Beta Sigma Psi: Sunday - Day 4

Sunday we attended a church in Thabong.  We packed 8 of us into our 7 passenger car, then picked up DJ & Bridge to bring the total to 10.  Of course, that was far from the record of 17 that we set during one of our Bible studies last year.  The church service in itself was a humbling experience.  The message was about demonstrating an Attitude of Gratitude.  The pastor challenged the church to show God’s authority over their lives through an offering for RHI – this was unplanned, as the church didn’t even know we were going to be there in advance.  The offering was taken up at the end of the service, after the normal tithes and offerings had already been collected.  There were about 50 adults at this service.  The final tally was R1,100.  This is the equivalent of about $160.  When you consider that the average income is about $10 per day, you realize the generosity shown by these fellow believers.  It brings to life Paul’s message in 2 Corinthians 8.  I think the pastor was also a bit surprised at the response.  Initially the challenge was to collect enough so we could buy French fries and Cola for the kids.  By any measure $160 is a bit of overkill for French fries and Cola.  Instead we used the funds to make food parcels and deliver them to families who live at the dump and at #7 Squatter Camp.  You will hear more about that in the Saturday summary.

After church we enjoyed lunch with DJ and Brilliant joining us.  We’ve learned that of all the things that teams enjoy, the biggest impact occurs when they get to know the people of South Africa on a personal level.  We try to ensure opportunity for that as much as possible.  One of the guy’s had a family member set aside some funds specifically for a couple special needs.  Before the team left the US she collected some items of clothing and shipped them over with the guys.  In addition to that she set aside some funds to help buy groceries for Bridge’s family.  When the guys gave those things to Bridge, he was so overwhelmed he couldn’t talk.  The generosity of someone he doesn’t even know moved him to tears.  Seeing moments like that are the things that leave a lasting impact with teams and with us.

In addition to gifts for Brilliant and his family, there were also some things for Atang.  Atang is JT’s younger brother.  I’ll have to share his story another time, but again, God blessed this young man through the generosity of someone who he will likely never meet – at least on this side of life.

The Life & Times of Louis & Amber - Beta Sigma Psi Update

Things here in South Africa have been very busy since our last update, with nary a minute to spare to record the details.  The guys from ISU have hit the work at Restoring Hope Village pretty hard, completing our first foundation last Tuesday.  In fact, some of them have been putting in 24 hour days at the property.  Before you think I’m exaggerating, let me explain. 

With so many projects in the works, not a day goes by when we don’t have something valuable left around, whether it’s cement mixers or steel for foundations.  Given the tendency of things here in South Africa to grow legs and walk away during the night it has been important for someone to keep an eye on these things.  Two of the guys – Dusty and Micah – have taken it upon themselves to spend their nights sleeping in one of the containers.  Usually they are joined by one or two other guys, although to hear the stories when they get back in the morning, I’m not sure how much “security value” they add to the premesis.  I guess a potential criminal may observe the goings-on and think “those guys must be worse off than me…” and choose to pass.  Who knows?  If you want the details, you’ll have to ask the guys themselves.

Before I get too far sharing the events of our last week, I need to say something about this group.  I remember being a college student not too many years ago.  One always takes pause before hosting a group of 6 fraternity boys.  You really don’t know what you’re going to get – although with this group we had a pretty good idea that they would be an asset to the ministry.  With that said, we had no idea how much an asset they would be.  God has brought us 6 young men who know how to work, who are willing to do whatever it takes no matter how difficult or tedious, and who know how to have fun while doing these things.  If these guys are a representation of the future of our country, we are in good hands.

This is a group of young men that have taken it on themselves to serve God during their summer break when others are concerned about having fun, or about making money.  They are serious about accomplishing tasks in front of them, serious about reaching out to the community, and serious about having some good, clean fun. 

I will give you a quick synopsis of our last week.  Check back later for more detail on each day:

Sunday – We attended a church in Thabong, where the guys got to observe a traditional South African worship service.  The church was also a huge challenge to us.

