Finally

Hello Everybody,

I am sorry that it has taken me so long to get back to you with this update. I have been holding off on writing because I wanted to be certain of my plans for next year. But, in all my thinking, writing, discerning, and praying I have come to a decision for 2009. While I still feel that I will do grad school, it will likely just be pushed back a year into 2010. And I have felt God calling me back to continue the work in Cape Town with Africa Jam into 2010.

From when I wrote my last update and was uncertain, I was feeling very overwhelmed and anxious about what was ahead. Now that I have spent the time to seek what God wants, and have made my decision, I have felt very at peace, revived, and excited about next year. I will still be back to the US on the 10th of December, but could be back in Cape Town as early as December 31st for our big camp of the year.

I am stoked to see what 2009 has in store, as I will be continuing with some of the work that was started this year. My main responsibilities will be continuing with leadership development, mentoring the youth, Bible studies, teaching guitar, and organizing our tutoring program. I'm very excited about our Microloan Project (business generating) that I will be in charge of restructuring, implementing and overseeing. We see it as a great way of battling poverty in the lives of the youth and their families. I'm excited about moving forward with Africa Jam and seeing youth impacted spiritually, socially, emotionally, and physically.

This decision is made completely in faith. I am trusting that this is where God wants me, so He will provide for me. While Africa Jam will be covering a few of my costs, most of my living expenses will have to come from elsewhere. Many of you have supported me faithfully financially, in prayer, in encouragement and I'm truly grateful for that and the deepening of our relationships through that. I ask that you would consider that into 2010. If you would like to partner financially with me, please send tax deductible donations to:

Arvada Covenant Church
5555 Ward Road
Arvada, CO 80002

*And make sure the memo says "Ryan DeCook - Africa Jam" on it *

Thank you for all your support and prayers. Please pray for the detail of my return to be worked out and for Africa Jam plan well for 2009 to really be able to impact the youth here. I continue to pray for you all and hope that I will get to see many of you during my visit home to the US. Please let me know if you will be around or available to spend time together in December. Peace

Ryan

Another New Home

Hello All,

It has been quite awhile since my last update, but I wanted to get you caught up on what's happening. First, for my housing I have moved into yet another new place. My friend Jacques has an apartment in an area called Sea Point that he has welcomed me into stay...for free!! So God has provided for me once again and I'm just grateful to be here. It's a very nice place and quite a contrast from where I was staying in Khayelitsha, but I'm trying to learn to be content in all situations.

I have still been able to spend a lot of time in Khayelitsha and with the youth however. We also just got back from having our youth lead a camp in the Eastern Cape (another province about a 15 hour drive away). It was a 3 day camp full of fun, music, dance, fun, new friends, and sharing Christ's love. Some of our young leaders from Khayelitsha really stepped up and had a profound impact on some of the youth from this rural area called Willowvale. We just returned to Cape Town a couple of days ago and are resting and recovering right now (especially after our lengthened journey back due to a couple car breakdowns).

The middle of September was an exciting time too as my parents came to visit from the States. It was so great to spend time with them and show them around Cape Town. My favorite part was having my family from home meet some of my new family out here and watching them interact. Both my mom and dad were great sports and fit in well with the locals.

Well there are only about two months left until I am scheduled to come home to Colorado for the holidays. Right now Im planning to come back home for the holidays to be with my family and friends, but am uncertain beyond that. I am open to what God wants from me, so I can really use your prayers for direction. Our director from Africa Jam has recently accepted another position in South Korea, so some possibilities of me coming back to Cape Town have opened up, but I have also been considering grad school in the U.S. So please pray for me to hear God clearly in what's after December. Thanks for all your support, I am so grateful for all of you. Peace
Ryan

PS - Ive posted some pics on this site in the album "Cape Town 2nd Half". http://picasaweb.google.com/decookr

Praise Report

Hello Friends and Family,

I hope you are all well, I wanted to send you all an exciting update after my last one. In moving to Khayelitsha, I knew that there would be possible dangers, but I knew that if anything "bad" did happen to me that it would be for good, to mature me, and for God's glory. So I still trusted that and prayed (with you all) for that in this situation with my car....And here's what has happened.

Last week the police recovered my car in a high speed chase. There are some things that need fixing, but it is in one piece after a couple weeks of being missing (which they say is very rare). AND I now have very tinted windows...free of charge..haha. So I am in the process of receiving my car back in working condition, saving me from losing over half the value of the car with insurance. And they arrested the man who was caught with my car.

