Hello All,
As the days tick down closer and closer to our departure, 53 days and counting! We've forgotten one important thing and that is to put some faces on our blessed team. So, with the help of Will and Amanda Phelps, and an ever growing strong league of Christian fellowship, I want to officially introduce everyone on the 2012 South Africa team!
Last Sunday was our seventh official meeting of the group and God has really been doing some work on preparing us for this great venture. The meeting brought back a number of old team members from past mission trips showing their support and preparing us emotionally and spiritually. The meeting started off with a powerful and valuable devotion from Jared Gibo sharing his thoughts and feelings before getting onto the plane and heading off 8,000 miles away!
As far as it is from our own respected neighborhoods in Southern California, we also learned more about the people of South Africa and how its political and racial discrimination became ever so potent and clear with its Apartheid laws. These laws were set by the white minority government called the National Party to deliberately separate their citizens by three different categories: Blacks (Bantu), White (Europeans), and Coloreds (of mixed race). This help enforce segregation onto the blacks and coloreds and racial discrimination. It wasn't till the late 1980s and early 1990s where the S.A. constitution was redrafted and ended many of the apartheid laws!
As our trip grew closer and more tangible, so did our itinerary for the the next two weeks of our trip. We had already divided our team to host and come up with ideas for the children during their first week of coming into the Academy. We hope to bond and enjoy each other's company in those short two weeks. We planned games, arts and crafts, as well as teaching social health and academics. Alan Freedman and Mark Gamo are also continuing on developing a sustainable business plan for a group of women who wishes to start their own sewing and tailor business.
Our team has been working really hard to prepare ourselves for this and really appreciate every one's support. I would also like to bring light to our past teams and leaders that willingly open themselves up on becoming a solid support and who help bring this all together. Please pray for our team for power and courage that we may act on God's purpose and follow him devotedly. Pray for our team as a whole and may we find strength and anchor within each other. Please pray for each member on our fundraising for the trip. And also please pray for our team leaders: Alan Freedman and Claire Coyne as they take eleven frightened people into an an unknown land for them and hopefully may we all make it back!
2 Corinthians 5:6-7 So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight.
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