Covered in Paint!

Last week, Chris, Michelle, Gavin and I started and completed the task of painting 200 canvases the the kids at Ithemba!  It was so much fun and quite a mess!  This time, we decided to forgo the splatter paint for a new design.  We brought different sized wooden blocks and allowed the kids to really express their creativity!  We gave them orange, white and turquoise paint and let them have at it.  It was really great to see the kids personalities come out as they painted.  Some children would carefully and meticulously place their squares in a thought out design while others took the chance to go a little crazy haphazardly sloshing the squares in paint and smashing them down on the the canvas...Needless to say, each canvas is unique and totally portrays the personality of the child that painted it!  

After the painting, came the footprints...and individual "signature" of each child.  This part is the most difficult but we think it is the most important part of the canvas!  Above is a little girl named Sive signing her canvas, her very own work of art!  

These canvases are special and very close to our hearts...these canvases are meant to raise money for a safe house to be built on the Ithemba's property.  At first, Gavin and I were not really sure if a safe house was a necessity at Ithemba but after being here for two weeks, we are desperately certain that it is not only a necessity but it will save the lives of twelve children living in unspeakably horrific circumstances.  

These canvases will once again cost $250.00 and when they are all sold, they will have provided a wonderful, warm and loving refuge for these desperate children.  These children will be taken out of the constant abuse, molestation, starvation and emotional torture that they are currently living in.  This house will provide them with two loving "parents," a warm bed to sleep in, running water, nutritious food, and very most importantly love and safety.  Through this love, we feel certain that these children will clearly see the love of their heavenly father.  

Much needed prayer.

This week has FLOWN by...so much to tell you all but the internet cafe is closing right now.  We are busy planning for the safe house this week.  Two of the children at Ithemba have lost their parents this week and have no place to stay until this house is built...please be praying for them and for the community around Ithemba this week.  There is a drought going on and wild fires have been breaking out all over the area.  Their shacks are made of wood and cardboard and a fire in the community will be devastating.  I will blog again soon to keep you all updated!  Thanks for your prayers.

Reunited at last!

We are back in Jeffrey's Bay again and it feels just like home!  This time we were able to bring two of our close friends and supporters with us, Chris and Michelle Reis...check out their blog for more info and pictures of the trip...www.chrisandmichellereis.blogspot.com.

We have been in South Africa for one week and have been busy busy with all of the happenings at Ithemba.  We seem to be busting at the seams with new children, the are absolutely precious, but we need more space!  We walked into Ithemba today and the newly built classrooms were bustling with children.  Kids in every desk and kids all over the floors trying to learn...we need more classrooms already, what an exciting blessing, and an exciting challenge :)  

We are at Ithemba planning for the new safe house and painting new canvases to raise money to support it....and because of the overflow of children, we are looking in to the cost of expanding the main building of Ithemba as well.  We are very excited and anxious to get started on the safe house, more children than ever need a refuge and place to stay. We are planning a three bedroom home equipped with everything the children will need for safety and happiness...even some loving house parents.  The cost of the building and all of its furnishings will be about $70,000.00 and will provide refuge for 12 children.  I will be posting more info soon about the canvases and ways that you can support this new project!  

Sorry for the short and choppy post...we have been very busy but I will be sure to keep you updated in the next two weeks that we are here.  We have gotten to see some great changes in the children and I look forward to sharing them with you soon!  We would love your prayers while we are here!

LAST DAYS TO BUY ONE GET ONE FREE!

Just a reminder...ONLY three more days of the buy one get one free sale! 

 

**Buy any shirt and get a white LUO shirt free with your order!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

ONE for ONE

Check out www.tomsshoes.com/LUO

For every pair of TOMS you purchase through THIS link, TOMS will donate $5 to LUO.  If we sell 500 pairs of TOMS, we get 500 pairs to give to the children in Nicaragua and South Africa....what a FANTASTIC last minute gift idea :)

The Journey...to Murray, KY

Last weekend, Gavin and I had the wonderful opportunity to go to Murray, KY and get to know the amazing people at the Journey church.  

In April of 2008, LUO had a booth at the Orange Conference...there, we sold canvases that were hand painted by the children at our partnership in Jeffrey's Bay.  They cost $250 and provide nutrition, education, medical care and Biblical curriculum for a child for one year.  Matt and Jennifer Johnson of Murray, KY purchased one of those canvases!  Through a series of events that seriously only God could have worked out, Gavin and I ended up meeting the couple for coffee in Murray.  