Now in the good news of my car being found, I felt the challenge of what to do in the legal situation. The police detective wanted me to press charges and for Loyiso (roommate) and I to testify against the man caught in the chase. However, having already forgiven the men who stole the car, I felt torn about what to do; called to something more you might say. After much thought and prayer, I felt that God wanted me to drop charges and to speak to the guy who was caught with my car. So yesterday I went to the Khayelitsha Police Station to speak to the man who stole my car.

I explained to this guy that I had forgiven him and I was able to forgive him because God has forgiven me of all the wrongs I have done. I told him that God loved him and could forgive him of anything, because He sent Jesus to die on the cross for all of our wrongdoings and by putting our faith in Him, we can be set free, forgiven, and receive new life. I went on to say that the very reason I was dropping the charges was so that in some small way, he could see a picture of that type of grace and forgiveness. As we ended our time, I prayed together with this guy as he put his faith in Jesus, and received God's forgiveness and presence into his life. Needless to say I was blown away at the outcome of this situation...never could have I imagined this, but God is amazing like that and was glorified in the end.

Please pray for this man that God will truly change his heart and his actions. He still is facing about four other charges and has done a lot of things, so pray grace to really change his. Also, please pray for me for continued direction for the future. God has been faithful in providing some housing options for me, and allowing me to still work in the communities, but I still have decisions coming up. Thank you all for your support and prayers. I love you all and thank God for you. Peace
Ryan

Update

Hello Everyone,

I'm sorry that it has been awhile since my last update. It has been an eventful month to say the least. Since I last emailed, a lot has been going on, specifically in Khayelitsha. First of all we had a day with the youth to fast and pray for the land we are seeking to build a youth center on. The day was also a community service day of our youth group going around to several houses that were in need of help in Khayelitsha. It was great to see the youth helping others in need in their neighborhoods. And that night, at our prayer meeting, there were 10 teens who committed their lives to Christ. Exciting day.

Also, the drama group has been using their musical and theatrical skills to minister to and encourage others around different parts of the city. Just recently, they came to my church which is a predominantly white community in the suburbs. It was also to help kick off a tutoring program with the people from the church (many of whom are university students) for the youth from Khayelitsha (an educationally under served area). To see two communities of different race and backgrounds coming together was exciting.

Now finally, I thought I would let you all know about an event that happened to me personally this past week. I was coming back from the grocery store with my roommate Loyiso and we were held up at gunpoint by two men in front of our house. Thankfully no harm happened to us, but our phones were stolen as well as my car. It happened very quickly and we were shocked, but we have been in prayer about it and forgiving the guys who did it. I have felt the unexplainable peace of God in my heart in a time that should seem to be more chaotic. But the situation has forced me to move out Khayelitsha (as requested by the board of Africa Jam). Things for my immediate future are up in the air right now, as far as housing, location, my car, etc. So....

Please pray for direction in this time and wisdom. Also please pray for comfort and peace for my family in this time of being so far away. And finally please pray that the police are able to recover my car, as the insurance I have only covers less than half of the value of the car. Thank you for all you support and prayers as I continue to pray for you all. Peace
Ryan

Back in CT

Hello Everyone,

Sorry that is has been sooo long since I have posted on my blog site. As most of you know I was home in Colorado for my sister's wedding (which was a great time). And I have been back for about 3 weeks in Cape Town but have been very busy.

The transitions of going home and coming back have been very smooth...not too much culture shock, and a lot of peace as I have felt God walking closely with me in both places. Since I have come back we have has a few exciting things going on here. First we had a visiting American group from a high school in Minnesota, who was accompanied by our American Director Ellen. We showed them around our projects, they participated/helped out, and they were a lot of fun to work with.

Also, we had my roommate/coworker Loyiso lead 5 of our youth to stay in the northern city of Durban to perform drama at a Red Cross Conference. As that has been happening, we have been continuing our after school programs and have been able to bring positive messages at a couple of schools. This past Friday was probably our most exciting event, as we had a kickoff celebration and indoor soccer tournament in the community of Lotus River. We had youth from both Khayelitsha and Lotus River playing soccer and we were kicking off a project of photography for some of our youth and microloans (to start small businesses) for our other youth.

