Daily Archives: July 17, 2014

A Visit to the Orphanage

We were introduced to Lolo and George’s orphanage by E/S Knowles who we followed here in Potchefstroom. They have 13-15 orphans who they provide housing, food and a chance for an education. George works at a butchery – meat market – to help supplement the small amount of money they receive each month from the government. Mainly the orphanage is run on faith, hope, prayer and love.

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The orphanage is out in an area that is mixed between houses and informal houses. Informal houses are usually single room shacks made out of tin and anything else they can find that does not cost much. The upper left picture shows a woman washing her clothes in a pan sitting on top of a washing machine. The lower left shows a sight that is seen all over South Africa. A house that is being built but not finished. They get some money to buy materials. Build as much as they can and then must wait until they can afford more. The pile of sand with bricks or rocks around it is a very common sight also. As we drove up the road that leads to the road where the orphanage is located there were chickens in the road. The young man on the side tried to get them to move out of our way. In Swaziland it was cattle in the road – here it is chickens.

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As we were parking next to the orphanage I noticed these two young men searching through the dumping area at the end of the road. I think they were looking for something to play with and not for food – at least I hope it was not for food. The other picture is the front yard of the orphanage.

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Some children are not quite sure what to make of a couple of white people. They do not see many as this is outside of the Ikageng township at the end of a road that most white people would never think of traveling to as there is no reason to be there. But the children always greet us with a smile.

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I asked Lolo the age of the young lady with the beautiful cap. She told me she was two but since she was HIV positive she was not growing as she should. There are a number of HIV positive children in the orphanage which is one of the great problems that there is in all of Africa. Lolo and George try to supply the children with safe places to play but with limited space and money it is difficult. What a difference $200 – $300 a month would make to this wonderful couple and the children.

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Lolo had a gas stove blow up in her face a number of years ago and it caused a terrible amount of scaring. But she does not let this get her down or feel sorry for herself. She just smiles and tries her best to take care of the children.

 



This and That of a Senior Mission

While we spend a good deal of our time visiting members, going to meetings,      working with missionaries, and just taking care of missionary business, we also have everyday things we need to do where ever we live and whatever we are doing. Here is a few things that we have experienced this week.

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We of course have to eat and usually once a day we get something from a fast food place. In a small center less than a mile from our house there is a number of them and one is called Chix. They are just across a driveway from a KFC and are little in the way of competition for the Colonel. However on Monday they have a great special. A nice chicken burger – great bun, generous chicken breast and tasty sauce – plus two pieces of their fried chicken. Since the burger is plenty to eat for lunch we save the chicken for a later meal. All of this cost about $2.50 US. 

Now that it is winter here of course most of the trees are bare. Outside our flat is a tree where I noticed a couple of these unusual nest. I should remember what the name of the bird is that makes them but for not it escapes me but the nests are neat little houses to bring up a family until they can fly away.

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Until yesterday our electricity was billed to the landlord who then billed the mission. But for some reason the owner did not like this arrangement so we now have a prepaid meter to contend with. This means we have to go to the store and buy an amount of electricity. Then the long number on the bottom of the ticket is entered into the keypad and we then have electricity – at least until the meter reads 0. This is something we do not want to have happen so every time we go into the garage we check the reading. Other than I have to pay cash in advance,  enter a long number, and remember to tell elder Thompson how much we spent for electricity during the month so he can give us credit off our car charges it is not a big thing. However it was a lot easier when the bill went to the mission.