Postcard from Africa

On behalf of all of us at Helping Hands, I thank you for your support over the past year. May you have a wonderful Christmas season surrounded by family and friends.

As a reminder to you - we are able to care for this young boy from a small village in South Africa because of people like you. The words around the imprint of his little hands say "God made me special. No one else is just like me!" Thank you for making it possible for us to let him know this.

As you go into the new year I pray that, despite the world financial crisis, you will truly have a prosperous 2009. May you see God as the source of all things good in your life.
Visit our home page and click on the link to hear a short Christmas message from some of the children in our program.

With warm regards,
Michelle Tessendorf
www.HelpingHandsInAfrica.org

Postcard from Africa

As the United States celebrated Thanksgiving on the 27th of November, my thoughts turned to all the things we are thankful for here at Helping Hands. The "thankful list" is long, but today I would like to focus on one. I'm sure you will agree with me that the words "thank you" seem inadequate.

We are truly grateful for the premises into which we have recently moved. It has the most beautiful garden which makes a longstanding dream of mine come true! The children in the villages where we serve spend their days playing in the dirt. There are a few scattered thorn trees for shade, but not much else. Now, when they visit the Helping Hands Orphan Intervention Center, they can play on soft green grass and explore a garden filled with interesting plants, a small pond (fully stocked with tadpoles and frogs, eewww), soothing water features and secret nooks and crannies. The birds in the garden are spectacular. I'm thrilled that our Care Givers and staff can find peace and tranquility in the garden when they feel overwhelmed by the hardships and sorrows they face daily. The new offices and indoor space is wonderful. For all this we are very thankful. Every person who gave toward our House Project has made this possible. Thank you. You can still give toward this, simply click here and make your donation, marking it "House Project", or you can send a check to our office - see Contact Us page for postal details.

With warm regards,

Michelle Tessendorf

www.helpinghandsinafrica.org

Something to Smile About

Photography has been a hobby of mine for as long as I can remember. I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that I’ve taken close to 100,000 photos. I know it’s not an exaggeration to say I’ve taken over ten thousand photos of children. Yet, there is one child that I just can’t get out of my mind.

It was a beautiful day in a small village near Mafeking. Children were laughing and playing all around us as we blew bubbles, tossed balls, braided hair or just shared hugs.

I didn’t notice at first. I was too busy trying not to miss a great photo opportunity. But by the third or fourth photo I realized that something about her was different. She never smiled. I don’t mean she wasn’t smiling at the moment. I mean she never smiled.

Up to this point, I remember being struck by just how joyful these children were in the midst what seemed like such difficult circumstances. Never before, and never since, have I experienced children more appreciative…of everything. And their smiles… their smiles could keep you warm inside for days. Yet here was this one little girl who just wouldn’t… or couldn’t smile.

Like many others in her village, she had already suffered the loss of parents, siblings and friends. Like so many others, she had gone without food, water, medical care for longer than you and I can easily imagine. Like so many others, she was suffering.

Michelle Tessendorf, later shared with me that quite a few children in these villages withdraw from the world around them in response to the tragedies they have faced in their young lives. Michelle went on to describe the programs that Helping Hands have in place to help these children to cope with their grief and to adjust to the terrible things that happen in their lives.

Like so many other things that Helping Hands does for the people in these villages… help is needed to sustain the effort. Prayers, contributions of time and talent, donations… all are needed to sustain the great work being done on behalf of these children.

Every child deserves to be fed. Every child deserves to be educated, cared for and loved. Every child should be able to smile. Every child in the villages supported by Helping Hands in Africa has a much greater opportunity for all of this than those who haven’t yet been reached.

For me, this little girl serves as a constant reminder of the importance and urgency of the work that Helping Hands is doing in the villages of South Africa. My hope and my prayer is that we will all do our part to give these children something to smile about.

~Ric Leutwyler

Postcard from Africa

Imagine a world where water is a very scarce commodity. In order to wash yourself or to have water to drink you need to collect it miles from your home in a bucket. The full bucket of water is very heavy so you can't carry a large load yet the water you carry must be enough for your family to drink, cook and bathe. If you have no money to buy food, you may want to grow some vegetables in your small back yard but you cannot do this because there is no water. For thousands of people in Africa this is not something they have to imagine. It is a daily reality.

