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
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Sunday, March 9, 2008
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
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
Sunday, February 10, 2008
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
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
Saturday, January 19, 2008
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
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
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Cape Town Christmas
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
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
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
Friday, November 16, 2007
Northern Uganda
Hello Everybody,
I'm hanging out right now in Kampala, Uganda before heading south to a town called Masaka. We arrived in Kampala on the 4th of Nov and stayed for a couple of nights before heading up to a place called Bweyale in the Northern part of Uganda. Our friend Ali from USD is studying in Uganda and was spending some time there at a school called Hope North. Bweyale is a tiny bus stop town where Chris and I were definitely the only white people for miles.
It was in Bweyale that I was deeply saddened and troubled to find out that two of the main musical artists in Uganda are Celine Dion and Michael Bolton. How Michael Bolton ever made it to Uganda still blows my mind. But anyways, we spent time in Bweyale traveling out to the school to see Ali and spend time with the kids at this secondary and vocational school. Most of the kids here came from IDP (Internally Displaced Peoples) Camps throughout the North.
We spent time with them and also helped out with an HIV/AIDS testing clinic for all the people in the surrounding villages. It was pretty intense to be there and to see all that goes into these people being tested and discovering whether or not they have the virus.
From here we moved further north for a few days to Gulu. We were able to make some connections here and spend a short while at the Invisible Children organizaiton's office and see more of what they are doing in Northern Uganda. We were impressed at what a well run organization they are. But our last day in Gulu was the most impactful. We went out with the UN's World Food Program to distribute food in an IDP camp called Anaka. Basically this is a tiny refugee camp for 14-18,000 people who were forced out of their homes by civil war. Being there and seeing the masses of people seeking their month's rations of food was hard and hopeful at the same time. Seeing that they are being provided for even in small ways was somehow reasurring.
So we are still seeing, experiencing, learning much. Thank you all for this opportunity because I would not be able to be here without all of your support, encouragement, prayers, etc. Please pray that God would continue to teach us what He cares about and what is worth working for in this world. Thanks and I miss you all....keep sending your updates my way too!
I'm hanging out right now in Kampala, Uganda before heading south to a town called Masaka. We arrived in Kampala on the 4th of Nov and stayed for a couple of nights before heading up to a place called Bweyale in the Northern part of Uganda. Our friend Ali from USD is studying in Uganda and was spending some time there at a school called Hope North. Bweyale is a tiny bus stop town where Chris and I were definitely the only white people for miles.
It was in Bweyale that I was deeply saddened and troubled to find out that two of the main musical artists in Uganda are Celine Dion and Michael Bolton. How Michael Bolton ever made it to Uganda still blows my mind. But anyways, we spent time in Bweyale traveling out to the school to see Ali and spend time with the kids at this secondary and vocational school. Most of the kids here came from IDP (Internally Displaced Peoples) Camps throughout the North.
We spent time with them and also helped out with an HIV/AIDS testing clinic for all the people in the surrounding villages. It was pretty intense to be there and to see all that goes into these people being tested and discovering whether or not they have the virus.
From here we moved further north for a few days to Gulu. We were able to make some connections here and spend a short while at the Invisible Children organizaiton's office and see more of what they are doing in Northern Uganda. We were impressed at what a well run organization they are. But our last day in Gulu was the most impactful. We went out with the UN's World Food Program to distribute food in an IDP camp called Anaka. Basically this is a tiny refugee camp for 14-18,000 people who were forced out of their homes by civil war. Being there and seeing the masses of people seeking their month's rations of food was hard and hopeful at the same time. Seeing that they are being provided for even in small ways was somehow reasurring.
So we are still seeing, experiencing, learning much. Thank you all for this opportunity because I would not be able to be here without all of your support, encouragement, prayers, etc. Please pray that God would continue to teach us what He cares about and what is worth working for in this world. Thanks and I miss you all....keep sending your updates my way too!
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