Reaping joys

It's Happening
Five years worth of investing in the lives of women, most of whom live with HIV and AIDS is beginning to reap wonderful results.
The aim of Evangeline Ministries was to bring to these ladies a sense of how much God loves them, give them skills tools and a market so they can earn a living since they live below the poverty line in South Africa. Another goal was to build leadership potential among them. Together, teachers and students, all of who come from Masiphumelele have provided us with a model for a self sustainable project which we hope to replicate in other places. What is most exciting is that one of the arms of the business we began was animal print tote bags which have sold very well but mostly to an overseas market. Even more exciting now is that the women are working for local entrepreneurs who use their sewing skills to market products to big stores. Here you see Namgamso with one of these. All three of our teachers are involved in one such project which has the potential for good income for them. This is one of four different ventures in which they are now involved. Soon we will relaunch the bags business with added products. This year marks five years of praying and planting, sometimes with tears but always with confident hope in God's purposes. Now as the results have begun to come in, I am overwhelmed with joy and thankfulness.

Congratulations Douglas

A Proud and Grateful Aunt
Last Saturday, I joined the rest of my family at the graduation of my oldest nephew Douglas Johnathan Sharma from Carneige-Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Here seen with my sister and his mother Aurora, and his dad, Verne, Douglas is one of the loves of my life. He joins my other four nephews and two nieces whose in whose lives I have been so intimately involved since their birth. Leaving them to travel to South Africa was one of the most difficult decisions I have ever made but I am here with their love and their full support. Douglas is an hugely talented young man. He is a gifted artist, whose work hangs in all of our homes, but he also loves to cook and plans to open his own food business some day. He has travelled around the world and I love to listen to him talk about global issues. What I value most however is his love for his family and his younger cousins who were there to celebrate his achievement and see in him a model for their lives. Douglas' parents have taught him well and shown him the way to a life of excellence in whatever he does, and service to others. Their support is crucial to my ministry here and the work I do in South Africa is theirs too.I thank God for my family, their love for me and for the people I serve in South Africa.