For a group of women in Molelwane village this is no longer the case. Thanks to the youth of La Casa de Cristo Lutheran Church in Arizona, the Helping Hands Community Centre in Molelwane now has a water-well that is fitted with a pump and a storage tank. This means that there is clean running water available every day. Some of the women from the village have taken advantage of this and have started a micro business - selling vegetables at the local markets. Helping Hands provided the fencing (to keep out the goats) and the soil is being prepared. Seeds will be planted in the next week and soon we will see a small, but thriving business in operation. All this because a group of teenagers that live thousands of miles from this village put in some time and hard work to raise the money for the well. What a wonderful outcome of a partnership between teenagers in the USA and rural women in a small forgotten village in South Africa!I would like to extend an invitation to all of you reading this Postcard who live in the United States ... come and visit us at Helping Hands next summer (2009). Why not approach your church or a group of your family and friends and come and see for yourself. Who knows what kind of partnership may develop out of your trip.

For more information click here.

With kind regards,

Michelle Tessendorf

www.helpinghandsinafrica.org

Does Successful Equal Significant?

As a result of a program I went through at our Church, La Casa de Cristo Lutheran Church in Scottsdale, Arizona, entitled PHD (Preparing His Disciples), I learned that I had a successful life, but perhaps not a significant life.

The following week, I attended a Men’s Breakfast at our church, and listened to a presentation about Helping Hands in Africa and an opportunity to travel to Mafikeng, South Africa on an evaluation team to determine if HHIA was a ministry that La Casa could add to our outreach ministry. It took less than one minute to decide to go…God works in many ways in our lives.

The longest plane ride in our lives (26 hours aboard a plane in a coach seat!) brought us to Johannesburg, S.A. a four hour bus ride later, we arrived at a small house where 16 Americans began an incredible adventure that would change our lives forever.

Morning brought a sense of excitement and some concern as we prepared to travel to the first village we would visit. It is impossible to describe what we saw and experienced at this village of 5000 people (insert picture of village). We were instantly surrounded by over 100 children, many of whom had never seen so many white people. They welcomed our visit and enjoyed interacting with us, fascinated by our cameras, sun glasses and other things we brought with us.

What was most impacting to me was a boy of about 12 years old, carrying his brother on his back for over two hours (insert picture). While some of the children were all smiles, others never smiled. Some had tears, but did not cry or wail. Further into the visit we visited one of the mud and metal huts with a woman who died the next day from Aids. Further on down the dirt path, we came upon a second hut, where a mother died just before we approached her house. We all felt a sadness never experienced before. This village has an average of 8 funerals every Saturday, every week.

My understanding is that the middle aged population in S.A. will cease to exist in the next several years, leaving behind millions of orphans. Approximately 30% of children will be born with Aids and will die before the age of 15. Children are not permitted in school because they have no birth record and no parent to advocate for them. Without an education there is no hope for the future. Without medical care there is no future. Without Aids education the pandemic will continue and could literally wipe out an entire country. SOMETHING HAS TO BE DONE.

I am extremely proud of our team, our congregation and pastoral leaders for stepping up and doing something to help South Africa’s children and people. As of this writing we have accomplished the following:

Congregation pledged $50K per year to support our adopted village, Molewane.
We have built and dedicated a church in the village which serves as a community center/feeding and learning center for the children.
We have sent a second team to conduct a vacation bible school in Molewane.
We have supported HHIA financially through a first annual walkathon at the Phoenix Arizona Zoo, and have two more fund raisers planned for 2009, another Zoo walk and A Music Under The Stars fundraiser.
Ron Meister of our church has volunteered as the U.S. Coordinator for HHIA. Many of us are on various teams to help HHIA deal with the challenges faced by South Africa’s children. Ron also sits on the HHIA Board of Directors.
We regularly pray for HHIA and the Children of South Africa as we are just instruments of our Lord, trying to do what Jesus would do.

The most important thing we all can do for the Children of South Africa is to spend out time with them, and to share some of our treasures. A little U.S. money can go a long way in Mafikeng, S.A.

