Wordless Wednesday.

BEST. BIRTHDAY. EVER.

I'm in LOVE.

Wordless Wednesday.

Children's Month.

May was Children's Month at the church that I attended in Mbonisweni. My friend, Kacy spoke at church about the importance of loving and caring for your children, and the difference it makes in their lives and hearts. My friend, Anda, who traveled to Africa with me, is an amazing artist who brought her skills and talents with her and incorporated them into Kacy's sunday message. Anda had the idea of creating a mosaic, that everyone in the church will get to be a part of, starting with the children. She chose to design a tree, representing each and every part of a family, starting with the roots representing the fathers, the trunk of the tree and its branches to represents the mothers, and the fruit of the tree to represent the children. This month is Youth Month, and my idea for the youths involvement was that they were to be the background of the mosaic, meaning that they were to be the positive surroundings that surround the children of the community who lead them in the right directions.

So, we started with the children. After Kacy's message during the church service, with the help of the pastor and his translating skills, we invited five children at a time to chose a parent or adult to go up to the front of the church with them and help them put their piece on the mosaic, and asked that the adults speak love and kind, promising words to the children, allowing them to truly feel loved and cared for. The process went beautifully. As each child walked up one by one to place their piece of art down, you could see and feel the love that was flowing out over them, some for the very first time ever.

This month, the youth have started their part in the mosaic, filling in the background with broken pieces of tile. I find it ironic in the way that some of the youth are so completely broken, some not having parents to raise them or a safe home to live in, and however, with Gods love and the love of others in the community, they can rise up, learn the true difference between what is right and what is wrong, and in the end, create a positive atmosphere to help raise the children of the community the right way. The staff members of Ten Thousand Homes have written prayers and words of encouragement on the background of the mosaic before the youth get to place their tile down and cover the background. Stay tuned to see the mosaic come together!

Birthday Blessings.

Today is a very special day, not only here in America, but also in South Africa. Today, my boyfriend and I are celebrating our three year dating anniversary together, and it is also his 28th birthday. Divide 28 in half and what do you get? 14! The age that two very special twins in South Africa turned today, as well.

Samkelo and Bongani, HAPPY 14TH BIRTHDAY!

These boys are the sweetest, and I mean THE SWEETEST 14 year old twins you'll ever meet. Growing up in a household without a father figure, these boys have learned their manners and responsibilities all on their own, from opening doors for the ladies, helping to raise their niece and nephews properly, washing cars to earn money to buy seeds to plant in their very own garden and fetching water for the family to cook and bathe with.

While visiting at their house the day before we had to come back home, the boys were ecstatic about showing off their garden and insisted that we plant some sprouts ourselves. We watched as Samkelo rushed around, creating rows to place our sprouts in while barking orders in Siswati at his brother for him to bring the watering can.

After myself, my aunt and our friend Anda planted our sprouts in the boys' garden, Samkelo announced that it was now "our family garden", and boy did my heart melt. It was at that time, that I truly felt at home. To know these boys for just two weeks and to have them and their entire family accept us as their family was such a wonderful feeling. Their aunt, Zodwa asked me if I was ever going to come back and visit, and to make a promise in their culture is a big deal... if you can't fulfill that promise, don't make it... but I looked at her and said, "I promise, sesi", meaning "I promise sister." I've already made an impact on this family and they have done the same to me, why would I not go back to visit them?

Happy Birthday, sweet boys! Have a blessed day!

What can YOU do with $20?

Today on my lunch break, I went around town to a few resale shops and managed to purchase 5 t-shirts, one hoodie and a new-ish pair of little boys dress shoes, ALL for less than $20.

Seeing as how I have no children of my own to be buying these clothes for, I'm sure you are all wondering, "Who are the clothes for?!"
I'll show you who....

Meet Siyabonga.

Is he perfect or what?!

I met Siyabonga at the very first feeding that I helped with in Mbonisweni. He was one of the first children to arrive at the church and I was the first person he ran up to to play with and get big, white girl smooches and snuggles from. He was the sweetest, most perfect little guy there and I instantly connected with him.

For the rest of the week, up until that following Wednesday, I was so anxious to go back and play with Siyabonga again. We arrived at the next weeks feeding early to prepare the vegetables for the meal that was being prepared for the children who would arrive once they got out of school. After everything was chopped and ready for cooking, the team members and I relaxed in the shade while we waited for the children to show up. Siyabonga just so happened to be the first child there, along with a younger boy that he had brought with him. I was so excited to see him that I ran right up to him and snatched him up into a bearhug. These boys were emotionless. We couldn't figure out what was going on with them, but the fact that they were the first ones there, before all of the other children, was a good sign that they may not have been in school that day, leading to the thought that something may be happening at home. And then there was the idea that these boys may not even HAVE a proper home or family. The language barrier made things hard because we were unable to find out what was wrong with these sweet boys, and the looks on their faces were almost unbearable.

At one point during the feeding, while all of the other children are jumping rope and having a blast, Siyabonga came up to me and set the little boy, who we believe may be his little brother, in my lap, while he knelt down beside us with his arm around me. I tried everything I could to get the poor little boy to smile. I tickled him to pieces but couldn't get as much as a grin out of him. These poor boys broke my heart.

Throughout the rest of the day, anytime you saw Siyabonga, you'd see him holding hands with his little brother, walking around with absolute blank looks on their faces. I felt so helpless. I didn't know what had happened or how I could help, the only thing I could think of to do was look them in the eyes and say "Ngiyakutsandza" and "Jesu uya kutsandza" which are Siswati for "I Love You" and "Jesus Loves You." I got no response, but I knew that they understood.

At one point I went into the church for five minutes, and when I came back out, my boys had already left and I didn't get a chance to say goodbye to them. Probably my biggest regret in South Africa.
My friend Kacy, who is part of Ten Thousand Homes, is working to find out more about Siyabonga for me. I know nothing about this child, but cannot seem to shake his face from my mind.

Which brings me back to my $20 purchase. One of Kacy's cousins is going to visit her in South Africa this month, so I am going to be sending her a package of clothes and pictures for her to take with her to Africa. Kacy told me that she is going to try and find out more about Siyabonga and personally deliver my package to him at his home. This little boy is very special. I wish I could be there to help out first hand, but until I can go back this is what I have come up with.
So now, it looks like I have two perfect children of my own to sponser and learn about along the way.

Wordless Wednesday.