“How precious is your steadfast love, O God! All people may take refuge in the shadow of your wings. They feast on the abundance of your house, and you give them drink from the river of your delights:” Psalm 36:5-10 The image given here is God as a mother bird spreading her wings over all who seek or need shelter. It reminds us that all people may take refuge. This mother bird spreading her wings is a great provider of food and drink to the world. All are invited. This brings to my mind the mother hen herding her chicks and calling her chicks home to safety. When playing with eleven children under three years old or working with twenty children between four and seven years old, it is easy to picture the mother hen herding, protecting, calling her chicks home to safety. Speaking of birds, there is a fascinating bird here called the “weaver bird.” The male is bright yellow and he weaves the nest out of grasses and soft stems. The nest is built upside down with the opening to this pouch nest on the side in the lower half of the pouch. The male builds these nests to attract females. The more ambitious males can build many nests, attract several females. I have been told that if a female does not like the nest, she rips it down and the male has to start over.

The latest project here was to get the garden in order. Because of time off during the holiday and a spell of cooler wet weather, (very Seattle like) the vegetable garden was a little behind. Kevin and I tackled a compost pile that had been started three years ago. The pile was about as tall I am.

Much to our surprise the compost pile contained about 10 metal spoons, two potato peelers, a cell phone, toys, toothbrushes, more plastic bread loaf wrappers than we could count, plastic bottle tops, rubber straps, etc. It took four of us two full days to sort through this. We have saved these items and we can now use them as teaching tools . . . letting the children and staff guess what there are and how long it might take them to decompose. We are working on some new ideas to help give this composting system more attention with some care and guidance in sustaining it. We created a new kitchen garden in an area that has just been home to some weeds, and created a new flower bed while sprucing up existing flower beds. We are still averaging 14 to 15 hours of sunlight a day here, and because of the coast, weather here can change in an instant. The other day it was in the low eighties, midafternoon brought in a dense fog followed by mist and a thirty degree drop in temperature. We did get the veggie garden planted. The Swiss chard, (what they call spinach) beets, cabbage, broccoli, carrots, are all really good. Several of the staff went to a game reserve for dinner. I am kicking myself for not bringing my camera or phone to take some pictures, especially of the gorge below. I did learn more about all the different indigenous animals, the antelope family alone has probably around ten different animals in it in this area. I hope to get back there someday soon with my camera. By the way, the lamb (mutton), beef, pork, chicken are all really good here, and very affordable. I close with a picture of Kevin and some of the children putting together a small trampoline that a government agency (not sure if census or elections) gave to Open Arms before Christmas.

I’m gonna sing, sing, sing, (move head and hands to the left on each sing with a clap) I’m gonna shout, shout sout, (move head and hands to the right on each shout with a clap) I’m gonna sing, {move head left and clap on sing) I’m gonna shout, (move heat right and clap on sing) Praise the Lord! (both hands up in the air) When the gates are open wide, (open hands and arms wide) I’m gonna sit at Jesus’ side, (pretend to sit down) I’m gonna sing, {move head left and clap on sing) I’m gonna shout, (move heat right and clap on sing) Praise the Lord! (both hands up in the air) This song these eleven beautiful and happy babies taught me while sitting in front of the red tiled fire place.

These babies are between 16 or 17 months and three years. I continue to be amazed here - at teaching eleven babies how to brush their teeth, eat with a spoon, how to put on matching shoes. And then think about potty training eleven little ones! Yikes! I was asked last minute to ride into to East London, (about 50 minutes away) and help buy supplies. We bought so many diapers - eleven babies in diapers, 4-5 diapers per child per day - a mountain of diapers. The physical layout here at Open Arms, continues to change and improve. Here is a picture of Emmanuel Hall, (built a year ago,) where there is with a very large commercial kitchen, dining area, a T.V./meeting area and some great storage.

When I saw where they were previously cooking and dining, it was astounding. In this picture the older girls live in the purple house, the older boys live in the green house, and Pastor Stephen is living in the blue house. Yes those are thatched roofs.

The younger girls live in the New House, (not actually a new building, new for housing children), and the younger boys live in the rondavel. The eleven babies stay in two rooms in Old Main. Old Main is where all the cooking and eating used to take place. All children get, or take a bath daily and all the rooms where the children live are cleaned daily. The four washing machines are in the New House and all laundry is hung out to dry. Monday through Friday days begins at 5:30 a.m. The twenty five children going to public school, (preschool on up,) eat breakfast at 6:30 and then board the vans for town at 7:00. The thirteen home school kids, and the ten preschoolers attending Open Arms’ preschool, eat breakfast at 7:30 with school starting at 8:30. Morning snack for everyone is 10:30 tea time, lunch is at 1:00, with the littlest ones in public school home by then. The rest of the children are home by 3:00, for afternoon tea time. Supervised homework time is immediately after tea time, with most, if not all homework done by dinner time. Dinner is early evening with some play time before bed time. Babies are bathed and in bed by 7:30 p.m., younger children bathed and in bed by 8:00, and the older children in their houses by 8:30 with varying bed times. There are two rotations of staff, five days on and then five days off. There are two shifts every day – 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. My involvement at the moment is: Monday - catch up day, help home school teachers get ready for the week, do odd projects,help with gardening Tuesday – P.E. with five first graders Wednesday – Art with five first graders Thursday - Music with five first graders Friday – P.E with five first graders Monday through Friday afternoons assist with homework Saturday – assist in groups activities whether educational, physical or simply play Sunday – church in the morning with an afternoon of activities depending on weather. Friday and Saturday evenings can be a movie night. Here is a picture from last Friday’s movie night. Jeff and Suzanne, as a couple are co-directors for Open Arms. Margaret, Ann, and Kevin are here for a year with a program the University of Notre Dame offers. Jeff is a recent seminary graduate just beginning his year stay here. I guess this is it for today. I leave you with one last photo. I cleaned the younger children’s pool and filled it. They have not been enjoying the larger deeper pool the older children are able to enjoy. This was a hit. As you can see, twenty brightly giggling faces.