As for me, personally, this work is the most significant thing I have ever done, and will continue to do, by the grace of God.

Yours in Christ,
Jerry Houston

A letter

This post is from a volunteer of Helping Hands, one who visited the villages. This is her letter to friends and family upon arriving home.

Dear Friends and Family,
It is good to be home, but oh so difficult to leave the wonderful kids of Top Village and Molowane Village! Since arriving home, I have been doing a lot of journaling to help process all experiences of our trip. There was sooo much to take in, in just 10 days. Photo-shopping the 400 pictures I took, has been bittersweet but I have enjoyed reliving the great time. I have such wonderful memories.

I have thought a great deal about how to write this update. Knowing that just reading this, will never fully communicate the incredible impact this experience had on my life. I have come up with 4 adjectives, which in a very broad way, describe my experience.

Exhilarating – Being a part of two incredible worship services, the first at the New Life Church in Mafikeng and the second in the village of Mabela-a-Podi. In both of these services the worship time was so moving. Being a part of people singing and dancing praises to God with their whole being, completely uninhibited, was like nothing I had ever experienced. What a privilege and a blessing. The church at Mabela-a-Podi village is a tin shed type of structure with dirt floors. No instruments, no overhead projection system, just four young women leading incredible worship.
Educational – Our first full day in Mafikeng, Mike and Michelle Tessendorf, the founders of Helping Hands in Africa, gave us a wonderful orientation regarding the history of South Africa and the lasting effects of Apartheid. We also were given an introduction to the AIDS pandemic in South Africa. It is a multi-faceted, very complex issue. Our media tells us “For just $10 a month, you can supply medication to an AIDS victim that will save his or her life” The issue is so much more complicated to solve than just sending money. It will take a substantial educational and humanitarian effort to eradicate this pandemic. Helping Hands focus is changing one village at a time. They are targeting kids in their early teens and younger in their educational effort, while caring for these children’s parents, who have already contracted the AIDS Virus.
Emotional – The fun of meeting these wonderful kids who are identified as vulnerable because they are orphaned, have lost one parent to AIDS or have loved ones that are infected with the AIDS virus. The kids were exuberant, had wonderful smiles and were willing to join in all activities. It was great to see the kids begin to identify emotions and feelings, as well as risk sharing some of those emotions, being a part of a culture where feelings aren’t talked about. It was also great to just be able to play with them. But oh, how difficult it was to say goodbye.
Sobering – To see from the kids beautiful smiles and hear their words of the belief that their hope is in Jesus Christ, even though some of them live in the direst of circumstances, literally put me to shame. How often do I complain about the inconveniences of my life and yet I live in a lovely home, sleep in a warm bed every night and have more than I need to eat. It was wonderful to see and hear the kids respond to the scripture lessons each day during our small group sharing time.

I can’t thank you enough, for partnering with me, which allowed me to be a part of this experience. I believe the organization of Helping Hands in Africa is getting it right. They have established programs where none are in place to feed, care for and educate those in need. Where government services are available, they don’t try and reinvent the wheel, but rather try to work with the government programs to get the villagers the help they need. Please check out Helping Hands website for more information. Also please consider continuing to support this organization through your tax deductible charitable gifts.
www.helpinghandsinafrica.org

In Him,
Debbie Carpenter

Postcard From Africa

When I think of Africa there are certain images that come readily to mind... thorn trees with their wide open arms that embrace the surrounding bushveld, sunsets that defy the color spectrum, people groups that are spectacular in their diversity and an animal kingdom not found anywhere else on our planet. This month at Helping Hands two African elements came together in a way that was breathtaking! Some children of Africa (the element of Africa I love the deepest) had a close encounter with lion cubs. The result was an image of Africa that will forever be entrenched in my soul.

The Helping Hands ten day Orphan Intervention Program had come to an end for September and the children were taken on a day outing. For many of these children this was their first trip away from the village and the first time they had ever rode on a bus. It certainly was the first time any of the children had seen a live lion. They screamed with terror when the fully grown male roared and charged at them. There was however much laughter and bravado when they realized the fence between them and the jungle cat was secure. The absolute treat of the day was when they got to bottle feed and play with the lion cubs. I watched with wonder as the offspring from two different species played together like old friends. There surely is a lesson in there somewhere! These children had a life experience they are not likely to ever forget. For us at Helping Hands it was a privilege to provide this for them.

