Four Weeks from Today.....

I've been a bit preoccupied with a few other things that are happening before I go to South Africa - trying to get things in order to close on a house (today!) with/for Jesse and Abigail (my brother and sister-in-law); moving; hanging out with my cousins while my uncle and aunt are in Ukraine adopting two orphan children; trying to get ready for the busy holiday season at work.... you know, everyday stuff. In the meantime, plans have also been moving forward for the South Africa trip and I've received some more information that I thought I'd share.

(The logo for our team/trip to the left above was designed by our Divisional Music and Multimedia Director, Erik Dabis)

Though we won't have a finalized itinerary until mid-October, I do know a bit more about what our team can expect while in Cape Town. Most of our time will be spent in townships (according to Wikipedia, townships in South Africa usually refer to (often underdeveloped) urban living areas that were reserved for non-whites under Apartheid) and will include taking part in home visits, prayer walks, feeding programs, youth outreach (sports, music), etc. We will also be going to two nursery schools and a home for abused women among other places, and there may also be minor building repair work (painting, etc.) that is needed. In all, I believe we anticipate visits to at least 11 of the Army's programs in the Cape Town area during our 14 days there.

Oh, and I don't think I mentioned this before, but the 'team' I've been referencing is comprised of twelve officers (ordained ministers), soldiers (Salvationists/members of Salvation Army Churches) and administrative staff from around the Intermountain Division of The Salvation Army. Our Division covers the states of Colorado, Wyoming, Utah and two thirds of Montana. For those of you unfamiliar with The Salvation Army, the organization serves a dual purpose as both a church and a social services organization. It has a long, international history of providing holistic services to meet basic human needs without discrimination.

Our host in the West Cape Division summed up our purpose well in a recent email when he said, "We will invite you to come along side the people, to listen to them, to understand their threats and hopes and, together with them, to address their situation with God's grace."

So, there is a lot to look forward to as we continue to prepare over the next month. As a team, we set a goal to raise $30,000 to cover the costs of this endeavor and we are just over half way there. If you would like to contribute, you may do so online at our secure site here, or for information about mailing a check, see here. Thanks for the comments, notes and emails expressing support and excitement for the work we are setting out to do as well!

I'll be updating periodically over the next month and hope to be able to post updates with pictures from South Africa as well, so check back here from time to time!