A Cold day in July

 Hey Friends!

Greetings from cold Jeffrey's Bay. Many of you in the States are probably on vacation, as the 4th is right around the corner. It is literally 10 degrees colder in our little townhouse than it is outside and I am freezing! And as true as that is, I can't imagine how cold it must feel in the little shacks that are less than a mile from me here. It's all in degrees of cold I think.  I'm a bit under the weather AGAIN and am battling a really bad sinus infection. I'm not sure what the "thorn in the flesh" was for Paul, but sinus infections are certainly mine. Please pray for me to get well. 

I wanted to send you a few recent photos of what is happening here with us. I will introduce you to two more of the new pre-schools receiving vitamins from the Emi's Closet Project. The first one is "New Beginnings" run by Ricardo and Nipheline in their tiny little house. 27 kiddos. They're doing a great job taking care of these little ones.

Another new creche for Emi's Closet is a pre-school run in a little shack by Ouma Dinah and Ouma Suzanne. There are 26 kids who attend this place, and it was in rough shape. I almost gasped out loud when we walked in. Half of the kids weren't fully clothed (and remember it is cold here) and the Pre-school consisted of a very dirty mattress on the floor and a tv blaring soap operas. It was pretty sad, but they're doing the best they can. I saw lots of open sores on these kids, so I'm praying that the vitamins will be especially helpful here. Pray for those little munchkins! I'm hoping there are are more ways we can get involved and help here as Emi's Closet someday grows into helping in more ways than vitamins....

I mentioned last time that I am trying to generate income in a more "sustainable" way than continuing to sell used kid's clothing .  Here is a sample of some of the new art I've been creating with a local pastor's wife -Mich.  The wood is off-cuts from a friend with a wood-working business and the hearts are made of recycled aluminum cans. Pretty cool huh? The second one is just fabric scraps and this African continent will be mounted on a frame I'm making from recycled pallets - also free. There are lots more - made of bottle caps, corks, yarn, and other recycled materials, but I just wanted to give you a glimpse of what we're working on. The hope is that when we have an inventory of items (all with the love Africa theme), we can market them to tourists at the different Parks here-Kruger National Park, Ado Elephant Park, and other prime tourist spots. I also hope to be able to sell some in the States whenever I'm home again. We really hope if this takes off and there is a demand for our recycled art in the tourist market then we can create jobs for more people in this community (many of which are in need of jobs). Mostly free materials, very teachable skills, and beautiful end product. I love this idea! What do you think?

This is holiday time again for school kids here. A three week school holiday now. South Africans really believe in holidays! Emi is attending Vacation Bible School this week at a local Baptist church. They call it Holiday Bible Club. Today when I pick Em's up we are baking chocolate chip cookies for the VBS snack tomorrow. 120 cookies! (what was I thinking?) Emi said she would love to be my "helper and taster". I think she will be mostly my taster.

The Christian coffee shop where Marius is working continues to grow. We have employed a new waitress - isn't she cute?

I think we worked her a little too hard last week though.....

For those of you who asked me recently how the income from the coffee shop is helping our support, I just want to explain again that we don't make ANY money now. We borrowed ALOT of money of which we are slowly making payments towards. The income for us will come much later - hopefully in year 3 we will be able to pull some income but definitely not yet. For now it is solely debt repayment one step at a time. That place is genuinely a blessing to so many. Aside from day trade, every Sunday evening we host "celebration service" where all of the Global Challenge guys gather for worship, a time of prayer and fellowship, and of course good coffee! This was last week's service. I helped lead worship which was nice.

Ok, well there is lots more to tell about, but I have 120 cookies calling "bake me!", so I  must be off. Please know that we love you and appreciate you and couldn't do what we do without you! We're eternally grateful!
Much love from Marius, Jodi and Emi in South Africa! Happy 4th of July to our friends in the States and never ever forget what a blessing it is to be born in such a safe, free, generous nation!

with much love,
jodi

"Dark Side of the Moon" - a story to honor my dad for Father's Day

To honor my dad, John Stancil, for Father’s Day, I want to tell you a little story about the dark side of the moon. The dark side or “far side” of the moon is literally the part of the moon that always faces away from the Earth. It’s the place where astronauts go radio silent, where their technology fails them, and because of their location on the far side -for a time- they can no longer reach Mission Control.