I lift up my eyes to the hills – from where will my help come? My help comes from the Lord who made heaven and earth . . . the Lord will keep your life. The Lord will keep your going out and coming in from this time on and forever more! Psalm 121 The sun was coming over the hills as I was reading this from my morning devotional. Since I had arrived in the rain, this first view of the valley below was pretty spectacular. What a spectacular place to be. Beauty all around, beauty in all the faces of the children, beauty in the all the faces of the adults. Sunday morning was gloriously sunny, warm and full of activity. Worship is celebrated at the local Full Gospel-Pentecostal church. The church, Resurrection Life Fellowship has a very simple service that begins with recognizing and praying for all visitors. This is followed by a short testimony from a member including scripture reading, then the offering with a prayer, and then 30 minutes of singing and hand waving. (Music was only American Contemporary Christian Music, words projected up on reader board, with prerecorded accompaniment controlled by a rather impressive sound and light board) This is followed by two more testimonies, a prayer for the New Year and all the people, then 40 minutes of scripture and sermon, then communion, prayer, blessing and then anointing with the oil of healing. As a part of the Full Gospel movement it is charismatic and there is speaking in tongues. INTERESTING! Also in this village there is a Lutheran, Methodist, Episcopalian, Baptist, and Catholic Church. The sermon concentrated on - Psalm 36:7, “how precious is your steadfast love, O God! All people may take refuge in the shadow of your wings,” and Psalm 92, “It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises to your name, O Most High to declare your steadfast love in the morning, and your faithfulness by night.” I was reminded of all the beautiful faces of children experiencing the steadfast love of God and the love and care they are getting at Open Arms. The church is small so the littlest ones stay home for story time, and now it appears they will be splitting up the rest of the children and take half at time each Sunday. It must be every church’s dream to have two full vans of children and youth pull up to your door unload on a Sunday morning. Food is good - Sunday lunch was chicken and rice, with garden fresh carrots and peppers, and bean salad. In South Africa the school years begins with the calendar year. This Wednesday is the first day of school. Activity is going full stream getting everyone and everything ready. New this school term, the three oldest children will to go to high school, about an hour away. They will stay in the hostel (boarding school) Monday through Friday and come home on the weekends. 19 will go to Junior school which is grades K – 7, 3 will go to an off sight preschool, six will participate in open Arm’s on site preschool, and 13 will stay here to be home schooled. The home school program is new this year. Several children are behind, and several children have been pulled out of another area school needing to get caught up. These thirteen children are spread out through 6 grades. So along with everything else, converting some spaces into class rooms is happening. All children need backpacks with a change of clothes, plus book bags. All the schools require uniforms so there is the sprucing up of hand-me-downs, sewing on missing buttons, patching up holes, coordinating cool weather, warm weather, and sports clothes for 31 children to get out the door to first day of class on Wednesday, plus all the school supplies. Last night was the assigning and filling of all the cubicles – IT LOOKED LIKED CHRISTMAs. The children were so excited. Tomorrow, Wednesday is a big day. Our volunteer duties will begin to take more shape after school starts. Vitamins and toothbrushes were a big hit. Pictures are of the valley taken early in the A.M. on my first morning there, helping to supervise 26 children swimming, and my daily dose of loving in the babies room. Life is full and blessed. Yes there will be more to come. In Peace, Pastor Stephen

Christmas Glory

I hope everyone was able to have a joyous celebration of Christmas with family and friends.  Ours was full of activity, laughter, good food, sight-seeing, and silly girls. 

Did your Christmas list include Glory this year?  Your top ten list probably included things like joy, peace, love, gifts . . . maybe even miracles (maybe even whiskers on kittens and warm woolen mittens.)  Would glory be in the mix?

As I was looking at words for the Candlelight service Christmas Eve, I have a hunch glory could characterize the spirit of Christmas as much as any other word.  Glory is found throughout the scriptural account of Christmas.  Mary gave God glory, the angels announced it to the shepherds, when John wrote about Jesus he wrote “we have seen his glory!”

Glory is all woven throughout the Christmas story.  I wonder why we do not use it more.  I wonder if we are uncomfortable with glory.  An athlete or entertainer who draws so much attention to oneself is a “glory hound.”  An individual who takes all the credit in a team project wants or “takes all the glory.”  Maybe we do not like people who like glory.

Maybe the Christmas story glory is more about God.  Maybe giving glory to God is not about performance it is about God’s presence.  Maybe by definition God is glorious and worthy of praise.  When applied to God, does glory invoke “honor and excellence?”  God’s presence is found in the glory of creation, which is why we need to take care of it.  Glory is in the Christmas story because Jesus came to show God’s glory.  Are we not then created to show God’s glory? 

Come help us give God Glory this Sunday.  Sunday, December 30^th, we have only one service at 10:30.  It is a service of carols and readings.  Please join us as we continue this Christmas season and give God glory through word and song.  See you Sunday!

In peace,

Pastor Stephen