We are now back home and this is our last chapter of our time in South Africa working with Bridges of Hope. Previously we were updating this blog weekly, but now toward the end, we let it go for a month so you will see a lot has happened during this period of time. If you don’t go any farther, Lydia and I want to extend our warmest THANK YOU for your prayers that made it possible for us to get a lot done. We also want to thank the Lord for allowing us to serve him in this way (Ephesians 2:10). He sustained us, enabled & gifted us to do this work, protected us from any injuries and provided for our needs, PTL! We also want to thank Rolling Hills Covenant Church for sending us and for their part in funding the renovations. Our thanks go to the ACH Foundation and our family for their part in providing funds to make it possible for us to go.
During this time we saw the basketball court leveled out and paved with asphalt by the contractor. The backboard frames were welded up and delivered by the Paarl Trade School. We expected to have the frames installed by them, but after a week of waiting, we then took the task on ourselves. We also put up the hoops and painted the lines during the last few days. The last hour of our stay at the Academy we watched the boys play a basketball game for us where Bill and Wade also participated. The Academy boys are quite good having won all their matches.
One of the highlights during this time was having the fire pit finished and enjoying the time together around a bonfire. The kids really enjoyed the time of singing, dancing and roasting marshmallows.
Having provided a path around the property for walks and bicycle riding, we then put in place a few exercise stations for working out, stretching and a picnic table at the end. These include: station one, sit-up, leg raises and pushups; station two, three level chin-up bars; station three, monkey bar and horizontal bar; fourth, a beautiful picnic table under a spreading old oak tree.
Our last Sunday at Bridges, the kids presented us with a book of memories. They each wrote a note thanking us for our contributions to the Academy and for the friendships we made with them. We have all been forever changed by this experience and we feel that our family is now a lot bigger than it ever was before. On behalf of these outstanding young people we want to say thank you as well. We left a print in the sand there and we trust that the Lord will use it for His eternal purposes.
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Friday, March 4, 2011
Eighth & Nineth Weeks
This time we are updating you on the last two weeks. A lot has happened in those two weeks starting with a Saturday trip to Table Mountain with a beautiful view of Cape Town. Phil and Bill finished the patio cover and we had Dennis install the ceremonial last screw.
Lydia had fun teaching some of the girls how to make brownies from scratch using Hershey chocolate bars left here by the last team. You should all appreciate all the instant mixes you have to choose from in the grocery store. There is no such thing here.
On the next Saturday we had a second pear picking time with the kids and in the evening Bill and Phil went with two of our friends here to the first season rugby game for the local Western Cape team, the “Stormers”. They pulled it together in the last five minutes wining by a small margin. We both enjoyed going to our first rugby game. We still have a lot to learn about the game. Last Sunday we took a drive to the Cape of Good Hope or Cape Point where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Indian Ocean. What a beautiful spot!
The barn is now finished and ready for the tractor to move in and the braai is now finished as well. Phil built a sun guard to our western facing room to cut down on the heat buildup in that room while Bill worked on a pit to house the trampoline. The appliances arrived for the kitchen and are now being hooked up for our first retreat scheduled for this coming weekend. Bill was worked to roll a sealant on the tile around the pool. Phil installed irrigation in a small area behind the retreat center to develop into a garden and we got a load of fertilizer to improve its productivity.
Lydia and Debbie stopped at the sports store and purchased a couple pair of boxing gloves for the boys to workout. The soccer field is in good shape now while the basketball court is just beginning to take shape. We used the monies generated by the first pear picking to repair some of the bicycles and the kids have been having a great time in the afternoons riding around the campus on the newly built path.
Dennis and Susan Wadley have now returned home after a short and busy time while they were here. It was sure great having them around for a while.
These are some of the things we have been doing in the last two weeks. Things are shaping up. We had a long list of projects to do when we came and we have since been adding to the list. It has all been going well (PTL!) and we have been enjoying the process and the hard work. We also have had some fun times getting to see some of the local sights as well.
Lydia had fun teaching some of the girls how to make brownies from scratch using Hershey chocolate bars left here by the last team. You should all appreciate all the instant mixes you have to choose from in the grocery store. There is no such thing here.
On the next Saturday we had a second pear picking time with the kids and in the evening Bill and Phil went with two of our friends here to the first season rugby game for the local Western Cape team, the “Stormers”. They pulled it together in the last five minutes wining by a small margin. We both enjoyed going to our first rugby game. We still have a lot to learn about the game. Last Sunday we took a drive to the Cape of Good Hope or Cape Point where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Indian Ocean. What a beautiful spot!
