tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-43357104437588982252024-03-14T09:04:59.918-06:00Living Hope '07a blog detailing the first journey of Rolling Hills Community Church's work<br>with Living Hope Community Centre in Capetown, South Africa.Natohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13088276577398873987noreply@blogger.comBlogger41125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4335710443758898225.post-54800821894911247392007-05-30T08:29:00.000-06:002007-05-30T08:30:37.791-06:00More good news...http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/30/AR2007053000012.html?hpid%3Dtopnews&sub=newBrenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11587474324715989410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4335710443758898225.post-72897622047894338872007-05-08T08:42:00.000-06:002007-05-08T08:45:44.954-06:00Good news today...This is good news, friends!http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18551057/Brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11587474324715989410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4335710443758898225.post-68854177482451379332007-03-27T09:56:00.000-06:002007-03-27T09:59:27.055-06:00You can sign up for Mocha Club!Well. I'm excited.Our Rolling Hills Mocha Club is ready to roll and I'm hoping we're all going to create teams... Follow this link to sign up and then create your team: https://www.africanleadership.org/mochaclub/new/30They've made it pretty easy to invite people. You can import addresses from gmail, yahoo and hotmail. Be sure to customize your invite message and you're ready to go. It's as easy Amy Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16075139498443005926noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4335710443758898225.post-28567983415101462972007-03-27T08:59:00.000-06:002007-03-27T09:03:27.376-06:00EvaluationsI am writing up evaluations for both Living Hope and the Team House this week and would love any feedback you have regarding any aspect of our trip. Please send it to me in e-mail form (by Thursday, please) rather than posting it on the blog.Also, if you have thoughts to share about future missions to South Africa, let me know. In the meantime mark your calendars...we are headed back Feb. Brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11587474324715989410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4335710443758898225.post-23183258082495340902007-03-26T13:34:00.000-06:002007-03-26T13:42:46.539-06:00Braai PlansThis is what a braai looks like in Ecuador. Yes, these are guinea pigs. However...Our braai is this week! No rodents! The plans:Thursday, March 296:00 p.m.Dave and Julie's house (2221 Lindell, 37204)We will provide kebobs for everyone; we need you to bring everything else, including your own plate, cup and flatware.Okay, just kidding. We do need you to bring food, but not your own plates! :-) Brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11587474324715989410noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4335710443758898225.post-50305858661163241052007-03-23T07:17:00.000-06:002007-03-23T07:30:41.831-06:00World TB Day - Natoit infects 1/3 of the world's population.Right on the heels of World Water Day is World Tuberculosis Day. This disease kills more than 2 million people each year around the world, and can be prevented. Use today (and tomorrow) to learn about the disease and why it claims so many victims in other parts of the world. Take a minute to send a message to world leaders to increase the amount of Natohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13088276577398873987noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4335710443758898225.post-87666694696180953652007-03-19T10:13:00.000-06:002007-03-19T10:23:45.967-06:00Soweto Gospel Choir - NatoLink to 'Soweto Gospel Choir' in the iTunes StoreAs many of you noticed, I found a recording of Njalo (Always). The recording is from the Soweto Gospel Choir from South Africa. The group currently has 3 amazing albums, tour the US frequently and are ambassadors for Nelson Mandela's '46664 AIDS Foundation' (46664 was Mandela's prisoner number at Robben Island). (from the Soweto Gospel Choir site)Natohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13088276577398873987noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4335710443758898225.post-14812348708207253002007-03-17T13:42:00.000-06:002007-03-17T14:27:26.186-06:00Something I Read—Amy JIt's Saturday afternoon and I am sitting at my desk at work trying to write a compelling 8-page brochure. It's not going so great at this moment. I'm just wishy-washy and contemplative and I can hardly figure out all that I'm thinking, much less compel anybody on earth to do anything—which is problematic for my work life.I talked to Leah. She reminded me of what we were doing at this hour one Amy Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16075139498443005926noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4335710443758898225.post-82657924134419203532007-03-16T07:45:00.000-06:002007-03-16T07:53:54.394-06:00beautyWell, let me tell you...this really hasn't been the best adjustment for me. When I would walk outside, I would close my eyes and pretend that the traffic