The team has arrived in Atlanta, safe and sound, along with all the luggage! Thanks for your prayers and for following us on the Tracking Blog. We hope you enjoyed hearing from us as much as we enjoyed reading the comments. This trip has been so enjoyable and God has allowed everything to go so smoothly. We have enjoyed every minute but are glad to be home!
Keep praying for Pastor Brent and Karla as they arrive in Atlanta a little later tonight.
See you soon!
Stephen
Our team had a great weekend here Somerset West as our time here comes to an end. We started Friday morning by meeting with the Village of Hope staff and then each person taking a walk and having a time of prayer. It was an amazing time of walking in the mountains, observing the beauty and having a conversation with the One who created it all. Very refreshing to stop and rest after a week of hard work.
After saying our goodbyes to the VOH staff, we drove to Somerset West to meet with Pastor Brent and Karla and Pastor Frank. Together we drove to a township in Cape Town to eat at the local restaurant. It was a genuine glimpse of life in the township as we ate with the locals an enjoyed time with the team and our pastors.
Afternoon tea was next at Pastor Frank’s house as we debriefed and had encouraging conversations. We even blew some Vuvuzela’s as we laughed and joked. You can see that footage in the video below.
We finished our evening with a worship concert in Stellenbosch led by Surrender Band. Times of worship are so incredible here as you take in the fact that you are with people on the other side of the world, all worshipping the same God. It can be overwhelming at times!
Saturday was a free day where we bought gifts for supporters and spent time reflecting on the events of the week and just processing all that took place.
Finally, we finished strong at Every Nation Somerset West with our church family where I helped lead worship once again and Pastor Brent preached. I’m proud to call him my leader and pastor as he BROUGHT IT by encouraging the men in the church to “Man Up.” If you were at In Focus on Father’s Day you will remember what an awesome and timely message it was. After church, the team met up with some of the staff from VoH for lunch and relationship building. It was great to get to know the people who serve the people of South Africa day in and day out. They are amazing individuals who are worth celebrating and encouraging.
Our flight leaves Cape Town tonight at 11:55pm. As I think about all that took place this week, I am amazed at the mercy and grace of God. He orchestrated every minute and brought together every detail. He had a perfect plan and purpose for each individual on this trip and much was accomplished. I am so proud to be a part of a team that put others first and served wholeheartedly. There was nothing but joy and laughter as we were unified in a way like I’ve never seen. God was truly glorified in this trip. I’m also thankful for Pastor Brent and Karla, fulfilling the role they were suppose to take on this trip and being the ultimate cheerleaders for ENSW and of course our team, as well. They are champion encouragers and a breath of fresh air. So proud to serve with them on this trip.
Please pray for a safe trip home, no jet lag, and that all of our luggage would arrive. We love and miss you all.
See you soon!
Stephen
Hey Everyone!
Wanted to re-post the video update from Thursday – so sorry about the audio issues. Enjoy!
First of all, I can’t tell you how awesome this team has been over the past week. I know that you have seen some of the activity and ministry on video, but that only scratches the surface. In every interaction Karla and I have had with them they have been wonderful in every way from their attitudes to work ethic. Everyone that has spoken of them has been highly complimentary as well, while thanking our church for having the heart to send teams such as this year in and year out.
As for Karla and I, I feel the need to at least let you know what we have been up to since you may not see us in any of the videos (you can however see us in some of the flikr photo stream, we are in fact here 
). We knew coming into this trip that our mission would be a little bit specialized as we spent time with our friends Pastor Frank and Kate Christie.
We have been staying in the town of Somerset West in one of the apartments like the team used at the beginning of the week, and will be using tonight and Saturday night as well. It has been convenient as we have spent most of our afternoons with the Christie family in town, basically assimilating into their lives and family and just being friends to them.
The first two days we were here we were able to spend the morning and the early afternoon working at the Village of Hope with the team. In the evenings we had some timely and divinely appointed conversations with some of the leaders here at ENSW, as well as the Christies’. On Wednesday morning we were able to go to the School of Hope in Athlone where I was able to be a part of the Project Directors’ meeting for all of Thembalitsha (Village of Hope, School of Hope, Thembacare Grabouw, Graceland, Thembacare Athlone and Bosom Buddies). It was a great opportunity to hear all of the directors share their hearts as well as voice their needs for the different projects. It was more confirmation of the importance of what we are doing now and have been doing for the last five years, as well as the continuing relationship of In Focus to the Thembalitsha Foundation and all of its projects. While I was in the meeting for 3 hours, Karla was able to sit in on the classes at the School of Hope and was able to get a little more insight into the battles these teens face on a day to day basis.
We had lunch with the new volunteer coordinator for Village of Hope that day as well, Rob House. Again, we were able to better understand why our relationship with this project is so vital and what we must do to continue to help on our side.
