What does Kids club look like?

My CTEN pastoral care team/leaders from the home front, Bob and B, were here to visit me this past week, and with the blessing of their time here, they were also able to capture some great pictures of what happens on a Friday at Kids Club (His Ark) and pictures of some of my students at Bizweni (the special needs school) !

Before I show those, though I just want to take the time to really say how COMPLETELY BLESSED I am by Bob & B, Jack & Carol, and all of my other CTEN staff!!! I was a little anxious about meeting Bob and B for the first time when they came to visit last week, but like I said it went so well!!! They asked lots of questions to get to know me and my ministries (past and present) better, helped in so many ways, and just showed genuine compassion for me. They made a list of things to pray over me when they’re back home.  I just have to retell a moment of history here: I’m just still in awe of how God opened the doors in February 2012 and then used a complete stranger to confirm to me that CTEN was SUPPOSED to be my sending agency. When my mom found CTEN online, I was literally just crying on the couch thinking all of my doors to be in South Africa on a long term basis had been closed. I think about this often and am in constant gratitude that He led to me to a ministry that truly lives up to it’s mission. If ANYONE is looking to be a missionary, I will strongly encourage them to look into CTEN. I know they have been a vital part of my time here!!!!

 

Here’s what a typical day of Kids club looks like! Enjoy!!!

First, we meet as a team an hour before the kids are supposed to come, so we can pray together, review the lesson &  the materials/props needed for the puppets and Bible story, and discuss anything we need to know about depending on the week!

Then we head to our open field on dry days or the paved street corner on rainy days (or after many days of rain!) to get things ready!!! Putting up the behavior balloons, setting up the tarps and blankets for the kids to sit on, and getting the music on so the kids and leaders can dance together, and so those that are close enough can hear it is almost time to start!

Here are some our kids waiting for the rest of their friends to come!

 

 

One of our regular attendees, Valencia, enjoyed all of the extra hugs, spins, and love with Bob and B at Kids Club this week!!!

Then while I drive a few volunteers through the township to call kids to Kids Club with our megaphone , the rest of our staff play with our kids. You will see Anja, a German girl who is volunteering with another organization & His Ark, playing with some of our little ones while they wait!

Finally we get to start! We start with our prayer and talk to the kids about their week and get ready to play games! To play the games, they have to remember the memory verse from the week before. We only have a few that are really good about remembering the verses, but we are always to come up with fun ways to help them remember the verses! Thank you to everyone in my home church, Community Bible Fellowship, that taught me songs through Well-Versed Kids and Adventure Club!!!! They have come in HANDY!!!

We then play a crazy game. This picture isn’t from this past week, but it captures one of our more crazy moments in games!

It is then time for worship!!! I’ve loved teaching the kids new songs- many of the same songs I used at home in CBF’s youth ministries!! They are really getting good with “Trading my Sorrows”!

Next, comes our puppet show!!! Jack and Jill help teach us what new words mean and talk about how we can do what we talk about in real life. We are still working on our puppeteer skills, but with time we will look like pros!

Then we teach the kids our new memory verse for the week that is based around our theme or lesson for the day! We are always trying to find more fun ways to teach the kids the verses- using some of those same songs from Well-Versed Kids - and also teaching or showing a more hands-on mini-lesson about the verse looks like. For example, this week we were talking about waiting patiently on God and Anja showed us how when we eat a banana that is still green it doesn’t taste as nice as the one we WAITED for to turn yellow! Simple is best!

The Bible stories are always fun to do- with some serious creativity to bring some of these stories to life with limited space, supplies and staff, but we always seem to manage to get the story across! You may recognize this photo, as I’ve already used it on the blog, but sadly there were no pics from the day Bob and B were here. I think that is because they were the only adults left to watch the kids as the rest of us were in the skit!

We then wrap up our formal time with our kids, praying with them for the rest of their week, that God will protect them, keep them warm, and keep their tummies full.

Then the craziness really begins as we begin feeding our kids. We’re trying many different methods to keeping the chaos to a minimum, currently using a numbering system when they register/check-in at the beginning that has seemed to work well. Here are some photos of eating time:

And always, our wonderful helper….couldn’t do what we’ve been able to do without her help….more about that coming soon!!! Love my Pauline!!! <3

I hope you’ve enjoyed your day at a DRY kids club with me!! Stayed tuned for what it looks like when it rains!! Haha!

Thanks again to Bob and B for everything- but especially providing us with some really nice photos of what we are doing on a Friday! I’m always too busy to really have much time to take a photo!

