Well that went quick : )

We're in Johannesburg waiting to board for Amsterdam. I can't believe how fast time passed or how much happened in such a short time. The building project is well under way, and we believe God has now given us a long term strategy for the school. It's funny thinking back to the doubt and confusion we had for the first 2 weeks we were here...trying to decide whether to move on from the school simply because someone else had supplied a classroom. We were in so much turmoil because we wanted to be sure that what we were doing was the right thing to do. One night as we were agonizing verbally to our friend, Rolf, he simply said "guys, those kids still have nothing. They still stand in the rain to eat". That was all it took to get us on the right path again. By this time next week, the kids will have some shelter to stand under. It is only Phase 1, but it's a good start. Thanks everybody who has supported this project......especially our wonderful church family at "The Village Chapel". It is well worthwhile. Unfortunately we only have pictures from the first day of work. Anton will email us photos of the finished project next week.
ps; No internet at the airport........will have to wait and send from Amsterdam : )

5 more days until we leave for home!

In some ways it seems we've been here forever, but in some like we just arrived. The system here is hard to understand and even harder to work within. This morning we spent almost an hour just trying to pay for materials for Anton! You really don't realize how easy life in America is, until you try to do ordinary everyday things in a country like South Africa. I think if there are certain demons or spirits that influence a region, Confusion has to be assigned here!
Once I get home and can clear my mind.....I'll explain : )
Now for the positive. These people are the sweetest I've ever met. They are full of joy in spite of circumstances and understand fellowship at a level I don't think most Americans "get". They are warm and generous, and I can honestly say I've seen hospitality
lived out, as it should be, through believers. I really hope I can carry a piece of that home with me. At Rolf and Lizzie's (where we've been staying), the house is never too full for one more to sleep on the couch or floor, the food is never too little to invite..... whoever just dropped by...... to stay and eat, and there's always enough time to minister or encourage someone who needs it or just sit and have a great conversation! It's wonderful! A glimpse of heaven (I hope). Wed. night there were 60 people over for dinner and what an amazing time! A group of Catholics from California who had been studying Apartheid had come to South Africa and somehow had ended up at Rolf's house. Some of his Youth For Christ staff were there and were able to tell first hand stories of living under that terrible system. This video starts with us driving through a township, watching Anton our builder get started and the Wednesday night gathering with all the kids from CA. It's way awesome here....you should come sometime!!!! Keep praying for us....We love you and miss all of you!!!

It's Time....

At last.....the project is underway!!!! After almost 3 weeks of deliberation, prayer, and looking at several other opportunities, we found ourselves right back at the little farm school, wanting to help those kids in some practical way. We spoke to the headmaster, and together with the the rest of the staff, we (and they) decided what they needed most right now, is a place to get in out of the rain while they eat. So on Thurs. morning, our builder, Anton, will start putting up a shelter right next to the little "kitchen". Hopefully, we will see it completed by the time we leave on the 18th and be able to post a picture for you to see.
Thanks for your prayers. This has been a very confusing time for us. We're sure the devil hates to see anything happen for these poor kids that might, in some small way, help them eventually break the cycle of poverty in their lives. This little shelter probably doesn't seem like much to any of us, but maybe just being able to stay dry while eating lunch might help a kid stay in school and become more than he would have otherwise. Who knows?
Pictures coming soon...

Worship in Africa

I got an opportunity to play with the worship band at Rolf's church Kaleidoscope. It was quite an African experience, a lot of fun and dancing.....check it out.

Update from Nance

Well, the roadblocks continue, but we can feel the prayers from home and confusion is lessening somewhat.
Our school shoe drive idea, was a good one, but unfortunately, our timing is terrible. We met with the principal of a large white school today, and found out that because of the xenophobia, everybody is collecting for the refugees. As we walked in, there were bags and bags of clothes, blankets, and shoes, already collected. He was very sorry, but didn't think he could possibly ask the parents to give again so soon.
In case you didn't read Mike's blog about xenophobia, it's the hatred for, or fear of, foreigners.
About 2 weeks ago (coincidentally, right as we arrived, the township people rose up against the foreigners and began killing and beating them, and destroying their homes. They were fleeing by the thousands, but here's the worst part......they have no where to go. Most of them are refugees, who have come here to escape some worse place! I went to one of the non-denominational churches that had taken in about 900 of them. It was amazing to see the volunteers and the wonderful organization all in the name of Jesus! I couldn't believe the amount of food that had been donated....it looked more like a grocery store than a church! The newspaper actually did an article on this church saying that the refugees that found themselves there were the luckiest of all because not only did they have an abundance of food, clothes, and blankets.......they also had 24 hour medical assistance. This is really important because many of the people are HIV positive and on top of that, TB and meningitis are breaking out!
So now.........what to do? Again, the needs are everywhere, but we are determined to do what we're called to do.
Our hearts are still fully toward our little school and tomorrow we will go out there and once again try to get a CLEAR vision for what God wants. Right now we think the most pressing needs are warm clothes and shoes for the kids and/or some sort of structure that will help keep them warm and dry. It's been raining now for a couple of days so tomorrow we'll get a better idea of what the kids deal with on a regular basis.
Thank you for your prayers and for bearing with us as we move from one idea to the next trying to find God's heart.