Today we were able to meet up with the team again as we spent some time in a township in Cape Town at a local Butchery called Mzolis. It was a very unique experience, one that Stephen will surely highlight in an upcoming post when he gets a chance to do so. Afterward, we were all able to spend some time together at the Christie’s house and begin to share some of the things that we had all experienced over the course of the the last seven days.
I know God has had us here for some specific reasons, and though I cannot share all of them because of the personal nature of them, I thank God for the opportunity Karla and I have had here this week as well. We serve an awesome God and He has worked mightily through this team in so many different and unique ways. In Focus is highly thought of down here and it is a testimony to our ongoing mission to love God, love people and reach the world.
A “behind-the-scenes” look at the roofing job. Enjoy!
What a day we’ve had at Village of Hope! It started early in the morning when Tom, Amanda and I took the kids staying at VOH to school. It was quite the adventure as we went through the town on the bumpy roads, dropping them off at three different schools.
When we arrived back at VOH, most of the team went to ThembaCare while Kristin, Megan, Shane and I went to work on breaking up the rest of the chimney. We finished just in time as the rest of the team came back for lunch. After a quick lunch, we went to work on finishing the gravel driveway where the truck drives to drain the septic tank. We recycled the brick and concrete from the chimney and then poured gravel on top. We even made a game out of it, which you must check out in the video at the bottom of this post. Jay and Tom rounded out the team, finishing the roof over where the chimney once was. Overall, it was a very busy and productive day as we brought our projects at VOH to a close.
From laughing and working with each other to encouraging the workers and visiting the community, it has been a very fulfilling week here in Grabouw. We gather around the table for our last morning meeting with the VOH team. We are all very sad to be leaving as our time here has passed by so quick. I am very proud to be a part of this team and what we accomplished!
I’m not sure what tomorrow will bring but I’m pretty sure we are going into a township community. One thing you can count on is more video and pictures.
Once again, thank you so much for your comments! We love sitting around the table reading them aloud at night. They are very encouraging!
See you tomorrow,
Stephen
We started our day once again with prayer and meeting around the table to discuss the goals for today. Tom then took us on a brief tour of the property to show what we were going to try to accomplish. From there we split up into different jobs from roofing, constructing a driveway, clearing bush and moving rocks. It was very fulfilling but none of had any idea what was to come.
We left for a chapel service at ThembaCare around 3:30. We all settled in and prepared ourselves for a nice little service but something happened as soon as the ladies began singing – you could feel the atmosphere change and the presence of God filled that small room. The team was overcome with emotion as we sang songs and Shane spoke a word encouragement to the workers. We then each had an opportunity to uplift and speak life into these ladies lives. We were undone at the passion and love that exudes from each worker. It was truly amazing as we wiped our tears and sang a couple of final songs.
As we were leaving I knew this is why our team is here; to love and encourage people. Yes, work is needed and we are doing a lot but if we don’t share God’s love, we have accomplished nothing. The seeds of joy were planted and LIFE was spoken. These workers and volunteers do this work day in and day out. We are here for a week. Beyond just being typical American “go-getters,” we need to encourage, support and minister to them…that is the greater mission.
Love God, Love People, Reach the World.
Stephen
It’s Day 2 here at Village of Hope (VOH) and things are progressing. One praise report is that Megan woke up completely fine and hasn’t had any more problems! Thank you so much for your prayers.
Our day started with an 8:15 meeting around the kitchen table. The VOH staff and our team discussed what they were doing and what needed to be done for the day. Tom Digsby explained that our goal was to finish the chimney demo and patch the roof before rain comes tomorrow. While they went to work on that project, Amanda, Megan, Shane and I went to ThembaCare to walk with the nurses that go out into the community to care for those with HIV/AIDS and TB and make sure they are taking their medication. Each person allowed us inside their house to visit with them and sometimes pray for them. It is somewhat overwhelming to walk through the trash filled streets and into homes smaller than most bedrooms; sometimes with 3 or people living there. Those asking for prayer were truly grateful because that is some of the only hope they have. My prayer, beyond healing, was that they would find the true hope only found in Jesus Christ. Back at ThembaCare, the four of us prayed for the ladies that do this Monday-Friday. It truly was an eye-opening experience and made us appreciate the workers even more.
One quick note about pictures. Our Internet access at VOH is very limited. We are only able to post updates so pictures may be delayed. I am trying for it not to become a source of frustration because I would like to keep you as up to date as possible. Thank you for your patience with this. To check for new pics, locate the Flickr box on the right side of this blog.
Also, because of the almost extinct internet access, the team wanted you all to know that you may not hear from them until Friday. But we are reading the comments each night and they are so encouraging. Thank you! Keep them coming!
We love you all and appreciate the prayers and kind words. God is faithful!
Until next time,
Stephen
