Delivering post: Letters from God.

Just the other day I was almost bumped over by a post(lady)! This was while walking around Karatara in the morning praying for an awesome club. Karatara, a small village 21 Kilometres from Sedgefield, lies within a community of great need. The lady on the bike could not wait to tell me of how God had changed her life. Last year she brought her kids to holiday club every day and also came to our parents evening. That night at parents evening, unknown to me and anyone else, she gave her life to the Lord in secret. She told me how she had stopped drinking and God had provided her with a job delivering the village post. Oh how God can transform! She hugged me so hard that I had to look for breath. She came this year again and, man, did she bless the leaders! She handed out sweets and even blessed us with potatoes that she had grown in her garden. Now you need to understand that this same lady last year was visited by the father of her children who gave her a R20 note. I thought she was going to kill this man! Yet she reached out for it and hugged the guy! In my Cape Flats’ mind I saw pans flying, ‘klappe’ going and words not to be heard...yet this woman was grateful. Karatara has poverty levels I have not witnessed before, even with my background of growing up in Manenberg. It gives you an idea of what this new job means to this lady. In her words: “God changed my life” and made her a better mother: unbelievable? Only God! This year we brought the ‘Good News’ to these kids and families again. A deeper love for these people has been planted in our hearts. The community hall was packed, even more, on Parents evening and we heard God saying: ‘Greater things are yet to be done in Karatara!’ The response of parents, kids, the local NG Dominee, the lay minister from the Anglican Church, and the school principal was electrifying! Ok, I can talk about this experience like forever...! During the second week of Holiday Clubs I was in Goodwood – a community of great diversity. The team under the leadership of Margaret and Robyn Smith from the Presbyterian Church was well organised and reached a variety of kids. You could feel the new South Africa with kids from different backgrounds and colours mixing. It amazed me that kids don't discriminate as we do - they are just kids. We need to create more spaces like this so that kids can grow up loving each other and together build a more harmonious society. The craft ideas produced by the kids were great and it was exciting for the young leaders who had their first experience of working with children. A good partnership was also formed with the St. Faith's church in Elsies River and the community in Ryterwacht. Communicare in Ryterwacht sent kids and we trust that this partnership will grow from strength to strength. SU is in the business of delivering letters of love in all kinds of shapes and colours and we hope to enlarge our distribution centres as we journey on....... During the first week of the holidays we entered Kensington. Our Directors Ramone and Liska worked very hard for months getting things planned. Their hard work paid off with a very well run club. It was the first time in this club’s history that kids sat down for their meals at tables with chairs. Awesome moments were created around the tables. I saw leaders embracing kids, and the chats were warm while the cold was freezing and the rain was pouring. Steaming plates and bowls of food were served all around. We had a great cooking team from the Assemblies of God Church. They stopped their work on one of the days to sing to the leaders for their encouragement: “He could have chosen anyone but He chose you to follow Him”. I had tears in my eyes. A delivery straight from the postmaster! The other thing that stood out for me was my own kids. They loved coming to club, or let me say the clubs. Sethe experienced different contexts and adapted well. They are still singing the theme songs and have ‘hall time’ on the bed all the time! Zacharie, only two, ran around on the day she visited Kensington and did not want to leave. It’s awesome when what you do touches the lives of your kids. It’s like opening a letter with a cheque in it! Thank you for supporting me and my family so that we can bless those around us. Hazel and I have been involved in our Alpha course at St. Philip's and were also blessed on our Holy Spirit away weekend. So all in all we are also spending quality time as a couple. Please pray for us as we are looking at acquiring our own home. This is a huge thing we are trusting God for. Also, please pray for the health of our girls especially for Sethe as we hope she will grow out of her Asthma. I have four school camps over the next few months and need prayer that God will provide to make this possible. Peace be with you as we journey together making things happen for His Kingdom,