During my high school years, and when I came home from college, my dad and I used to rise early in the mornings to go running together. We used to joke that we had a “dog ministry” because often we would have a small trail of various mutts lagging along behind us as we finished up our 3-mile loop. We always finished up the same way. We ran until we reached the beginning of our road - Frontier Road - and then we walked to the end of the road for our “cool down.” - which most of the time was already quite cool on those pre-dawn Georgia mornings. Our house was the last one on Frontier Road, at the end of the cul-de-sac. When we reached the end of the road, just like clockwork, we would lie down on the cold concrete and stare up at the moon and sky full of stars. The payoff for me for the physical torture of running was always this time -when we would then pray together. We prayed out loud, eyes wide open, staring at God’s majestic landscape above us. We prayed for each other.  We prayed for the day that lay just ahead of us. We prayed for sick people. We prayed for the lost. We prayed with grateful, thankful, and sometimes heavy hearts to our Father above  -always gazing up at the moon as we prayed.

As special as it had always been to start my days like this with dad, these particular days it felt like pure treasure. There was something unsaid between us that summer, but we both knew the truth - that these precious moments together were few, and we were holding onto them for dear life. We knew with certainty that my formerly predictable life was about to drastically change, as I was about to embark off to missionary training school, and I knew that God had a calling on my life that would take me to God only knew where in the world, and for God only knew how long. 

One morning as we neared the end of that special summer, I couldn’t hold it in any longer, and I asked dad, “How in the world am I gonna start my mornings without you?” With quiet wisdom and compassion, as always, he said, “You’re not. You are going to look up at that big yellow moon and pray, and you’re gonna know that your dad is looking at the dark side of that same moon, praying too. It will be like our relay station. Whether we have access to real communication or not”. (And turns out it was not, as my first missions assignment would end up being the rural highlands of Papua New Guinea which was pretty much a “radio-silent” zone).  “Jodi” dad said, “We’ll always have the moon.”

And we have. 21 years later. 28 countries later. A husband and daughter of my own later, and my dad and I still pray, looking up at that same awesome yellow beacon in the sky. He is 62 now, still more fit than most of the “twenty-somethings” he works with. He ran a half-marathon just a few years ago, and he’s still praying faithfully to his Maker early every morning.

I know that one day, inevitably, dad will make his way across that thin veil into eternity and from his vantage point then, it will be me who is on the “dark” side of the moon. But we will still have our yellow relay station in the sky- it’s just that then- I will still be praying to my heavenly Father, and my dad will be standing right next to His.

For you, dad- the kindest, meekest, most compassionate and generous dad I know.

I am SO blessed that YOU are my dad! Happy Father’s Day!

with all my love,

jodi

Lordy, Lordy Jodi's ..............................not 39 anymore!

It has been SOOOOO super busy lately. I've been battling bronchitis again for the past few weeks, and it has been pretty hectic, but I'm on the upside now. Here are some photos of the last 3 weeks at Ithemba. Some of our recent lessons have included, "Nothing is impossible with God",  "I am special and unique", "It just takes a tiny seed of faith", and "How to stay healthy".  The vitamins and fruit continue to be such a source of blessing for these kiddos. Continued thanks to the Jasper Jingle Jog, Jasper United Methodist Church, and Emi's Closet customers for making this vitamin project possible!!

Marius was helping at the building site with chinking of the log houses that will serve as staff housing when our new high school is built.

Last week was a week of celebrations for our family: my 40th birthday, our 8th wedding anniversary, and Emi's 4th birthday. We went to a cool farmer's market/craft market to celebrate, and I made myself some very hard to find fried green tomatoes and okra. Yum. Yum!

Emi had a rainbow party and she enjoyed it so much

Emi's birthday present was a bedroom makeover. She was so excited and surprised when she opened the door to her new room. She had given me her wish list of pink, purple, sparkly, and soft. I love how it turned out, for the most part I just used stuff I had around the house.  So fun!

