Ball for Lives & Bethesda Outreach

It’s hard to imagine that Whitney and I have been home for five months! It still feels  like just yesterday we were in Hammanskraal, South Africa ministering to the children and staff of Bethesda Outreach.

Whitney and I were so blessed to be able to meet up with a group from First Baptist Church of Marilla, just outside of Buffalo, NY who were ministering at Bethesda Outreach during the same time as us! It was so encouraging to meet the Briggs family, Don & Fran Stoffel, Lee & Gale Ulrich, Christy Bravo & her daughter, Elena, Matt Hill and Dan Vanderkooi. You guys were such an encouragement and blessing to us! To work along side you in digging gardens and singing in front of children at the schools to hearing about your families, Whitney and I are so thankful for getting to know you!

We have SO MANY MORE pictures, videos and memories of our time there, but here is a brief overview of what Whit and I were able to experience during our stay:

1. Bethesda’s Children’s Village-Each child that comes into Bethesda is placed into a family with a father, mother and siblings. Bethesda places up to eight orphaned children with each couple, giving careful attention to individual needs of each family.

2. Jabulane Christian Academy-JCA exists to guide students in the discovery of truth’. The school opened in ’04, and educates the children in Bethesda’s care and kids from the surrounding community.

3. Hands of Mercy-Bethesda’s Hands of Mercy ministry has two main goals: 1. To encourage others that reside in communities and countries in need to begin their own orphan care ministries. 2. To act as a resource in training and guidance for orphan care ministry.

(All information about Bethesda Outreach’s ministries was taken from their website, www.bethesdaoutreach.org.)

While Whitney and I were serving in South Africa, we were able to minister to the children of Bethesda by joining one of the families for dinner, working during the day at Jabulane Christian Academy grading papers, tutoring or organizing books in the library, working in the garden AND holding a field day for the kids! It was a blessing to minister to both children at the Bethesda Children’s Village and children in surrounding townships of Nokaneg, Stinkwater and Soshanguve with the Hands of Mercy ministry.

Nokaneg: Whitney and I had landed literally only hours before we were visiting Joanna’s Hospice in this township. We were able to interact with elderly men and women who were just thankful to be alive. Despite sickness and disability, it was evident that these individuals were just thankful to be alive. The next two places we visited in Nokaneg were a créche (pre-school) and Mmamogaswa P. School.

Stinkwater: This township got it’s name during Apartheid when the White Afrikaans decided it would be alright to send all of the native South Africans. Stinkwater got it’s name from the poor quality of their water during that time period. Despite the poor quality of water, the children there have such big, caring hearts and beautiful smiles. We were also able to meet a woman named Susanna who provided meals for the orphans in the area EVERYDAY. She is pictured below with Whitney.

Soshanguve: Soshanguve was a very special place. Whitney and I LOVED being able to be in Nokaneg and Stinkwater, but the township that really stole our hearts was Soshanguve. Typed words cannot express how much we loved turning over soil in their garden, and simply seeing, interacting and playing (netball!!) with these beautiful children.

Whitney and I would like to say THANK YOU SO MUCH for your support of our trip, for praying for us while we were ministering in South Africa and for your continued support of what Ball for Lives is seeking to do for the children in sub-Saharan Africa.

We would also like to say “Thank You!!” to John & Lois Mixon, Roger & Carol Cryan, Michele Geurink, Tonya Small and Heather Rumley and the rest of the staff at Bethesda Outreach for your outpouring of love while we were in such a beautiful area of the world with you! Thank you!!

-ash