We're Making Good Progress

We're On Our Way

This year has brought significant changes to our Evangeline Program.  We are now a partner with the Masiphumelele Corporation and Trust and this now makes it possible for us to train as many as 48 students annually.  With the changes have come challenges and one thing I note is that the students themselves seem to come with even greater concerns this year.  For all that some things have not changes.  The women are working away and learning to sew among other skills.  They have made  handbags and skirts as shown here.  Already they are at work on the garments they will wear to Graduation on Saturday July 14.  And they are having fun as they learn.  That is most important.

As I learn more about the situations of some of the students I am so thankful they can come to us as  we provide them with skills, healthy meals, hard work, hope and laughter.I was so moved when I learned that one young woman goes hungry many days of the week and sometimes the  lunch we give her is the only meal she has for the week.  We have a firm policy about absences  and mostly they come from illness.  In many cases the ladies miss class because their children are ill and this happens often.  If you could see where they live and under what conditions you would understand why.  We have two women who have children with disabilities and I am so touched that they are here to get the skills that will help them better care for those children. We have a great opportunity to help these women in the name of Jesus Christ.

Lunch Is An Essential Ministry

Why Lunch

Lunch is an essential part of the Evangeline Ministries program, just how much I recently learned.
For this year and in our partnership with the Masiphumelele Corporation and Trust, EM has agreed to help a local woman from Masiphumelele start a bakery and food small business.  This means that Wendy no longer prepares the daily lunch but happily receives it from Nonni.  For Nonni it is a learning process and we have had a few bumps along the way.  This week we had quite a bump.  The young lady tasked with delivering the lunch was new and gave the sandwiches to another group.  Hungry themselves they ate the lunch.  After we sorted out what had happened I went to purchase some  food but before I did, I asked the women if I really needed  to buy more food.  Yes they told me and then one woman said something that so moved me: "I had no breakfast ." she said.  I recalled when we decided to give the women lunch that the teachers told me that so many of them have no breakfast or lunch.  This helped me make up my mind  and our Board agreed that we must give a nutritious lunch.  This is a lifeline, needed food for the women as they work hard to acquire the skills to help them move forward in life.  So we are both helping Nonni and all of the women who are a part of our class.

Tamara 's update

So Encouraged By Tamara

There is so much joy in working with the women who come to Evangeline's Skills Development Program but even greater satisfaction when I see how they are progressing. A few days ago I was walking on our campus when Tamara called out to me. She was radiant and had such good news. She has work three days a week with another Christian organization who hired her to sew for them once she told them about her skills and also because she is an EM graduate. She uses the sewing machine she received at graduation last year to help her earn her much needed income. More than that she is now married and that is no small achievement for a woman in Masiphumelele. Tamara is a 2011 graduate and she was one of some of the women in our class then who lost their homes in a massive fire. I was able to help her with some funds and even better, clothes and shoes that she still uses. This is the goal, to train the women and then find openings for them to use their skills and Tamara is a huge encouragement to us in this. I wish her every blessing and will do all I can to help her.

I am also encouraged because we continue to have offers from entrepreneurs who are keen to use the women to sew all types of projects. Please pray for even more openings for them and wisdom for us all as to choose the right ones.

God Saw it was Good

UThixo Ukuba Kulungile

On a lovely lunchtime break the women from our second Evangeline class knew what to do with the sunshine. They sat on the grass and just soaked up the goodness of the day. As it happened at the time, we were reading about God's creation. I wanted them to realize their godly worth, because of what I know and see-so little joy-so much pain. And so we came to that often repeated phrase in the Genesis account: And God saw it was good. I know so little of their language but that Xhosa phrase rang so beautifully in my ear and I had them repeat it, "Wabona uThixo ukuba kulungile (koo-loung-gee-le) They laughed as I tried to say it correctly and they enjoyed correcting me but the more we said it the more I could see its meaning reflected in their eyes. We are now into about one third of our class time and the teachers and I are delighted at the growth we see in the women. Some who came in so shy and reluctant to speak now eagerly come to the blackboard to write their English sentences. They enjoy their computer work and love both their sewing teachers and the projects they are working on. I will show some of those in another blog. They have already begun to work on their graduation garments. And so we can say at this point in the Evangeline classes that all that we see is good so far and the ladies involved are left in no doubt, that whatever their circumstances, God looks at those women He has made and says about them, it is good. And they are also learning that through Jesus Christ, they can be good inside and outside.