Continual Changes & Nomad Life

Changes. All these changes. You know, at first I really loathed all of the changes that were happening in my life in here South Africa. And I must admit, I sometimes fall back into that thinking. This isn’t what I signed up for. I didn’t sign up to endure heartache like I’ve never felt before, to move 5 times in 10 months, to buy a car that has more problems that I can afford to fix, or to have all of MY plans completely and utterly thrown out the window.

This isn’t what I signed up for.

I signed up to bring the love of Christ to the people of Grabouw, South Africa. I signed up to teach children with special needs, giving them skills that will help them to have a better future. To teach the young women of their worth in God’s eyes. To make a difference in someone’s life.

Despite everything though, I’ve been able to rely on one truth that continues to carry me through my never-ending changes: my God is Sovereign. He knows what is going on, He knew about all of the “nonsense” long before I did, and He could have stopped it all.

But He didn’t.

Instead, He chose that I should walk along this NEW path, not in MY plans, but HIS. HIS timing, NOT MINE.

One of the most commonly asked questions is what will you do now? God has lead me to a new ministry called “His Ark”, whose primary focus (at the moment) is on a kids club run in Sir Lowry’s Pass Village (SLP) on Fridays. Antje, a German gal, began this ministry, and now I’m blessed to play a part in it!! We meet our kids, ages 3-17, every Friday, rain or shine, in an open field and bring them spiritual food and physical food. With our 75-200 kids, we worship with them and teach them spiritual truths through puppets, skits, and lessons that they can take into their home lives. Many of our children come from very difficult backgrounds and homes surrounded by violence, sickness, poverty, and abuse. Our ministry is still in its “infant stages”, even though it has been running for 2 years, but we are both so excited to see how we can play a bigger part in our kids lives, beyond a Friday.

She had to go back to Germany for a few months, so I’m in charge!! Here are a few pictures to give you a glimpse into our Friday:

              

Here is one of our skits in action- using the tug of war to represent the battle between the Israelites and the Amalekite armies, and how Aaron and Hur helped hold up Moses’ arms, since they realized that the Israelites only won the battle when Moses’ staff was in the air. It was such a fun and creative way to explain it to the kids. I’m an Israelite, in case you were wondering!  

           

Here is Antje, giving the lesson, via our megaphone, to our kids on one of our rainy Fridays! We had a smaller number of kids this week, but we crammed 50 kids and 12 adults under our gazebos. Unfortunately the wind picked one of them off the ground and broke one of the legs. We just always pray for no rain on Fridays from 2-5!

              

Here we are passing out food to the kids after the lesson & worship time! Since it is cold now, we serve soup, bread, fruit, & and a little candy (if they’ve been behaving!  ) This time can become quite chaotic, and without enough hands, really a big problem. We are working on our system to keep everything as organized as possible, but the kids really get pushy when it comes to time to eat, no matter how much we tell them not to.

          

This is Pauline! She is a sweet 16 year old girl who just showed up at Kids Club wanting to help around the same time I started with His Ark. She has been such a blessing to us- since she can speak Afrikaans, Xhosa, and even a little Zulu. She is going to become a mighty woman of God and a huge leader!!! This picture was taken while we were on a house visit, meeting her family. This is her baby sister that she has to help take care of, along with a 3 year old sister, while cleaning and cooking, and still keeping up in her studies. She has big dreams- she wants to be a doctor or a scientist!

When we met Pauline she didn’t have her birth certificate, which means she couldn’t have an id. card. Without these papers, you can’t go to school (we still aren’t sure how she is enrolled in the school she is now- God’s grace I think!),  go to college, get financial aid, or get a job. Basically, she doesn’t exist without these papers. She lives with her father, who has been trying to help her get the papers she needs, but has had no luck. Her mother left her without any papers with her father when she was one year old, and has never met her or talked with her. With Antje and I’s help, we were able to get a hold of the mother, set up transportation, and help them to meet each other and get the paperwork started at Home Affairs for her birth certificate and id. card. Meeting her mother probably didn’t go in the way Pauline was wishing for, but what we keep focusing on is that she showed up, and now she can get her papers!

I’m so blessed to be a part of Pauline’s life!!!! In her church they believe in ancestoral worship, along with Jesus and the Gospel, so please pray that through Antje we can just keep on speaking truth!! I’m excited that I get to take her to the Hillsong Youth Conference, ENCOUNTER, for the next couple of days!!! She is so excited and is even more excited to put her new Bible to good use!  

Please continue to keep her and her family in your prayers! I know God has big plans for this girl, but I also know how satan works to discourage kids like Pauline, and tell them that they won’t ever break out of the cycle of township life.

