Friends and Goodbyes.

I have been richly blessed. Each of my trips to Richmond SA I have learned and experienced new things as well as enjoyed familiar things. This time I feel like I really know the people of Richmond and the staff of EWF much more than I have ever been able to in the past. I thought I knew a lot about the culture in Richmond but now after learning much more I look back and realize that I had just learned the surface. I had learned what I could see about the culture in the past. Now there are many people who have explained the culture to me, brought me places where I could firsthand see and experience the culture, and answered lots of my questions.

I started by carefully forming my questions in order not to offend or disrespect anyone. By now I know many of the staff well enough that if it’s just us I feel comfortable saying, “Why do they do that,” or, “Why is it like this.” Sometimes I will just look with a questioning look and they know I am interested in an explanation and they are great in answering then or later when we are alone. They know I am not being rude or disrespectful just very interested in learning everything about the culture of the place and people that I love.

I have definitely spent a lot more time in town and in the shops than I ever have in the past. This means that I know some people in the shops; I’m just hoping that when I come back I will be able to still remember faces and names. Unfortunately for me many people recognize me, I stand out a bit, but I have a harder time remembering many faces and names. Just yesterday someone came to say hello when I was getting out of the vehicle. I knew that it was someone that I have seen many times but I just couldn’t place where I had seen him. He recognized this and quickly reminded me that he was the parking guard at Spar, one of the two grocery stores. After finding out that, no I was not married, he asked me to marry him but I regretfully declined as I was heading back home in two days. He said he would see me the next time I came to Richmond and be looking for me. The other Parking guard at Spar I will probably remember more as I have seen him more often lately. In fact last week my trips to the store where frequent enough that when I was there on Friday he greeted me with a grin from ear to ear and asked how I was doing today. He has been working there for a very long time as I understand so I will be sure to see him again.           

Today as Ntsiki and I were talking on the veranda at the guest house a woman past by the gate and called out to me. At this time I still do not know who she is and where I met her. But I must have had a conversation with her at one time because of the words she called to me. She said, “Bye, bye Canadian, have a good travel back to Canada tomorrow.” Yes so more people know me than I can remember sadly.

The people I do know in the community are some that I met at church or just met when I was in town. I know people from the police station, fire station, the court house, municipality, FNB bank, both grocery stores, and some other little shops. Oh and the garages. I appreciate knowing these people as they are able to assist me in many areas and help me to feel at home in Richmond. I don’t know if I will be remembered when I come next in future years but I pray that I will remember some of the dear people I have met in the past three months.

The staff of EWF have been really good to me in the past three months. Not only are they my friends but many of them have been like family to me. I may not know everything about each one of the staff but in my opinion I know many of them. I know their phone numbers, where they live, many of their children, and have learned some of their life stories as well. I can whistle along to ntsiki’s ring tone, I know some of the favorite foods of the staff, and I know pineapple cooee is Sanele’s favorite but he doesn’t buy it because he knows that I don’t like pineapple. I know Busi’s I know how the staff like to cook and eat the food that we have many days enjoyed together. The sound of their voices, laughs, and walk is familiar to me. We can talk to each other without saying words and communicate just by a look. These things and many others is how I know that I know these very dear friends of mine.

Times change and I know that the next time I am in Richmond I will find that here to things change. It’s hard to come to the same place and see differences yet I know that it is an inevitable part of life and therefore should be expected and managed. I am anticipating the next time I am in Richmond already though I have not yet left. Even more so I look forward to seeing the people that I have come to love. I told a friend yesterday that it comforted me that while I hoped and planned to see her again on this earth I would always know that one day we would be meeting somewhere much better. While she said she looks forward to that day she said very firmly that I would be and better be seeing her before that day. We parted with hugs, kisses, and laughter that I will remember for a long time.

I pray that tomorrow when I say goodbye too many more of my friends that we would be able to cry and be sad as we part but that the day would also be full of laughter and joy as much of our time together has been. There has been many memories made and things accomplished in the past three months and I pray that it may be so in the future as well for the staff of EWF. They will be in my thoughts and prayers very often.

Laina

Stolen Childhood.

