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.