 

I’ve also been working at a preschool in Stellenbosch, called Speelkring. I work with the 1-3 year old class and love it!!! None of the children are diagnosed with special needs at the moment, but I’ve been helping them to build structure in their daily programs, with lesson planning, and setting up a webpage for the school. You can check it out here":

http://speelkringpreprimary.wix.com/speelkring

I don’t know how long God is going to keep me in this setting, as it was an interim position until God opens the door for the next school. I love the kids and teachers I work with! I’m hoping to go visit a special needs school called Bizweni, in the next few weeks.

Here are some of my kiddos:

             

One of our fine motor lessons using clothespins! With limited access to materials, we sometimes have to be very creative with our activities!  

         

Two best of friends from my class, and two of the most clever little boys I know!!  

The whole school, about 35 kids, getting ready to sing “Happy Birthday” to one of our friends!!

 

Nomad living:

What in the world does this mean? Well, I’m starting to wonder if all missionaries live like such nomads or gypsies like me, or if I’m the only one that moves 5 times in 10 months! Haha, well I’ve moved yet again, into Antje’s house in Gordons Bay, much closer to everything- school, Kids Club, church, shops.  I will stay here until she returns, hopefully in October, and in the meantime, I’m praying and looking for  where I will make my next new home.

This is where I need YOUR help though….. When I created my budget to be here in SA, it was all based on the budget I would need with Agape, so my budget is no longer true to all of my financial needs. I’ve been so blessed by all of the support that has already come my way, but I’m in need of a few more friends and family to step up in monthly commitments.

Will you be willing to join my team?

If your answer is YES then thank you from the bottom of my heart for your partnership!!!! Here are the ways you can get signed up!

1.) Log onto my webpage: www.cten.org/meganhartman and click on DONATE.

OR

2.) Call Angie at CTEN  at 830-896-8326

OR

3.) Send a letter to CTEN, letting them know that you’d like to join my team. Be sure not to put my name on the check, just include it in the note!  (If you attend CBF or know my mom, she has envelopes and papers you can just fill in!)

Commission To Every Nation

PO Box 291307

Kerrville, TX 78029-1307

 

Prayers:

* Pray for an awesome, truth-filled experience for Pauline at Encounter.

* Pray for financial provision for housing and new expenses within my new ministries.

* Pray for discernment in which school to partner with.

*Pray that Kids Club will go smoothly, and that we will continue to find people to help us out!

Praises:

* That God opened the doors for me to become involved in His Ark, and that He continues to fuel my heart to be involved in this ministry!

* That God continues to bring awesome friends into my life and life-changing messages through Hillsong church!

* That I’ve been given the opportunity to take a small leadership role in the Community Care part of our church.

 

Thanks for always being such a blessing in my life!!!! Every one of you blesses me so much!!!! I feel like one lucky girl to have so many people that love and lift me up in prayer, even on the other side of the world!!!!

Fall Colour Visits & Changes

I decided to use a clever title for my newest blog, one that has four parts: one about our new season here in SA, one about a wonderful conference I was able to attend, one about my parents visit to SA and one about the MAJOR changes that have happened in the past few months. Sorry it has taken me so long to post anything, but honestly, I haven’t had the words to do so. Please read to the end. I’m going to work hard to keep it short, but also remember what I’m writing about it a very COMPLICATED situation, and it isn’t possible to put it into a short little blog post. Thanks for loving me despite my “long-windedness”.

Fall:

In the valley of apples and grapes, the weather has started to get cooler by the day, and even colder in the night time. The leaves of all the trees are changing colors, just like the trees at home. It is a beautiful scene, but one that I’m enjoying from a slightly different perspective than before. At the beginning of April, I decided (with advice from several  family and friends locally and from home) that it was in my best interest to move away from Agape, but to still volunteer there. I just needed some space between work and “real-life”. I had three offers from wonderful friends to take me in, and I chose to move in with my friend, Tannie Alice, into her old farm house.  I’ve been enjoying being back on “the farm”, although it is a very different farm scene growing apples and grapes! I’m enjoying the country air!

 

COLOUR:

At the beginning of April, I was able to attend a WONDERFUL Women’s Conference hosted by my church here in SA, Hillsong United Church. With over 5,000 women in attendance, it proved to be a BIG deal, but more importantly, it was SUCH an encouragement to me! The speakers were PHENOMENAL! I really enjoyed Priscilla Shirer, and love that this conference is happening throughout the world with other wonderful women, and that theme for ALL Colour Conferences is that they want to empower and encourage women to get involved in making a difference in the world as a host of mighty woman, on a mission from God. This conference could not have come at a more meaningful time for me! I was able to attend with my friends Nettie & Tessa.