noise I heard was really the crashing of the waves, that the wind I felt smelt of salt, that I was not at the Y but walking to the beach; however, I opened my eyes to where I really was. I'm not going to lie that I was a bit disappointed at my samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01249586967612097399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4335710443758898225.post-40485641281499555202007-03-16T06:39:00.000-06:002007-03-16T07:31:33.932-06:00insync - mandyHi Y’all! 16 March 2007Greetings from Sunny(windy) Noordhoek, Cape Town, 'Suth' Africa (I can all here you guys repeating it after me:) I’ve been wanting to email you guys since you left but for lack of email addresses its only happening now and on your blog. (I snuck in!)I can't believe a week has passed already - hectic! It was awesome having you guys come to stay in my house. I call it my Mandy Rapsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03047155401241162835noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4335710443758898225.post-88856154923950272772007-03-15T13:25:00.001-06:002007-03-15T13:41:34.548-06:00A Glimpse of Hope?CNN.com World Article - 3.15.07:South Africa fighting 1,500 new HIV infections a dayBrenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11587474324715989410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4335710443758898225.post-73028720984537279912007-03-15T07:48:00.000-06:002007-03-15T08:05:57.716-06:00Mocha Club-Amy JThe Rolling Hills Mocha Club Team launches on Monday! I had breakfast with Barrett (Mocha Club Guy) yesterday and he shared a much bigger picture of Mocha Club's work in Africa. The bottom line is, $7 a month is transforming Africa. And we get to be a part of that! There are so many amazing projects that are happening through Mocha Club.Right now, our Rolling Hills team is set up to support the Amy Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16075139498443005926noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4335710443758898225.post-50691782053622671392007-03-14T20:57:00.000-06:002007-03-15T13:03:17.017-06:00Processing... -AmyNow that we're all back into our routines, what's happening with you guys as you process our trip?I had a positive experience and I find myself telling people about how much I love Africa—the beauty of it, the grandness of it all, how God outdid himself when he created such a gorgeous place. And then I find myself trying to explain the outrageous paradox called Africa. A place where beauty and Amy Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16075139498443005926noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4335710443758898225.post-10705970206519441652007-03-12T16:04:00.000-06:002007-03-13T06:33:50.816-06:00A thought to Ponder - AllisonAs I was sifting through the 256 emails that I had to return (most of them meaningless junk-yet they had to be sifted through) I found this quote on the bottom of someone's email and thought I would share! "There is nothing like returning to a place that remains unchanged to find the ways in which you yourself have altered."- Nelson MandelaIt seemed fitting towards my day but I do hope that they Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01555630630268031179noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4335710443758898225.post-49920905902034250672007-03-11T09:07:00.000-06:002007-03-11T09:15:51.719-06:00Home, But The Story Continues - NatoAfter another brutally long flight and a short hop from Chicago, we finally made it home on time last night at 8:15PM to the cheers of many of our friends and loved ones. While this officially concludes our trip, as you might have gathered, much has been learned by each of us throughout this journey and many of the lessons won't truly hit home until a few days or weeks after being home.With that Natohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13088276577398873987noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4335710443758898225.post-91693004437475364032007-03-10T02:33:00.000-06:002007-03-10T02:43:20.223-06:00Hangin' At Heathrow, Part Deux - NatoSo here we are at London's Heathrow airport again for 4 hours. The British supremacy means that we had to do a second security check after we arrived, as well as paring down our carry-ons to 1 piece per person. Other than the fact that it baffles me how you can make it 1/2 way around the world and have the rules change within the same system. But I digress....It's definitely a much longer journeyNatohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13088276577398873987noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4335710443758898225.post-82785090600279515052007-03-09T06:16:00.000-06:002007-03-09T07:29:35.477-06:00All Good Things... -Amy J"All good things must come to an end." I've heard that old cliché my entire life. I just don't think it's true. While our time in Africa comes to a close, our thoughts and prayers and purposes are far from over. As Brent says, our work in Africa is just beginning. The truth is, Africa leaves a mark. As with most mission trips, it is hard to explain all that Africa is to us. Each of us has a