On another note, our annual report for 2007/8 has just been released. You can view this by clicking this link. Annual Report or visiting our website and clicking on the link on the bottom right hand side of our home page.

With kind regards,

Michelle Tessendorf

www.helpinghandsinafrica.org

Two years ago my wife and I went to South Africa on a vision trip. My wife had been exposed to the HHIA organization someway and we had attended a meeting at Mike and Michelle's house in Phoenix. I am not a particularly religious sort and while maybe not selfish, I definitely could do more help others. I was so impressed at that initial meeting with Mike and Michelle as individuals that I agreed to accompany my wife on a vision trip to South Africa. To say the trip was a life changing experience would not be accurate but I did get to see what two very capable individuals can accomplish if they really commit themselves. Mike and Michelle are the most impressive persons I have ever met in my 68 years of life. I think they do more in one day to help the children than most of the people I have met in my life do in a lifetime. First, they leave the impression that the reason they are here on earth is to help others less fortunate and then they have the abilities to make a difference. I am somewhat cynical when it comes to supporting "causes" but HHIA is one that I feel totally comfortable in supporting. No matter how you participate I know that your efforts will do some good for some folks that have not experienced much if any good in their life and daily face challenges that most of us could not handle in a year. Mike, Michelle and HHIA do make a difference.

Lee Stacy

Postcard from Africa

This month saw the start of a new Helping Hands pre-school. The children from Molelwane village now have access to free early learning in a beautiful building that is fully equipped and staffed. Molelwane village is situated on the outskirts of the town of Mafikeng in the North West Province of South Africa. It is a village where most of the residents are severely disadvantaged. Unemployment is the norm. Many of the children live with their grandmothers or other foster care due to the high death rate of the adult community.

Poverty is more than just the lack of money. It is also the lack of opportunity. A child who does not have access to early learning is disadvantaged from the start of his/her life. Before they even start formal schooling they are already behind. At Helping Hands we are determined to give every child, even if they are orphaned, a good start in their education. Each little child is encouraged in every way possible to love learning. We hope this love for learning will continue throughout their life.

Katie Burleson from Sun Valley Community Church in Gilbert, Arizona has volunteered her time and skill for seven months of this year to help start the pre-school in Molelwane. Last year she was in South Africa helping us start the Helping Hands pre-school in Top Village. Katy is in the center of the photo. On her left is Kenalemang and on the right is Lerato. These are the preschool teachers from Molelwane that Katy is training. These two precious women are from the village themselves. They are giving of their own time and life to ensuring that the children are taught in a loving and stimulating environment. I am convinced that with people like these three women giving of their best to the preschool and leading with love and kindness, our children in Molelwane will grow strong roots that, despite their difficult backgrounds, will help them in turn to have hearts that are sturdy and kind and filled with the love of life. Certainly every child should have the opportunity to grow in this way. Thank you Katy and Sun Valley Community Church for your dedication to these little ones.

On another note, to give feedback regarding our House Project. I am very happy to let you know that we have found a suitable house for our office, Orphan Intervention Program and Mission teams. We will take occupation at the beginning of November. We are still in need of some funds to complete the purchase so if you would like to contribute we would be most grateful. You can do so by sending a check to our office marking it "House Project" or you can make a donation on line. If you would like more information about this, please email me. Thank you very much to each person who has already contributed. We are so thrilled with the possibilities the new house gives us.

With kind regards,
Michelle Tessendorf
http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001RKRfw3hXuRlKHlXxflC4Y9e-PqGfRe9n72cLt7kjz6tqu7fdWeOUQoiBFJWPTOIKDI3vZzVwKS3vOGSMR6V6lepsc5WZ7HSyJ9-BVdH2Tjozg4qP557Qm0m80TAKYwBh

Angels

This morning we met some of God's angels in the form of the Molelwane Care Givers that care for the HIV/AIDS infected villagers. The Care Givers have received training for this through the generous support given by members of La Casa de Cristo. These women are truly amazing women of God as they nurture these patients day after day with the biggest hearts of love and compassion I have ever seen.