               One of the saddest things for me to see are the lives of children and young people who have responsibilities, problems, and trials far greater than many adults in this world have. I have always been very pro maturity as I call it. I am thankful that my parents gave me responsibilities at a young age and pushed me to become the mature and independent person I am today. What I’m talking about is very different then encouraging children to grow and become responsible and mature. What I have seen very often are children and young people who are have no choice but to step up to the responsibilities of life. Some are able to adapt very well to this and others who have not been taught or given an example struggle.

                

              It is hard to see children solely taking care of other children. To watch two boys maybe six and eight years old struggle to push their wheel barrows filled with wood to cook their dinner and to ward off the cold so they are able to sleep. So many Moms are much younger than me. Some have already had to go through the sorrow of laying to rest their child. Their children are loved but too often their own mother was a poor role model and the generations continue to be affected by the past. Lack of productivity and motivation often leads to children being bored and spending their time doing nothing at all or nothing that is good. Alcohol, sexual activity, and drugs are introducing themselves to younger and younger age groups, which in turn add a whole new peer pressure and stress to young lives. The list sadly continues.

                

               Unfortunately it is not enough to just recognize this although it is the start. Next there needs to come action so that there can be change. Children should be given the chance to truly be children. To play, laugh, and develop before become grown up at such a young age. Emmanuel’s Wish Foundation does this in one way by operating their crèche for children before they are able to attend school. Constructive teaching and play enable them to be carefree and to be children. Instead of caring for younger children they are playing together and instead of just sitting around they are learning. Other programs seek to keep children busy and provide activities for them while they are not in school in order to both engage the community together and to encourage constructive behaviour.

                

               Education for teens about alcohol, sex, and drugs are always areas needing improvement but there is initiative in the community for teaching and I have met some people who have a passion for sharing with young people in this way to educate and support them. I have learned both from personal experience and observation that people at any age appreciate the support and encouragement of people older than them or those who have experienced situations before them. It gives them hope that they too can make it through a problem, it makes them feel worthy of the time and effort, and it ensures them that they are not alone.

               

               I am thankful for those in the Richmond community who are a part of ensuring that children can have the opportunity to truly be children, for or those who work so hard to be there for young people who need the emotional support and role model, and for people who are working toward goals in maintaining and improving the system. I pray that those who come from broken, abusive, addict families might break the bond now and be the generation to start new and right.  I pray that the young generations might all the more turn to God and change their way of living to honor him. Most of all that the will of God may be done in the lives of each and every one in Richmond.  

Laina

The End of Life on Earth

Death is inevitably part of life. In general it seems that the longer someone lives the more they experience death. I would be quite surprised if anyone in their twenties did not have someone close to them die during their lifetime. While I have sorrowed over the loss of family, friends, and relations I have had the opportunity to be present and near close to and during the death of many more people, many of whom I have not known for long or never even had the chance to get to know who they are. Others I have gotten to know over months or weeks and have a closed bond to them and have learned to care a great deal for them.

I count it a privilege to be able to be near someone during their last days, hours, and minute on earth. There is a great opportunity in this time to share with them the saving power of Jesus Christ. Knowing the faith of someone at the end of their life is one of the most exciting things in the world even through the pain and sorrow of the loss. Praying, singing, and comforting patients nearing death may be overlooked as often they are fairly unresponsive but I am sure that though the affects may not be seen there is comfort and peace that these things bring.

The EWF comfort home has a very good percentage of patients that are able to be discharged and return home with continuing treatment. We are very thankful for this and are very happy with the patients when they are able to return to their homes especially for those who have had a long battle and whom we have gotten to know quite well. Most often though there are also patients who are very sick and who do not respond as well to treatment or have come to advanced in their sickness to return to health. Many of these patients come to the hospice because there is no one to care for them full time at home. I am thankful for the families who care enough to want their loved ones cared for well up until their death. Being there for the patient but also for the family is very important at the hospice. It is often very hard for the staff to know when to and how to call the family to tell them that their loved one is very close to death. Yet as I have seen very often very concerned and loving staff tactfully and wisely make these decisions and inform the patients and family in the best way they possibly can.

                

             I thank God that through my missions with EWF I have been given the opportunity to learn from the staff at the hospice and be part of the lives and deaths of the patients. I consider this very benefiting to my experience in life and also now to my future career. In this aspect, as well in many others, I think I have been blessed to be ahead in my abilities as a future nurse and this is just another way I can see God working in my life for the plans for my future both before I had even made my career plans and now that I am actively working towards them.