Visits:

At the end of March, I was BLESSED BEYOND MEASURE to be able to have my parents come visit me for two weeks!!!!! It AWESOME to spend time with them and just get loved on 24/7, but it was SOOO wonderful to show them where I live and love, and for them to meet so many of the kids and adults that I love dearly!!!! It was also so great to just get away for a little while with them, taking them on a safari and a few other adventures! If you see them around, be sure to ask them about their trip- I know they had a good time, but did want me to come home with them!! Catie loved meeting them and soaking up as much time with them as she could. I’m glad she was finally able to meet her “Memaw & Pawpaw”!!! Three years is a long time to wait!!!

A special thank you to all who sent things along with my parents or contributed financially to help them get here. Their visit was MUCH needed and even MORE appreciated!!!

 

CHANGES:

So now for the tough part of this post. The part that I’ve struggled to understand myself, let alone be able to find words to tell others about. Sadly, after many unfortunate circumstances, I had to make one of the hardest decisions I’ve made yet in this short life of mine. After many months of trying to resolve situations and then a few ugly meetings, on April 9th, I had to make the choice in my best interest to resign from my commitment with Agape Family Ministries. While saying goodbye to all of the kids and adults that work and live within Agape has been a bit like torture, I know I’m in the will of God as He has given me a sense of peace about my decision since the moment I’ve made it.

Needless to say, things have been rough, since I really don’t like change, but a few things that I’m sure of are: that God has called me to South Africa, and that my work here is not yet done, even if my time with Agape is. My heart is in Grabouw,  I feel at home there, and I’m still researching organizations and making connections to see where God wants me to be. I’m trying my best to remain open to where God is leading. CTEN is still my sending agency and pastoral support from the States, and will continue to handle my financial donations. The only connection that CTEN and Agape have is me.

A very wise person has advised me not to ask “why?” during these incredibly hard times, but to ask “what?" God is trying to teach me through this circumstance. While I still don’t know what it is that He wants to teach me, I do know that He is still leading me, no matter how dark my circumstances get. He has opened many doors for me already, and continues to surprise me.  I’ve been blessed to find an interim position volunteering at a “creshe” or preschool/daycare center that is run by one the mother of one of my good friends, Ilze. I’ve loved getting to know the kids and the staff at this school, but I will say that working with 1-3 year olds is  WHOLE NEW BALLGAME!! I do have about an hour drive to work which isn’t all that fun, but it’s all part of the game!

Through Hillsong’s Community Care team, I’ve also been able to get connected with a lady named Antje, from Germany, who is a missionary here as well, and is running a kids club in Sir Lowry’s Pass Village, another slum, on the other side of the mountains I drive over to get to my home. I’ve really enjoyed helping her out for the past few weeks!! Depending on the weather, we have anywhere between 75-200 kids, ages 2-17 on a Friday afternoon. It is PRETTY CRAZY sometimes, but it is so much fun!!!!! Reminds me a bit of Orange/ Impact (the youth program in IL that I helped with for 8 years), but I never had to worry about a language barrier there though!!! I love loving on the kids and sharing the love of Jesus with them!!! Antje and I have a very similar vision, and we’ve been talking a great deal about how we can continue to partner together to best serve the kids in our township communities. I’m sure that God has brought our paths together, and I can’t wait to see how He is going to continue to work!!

Learning how to Zumba on a rainy day!

I don’t have any pictures of kids club yet, but as soon as I get some, I will post them!! With that many kids, you can imagine how hard it is to stop and snap a photo!

 

I thank you again for all of your patience, love, and prayers!

Praises:
* I’m so thankful to finally be getting connected into small groups in Hillsong church, which is making it easier to make new friends. I’ve met some really nice friends, that have often led to connections to check into!

* This Sunday, the message was FOR ME, and has brought a major release from the pain of the past few months, and the beginning of emotional healing.

*For the opportunities that God is putting into my path.

* For the wonderful friendships with Tannie Alice,  Auntie Cindie & Uncle Stuart, who’ve all been such a blessing on my darkest days.

 

Prayers:

* For my VISA paperwork. Since I left Agape, who was listed on my paperwork, I had to change the papers. I’ve found a wonderful immigration officer to work with to get the paperwork I need, but now it is just a waiting game for the government to approve it all.

*For the meetings with all of the new schools and organizations, that God would clearly lead me to where He wants me to be.

*Restoration and healing of relationships with Agape’s leadership. It has been a long hard road, but the hardest thing has been leaving the girls, and having all of my ties to them cut. I haven’t been allowed to see either of them for almost two months now, which breaks my heart. I miss my babies VERY much.