After meeting the patients, which included two children under the age of 10, we returned to the church in Molelwane and met up with the 20 Pre School children that attend the morning program. I can't begin to describe the feeling I get in my heart when you see the children running to meet you with their huge smiles and loving hearts. I feel like I have known them all my life. There was no hesitancy on their part, from day one we were all their friends.
Today the children decorated prayer boxes that contained prayers on paper in both English and Setswana (their native language). It was so cute to see them take such time and effort to add the stickers to the outside of the boxes. They were so proud of the finished product that they were all going around showing each other how beautiful their boxes were! I know that they will treasure those boxes forever and it made me realize just how much we take the little things for granted and how truly blessed we all are.

Then it was story time. Diane Garman read this story that the children were so enthralled with. It involved throwing stuffed animals around and you would not believe the giggles that were coming out of that room. That is another thing that really strikes me, how light hearted and happy most of these children are in spite of their circumstances. One of my God's moments on this trip has been to understand that we need to always find joy in God and life no matter how bad we think things are going for us. I will always remember those children and their joy whenever those bad times come upon me.

Each day has been filled with new wonderful surprises and joyful times that I can hardly wait for tomorrow! I especially can't wait to see those smiles on the faces of all the children as we come into the village tomorrow. I will give the children an extra hug for all of you!

~Mandy Meister

Back to School Part II

In the wee hours of the morning on Friday, I had a meltdown over going on this trip. I absolutely did not want to go. My plane was leaving in a few hours, my luggage wasn't packed and my mind was made up: No South Africa for me. My own conscience forced me to finish packing my bags, my mother pushed me out the door and into the terminal, and my Jesus gave me the strength to control my fear over leaving the United States for the first time. Then my entire attitude changed.

Today I had a little girl tell me repeatedly that she loved me, a boy no older than two fall asleep in my arms, and another young boy learned to trust me enough to let me hold his marbles because I was going to surely give them back. There are no words to describe how meaningful these experiences are in my heart, because only being in this place among the children allows you to fully understand the heartbreak and joy filling everyone here.

Writing about the programs we did today doesn't really fit my style. I enjoyed giving them structure and activities they normally wouldn't do, but simply walking in the village and loving on any kid in front of me is what reminds me most of Jesus and his relational work while he was here. And, He is the greatest teacher of all, to live as He did would be no mistake. Thus, we are working to touch these children's lives with a simple hug or moment to ask their name and repeat it back to them.

It also isn't my style to leave out how amazing the relationships between our own team members are as they continue to develop; we really do love each other (or else we wouldn't be able to be in such close quarters all the time!). The fact that Jesus is alive within us all makes our bond significant and powerful. There are times when I step back and see everyone eager to help despite being exhausted and people forming friendships regardless of their age or place in life. Plus, there is no cease to the laughter! This is important – knowing your team and loving each other because only then are we able to come together to love others we come in contact with here in Mafikeng.

Most importantly, this trip is about trusting the Lord: Trusting Him to provide funds, to keep the plane safe during our almost 24-hour journey, and to meet our needs while we are here. He has gone beyond our expectations. The people of Molelwane Village have come to trust us which is also the work of God. Allowing us to come into their land and provide programs for their children of all ages is a big leap of faith and they welcome it with open arms. Even the high school age group gave us hugs as we left…it takes more time to earn the trust of this group of students so it was quite moving to know they enjoyed their time with us. We are being blessed more than I could ever explain.

Job 22:26 - Then you will always trust in God and find that he is the source of your joy.

~Grace Gardner

Back to School Part I

This morning even before we left the house we learned that many things are different in South Africa….roosters crow at midnight and the water swirls down the drain backwards. Now as we end our first full day in Molelwane village, we've learned that many things are the same the world over.

We learned that that there are people here who share the same passion we do to serve God. We walked over to the church next door where we got to meet the pastors, caregivers, and cooks who make up the staff of HHIA. One of those people is the deputy headman of Top Village, who at 80 years young, rides his bike daily to visit and provide care for the sick people in his village.
We learned that simple gestures from little children bring great joy to big people no matter where they are. As we drove into Molewane village, we were greeted along the way by the enthusiastic waves and big smiles of the local children who were standing in their barbwire enclosed yards.