Christina Update and class photos

Three years ago, Evangeline Ministries worked with three women selected from another township, Sweet Home Farms and trained them in our sewing program. One of those ladies was Christina and I am always encouraged when I see the remarkable progress she has made. Recently I went to Sweet Home Farms to see her. It was an unexpected visit since I had other plans for that day but I should have known that God was up to something special when I baked cookies the week before for no reason at all and had them in the freezer. What a joy it was to take them to Christina who does some sewing but also runs her own catering business. Backed up by the Warehouse who makes sure their many visitors eat or from Christina's table, she is flourishing. Mentored by Brenda from the UK she is learning the secrets of business and looks so happy with her life. I was so moved when I entered the small building she uses to see the words, "welcome back Wendy we missed you." Christina's success is all the more impressive when you see the backdrop of her work. Enraged and frustrated by their lack of indoor toilets and running water, the SHF residents had a short while ago angrily demonstrated on the streets for better services. Joy Klimbashe who supervises the program told me the city government had decided to do something about the services but had no promises for proper housing. When you enter the place you are assaulted by the garbage and sewage in the surroundings and this is not something with which I am at all comfortable, but the Lord reminded me that it is to these people He has sent me. I plan to return for another visit to learn more.
Classes are going well and here are photographs of the sewing class and the women taking an English Test.

A possible product and a first excellent week

I am always curious to see what the teachers will do with each new class and after our first week I am surprised and delighted. Liane our lead sewing teacher is full of ideas and she wasted no time in putting them to work. Using scraps of African print cloth we were given she guided them in their first stitching project, some beautiful and useful cell phone or sunglasses or whatever you want to do with it drawstring bag. Hmm! not only lovely to look at and adaptable but maybe a commercial idea. Next week they will begin work on skirts that with many features. Liane believes less is more and she wants them to make things they can use and make them excellently. She aims to have them begin work on their graduation garment as early as possible to give them all the time they need for outstanding work.

Moving to our computer instructor, Mandisa has outlined a thorough program and I am impressed with the confident way she runs her class. Two years ago she requested a projector to assist her because we cannot afford computer text books for each student. Mandisa's dream is to get enough experience so she can go back home to the Eastern Cape and help here people there.

In addition to our Evangeline classes she tutors other people from the surrounding communities who come to her for instruction at a low cost. We also have English classes which I teach and that is the slowest start of all because it is the most difficult of the lessons for the women, but i am greatly encouraged.

Bibles for All

Bible Joy
Today I had such a challenge as I tried to buy a Soto Bible. two weeks ago as I prepared for the new class I made a 45 minute journey to the Bible Society offices in the heat of this summer to purchase 16 Xhosa and two English Bibles. Why did I make that long trip when I could have ordered the Bibles on the phone? One good reason is that we had started class and I needed them right away. The better reason is that I loved going to buy the Bibles. I felt such an sense of accomplishment after I had paid for my purchases and all the more because for 18 of the 20 students, this was the very first time they would have a Bible. And then when I thought I was done, one student asked today, if she could have a Soto Bible. I had forgotten I needed another version.
When I went to the local store I was confused by the titles and for a while did not know what to do because the Bible in my hand was labelled "Northern Soto." The sales people were somewhat amused when I asked if there was a "Southern Soto." The point is that we at Evangeline Ministries want the students to read of God's love for them in their own language. And it works so well. I give them a short passage and after silent reading they tell me which words speak to their hearts and they get it right almost every time. And that is what we want for them to see the life-giving words for themselves. As I told them, I want them to be the best Sewing, Computer and English students but most of all I want them to know how much God loves them and how much hope there is as they trust in God and in the Savior who came to demonstrate that love.