Novalosi (who am I kidding I dont even know if this is spelled right???)

I can say, just for myself, that I probably had the most unique dining experience of my entire life this weekend! After church, Shelby thought he would take us to a little place called, Novalosi. It is located in the township of Masiphumalele. I cannot say that anyone in the car was jumping up and down over this idea.

First, Masiphumalele is a little bit scary and not known for it's fantastic restaurants. When we were driving thru, there was a lady actually selling deep friend chicken feet next to the road, point proven! But deep into Masi we drove.

Finally once we were about right in the middle of Masi and thoroughly uncomfortable with our surroundings Shelby exclaims "Here it is!" we al look around and didn't see anything that looked like a restaurant. He then points to a garage with it's door open... Oh, you mean the garage with 5 dogs in it? Yep! That is Novalosi!

My big kids wouldn't get out of the car. It really is quite intimidating to be deep in the heart of a township. While sitting in the car we saw a man hit a woman in the face, right in front of our car, next to the car to the right, were about 8 men who were drinking a lot of beer and smoking a joint. The whole street seemed more like a night club, but in broad daylight. Everyone was flirting with everyone else, music was blaring, the whole street was drinking... it was a big party!

Right in the middle of this daytime nightclub is Novalosi. All they serve is meat and something called pup, which is a bit like grits. Shelby ordered 4 steaks, 4 pork steaks and 8 chicken wings all for R120/$15...okay the price was impressive :)

The guy has a big braai/oven in the garage with hot coals in it and just cooks the meat there with a sauce. There were about 5 dogs wandering around licking the drippings off of the floor and one dog was asleep under the braai, where all of the firewood was. We waited for about 2hours. Shelby had a great talk with the "chef" about Jesus and church. We also met some American missionaries who are only here for a week and a local missionary brought them there to show them some African "culture". I've lived here for 2 years and this was my first encounter with Novalosi, I cant even imagine getting off the plane the night before and having lunch in the middle of that. Quite intimidating, but yes, full of "culture".

In conclusion, it ended up being kinda fun. We did get to see how the people in the townships "do" Sunday's. We got to witness a ton of stuff we dont usually see on a Sunday or any other day of the week. My kids ended up getting out of the car, toward the end, and got to experience something most people dont get to experience. We got to meet people we would have never met, we got to minister to people, meet and share with Americans, pet some fat township dogs and then after much waiting we got to have some really yummy meat!

Here are some pictures, all taken very sneaky sneaky on my camera phone! :)

This is the braai, where the meat is cooked over hot coals and our chef! Gabe watching.

This is the right side of the restaurant where you can sit and dine. There are long picnic tables to eat on and as you can see a couple hopeful dogs.

These are the gentlemen that were next to our car having a good ole time. Notice the houses, a corrugated metal shanty and across a clapboard house.

Some visitors from America talking with Shelby and Finley

FURLOUGH

The Render Fam Furlough

Possible dates: November 26^th – January 16^th

Average Cost Per Ticket $2000 each X 6 = $12,000

Homeschool Supplies, $1500

Travel Expenses, $2000

Total $ needed = $15,500

Needs

Car

Place to stay in Nashville from  approx 12.19 -01.16

The plan for us is to spend 2 weeks in Indiana with Shelby’s Family, 2 weeks in Florida with Andrea’s family, and 3 weeks in Nashville with our Church Family and friends.    We will fly in and out of Nashville and will need a vehicle to drive to Indiana and then to Florida and then back to Nashville.  We will stay with Family while in Florida and Indiana, but will need a place to call home while in Nashville.  We will buy school supplies for home schooling while we are home in order to help save money on shipping. 

We would love the opportunity to speak/share at churches, small groups, midweek, youth or other gatherings while in the Fort Lauderdale area, Evansville area, and Franklin area.    We will also be planning some fundraiser events for some special projects we hope to launch in 2013.

If you would like to contribute to our furlough, please click here, RENDER FURLOUGH, in the note section just type in FURLOUGH. 

Some of you have mentioned you would like to help with tickets.  If you are still interested please now is the time.  We would like to book these flights as soon as possible before prices go up.  You can donate the cost of a ticket or just contribute a flat amount.   

If you have any questions or would like to schedule us to speak, please feel free to drop us an EMAIL.

Thank you so much for all you guys do.  We look forward to hopefully seeing you when we are home. 

Blessings
The Renders.