Laina

Honesty In Every Step.

Honesty is something I have been taught to practice from a very young age. I can remember many times during my younger years where ignoring honesty got me in trouble, maybe not right away, but most often, eventually. Honesty seems to be something that we can’t expect from people nowadays yet when people clearly see honest most are very appreciative. I have heard stories of people finding money and returning it the owner, of having extra items accidentally put in their package and bringing them back to the store, and of persecuted Christians not denying God but honestly answering and confessing their faith. Not everyone who was honest in these situations were praised, honored, or awarded for what they did but each one of them were happy with what they did and did not regret speaking and acting honestly.

A few years ago, I’m not even really sure when this was exactly, I decided that I was going to be more honest in everything that I said and did. A couple weeks ago I gave someone advise to be honest. After that I got thinking about what honesty is and what it really means to me. This started cascade of thoughts, which I decided to write down and make some sense of, and times of reflection on areas in my life where I have not been honest. In the end my thoughts and reflections have left me convicted. I think honesty has to be practiced as a lifestyle in order to be continuous with it. In the last month or so there has been lots of revealing of the truth and I know it has given many people relief including myself. The following is what the bible says about honestly and what I believe about it. I trust God has guided me to write what is true and good.

First I do believe that we are commanded in the bible to be honest. Proverbs 12:17 says, “Whoever speaks the truth gives honest (or righteous KJV) evidence, but a false witness utters deceit (or lies NIV).” This gives almost a definition of honesty; it is truth and not deceit or lies. While In my bible (ESV) honesty is only mentioned three times, the opposite of honesty, deceit and lying, are talked about much more. In Leviticus 19:11 “You shall not steal you shall not deal falsely; you shall not lie to one another,” and the commandment “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor,” are both direct commands from God through Moses to be honest. Mark 7:22 Jesus speaks of many things including deceit as a thing that “defiles a person.” A pure and clean life lived before God will be void of deceit. Collossians 3:9 “Do not lie to one another seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices.” If we are Christians the Holy Spirit has worked in us so we are able to put off our old self and put on the new self which chooses honesty instead of lying. If we choose to lie we go back to our old life apart from God, we actively deny our Lord and savior, and do not grow in our faith or honor God.

Being honest gives honor to God, since when we are honest we imitate Jesus who, 1 Peter 2:22, “committed no sin, neither was any deceit found in his mouth.” It is really interesting to me that Peter writes here that Jesus was without sin, which includes deceit, but then specifies on deceit directly following. Maybe the readers of Peter’s letters especially needed to learn to imitate Jesus in the way of honesty. Maybe it rather draws from Peter’s own personal experience in learning to be honest the hard way after denying Jesus. Whatever the reason the point I take from it is that Jesus was without deceit, he was honest, and we as Christians are told to be imitators of this. To be honest like Jesus was honest.

Besides being imitators of Jesus which gives honor to God, being honest also promises other rewards to the Christian. Isaiah 3:10 gives hope to the Christian who lives an honest life when it says, “Tell the righteous that it shall be well with them, for they shall eat the fruit of their deeds.” David in Psalm 101:7 talks about keeping what is good in his environment and not what is evil when he writes, “No one who practices deceit shall dwell in my house; no one who utters lies shall continue before my eyes.” Ephesians 4:28 “Let the thief no longer steal but rather let him labor doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need.” To me this implies that the person who does honest work will be rewarded with fruits from his labour so that he can then share it and be by doing so have a double blessing of receiving and giving. The last verse I found that speaks of rewards for the honest is confusing to me. If anyone has an idea of what this verse might mean please do share your thoughts with me. It is Proverbs 24:26, “whoever gives an honest answer kisses the lips.” My thoughts are that ‘kisses the lips’ might speak of being given a privilege or honor or maybe about having a more intimate relationship with God because of our obedience to him through our honesty. These are only guesses on my part and I would love to hear any other opinions on this verse.

So can we honestly say that we are honest? Jacob was confident when he said to his father in law Laban, Genesis 30:33a, “So my honesty will answer for me later, when you come to look into my wages with you.” Are you able to say this in your life? To your spouse, your children, your friend, your boss, your siblings, and most of all to God. When areas of your life are inspected can your honesty answer for you?

