August/September

Molweni,

I hope you are all well and I keep you all in my prayers while I'm here. Please keep your emails coming my way, as I love hearing what's happening in your lives. There has been a lot going on out here in the last month. As I last updated we are still running with our loan project and monitoring the progress.

There are some who are doing very well and with others we are facing the challenges of working with women who do not have much financial or business experience. But it is an exciting challenge to figure out how to adjust constantly and respond to their needs as we move forward. We are already planning for 2010 and have made our proposal in which we have a vision to see 50 businesses started and those who receive loans to get consistent workshops and training in terms of business, life skills, and Christian spirituality. We are excited about what's ahead for that project.

This week we are gearing up to take our Khayelitsha youth group to the Eastern Cape for a week long outreach trip. The Eastern Cape is the rural area of the Xhosa people where many of the people living in Khayelitsha or their ancestors come from originally. So maybe I'll get some more chances to practice the isiXhosa language that I've been trying to learn (dont be surprised if you hear me using the languages' click sounds when I get back to the States ;). We are excited for the trip and are taking 30 people. We will be partnering with a local Church and Bible College in the small town of Willowvale.

There will be a day camp for young kids that we will be putting on, some drama and dance performances that the youth will be doing for the community, and some getting to know the local people through home visitations. Please pray that in the next week we receive the rest of the funding that we are trying to raise before we leave, for leaders from our Khayelitsha group to be raised up, and for the local community to be touched by the love of Christ. Thanks
Ryan