Sponsor a Ramp

We are wanting to purchase some portable skate ramps from the states so that we take skating into the surrounding areas and townships to reach kids for Jesus.  We are trying to raise $10,000 USD to buy ramps, bibles, some skateboards, safety pads, a sound system, and shipping to get them all here.  It's a lot of money and our God is totally able.  To break it down into bite size pieces we made it easy to sponsor anywhere from $10 to $2000.

Here's the breakdown

$10 Bibles, needed 10
$25 Pads, needed 5    
$100 Skateboard, needed 5
$150 Grind Rails, needed 4
$250 Small Ramps, needed 10
$500 Large Ramps, needed 5
$1500 Shipping Cost, needed 1
$2000 Sound System, needed 1

For more information on how to sponsor something, send me an email me at shelbyrender@gmail.com.  You can also email me if you have questions or comments.  Please also join us in prayer for Gods provision.

Blessings.
Shelby

little splash of reality

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I wont back down, gonna stand my ground!!!

At the moment the song I Wont Back Down, by Johnny Cash, is our theme song!

The past 2 months have been filled to the brim with good ole fashioned enemy warfare. And we have been on the receiving end. However, we have not been on the caving in end or the back down end or the giving up end. As a matter of fact, it has made us dig our heals in even more, KNOW that our calling is firm and we have watched the Lord actually fight the battles for us. This doesn't mean that we don't feel the heat of the fire, or get a bit singed, but we are GOOD, solid in the Word and wrapped in His arms (clinging) but wrapped!

The Good God stuff first; ministry is going awesome. Working with Living Hope has been amazing and we are seeing that what Shelby is doing in Ocean View is really going to touch lives. We have also started a Wed evening Bible study, we have a few families coming and we are going thru the book of Revelations. We are super excited to see what God has on the horizons with ministry and thankful that we are where we are supposed to be.

Now just some of the ugly; we have been gossiped about... ALOT! Crazy what has gotten back to us and what people think we have said, and what is being said about us, if only people would just talk to us instead of others. One of those simple ways to quench gossip stop talking to others and stop listening when others talk. We aren't listening anymore! But it made our hearts sad to be called names and slandered. Gossip hurts, and I don't like it when my kids are hurt by it. Also, just lots of little niggly attacks that just can come and ruin a day.

Now the big new attack has been all financial. We got onto our bank account last week and $1300 in bank charges had all gone thru even though we hadn't used our cards or spent money. It went negative because it's the end of the month and we had $45 in our account. Now, with fees it is about $3500 negative. Everything has been contested and we will hear from the bank hopefully by Tue/Wed. The bad thing is we can't have any money deposited in our negative account or it will be eaten by the negative fees, so all of our donations are being held, safely, right now! But, we have NO money, we cant work here so we cant make any money and it's a bit scary being this far away from home, cant walk into our bank to fix the problem and really can do nothing in and of ourselves to fix the problem.

BUT GOD! He has first taken our anxiety, which is no little feet. He has provided food for us, he has met our every need and I have no reason to believe He wont keep meeting our needs as long as this carries out. He is good, He has ministered to us thru the body of Christ and it has been a beautiful body, bringing food and whatever we need over to the house. People haven't even asked they have just shown up. It's been humbling to be on the receiving end of the giving, but it's been really inspiring to see the Body of Christ BE the Body of Christ... Way to go guys, you ROCK!

Our prayer right now is that the bank situation will be fixed and that we can deposit the donations into our account so that we can pay rent and grocery shop :) But if for some reason that the bank doesn't clear it up, that God will help us work out whatever situation we find ourselves is.

Satan uses the same tactics almost always, He steals, your time ( worrying about gossip, trying to fix a bank account in the US from SA), He steals your stuff ($3500 gone, friends). These aren't new things that He's just come up with, we should always be ready for it. Thank God He is always ready and when we call He's there!

Deut 30:20  that you may love the Lord your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days; and that you may dwell in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers


We have the "cling" part down right now!


John 15:11  “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and tthat your joy may be full.


It is so cool that no matter what goes on in our life we still can have joy, because it comes from Christ. 


Romans 8: 15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” 16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,


We haven't needed to fear because we have a "Father" who loves us and has adopted us. He is big enough to carry all of our burdens.


So many other promises God has given us during this slight affliction, we are doing awesome in it! We are joyful in Him and resting. He is our Father and we have watched Him provide for our every need thru His body. We are overwhelmed, in a time where we could have felt very alone and far away, with great gratitude for His closeness and the beautiful people that have stood along side of us.