We learned that song has a way of bonding people together no matter what language it is sung in. We shared such traditional VBS songs as Father Abraham and Jesus Loves Me This I Know with the preschoolers. While the children did not understand the meanings of the words, they certainly understood the message.

We learned that children all over the world crave love and attention. No one had an empty lap or a hand unheld today….some of us even had children on our backs.

We learned that play is universal. We all (big and little) had fun kicking around a half-inflated soccer ball, jump roping, and hula hooping. A big highlight was batting around balloons with homemade paddles. Although we look different than the people we met today, do not speak the same language, and live in vastly different homes we are all the same in Christ.

Verse for the day: Luke 18:16 But Jesus called them to him, saying, "Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God.

~Carol Mathews

Dedication

Today was the day of the dedication of the Fountain of Hope Community Church in Molelwane Village. After Pastor Garman cooked us a delicious breakfast, we all boarded the bus for the short drive to Molelwane. As thebus was traversing the dirt roads inside Molelwane, many of the smaller children who live in the village wererunning up and waving to us.

The dedication service was held in large tent that was erected next to the actual church building. This was done to accommodate the large number of dignitaries and members of other churches who came to celebrate this event. We sat up near the front, and were treated to a spectacular event. The singing and dancing throughout the service was unbelievable. This was pure worship, they hold nothing back.

Think of La Casa's contemporary service with African themed music and a lot more dancing than you'd ever see at La Casa. In between the music, Pastor Victor welcomed all of the congregations who had come to celebrate with them,including ours. Mr. M. J. Molema, the Head Man of Molelwane, and without who's permission the church could not have been built, spoke about the importance of the church providing a better moral foundation to the village's children than they were currently getting.

Pastor Garman spoke near the end of the service. He had the village children baptize the new church with water balloons that we had prepared in the morning. The service took a long time because most of the Setswana was translated into English and vice versa. What struck me while watching all of this, is that it doesn't matter what language you worship in, nor what you look like, nor how well you dance, we are all children of God, and God loves us all the same (John 10:16 And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.). The service was followed by a lunch with the dignitaries in the actual church building.

Once we got back to the house, Bill and Susan walked us over to Top Village, the first village that Helping Hands became involved with, and across the street from our house in Mafikeng. On the way over there, I was walking at the back of the group when I saw one of the villagers walking towards me shouting, "Shoot me! Shoot me!" This was very bewildering, so I called out to Bill who it turned out had actually met the guy before. He wanted me to take his picture, so I took a picture of him and Bill. Once at Top Village we placed orders with the beading project, and were given a tour of Top Village by their pastor, Pastor Patrick. The contrast between the utter poverty of the village and the relative prosperity of Mafikeng is striking. Houses with indoor plumbing and electricity and that would look nice in Phoenix are across the street from shacks with no electricity and water that has to be obtained from wells.

~Noel Olmut

From Phoenix SkyHarbor to Mafikeng

It takes a long time to get here. Four hours to Washington – Dulles, a couple of hours at Dulles, 7 ½ hours to Dakar, Senegal, about an hour waiting there, almost 8 hours to Johannesburg, about 1 ½ hours going through customs and getting bags, and finally a 4 hour bus ride to Mafikeng. Everything went like clockwork, and we do thank God for that. It turns out August 2 was Grace's birthday. About an hour before arriving in Jo'burg, as the locals call it, we gathered around her seat and serenaded her with Happy Birthday. She was just a little bit embarrassed, pulling her blanket over her face. Happy Birthday, Grace!! We were met at the airport by Ron, the trip leader who'd been in South Africa since the prior week, and Bill and Susan, the short-term mission coordinators for Helping Hands, and whom most of us met in March at a meeting at La Casa. It was nice to see those familiar faces after such a long journey. Walking outside the terminal intoa very pleasant 65 degrees was also very nice. The fact that it was dark by 6:00pm and the temperature wasdropping very quickly, quickly reminded us that it is winter here. On the way to Mafikeng, we stopped for dinner. What better way to be introduced to South African cuisine than eating at – McDonalds!! Almost identical to what we have at home except you can order a cup of corn as an alternative to fries. We started out at Sky Harbor at 6am on the 1st. We ended our long journey at the house in Mafikeng at almost midnight on the 2nd.

