Hope Rises Africa

Children Singing

2009-04-18T11:03:00.000-07:00

Hope Rises Video

2009-04-18T09:21:00.000-07:00

2009-04-12T15:55:00.000-07:00

2009-04-12T15:40:00.000-07:00

2009-04-12T15:05:00.001-07:00

Pictures from the trip

2009-04-12T14:43:00.001-07:00

Wednesday & Thursday

2009-04-09T11:55:00.000-07:00

WED. - Luke Commission
Our whole team joined The Luke Commission at one of the local primary schools. This team travels around to rural areas and brings "Compassionate Medicine" to the people there.
First we handed out clothing to the children who don't have enough money to pay school fees or are not yet school-aged. We put shoes on all of those children, they came with none, and clothes on ones who are called double-orphans. They have a few classifications here for children who are orphaned or vulnerable. If they have one parent they are considered a single orphan and if they have lost both their parents to death they are considered a double orphan. That in itself was eye opening.
When the children left the clothing room they were given a book or two with Bible stories in them.
After the clothing distribution our team split up around the school to help out. A few of the services offered were to have their eyes checked and receive glasses for reading or distance. They got their blood pressure, blood sugar and HIV status tested. They did have the option to refuse the HIV test. We only had 5 refuse being tested.
Everyone received vitamins, a prescription worms and also something for pain. This day was an amazing experience of being the hands and feet of Jesus among those in need. Our day started at 9am and ended at 10pm, so with that comes quite a bit of waiting. While we helped the Swazi people wait patiently; we played soccer, showed a movie and served food and punch.

THUR. - Back at work.
Today we went back to the preschool at Fontoge to give more clothes, take pictures and register the preschool children there to be sponsored. We are hoping to have each child sponsored to help provide the basic needs of food, clothing and medical attention. (Stay tuned for updates on how to sponsor a preschooler.)
While one team was at the Fontoge Care Point the other team went to help move a Care Point shelter across a busy highway. This Care Point was built in the past and it turned out that it was not in a safe location. So the people of this community rallied around our helpers and literally chipped away the cement that was there, picked up the whole structure and walked it across the highway. Dedication, for sure.
After lunch we were able to spend quite a bit of time with some of the women and children at the Fontoge preschool while another set of us continued work on one of the homesteads.
This evening before dinner our whole team was able to have a time of encouragement and appreciation with each other. It's amazing how sometimes we plan things and God makes them happen.
After dinner as a team we were able to celebrate Alex and her 18th birthday. Matt arranged a birthday cake for her. We all gave her a "special" gift from our back pack to remember this Africa trip.
Christina was champion and Erin was runner up in our evening festivities. (GO MOMS). Nuff said.
Please continue to pray for us as we are physically tired as well as beginning the process of preparing to say "so long" to these new found friends. Who knows when the Lord will reunite us again.

We are not sure if the blog will be available tomorrow so if not see you in the US.
HOPE RISES 2009

Tuesday

2009-04-07T11:13:00.000-07:00

We are currently in the office blogging shut in by a 4 month old drunk zebra. It's crazy here. Just kidding.

On with the facts of the day...
We spent today continuing work on two homesteads. The footings for both have been finished.

One of the groups spent the morning at the Care Point in Fondoje (that's phonetic). We were able to pass out clothing to all of the OVCs at that location today.

We collected the rest of the pen pal letters and played with the school children for a few hours.

We are all doing well and being touched by the people here.

We won't we blogging tomorrow because we will be at the Luke Commission late into the night. More about that when we post next.

Dave wanted me to write my name on the bottom of this post because it's such a nice one. haha Erin Obwald :)

Monday, Work and School

2009-04-06T10:37:00.001-07:00

Today we woke up in the morning and had our regular breakfast and briefing for the day. We took the buses into the Herefords commuity. We broke up into two groups, BLUE and GOLD (Go Wildcats!) The first group went to the blind man's homested and the second group went to Herefords Primary School.
The first group worked on the foundation of the new homest dug a homested. They dug a huge trench and foundation. Some of the ladies were taught to balance the bricks on their heads like the GoGos.
The second group went to the primary school and shared over 300 pen pal letters from the US. The students were so excited to read them and write back. We met with the teachers and principle while we were there.
We taught the kids Ring-Around-the-Rosey and the Hokie Polkie.
A few of the team members got to visit the preschool for the OVCs (orphans and vulnerable children). They passed out toys and are going to clothe the children tomorrow. They did the Itsy Bitsy Spider and Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes with them.
We met up for lunch at the school and then continued working. The two groups switched projects. The Gold team went to work on the foundation of another house. At this homested it's just a GoGo. We are building her a new house because the one she had was washed away in a flood.
That is the end of our adventures of this day. Many of us have some sort of sunburn but we are all doing well and appreciate your prayers and support as we continue to serve the people of Swaziland. There are big bugs and tall weeds but we will prevail!

To everyone reading, friends and family, we would love to hear from you! Please click the comment button at the bottom of the posts and respond!

Sunday- The Lords Day, Let us rejoice and be glad in it

2009-04-05T11:05:00.000-07:00

Today we woke up in the morning and met again for breakfast and a briefing about the day. We headed out to the Herefords as a group and then broke off into two teams. Each team visited a different church where we experienced a church service with the people. We got the chance to listen to them sing, preach and share life and their belief in God. We also came up in front and gave some words about why we are here and what we are doing.

