Hey Friends,
First of all, I need to wish you all a Merry (late) Christmas. I hope you had a great holiday and enjoyed some time off. I enjoyed my Christmas out here with friends and good food...although it's hard to get into the Christmas mood when it's summer time in a new country. I definitely missed being with my family in Colorado and the snow that they got there.
My time in South Africa has been great so far. I feel a calm here, like this is really where I am called to be right now...and at times I feel completely overwhelmed with thinking that I'm living here for a year. Chris and I are temporarily staying at the YWCA - yes, that's right, the Young Women's Christian Association. Kind of funny, but the owner is a friend of a friend and they had some extra rooms in the back....so we'll take whatever lodging we can get for now. I'm still settling in and trying to get used to the surroundings as well as looking for a car that I need to help me get around to different ministry sites.
Our time leading up to Christmas was busy. We have been working a lot with the directors and other staff to prepare for our big event of the year....a camp for teenagers from Jan. 7-11. I volunteered at this camp last year and am very excited to be back. The camp brings these teens of different races from divided neighborhoods together for the week. It is a week for the kids to get away from home, have fun, play games, build diverse friendships, learn life skills (HIV education, communication skills, teamwork, etc.), and learn that they have great value and purpose in life because there is a God who loves them and cares for them. So my work with the youth directly has not come too often yet, but will begin heavily at camp and beyond. I'm excited also because my friends Taylor, Jenny, and Julie will be coming from the States to help out at camp.
I know it was awhile ago now, but I compiled picture albums from Kenya and Uganda, as well as a few from Cape Town. I posted the link next to the link for this blog site. I hope it gives you all a better picture to some of the words I have shared, but I have to say it's not the whole picture. There were many, many times when we would be in neighborhoods, homes, places where I would want to take pictures, but it just wasn't appropriate and I didn't want anyone to feel as if I was making a spectacle of their lives...so, many of the pictures may be of nature or of the 2 day safari we had a chance to take. Just know that it can't show everything, but I hope that it helps some.
Please pray for 1) More permanent housing arrangements to be secured as well as to find a reliable and cheap car 2) Everyone who comes to camp to be touched and find their worth in Christ's love
Thanks and I hope you all have an amazing new year. Peace
Ryan
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Lukaya, Uganda
Hey Friends and Family,
The last two weeks have flown by. So here's what went down. Chris and I made our way to a town called Lukaya to stay with a Christian organization called HDCC. They work mostly with street children in this area, most who've been orphaned by parents with AIDS. We had a hard time adjusting at first, getting discontent with traveling and living out of a backpack for so long. Missing Thanksgiving and eating eggs for dinner that night was not easy either.
But we adjusted and realized how grateful we were for our trip and that we have everything we need. As we traveled around we began to see the work of this organization by visiting some of the kids on the street and seeing how many are taken into various schools and families in the communities. We were also able to see their secondary and vocational schools as well as teach some computer training ourselves.
The ministry connected to the organization was actually hard to connect with. Even though I am a Christian, I had a hard time dealing with some of the perspectives and teaching of what I would call a fundamentalist Pentecostal church. I had several conversations where I would speak with someone who did not want to hear what I had to say as the planned their next "Well the Bible says...." statement. Funny enough though they asked Chris or I to give a sermon at their Sunday service....so I did. I was able to speak about John 15 in the Bible and how Christian's lives are supposed to bear fruit (kindness, love, humility, etc) through receiving from the unconditional love of Jesus. I ended up having a great time speaking and they received the message well.
By the end of our time, I was really encouraged. As I got to know some of the people more there I saw that even though I may disagree with their ideas and theology some, they were still people bearing fruit in their lives. And the organization was still doing great things in bringing kids off the street. So now I just arrived back in Cape Town, South Africa last night ready to start my year of work here. I'm thankful for our two months in East Africa and learned much, but am ready to be here.
Please pray for 1) Provision of housing and the right place to stay as I search for that. 2) To adjust quickly and jump fully into my work here.
Thanks for everything, I miss you all. Peace
Ryan
The last two weeks have flown by. So here's what went down. Chris and I made our way to a town called Lukaya to stay with a Christian organization called HDCC. They work mostly with street children in this area, most who've been orphaned by parents with AIDS. We had a hard time adjusting at first, getting discontent with traveling and living out of a backpack for so long. Missing Thanksgiving and eating eggs for dinner that night was not easy either.
But we adjusted and realized how grateful we were for our trip and that we have everything we need. As we traveled around we began to see the work of this organization by visiting some of the kids on the street and seeing how many are taken into various schools and families in the communities. We were also able to see their secondary and vocational schools as well as teach some computer training ourselves.
The ministry connected to the organization was actually hard to connect with. Even though I am a Christian, I had a hard time dealing with some of the perspectives and teaching of what I would call a fundamentalist Pentecostal church. I had several conversations where I would speak with someone who did not want to hear what I had to say as the planned their next "Well the Bible says...." statement. Funny enough though they asked Chris or I to give a sermon at their Sunday service....so I did. I was able to speak about John 15 in the Bible and how Christian's lives are supposed to bear fruit (kindness, love, humility, etc) through receiving from the unconditional love of Jesus. I ended up having a great time speaking and they received the message well.
By the end of our time, I was really encouraged. As I got to know some of the people more there I saw that even though I may disagree with their ideas and theology some, they were still people bearing fruit in their lives. And the organization was still doing great things in bringing kids off the street. So now I just arrived back in Cape Town, South Africa last night ready to start my year of work here. I'm thankful for our two months in East Africa and learned much, but am ready to be here.
Please pray for 1) Provision of housing and the right place to stay as I search for that. 2) To adjust quickly and jump fully into my work here.
Thanks for everything, I miss you all. Peace
Ryan
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