Blankets and Milk in Phokeng - by Sarah H

21 April 2009 (Sarah)

April in South Africa is the time that you know it is fall weather for sure. It is getting very chilly after the sun goes down and the wind is picking up bring with it a promise of winter. It is during these times that we are very aware of the fact there is there is NO central heating in most homes. Not all homes are put together well and the wind just seems to rip right through them. And South African are also very effected by the global economic crisis. No one feels this more than the orphans in our area. We have feeding schemes in Phokeng, where Martha and Agnes spend much of their time, caring and feeding many children who do not have parents and the families they are staying with don’t have enough. This April, we were able to help provide for some of those needs. Grace Christian School, in Cary, North Carolina, collected five large boxes of powdered milk to help the children of Phokeng. Reaching a Generation partners with us to help provide for them in many ways and they had these boxes sent to us and we handed out the powdered milk which is a special treat for them. We were glad to give them the milk along with donated warm blankets.













A Rustenburg local citizen together with a company here in South Africa, Aranda, gave us 100 large thick blankets for our ministry in Phokeng. Derek and Rebecca are extremely grateful to both of these contributors for making this possible! The YWAM Rustenburg Staff and DTS students all piled in cars and headed out to Phokeng. The children were arriving at Agnes’ and Martha’s places from school and we handed out milk and blankets to all the children in the program. The look on each kid’s face was priceless. Some little girls even had trouble carrying their blanket because the blankets were so big. Some children would wrap themselves in their blankets and walk around clutching their powdered milk. They were so exited. Many would fold and refold their blankets with pride. It was so great to be a part of blessing these children and it is good to know that thanks to many people who care, these children will be warm and will have milk this winter. Thanks to Grace School and to Aranda and to our local supporters for this blessing. Please continue to pray for the children in the Phokeng feeding scheme that they will continually be safe and provided for this winter.