Matt is the lead Pastor at the Journey Church and we had the opportunity to hear him and his wife's hearts for their church and the community that it is a part of.  The Journey meets on the campus of Murray State University and their congregation is mostly comprised of college students so when they told us that as a body of believers they wanted to raise the money to fully support our second partnership in Nicaragua for one year...we were dumbfounded!

All four of us realized that the task of raising $35,000.00 in a BAD economy at a church full of young families and college students seemed impossible but we all hit the ground running.  Gavin and I headed to Nicaragua to make 150 new canvases to be sold at the church and Matt and Jennifer went back to the leadership at their church and told them about our new goal!  Immediately, the leadership and everyone at the church was so excited!  By the time Gavin and I arrived on December 6 to tell the congregation about our new partnership...we were floored and amazed by what God had already done through this small, faithful, and very BOLD community!  

By the time got there, Murray State's entire college campus was working to help set these children free!  The track team, the basketball team, all of the Greek organization...campus ministries...and all of the wonderful families at the church have gotten on board to get these canvases sold and these children supported!  The church is working to sell 150 canvases at $200 to support all of the children at our Nicaraguan partnership for one year.  It is REALLY amazing to be able to see the body of Christ in this community coming together to change a community thousands of miles away.  We are SO thankful to be able to see Jesus work in the hearts of these people as he shows them how to love mercy, walk humbly and do justly! 

 

Jeffrey's Bay

I know it has taken me a while to write about our trip...it seems to take me a while to process everything that goes on...whenever we go back to South Africa.  It is such a mix of emotions.  Jeffrey's Bay is one of mine and Gavin's favorite places in the world, it feels like home.  We are so blessed to have such a great community of friends and it is always so much fun to get to see them again. But, each and every time that we go back, the contrast of environment shocks me to the core.  I know the circumstances, I know the city, I know the people but it still shocks me.  To the left of the main road in J' Bay- the most beautiful homes you have ever seen.  Perfect white beaches, the world best waves, amazing restaurants.  To the right of that same road- desperation. poverty. incredible brokenness.  There are tiny shacks as far as the eye can see, children being abused and neglected everywhere you turn.  Children starving when there is a grocery store the size of any Kroger less than a mile away.  Talk about injustice that is hard to understand.  So, it is hard for me to put our trips in to words.  

On this trip we were so blessed to be accompanied by 7 amazing girls.  Jill, Amber, Jessica, Christy and Stephanie from Atlanta, Jess from Nashville, and Lisa from Kansas.  Each girl came to South Africa with an amazing open heart and a great desire to help the children at Ithemba.  Each day, we went to Ithemba and served and loved on the precious children.  We painted and gave Ithemba a "makeover."  We shared meals with the teachers and got to experience their culture through dance and art.  The trip was really amazing...bellow I will include another journal entry from our time there:  I think it better describes the raw emotion that I was feeling during the time.  

This world is fallen. It is dark. It is hard. It seems so hopeless at times. Being here in

 South Africa, working with the children at Ithemba really brings this forward. This week

I fell in love- head over heals in love with two little girls- twins named Sussa and Doeffie.

They are PRECIOUS, beautiful, innocent, yet their innocents is constantly being stolen.

These babies are four years old and they have spent their lives being raped by their step

brother and their own father. Looking in their precious eyes, you can see the reality

of Satan's work- you can see the depravity of man through the pain in their eyes. And

THIS is motivation- a CLEAR calling from God to FIGHT and help bring His Kingdom to

earth- an undeniable call to BE Jesus to these girls. That is what Ithemba is doing for them-

fighting their circumstances- fighting for their freedom- loving them like Jesus and putting

His joy back in to their lives.

Being here, experiencing this has made me realize just how BIG the love of God is and how

much HE LOVES US. Yes, the world is dark but He is the brightest light that you can

imagine. Yes, the world is fallen but He is redeemed us- He has offered us HOPE when all

seems hopeless. He is light and He is love. In the middle of the township, He breaks through

the darkness through giving people like Ria (the woman that started Ithemba) a vision to bring

a small piece of His love right to the middle of the hell that is the township. We as humans

have messed up so much yet He loves us enough to birth His dreams and His vision in people

and empower them with His love to accomplish His purposes because HE LOVES US SO MUCH!