I the past couple weeks I have been struggling with these questions and the struggle has led to action. Honesty involves not telling lies but also telling the truth. When I decided to be more honest I focused more on the not telling lies part. Telling the truth might possible be a harder thing to do as in my experience it often involves standing out and speaking up. I’m a very closed person, so there are areas in my life where I choose not to say something when it should be said. Until now I have not considered that wrong because it is not lying, but I do believe it is withholding the truth which is deceitful and therefor I am not living honestly before God.

I have identified two reasons why I don’t want to be honest about some things. The first is I am not sure how people will react to the honesty and it might not be pleasant or comfortable for me which is also selfish. The other reason is that if I am honest with others I must first be honest with myself which can be hard to do as well. I must be true to myself that I was wrong or that a situation affected me before I can be honest with others and speak truthfully of these things. A quote by Aubrey De Vere pretty much summed up my thoughts about this. “To be really honest means making confession whether you can afford it or not; refusing unmerited praise; looking painful truths in the face.”

Being honest may cause you hardships, the cost of honesty may be great, you may have the struggle of then refusing unmerited praise, and whether the truth is painful or not you will have to look the truth in the face admitting it to both yourself and to those you are being honest with. Yet after searching the bible to see what it has to say about honesty I believe the rewards of honesty are far greater that the hardships or struggles we may face through it. We will eat of the fruit of our deeds, our houses will be filled with goodness, we will be blessed both to receive and to give, and most of all honesty will give the reward of bringing honor to God. 

For myself I know that honesty is a struggle that I will constantly have to fight to accomplish. It’s not easy for me and I know that sometimes it will be scary but I have faith that God will help me to do this thing. I pray that my conviction of this will become action and that you may be convicted and encouraged by this and act as well. Honesty is something that is seen and wanted by the world but more importantly it is seen and demanded by God. May he be given all the glory.

Blessings, Laina

Squatter's Camp

A Squatters Camp is a place where people live on land that they have no legal title to. Other terms used to describe such a place is informal settlement, shack land, or shanty town. The people who live here are most often the poorest around. Just on the edge of Richmond sits two of these camps. One is called Bhongoza and the other Mshayazafe. I don’t know how many people live in each camp but my guess would be several hundred each. When looking at the camp from the outside it looks fairly small with maybe a dozen mud and stick houses, but once inside the path twists and turns to reveal many houses built closely together and most about the size of an average kitchen or dining room. Most of the houses have doors to them with a chain and padlock to keep people out which also tells us whether the owners are gone somewhere or are nearby.

Many of the homes in the Squatter’s camp lack an adult male and there are more than a few homes where seniors are living by themselves. There are also a number of families who are from nearby African counties many of whom do not have ID and therefore have even a harder time finding a job. Unemployment is by far greater than employment amongst the adults and there are many reasons for that. Many adults have not reached metric (grade 10) in school let alone finished high school, lack of ID is a whole other challenge, and when there is only one adult in the home the choice is either to care for your children or to leave them at home and work. Sadly sometimes the latter is done in order to be able to be able to provide food for the family.

Emmanuel’s Wish Foundation comes alongside many families in the squatter’s camp by providing a crèche for their children to attend and vegetables and food parcels brought to them. Last week we (EWF staff, Nicole visiting from Canada, and I) bought food and put together sixty food packages and on Monday we brought them to the camp to distribute. We were happy and had fun doing this because we could clearly see how happy the families were to receive the food. While we handed out the packages and took the names of the families the children ran around playing and we had fun taking pictures together. Nicole took a lot of pictures and later that afternoon she printed them so that next time we go to the squatter’s camp we can give the pictures to them. Pictures are rare for them and so they will surely be very happy to have them.

I think the best feeling to describe being in the squatter’s camp in humbling. Most can only dream of a better life yet the people stay hopeful. They look for work and often do very hard work for small pay and government grants for children help some families each month but for those who have no ID it is impossible to register for the grant. Somehow each month they get by, but it saddens me to think of children just barely getting enough to eat, of the very cold nights in their houses that do not keep out the cold, and the dirty and rough places and people that are in the camps as well. Many people know only that life. Some have been living like this for over thirty years and others have been born and raised there. I can only guess what it might be like to live in such circumstances and I don’t think I would be nearly as positive and hopeful as the people I have met are.

