happy moves into new homes and challenges with old homes for our sports mentors

the brothers home

we live in a world that doesn't seem fair and as you know life throws all sorts of challenges at us, however the bible says that we should praise God in the good times and the bad and it also calls us stand with those who mourn and celebrate with those who are happy. late on friday afternoon and during the weekend we had the opportunities to fulfil both of those God given mandates.

mentors old home

the first situation we were faced with came up during our weekly sports meeting, which due to the shocking weather we had to do at each of our peer educators (sports mentors) homes.

two of our mentors are brothers and when we arrived at their home the wind was howling and the rain had turned to hail in the cold cape storm. inside their small bedroom (please don't have any western idea of what this might look like) the rain was pouring through the plastic sheet which made up their simple roof.....

mentors new home

...it's hard to know what one can do during times like these and the fact that the boys told me that their mother hadn't returned from a local farm with her wages meant that there was no food in the tin box and they didn't have any means of fuel to heat their small stove which also acts as a source of heat.

myself and josh returned with an old sail sheet which we placed over the holes but by saturday morning this had blown off and so we started again!

-we were mourning with those who mourn!

the second situation was as follows...from the dire straights of one family to the joy of another of our sports mentors who informed us that he and his family had been granted a new government built home, after ten years of waiting their dreams had come true..he asked if i was able to come and help them on sunday move from their tiny tin home (just up from where the brothers stay, and were sheltering against the storm) to their new home....i gladly said yes and rejoiced with him as his eyes grew with excitement of taking the blessing that he had been praying for for all those years.

- we were rejoicing with those who rejoice!

two very different stories from two very similar situations, and that i suppose is what life is like, this afternoon i will go visit the brothers with a further piece of black plastic sheeting and see what difference we can make to the roof over their bedroom and we will also be picking up the other mentor from his new home and take him to his sports club where he will share this weeks bible story with the children who will join him at that club....

..is it a coincidence that this weeks story that all our mentors at their various clubs will be sharing is all about acceptance and the fact that God loves everyone, black or white, rich or poor, those who feel blessed and those who really really wanna cry?.....