Dear Family and Friends,

The next journal I send will come from South Africa. I will be arriving in South Africa on June 19 and will return to the states in December. My time here has gone by very fast. Our blessings continue with so many new events in the planning stages. Much of the involvement is with fund raisers such as a fishing tournament, wine tasting and a silent auction. As things progress you will be updated with the details.

In September 2008 we are tentatively planning to take 15 people from the U.S. for a three week working session.to the area where I am volunteering . Our plan is to work there with ZIMELE which is the South African non-profit organization. This is the location where I will be involved as a volunteer when I return. We expect to build Houses of Hope. When I have more information about this I will pass it on via these journals.

I have spent a great deal of my time in the States doing fund raising with speeches at local churches and civic organizations. Through them I have made many contacts with people that expressed an interest in helping in some way. At the moment much of our correspondence is going on with Rotary Clubs regarding water projects such as pumps and wells. At times I go to bed thinking, what do I know about water and wells. You guessed it, absolutely nothing! This is where my faith comes in! Please keep these projects in your prayers. It is my earnest belief that through prayer some generous people will come forward that will make it all happen. As you know, every little bit helps. I want your involvement and welcome you to become a part of this wonderful work with the unfortunate children I have chosen to love and help.

Update on U.S. Postal Service

As of this month our U.S. stamps went up in price and at the same time our Postal Service has changed its international mailing policy. They will no longer do economy mailing of parcels. All boxes must now be sent priority mail, which means the price has almost tripled. Until we can figure out another cost effective way of mailing boxes we will not be able to do this mailing anymore. In most situations I can purchase what we need in the cities in Africa and therefore avoid the high cost of postage. We will continue to look into alternative mailing services. In 2005 Our Journey sent a pallet of supplies by ship and found that service to be corrupt at the South African end.

Our Journey is so thankful to everyone for all the support it continues to receive. I am especially thankful to our Board of Directors - they are AWESOME!!!

Blessings,
Maureen

www.ourjourneyinc.org