Visiting the squatter’s camp reminds me again and again how much I have which I should be thankful for. More often though I am not thankful for it but take it as my right as a person. Unfortunately many people have to work really hard and fight for things that other people, including myself, obtain with a very easy swipe of a card or push of a button. I just watched a commercial advertising an easy food chopper that would take away the annoying time it takes to chop food. While some people are concerned about wasting time chopping food with a knife others are worrying about how they are going to be able to buy food for one day, week, or month. This doesn’t seem right or fair to me but this is reality and it is the world we live in today.

I really wish sometimes that I could do more to better issues and situations in the world. While I fail to understand lots of things in the world I do trust that God holds the world in his hands and uses everything for his good. This is a comfort to me and I hold onto this when I feel put down by many sad situations in the world. While it is sometimes saddening and frustrating to go to places like the squatter camps, I am thankful I am able to go in order to help the people there but also so that I can be reminded to be thankful for what I have and to never stop giving of myself and my things for those who need it. I look forward to going a couple times yet before I leave Richmond.

Laina

Canada Day In Richmond.

                Canada Day has always been celebrated in my life. When I was little I can’t remember if we did anything special on July 1st but we always knew that it was our countries birthday. I think my earliest memories are of watching fireworks in Barrie by the lake and getting absolutely soaked by rain that created small rivers in the streets. We got home completely wet from head to toe and I remember having a great time. More recent memories are of spending the day at the beach with different friends from many different youth groups and again enjoying fireworks at the lake in Barrie.

                

               The short and sweet story is that this year July 1^st was very different for me. We did have a celebration at the hospice which really made my day. A Canadian who had come to Richmond for a couple days had brought Canada Day accessories from the dollar store as she knew she would be with us at the hospice on Monday. So the staff at the hospice dressed up and we took many pictures. Had I been willing to do a solo we probably could have sung the Canadian anthem together but I spared them this time! The staff were much more daring than me and when we needed to run to town to pick up some things the Canada stuff did not come off. We had fun laughing throughout the day at the funny looks that were given both in town and also in the communities when we went to hand out food parcels.

                

Ntsiki, Mpume, Mabusi, Nurse, Brenda, and Thuli

               

                I thought a lot on Monday about the differences between living in Canada and living in South Africa. I’ve always been proud to be Canadian though there is much about our country that I am not proud about. Sometimes I look around here and it looks like an earlier version of Canada. Fashion, electronics, transport, and ways of living are sometimes not what I am used to in my generation. Some cloths styles are similar to what I wore as a child and some are like I have seen my parents wear in old photos. Ways of living and priorities are simpler and more meaningful than what I have seen in my own life and many others. There is another side as well as I can see South Africa learning from North America ways of living that are becoming more involved in their lives.

               

                  Now I am not saying that this new way of living is only a learned affect but I think that in some areas it has a lot to do with how people live. What is important in life is changing. There is a lot of materialism seen even among the poor. I can’t help but think that this materialism is partially learned by seeing American’s lives through experiences, books, and television. For me this is really hard to see. There are some areas of my life where I am absolutely certain I am materialistic, but I was also raised by parents who taught me that ‘things’ where not essential to life and that there is a big difference between wants and needs. It is hard to see a mother buying herself new things or a father going to the bar at the end of the month when they are paid when you know that by the middle of the month they will be struggling to buy enough food for their family. Alcohol is cheap but it adds up and sadly some people choose to spend their money this way instead of caring for their families properly. Sometimes I really want to make people understand the dangers of materialism but then I realize that I am no better.

                

               In a place like Richmond I see every day people struggling to feed their families. It is much easier to ignore wants when there are so many needs really close to home. I know from my last trips though that it is hard to come back to Canada and still focus on needs as the North American culture is trying to convince the people every day that wants are really needs. In truth it is hard to come back to a different culture and slowly see myself changing and conforming to those cultural norms that I don’t like to be part of my life. There are a number of things that I don’t want to conform to once I am back home and I might seem a little out of place or odd for doing it. I know I will not be close to being perfect in this way but with the help of God I will do my part and try my best to avoid materialism in my life. I encourage each of you to take a look and at least identify areas in your life that you may be materialistic. Unless areas are identified they cannot be fixed. God give us wisdom to use our money, time, and effort wisely.