30 years

Nancy and I have been married for 30 years today. That's crazy! We still feel like we are 20 years old.... to bad the mirror doesn't agree with me....but it does agree with my wife!!!! She is still that young girl I met in Dallas.....Anyway, we are going to take a little time for ourselves today. Blessings on all of you.....
ps. Please read the last 2 posts for an update on what's happening here...

From Nancy D.

Hi everyone!
Sorry communication has been so sparse. I did send a prayer request a few days ago, but just saw that it didn't go out. Oh well. You realize when you're in a place like this, how convenient everything is in America.
Never in my life have I experienced the level of attack by way of confusion that I have here. We thought we had a clear vision when we arrived, but soon found out that things have changed considerably. We drove up to the school and found the place in much better shape than it was 6 months ago. We found out that all major companies here are required to invest in poor local communities. A cement company had put up a classroom in the last couple of weeks, and promised 2 more. This really is great news because we can move on to other needs, but I must confess, it threw us for a loop. They still will need a large multi-purpose room at some point, but that's a lot of money. Also, there are many other things that we could do for the school....fix their drainage problem or build an overhang so they can get out of the rain while they eat (standing next to the building because they don't have a lunch room). See what I mean? It goes on and on. Obviously, we desperately needed to hear from God. We had a prayer retreat over the weekend and came away convinced that the school is still where the Lord wants us to invest......but maybe more in the kids themselves first..... rather than the building. These kids are the poorest of the poor and have need of so many basic things. This is predicted to be a very cold winter for them and they have ragged clothes, worn out shoes with the toes cut out to make room for growing feet, and of course no heating of any kind. We've decided to do a shoe drive first. We're going to go to all the wealthy schools and ask them to collect old school shoes for us to take to Vissershok.
This will be something they really need that we can do for them with no money. Also please pray for:
1) Donations to come in easily. Everyone here wears uniforms to school, so there should be plenty of outgrown shoes we can have.
2) We're going to check on the possibility of someone giving us a good break on school uniforms. So many of the kids are really in rags, and to see them in new uniforms would be a dream come true.
3) Please pray for us. We really are under attack. Confusion, discouragement, doubt (are we hearing God?) cultural misunderstandings. And of course........safety. The constant topic of discussion and determining factor in just about every step you take here.
Thanks friends! We love and miss you but are trusting we are where we're supposed to be!!
Mike and Nancy

Choices....

We went out to the school (Thursday the) Rolf and the builder to make plans for breaking ground, and got quite a surprise!
As we told you, people had been coming to the school for years, making promises that were never fulfilled. Well, sometime in the last 3 weeks, someone came through! There, as we drove up, sat a brand new portable classroom! Praise God!
The whole school yard was busy with workers working on landscaping and there was a huge slab of finished concrete for the kids to play on. The school is still in need of more classroom space, but the company that built the new one has actually promised two more. This is great news, even though it threw us a bit of a curve ball. We quickly started looking at the many urgent needs at this school, and talking to the headmaster about which were the most pressing. One thing he said was a real problem for them, is that there is no drainage at the entrance of the school. Now that they are coming in to their rainy season, kids will be wading through puddles or walking across planks as they come in. This is a problem which can be fixed very easily. Also as we told you, they have no where to eat or get out of the rain. Anton (our builder) said an overhang or awning type roof could easily be built onto the side of the building next to the little portable building where they get their meals. Right now we are waiting to hear an estimate on what those 2 projects would costs, but we expect them to be considerably less than the building.
On the other hand there are some very basic things these kids need like clothes, shoes, and food. So we are looking into many options and trying to discern what God is saying in a country so full of needs that it makes your head spin.
One thing we're learning about Africa is that communication is very difficult at times. We are having to adapt to the culture here, and be versatile enough to change plans in midstream. It's not like what we are use to where you decide to do something and you go do it. There are to many variables that you must deal with on a daily basis.
Thanks for supporting us in this endeavor. The poverty here is unimaginable for most of us Americans and there are endless good works we could do. But we really want to do just what God gives us to do so that we don't get discouraged or over-whelmed. We will be in touch soon!

Waiting.....

Although the political situation is pretty crazy we are in no danger and in fact the response from the local churches have been amazing. People have come out from all over with food, clothing, child care, and medical assistance to help the refugees from Zimbabwe. Nancy and I are trying to see if we can help but the volunteers from all over the city is huge so we are just waiting to see. We are also waiting to meet with the builder and the school officials to talk over what is needed most which is starting to look like a type of building that can serve many different purposes. Please continue to pray for our ability to communicate our vision and that we will have favor with school and government officials. It's an exciting time here and we are having a wonderful time watching our God do His thing which is always amazing!!! Let us know what you think and if the Lord is speaking to you about anything concerning our trip here. We are listening! Love ya! ps. here are some of the kids we saw in Badplaas where the new house was built!

I'm writing this on our from Johannesburg to Cape Town.....

