Relay Iowa 2012

Relay Iowa is an extreme relay run across the state of Iowa.  Starting in Souix City and continuing non-stop to Dubuque, at 337 miles, it is the longest relay in the world.  Relay Iowa is the vision of Bill Raine, a former team member who chose to channel his passion into an event to benefit the ministry God has given to Restoring Hope in South Africa.  He and his family have put countless hours into the event over the past few years.  Their work has paid off, as it has grown from 4 teams each of the first two years to 11 teams this year.

With our family being back in the States for a few months we had the opportunity to experience the finish line of this event.  One thing I can tell you is that after observing these teams as they accomplished such an amazing feat, it makes me want to do it myself.  And I've never run more than 2 consecutive miles in my life!
Bill and his team allowed us to greet the runners as they came in.  Instead of medals for each participant the organizers decided framed team photos would be so much more valuable for the memories.  So we were able to hand out the photos to each team member.  In addition, our four oldest girls at Restoring Hope Village had made bracelets to give to the runners.  So we were able to share with them the work of RHI as well as a token thank you for their efforts.

This year Bill was able to raise $8,000 for Restoring Hope Village through Relay Iowa.  This is a huge blessing to us, as it represents a significant portion of any building or operations project.  Our next building phase includes two new children's houses which would bring our total up to 24 children.  Thanks to all who participated in Relay Iowa for their contribution to the ministry.  Especially big thanks to Bill & Jill Raine, their two daughters and Nathian & Katrina Steir who all gave up lots of sleeping time over this past weekend to ensure the event was a raging success!

As the teams came in we saw lots of camaraderie, teamwork, pain and laughter.  Some of them had stories to share.  Here are a few:

1.  One runner pulled a hamstring a week before the run.  But runners are different people.  He wouldn't pull out of the relay.  So he ran his share of the 337 miles with his leg looking like this.  I apologize for the brevity of the shorts.  Like I said, runners are different.

2.  From injuries before the run to injuries during the run...just after the start in Souix City one runner stepped on a broken piece of glass.  The glass punctured his shoe and went into his foot.  He pulled off the shoe and continued running barefoot as he completed his first leg of the relay.  As he ran he tried to pull the glass out of the shoe but his hands were too sweaty and he couldn't.  So without stopping he used his teeth to pull the broken chunk out of the sole of his running shoe.  During his break a nurse on their team bandaged up his foot and he continued the relay.

3.  One team from Chicago had a member drop out just a few days before the run.  Not wanting to sacrifice the entire team they began looking for another member.  At a neighborhood doughnut shop (yes, these runners also eat doughnuts) they knew of a runner they could ask.  Daniel grew up in Ethiopia and moved to the States with his father several years ago.  He attended college on a distance running scholarship.  He agreed to run on their team and apparently he was amazing.  Most distance runners will run between 8-10 mph, depending on their fitness and competition level.  On the third day of the relay Daniel was still averaging 5 minute miles!  There is a reason that all the big marathons are won by Ethiopians or Kenyans.  They just know how to run!

4.  As we were passing out the team photos at the finish one runner came to us with a soggy $20 bill.  As they were running a drunk guy on a bike rode alongside for awhile to talk.  They told him what they were running for and he pulled out a $20 and gave it to the runner.  Wearing spandex (which typically comes without pockets) the runner had to be creative where he put the money as he ran.  Which explains its soggy condition.  We made sure to pass that along to Jill Raine as quickly as possible so as not to have to hold it too closely ourselves:-)

5.  This is probably the coolest story and one we wished we could have witnessed in person.  Relay Iowa is a run, not a race.  Just the accomplishment of crossing the entire state non-stop is enough for most people.  Teams report their average mile times before the race so it can be calculated roughly how long it might take them to complete the run.  Each team's start time is based on that calculation so that they all start at different times but hopefully arrive at the finish line within a couple hours of one another.  One of the teams was made up of ultra-marathoners.  Most teams have 12 or so runners.  This team had 6.  The team that was out in the lead throughout the whole run started 3 hours before this team.  Each runner carries a GPS monitoring device so that the organizers can tell how far apart the teams are and also ensure no one gets off course.  The last day the team of marathoners saw that they were catching up to the lead team and began to pick up the pace.  Apparently with just a few miles to go they other team saw them nipping at their heels and Relay Iowa quickly transition from a run to an all-out race to the finish.  Team members were pushing themselves as hard as they could to hold off each other's teams.  Normally each individual takes a 6 mile shift of running, but when the race broke out they began shortening the shifts.  Team members would hop out of the support vehicle to spell one another.  As we heard the story from Bill and Nathian, within those last few hundred yards the marathoners passed up the other team to cross the finish line first.  Runners are competitive folk, but if you think about it, you'd have to be to keep you plodding past miles and miles of corn and soybeans at all hours of the day or night.  Starting on Friday afternoon the last team crossed the finish line on Sunday at about 3:30 or so.

