Our time with Crossroads Church from Cincinnati was another great Rosemark stop! They are partnered with Faith and Charity Mission in Mamelodi South Africa. The church ministry includes an orphanage, AIDS Hospice, and Bophalong school with grades Kindergarten through eight. We spent two weeks with 10 educators from Cincinnati learning with teachers from the school. We partnered with one another to set up classrooms, plan lessons, and team teach. It was a great week of learning and experience! My youth pastoring experience was helpful when I taught the 7th grade Life Orientation class on sex education! Danny did ward rounds and house calls with AIDS patients. He traveled to the townships and informal settlements throughout Mamelodi.
It has been cold during the South Africa winter, below freezing at night, who knew! Gloves where needed some days! Here are a few photos.
Kathy planning lessons with Nelia, the 7th grade teacher.
Morning gathering to start the school day.
TLC, Tender Loving Care Orphanage
After we left Mamelodi, we headed to a south eastern part of Johanesburg to find some travelers we had met in Zambia. Earlier, we had met three people who were on holiday from working at the TLC and they told us to come and find them when we are in South Africa, so here we are! What a wonderful place! There are over 40 babies and toddlers with 22 volunteers. We held babies, talked to mostly female volunteers from Denmark, UK, USA, Canada, Holland, Germany, and many other places. Everyone was caring for babies who have either been abandoned at birth, come from homes with parents who can't care for their baby at the moment, or who are orphaned by mothers dying in childbirth. We loved the day. Danny did some work from the "honey do list," and held, fed, and refused to change the diapers of his share of babies. The TLC has a school, preschool, toddler area, and two baby areas. Over the past 15 or so years they have rescued over 700 babies! Since 2002 they have ARV drugs available, HIV meds, which saves the lives of at least 5 of the current 40 babies. Many children are adopted out of the country. The people who own and run the orphanage adopt all of the kids that don't get adopted by other people! The owner has adopted over 17 children! Here are a few photos from our visit. We plan to go back in mid-August. We will share more at that time!
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