All in all it has been great to be back so far. And I am looking forward to this week as we will be purchasing 8 guitars for our Khayelitsha group so I can start guitar classes with them, as well as two of my best friends Alex and Maria are coming to visit. I am always thankful for all of my supporters and especially people willing to travel this far to come visit me. I want to thank you all again for making this time out here possible for me. Please pray for 1) Continued relationships to deepen with the youth 2) God to really affect the youth and live lives that will affect their communities. Thank you and I hope you are all well. Peace
Ryan

Ups and Downs

Hey Friends and Family,

It has been great to hear from many of you and get updates on what's going on in your lives....keep them coming. I hope that you are all well. Since I last emailed, Africa Jam has pretty much just kept going with its daily work of after school programs. In Khayelitsha the group put on a performance in the community this past Thursday where they showed off some of their dancing, singing, and acting skills, while sharing Christ's love with those in attendance. Also, about a week and a half ago we performed a skit at an assembly in the community of Lotus River about what it means to be a real man/woman.

As for my life and living in the township, it has been very up and down. In my last update, I mentioned many of the positives of living here, but there is definitely another side too. Like I have seen so much in Africa (and everywhere) there are the positive things we hear less about and the negative that we hear far too much about. But, I have felt the weight of living in an oppressed community. It is a place where resources are lacking, opportunities are minimal, crime is present, and life can be very difficult. As I start to know the kids lives more, I'm starting to see some of the things they face. On top of these things I have started to be effected by unfamiliarity, loneliness at times, and my own lack of understanding. Day to day can be tough......BUT

The positive things still exist, the good is still here, and I can see God working here. There are times when I love being here, growing closer with the teens we work with, sharing guitar lessons with them, new friendships, God comforting me, being swarmed by the school of small children that live on the street. I can see the effects of these struggles on the lives of these youth and how for many of them it is strengthening their perseverance and character. They are overcoming their situation and becoming better people for it. So as I said, things here have been very up and down. Within in the same day I can think to myself, "I know this is where I should be" and "What the hell am I doing here?"

Please pray for me to better connect to and understand the community, as well as what I am and am not able to do. Please pray also for the continued change of the youth (and myself) to live in a new and Godly way. Thanks...also I have posted some new pictures (see link below). Some are in the "Cape Town" folder and there is new folder I put up called "CT Photo Project" which is a collection of black and white photos from around Cape Town in the first half of my time here.
http://picasaweb.google.com/decookr

Oh and one more thing, I will be home (like home, home...as in the USA) in about 10 days. I will be coming for my sister Christina's wedding and some time with family. I will be in CO from May 14-June 4. So if any of you are around I would love to see you and catch up, or at least on the phone. I will have my same old phone number that I always had in the States. Alright, love you all, and am looking forward to coming home to see many of you. Peace
Ryan

New Home

Hello Everyone,

I just wanted to write and update you all on what's been going on out here. Things have been going well since I last wrote. Africa Jam has continued its work and I have been able to move into being with the teens we work with on a more consistent basis. Part of the reason for that is I, after a delay, finally moved into the township of Khayelitsha.

Already I can see the differences of the culture and the ways of life here. Being an independent person from individualistic America, it will take some adjustment to be around groups of people all the time. It seems that here plans aren't made to hang out, rather just come by and knock as you are walking in the house. Despite the cultural challenges, I feel like this is where God wants me right now. I can already see a deepening of the relationships with the youth we work with and with the kids in the neighborhood.

This past week we also had our teen group in the area lead a children's day camp. We trained the teens to lead the 3 day event for the kids. It was full of music, dance, games, Bible stories, fun, food, for over 180 kids from the area. The kids seemed to have a good time, and it was great to see the teenagers stepping up into positions of leadership in their community.

So please keep praying for the deepening of relationships in the group and in the community. Pray for the children who came to be touched by God through our love for them. And please pray for me to continue to live in my purpose of being in this new home. Thanks. Miss you all and am praying for you. Peace
Ryan

Housing

Hey Everyone,

I trust that you are well back home. Please keep your updates coming, I love hearing from you all. Thank you for all your continued prayers and support. I have seen in a tangible way how God answers prayers since I last emailed.

I was all set to move into the township of Khayelitsha on the 16th of Feb when I had to move out of my last place. I found out a couple days before I had to leave that my room in Khaye wasn't ready yet. It just so happened that two of my best friends from San Diego, Lisa Marie and Jess, came a bit early that day for their visit to Cape Town. They had met some South Africans, while visiting Mozambique, who lived in a house together in Cape Town. So they were staying with their new friends when they arrived here. And because I had to move out with no place to go, I stayed with them also. I thought it would just be for the week and a half that my friends were here, but as my room in Khayelitsha is still not ready, the people at this house offered me a room for rent for one month. So I took it.

