The CPS officer went on. “Our OWN children are valuable. We’ll do anything for them. We’d die for them. But children that are not our own– nope. That’s why adoption is so much more appealing to people– we’d rather take individual adoptable children and make them part of our tribe, make them our own.
Category Archives: iThemba
I’m going to swim a mile.
This means that even in the “family fun” section (the race that we’re swimming in) you get these hard-core competitive families who’ve travelled all the way down from Joburg (which is 6 hours away) and have arms like Michael Phelps and matching swimsuits. MATCHING. This is not a joke. This is a competition.
Yup, I’m still here.
I’m still here. Just kind of drowning in work for my masters. I really want to finish my series on white men who stood up against racism, but… that’s taking a back seat right now. In the mean time, I’d like to share with you three really cool stories about iThemba Projects that I wrote/createdContinue reading “Yup, I’m still here.”
A chance to be a kid: An iThemba camp story
“I’m surprised that we’re treated like little children here,” the nine-year old girl told one of the iThemba staff. Uh oh. The kids think our camp is babyish. We spend months getting ready for iThemba Kids camp- planning fun activities, thinking up new games, getting crafts donated. This year I wrote the curriculum for the smallContinue reading “A chance to be a kid: An iThemba camp story”
Bringing Gogo to Jesus
“Thulani, we need to take Gogo to Jesus!” the 5 year old triumphantly announced during story time at the NEW Jabulani Kids Club last Saturday. Jabulani Kids Club is a Saturday club where kids gather to play games, sing songs, have LOADS of fun, and learn about Jesus. It also gives them a safe, funContinue reading “Bringing Gogo to Jesus”
What do you say when it’s Friday all around?
Sometimes I wonder what to say and what to be silent about. I don’t often tell the sad stories. Not because there is not sadness, but because a sad story is a real story, about a real person. And I don’t want to make light of someone’s suffering by sharing it to make a sensation. IContinue reading “What do you say when it’s Friday all around?”
Death
Death is the last weapon of the tyrant, and the point of the resurrection, despite much misunderstanding, is that death has been defeated. Resurrection is not the re-description of death; it is its overthrow and, with that, the overthrow of those whose power depends on it. -NT Wright, Surprised by Hope.
ISHIBOBO Holiday Club
“What are some hopes and goals you’re setting for yourself as you go into this week?” Sizwe asked all the volunteers from Hilton and Pietermaritzburg gathered for Holiday Club Training this past Monday. As I’m now a “one-day-a-weeker” at the moment with iThemba, David and I were thrilled with the chance to get to helpContinue reading “ISHIBOBO Holiday Club”
The Kingdom of God is Like…
So, I read about this activity on Kathy Escobar’s blog, in her post “The Kingdom of God is Like…” You should go check it out. Jesus often talks about what the Kingdom of God is like. He’s trying to explain things using everyday, ordinary examples (yeast working through dough, finding a coin, gardening, buried treasure). AndContinue reading “The Kingdom of God is Like…”
“To Never Lose Hope”
Recently my co-worker Sizwe went around and visited the different iThemba Life Groups to find out how things were going. Life Groups are the home groups of about 20 – 40 kids who come each week to play games, sing songs, learn about Jesus and discuss life. They support each other in making wise choices,Continue reading ““To Never Lose Hope””
Stephanie Ebert 