Monday-We poured the first foundation, although not everything went as planned.

Tuesday-We finished the foundation, then made a set of bricks.

Wednesday-Amber, the kids, and I took my cousin Ben back to Johannesburg for his return flight to the US.  Brian and the guys started digging the 2^nd foundation.

Thursday-The guys and Brian finished digging the 2^nd foundation and started laying steel.  Amber and I went to Home Affairs where we received our new visa’s, allowing us to legally live in South Africa for two more years.  I spent the rest of the day laid up in bed sick.

Friday-I took 3 of the guys and DJ and made a batch of bricks.  Brian took 3 guys and Bridge and worked on finishing the steel and forming up the foundation.  Once we were done with bricks we helped finish that up as well.

Saturday-The team went to a local market while Tex and I purchased food for an outreach.  After the market the guys put together food parcels with a gospel pamphlet.  In the afternoon we went to the dump, then to #7 Squatter Camp and delivered food parcels.  DJ went along as our interpreter.

Remember to check back for more detail on each day.

The Life & Times of Louis & Amber - A Weekend Away

Earlier in July we took a trip to Bethlehem, South Africa.  It is about 2 hours away and just at the beginning of the Drakensberg Mountain Range.  While Ben was here we thought it was important to show him a bit of South Africa besides just Welkom.  Unfortunately, most of the beautiful areas are more than 6 hours away, and since we had too many projects on the burners, we couldn't carve out enough time to justify a trip that long.  We took a Friday-Sunday to spend some time in and around Bethlehem, enjoying some of the beauty of God's creation.  Here are some photos:

Tales from a Township - Standing Up for Your Sister

We just started a new Bible study with the guys.  It will be based on Disciplines of a Godly Man by R. Kent Hughes.  As I’ve started the process of putting together a study booklet, I’ve begun to realize more and more how much emphasis the Bible places on self-discipline within a Christian’s life.  Specifically, how important godly men are to a culture.

South Africa is desperately missing men who will stand up for what is right; men who will commit to being faithful husbands and godly fathers.  We hope with this study to refresh ourselves in the call to godliness, as well as instill in the young men here a commitment to becoming godly leaders within their community and families.

Of course, we all know that when it comes to self-discipline, it is easier said than done.  Righteous living is easy to talk about, but much harder to practice.

The other day I was transporting a DJ and Bridge from Thabong back into town.  The topic of young women came up, specifically some of the young girls they know and their willingness to go with any guy that gives her attention.  In a culture so decimated by HIV/AIDS, and in spite of the fact that these girls are well aware of the potential dangers, they live a life of promiscuity – spending lots of time at local taverns, going home with whichever young man invites them, living with a guy who says he loves her yet treats her like a rented mule.

After observing this culture, I realize the US is not all that far behind.  Being back this past year opened my eyes to the glaring holes left by men who refuse to stand up and take responsibility for their wives and children.  You hear of school-aged girls “cutting” themselves, using razors and knives to mutilate their arms and legs.  The temptations that have been put in front of my younger brothers, things that would have seemed shocking 10 years ago, now seem commonplace.  The US is not much different than South Africa, only there exists more of a safety net…for now.  These girls are craving a man to care for them, to love them, to make them feel beautiful and wanted.  If godly men don’t step up and do it, some scumbag will.

Here are a couple stories the boys shared with me:

DJ has a sister who is in her early 20’s.  Just recently her mother and father (who are divorced, with the father living 2 hours away) were approached by a young man who wanted to pay the dowry and marry this girl.  While still part of the culture, dowrys and marriage have become quite rare – most of the time young people just shack up together.

DJ’s sister knew and liked this guy, and the parent’s knew he had a job to support her, so they agreed.  Unfortunately, the job this guy would be supporting her with is illegal.  He is an illegal immigrant from Zimbabwe who engages in illegal mining (see this link for more on the Ghost Miners).  After initially agreeing, DJ’s mom began to have second thoughts.  Where would her daughter go once this guy eventually gets caught, killed, or if he decided to return to Zimbabwe?  The girl’s father also began to have second thoughts – because the guy only paid half the agreed upon amount.  Because of this disagreement, the daughter just left and began living with the guy without ever completing the marriage process.