"I Won't Back Down" Johnny Cash

Well I won't back down, no I won't back down
You can stand me up at the gates of hell
But I won't back down


Gonna stand my ground, won't be turned around
And I'll keep this world from draggin' me down
Gonna stand my ground and I won't back down


Hey baby, there ain't no easy way out
Hey I will stand my ground and I won't back down


Well I know what's right, I got just one life
In a world that keeps on pushin' me around
But I stand my ground and I won't back down


Hey baby, there ain't no easy way out
Hey I will stand my ground and I won't back down
No I won't back down.

Blessings friends and keep praying there is a war going on out there,

Andrea

Everybody Cut Loose.....

Today I attended my first South African, Colored, Afrikaans funeral.  We basically popped in for a visit and to pay our condolences to the family on behalf of Living Hope, as I was told the service would go on for hours.  There were lots of children running around outside the church.  Inside the church, it was standing room only and I stood outside for sometime before slowly making my way inside.  There were multiple speakers.  4 in just the 30 minutes or so that I was there and almost just as many songs.  

There was however something that stood out to me.  Something that I have never seen before.  Something unusual, and intriguing at the same time.  I am not sure that I completely understand the reasoning behind it or even the theology of it, but there is something about it that resonates with me.  

As I made my way into the church I was able to see 3 men on stage along with a young man on the keyboards.  It was a very packed church, maybe 7 rows or so of plastic chairs with as many people standing in the back.  The closed casket was in the middle of the center aisle and reached 1/2 way from the pulpit to the back.  

During one of the songs I noticed a lady get up and start dancing in the back in the center aisle.  Nothing unusual I thought, we are in South Africa.  As I looked around, almost every head was bobby and everybody was rocking back and forth.  Multiple tambourines came out in the audience while everyone else sang and clapped to the overly loud keyboard.  What happened next was the shocker.  The two ladies danced their way upfront and began to dance around the casket in a conga type fashion.  To my surprise, slowly more people started joining until there were about 12 all together, clapping, singing, and dancing their way around the casket.  

I have no idea what they were singing as the entire service was in Afrikaans, but whatever it was it sounded very happy.   Maybe this is an example of what the Bible says in Ecclesiastes about there is a time to mourn and a time to dance. 

Maybe if we understood heaven and the thin line that separates our life here on this earth, and our lives in heaven, maybe this would not seem so odd.  If heaven is what the Bible says, and it is what we think it is, then maybe we should be celebrating.  Although I must admit it would be very difficult to dance at a loved ones funeral service, I think the idea of it is what resonates with me.  The Bible tells us that the angels rejoice over 1 repentant sinner.  How much more do they rejoice when 1 repentant sinner comes home?

There is no death for the repentant sinner, only life to life and for that, I did a little dance in the back of this South African church for all my loved ones that await me in Heaven. 

We're off to see the merchant.

In order to keep this story short and sweet, I will cut out many details and simply focus on what I pray is a redemptive work in Diwardo's life.

The long and the short of is my ipod touch was stolen out of my car.  Hours later as I was taking Diwardo to the police station.  99% sure this was the guy that took it.  I had 5 witness that saw him in my car two times.  He continued stating his innocence, but everything pointed to him.  If I laid a charge against him, he would go to prison.  He is currently on parole, so he would skip jail, go to prison, with no bail till his next court hearing.  Just to state the obvious, South Africa prisons are no where you want to be.  So as we drive to the police.  I offer a reward, for anyone who can help me find it.  Nothing.  I look at Diwardo in my rear view mirror.  Is it worth it?  Going to prison for this?  Nothing....2 minutes later, Mr. Shelby turn the car around.  Much of the conversation I didn't understand as I cannot speak Afrikaans.  I have gotten bits and pieces of the story.  Basically Diwardo didn't steal it, but he was there when it was stolen, and he knew who had it.  Problem was it was already sold to a merchant and I would have to buy it back.  I didn't quite have enough to cover the price that the merchant bought it for but it was close.  

The Ipod was literally stolen right from under my nose.  It was in the change cup of my car near the window.  I stopped in Ocean View to speak to Diwardo.  There was a guy with him and they both came up to the car and the other guy said hey, there is a 2 rand coin in your seat there (2 rand is about 0.40 cents.) I reached over and grabbed it and in those 3-4 seconds the guy had reached in and taken my ipod and I had no idea.  Finally about 6 hours later we were on the trail to possibly getting it back.  

