Two weeks ago, a young man from Bhekulwandle, whom I’d never met, came to the Seed of Hope Centre asking to see me. His name is Melusi. He came into my office, and within the first minute asked me to give him a bible. What would you do? I engaged him in conversation about himself […]
I get excited when I think of how Seed of Hope Community Development’s after school education program is evolving, developing, maturing. In the early days, the idea was to provide a safe place for children to come after school – a kind of after-school care program where children could come, learn about Jesus, and get […]
They couldn’t have come from backgrounds more starkly different. The one, a child with rights who attended a well resourced upper-class suburban white school and was born into a family with a good income, and future opportunies. The other, a child of apartheid-era segregation who was responsible for getting up very early to tender sugarcane […]
Xoliswe is a beautiful mom to be. Jane Hampton and I recently visited her at her home (above). She is married to Mlu and they have 2 children. Xoliswe attends Oasis church and last year attended Farming Gods Way at Seed of Hope. She wants to be a businesswoman and farming her land is one […]
About six months ago, Ernestina and I were chatting about the sewing skills training program (video) at Seed of Hope. We wanted to find more local markets for our sewing products. Even while our sewing students are learning their craft, they are able to make some income on the products they sew while in the […]
Have you ever caught a snippet of a conversation and it left you wanting more? It was late 2008, and it had been about 5 months since our first visit to Seed of Hope. We had no idea at this point that God was going to change our lives through a move to South Africa. […]
I read these words from my heart at Beauty’s funeral on November 17, 2012. Many thanks goes to my zulu teacher and friend Girlie for help with translation into Zulu: Ngiyanibingelela egameni lenkosi yethu uJesu. I greet you all in the name of Jesus. Mngane wami ungisize ukubhala ngesizulu. Ngizama ukufunda isiszulu. Ngikhuluma kancane. Angikhulumi […]
My boy turned 15 last week. Yikes! Sometimes I just want to press pause on life so I can catch my breath… Last Saturday Dec. 8, the day before his actual birthday, we had a man-party. He invited two friends and two dads (though one dad couldn’t make it), and one friend’s younger brother to […]
Every once in a while, there is a life event you know you’ll never forget. I had one of those recently – I got to baptize my ‘little girl!’ A couple of months ago, Abby came to us saying she felt ready, and called to be baptized. So, I walked with her through what it […]
Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his steadfast love endures forever! 1 Chron. 16:34 There are many public holidays in South Africa: Workers Day, Women’s Day, Reconciliation Day, Heritage Day. One holiday that is not officially celebrated here is Thanksgiving. However, every year, in the month of November, Oasis Church holds […]