Meeting YFC

Walk in forest

Monday evening...Roger and I went on a walk on a trail on the mountain that goes through the forest on the side of the mountain.  It started at the end of the street we were on.... I can't believe we did not learn about it sooner....it would have motivated me to get out and walk more.  It was such a pretty walk and a nice path.  We were gone for about an hour and half...on the way home the sun had started to set and the full moon came over the mountain ....gorgeous!!

Houses along Victoria Bay

Tuesday was a fun day!  The Elliott's were all heading in different directions and so they generously offered the use of their bakkie (by now you should know it means pick up truck) for us to use to go whereever we wanted. We were quite excited at the idea of date day.  It has been quite awhile since we had a date alone.  We headed toward one of our favorite beaches, Victoria Bay.    It is a small bay with nice beach but small area.  The waves are normally quite high and they hold world surfing competitions there.  The tide was low when we got there and the water quite chilly so we just sat and enjoyed watching the waves crash on the rocks.  Along one side of the bay there are some vacation homes so we walked down the road there to the point and sat out on the rocks and watched surfers.

I love the beach and just watching the waves and it refreshed me inside and out.  At one point tho I got quite teary eyed and could have gone into a full blown sobbing session I think if I had let myself.  I was simply sitting there remembering the many times we came to that beach with the kids....or one of the many other beautiful beaches with the kids when they were little and the fun we had there with them and i started missing them all...we are so spread out right now and it made me homesick to be with each of them...ahhh memories.  We are so proud of them all being grown up and all but every mom who reads this will know how I was feeling :)  I did not let the homesickenss for my kids ruin the day tho because...hey...I was with their dad and my best friend....and on a date .....and in a gorgeous place on an even more gorgeous day....so i soaked in the beauty and the blessing of being there with him...something I never imagined I would get to do again....

Waves at Victoria Bay

 prawns cooked in beer and peri peri sauce

When we felt we had had enough sun...or maybe too much sun....we decided to drive on up the coast and see if we could find an interesting place to eat lunch.  Before we knew it we were in Knysna!  We found a restaraunt that said it had Mozambiquan ( not sure how to spell that but its food from Mozambique) food so we went for it...how often do you get that opportunity?  It was very good...mostly sea food on the menu...cooked in peri peri sauce which is hot pepper sauce...so you had the choice of mild, med and hot.  the waiter encouraged me to get the mild and i was glad i did as it left my lips burning for quite awhile but was delicious.  I had prawns cooked in beer and peri peri sauce.  I did not realize it would still be in shell with heads so i had to pick it apart...but it was worth it.  Roger got a sea food platter that he enjoyed as well.....so basically...I  think food from Mozambique is different...cause its spicy?

Moon rising over George Peak

We headed home after that because I had a tea date with the American ladies in George.  When we lived here we all would get together on a regular basis to have tea.  There were only 4 or 5 back then.  There were 12 at this tea and a couple more who were not able to come.  It was fun and for some reason they were giving me credit for starting the tradition...I don't remember being the one to start it but ...who cares...i was glad they had continued on all these years.
Wednesday was transition day again but really not as difficult because we are still in George and will still be seeing the Elliott's again at the wedding so it is not the same as leaving the country...THAT is still to come!

Busy making cards

We came over to the Edwall's house in the morning....about 9am.  They are the ones we had tea with last week and work for YFC (Youth for Christ)  here in George tho Dean is now director of YFC in SA.  We had tea first (of course) and then Laurie took us to Options which is a crisis pregnancy center she was involved with starting.  Options is under YFC and provides counseling for those in crisis as well as  provide HIV testing, counseling and medical assistance.  There was a group of single moms that were working on making beautiful greeting cards made out of natural materials like feathers, sticks, leaves etc.  They were so cool...they sell them and make enough to support themselves.   They call themselves "cardies".  There also were   HIV positive women who work in making bead jewelry.  Its quite an amazing work.  When we went in to meet the "cardies",  they were sinigng praise songs...if you have never heard a group of africans singing...you are truly missing out...I don't know why but it touches my heart so deeply and brings tears to my eyes whenever i hear them sing...They were thrilled to sing for us and all wanted their pictures taken when we got the camera out.  Sweet sweet ladies...all loving the Lord..many coming to the Lord because of the role Options played in their lives.  Options has expanded and grown through the years and they are praying for funds to buy a house that is behind the building.  They need more rooms and they are waiting to see how God will provide it.  The stories of how God has opened doors for the work there are so cool to hear.

Playing "jacks" with stones

Another part of YFC is called Kids Stop.  This is a place that provides care, love, teaching and food for the kids who live in difficult home situations that spend most of their time on the streets unsupervised.  We went to visit in the afternoon about lunch time.  There were about 100 kids (it  varies from day to day because the kids choose to come).  They were fed lunch, played some group games, had a devotional and then had some time to play on a field which is part of the property or play on the pavement.

Kids Stop

Dean told us the amazing story about how YFC aquired the property they use for kidstop.  They needed to move out of downtown and wanted something in one of the communities where these kids live.  The realtor asked Dean to look at this property with him and Dean indicated YFC couldn't afford it so why are you showing it to us.  Dean said YFC's offer would seem ridiculous...the realator said make a ridiculous offer.  They did but didn't heard back and then learned it was up for acution so they went to bid on it.  There were several others there to bid on it and when the bidding opened no one bid so Dean bid 100,000 Rand ( about $15,000) and no one bid against him so they won the auction.  A miracle  really.  There were some back taxes to be paid so they bought the whole property for 300,000 Rand... a fraction of the ridiculous offer!  The main building had been a disco and bar called club paradise (appropriate name for His followers)  There were indistructable tables and kitchen which is just what is needed to feed the kids on...a big dance floor...perfect for activiities for the kids and a whole wing that is redone now and ready to house street kids.

Kids listening to devotional

Another thing they do is get kids that all the schools have expelled and teach them to a point they can get back in school...Of course all this is done in Jesus' name  and many kids are coming to Him because of being shown the practical love of Christ..

thursday -  This morning we went to meet the third part of YFC's work which is called Connections.  There were about a dozen young men and women who work in the schools here connecting with kids on many different levels.  The government funds HIV education which gets them in the school and they have developed such a good reputation with the school and are allowed quite a bit of access in the schools to share on a spiritual level.  We really enjoyed hearing some of the hearts and stories of these young people and how God used YFC in their lives and how the Lord is now using them in YFC.
It has been interesting as I think of how we were hoping to be an encouragement and blessing to those we visit but to be honest...it has been such an encouragement and blessing to us to see how God is at work wherever we go.