So, the friend had already sold it to the merchant while we were at Bible Study.  Diwardo knew who the merchant was and was going to attempt to buy it back.  I gave another guy my money and the 3 of them were off to see the merchant.  I dropped them off and made a couple of laps around the block.  Two of the girls tried to explain to me what was happening in English, they speak Afrikaans.  We made a few laps and parked the car waiting to see what happened.  Immediately I noticed that Diwardo wasn't with them, which I thought was a good sign, and sure enough the other guy was holding up the ipod, waving it back and forth.  They said the merchant didn't want to sell it but when faced with the alternative of having the cops come he made the right call.  

So I didn't get to speak with Diwardo, but I was going home with my Ipod back.  

Today I stopped by to see Diwardo.  The irony of the situation was that the Bible study that we had last night was on Faith and Trust.  It's a series and the foundation was that God cannot lie and therefore everything He says, and everything that He has written is true and therefore trustworthy.  Again, trying to keep a long story short.  I thanked him for helping me last night because I knew he didn't have to.  We talked about trust and faith and how we all make mistakes and the glory of Easter is that we can all be forgiven.  Did I mention that he was laying in bed in his underwear?  Yea that makes it a little bit awkward.  He tried to explain to me how things work.  I didn't understand all of it, but basically he said he would probably get a beat down for what he did.  He said he wished he would have just told me from the get go.  I said I wish you would have smacked the guy when he took it out of the car. I told him if I saw someone stealing his stuff I would be like "Hey, dont take Diwardo's things" When I said this he was crying.

The really cool thing is in the course of our conversation he told me that he would have gone to jail for his friend that stole the ipod instead of turning him in to the police. It is kind of like the Ocean View "love language" to go to jail for someone. But, instead of following thru with that plan he actually turned the whole thing around and got my ipod back and has put himself in trouble with his gang. If this is a "love language" then he was speaking it to me. It is humbling. 

Our vision at LifeXchange is holistic sustainable transformation of youth at risk.  This happens through our Holistic Life Mentoring Process.  What does that mean?  Holistic means it affects every part of the person.  From family, to the Bible, school, dating, home, work, everything is what we deal with.  Life, there is no dropping out.  We understand that this won't happen over night.  Rome wasn't built in a day and neither were the disciples.  Mentoring - Call us old fashioned, but it worked for Jesus, so we think it can still work today.  Process - This takes time.  There will be days when you feel like your going a 100 MPH in the wrong direction, others where your treading water, and others where your skipping down the road like little red ridding hood.  One step at a time.  

This all part of the journey and as we do life with guys, we pray that it is events like this in a persons life that God will use to shake them to the core.  Everything with these guys is a teaching, lesson waiting to happen and this has been a big one for Diwardo.I don't know where this will lead in the life of Diwardo.  I pray that God will use it as a turning point in his life. Thanks for praying and being a part of what God is doing in the lives of guys like Diwardo.

Blessings

Shelby

Connect 4

Take a young lady from Ireland, a young lady from the US, and two young guys from Ocean View and what do you get? Connect 4.  Sometimes fun and games is more than just fun games.  

Lifexchange, connecting lives, all around the world.

who do you think is more thankful?

(Just a disclaimer, we dont know if the woman caught in adultery and the woman that washed the feet of Jesus with her tears are the same woman, but I think she could be. There are some that say she is and some say she is not. In this blog I have them as the same woman. If they are not the same woman it does not change Jesus heart toward the sinner. He still saved, He still loved and He still forgives!)

I just want to put out an encouraging word for sinners saved! We know we sin, we know we have all fallen short, we all know our hearts, our struggles and that we mess up daily. We also know that Jesus died for us and we are striving toward living better for Jesus. We dont want to mess up, we want to be right with Him. This is an age old struggle, look at Paul in Romans 7:15 "For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate." How many times have we done something and even while doing the thing we are like "Man, what is wrong with me? I hate that I am acting like this!" I have been there!

Anyways, this led me to think about the woman that washed Jesus feet with the expensive oil and her tears. The beginning of her story is this, here is a woman that lived a really sinful life. She was put down by the religious society in her days, even caught in the act of sin and brought before Jesus by these religious men. They really weren't as interested in her sin, as in making Jesus do something that would put Him in a bad light with the synagogue. She was humiliated, brought in front of everyone for her sexual sin, how embarrassed do you think she was. Sitting there in the dirt, hardly clothed in front of a group of angry men, who were hoping to stone her. I bet she thought that this was her last day, I bet she was terrified and not having any hope of ever being pardoned. BUT, JESUS! He steps in and saves her and then in love encourages her to go and sin no more

My heart does somersaults!!! How awesome, He reached down, saw her sin completely, saw the ugly truth, saw her nakedness, then He took her hand forgave her and gave her hope that she could go on and sin no more. THIS IS WHAT WE, AS THE CHURCH, NEED TO LOOK LIKE!