~Noel Olmut

As We Prepare to Leave

We are off to Africa for the 2nd time to assist the Helping Hands in Africa Organization minister to the Children of South Africa in and around Mafikeng, South Africa. We have been planning this trip for the past 9 months and it is finally here! God has truly blessed us already by allowing us to make new friends at La Casa.

Four of us are returning for a 2nd visit, Debbie Sanneman, Laurie Gerlach, Melody Gartrell-Sherman, and Ron Meister. This year we have a younger mix of people with High Schoolers Leah Swanson, Lindsay Sanneman and Mackenzie Smith and College Student Grace Gardner traveling with us. Also joining us are Mandy Meister, Carol Mathews, Noel Olmut and Pastor and Diane Garman.

We will be hosting a Vacation Bible School for the younger children. The themes of the VBS will be God's family, prayer, and God's promises. Additionally, this year we will be reaching out to the young adults with a program on self-esteem. We are also very excited to be able to participate in the dedication of the multi-purpose building in Molelwane village that La Casa helped to build. This building is used for worship services and for the feeding program for the children.

In addition, we will once again be able to provide school supplies for the children thanks to the generosity of the congregation. We will be buying school uniforms, shoes, backpacks and supplies for more than 40-Children! For most of the Children, if not all, it will be the first new things they have ever received in their lives. We wish you could all be there to share their hugs and see their faces when they get their new uniforms. It is a very emotional experience for all of us; both rewarding and humbling rolled up into one!

It is our goal to post our experiences each day in this BLOG. However, one never knows if we'll be able to get a good connection each day in the Internet Cafes in Mafikeng.
We ask for the Congregation's continued support through prayer. We ask you to pray for the safety of our Team; that we follow God's lead in all of our activities, and that we share the love of Jesus with everyone we encounter. The Team will be traveling August 1st – 11th.

Ron Meister, Team Leader

Mission in South Africa August 1-11, 2008

Follow the thirteen members of our South Africa team in words and pictures on their daily blog at our website, as they traveled half a world away (in more ways than one) to Molelwane village.
Their journey began months ago with planning and preparing … but their actual travel took place August 1 – 11. They arrived home safely on August 11th.

While they are there, they will…
Dedicate the church building that La Casa funded
Dedicate the well that provides their own water supply, made possible by the money raised by our High School Sunday School class
Share supplies of hats, gloves, mittens, and mufflers collected by our MOPS moms and Women’s Breakaway Weekend participants
Share school supplies from our preschool
Outfit 40 children with school uniforms, also with money received from La Casa members (in South Africa, you can’t go to school unless you have a uniform)
As you can see from the list above, our whole church community is involved, even those who are staying home! Please continue your involvement by keeping those traveling in your prayers: Ron Meister, Grace Gardner, Pastor Andrew Garman, Diane Garman, Melody Gartrell-Sherman, Laurie Gerlach, Mandy Meister, Noel Olmut, Carol Mathews, Debbie Sanneman, Lindsay Sanneman, Mackenzie Smith, and Leah Swanson; as well as the villagers to whom they will be ministering.

La Casa de Cristo African Mission

La Casa's Mission Team: Pastor Jeff Ruby, Cassie Saba, Patsy Saba, Melody Gartrell-Sherman, Dr. Ray Heilman, Carie Heilman, Laurie Gerlach, Debbie Sanneman, Deb Schaffer, Jerry Houston, Herb Fluharty, Christine Fluharty, Ric Leutwyler and Sue Leutwyler.Our team leaders are Ron and Diane Meister, while Craig Culloton is our stateside Ambassador

Friday May 25
By Ric




Friday, 5:00 AM at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport. The lines are long but the faces sure aren’t. We’re finally on our way to South Africa.

Patsy decided to make getting there an adventure. The Delta Agents in Phoenix almost didn’t let her on the plane because “she was already on the plane”. They eventually let her join us. Six of seven fire engines joined us on the tarmac (thankfully not for our plane) and we were finally on our way.