*Continued financial provision & guidance. I’ve had continual problems with my van basically since I bought it in October, so we’ve decided to see if we can sell it and find something more reliable and not so heavy on gas, since I’m doing A LOT of traveling now.

*My family

 

I hope this gives you an understanding of my new roles here in the mission field. If you still have questions, please feel free to email me! I will try my best to answer any questions you may have!

Thanks for your love, encouragement, and prayers!!! I couldn’t do any of what I do without my FANTABULOUS support system from home!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You ALL play such a CRUCIAL part of this ministry!!!

 

Love you all!!

Words of Love

Happy Valentine’s Day everyone!!! I hope that you feel loved by God today knowing that He woke you up this morning, giving you new breath, and new life- a clean page to start with! What a great gift everyday!!!! I often have to just stop and remind myself of this truth.

Since the girls have left I’ve been spending my time working at the school helping to launch a new computer program with our students, as well as helping during feeding times and helping them to get curriculum and ideas to use in the classroom. I usually have 4 or 5 students at a time, some working independently, others needing total help. I’ve learned most of the basic Afrikaans I need to help them, but we have SEVERAL students who speak Xhosa, the clicking language, and I only know one phrase: SIT DOWN! I’m loving to get to work on a small group basis with the kids, but our numbers have grown since we started at the beginning. We are now up to 42 students enrolled in our school. When they are all there, it is  A LITTLE CRAZY, but the reality is that they are rarely all there on the same day!

Please pray as there is a clear need for leadership, accountability, and direction in our school. Pray that if God wants me to step up for the challenge that He opens the doors!!

This past weekend I was able to go to the Hillsong Frontline (25-35+group) Retreat and it was INCREDIBLE!!!God stirred in my heart in mighty ways, and I know that some of the things that were said were FOR ME.  I just want to share with your some of the lessons learned from the retreat and a few other encouraging words of Love!

* “Where you start is not where you finish.”

* In your weakness that’s where God can use you.”

* “God is not finished with you yet.”

* “ You are NEVER alone because the Holy Spirit is always with you!”

* “You will always win your battles from within.”

* “It isn’t about just believing IN God, but believing God.”

* “God has a great plan for your life. Jer. 1:4”

* “Sin damages people, so don’t write anyone off. Prov. 20:17”

* “Put value on YOUR life. Don’t devalue yourself. God doesn’t make junk!

In this you must answer these questions:

~ Who do I want to be? Don’t compare dust to dust.

~ Where do I want to go?

~ What do I want to get out of it?

* “Value each stage of your life. Value the season you are in.

 

How I want to live each day:

Put value in EVERYDAY:

1. Rejoice: put value on God first everyday. Rejoice who you are in Him & His promises. Don’t live rehearsing yesterday.

2. Remember: Think about others before you remember yourself.

3. Reckon: put value on your plans and now will it help me to be who I want to be.

4. Restore: put value on wholeness. The door to this is forgiveness.

5. Reap: Look for “the harvest” daily!

6. Redeem: look for someone you can “pay the price” for, whether it is a mistake or a random act of kindness.

7. Return: Give thanks.

(My friend Isabelle from Hillsong)

* “HOW? We go through life asking this question, but Luke 1:26-37 tells us that nothing is impossible with God.

WE MUST STOP FOCUSING ON THE HOW BUT THE WHO!!!!

~ Keep your focus on the Who. We must trust and wait in this time.

~The how is in the WHO. We don’t have to come to the Who with the answers, we can just show up as ourselves! Delight yourselves in God and He will give you the desires of your heart,”

~ The WHO will bring you through.

WAITING TIME IS NEVER WASTED TIME.

~Are we running away from sin or are we just being comfortable with it?

~Purity has a price, but a better reward.

** Those whose steps are ordered by God will:

~ have Great Confidence that God has BIG plans for our life! He will get us to the destination! You MUST lift up your head & be confident that He WILL lead your steps.

~ These steps will lead you to great people.

~ It also leads to great expectations- Your heart was created to beat with expectancy.

~Great comebacks- God can do the impossible. Jesus is the comeback-King!

 

That is just a tidbit---- soooo much to share, but it’s late here, I will try to add more in the next few days! Here is Jacqui, a volunteer with Village of Hope, and I posing in front of the polo club fields. Sadly, it rained too much so we didn’t get to watch a game, but pretend like we were there!

 

Hope God used one of them many messages to speak many things to me this weekend!!!! Still soaking and absorbing it all out!

~