Here are a few pictures from the 3 days across Iowa.  If you'd like to see more you can find them on Relay Iowa's Facebook page.  Next year we need to push it up to 20 teams or more running for Restoring Hope.  Consider putting together a team yourself or contact Relay Iowa and they will place you with another team that needs runners.  If I was here I would be doing it myself...as long as there were at least 15 other people on my team...maybe I'd settle for a few Ethiopians or marathoners that could take 5 miles of my 6 mile shifts.

Everyone is excited for the start

So much energy on day one!

Thank goodness for AAA and jumper cables

Iowa Farms

Early morning running

Family support

More Iowa farms

Knee High by the Fourth of July

Waiting for the handoff

Stereotypical Iowa

Small town running

Rural = Beautiful

Running day and night

Not exactly a spectator sport, but you encourage the ones you love

Each team had their support groups

Iowa isn't all flat, corn and soybeans

Family reunion at the 336.9 mile mark

Most team cross the finish line together

Bill presents RHI with $8,000 raised by Relay Iowa

The Teams of Relay Iowa 2012

Back In The States....and trying to adjust

Well, you can probably tell that we have been a bit busy the last several weeks.  We returned to the US in mid-May and since then have been running around to various meetings.  Seeing so many family and friends has been a huge blessing.  But coming back to the States is not without an element of culture shock.  Probably the biggest eye-opener to us is how convenient everything in the States seems to be.  In fact, I received an email from a friend in South Africa stating that they are now beginning to install drive-up ATM's there, something that Americans have enjoyed for well over a decade now.  In fact, the idea is so new to South Africans that they had to post instructions.  It goes something like this:

MALE PROCEDURE

1. Drive up to the cash machine.
2. Put down your car window.
3. Insert card into machine and enter PIN.
4. Enter amount of cash required and withdraw.
5. Retrieve card, cash and receipt.
6. Put window up.
7. Drive off.

FEMALE PROCEDURE

1. Drive up to cash machine.
2. Reverse and back up the required amount to align car window with
the machine.
3. Set parking brake, put the window down.
4. Find handbag, remove all contents on to passenger seat to locate
card.
5. Tell person on cell phone you will call them back and hang up.
6. Attempt to insert card into machine.
7. Open car door to allow easier access to machine due to its
excessive distance from the car.
8. Insert card.
9. Re-insert card the right way.
10. Dig through handbag to find diary with your PIN written on the
inside back page.
11. Enter PIN.
12. Press cancel and re-enter correct PIN.
13. Enter amount of cash required.
14. Check makeup in rear view mirror.
15. Retrieve cash and receipt.
16. Empty handbag again to locate wallet and place cash inside.
17. Write debit amount in check register and place receipt in back
of checkbook.
18. Re-check makeup.
19. Drive forward 2 feet.
20. Reverse back to cash machine.
21. Retrieve card.
22. Re-empty hand bag, locate card holder, and place card into the
slot provided.
23. Give dirty look to irate male driver waiting behind you.
24. Restart stalled engine and pull off.
25. Redial person on cell phone.
26. Drive for 2 to 3 miles.
27. Release Parking Brake.

I'll try to post a bit more regularly as we continue our travels here in the US.  Thanks for your prayers for our family and for the ongoing ministry at Restoring Hope Village.

Bible Study

Things That I've Learned...

Since moving to The Village one month ago, I've had the opportunity to learn many new things.  This is by no means an exhaustive list, rather something of a collection of highlights.  Let's go...

Lesson #1:  We need to rotate our foodstuffs on a more regular basis.  When we moved to South Africa in 2008 we reached a point during packing where you just stop organizing and begin cramming things into boxes.  Apparently, one of those things that was crammed was a half-eaten jar of bacon bits.  Unbeknownst to us, those bacon bits had expired in 2006.  I'm happy to report that synthetic bacon, specifically Betty Crocker's Baco's brand bits, continue to make every bite better even 6 years past the expiration.  And I would be willing to bet they actually contain a greater nutritional value now than they did then.

Lesson #2:  My children are not as intelligent as we would like to believe.  The other morning Amber and I awakened to overhear an argument betwixt Meredith (age 6) and Drake (age 3).
Meredith:  "I can't hear you"
Drake:  "I'm not listening"
Meredith:  "I can't hear you"
Drake:  "I'm not listening"

Meredith:  "I can't hear you"

Drake:  "I'm not listening"

...and so on and so on for several minutes.