The barn is now finished and ready for the tractor to move in and the braai is now finished as well. Phil built a sun guard to our western facing room to cut down on the heat buildup in that room while Bill worked on a pit to house the trampoline. The appliances arrived for the kitchen and are now being hooked up for our first retreat scheduled for this coming weekend. Bill was worked to roll a sealant on the tile around the pool. Phil installed irrigation in a small area behind the retreat center to develop into a garden and we got a load of fertilizer to improve its productivity.
Lydia and Debbie stopped at the sports store and purchased a couple pair of boxing gloves for the boys to workout. The soccer field is in good shape now while the basketball court is just beginning to take shape. We used the monies generated by the first pear picking to repair some of the bicycles and the kids have been having a great time in the afternoons riding around the campus on the newly built path.
Dennis and Susan Wadley have now returned home after a short and busy time while they were here. It was sure great having them around for a while.
These are some of the things we have been doing in the last two weeks. Things are shaping up. We had a long list of projects to do when we came and we have since been adding to the list. It has all been going well (PTL!) and we have been enjoying the process and the hard work. We also have had some fun times getting to see some of the local sights as well.
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Halfway point of our adventure in South Africa
We are now past the halfway point of our stay here having been here more than 6-weeks. On Saturday Lydia took me to the La Motte winery for a wonderful lunch. This winery is owned and operated by the wealthiest family in the Cape area and recently opened a restaurant on the premises. In the evening we were invited over to the Pederson’s (principal of the academy) for a fish braai. On Sunday we went to Mountain View Church and enjoyed a wonderful time worshiping in English this time.
The tractor has been hard at work mowing down the high grass and hauling some familiar girls around the grounds. We started work on building the stand for our braai and fixing up the tractor barn.
Some of the boys are interested in pursuing a career in engineering and were very interested in how thing are designed, so Phil spent some time showing them how it is done using parametric design tools. They each got a chance to create a part on the computer.
The driveways, parking lots and perimeter path are now finished and the dust problem is much better. We got several of the bicycles fixed with the money we received from selling the pears. The kids love riding them around the new perimeter path. We are having a great time interacting with the kids, teaching the interested ones a fun lesson or two and mentoring them in a way they perhaps never got at “home”.
Dennis and Susan Wadley, the founders of Bridges of Hope arrived here for a short visit on Tuesday and have had a very full schedule while they are here. We have enjoyed a few meals together with them and always love hearing what God is doing here in South Africa.
This week at home, our son Mark got an opportunity to shake president Obama's hand as he visited Intel’s wafer fabrication facility in Hillsboro, Oregon. We were able to watch Obama’s address to the audience live while we are here in South Africa. Amazing!
Some relevant and interesting links:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42DnTTBiHfY&feature=player_embedded#at=60
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2011/02/19/weekly-address-winning-future-intel
http://www.olsonduncan.com/bridgesofhope/
The tractor has been hard at work mowing down the high grass and hauling some familiar girls around the grounds. We started work on building the stand for our braai and fixing up the tractor barn.
Some of the boys are interested in pursuing a career in engineering and were very interested in how thing are designed, so Phil spent some time showing them how it is done using parametric design tools. They each got a chance to create a part on the computer.
The driveways, parking lots and perimeter path are now finished and the dust problem is much better. We got several of the bicycles fixed with the money we received from selling the pears. The kids love riding them around the new perimeter path. We are having a great time interacting with the kids, teaching the interested ones a fun lesson or two and mentoring them in a way they perhaps never got at “home”.
Dennis and Susan Wadley, the founders of Bridges of Hope arrived here for a short visit on Tuesday and have had a very full schedule while they are here. We have enjoyed a few meals together with them and always love hearing what God is doing here in South Africa.
This week at home, our son Mark got an opportunity to shake president Obama's hand as he visited Intel’s wafer fabrication facility in Hillsboro, Oregon. We were able to watch Obama’s address to the audience live while we are here in South Africa. Amazing!
Some relevant and interesting links:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42DnTTBiHfY&feature=player_embedded#at=60
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2011/02/19/weekly-address-winning-future-intel
http://www.olsonduncan.com/bridgesofhope/
Friday, February 11, 2011
Phil & Lydia's fifth week is SA
This week Phil and Bill began building the patio cover by the pool. We got a lot done before the wooden stringers ran out and we had to order some more. The pool also got finished and the kids have been enjoying it every afternoon after school. It has been pretty hot.
On Saturday Phil drove the girls to the Biscuit Mill Market in Cape Town. Pandora and Kathy then went with Debby to Robben Island where Nelson Mandela was held prisoner for 27-years during Apartheid.
