Masiphumelele wedding

Last Wednesday was a celebration in Masiphumelele!
Several Living Hope staff and volunteers have been walking alongside a family living in Masiphumelele since last September. Really, they have been the beginning of the whole OVC journey for us. Well, through the weekly meetings with them, the two grandparents (who are caring not only for their own 3 children, but also their oldest daughter's three children) said that they want to get married officially in church. This was awesome news since there is not much precedent for its. The culture goes along with having multiple girlfriends, cultural marriages or just living together.
So Wednesday was the culmination of all the planning and working out of arrangements to help this couple make right before God. The service took place in Masiphumelele Baptist church as part of their regular Wednesday evening service. I'm not sure the bride and groom knew what hit them! But it was great to be part of this act of worship. The pastor spoke it out so well:
"I thank you because you are not just doing this for yourselves, whether you know it or not! You are doing this for the young ones here. Today, you are planting a seed in their hearts so that in the future they will say I want to do it this way, God's way."
My prayer is that this is truth; prophecy spoken out over the children. And that one day in the future the church would be having a wedding every Wednesday service!

Another moment

I am so blessed to live in a place of such beauty that at least once a day I get to stop in wonder and awe of God's creation. It makes all my problems seem so small in comparison.

One of those moments

I've just come back from a meeting with some lovely people at uThando leNkosi - a home for children who need temporary safety care. It was so great to be able to share visions each of us have for our ministries and how we can partner together in supporting the vulnerable children in nearby communities.
The most amazing part was when we were standing in the house kitchen chatting and I actually felt the unity in the Holy Spirit - real fellowship I guess - hearts getting excited as we talked about how God has moved and is moving in our own spheres and beyond. I can only describe it like as if you have taken a step up, out and above the 'world' of day-to-day concerns, and you can see the view below with God organising and leading and bringing certain people together and making other things happen. So cool! It makes it so much more exciting to go back into that everyday world again.