The church doesn't always behave the way it is supposed to, it is something we as a church need to work at! There will be people that are proud of their Godly living and will flaunt it, not to encourage but because they are proud of what they have accomplished. It damages others who are struggling with sin or have in the past. I love to see someone who in a humble heart can say, by the grace of God I have been able to live rightly! It is not my strength and I have to pray daily that the Lord keeps me!

So lets go back to the lady that Jesus rescued. Later Jesus is attending dinner at a Pharisees house, he is sitting at the table and this woman rocks up and just starts weeping, she then washes his feet with her tears and dries them with her hair and then breaks open this alabaster flask filled with expensive ointment and pours it all over Jesus feet.  Now, the religious dude was all appalled and like, He should know she is a sinner and that she shouldn't touch him and then his own disciple was like, we could have sold that ointment and given it to the poor. This is the part that is the most beautiful! I LOVE this part! It shows the heart of the Lord so perfectly!

Luke 7: 40-50 ⁴⁰ And Jesus answered and said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.”

So he said, “Teacher, say it.”

⁴¹ “There was a certain creditor who had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty.⁴² And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both. Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more?”

⁴³ Simon answered and said, “I suppose the one whom he forgave more.”

And He said to him, “You have rightly judged.” ⁴⁴ Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head. ⁴⁵ You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in. ⁴⁶ You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil. ⁴⁷ Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.”

⁴⁸ Then He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”

⁴⁹ And those who sat at the table with Him began to say to themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”

⁵⁰ Then He said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”

Yay!!! This is where we jump up and down and hoot with joy! At least I do! This is forgiveness, this is LOVE! This is perfect, sinless Jesus not flaunting His perfection but living in love. He didn't make her feel bad, He didn't remind her of her "many" sins, but praised her for where she was at that moment. He loved her into forgiveness and believed in her and that she would live a different life from then on! Beautiful!

The Pharisee had lived a right life, but had probably done it all of his own accord and was pious and judgmental. He didn't feel like he needed forgiveness, but this woman knew she needed forgiveness, she knew she was only living differently because of Jesus, she knew the power of Christ and could see the changes that she was making because of Him. She knew forgiveness and was so thankful because she had been forgiven much!

We dont have to be perfect and we dont have to compare our walk with others who have walked a less sinful walk. We ALL SIN! Sin is sin we all got it. The encouragement is that if you are forgiven much then you know it and you can be more thankful because you know Jesus saving power. You can see the changes He has made in your heart and in your actions. You can also go out and give that kind of love and forgiveness to others. Let's not judge and look down on others but lets encourage in love and watch as Jesus comes in with hope and salvation. Let's be the church the way we were intended to be!

Blessings friends,

Andrea

God is always at work even when we dont know it!

Praise God for He still does miracles and is able to remove great obstacles.  Please Lord, increase our faith.

Sometimes it is best for me to not know how difficult something really is until its over.  I mean why wouldn't the school let Nelly back in?  She is only 8 weeks behind and after all everyone knows if she doesn't finish now, she never will.  No big deal that the 10th grade student teacher ratio is 44:1, 38:1, and 34:1.  Well evidently in the past, the school has said no to a number of different people on numerous different occasions regarding other students in a similar situation.  So the pattern has normally been that they don't have to let you back.  This is something I was unaware of until after the fact.

Yesterday I went to a lady, who runs the after school program, that I am a part of on Tuesday.  I spoke with her regarding our concerns that Nelly's uniform and school supplies could possibly be taken by the others who live in her apartment.   She couldn't believe we got Nelly back in to school.  She even asked if I would be on a committee that she chairs that deals with the principal on a regular basis.  For some reason I have gained his favor.

Today I took Nelly to see the social worker.  Nelly has a open case and they have been to her current home and are not happy with the living arrangement, but have no other options at this time.  We said down and she said, "you are wearing a uniform?".  "Yes, I went back to school today," said Nelly.  She asked how this happend and Nelly just pointed at me.  She then told me "well now you have my attention, because I have been trying to get Nelly back into school for some time.  The principal told me no, I wrote a letter and he still said no.  I wrote to the education department and they told me to write a different letter which I did and he still said no."  I offered no explanation other than God and maybe because I am American.

