Foodprint....

Have you ever heard of Foodprint? Footprint yes in terms of becoming more sustainable in the way we relate to the environment and our own health. I am sitting at Red Cross Hospital on a chilly morning with my three year old waiting to see a doctor. Zacharie 3, is trying to survive this eczema thing. Its frustrating for us and a lot of patience is needed on all fronts when bathing and clothing her. Other than that she is a joyful and happy go lucky kid. She amuses us all the time with her attempts in using new words she learns. This foodprint thing is also a new way of saying that we need to be healthy, save our environment and get into a culture of saving. This last couple of weeks as I ventured out with teams of people I lead and I had to think differently about the way I do ministry. Leading from behind is a challenge for me. Giving over the reigns and not interfering in the process is a challenge. You look with a more objective eye and kinda see more things going a bit the other side. I had to trust myself and have confidence that the training I have provided to these key volunteers was substantial enough for them to deliver. Deliver they did! Kensington Holiday Club was run by Jason and Jeremy with a team of very talented leaders. They had an increase in numbers and the Kensington AOG was buzzing with children and teens. The highlight of this club was the turnover of teens into this club as a result of the consistent work SU has done over the last four years. The junior youth at Kensington AOG has already shown signs of growth. Leaders on this annual club have directed other clubs and have been leaders on numerous SU camps. So all in all this HC are a living testimony to the values and ethos of SU. To the Southern Cape I went the following week after battling to get over the flu I have been carrying for a few weeks. Rest I had to get and a few days before I left did the trick. We scrambled for a few more rands as is the norm of pulling final numbers and resources together. Leaders and the core planning team spent more of their own financial resources to make this happen. People gave up their comforts to go to this little village Karatara in between the Outeniqa mountains just about a few Kilometers from Sedgefield. 12 Cape Town leaders went and we had a strong component from Karatara and George. All went to clockwork through our German style director Marc who made sure that everything went to the tick of the clock. We had a good exposure to various levels of leadership to the Southern Cape leaders in preparation for 2014. At the end of the club a proposed new leadership team fully made up of Karatara and George was completed. We look forward to training them early on in 2014 and expecting this vision of a self run club take wings... Thinking Self sustainability, eating lots of food, and saving methods explored as I research best describes my rhythm in the fellowship program I am in with USAID and Freedom House. I have been blessed to have been selected in this program and had to compete with young professionals in South Africa and Namibia to be accepted. A new passion I have developed is to become more educated in financial sustainable approaches for Development work, not only in South Africa but also the SADC region. So I am researching financial policies, banking institutions that provides support to Development Organisations and assisting them in investing and building longevity in their financial resources. For years I have been concerned about the rate projects die and peoples lives get derailed when funding stops. Moving development interventions from donor dependent to being self reliant will be my focus in this two year study program. All in all I am wanting to stay humble, keep my feet firmly on the ground and stay true to the calling of walking alongside young people getting them closer to their God Given Destiny's... I thank God for providing for us as a family a home. All the legal paperwork is done and my Biggest Cheer go to Brian Edwards for mentoring me through this journey. We thank God for Sethe Zion who received the Principals Award last quarter for her sterling academic work. All praise and honor to God who makes all things possible. Thank you for making it possible for me to do this work of building God's Kingdom one brick at a time...may the Lord richly bless you and your family as you invest and sow seeds... Sedrico and the girls...