Molly's place and more

Hello everyone! I pray this finds you all well and blessed were ever you may be!

Things are going well here in South Africa - Most everything is really different then I expected it to be, but God has been working everything out in a far better way than I could have ever imagined! It is almost too overwhelming- in a good way, but I'm just praying that He can help me to understand and absorb everything - it hasn't even been a full week yet!! The Lord is really showing and teaching me so many new and wonderful things, though some are very heart pressing. I am just so amazed by Him and His willingness to love and teach His children!

Wednesday was kind of rough - I haven't cried so much in a while... I went to Molly's place on Wednesday and was planning on staying there in the house until Friday... Molly has at least 6o children permanently living there during the week and upwards around 85 on the weekends because their mommies spend their Friday pay checks on alcohol and get drunk over the weekends - how horribly sad! When I first got there in the morning, the only children there were the babies (about 6-7) and gradually, the older kids (the oldest is around 17, but they are mainly younger children) came home after their schooling (with 5-6 "nannies" to watch after them all and Molly of course). It was fun to play with them and get to know them, and I feel so blessed by Him to have had the opportunity to! However, they are very different from children in America because the cultures are so different - I can't quite put my finger on it, but there is just so much yuck and corruption engrained in Africa in general that it pours (not trickles) into how these kids opperate and it just becomes a vicious cycle, passing from generation to generation. Not to say that the rest of the world, especially America, is void of these faults. There is just something very different about Africa. I've heard it said that Africa is called the "Missionary Grave Yard" - let yourself get past the physical meaning and try to think about this in a spiritual and eternal sense and believe me this title for Africa makes sense completely! I can see it in the eyes of the people - hopelessness. They are so lost and controlled by centuries upon centuries of their tribal satanic rituals and ancestoral worship (among other things) that it is so difficult for most to get past everything they have made their world to be in order to see the Truth and the Light of their lives! Please, just pray and support God's work for Africa! I know and see that God is moving in this place in His own way and according to His own perfect timing - And this just makes me rejoice, but there is still a ton of work that needs to be done!

Anyway, back to Molly's place... :o) These kids were sort of undisciplined and unruly doing mainly whatever they would like because their just isn't enough people to look after them all and make sure they are doing what they should instead of hitting and kicking each other or calling each other names and so on... They would listen to Molly real well, but she wasn't there all day because she needed to take one of the little girls to get blood work done at a hospital in Port Elisabeth. It was really really difficult to see them in the conditions they were living in. They-at least 65 people- live in a cramped, 4 or 5 bedroom, small kitchen, and a tiny bathroom house that is completely and overly cluttered with old, dirty furniture and toys and cluttery things and the smell is not at all pleasant. On Monday, Rufus Luttig got some kind of rash from an insect bit after sitting in one of the chairs in the house (he has mostly recovered), so the conditions are not at all health for the children either. And the worst part about this situation to me is not only that there is so much wasted wealth in this world that can and should be available to help them (they should not have to live like that!!!), but that there is even a need for it at all. It is so heart breaking to think of how far fallen this world really is... It is amazing though how God has blessed Molly and this ministry for those kids for the past 17 years or so! He is preparing a greater way for them and it has been wonderful to hear some of what is to come for them by His glory! I broke down in tears several times because of all these things as well as other reasons and just had to pray and lift them all up to God. At one point, I had to barricade myself in the room I was to stay in to protect myself from the violent rants of a 5 year old stocky boy named Joshua (Hebrew pronunciation), who was really a very handsome little guy but very, very vicious toward everyone, including children who were younger than him. I later found out from Molly when she returned home that he is a Nigerian, who are supposedly very violent and barbaric people - this just made me feel even more horrible for this poor little boy, because he has been exposed to so much wickedness at such a young age and he hardly knows anything different. He has been deprived of what life truly needs and what it is all about - God's love!!! - until now that he is Molly. I was so overwhelmed and I couldn't imagine not being able to get away from it, even if it were only a few hours to be able to process everything and find rest/peace in Him. About mid afternoon, I decided to call Almarie to come and get me. (Before hand, Almarie kept asking me if I was sure about doing this since I had seen it only once before and gave me a cell to call her whenever for anything. I continually assured her that I would be just fine - Little did I really know what I was getting myself into...) I will go back, but not to stay there. Almarie said the best thing to do with Molly's Place is to take it in doses and I agree!

When we were leaving Jehovah Jireh, Almarie decided to take one of the babies with us who has been keeping Molly up in the night. So we (Almaire and I) took care of little 5 month old Trinity Esther at the Luttig home for the last two nights while the men (Rufus and Brian) were out hunting somewhere. ;o) Guy stuff! Trinity is so adorable and probably the happiest baby I have ever seen! Well I got to run - I will fill you in on her story a bit later. We are all going to the Luttig's ranch for the weekend and then we will be doing a week (mon-fri) of ministry in the Transkei. Please pray for us and the people we will encounter! May God do a mighty work! Got to run, but I love you all and you are all in my prayers!

Sending my love and blessings,
Sara