I led worship in one church with my guitar and was then shuffled of to another church where i alos played. It was such a beautiful experience to be able to worship God with the people. The reoccuring them was that even though we all realized the language barrier and some cultural differences, God remains the same and we can still lift our voices in praise to him together. After church we headed back to the local market and at lunch together. I got a chance to play some pool with the locals and the girls met some of the other youth sharing some laughs and dance moves.

After lunch we loaded up and took 2 different groups back into the Herofords. 1 group went to a local water location where they got a chance to meet with the local youth and share about what they are doing locally as well as here in Africa. The youth were astounded that they would choose to do all the things they do and for free for that matter. The 2nd group split of and got to work on a local homestead bringing in supplies for a new house we are going to start to build. The Familys in a great deal of need because the man of the house is blind and his wife has only one eye. They need a place to call home and a shelter to live in so we are doing what we can to try and build one for them.

The group is in high spirits and falling more in love with Africa and the people here every day. We truly hope that we can continue to plant seeds of Hope here in Swaziland.

I am sorry about not being able to upload video or pictures, the connection here is a very slow dial-up and it takes me a long time just to type all this. We are all healthy and doing well. Keep up the prayers, we appreciate it. Video and pictures will be blogged when we get a chance, possibly in the airport when we head home.

Update

2009-04-04T11:32:00.000-07:00

We landed in swaziland Friday night and drove to the Mananga Resort. It was about 12:00 midnight when we all finally climbed into our beds for a good nights sleep. We awoke this morning around 7:30 for breakfast and then headed out to the Hereford community. This morning we met with the Hereford Inner Council and were given permission to work in the area. The people were happy to see us and we were all greated with loving arms and warm smiles. We spent some time playing with the children and singing songs with some of the Gogos (some of the elder women of the community). We had lunch and then broke off into teams. Some of us went and started on work projects building homesteads and others went to a church where Conner a local Peace Corp talked with some of the youth and children about the myths and facts of HIV/AIDS. From there we grouped back up and headed back to the Mananga where we just had dinner and debriefed about the day. It has been such a joy and blessing to finally be here after all the travel and be with the people.

For family and friends, we are all safe and doing well. The four girls that had never been on a plane before had a great experience getting here. Thanks to everyone for their prayers and support!! We love you all.

Almost to Manzini

2009-04-03T09:18:00.000-07:00

Roper gave us all a little guitar lesson and schooled us on the art of face melting guitar solos. He even had some groupies stop buy and people started throwing money at him in the airport (ok not really but that would have been funny.)

We didnt end up having any time to go to Time-Square with the crew but we had fun and made the best of it in NY anyway. So we left New York and traveled somewhat overnight 6-7 hours to Dakar Africa which is located at the North Western corner of Africa. From there we had about an hour layover staying on the plane while they cleaned the plane and swapped out the crew. We added some more passengers and then made the 8 hour flight from Dakar Africa to Johannesburg Africa. We are currently sitting in the airport here waiting to take our hour flight to Manzini Swaziland. From there we will jump on a bus and drive about an hour to our final location the Mananga Country Club.

We just met up with Corine in the airport and our crew is complete. We are all excited for tomorrow and what God has in store for us her in Africa.

A group photo is coming soon. We took one in the airport earlier on the trip but it ended up all fuzzy. We are going to try and take one at the lodge tonight and post it soon so all the friends and family can see we are all safe and her in Africa.

Corine in Pretoria

2009-04-03T03:35:00.000-07:00

Praise God from whom all blessings flow! Yeah! Iwas greeted in Joburg yesterday by one of God's special helpers, Mr. Quintus Smit. I stayed overnight at a guesthouse in Pretoria, had a lovely breakfast with the inn keeper followed by a quick city tour of Pretoria. Quintus is with the Pointman Leadership Institute Africa and thanks to the connection via Don MacAlpine he agreed to host me here until I meet the group at Joburg airport tonight for our continued travel to Swaziland. Praise Jesus for his faithful followers all over the world.

Can't wait to see my jet lagged friends this evening.

xoxo
Corine

New York New York

2009-04-02T08:48:00.001-07:00

Yesterday we packed up the vehicles and drove from Fresno to San Francisco. We got on a plane last night at 11:30 and flew to New York this morning. This was a fun experience for some because it was their very first time on a plane ever! We are now in the Ramada Hotel in New York getting ready to board our next plane at 5:00pm which will take us to Johannesburg Africa. We are all safe and doing well, just a little jet lagged and tired from the overnight flight. Overall we are really excited to be on our way and cant wait to arrive in Africa to start getting our hands dirty.

More to come stay tuned.

Praying for wisdom

2009-03-31T11:40:00.000-07:00

"The wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness. " James 3:17-18

Lord grant us wisdom as we prepare to leave for Swaziland so that we may be all these things to the people we meet and encounter. Give us the patience to be peaceful, the compassion to be considerate, the humbleness to be submissive to you, a heart full of mercy, the hands and feet to be fruitful, the eyes of impartial love and the attitude to be real and sincere servants for you.

May we sow a harvest of righteousness in Swaziland!

Watch over us as we travel, prepare our hearts to serve you.

James 1:27

2009-03-29T11:02:00.000-07:00

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this; to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. (James 1:27, NIV)

Some things in the Bible may seem unclear but on this particular topic God gave us specific directions. Part 1 of the instruction seems possible by our sheer physical strength and access to resources but how do you keep-up on part 2; keep oneself from being polluted by the world?

Swaziland Trip 09

2009-03-25T08:02:00.000-07:00

The Hope Rises Team will be taking another trip coming soon!

We are taking a team of people to Swaziland April 1st-12th.

Stay tuned for more details!