March 26, 2 013



Some love to eat Mopani worms. Ed says they're nasty!



Lesedi village.  We learned to play the African drums.



Kruger National Park - What a Thrill!!!



I wanted to pet these guys.  They were so close and beautiful.



An abundance of Wildebeest



If there's a vehicle, they all climb in. Going home from church.

Dearest Family and Friends,

Sorry it has been so long since our last post.  We are healthy and doing well and want to wish each of you a Happy Easter.  Yesterday one of the sweet sisters brought candy Easter Eggs for the children in primary and wanted to have an Easter Egg hunt.  The children loved it.  My heart swelled as I know this sister's living situation at this time and any expense is a sacrifice. 

We have had some memorable experiences.  We took the missionaries and visited Kruger National Park.  The thrill of seeing the animals in the wild is more that I would have imagined.  Perhaps someday we will stay in the park and go on one of the safaris.  (pics above)

Last week we showed up to our little school in Motupa, (where we hold church), to help some of the older students with their math as they prepare for Matriculation (graduation).  We were early and so was Petunia.  She sat down and started to cry.  There in the little classroom she shared that she had just had a miscarriage.  It was not a shock.  She has a 5 year old son and single moms are very common here, but she opened her heart and we learned a little more of the challenges of an African custom where a groom must pay "lebola" to the family of his wife to be.  It is a common practice here, but the "lebola" is a huge amount of money in African terms and as Petunia and others have explained to us, even if the young people don't believe in the custom the parents and grandparents do.  They depend on it to help "their old age living expenses" and so she said we do it, "out of respect."  The problem is, that many men use that as their reason for not marrying and the women naively believe it.  Then unfortunately once they are pregnant the father is gone.  We don't know the answer to "Lebola," but we have had many opportunities to teach about God's plan for his children and the blessings of waiting until marriage.   The young people here need more opportunities to spend time with friends who have the same beliefs.  We are already planning activities to make that happen.  If only we could get a bus as there is only one family out in Motupa that has a car and as Ed says, it's held together with band aids.  Such is the challenge.  We love the people and are grateful to serve.

We Love and miss you all,

Ed and Jolene  (Grandma and Grandpa to our little ones.)