South Africa Trip

Our family had an awesome mission trip to South Africa in August. Thank you to everyone who was praying as we were there.

God had truly prepared our steps as we ministered to people struggling with addictions and taught workshops to local missionaries and other minstry leaders in the Johannesburg/Pretoria area. It was humbling to watch God's heart for His children as He set people free from their struggle with addictions through revealing the inner wound, bringing His healing and then restoring them to the place of His presence.

We were blessed to be His feet and hands as we walked through Atteridgeville and brought His love and the hope of His son to the people living there. As we prayed for God to show us the people of peace that His Spirit had prepared, we were led to Magdaline and Martha, two women who had a preschool for 1 to 5 year olds. They loved the Lord and were praising Him for bringing us to them as our family ministered to them and played with the kids.

Our hearts were repeatedly broken as we walked through the poverty, despair, and disease of a township in a country with 39% of the population HIV positive. Orphans are everywhere and the medical community finds itself hesitating to treat orpahns when no one wants them. But God is stirring in the hearts of middle class men and women in South Africa who are leaving their jobs and homes to move into poor townships and share their homes and hearts with orphans. It's not uncommon for parents of two children to take in up to 30 orphans into small shacks with no indoor plumbing.

God opened numerous doors for a return trip to equip prison chaplains, workers in a troubled teen program and to inner city Johannesburg heroin addicts. We ask for your prayers and feed back as we seek His leading in these opportunities.

To view photos of this trip clickon this link http://picasaweb.google.com/david.hain/SouthAfrica2007