On Sunday we went to visit Saint Paul’s Church in Philippi. We had a great time there worshiping with the saints even though most of the words were in Xhosa. On the way home we stopped in Summerset West to purchase some more items for the Retreat Center including; umbrellas and bases for the tables out front, two wooden lawn chairs, a built-in braai, some paving stones and a gas powered blower to clean up the copious amounts of dust and leaves that collect regularly on the patios.
Wednesday we had stone tables, benches and fountains delivered. It took several men to unload them as they were quite heavy.
On Thursday Pandora and Kathy left to return back to their homes. We sure enjoyed having them here for their short stay. They accomplished a lot while they were here. This place will never look the same again. Thank you Pandora and Kathy!
The driveways are now finished and the path around the perimeter is ready to be paved. The path provides a very nice place to walk and ride bicycles. We have also been using the tractor with the mower to get the field under control and James has been using the tilting trailer to move dirt and dump the rubble where we need to fill in the area hoping to build an amphitheater there soon.
Here are some interesting links:
History of Apartheid in South Africa
http://www-cs-students.stanford.edu/~cale/cs201/apartheid.hist.html
Bill Duncan’s blog
http://www.olsonduncan.com/bridgesofhope
On Saturday Phil drove the girls to the Biscuit Mill Market in Cape Town. Pandora and Kathy then went with Debby to Robben Island where Nelson Mandela was held prisoner for 27-years during Apartheid.
On Sunday we went to visit Saint Paul’s Church in Philippi. We had a great time there worshiping with the saints even though most of the words were in Xhosa. On the way home we stopped in Summerset West to purchase some more items for the Retreat Center including; umbrellas and bases for the tables out front, two wooden lawn chairs, a built-in braai, some paving stones and a gas powered blower to clean up the copious amounts of dust and leaves that collect regularly on the patios.
Wednesday we had stone tables, benches and fountains delivered. It took several men to unload them as they were quite heavy.
On Thursday Pandora and Kathy left to return back to their homes. We sure enjoyed having them here for their short stay. They accomplished a lot while they were here. This place will never look the same again. Thank you Pandora and Kathy!
The driveways are now finished and the path around the perimeter is ready to be paved. The path provides a very nice place to walk and ride bicycles. We have also been using the tractor with the mower to get the field under control and James has been using the tilting trailer to move dirt and dump the rubble where we need to fill in the area hoping to build an amphitheater there soon.
Here are some interesting links:
History of Apartheid in South Africa
http://www-cs-students.stanford.edu/~cale/cs201/apartheid.hist.html
Bill Duncan’s blog
http://www.olsonduncan.com/bridgesofhope
Friday, February 4, 2011
Fourth week in South Africa
This is now our fourth week at Bridges of Hope. On Saturday, friends Pandora and Kathy arrived to help out with coordinating the improvements we are making and to do some art projects as well. On Sunday we took the academy kids to church at the Rock in Paarl, about a 30-minute drive from here. In the afternoon Stephanie and Kristie (two of the teachers) set up a slip and slide on the soccer field. The girls had a blast keeping wet and cool since the pool is still out of commission. In the evening, the vice principal, Peter Sayers, did a braai (South African BBQ) for all the kids and those of us at the retreat center as well.
Pandora and Kathy have been busy with their projects, purchasing appliances, paints and working on crafts with the girls as well.
Late on Monday we finally got the Lamborghini tractor we had been waiting for. Since then we have started using it to knock down the weeds with the bush-hog and removing rocks and rubble using the trailer. The wood for the patio cover arrived late Tuesday so today Phil and Bill were staining it before it goes up.
The pool is now almost finished. Only thing remaining is to finish setting the cobble stones around the perimeter which should be completed on Thursday. The kitchen and bathrooms are still being worked on. The walls of the buildings here are solid brick and concrete so moving walls, doors and electrical outlets is very time consuming and dusty. We will all be glad when the demolition is finished.
Pastor Mlucki and Lulama from the township of Philippi came for a visit on Wednesday and stayed for lunch. We had a great visit with them.
Pandora and Kathy have been busy with their projects, purchasing appliances, paints and working on crafts with the girls as well.
Late on Monday we finally got the Lamborghini tractor we had been waiting for. Since then we have started using it to knock down the weeds with the bush-hog and removing rocks and rubble using the trailer. The wood for the patio cover arrived late Tuesday so today Phil and Bill were staining it before it goes up.
The pool is now almost finished. Only thing remaining is to finish setting the cobble stones around the perimeter which should be completed on Thursday. The kitchen and bathrooms are still being worked on. The walls of the buildings here are solid brick and concrete so moving walls, doors and electrical outlets is very time consuming and dusty. We will all be glad when the demolition is finished.
