Margaret’s life

I recently met a lady living in an informal settlement just outside Cape Town. Her name was Margaret and I guess she was in her early thirties.  She came to me after I spoke to a group of people about justice and the fact that God’s throne was built on righteousness and justice. “I want to share my story with you”, were her opening words. “At the moment I am caring for 20 children at my house. They just keep arriving at any time and I feel compelled to care for them.”  “Why do you feel compelled to care?” I asked Margaret. “When I was 8 days old my mother had a big fight with my father. She took me out into a field and left me there on my own. An old man walked past me lying in the field and he picked me up and took me home. People went out of their way to help me and give me a chance in life. Should I not also do the same for others?”  I was quiet and didn’t know what to say, or maybe I just didn’t want to disturb the atmosphere she left in the air. Lord, I wish all of us could have an experience like that! I thought. Is that

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It's the right thing to do!

As the global recession continues on as part of our day-to-day living, we see that companies have grown more interested in using charity connections to promote their businesses. And it works!

Consumers want to do good while still consuming and living well. McDonalds, Avon and Reebok use social causes to encourage consumer purchasing. More companies are doing it all the time. According to some recent report about three-quarters of  Americans are willing to switch to another brand or store associated with a good cause if the price and quality are comparable. Of course we also recently saw very wealthy individuals like Sir Richard Branson, Bill Gates and Bono make bold stands by giving away most of their wealth for certain causes mainly on the eradication of poverty.

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Invitation to Pray

Dear friends of Hands at Work communities worldwide,

As we continue to grow in reaching more vulnerable children and their caregivers like the volunteers and grannies, we face many challenges that we trust God for. Those of you who had the opportunity to walk with us in Africa will understand what I am talking about. Many of us just returned from countries like the DRC (Congo), Nigeria, Malawi and Mozambique. Although it is encouraging to see what is happening we also realize that unless God is going to do miracles it would be merely impossible to reach all the most vulnerable children we hope to.

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More and Better Life...

“A thief is only there to steal and kill and destroy. I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of" (John 10:10)

This is such a well known and quoted verse today. I’ve heard it quoted hundreds of times by Christians all over the world. I have been thinking about this verse for some time now, though not in a way I have often heard it spoken about before. Try and imagine the following situation: two siblings, a girl called Nonsipho, ten years old, and her brother Lucky, four years old, lost both their parents and are living in what we call a child-headed household in a very poor community. There are no adults in their house. As one school principle described them to me recently, “They are dirty, hungry and confused. Confused and disorientated not knowing what the next step should be.”  Now let’s imagine these kids go to church one Sunday. A visitor is preaching the service and uses the verse John 10:10, “A thief is only there to steal and kill and destroy. I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of.”

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Greetings from Africa!

I just returned [to South Africa] from Zambia and the DRC. It was a trip of mixed experiences. The joy and pain together as I held children with no hope. In Mulenga, I met a girl of four that was raped just before I got here. She held unto me for dear life. The same day I met volunteers indescribably committed and compassionate (see James' story here). The exciting part is God is busy raising couples all over Africa with the Hands at Work vision burning in their hearts. Some of these couples (please pray for them) are James and Sukai from Mulenga; Samuel and Juliet form Chipata; Levi and Pragcidens. Without these leaders we cannot go forward. These couples could "make it" wherever they live but chose to spend themselves to reach those without hope.

Democratic Republic of Congo, a nation raped into the ground. I met Church leaders in slums waiting for me on a Saturday afternoon ... The expectations in their eyes kept me awake. ... I bring hope to these Churches ... [by saying] to them I have friends who are together with me.

We are knitted together in our hearts. And I know I speak the truth. As Catherine Booth once said, “You are not here in the world for yourself. You have been sent here for others. The world is waiting for you!”