We are in the midst of busy days at home and in ministry here in South Africa, as you will see from the pictures below.  In this section, I will share Alberto’s thoughts on his work with the kids in the community:

Working in the poor racially-segregated communities of South Africa is very difficult. Most of the young men I work with live with one parent or a relative.  Usually they are hungry, and often they are abused by someone who was supposed to protect them.  

The Lord has brought me here to encourage these boys, so they can find hope in Him. He is the only Way they will find refuge.  Jesus has paid a big price for our rescue and for our freedom.  He understands betrayal.  It is not easy for these boys to learn to trust again.  It is not easy for them to speak about love, as they are used to a culture of lying and hurting in order to survive.  For them, respect comes through being tough and hurting others.

Yet these boys are good at working with their hands.  They are good artists, dancers, and musicians.  When jobs come their way, in enables them to buy food.  It is not enough for clothes and shoes, though.  Work is therefore not a way of life for them.  Crime is.  I am trying to teach these guys about the consequences of following good verses evil.  

Prisons here in South Africa are full of Coloured and Black people.  Society, especially in the wake of such strong color divides and prejudice, is failing them as well.  Please help me pray for these guys to come to true freedom through the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  He paid the price for all to be saved and know freedom.

Pictures

When a donation (from one of our donors) came in for the preschool, the teacher decided to build a playground! Alberto helped with the building and participated in the inauguration ceremony!  Kids here have few safe places to be, let alone a place to play!

I donated some of our old children’s books to the preschool, since they had none.

Winter is approaching, which means we have very cold nights!  There is a big push to provide warm blankets and hats to kids in the community. (My mom knit this one!) 

Last month we dropped Ana at the airport.  She is currently a live-in nanny at our friends’ house!

Ana got her driver’s license last week! This was one of her goals while being in the U.S.

Alberto’s new car…finally!  Thank you to all of you who made this possible.  This car will make our lives much easier!

Sweet Phoebe at speech therapy. 

This will be our new family size for most of the upcoming year!  Releasing Isaac has been the single most difficult thing I have had to do.  Neither the best schools in Cape Town nor his precious family could tempt him to stay!  I am not sure when we will see him again, as he is traveling on a one-way plane ticket. At least Ana has a return ticket!  

Rebecca came to visit us last week! Rebecca was Phoebe’s volunteer during Park Street Church’s Christian Formation Hour, made possible through the Enable Boston ministry.

Kid Update

Ana is enjoying being a nanny and catching up with friends in the U.S. She recently completed her college applications for schools in Cape Town. She returns to South Africa Sept 6 and will start university here in Jan 2017.

Isaac finishes homeschooling next week. He leaves South Africa June 11, at which time he will stay with my parents in Weymouth and work for the summer. He starts Boston Trinity Academy in August.

Margaret is still homeschooling.  She is excited to leave South Africa late June, with her friend Jordyn, who will be here on a short-term missions trip. Margaret will attend camp at Deer Run, NH before returning to South Africa with Ana on Sept 5. 

Phoebe turns 9 next week.  Her latest sentence is “More food please.”  This is now her favorite sentence, replacing the former favorite “I want meat.”  We are now working on “I see meat.”  (Clearly food, and specifically meat, is a big motivator for Phoebe!) She is fortunate to have many dedicated therapists here.

Prayer Requests

• Pray for the boys that Alberto is working with, that they will know there is Hope.
• Continue to pray for rain for South Africa. 
• Pray for our safety and protection.
• Praise that Isaac’s id arrived.
• Pray for Isaac’s departure from South Africa to Boston on June 11. 
• Pray for me when Isaac leaves! 
• Praise that Phoebe’s birth document arrived.  We now have all the necessary documents for the whole family!
• Praise that Ana has finished her college applications for Cape Town schools.  Pray that she will get into the right school!