                

                Even though I am not always proud of what my country stands for or does, I am still proud to be a Canadian. Though at times it is hard I want to honor my country and the authorities of it as they are, I believe, in God’s hands and in the end we are all responsible to Him. In Canada I am thankful that I as a female can work and attend school, that can walk in the streets without fearing for my safety, and that there are authorities to act on my behalf if any wrong is done against me. I am thankful for the very good health care system I have access to and am now able to be part of through school and for the access to materials and technology that teach and help me in my learning. I am thankful for the freedom of choice and the rights and equality that are given to each individual. Most of all I am thankful for the freedom I have to be a Christian and not be persecuted for it. Thank you God !!!

I pray that your long weekend was enjoyable and safe. Please never take for granted and be thankful for the things you DO have in whatever country you live in !!!

Thanks, Laina

Peace and Love of God Which Surpasses All Understanding.

Rain drops patter on the roof of the guest house tonight as the day is done. I don’t mind the rain now. I am inside, curled up in bed, and next to the foot of the bed is a heat lamp to ward off a little bit of the chill. The lamp casts orange light and shadows across half of my room which adds to the cozy feeling. Songs of freedom are playing, no words are needed, and I am thankful as it does not distract my thoughts but inspires them. It is getting late and usually I would be turning off my light pretty soon to sleep but tonight my mind still stirs and I can’t ignore it.

Today was a routine day. In fact I did today what I do nearly every day. I did the unusual. The longer I am here the more I am getting used to doing the unusual. One thing I will confess though is that it is not easy a lot of the time. Many days, like today, have moments of both laughter and tears. Sometimes this is the hardest. To have two honest and often contrary emotions present in a short time frame. Dealing with both joyful and sorrowful situations at the same time can be hard as it takes a mental change in thinking to process the different situations. I am thankful that though there are so many situations around me that could keep me down and feeling sorrowful I am able still to laugh and to experience also situations of joy and encouragement.

When lives are lost it brings the most pain to me. Both lost in death but also lost to the world. Many are sick, disease ridden, hurting, broken, and fighting against the love of God. When I feel overwhelmed by sorrow for both of these I am constantly strengthened by the knowledge of God’s sovereignty in the lives of every single person. I know God uses man but in the end not I or any other human being is needed for God’s plans to come to pass and this gives me comfort. Though times of sorrow and tears are not uncommon I am thankful for the more frequent times of peace God has allowed for me and the other staff of EWF. There are times when in the human perspective a person should be sorrowful or fearful yet they are able to experience an amazing comfort and peace which I know is found only In our God. He has also given to us a love of each other so that through each other we can be an encouragement and comfort. There have been many times in the past couple weeks when we have been able to reassure, comfort, and even rebuke each other in love. It is a love which God gives and calls us to use and I am so very thankful for this gift.

Hard decisions are part of life, sometimes I am the one who needs to make these decisions and other times I watch as it is made by someone else. Other times decisions are not an option because of the even harder reality of the situation and the lack of options available to be had at the time or place. In my opinion it is much harder to see someone struggle with accepting things the way they are than someone who struggles deciding what option to choose. Many people are looked down on for not trying to change their situation, for not making good choices, or for not looking for options. I have seen examples of these, but I have also seen situation where there are no options, or the options are inconceivable.  Seeing a person deal with this type of situation is often painful. I've seen complete defeat. Some though are defeated over and over again and others when defeated surrender their lives to God and stand victorious. There are many people in Richmond who need to bring their defeated lives to the foot of the cross and surrender to God. To put their trust in him and allow him to take control of their lives instead of trying to do it themselves. I've learned this lesson before but am reminded again and again that I need to surrender my life, my plans, my thoughts, my attitudes to God and ask him to control them for me so that they will turn out for good and give him all the glory and honor. Tonight I pray that this truth would be seen for many of the people of Richmond. 

I pray that Richmond as well as you may know the peace and love of God which surpasses all understanding (Phil 4:7, Eph 3:19).

Love Laina