 Long term plan that we discussed is to find a foster home for Nelly.  Everyone agrees that where she is staying is not a good, long term solution.  As far as her clothes and school things goes, I went and spoke with Nelly's best friends mother.  She live a good distance away but still in Ocean view, in area known as Beverly Hills.  The plan on the table is that Nelly can keep her school belongings and uniforms there at her house and come there in the morning and after school.  So for the time being we know the things that we have purchased are safe.  Thanks to you generous donations, we will be doing some shopping this weekend now that we know things will be safe.  While speaking with the mom, I also put a bug in her ear about fostering.  Explaining to her how it works and how at this stage is may be the best option for Nelly.  So please pray for her.  I don't even know her name, but God does.

Nelly enjoyed being back at school and seeing old friends.  I asked if she had any trouble with her teachers and she said no.  So, for now things are good.  We will take her shopping again for a few things, but for the moment she is back in school.  By your generosity we are able to pay her past due school fees, current school fees, and put money back for future school fees should she decide to go on and graduate, in addition to school uniforms and all her school supplies.  One of our policies at LifeXchange is that there are no free handouts, so in that regard we will sit down and set up an agreement with Nelly in order to qualify for this scholarship.

God has used this as an opportunity for me to meet the principal and to find some favor with him.  Hopefully and prayerfully now I can approach him about doing a Youth for Christ club at the school.  I have also met and found favor with the social workers that work in Ocean View.  I have spoken with all of them regarding our desire to start a place of safety and they are all behind it 100%.  Now we are just praying for the right place.

God was busy making rough places smooth and high places low today and I wasn't even aware He was doing it till it was all over! I'm praising Him for all He has done in this girls life and that I have gotten to witness it!

Trusting He will continue to do the same moving forward!

Shelby

First Day of School

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you.

You outpouring of Love and Compassion has been overwhelming.  This is not something we could have done alone.  Everyone had a part in helping this day happen.  We still have a few obstacles to work through, but today Nelly is back in school.

Here she is, new pants, shirt, shoes, and bag full of supplies.  Must not forget that its a small miracle that they even let her back in.  She has missed almost 8 weeks of school.  Please continue to pray as she will have lots of catching up to do.  Also pray for home situation.  She stays in a 1 bedroom apt with 11 other people, so may be difficult to find space to study.  We will be checking out the library and some other after school places for her to work on school work before going home.  If you are in Ocean View area and would like more information on helping with Nelly, please send me an email at the office.  shelby@lifexchange.co.za

I am stoked to report that all her past due fees, supplies, uniforms, and some savings have been raised for Nelly. We did a quick shop yesterday, but will do a little more once we make sure the things we get her will be safe.

Here she is trying on parts of her uniform and shopping for new shoes.  Nelly will be 16 in June.  It was fun to watch her interact with Gabe and Eli.  They were running around the store playing Hide N Go Seek.  When we dropped off, she ran back to the car to ask if she could come to the house sometime to play with Gabe (age 11).  It's like the kids that grow up in Ocean View, never have a chance to be kids because of where they grow up. They are forced to grow up, way to quickly.

Please continue to pray.  We meet with her social worker today at 3 to discuss the home situation.  We will continue to keep you updated.  Thanks again for bearing this burden and helping make a lasting difference in Nelly's life.

Need a little help.

Hello.


Please allow to take a minute to introduce you to a friend of mine.  Her name is Shantelle April. Her friends call her Nelly.  I met Nelly at LifeXchange.  She started coming to our Wednesday night Bible studies which are open events for anyone 15+.  After her third time to the Bible study, she showed up at the office on a Thursday to volunteer.  The youth get credits for volunteering that they can use for computer time, buy clothes, use towards camps etc. In order to get her into our computer system I sat down with her and just asked some simple questions.  
Over the course of our conversation, I discovered that she is no longer in school because no one helped to get her registered for this year.  She has passed her grade 9 and was due to start grade 10 in January.  Here in South Africa, upon completing your grade 10 you get a certificate that will allow you to go on to some Jr. Colleges and Tech/Vocational schools.  Its something that we want for everyone to at least complete grade 10 because it opens up another world of opportunities for them to go forward should they choose to do so.  
Nelly story is odd in the fact that she doesn't know her mother and was raised by her father.  She left him years back because of an abusive situation and has since been living with her "Auntie".  Not exactly sure if it is an actual relative or not, but that where she stays.  
There is something different about Nelly.  It is difficult to explain.  We see alot of kids, and many are wanting our help.  We have more kids wanting to be in LifeXchange than we have mentors for.  When you speak to her you can hear it.  See it in her smile.  She has a confidence about her.  We spoke about school and she wants to go back.  She knows she is behind, but is willing to make up to finish and get her grade 10.  
We made a plan to go to the school and see if they would let her in.  We knew it would be difficult. She is almost 8 weeks behind in a school that is already full.  I convinced the secretary at the school to meet with her as we both agreed it was in Nelly's best interest to finish now.  
Friday. We go to the school at about 12:30 and to my surprise when the students leave early at Friday, so do all the staff.  We didn't very far beyond introductions and were told to come back Monday.
Monday:  We go in at about 9.  We speak with admissions and she did pass her 9th grade which means she is eligible for 10th grade.  She said there was room in a 10th grade class as one of them only had 34 students.   She said she needed the principal's approval and when she called, he wanted to meet with us and told us to come back Tuesday.
Tuesday.  (TODAY) We go back and meet the principal.  He said it would be difficult but he would allow it.  We assured him we would get the necessary help to tutor to get her caught up.  She is also past due on her school fees, that will need to be paid sometime this year.  In order to start her auntie would have to come in and sign some papers, pay a R200 ($30) processing fee and she would need to get the necessary school supplies and uniform.  We quickly drove and picked up her auntie, came back and filled out all the papers.  She starts class tomorrow.
So, where do you come in?  This is a personal project of mine.  Nelly at this stage is not an official member of LifeXchange, but is merely on a waiting list and coming to our open events.  We hope by the end of the year to find a mentor for her.  LifeXchange has agreed to help with extra tutoring and making sure she stays up to speed on her classes.  
Her past due school fees total R1200, in addition to this year which is another R600.  
So here's what we need.