Lesson #3:  God bless America.  We've had lots of adventures, or more accurately, misadventures with various agencies of the republic in which we reside.  We had to renew 3 of our family's passports and in order to do so we had to travel to the US Consulate in Johannesburg.  We'll just summarize by saying we have a much greater appreciation for working with people who actually know what the job is they are supposed to be doing.

Lesson #4:  Do not, for any reason, urinate on or near a beehive.  Recently we've been working on team housing.  Team housing is on the other side of The Village from our house.  And sometimes during the course of an average day it becomes necessary to answer nature's call.  In an effort to maintain the American efficiency referenced above I've discovered a nice, private corner of the property behind one of the containers, thereby avoiding the long walk to and from my personal commode.  And I must point out that I've been using this private corner long before the killer African bees decided to build their hive there.  But possession is nine-tenths ownership, and I've made the decision that by reason of their possession those bees may now own this parcel of ground.  Also, I was the recipient of their unpleasant reception.  

FYI - God created bees to target the eyes of their antagonists and this isn't the first lesson I've had on the subject.

Lesson #5:  Life and ministry are exponentially easier now.  I'm sure there will come a day when we are tired of children or staff knocking on our door all hours of the day and night.  But so far we've seen it both as a privilege and a blessing.  Even simple things like children's Bible study are so much better.  For instance, the children wanted to know where Abraham lived and where his servant had to travel to fetch Rebecca.  And since we were able to have the study in our house I had quick and easy access to a Middle East map.  Amber has been hosting children almost every afternoon for some craft, project or other.  Hopefully our presence has helped lighten the load for Brian and Lois, as they had been doing many of these things alone for about a year now.  And that takes us to Lesson Six.

Lesson #6:  It's going to be tough to leave.  Meredith and Monica spend almost every available minute together.  Drake enjoys playing with Liam and the other kids.  Amber loves the chance she gets to invest in the kids life that she missed out on for the last couple years.  And I've enjoyed the privilege of working with our houseparents on a more personal basis.  We're really anticipating our return to the States in a couple weeks.  But we'll miss the children and the ministry here for the 3 months we are back.

Following Jesus

Last Sunday we had the privilege to experience one of the greatest blessings of ministry.  Two of our children chose to follow the Lord in believer's baptism.  JT, about whom you've read several times on this post, and Dieketseng, who has been part of our ministry for a long time now.  For the purpose of clarification, JT doesn't actually live at The Village.  He came into our lives through an outreach we did at a local high school.  Dieketseng has lived at The Village for about a year now, and we've been actively ministering in her life since she came to live with Brian and Lois Niehoff in 2006.

Before I allow JT and Dieketseng to share in their own words why they wanted to be baptized, I want to make sure everyone knows what we're talking about.  Historically, during Bible times, baptism was practiced in order to publicly identify with someone or with their message.  That is why Jesus' cousin John was baptizing people before Jesus ever began His own public ministry.  Scripture is clear that Jesus alone and His atoning work on the cross merits our access to a righteous standing before God.  Therefore, we don't baptize everyone, because baptizing someone who has never believed doesn't accomplish anything.  Simply put, the act of baptism is a public statement by an individual who has come to Christ for forgiveness of sins, and an identification with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection.  They are testifying before the world that they are a follower of Jesus and intend to continue to walk in Him.  If you'd like to discuss this further, please shoot me an email at lotool@restoringhopeint.org.

Dieketseng first approached me about baptism a few years ago, but we put it off to ensure she knew the serious nature of that decision.  She again brought it to my attention several months back, but we didn't feel she was ready.  Finally, sometime in January this year the evidence seemed to catch up to her desire.

JT had made a profession of salvation in 2008.  We make it a point to educate newly professing believers on the topic of baptism, but I refuse to push anyone toward that decision.  If that profession proves to be genuine, the individual will come to that conclusion through the Holy Spirit prompting.  He'll do a much better job than we ever could.  That prompting came to JT in January this year.  He called me one night to inform me it was time that I baptize him.  I spent almost an hour on the phone with him that night and it was clear he was ready.





I approached Pastor Joshua Bolaji, our pastor at Welkom Baptist Church.  He agreed to hold the service at the church, and based on our relationship with both he asked me to perform the ceremony.  What a privilege!  I've baptized people before, but this is the first time I've been able to baptize someone that came to the Lord under our ministry.  Believe it or not, I made it through the entire thing without shedding a tear.  In fact, I didn't even have that irritating lump in my throat once!

