October 1, 2007

Dear Family and Friends,

The past month has gone by too fast; my heart saddens to think I will be leaving here next month. Great projects are in the making. The after school English program is still growing! We now have over 100 children attending. Check out the happy faces in the pictures I am enclosing. These kids are amazing; we have yet to have a discipline problem with any of them. No attendance is taken. There is no pass or fail. They are here to have a good time and learn English; they do craft projects, sing, play games and outside sports in my yard. Recently we purchased a nursery rhyme book that has been adapted for South African Zulu children. It is in English, but some of the words and illustrations have been changed to help these children identify with the stories. The older children have been assigned a nursery rhyme to learn. Grades 1, 2, 3 are singing Six Little Ducks in English. Our plan is to have a party and open house before I leave and invite their families to see what they have been learning in English. They are so excited about all of this!

The community garden project has begun; Mildred and I met with them this past Saturday, they are eager to start plowing and planting. The portable pump has been purchased and the piping will be bought this week. There is no running water in the area where the garden will be, so water needs to be pumped to it.

Went to town this past weekend and shopped until I was about to drop. We purchased two new sewing machines along with material for the Gogos (grandmothers) sewing project. They will make aprons to sell and thereby have extra money to help feed the orphan children they are keeping. Chuck and Dennis, I was able to wheel and deal and get the new machines for close to the same price of used ones.

Twenty six Zulu bibles were purchased for a different group of much older Gogos. I can't wait to see their faces when they realize we also have reading glasses to go along with the bibles. Many of them can't see well enough for them to see the print. Their greatest wish was to own their own bible.

The best was saved for last! I had the privilege of having a house guest last weekend. Noxolo, she is an orphan from a child headed household from the valley where I live. She is twelve years old, I have written about her in past journals. My good friend from home has been supporting her with a basic monthly food parcel and school uniform for the past two years. Her Aunts 15 and 17 and uncle 21, are gone most of the time and she stays by herself in a very small run down mud room with gaping holes in the walls and a door that won't close. There is not always enough food to last her through the month.

She spent two nights with me and accompanied me and Mildred on all of the shopping in town this past weekend. Mildred shared with me that she told her in Zulu that she has not been out of this valley since she was 5 years old. On Sunday Mildred took her to church with us, she was so proud of her new clothes from Our Journey used clothing project. When she arrived at my house on Friday she had her school uniform shoes on, children don't usually wear them out to play, because they are a precious commodity and can't be replaced. I asked her if she had any other shoes to wear this weekend and she replied that those are her only shoes, so the first thing we did when we got to town was purchase her a new pair of shoes to wear after school. She was all smiles!

After church on Sunday we had lunch and then it was time to take her back home. In Zulu she told Mildred she did not want to go home because it is lonely there, taking her back was one of the hardest things I had to do. We took her home with more clothes and food. Noxolo is one of many orphans in the same situation.

Thank You Our Journey supporters, without your generous donations none of this would be possible.

Love,
Maureen

 How You Can Help:

To contribute to this work, please send a tax deductible donation to:

Our Journey, Inc.
Fred Mills, CPA, LLC
Route 4, Box 3133
Townsend, Georgia 31331

  www.ourjourneyinc.org

October 18, 2007

Dear Family and Friends,
We have had so much rain in the past three weeks, enough that I had to use an umbrella in my bathroom! The electricity in all of South Africa has been turned off and on periodically during these heavy rains. Happy to report I think I see the sun trying to come out today. Can you imagine what the mud houses here look like after so much rain? Yesterday, we visited a mud home where five children live; we were taking them emergency food, there was no food in the house. The mother is sickly; she told us that many nights they had to stand up all night because the rain was pouring in the room through their roof; they usually sleep on the floor on a straw mat. We also visited a child headed household, with 4 children living by themselves in a mud room with gaping holes. They sleep on a dirt floor. My heart cries when I think how some people have to live. We are so blessed to go to bed with a full stomach every night.

November is almost here; I get an empty feeling inside when I think about leaving South Africa. On the other hand, I am so excited about seeing my family and my Grandson Conner. The plan is to fund raise for Our Journey while I am home so we can continue the projects that we have been involved with in the past year. We (Barbara Perkins) and I will return to South Africa in July 2008. Barbara is on the Board of Directors for Our Journey, she is a retired nurse and this will be her first trip to South Africa. Her plan is to work with me for 3 months.

It is exciting to know the after school English program will continue while I am gone. Zonke, the local Zulu girl I trained is doing a fantastic job; we are now looking for an assistant (a local Zulu) to help her. Our Journey is funding this project with hopes of starting a second one when we return. We are planning an open house (with treats) my last week here, anyone in our community can come see what the kids have been doing. The children are so excited about doing their nursery rhymes and songs in English.

Last week I had the opportunity to visit another one of Zimele's projects; located in the Drakensberg Mountains, it was truly awesome to see the Self Help Group of Gogos sewing beautiful purses for resale. This money helps them support the orphan children they are keeping in their homes. Thanks to Bob Daggett's donation from his Oklahoma Rotary Club to Our Journey, Zimele (which means -standing on your own two feet) will be purchasing more sewing machines for these grandmothers next week. Check out the picture of them sewing!

This Monday will be an exciting day for Our Journey, we will be presenting a group of Gogos in my valley two sewing machines and material to make aprons for resale - remember an old journal with pictures of them cutting material with a knife because they had no scissors? I get excited just thinking about how happy they will be! Having sewing machines will be a first for them. An update with pictures will follow in the next journal.

Shannon, I wish you could be here when we visit the children who will be receiving the 4 new school uniform and shoes, your donation for the purchase of school uniforms will be greatly appreciated by these children. You are making a difference in their lives.

The 2007 Blanket Project was a complete success, in faith; Our Journey is budgeting to triple the volume of blankets in 2008. Praise God!

Love,
Maureen

Ps, Some of you have been inquiring about Phila, I am planning on visiting his home next Wednesday to bring food and say goodbye. This child will always have a special place in my heart. I wish he did not live so far away; I would like to have spent more time with him. Can you believe he will be five in March? It seems like yesterday that I took him from the hospital to the orphanage after he had been abandoned for 2/12 years.

To contribute to this work, please send a tax deductible donation to:

Our Journey, Inc.
Fred Mills, CPA, LLC
Route 4, Box 3133
Townsend, Georgia 31331

  www.ourjourneyinc.org