been through on a daily basis are much more than what many of us ever will experience. I have personally been surprised at how many people do know God and are following Him. When talking with them they acknowledge that life is tough but that they still have faith that God will provide and their situation will turn around. These people are dealing with the loss of an immediate relative to HIV at a young age, the loss of a job in a city where the jobless rate is over 50%, the search for food on a daily basis, staying warm and dry during the cold and rainy night that we just had. The problems that we face on a daily basis, while they may be big, they rarely compare to what this community is dealing with. We are so blessed to live in a world with so much prosperity and access to community welfare programs if we are struggling. I think all of us will be forever touched by this community and leave with a new perspective on life.

The afternoon kids club was a huge success. Yesterday the turnout was low due to the rainy weather. Today the kids came out from all across the community to participate in the activities of the day. We probably had at least 200 kids in attendance. While the kids were still filtering in, all of us were playing with the kids. Some were singing songs with them, others were playing soccer and others were simply sitting around and talking to them. One of the touching experiences of the day was to see the joy in the eyes of these kids as they played with us. All of their problems that they came with disappeared and their faces glowed with happiness. The pictures from the day capture the excitement that was in the air. It is amazing how something as simple as a soccer ball can completely transform a kid and bring so much joy. This simplicity is something that we are missing in our society. How often do we take the time to enjoy the simple things in life? We seem to constantly be bombarded by technology and the activities of the day that we often lose sight of the little things in life. We are so accustom to having the TV on while the family is eating dinner or convincing ourselves that what we have is not enough. These people in Overcome Heights have next to nothing yet the simplicity allows them to be filled with so much joy beyond what I have ever seen. They are truly an inspiration to us all.

Tomorrow will be a busy day for us. Our group is breaking up to do both door to door ministry in the morning as well as helping Living Hope with HIV/AIDS, diabetes, TB and blood pressure testing. It is going to be a moving experience to be able to witness first hand when someone hears the news that they have now been diagnosed with HIV and will have to deal with this disease for the rest of their life. Please pray for us so we can be a light to these individuals who may hear the life changing news and that we will be able to provide them with words to comfort them and God's love to restore them even among their brokenness. The evening we will be leading a worship service at the church in Overcome Heights. Please pray that we can be an inspiration to those in the community and strengthen their faith.

Thanks again for all your prayers and support. They are much needed and much appreciated! God has been doing amazing things both in the community of Overcome Heights and the team members here on the trip. We only have a few more days left so pray that these days will be even more amazing and that we will continue our strength as a team.

Day 5

It was quite the rainy day here in the Cape. Up until today, we had been blessed with sunny weather but nevertheless the show must go on! We had the incredible opportunity of going door to door in the shantytown of Overcome Heights. Amazingly, everyone we approached were happy to talk with us and let us pray for them and their families, some even invited us into their homes! I believe that we were all truly humbled by this experience and the lives of these individuals. Most of these people are just trying their best with what little they have been given. Just like in our own lives, they too have families to care for and homes to maintain. After introducing ourselves and explaining our partnership with Living Hope Ministries & the programs we are running this week, we asked individuals if we could pray for them. The most common prayer request was the need for employment and secondly, for good health for their families and themselves. To be able to actually meet these people face to face, learn about their lives and pray for them was such a rare yet incredible opportunity. My heart just broke for the people that we met. Despite their unfortunate circumstances, these people were a joy to speak with and very warm and welcoming. We get to participate in two more days of door to door ministry and I personally couldn't be more stoked!

In the afternoon,we headed to Muizenberg beach and ate the sandwiches we made early this morning. Because it was raining we ended up eating in the van but the view was nice and it was fun to see the surfers. After lunch and a quick nap we headed back to Overcome for day two of kids camp. Due to the weather conditions, we couldn't be outside so we gathered all the children that were able to come out and set up in the “container” which is a portable that Living Hope has at Overcome. It was so great to see some of the kids again that had come on day one but we were also bummed to not see some of the kids that had come out yesterday. Hopefully tomorrow the weather will be sunny and we'll see everyone back from Monday, Tuesday, plus even more new faces! There is truly no greater feeling than seeing the looks on these kids face when you are singing, dancing and just talking with them. They just exude such joy! They also love getting their picture taken! After songs, a puppet skit and some snacks, we said goodbye to our little friends and headed back to the Team House.

We just had our debrief of the day and it is such an awesome thing to hear the team member's stories and the different experiences we've each had today. God is truly using us and stretching us and even though we still need time to comprehend and process all that we've experienced thus far, there is no doubt that God is orchestrating everything. God is good! We're looking forward to the rest of the week! Please continue to keep us in your prayers. Pray that God will soften the hearts of those whom we have the opportunity to minister to and for our safety, health and motivation.

