It’s Spring! Even though today doesn’t feel like it (it’s really cold!) there are flowers beginning to bloom everywhere. I love getting to wake up and go running and smell the Jasmine flowers that grow all along our road.Let me tell you about some other things that are growing this spring…
JABULANI KIDS CLUB is the name of the Saturday kids club that iThemba runs in Sweetwaters on a Saturday morning. “Jabulani” means “rejoice!” in Zulu. Usually there are 50 to 100 kids, ranging in age from 2 year olds to 12 year olds. We play games, sing songs (and dance! Which I still can’t do!) and then the kids break up into smaller groups for their lessons. Their lessons are taught by teens who have been in iThemba Bible studies for a few years. They do a great job!
Two weeks ago, KHULA CLUB, a Saturday afternoon club for teens began. I got to paint the banner that we hang outside of the high school where we meet. “Khula” means “grow”, which we all thought was a great name…until we realized that the new tavern that has opened in Sweetwaters is also called “Khula Club.” Oops. Different kind of club.
So far we have had about 20-50 teens each time. This past week it was freezing, and we didn’t expect anyone. Some of us (ahem, me) were hoping no one would show so we could go home and warm up. But, God is greater than we are, and even though these teens had to walk for many kilometers on foot, we still had twenty teens show up. We are going through a curriculum that talks about the journey of life and the decisions we make along the way. Small decisions can have big consequences. If these teens can start making the right choices today, it will have a huge impact on their future.
Please pray with us for the teens in Sweetwaters! Pray that they will keep growing closer to the Lord, and have the courage to make wise choices.
- Praise God that driving gets easier every day!
- Praise God for the bike that David is borrowing that he can use to get around Hilton now!
- Please keep praying for a job for David. We are still waiting for his qualifications to be evaluated by the South African board, before he can proceed with his paperwork.
Stephanie Ebert 