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.