BEFORE

AFTER

Here's my Zimbabwean friend Nancy's brand new baby boy. Nancy is the lady who sews for Emi's Closet's craft projects. This is her 3rd child. 

Here are recent photos of Emi. She is growing up so fast!!

She spotted this patch of clover and gathered all her bunnies and brought them out to have a snack.

Emi and Zoe

She rode this pony at a farmer's market

Emi with her 1st cousin ,Ilanza. Don't they look like sisters?

If Emi is near water she is HAPPY!

For my 40th Birthday, I received a ticket to the States, so Emi and I are coming home for Christmas!!! It will be my first Christmas at home in almost 4 years, and I am BEYOND excited!! Marius unfortunately won't be able to come though, because it is the busy season here in December, and he will also teach at training in January. As I mentioned before i've been battling with my lungs, and sinus infections, and I am just a bit run-down. This is going to be a family visit this time - for some much needed R&R with my folks. I am tremendously blessed to have this opportunity and  I'm so grateful to have a break. Please don't be mad if I don't phone to get together this time around - I plan to hibernate for a few precious winter weeks.  :)

Marius and I want to also wish all of you a happy holiday season. Please know that you are very precious to us and we GREATLY appreciate your partnering with us to make a difference here. We don't take it for granted for one moment all the amazing, wonderful, and generous people that HE has surrounded us with to make it possible to be here. Thank you and bless you!!!

love,
jodi  (& marius & emi)

Snapshots from the past month in South Africa.....

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so here are several thousand words of what we've been up to this month:

Emi's Closet hosted a high school orchestral fund-raising concert

My cell group helped me bake muffins to sell at intermission

We raised and gave away R2,000!

Fresh oranges at Ithemba!

The kids love "Sebo" the puppet who tells them Bible stories every week

I try to mix it up each week and bring different fruits. The vitamin C is really good for these kiddos!

The middle boy is Keenan and he is my favorite. He always opens the door for me, gets me a chair to sit in, and gives me a big hug. These are not the normal manners at Ithemba - believe me! He is a sweetie pie.

 

 

The multi-vitamin syrup continues to make a BIG difference in these little lives! So many of you have donated money from the Jingle Jog

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Emi's school - Shama Kid's Academy- had a FUN DAY and I was in charge of the obstacle course. They had so much fun!

There was my obstacle course, face painting, yummy snacks, fishing for magnetic fish, and a clown who sang cute little songs with them. Fun, Fun and we raised some money for the school.

Franzelle, Aya-Bonga, and Emi. Emi is speaking lots of Afrikaans and even some Xhosa!

All the moms had rainbow hair. Yikes!

The cutest barista in town :)

We are still looking for capital to "buy in" to the coffee shop. Just need to come up with a loan for $10,000 and we will be there. Good tent-makers business, and could mean raising less and less support some day hopefully.

We had 17 kids at "Tiny Church" and it was crazy. The coffee shop was transformed into the kid's zone- snacks, crafts, and games.

Thanks to the Jasper United Methodist Church for their recent donation towards more mulch-vitamins for the kids at Mommy's Day Care. You are making a difference in these little lives!! They really don't have proper nutrition so this is a big deal in their health and well-being.

Emi is growing up way too fast. She is going to be 4 on Haloween!

This is the latest addition to our family - Zoe. She's a doxiepoo - 1/2 poodle 1/2 dachshund. A friend moved away and she needed a home. She is a sweet little dog and Emi loves her so much.

Emi and her daddy had a date the other day and went to see a movie -Turbo. She wanted to get all dressed up and for me to fix her hair and make-up for her "date". She loves hanging out with her dad!

 Anne-Marie, the founder of our organization GLOBAL CHALLENGE EXPEDITIONS,  was shocked at her 50th Surprise Birthday party. There were hundreds of people who came to celebrate with her and she was genuinely SURPRISED!

I helped organize the dessert table and I made some chocolate dipped marshmallow trees and a Turkish Delight candy tree.

There were 125 Turkish delights tied to this tree!

That is a snapshot of the last few weeks. It has been REALLY, REALLY busy, but as you can see also lots of fun. Thank you so much for your continued love, care, support, and prayers. We so appreciate it! 

Lots and lots of love from the Deetlefs family,
jodi