Atlanta – Patsy decided to share her adventures. After we separated and stopped for something to eat - Cassie, Deb and Patsy all ventured off to the gate listed on the tickets. Unfortunately, Delta had reassigned the flight to a different gate. Not to worry, they decided to join us in plenty of time for the flight.

Dakar – it’s been sixteen hours since we met at Sky Harbor. Some slept, some wished they could have. We were entertained by a special young man who was eventually “cut off” by the flight attendants. And we all experienced “a first” – as we were treated to “World Health Organization approved insecticide”… inside the plane. Apparently this is required for all flights from Dakar to Johannesburg. And I guess it was a good thing, because we did see mosquitoes flying around us as we waited (on the plane) as they refueled for our next flight.

Johannesburg – twenty six hours now. Patsy strikes again – as it momentarily appears that her, Cassie and Debbie’s luggage has been lost. Not to worry though, they just decided to set it aside to add to Patsy’s adventure. We’re greeted at the airport by Mike and a beautiful African sunset. Then, we load up for the bus ride to Mafikeng.

Mafikeng – we’re here! Only thirty two hours. Everyone is tired, but excited. We all choose a bunk bed, find our pajamas and head to bed.

Adopt-a-Village

The Need
The household of faith in Africa is facing a crisis of enormous proportions. The HIV/AIDS infection rate is spiraling out of control. Hard working village pastors serve their communities with dedication under very trying circumstances. All around them, people are sick and dying, children are orphaned and poverty is rife. As the economically active adult population dies, so the church income dwindles. However, the needs in the church rise exponentially. More and more the phenomena, of African villages populated with only elderly women and children, is being seen. These people need food and clothing. They need love and acceptance. Society needs the children to develop into whole adults. The cycle of death needs to be stopped so that the next generation can live.

The Cause
HIV/AIDS is spreading at an alarming rate; Sub-Saharan Africa having the highest infection rate. There are so many factors that contribute to this that it is difficult to summarize the reasons in one or two sentences. Some of the contributing factors are

• A migrant work force
• Traditional roles of men and women
• Myths and ignorance about the disease
  
  The Solution
  The long term solution to the AIDS crisis is a change in behavior of those who are sexually active. This involves changing heart beliefs and people’s mindset. The church in Africa is working hard at promoting life style changes as the ultimate solution. This, however, is very difficult in the face of millions upon millions of dollars being poured into the “safe sex” campaign which promotes freedom of sexual behavior as long as the participants use a condom. This message is not working. Helping Hands encourages the correct use of condoms as part of the solution, but we believe that a change in lifestyle is the long term solution. The infection rate has spiraled out of control and the innocent are reaping the results. The church universally has one of the greatest opportunities in history to make its presence known and its voice heard. It should not only be the rock stars who say and do the most. History should show that it was the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ that stepped in with a sound solution and that is what made all the difference.
  
  The Helping Hands Model
  Helping Hands has developed a model that has proved to be very successful over the past 15 years of operation. We have developed programs in AIDS prevention, AIDS patient care, Orphan Intervention, Foster Care, Poverty Alleviation, Social Grant Access, After School Study Centers and more. Our Rural Pastors Empowerment Program is aimed at training and equipping village churches to duplicate this model in their churches and communities. It takes about two years to fully implement the model after which time the village church is equipped to run the programs themselves and access funds from government and other agencies to sustain it. The outworking of this will be that the widows and orphans are cared for in their community by their community. They will be given the correct information about how not to be infected with HIV, the children will learn their morals and ethics from the Church, thereby adopting healthy life choices and slowing the pace of the infection rate. At the time of Africa’s greatest need, the Church will be its rock of safety.

Welcome to the Helping Hands In Africa Blog!

Welcome to Helping Hands!

Every day the staff of Helping Hands encounters heartbreaking life stories. Yet, despite this, we are an organization filled with joy. Our mission is to restore hope to those that are hurting. Being the bearer of hope is a joyful task thus, alongside the heartache, we see smiles break through. We see lives changed. We see capacity built and we see people rise up to take responsibility for their communities. We trust that as you visit this blog, it will become obvious to you that Helping Hands is an organization made up of dedicated people who believe they have been born for a time such as this and who have stepped up to the task set before them with determination and thankful hearts.