Pastor Mlucki and Lulama from the township of Philippi came for a visit on Wednesday and stayed for lunch. We had a great visit with them.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Third week in South Africa
On our third week we started construction of some of the projects by taking down the existing patio cover. On Saturday we had the kids from the school help pick pears from the 27 trees that exist on the property. We then delivered them to a processing plant in a town about 45-minute drive away. The moneys from the sale of the pears will go toward making repairs of the bicycles for the kids to use around the property. Go figure, we had a bunch of singles picking pears for repairs. Saturday afternoon Lydia and Debbie delivered the quilts to the girls of the academy. They were so appreciated!
On Monday three contractors and their crews showed up to begin work on the pool, the kitchen, the dining room, two bathrooms and the roadwork. These crews are making a lot of dust, but by Wednesday much of the demolition has already been finished. The road crew is putting down curb stones along both sides of the driveways, moving a lot of dirt and they have cut the path around the perimeter of the property.
While picking pears we discovered that blackberries were growing on the eastern end of the property next to the pear trees, so Lydia and Debbie made a deal with the girls to pick some for us. They would get a lesson in pie making in return. I think Bill and Phil were the real winners. The pie was great with a little ice cream which we all had tonight. (The girls get to share one too.)
Bill and Phil worked on the shed getting the pool table, foosball, ping pong table and weight lifting equipment working. Biggest hit is the weight training machine. The guys are at it every afternoon working up a real sweat. After cleaning out the kitchen on Monday morning before the work crews arrived, Lydia and Debbie have been rearranging and cleaning out the workshop installing the old kitchen cabinets and getting rid of a lot of junk. In between the work of organizing and directing the work, Lydia and Debbie seem to always come up with great meals. We have been enjoying them at our table outside when the wind is not blowing too hard.
“Our prayers lay the track down on which God's power can come. Like a mighty locomotive, his power is irresistible, but it cannot reach us without rails.” Watchman Nee
Thank you for your prayers for us. We are enjoying the success that they bring to our work with and for the kids here.
On Monday three contractors and their crews showed up to begin work on the pool, the kitchen, the dining room, two bathrooms and the roadwork. These crews are making a lot of dust, but by Wednesday much of the demolition has already been finished. The road crew is putting down curb stones along both sides of the driveways, moving a lot of dirt and they have cut the path around the perimeter of the property.
While picking pears we discovered that blackberries were growing on the eastern end of the property next to the pear trees, so Lydia and Debbie made a deal with the girls to pick some for us. They would get a lesson in pie making in return. I think Bill and Phil were the real winners. The pie was great with a little ice cream which we all had tonight. (The girls get to share one too.)
Bill and Phil worked on the shed getting the pool table, foosball, ping pong table and weight lifting equipment working. Biggest hit is the weight training machine. The guys are at it every afternoon working up a real sweat. After cleaning out the kitchen on Monday morning before the work crews arrived, Lydia and Debbie have been rearranging and cleaning out the workshop installing the old kitchen cabinets and getting rid of a lot of junk. In between the work of organizing and directing the work, Lydia and Debbie seem to always come up with great meals. We have been enjoying them at our table outside when the wind is not blowing too hard.
“Our prayers lay the track down on which God's power can come. Like a mighty locomotive, his power is irresistible, but it cannot reach us without rails.” Watchman Nee
Thank you for your prayers for us. We are enjoying the success that they bring to our work with and for the kids here.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Second week here in SA
This week we picked up the younger kids from the townships for the second week of camp with the team here from Rock Harbor Church. You will get to see some of the precious kids that come from desperate conditions, but the love of God and the hope for a better future is making a difference in their lives. Teams like this one from Costa Mesa using these facilities here at the retreat center are making it happen. "I believe He wants us to love others so much that we go to extremes to help them." — Francis Chan (Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God)
We also attended the dedication of the start of the school year at the Bridges of Hope Academy at the other end of the campus. The students have arrived back on campus and are getting settled into their studies. We are trying to learn the names of these students, but most of their names are in the language of Xhosa (pronounced kosa) and it is not easy.
Next week the action starts around here as we have three contractors starting their work on the grounds. We also are getting a load of wood for Bill and I to put the patio cover together. No more camps or retreats until all this work is finished toward the end of March.
We also attended the dedication of the start of the school year at the Bridges of Hope Academy at the other end of the campus. The students have arrived back on campus and are getting settled into their studies. We are trying to learn the names of these students, but most of their names are in the language of Xhosa (pronounced kosa) and it is not easy.
Next week the action starts around here as we have three contractors starting their work on the grounds. We also are getting a load of wood for Bill and I to put the patio cover together. No more camps or retreats until all this work is finished toward the end of March.
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