Today in the driving wind and rain and cold, our sewing class, seen in the photos above, and computer class resumed work in a new place pictured in these photos.
After more than two and a half years at the Living Hope headquarters we needed to move out because the mezzanine where we met at Living Hope's multi-purpose Center was deemed unsafe. Thank God, this was a short lived crisis. I am not exactly sure when it happened but days after the class was asked to leave, John Thomas, Living Hope founder sent me a note that simply said, "Wendy I have found a place for you." I was so moved by his active concern. When I went to see where it was, my breath was taken away. How could such a lovely place be so near and I had never heard of it. Made up of eight seperate cottages and landscaped beautifully, it is more than I could ever have imagined and perfect for our classes. It also offers us a chance to do more, for example, teach and English class. It is also now the new home for Khumi and the sewing business we started.
Realizing the time was short at Living Hope, I had been praying about what would happen next. God already had the answer with this perfectly equipped place. Now each class has its own room and space, unlike the cramped room we had before. LivingHope birthed these classes and so many lives were changed because of them so I am also grateful for all the time we spent there. And now I am delighted with this new place. This facility was one of several campuses of a local college. It was used to teach sewing, cooking, computer training, brick laying and wood working, household science , vegetable gardening and other practical courses. It also houses a pottery center and a creche or child care center used by our own sewing instructor Namgamso whose daughter goes there. The college had outgrown this space so their impending move made the facility available. It has now been offered to Thomas and Living Way, the new economic ministry he started. Evangeline Ministries was a catalyst for Thomas to do this and today is a valued partner. We are still waiting on an official word to know if the City Council will give the final approval but we believe this campus will be ours to use as a training ground for poverty striken people in Cape Town to lean valuable skills.
On Thursday September 18, it rained and stormed but we had a smooth move to our new classrooms.And yes, today, as it rained and stormed again I wondered if this was God's blessings on our class.
The students love this location which is closer to them, since they all walk to school. When I asked them what they thought, I heard words like,"so nice, " and " beautiful."I am also looking forward to our summer, soon to be here, when we can really enjoy the grounds and I can meet the families of the women who participate in our programs.
Of course the students had been distressed at the sudden move that disrupted their classes but I shared with them the fact that God cares about them and about the class and God can give us/them, even more than they can ask or imagine. He certainly has done that for us. So when you come to Cape Town to visit, you too will enjoy this most lovely place. It is my prayer that hundreds of women and men who need Christ and who need help will find it here.
