DEAR FAMILY AND FRIENDS THIS LAST DAY OF AUGUST 2011,
WHILE SERVING OUR MISSION WE HAVE HAD EXPERIENCES AND WE'VE HAD EXPERIENCES AND THIS WEEK WE HAVE HAD ONE OF THOSE MEMORABLE EXPERIENCES. WE WERE A FILL-IN FOR ELDER AND SISTER WARD BECAUSE OF HIS HEALTH PROBLEMS AND WERE INVITED TO GO WITH THE ELDERS UP IN NEWCASTLE TO AN ORPHANAGE TO HAND OUT SOME BLANKETS, SCHOOL SUPPLIES AND CLOTHES THAT HAD BEEN COLLECTED BY THE ELDERS. MY FIRST EVER VISIT TO AN ORPHANAGE AND IT WAS VERY HUMBLING TO SAY THE LEAST. WE WERE INVITED INTO A LARGE ROOM WHERE I GUESS ON A GIVEN DAY THE KIDS WOULD GATHER TO DO ACTIVITIES. THEN IN COME THE KIDS, VERY ORDERLY AND QUITE AND MOST SAT ON THE FLOOR WITH FEW SITTING ON CHAIRS. SOON THEY BROKE INTO SINGING AND CLAPPING AND SEEM TO ENJOY THEMSELVES VERY MUCH. THIS ORPHANAGE IS SUPPORTED BY LOCAL FUNDS AND THE BUILDING IS GIVEN BY THE CATHOLIC CHURCH. THE PERSON IN CHARGE CAME IN, WE HAD A PRAYER AND THEY ASKED US TO INTRODUCE OURSELVES. WHAT A BEAUTIFUL SITE TO SEE SOME 60 KIDS WITH HAPPY SMILES ON THEIR FACES AND BRIGHT LOOKS IN THEIR EYES. AFTER WE INTRODUCED OURSELVES WE WERE ENTERTAINED BY DIFFERENT AGE GROUPS FOR SOME HOUR AND A HALF. THEY SANG THEY DANCED THEY CLAPPED AND THE BEST PART WAS THE OLDER BOYS THAT DID WHAT THEY CALL THE BOOT DANCE, WHERE IN RHYTHM AND PRECISION THEY DID A ROUTINE THAT YOU COULD PUT ON ANY STAGE FOR ENTERTAINMENT. WE GAVE SO LITTLE AND CAME AWAY WITH SO MUCH FROM THE KIDS, AND THIS IS WHAT THEY LOVE TO DO, HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ENTERTAIN OTHERS. ONE OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF OUR MISSION IN A PLACE WHERE THINGS ARE NOT AS THEY SHOULD BE. WE BELIEVE GOD LOVES EACH OF US AND KNOWS US BY NAME AND I'M GRATEFUL FOR THE CARE GIVERS AT THE ORPHANAGE FOR WHAT THEY DO.
THE REST OF THE WEEK WAS BACK TO THE THINGS WE LOVE DOING AS PART OF OUR CALLING HERE IN THIS AREA. KEYBOARD, MISSIONARIES, MEETINGS AND THROW IN A CAR THAT NEEDED IT'S FIRST SERVES THAT TOOK THE WHOLE DAY UP IN NEWCASTLE, WHICH GAVE US THE DAY TO SPEND WITH ELDER AND SISTER WARD, HE GOES INTO THE HOSPITAL TOMORROW, MONDAY TO HAVE SURGERY TO REPAIR AN AORTIC ANEURYSM. WE AS A MISSION HAVE FASTED AND PRAYED FOR HIM AND KNOW THINGS WILL GO WELL.
THE WEATHER HAS BEEN SOMETHING TO TALK ABOUT WITH SNOW ROUND ABOUT, BUT NONE HERE IN LADYSMITH. THE WIND HAS MADE IT COLDER THEN NORMAL AND I HOPE THE WORSE IS OVER AND WE CAN LOOK FOR BETTER WEATHER AHEAD. WE NOW HAVE THE TWO PROJECTS LINED UP FOR OUR MORMON HELPING HANDS DAY ON AUGUST 20TH WHERE ALL BRANCHES AND WARDS DO SOME SORT OF COMMUNITY PROJECT. THIS IS A BIG THING AND WILL COVER ALL OF AFRICA. WHILE SETTING UP ONE OF THE PROJECTS WE SAW TILE WORK ON THE FLOOR OF THE BIG FIVE AND WE JUST NEEDED TO BUY SOME FOR OUR PLACE WHEN WE RETURN HOME. ALL ARE INVITED TO VISIT AND TAKE A LOOK, IT WILL BE WORTH IT.
THE LORD'S WORK IS WONDERFUL AND WE ARE ENJOYING OUR TIME HERE WITH THE PEOPLE OF SOUTH AFRICA.
THANKS AGAIN FOR YOUR SUPPORT,
ELDER AND SISTER HUDSON
No comments:
Post a Comment