• R1800 ($250) School Fees.  R200 of this will have to be paid tomorrow.  The rest by the end of the year.
• 11 total notebooks 
• math set
• calculator
• backpack
• pencils.
• pullover
• skirt
• shirts
• shoes.  

I don't even know how to total the school supplies and uniforms as there is no time for me to gather prices.  All monies donated will go towards the School Supplies and uniforms and anything left will be added to her school fees.  Anything raised above and beyond will go into a fund for extra curricula's as they arise during the year.


This is a chance to make a life saving difference.  Finishing her grade 10 will have a huge impact on her future and if she doesn't go now, statistics tell us she will never go.  Please can you help us make a difference in Nelly's life?


If you would like to help out, here's how:


South African Friends
Life Exchange
Standard Bank
Fish Hoek
Business Cheque AccountA/C no: 270398252Branch code: 051001 Swift Code: SBZAZAJJ
Reference: NELLY SCHOOL


American Friends:
Please click donate below. 
DONATE
Under the note section, please put NELLY SCHOOL


If you have questions please don't hesitate to email, call, or sms me.  Thanks so much for helping make this possible.


Blessings
Shelby
shelby@lifexchange.co.za
0812707988
+27812707988(international)

nik naks paddy waks

Sometimes its the simple things.  The is a young lady at LifeXchange named Andrea.  She is late teens, young twenties.  She has a young little boy name Carlo, age 4-5.  Sorry that I am vague on the details, you will understand a little why, later.  Andrea has always struck me as a hard person to talk to.  A tough girl.  Very selective about who she let into her world.   Any and all of our conversations to date have been, Hi, hello, how are you.  She is actually one of our success stories.  Working mother, trying to make her way and doing very well, just a little difficult for me to break the ice with.  Because she works, I don't see her at the office much, but she is a regular at our Wednesday night Bible studies that we do.  We drive into Ocean View (the hood) to pick up whoever wants to come to the Bible study.  Sometimes we walk around and gather up people that we see and know.  Next to where we park, there is a tuc shop.  A tuc shop is basically a store that someone opens in their house, garage, or shed.  Its a small connivence store.   I know the young man that runs the tuc shop so I try to spend my pocket change while I am there, plus I am usually ready for a little snack.  I saw Andrea and Carlo running around so I bought an extra bag of Nik Naks.  Its a small bag that cost R1.  Thats equivalent to about 0.15 cents I guess.  Nik Naks are the closest thing we have to cheetos, but they are not as crunchy.  

So I was really using the Nik Naks to try and make friends with Carlo.  I love kids and he usually accompanies Andrea anytime she is around at the office.  I go over and give the bag to Carlo and then go sit down with some of the guys and enjoy my Nik Naks.  I look over and Carlo gives his to his mom, evidently, Nik Naks are not his thing.  To my surprise Andrea comes over and sits down next to me on the curb and begins to eat Carlo's nik naks.  Even more surprising, she began to talk with me and we had a brilliant conversation about work and where she stays, etc., etc for a good 15-20 minutes until it was time to go to study.  