Isn't God's timing a funny thing? I don't know if the American news media has picked this up but we have run found ourselves caught up in a serious emergency. We arrived in South Africa just as the country is experiencing a human tragedy which they call xenophobia, which is defined as the intense irrational fear or dislike of people from other countries. There has been a huge influx of refugees from Zimbabwe into South Africa for the past several years and just a few days before we arrived there was an eruption of violence in both Johannesburg and Cape Town and oddly enough in the township of Du Noon where we are going to help the school. The poor in the townships or blaming the foreigners for all there problems and have decided to take matters into their own hands. Local Zimbabwe residents who have been here for several years are being beaten or killed and at the very least forced out of their homes, shoved into a bus and sent back to Zimbabwe where there is nothing waiting for them. It's incomprehendable. 30,000 people are now fleeing for their lives back to Zimbabwe where they have nothing. Over 50 people have died and thousands have been injured or displaced. Rolf's family church, His People, have 500 refugees now in their church. Lizzie, Rolf's wife called us right before our flight to Cape Town and said they had a 1 month old baby and couldn't find the mother or father. They need people to cook food so Nancy and I are going to see if we can help. We will also see if there is anything else in terms of blankets, clothes, shoes and other essentials for these helpless people. Please pray for them. We have no way of understanding this kind of suffering.
God seems to have a different agenda for us right now so we will keep in touch as we walk this situation out. I will have some pics and videos uploaded in a day or two.
ps. We are hoping to meet the builder and some local government officials about the school this week and will start working out a proposal for the building project.

We arrived Thursday night feeling pretty tired but very excited about what we were going to see God do over the next 4 weeks. Rolf picked us up and the next morning we left to go see the Emoyeni missions team finish a house they were building in a township in the city of Badplaas which is about 3 hours from Johannesburg. It was an amazing trip and it's an amazing ministry. The little girl's name is Gugu and lost her parents to aids and now is living with Elizabeth, a single mom with one younger child. Elizabeth was overwhelmed by the new 2 bedroom cinderblock home complete with running water which is not the norm for this community. The awesome thing is how much this community, which has been ravaged by AIDS, has turned around just by the investment of time and a few small houses by the Emoyeni missions team. They also bring medical/dental teams which really minister to the locals. They have seen the love of Jesus and many people are turning their lives over to Him.

Dreaming of South Africa

Nancy and I are starting this blog about our trip this Spring/Summer to Capetown South Africa. We want to give you an idea about what we are doing, how we got to this point, and where we are going. We would also love to hear from you! We are leaving on the 21st of May and will be there until the 19th of June. Wow...it's really getting exciting!!!
Once we get to the Cape, we will start updating this blog with the journey we are having complete with pics and videos.

Holding, Holding....

Just waiting right now for some info from Rolf in South Africa. It looks like because of where the existing school is built, they're going to have to bring in a dozer to break up the ground to start the foundation. That means the cost will go up but the great news is this will be an annex, not just a separate building. We will have to raise a little more money but the builder, Anton, will spread the work and payments out over the next six months and then we will finish it up with our team trip (if the Lord wills) in December!!! Please continue to pray for guidance and provision. We are stepping out into unknown territory but are totally confident in the Lord and what He is doing!

A Little History

If you haven't heard, we are going to Capetown South Africa to work with our dear friend Rolf Weichardt who has recently been named Director of South Africa Youth For Christ. He oversees many projects in Capetown which minister to the really desperate that come out of the townships. The poverty is really indescribable and yet, it's amazing to find out how much joy these people have in spite of there circumstances. Rolf brings in many volunteers from around the globe to help with orphans and aids mothers and there babies. He also organizes feeding programs, and one of those led us to a school in the Vissershok area.

Over 400 children are bused in from the township or really what's called an "informal settlement" of Du Noon to this school. What we saw there made something rise up in our hearts to find a way to help some of these kids out of the merry-go-round of poverty they were trapped in. We were told the feeding program is probable the only real meal they get during the day. We could tell many were malnourished and very small for their age. It was strange but I remembered the movie Pay It Forward and thought if we can change the lives of a few of these children, they will have the ability to make a difference in whatever they choose to do with their lives.

Short term is to build a large all-purpose building that will be able to handle 2 classrooms and other needs. We have found a builder (thank you Jesus) and will be starting to work this week in getting the plans and process going. Were are believing that after we leave the foundation and walls will be up and that asap the kids will be able to use it even if it's not fully completed. By the end of the year we will take a small team of workers to put the final touches on the building and to just love up those kids! Long term is for funding scholarships for the kids and salaries for the teachers. Also in development are sports and music programs. (I will also be looking onto bringing in some musician friends for some music and worship seminars further down the road.) Lots of plans and dreams right? Why not....our God is an awesome God!

Our intention is to report back here as much as we are able to for updates with pics and video as much as were are technically able. As for now we are watching God bring in the money and the resource to meet this need!

If you would like to help financially make your check out to:
The Bridge/ a Joseph Company

send it to:

Mike and Nancy Demus, 207 Gayland Court, Nashville TN. 37210