Christmas tinsel, food parcels, and over 350 gifts... Read on to see what we've been up to lately! Sending a huge thank you for your incredible support, encouragement, and prayers over this past year. It certainly takes a village and we cannot do this work without our family, friends, and supporters partnering with us along this faith-filled journey.
Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas & a fabulous New Year!
Love,
Ryan, Kirsten, Ryan Jr., and Emma
Simon Says For Life?
Tens of kind benefactors. Hours of careful planning, sourcing, and shopping. Over 100 Christmas gift bags filled, 3,300 lbs of food relief, a massive healthy chicken and beef dinner, and of course, Santa Claus! - Yet, the party in Heaven was even bigger!
What an incredible blessing it was to be the ones who delivered the generosity of so many beautiful brothers and sisters in South Africa and the US. At this particular Bokamoso party (we tend to have quite a few this time of year!) we welcomed more than 100 children, volunteer youth, and adults to a Christmas party featuring our very own Father Christmas. (Santa was played by Jabu, our dear brother who was recently healed of cancer, as we mentioned in an earlier newsletter. He took his role and fluffy beard very seriously - even in the oven-like South African heat). The event kicked off with individual groups of children putting on their own entertainment as they acted out their unique versions of the nativity, danced, and of course - got to enjoy some solid food and candy!
Being the resident preacher, I was blessed to play some games with the kids and share a message. I asked the Lord what He wanted to say, and the response was so simple and clear, that it could only have come from Him....
We began with the kid's favorite of all our games, "Simon Says". After several rounds of that and settling the mob down, I shared a brief history of Christmas, celebrating the story of Jesus. I then asked what made Jesus SO special. Their answers were insightful and precious, as only earnest children can be.
Finally, instead of giving them my answer, I asked a question, "What if I told you that to go to Heaven, you have to play a perfect game of Simon Says, your entire life? One mistake: you get tired and slip up, get distracted by your neighbor and trip, hop on the right food, not your left - it doesn't matter, you lose and...bam, you don't go to Heaven!" They were obviously not very happy about that option.
"However, what if I have a cheat code? Because of one man who did play a perfect game of "Simon Says," His entire life. Christ did this so He could unlock the cheat code for everyone else. He died on the cross so you didn't have to, and came back from the dead - so we could follow His path to Heaven and live forever with Father God."
The room was quiet as they comprehended all that was said... as we prayed five children gave their lives to Jesus for the very first time. Although our Holiday party was a smashing hit, I know the festivities in Heaven for new believers blew us out of the water that day!
Empowerment...One Loop at a Time!
It was such a blessing to have our ministry partners, Bob and his daughter Laura, from the US come and visit us. During their short stay, Laura hosted a fabulous class, teaching some of our guardians how to make mats. It was a joyous occasion with lots of laughter, chatting, and a lovely tea.
With this newfound skill, the guardians are now able to not only make smaller mats to sell but also larger mats for children to sleep on. Given that all they need are pre-used sheets/material and the crotchet needles gifted to them, they are now empowered to have another avenue in which to bring in an income for their families. Woohoo!
All in a Day's Work
It's amazing how 36 children can keep one on their toes! The Hlanganani kids have certainly kept us busy over this past year. We have watched as many have come out of their shells, others have taken on the challenge to improve in their schooling, and still others have sailed as they received glasses and reading lessons. We have certainly encountered many challenges along the way this year, as not every step has been a smooth one. However, the Lord has always been found faithful as each hurdle was crossed and we continued to grow through them.
Watching the kids enjoy the huge blessing of swimming at our end-of-year party...big smiles and constant shrieks of laughter made us eager to see all that the Lord has in store for next year. There are many children on our waitlist eager to receive the support the others do. After 27 years of being in operation, Hlanganani Orphan Care has officially been taken over by a long-term supporter of ours...Junction Church. Kirsten and the other directors are excited to see Hlanganani grow more and more as the Lord ensures His children receive the care they need.
Important Notice!
Ryan will be visiting the US - the Nashville and CA area from mid-January to mid-to-late February. Please reach out to him if you would like to connect with him during his trip.
Prayer needs for the trip:
The rest of the finances to cover the trip.
A vehicle to use whilst in CA
A special time of fellowship with all those he sees.
Complete protection over Kirsten and the kids as they stay home and continue in everyday ministry.