This all took place a couple months ago.  This guy and DJ’s sister live maybe half a mile away from them, so they knew she was getting on ok.  That is, until a couple weeks back.  While the Zimbabwean guy was down in the mines someone tipped the police off.  They raided the house to find DJ’s sister alone there with over 29,000 Rand.  When you consider that a day’s wage for an average laborer is about 50 Rand, this amount comes to about 2 years salary - all in cash.

Obviously she had no reasonable explanation for why she would have this much cash sitting around the house.  Of course, it all came from the gold this guy had mined and sold to the buyers at the famous G Hostel.  This is where the illegal miners, gangsters, and buyers have their headquarters.  It has been written about in the London Times and is a place that is the crime center in this town.  We pass it nearly every time we enter Thabong, and there are stories every week in the paper about crimes that directly or indirectly trace back to this location.  The boys tell stories of buyers who have entire rooms stacked with crates of cash for purchasing the illegally mined gold – there is good money in it, and at times it is hard to fault the people who engage in the practice, given the bleak alternatives here.

Because she had no explanation for the cash, she was immediately hauled off to jail.  DJ’s mom was able to get her out a couple days later, since there was really no way that this young girl had been the one to obtain this wealth.  The boyfriend had dropped out of sight to avoid the police, but he called the girl and told her to ask for the cash.  When she did she was told that she would have to return the next day to collect it.  When she did return a day later, the cash was nowhere to be found – big shocker there.

Now this girl is left with nowhere to turn but to go back home.  Fortunately, there are no children involved, but this story is repeated over and over.  It is no surprise that there are kids running the streets with no one to look after them, no one equipped to care for them.

DJ knew from the beginning that the whole situation should be avoided, but since the parents initially agreed, there was nothing he could do.  We discussed him having conversations starting now with his 7 year old sister and 2 year old sister that they would have to come to him for permission to date anyone.  This may sound harsh, or unreasonable to an American observer, but when the reality of life is that babies are being made by children who are scarecely grown themselves, and that almost 50% of the local population is HIV+, it is time that someone takes responsibility and shows some real love.

Real love is not giving someone whatever they want.  It is giving them what is best for them….which brings me to my second story.

Brilliant shared the same sentiments that it is difficult to watch out for your sisters, cousins, friends, because they will say “my mom knows and she doesn’t care.”  Brilliant has a 14 year old sister.  She is actually his niece, but because his eldest sister, who passed away last year due to illness, gave birth to this girl when she was 14, Bridge’s family has raised her as their own.

One day she was due home from a friend’s house and was a bit late.  Bridge began to worry and went over to the friend’s house, only to learn that she had left with a boy not long before.  He found out where the boy lived and went immediately to see what was happening.  On the way to the boy’s house, he saw to young people off in the distance in a huge empty lot.  As he drew nearer, he saw that it was his sister with a boy about 15 or 16 years old. 

As soon as the boy saw Bridge, he took off running, with Brilliant in hot pursuit.  Since the boy was only wearing flip-flops, he kicked them off to run faster.  Bridge stopped and picked up the shoes, knowing that the kid would have to come get them back.  Then he took his sister and headed for home.  When they turned to go down their own street, Brilliant saw this guy following them out of the corner of his eye.  He stopped and called for the boy to come, and the boy said “Give me my shoes back.”  Bridge told the boy to come get them, and when he got close Bridge grabbed the boy and gave him a lesson in noble intentions.  The kid kept saying he would go home and get his brother, so Bridge grabbed a stick and together with the boy and his two sisters headed to the boy’s house to make sure this was settled and wouldn’t be an ongoing problem.  When he arrived at the boy’s house he found no one was home, so together with his sisters he headed back home. 