Amy Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16075139498443005926noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4335710443758898225.post-26483937062805106242007-03-08T15:07:00.000-06:002007-03-08T15:36:53.465-06:00Freedom for the Captives - LesliWell…….we all went to prison today! After a yummy breakfast of ostrich sausage, we headed to the Waterfront of downtown Cape Town. We boarded the Sea Princess ferry at the Nelson Mandela Gateway and sailed to Robben Island. The island contains a prison that once housed 1,500 political activists during apartheid, including Nelson Mandela, who later became the first democratic president of SouthLeslihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18439802583056548253noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4335710443758898225.post-78128492566454719572007-03-07T14:54:00.000-06:002007-03-07T15:19:51.248-06:00Two days left in ‘Suth’ Africa - LeahYou may think I have misspelled South Africa, but apparently this is the correct way to pronounce the country. Mandy, one of the team house drivers of the “green bullet,” told us earlier this week we were saying it incorrectly. So on a daily, moment by moment basis, we practice saying, ‘Suth’ Africa. Now you would think Mandy would be so pleased that we are trying to pronounce her country leahtoddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01130540074524942027noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4335710443758898225.post-37724360295635183752007-03-07T14:47:00.000-06:002007-03-07T14:52:10.372-06:00My Theme - NatoGaleanaby Lori ChafferThe backdrop of mountains cuts into the skyThey’re there to protect or intrap the ones insideA quiet village is full of tired browsThin strips of farm land fight it out with the farmersIn the night the roosters crow with hungerThe wind brings dust instead of rain brought with thunderCHORUSAnd as I hold your dirty hand all that I can say to youIs in the awkward smile I make INatohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13088276577398873987noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4335710443758898225.post-34712627071847310602007-03-06T15:31:00.000-06:002007-03-06T15:47:12.046-06:00…If only for Marie - JulieToday was a mixed bag for our team. We spent the morning hours shadowing Home Care Givers into 2 communities (Masiphumalele and Ocean View) and observed as they dressed wounds, checked blood sugar levels for diabetes, checked blood pressure, asked questions about their wellness (and in one of my homes we sang White Christmas to a blind and nearly deaf 94 year old…never would I have imagined this Julie Hunthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02643113247383892698noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4335710443758898225.post-11813711564130163232007-03-06T03:40:00.000-06:002007-03-06T03:58:48.074-06:00Xtreme Monday - NatoWe have just experienced one of the most beautiful journeys. After the always-wonderful breakfast prepared by our wonderful chef Catherine, we travelled to an area known as the Boulders, home to over 3,000 jackass penguins (named for their braying and not their mannerisms). Penguins are one of the most comical animals in creation, and they’re monogamous too, unlike the red-butted baboons we saw Natohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13088276577398873987noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4335710443758898225.post-74622201018090612412007-03-04T23:33:00.000-06:002007-03-04T23:38:33.159-06:00Sunday Musings - SamWe started our day pretty wet. We hadn’t experienced rain in South Africa until the wee hours of the morning. The wind and rain howled through our open windows waking us with a fright! Chad and I ran to close the windows before more water poured through. We stood there a little startled and then went back to sleep before the day really began. We awoke and began our second Sunday in South Africa Natohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13088276577398873987noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4335710443758898225.post-51334429215983975502007-03-03T15:36:00.000-06:002007-03-04T12:25:58.571-06:00into the "wild" - whitThere is no lion on pride rock. They tell us there are seven but all we can find are three cubs lying in a pen filled with mud and a bizarre hunk of meat. Lions are one of five species native to Africa known as “The Big Five”, that is, the five most dangerous game on the continent. Today we saw four. We all climbed into the vans at 6 this morning for the 3 hour trip to Aquita Game Preserve Whithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03385251598749391226noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4335710443758898225.post-49398520680299730942007-03-02T14:07:00.000-06:002007-03-02T21:09:01.230-06:00Want to know where your money went?- Amy JSo many of you generously supported the Africa team. Your generosity affirmed God’s call in us—that’s a generous gift. But let me give you a glimpse of where your money went—50 lay counselors, homecare providers, and HIV support group leaders gathered with us for their first-ever retreat. And boy did they deserve a retreat! These men and women do the most difficult tasks with unexplainable joy. Amy Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16075139498443005926noreply@blogger.com5