This weekend the beautiful Avondale gardens were open to the public and we had a lovely time relaxing among the multitude of flowers and colours with friends and families. The children especially enjoyed the afternoon running, playing, and taking in the splendour of God’s creation.
The residents of the Klipheuwel township, the informal settlement near our mission, received a surprise visit from us this week when we came to drop off food parcels for everyone living there. It took just minutes for everyone to line up and patiently wait for their turn; it always touches our hearts to see people give priority to the smaller and weaker ones. Each person received their package-containing flour, pasta-meals, and jam-gratefully and we enjoyed sharing words of encouragement along with the food with everyone there. A big thank you to each one of our sponsors who keep making it possible for us to continue helping others.
Out of the blue we were given 40 bunches of roses, which led us to think where they would be most appreciated. We decided to take five of the little ones out to a local home for the elderly and give each resident a bunch of these beautiful flowers with an inspirational Activated magazine. The smiles and hugs that resulted left us and them with warmth in our hearts and the knowledge that Jesus was the One who organized it all.
Helping Hand volunteers, young and old, took part in the Cape Gate Fun Run this morning. We all had a great time and even the four littlest ones (ages 3 – 5) did very well. Each one of the Youth and children had a buddy and there were smiles all round as each team crossed the finish line. Well done everyone!
Here is a video of the outreach done by our team of five youth and three adults at the Hermanus Festival over the weekend. We hope it will be an inspiration! Thank you all for your prayers!
The Lord blessed us with an abundance of fresh fruit and vegetables, as well as tins, jars, and packets of food and during this wet and cold month of July. Along with distribution to our many regular beneficiaries, we made food parcels for the over 700 families in the Klipheuwel township. The people there sweetly received our help and a few of the local ladies helped us and made sure that everyone received their share of these needed items. The children also received a bag each and were happy to carry their bag of ‘trophies’ back home. Even though each person there is in desperate need themselves, it humbled us to see these dear people putting their neighbours first and being concerned with the needs of others before their own. Often a small child would let an even younger one get in line before them and make sure they got their parcel. Mommies would always let the children go first and we were touched to see so much kindness and unselfishness in this community. Although we went there to bless others, we returned having been blessed ourselves.Among the thousands of kilos of goods that were distributed there, each person received: bread, vegetables, pasta, juice, jam, cheese, fruit, crackers, and more! (Matthew 7:12 “Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.”)
(Note) At the festival we gave out thousands of tracts/pamphlets. It is our aim to explain the Gospel in an attractive, up-to-date manner. AntTracts are specific and pointed. They use present-day scenarios and language that are “in sync” with today’s attitudes and life-situations. All of them present Jesus’ Salvation as the solution, in a positive, helpful, up-beat, and often humorous way. They are not all “new” but have been in circulation in many mission fields for a number of years and have been proven to bear good fruit (positive results) in the hearts and lives of receptive readers. They are available on the site for download, free of charge. (Chris) We watched a documentary about some missionaries in India and how the Lord gave one of them a dream and told him to go into such-and-such a town and he would meet a man with a white beard, orange robe, and turban. And so he did and, lo and behold, there the man was! Even more amazing, when he started to share the Gospel with him, this man told him that he had ALSO had a dream with the missionary’s face and that he would meet him. Because of this, he was eager to listen to the missionary and gave his life to Jesus. Wonderful! We were all very inspired by this and so, after the movie, we prayed that the Lord would do things like that for us and prepare people that night for meeting us the next day. The next morning I met an artist on the street and started telling him about the Lord. After talking for a few minutes he said, “You know what, I had a dream last night that I would quit smoking, and that I would find the reason to quit today.” WOW! Read the full article…
Everyone in our Helping Hand Mission, from our 1-and-a-half year old to our sixty-something year old, spent the day reaching out to others. The following activities kept us busy for the day. Visiting the Elderly Food Parcels for the Homeless Distributing Educational Materials Nutrition for HIV and TB Patients Sandwiches for Street People A Meal and a Juice for the Less Privileged Fresh Fruits and Vegetables for Feeding Schemes Bibles, Pamphlets, and Inspirational Magazines for All