On the way, they found themselves blocked off by a gang of about 8 tsoties (gangsters, thugs).  He said he knew he had to buy some time for his sisters to run away, but time it just right so he wouldn’t be caught himself.  The girls turned and ran, and when the gang came for him he had to run too.  As he was running he came to a fence about 7 feet high.  He said they would have caught him there, but when he grabbed the top to vault it, the fence gave way enough to allow him to roll over and keep running.  It then sprang back enough to block and slow his pursuers.

He said from that whole situation his sister learned her lesson.  Of course, that is until the next guy comes along to give her some attention.  These are the kinds of situations that our young men find themselves in.  Please pray that they will have the strength and grace to stand up for what is right in a culture riddled with decay.

The Life & Times of Louis & Amber - Help from Iowa: Beta Sigma Psi

On August 4^th, we were joined by a team from Iowa State University.  There are six young men from the Beta Sigma Psi fraternity that have dedicated two weeks this summer to assist with the construction of Restoring Hope Village.  Among those six are three Carroll natives – Ian Moore, son of Mike and Sue Moore, Joe Eisenbacher, son of Joe and Durene Eisenbacher, and Joel Pudenz, son of Doug and DeAnn Pudenz.

This team joins the work at The Village during a very important time.  We are finally prepared to pour the foundation for our first house, and although we are waiting from final approval from the municipality, the help they provide will be a valuable asset.  Considering the fact that we will be mixing and pouring the cement ourselves, it is great timing to get a crew of guys like this.

In addition to pouring the foundation, they will be involved in making bricks for additional houses, and laying the brick on the exterior walls of this first house.  We also plan to involve them in some community outreach projects.  The guys came prepared, bringing a suitcase full of soccer balls and extra clothes. 

Typically visitors suffer a bit from jet lag their first day here, so we used that day for some orientation and a tour of the surrounding community.  Part of the tour consists of eating a traditional South African meal prepared by a friend of ours in the township.  This meal consists of cornmeal porridge called Pap, boiled corn and beans called Samp, along with pumpkin, beets, spinach, a spicy mango dish called Achar, and chicken drumsticks.  The topper of this “traditional” meal is boiled chicken heads and feet, also called Walky-Talkys.   The boys were great sports and everyone tried a bit of everything, although some of them chose to pick out various portions of the heads such as the brains, beaks, or eyeballs.

After lunch we all gathered around for a Bible study on self-discipline and godly leadership (for more on that visit our website at www.otoolsa.blogspot.com).  After the heads and feet had a chance to settle a bit, we kicked off a game of soccer in the dusty streets of Thabong.  Several neighbors joined us for this game, and we learned that a bunch of Iowans have a lot to learn about the “beautiful game.”  Fortunately the street was narrow, so the South Africans couldn’t run too many circles around us before running out of room.  I switched teams mid-game because someone had to leave, so I would like to say my team won.  Unfortunately, my team also lost.

Stay tuned for more updates on their trip and the work they accomplish with Restoring Hope Village. 

The Life & Times of Louis & Amber - Keeping Ben Busy...Part 3

My cousin Ben has drafted another letter to his peeps back home.  He was kind enough to allow me to post it.  Here you go:

Hello Everyone!

I’ve reflected on the last couple of days and thought I’d share what all has occurred beginning from Friday to the present.

Friday: Made bricks and finished early afternoon. I went and toured the Pines, an orphanage facility that functions in much the same way the Village we are constructing will. The two families I am helping build RHI’s Village originally worked and lived at the Pines. Ellie and Zach also were there for six weeks and I was able to finally see the faces and place they have been talking about for so long.

Saturday: I had toured the Pines with a youth group team from the UK and they invited me to visit a Lion park this day with them. Our drive was about an hour long and I enjoyed visiting with them. 

The park had various cats, but did have a ton of lions. They even had a rare breed of white lions. After a tour, we had the chance to play with 4 month old tigers and 3 month old lions. The tigers were much more aggressive and drew blood!

