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