I will still move into Khayelitsha at the beginning of April, but this unplanned diversion has been a total answer to prayer. Not only did God provide a roof and a place to lay my head, but has connected me to an awesome community of people at this house, who I will continue to be friends with even after I move. And not only that, some of the people I am staying with have mentioned getting involved with Africa Jam. This is exciting to me because we have been praying and hoping for more white South Africans to get involved since most of the volunteers we have are from the black and colored communities here or from overseas. Already one of the girls at the house came with me to our Khayelitsha after school program...it was the first time in her life she had been to that community. So we'll see what continues to happen with that.

As for everything else, things are going well. We are continuing our projects. We are starting one of our after school programs tomorrow in the colored community of Lotus River where our director is from. Also, I am excited to possibly be joining a local basketball team from Lotus that plays other communities in Cape Town and the Western Province.

So please keep your prayers coming as they are effective. Please continue to pray for 1) Deeper connection to community and the teens we are working with 2) Africa Jam's continued efforts 3) Me to connect to God more as I push into what He has for me here. Thanks, I love and miss you all.
Ryan

Planning for 08

Hello Again from Cape Town,

I just wanted to update you all with what’s been going on out here since I last wrote. Things have definitely started to get a lot busier for me out here, as our work is getting set up for the year. The last few weeks have been filled with meetings and tons of planning. We have been trying to establish a solid foundation that we can work from for the rest of the year.

So what have we been setting up? Good question. We have been setting dates for all of the camps we will do for the rest of the year, visiting and contacting schools that we’ll be working in, establishing our after school programs, as well as make connections for a youth center we’re building, and an office we’re moving into. I have also been receiving training from the Red Cross in HIV and TB education as well as Peer Education for when we will go into the schools.

It’s been pretty hectic and a lot of administrative work. But I actually enjoy the planning and administrative side of things. I think it’s also a testimony to what Africa Jam does in that I don’t feel that we’ll be failing if I’m not with the youth everyday, because there are leaders from within those communities continuing much of the work already. My role of being with the youth will be coming more heavily as we start running with our programs. We are excited to start our programs of educating the kids on life saving issues, having fun with them, showing them Christ’s love, and keeping them off the streets.

I will be spending time with the teens at after school programs and in the schools when we do our HIV/TB/Life Skills training. I will also be more heavily involved with our program in Khayelitsha, which is one of the black townships (neighborhoods) here. The reason I will be more involved is because I will be moving there next week. I will be living with my friend Loyiso there for at least 3 months. I feel that this is where I should be living for now and I am excited but nervous as well.

So please pray for a healthy connection with the community there as well as for our programs to get off the ground well and really serve the youth well. Thanks and continue to send me your updates and prayer requests. Peace - Ryan

2008 Africa Jam Camp

Hello Hello,

I apologize that it's been awhile since I've written. We have been busy out here, mainly with running the 6 day camp we put on for teenagers from all over Cape Town. I have also been introducing the city to some of my American friends in our spare time. It's been fun and hectic, but now things are starting to slow a bit as camp is over and I'm saying more goodbyes to my visitors. It was definitely hard to say goodbye to Chris who left this week. We have basically spent every waking moment together since the end of September.

I want to describe camp though, especially since so many of you have been praying for that and interested in how it went. We spend Jan 6-11 at Rocklands, a beautiful campsite overlooking False Bay. It was great for the kids to come there and enjoy the area, for many of them don't get to enjoy the beautiful parts of their own city.

Camp was powerful and tons of fun. The theme of camp this year was "Step Up." Everything, including the nightly message of the pastor, was about encouraging and empowering the teens. The focus was to step up spiritually, in their relationship with God, but also as leaders in their communities. Many of the kids at camp come from harsh environments. Almost all of them face some form or poverty, abuse, exposure to gangs, or drugs, or HIV/AIDS. Camp helped to provide these kids hope, a reason to dream, and challenged them to choose a different way than they see around them.

The kids were also offered life skills training seminars. We addressed relevant issues that face the kids such as TB and depression/suicide as well as offering them ideas on how to communicate better, how to do microfinance, and make good decisions with money. On top of all this, walls were broken down between these typically divided communities and the kids were allowed to be kids and have fun. We provided plenty of interaction, games, creative arts, pool time, and a ropes course to tire them out. I enjoyed teaching the kids how to sling the ball at each other in some intense dodgeball games.

Well, that's camp in a nutshell. Thank you for your prayers and support, it wouldn't have been possible without all of you. So please pray for me as I step into my day to day role with Africa Jam now that camp is done. And thanks for all of you who are sending updates from home...I love staying in touch and knowing what's going on....keep them coming. Peace
Ryan