I arrived home in time to help make another batch of bricks that Louie, DJ, and Brilliant were already working on. DJ and Brilliant then spent the night and we roasted marshmallows over the coals of the grill after our hot dogs and then played a game of Ticket To Ride, where I came in 4^th out of four hehe. For those of you who do know how to play, Louie dealt a hand of tickets to explain the game to DJ and Brilliant and I commented that it was a terrible hand. Well, guess who ended up getting dealt some of those very same cards?! It was just my second time playing, so…that’s not a good excuse, right?

Sunday: Louie was asked to fill in preaching at a church and did a great job, and even referenced me in his sermon. The guys came home with us and we had a lunch of chuck wagon beans. We were sitting around talking after lunch and Louie was going to bring them back to Thabong, but they got to talking. We all know that Sunday afternoons are great for a nap and well, I ended up falling asleep before they left and just briefly woke up when Louie returned.

Amber had an interesting thought to share after their sleepover here where they each got their own bed, or at least mattress on the floor. Brilliant has to share a bed with his 14 year old sister and DJ has 9 people + living in his 20’ x 12’ house. That’s the size of just my bedroom at home that I share with only four brothers!

Monday: De-molded a batch of bricks early in the morning then hurried home and cleaned up. Someone from the States had been watching the World Cup and seen so many people in coats and donated money for purchasing coats. Amber and Lois found many coats reasonably priced second hand and we needed a venue to distribute them so we headed to a hospice center in Thabong where they have been helping at weekly. After arriving, two of the staff joined us and two others joined Lois and her family and we began our distribution. The trip was far from all fun and games by any means.

After our trip we had to stop by the grocery to purchase our filtered water. A short time after a quick lunch found us back to making bricks, until the motor broke off the vibrating table. Getting that welded back on was not difficult, it just took time and we have come to learn “it’s always something” that impedes us in some way! We had to hurry then to finish the batch before dark.

Tuesday: Morning Star is a center that cares for only HIV positive children of preschool age. This is actually what brought the team from the UK here as they helped with many things but predominantly painting.

There have been various ways we have been able to participate in the ministry of Morning Star. They hold support group meetings for the caregivers/guardians of the children and Louie has posted on his blog about leading the devotions for them.  I was also able to participate in leading devotions, but I helped with the daily devotions for the Morning Star staff.

This morning my topic was Science and the 10 Commandments and I referred to II Peter 3. While these may seem a little disconnected, here was the point I attempted to make. Evolution is a FAITH, that does not fit the facts. Creation is a faith that fits the facts. Why would someone want to devote himself to trying to disprove the reality of a creator God, unless he is trying to escape the predicament that we as humans are guilty as sinners before God? All I would have to do is simply evaluate myself in light of the 10 commandments to realize that I am in desperate need of a Savior to who can forgive the sinner that I am. Or, I could put my faith instead in a hope that there does not exist a God to whom I am accountable, even when there is remarkable evidence that this world was created just a short time ago and, incidentally, also was recently covered in a catastrophic flood. In this way, evolution is a faith.

After devotions, I headed out to the property to help finish up digging the foundation for the Niehoff’s house. We had to add a little more rock, but there was a tractor there that was scraping and leveling the land that was able to help with that.

Wednesday: (today) Today was actually quite uneventful. This morning Louie and I went to unmold blocks, but they weren’t dry. I did get some math done then this morning, and the afternoon we finished the batch of blocks. These blocks are shaped about the size of cinder blocks, but they lock together.

Let me explain the block making process briefly. We have to disassemble the molds, stack the blocks, clean and spray oil on the molds, assemble the molds, mix concrete and fill the molds on a vibrating table. If you’d like to see the official presentation of the blocks, go to http://www.stumbelbloc.com/ We are trying to get enough made to start building a house next week when a team from ISU arrives.

I hope this suffices for a brief day to day synopsis so you know how things are going. I do have a lot to accomplish before I leave, so these next couple of weeks will be quite busy, which is good!

Ben Stangl