Who knew a 0.15 bag of bad Cheetos would be a door opener?  Just goes to show don't ever forsake the little things.  Maybe I should keep a few bag of Nik Naks in the car.

Seriously I don't know who reads this, and experts would say I should probably write another blog here, but I am just going to keep going down a little rabbit trail.  

We forget, I forget and I live here, that there are still people in the world that don't eat.  Often times you will see men going to work with a loaf of bread, cost around a dollar.  Most of these men are lucky if they are making $20-25 dollars a day.  That bread will be their breakfast, snack, lunch, and snack again.  There are 100's of children who go to school each day with out breakfast.  

Another Wednesday night I was again walking around Ocean View looking for some of our guys.  I ran into Joker (nickname).  Joker is one of our fringe guys.  He's been in and out of jail for drug dealing, but its the only living he knows.  I would guess he is around 25.  He has 2 kids from 2 different women.  My first South African experience with the courthouse was taking Joker there.  He has dreams.  Dreams of being an electrician.  When I see him I always try to encourage him to come see us at the office.  We spoke about some activities we have coming up and that his mentor wanted to take him and 1 of his boys on a boat ride.  His friends joked about his fear of the water, but he said he would do it for his boy.  As I was getting ready to leave, for some reason I said Joker, is there anything you need?  Grown man, father of 2, and pretty hardcore guy by any hood standards says I need to eat Mr. Shelby.   Not completely sure what to do I said all right I make a plan to drop by this week with some food.  We say are goodbyes and as I am walking away I remembered  Andrea (my wife) had asked me to pick up a few things from the store.  Loaf of bread, milk, and juice I think.  I am still trying to figure out if he was serious or not or just wanting something to sell.  Other guys have asked me straight up for cash but none of them have ever asked me for food.  I went back and said if your serious I have some bread in the car you can have.  He was that serious and evidently that hungry.  

Another day recently I was in Fish Hoek meeting a missionary friend, Dave, on a Saturday.   I see 3 of our guys walking.  I stop and chatted as they had met Dave before.  I asked what they were doing.  It was around 4 and they said they had been at frisbee practice all morning and they took the train back and were waiting on a taxi to go home.  I told them I was leaving in about 30 minutes and just to meet me at my car and I would give them a lift.  They show up at the car and they had bought a big bag of chips and a 2 liter of soda and were sharing it all.  As we were driving I jokingly said is that your lunch?  They all said yea and breakfast too.  They had gone all day, with nothing.  Even working out running for hours playing ultimate frisbee, which if you have ever played you know is no joke.  They used the taxi fare that I saved them by giving them a lift to go and buy chips and cool drink.   That would have been R18 which is like $2 and some change.  

So each of these 3 different stories are 20+ year olds.  Imagine what its like for the kids.  This is why we are looking to help with some kind of Breakfast Club, where we can pass out vitamin enriched porridge.  Please keep this in your prayers as we look for a venue and for someone to donate the porridge.  

This is also why 2 days a week when the guys come into the office for skills/educational training, Lucinda, has added a nutritional class where they learn about food, make food, and eat food.  (and it is good, they are usually nice enough to share.  Like today was Panera Bread good)

Look I know there are hungry people everywhere.  That's why the church needs to step up and be part of the solution.  Forget the church, christians we are the solution.  There is no government food program that is the answer for the world food shortage.  Its Christians like you and like me, meeting needs as we see needs.  Look I have 1000 excuses not to give the guy on the corner my change.   I know those people are in TN, IN, and FL and you probably have some of the same excuses I do, but we are without excuse.  When I walked away from Joker, I was thinking, I need that bread, my family needs that bread, thats tomorrow's lunch.  

'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?'

That's all that popped in my head.  Thats why I turned around.  Someone told me this idea while living in TN because none of us want to give our cash to the guy on the street with the cardboard sign.  Carry around a book of McD's coupons.  Or better yet a bag of apples, or a loaf of bread.   Just think through some things that you could have in your car that you could give instead of cash.  Maybe they will be ungrateful, so what, you did what you were supposed to and you gave.  What do you think is going to happen if you give the same guy an apple every day.  Who knows, try it and see, I dare you.  Maybe you will learn his name?  There are needs out there.  God is not asking us to meet them all.  Just do your part.  After all, sharing is caring.  Remember, its the simple things.

Sorry for the long post, just needed to download.

Shelby

PS my missionary friend Dave, knows the street guys so good, they come to his door looking for food.  When I went to the store he knew the parking guy (yes we have people here to help you park your car and "look" after it while your shopping) by name.  I don't have it all down, yet, but God is teaching thru guys like Dave.