The joy of a sewing machine

July 26, 2008
Here is my friend, Patience Booi, one of ten graduates who received a new sewing machine thanks to all of yo who generously support this ministry. Patience who lives in Masiphumelele, is an inspiration to me. She works hard and just wants to learn as much as she can. She always wanted to learn to sew and never had the opportunity until our class. "Wendy, " she wrote men " you have shown us Jesus with your love and generous ways." And really, that is all I want to do, show them just how much Jesus loves me. And you know, so often one thing leads to another. When you build confidence in one area, it spills over into another. Patience is busy making plans to run a Xhosa class for people like me who need to learn and I plan to do just that. Well it is time for another class to begin and I am happily anticipating the new students who will come to us. We plan to start in the next week and I ask that you pray for us as this class is the chance for these women to turn their lives around.

New Life in Christ

July 25, 2007
One of the blessings of my life here in Cape Town is the greater involvement I have with other missionaries who have come to share their lives with people in need so that they can experience how wide and how deep is the love of Christ. While I lead sewing and computer classes for women who live with HIV and AIDS,I also write stories for Living Hope for their monthly newsletter and for friends who are in like-minded ministries. One such ministry is All Nations which puts its emphasis on home groups or home churches where small groups of people can be discipled to live for Christ. All Nations also puts a lot of emphasis on the justice of God and they look for practical ways to help poor people. In early February, there was a fire in Red Hill. In our first sewing class we had one student from Red Hill, Gladys, who graduated and gave her testimony at the ceremony. The fire did not destroy her house but it wiped out more than 80 shacks nearby. At the time, All Nations was engaged in a Church planting leadership seminar that required the students to match three months of classroom with three of hands on work. Immediately a group focused on Red Hill and began to work on home repair. Now six months later, people like Mavis,(here seen in the photo) most of the homes have been rebuilt or repaired. As well new cottage enterprises have started. Women knit and some of the men are engaged in making beds and cupboards. Local businesses have donated flowers and vegetables for gardens. In the cold of winter, my heart is warmed to see the difference in Red Hill. This has opened the hearts of the residents and five home groups meet weekly. Gladys told me what love the Christians showed all of them. Given its past history and present challenges with poverty and HIV and AIDS, it is this practical, powerful love of Jesus Christ demonstrated by believers that will make a difference. I am also editing a book about revival movements in Cape Town and I am humbled at the prayer commitment of Christians here. Those of us who have come from overseas join with others here who have laid a foundation of prayer and service, and we work together in this place to which God has called us.
Every day God shows me that it is His will for me to be here and I am glad and thankful for this.

Some special people

July 17, 2008
Some Special People, among many

Here are some special people I want you to meet. John Thomas, Chair of the Living Hope Trust, pastor of Fish Hoek Baptist Church and with his wife Avril, founder of Living Hope, Living Hope. He has encouraged this ministry and used it to launch Living Way, an economic and justice ministry.
Phawulenkosi Paul Dodo is one of two male graduates of our 2006 sewing class. and an assistant to the sewing teacher Namgamso. He is called by his shorter name, Paul. He came to the Western Cape from the Eastern Cape and was unable to get a job. He ended up planting vegetables in the garden at Living Hope and soon that fell through as well. "God brought us Wendy with the Sewing and Computer Course and everything is free of charge," he wrote in his testimony. He has been one of the most faithful students and now, as an assistant. He got this new opportunity after a good recommendation from Mrs. Merle Prince who taught a special class last year. Paul says: "I highly appreciate this and this ministry has changed my life completely. Paul always brings his Bible and he read the Scripture at the graduation. I am so proud of Paul and thankful for him.

Here are some special people.

First 2008 class graduates

July 10, 2008
Well our first class for 2008 graduated from their six month sewing course and, on Tuesday July 8, ten women received their new sewing machines. One of these was Gladys (3rd from left in photo). While all of the other women walked to class, Gladys had to take two taxis and a train to get to us as she came from Red Hill, another informal settlement. In all this time, she missed class twice. I asked her to share what this experience meant to her and she told the audience at the church that she could not sew and had longed to learn. She enjoyed this experience and planned to use her sewing machine to help her family. She also spoke so deeply of her love for the Lord. I drove her home and as I watched her walk to her house at the top of the steep path,muddy because of the rain that has fallen for more than a week, clutching her new sewing machine, my heart filled with so much emotion. It is women like Gladys who make my time here so precious.

Our first class for 2008.

July 10, 2008
Evangeline Ministries was as pleased as ever to hold our first of two planned sewing class graduations for 208. On Tuesday July 8, ten women received their new sewing machines to signal their successful completion of the six month sewing course. Here you see the women in the skirts they made for their big day. Some brought their children to join them. One of the women, Gladys (third from left) came from another informal settlement, Red Hill. While all of the others walked to class she had to take two taxis and a train to get to class and she rarely missed. She shared how much the class meant since she did not know how to sew and how she now planned to use her sewing machine to help her family. Gladys has a heart full of love and joy for the Lord and for others. I took her home and my heart just swelled as I watched her climb up the muddy path to her home, dressed so nicely and holding her new sewing machine. Women like Gladys make every moment spent here so worthwhile. Soon we hope to start the second class and we have so many women waiting.

A job well done

Sunday July 5, 2008
If it looks like a party it is and one that surprised me. Alas, I had no July 4 celebration here. The last day of sewing class was Thursday and it was the start of what we are now experiencing, four days of non-stop torrential rain with winds that make you think you are going to freeze. But to my surprise, I arrived at class to find that the teachers and students had planned a party to mark the end of their six months together as a sewing class.
I bought the cake but they brought everything else, including the "braai" or grilled meat which they love. After I congratulated them, they thanked me but the most beautiful moment was when I asked someone to pray. For the first time Namgamso, the sewing instructor offered to pray and she did so with a passion and holy excitement that just warmed my heart. She has enjoyed this group of women but also she has grown spiritually from the Bible studies she attends. It is about sewing and skills but it is as much about growing in Christ and I thank God for this in this first class of 2008.