Day 4

Today was a day that truly touched the lives of all of us on the team. We experienced so many things today that would never happen in our communities. It became even more apparent of the need that there is over here for us to become involved in the work that God is doing. These people are living lives that are completely broken. The children are being ripped of their innocence at such a young age. They are never given a chance to experience the amazing creation that God has made for them.

In the morning we spent the day touring the various Living Hope sites. We went through the hospital and saw the various ways which Living Hope is reaching out to the population stricken with HIV and other diseases. The facility has 22 beds that are there to provide a Christian environment to those struggling. It was amazing to hear the stories from Mike and John on how God has blessed their organization numerous times over the years since it has been in existence. Almost all of the facilities that Living Hope owns are debt free and have been acquired at prices that completely reflect God's involvement in the process.

After the health care facility we went to the work facility that Living Hope has. There are numerous buildings on the campus that are used to train those living in the various townships for various job skills. We heard the story of one man who has been a part of this program and is now making hand carved candles and wire stars for an organization in the US that will sell them on his behalf. The facility also has an area for pottery making, sewing and even a computer training lab. The great thing about Living Hope is that they truly are meeting the needs of the community from all aspects. Many organizations just focus on one part of the need such as food, shelter, clothing, education or healthcare. Living Hope is meeting all these areas for the community which makes it so much more effective than other organizations.

Probably one of the most impacting moments of the entire day was when John Thomas, the founder of Living Hope, provided his insight to the community as we toured with him. He told us exactly what life was like for these people living in these communities and the experiences that they have been to. Many of these children experience things at such a young age that children in America never have to think about. These families living in single room shacks that provide absolutely no privacy. Children are witnessing everything that goes on inside their home. Sex is a huge issue in these communities. The males often have multiple partners and the females often sell themselves as a way to earn extra income. These children are often in the room of the house observing all these things. John said that for many of these children, by age 8 they are already experimenting with sex, sometimes even as young as age 5. They have seen in their communities already that 11 year old girls are pregnant. It is completely gut wrenching to think these children are losing their innocence at such a young age. No child should be experiencing these things. Children need to enjoy their time as children and not be exposed to these sorts of things. God did not intend for children to be exposed to these things. He intended children to be nurtured in a loving environment where they are encouraged to grow and live life to the fullest. It is so hard to see these children and know in the back of our mind that many of these kids will never have the opportunity to go to school because they are required to have uniforms in order to attend. Uniforms cost money and when there is rarely enough money to buy food for the day, these children never have the chance to learn the things that our children learn in America.

After spending the morning in the communities, we finally got our first chance to be up close and personal with the kids. It was so incredible to be part of this opportunity and interact with the kids in a loving manner. To think that we may be the only time during the day when we can make these kids smile, laugh and give them hugs is so sad. Our time spent with the kids is truly amazing. They loved the songs that we taught them, the puppet show that we put on and the skit from Jeremiah. After this time we broke into two groups for snack and craft time. The kids took frisbees and put stickers on them. They all wanted to put as many stickers as they could on the frisbees and were having a blast. Lots of smiles and lots of laughs! One of the most impacting times was when we distributed the sandwiches for snack time. For some of these kids, this sandwich is the only meal that they get during the day. We were told this before hand and as we were distributing the sandwiches, it became apparent which children were the ones that only received one meal. Those were the children than practically inhaled their sandwiches. Some children didn't even finish theirs. Those were the ones who received daily meals from their homes. It was hard to leave all the kids after our time but they were all excited to come back and see us the next day. We told each of them to bring friends tomorrow. It will be exciting to see just how many kids we have for our next session!

We were fortunate enough to have dinner with John and Avril Thomas back at the Team House. It is so incredible to hear their stories and learn about the amazing work that they are doing. They are so deeply connected with the community and know exactly what the needs are. It reminded us all just how important it is to engage the community around you while coming in and doing God's work. The best results happen when the actual community is involved in the work themselves. Seeing the success that they have had makes it apparent that they have the right combination. They are constantly having to change their techniques to combat the ever changing communities. It was great to see that through everything they are still so passionate about what they are doing and the work that God is doing for them.

Tomorrow we will start the door to door ministry. Please keep us in your prayers both for safety and being able to impact those that we are ministering with. Tomorrow will be another emotional day for all of us as we are going to be up close in the living situations of Overcome Heights. It will be completely life changing for all of us and I think as we are back next week, we will all have a new perspective on what really matters in life. Thanks again for all your support. We really appreciate it while being half way around the world!