So, without further ado, here are the brief version testimonies of JT and Diekeseng:

Teboho Jakuja:  I always knew there was, there is, and there always will be God, but I just didn’t know who He was.  In 2008 I met Uncle Louie and he told us about Jesus and who He really is.  In our Bible study we learned Romans 10:13 “Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.” 

We also learned John 1:12 “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become the children of God, even to those who believe in His name.”  I believed and accepted Jesus as my personal Savior on December 31, 2008.  That day I became a new creation.

  

I want to be baptized because the Scripture says that those who believe are to be baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  I believe, so I want to be baptized.

Dieketseng Karreebos:  One day we went to Reahola Church.  Pastor Ernest was preaching about the gospel.  There were two twins who were visiting us for awhile from America.  After church we had lunch and we started to have a conversation about what we learned in church.  Then I heard the gospel but I didn’t take it seriously.

So one of the twins asked if we had accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior.  Then she went and prayed with me but I still lived my own life.  Awhile after that Uncle Lou asked if we knew John 3:16.  I didn’t know.  That night I still didn’t understand.  I read it over and over again until I understood what it talked about. 

I received Jesus that day and my life started to change because now Christ lives in my heart.

  

I want to be baptized because I want to obey God and show people that I love Him.

Rosie

In late February we had a new arrival at The Village.  Sonti Rose is 13 years old and was in grade 7 at Aurora Primary School, one of the better public schools here in town.  She had been living with her grandmother, but the granny just grew too frail to be able to care for her.

Rosie's situation is unique from any other we've dealt with.  According to what we have been told, her mother was educated, employed, and relatively affluent.  This gave Rose some advantages that none of our other children have enjoyed.  Although living in Thabong, Rose was able to attend Aurora School in town because her mother could afford transportation.  She came with plenty of nice clothing, her English is fantastic, and she carries herself differently (for better and worse) than other children from less advantaged backgrounds.  In fact, just the other day she and I had this conversation:
Rose:  "I would like to have my birthday at the casino this year"
Louis:  "Excuse me?"
Rose:  "Last year I had my birthday at Spur (a nice restaurant in town) and this year I would like to have it at the casino."
Louis:  "So you're turning 18 this year?"
Rose:  "No, but they have a place for children to have parties so we can have it there."
Louis:  "How much does it cost?"
Rose:  "Maybe R2,000?"  (roughly $250)
Louis:  "Rose, I've never even had a birthday party that cost R400 ($50), so I don't think you're going to get a party like that.  That's not the way we do things."
Rose:  "Can we talk about it again later."
Louis:  "Sure, but I don't think that will change anything."

You might ask why she is living here if she comes from such a relatively privileged environment.  The problem was that in addition to her affluence her mother was also promiscuous.  It calls to mind the warning of Proverbs 5:9-11.  The man (or in this case, the woman) who chooses an immoral lifestyle will lose any sort of wealth they have accumulated.  Once Rose's mother became ill they lost everything.  That is how she ended up living with her elderly grandmother.

The fact that Rose comes from a different background hasn't seemed to greatly affect her transition to The Village.  Her housemother, Mama Selina, actually worked with Rose when she was in preschool at the creche Rose attended.  When Rosie arrived at The Village the first day they recognized each other and embraced warmly.  (That is a testament to the type of woman that Selina is, because you wouldn't see that type of reunion with most people, as few in the childcare industry have any real affection for the children.  Usually it is just a job for those people.)  There was one day early on when Rose came to me complaining that Monica, our 8 year old resident cutie-pie.  According to Rose, Monica wasn't showing her the respect she thinks she deserves as Monica's "elder".  A quick conversation pointing out  to Rose that she is a child, not a staff member sorted that out.  Other than that, our few minor bumps in the road have been nothing more than you would expect with any child.

It became evident the first week at Bible Study that Rose has been exposed to the Gospel on some levels.  She knew all the answers to most of the Bible stories.  She knows who Jesus is.  But the religion she comes from is one that has taught her to follow certain rules in addition to Jesus.  And we know the Bible teaches that the cross of Christ is sufficient.  To this point, Rose hasn't personalized the salvation offered by Christ, but we are confident that God has mighty plans for her.

Please pray for Rose as she continues her transition to The Village, for our houseparents and staff as we work to shepherd her heart into the things of the Lord, and most of all for her to enter into a relationship with God and with His Son.

Decorative Paving

Clearly grayish tan is too boring for paving stones on a driveway.  So our children along with The Village children took it upon themselves to redecorate the Niehoffs driveway.  It took them all day and a whole bucket of chalk, but they stuck with it and completed about 1/5th of the driveway...then they asked for more chalk.  I'm proud of them for their diligence, in addition to the creativity.