kristiapplesauce

Curtains

I listened to the story about four times because, well, she kept telling it and since we were filming- sometimes it meant that she said it too low for the camera to pick her up or she would forget to say it in English so we would have her do it again or because there was too much back ground noise or whatever...It didn't matter to me though; it mesmerized me each time. I just kept looking at her and thinking "this woman is made up of something much stronger, her heart goes much deeper, she is much more grounded then I will ever know".

The story was of her feeding kids. She is always feeding kids. But it also involved her curtains. She, in the early days of her ministry was donated food to feed the kids in her neighborhood and when she got it every week, it had bugs in it. So she did what she had to. She sifted the food.

With. Her. Curtains.

Her lace curtains. The first time she said it, I snapped to attention to make sure I heard right because maybe it was "lost in translation". But nope. She said it. 

She kind of lost me after that, because I then got lost in the curtains hanging in her window. I asked her if they were the same ones hanging there. Of course they were. She said she just cleaned them with some soap. Then she laughed at me the way she always does when I ask a silly question or do something crazy.

I love this woman and I can't wait for her story to be told.

Zambia Peeps

Right now we have 3 incredible ladies from the Kansas City area who are here learning about the Soup Club program(s) that Oceans runs because they want to see what they can copy/manipulate/change or keep to see if they can get it to work in Zambia. They have a heart for the people there and want to feed some hungry kids...so we have been praying for them for a few months and now they are here to see what its all about. We will spend the week showing them as many soup clubs we can (today we showed them 4) and hopefully this time next year they will be feeding 350+ kids in the school they are connected with in Zambia. Yay for people who are changing the world!
 

Handout

When I was 17 my parents allowed me to go on a missions trip to Honduras. It rocked my world. Upon our arrival at the tiny airport, there were about a dozen or so small kids with different ailments begging for money. Some had a missing arm or leg, some had an eye patch or were limping with a cane. Some were leaning against the airport wall for support. But they all were begging for money (not food) and we were all surprised and saddened when we asked why? Why were all these kids crippled? The response we got made me sick and broke my heart. Our team leader said that their parents "disable" them to make them "more efficient" beggars because who are "you" more likely to give money to? Somebody who is perfectly healthy or somebody with a deformity? The movie Slum Dog Millionaire is playing in my mind even as I write this.

Fast forward ten plus years and my experience of living in America and all of those Dateline or other news stories of beggars on the street who scam the American public with their sad tale and sign of "Homeless, please help" and all the while driving a Beamer and living in a 2 story house. That experience has shaded all of our minds and hearts to some degree. We all are a bit skeptical as we reach into our pockets. God forbid they scam us.

Fast forward another however long to South Africa and what do I see? I see hundreds of children and dozens of adults lining the streets - brazen when they ask for food to eat. Food usually, not money. Some ask for money - but mostly it is because they are hungry. How can I tell? Because I can see their ribs and their cheeks and their coloring is "off". I see little kids pushed into the road when we drive by because the older ones are in the bushes or hiding somewhere to take the food or money from the smaller when we drive off. I see the desperation and no way out. I see sometimes worry and shame. I also see a world of children that know nothing else...but how to stay alive.

Daniel and I almost never handout money. We just don't do it. We feel that we give to the programs that feed kids here and also have some sort of accountability. But we are also open to pay attention to the heart of God when He speaks and leads us to give. We have given money but mostly we give food. We sometimes carry fruit in our car (or bread or whatever) and pass it out when people approach our car. What we have noticed is that the kids almost always devour it as soon as it passes through the window. They don't even find a place to sit before it touches their lips. They are that hungry.

The other day I was at the grocery store and a kid was outside asking for food and I bought him a meal and a big fat candy bar. When I went back to give it to him, he wasn't where I saw him first - he was way down the wall..."exhausted" was what I thought when I saw him. He looked sleepy and sad. I gave him his meal and raised my hand as to touch his face in sort of an "I love you and I hope you are safe tonight" gesture. He flinched though...making me think he had been hit in the past. I just prayed and loved him anyways (from a distance).

I don't know a whole lot of anything, but I do know that we are all called to love and give and honor and serve those around us and I hope that one day soon there won't be a need to.

Today I am praying for the healing and health of South Africa and her precious children that have been left to fend for themselves.

Who gets to eat today?

While we were dropping off food parcels for the CSP in the Wild Coast region; (9 hours away from us that we travel every month) we were following behind a truck that held all the food and the people who picked it up ect. and so in it were teenagers that tagged along with the driver whom we hired with the truck. For that particular village/distribution we have 55 kids and we just re-evaluated the "deal" we made with the local grocery store, so the food parcels doubled in size and so they are now getting 73 pounds of food. That is kind of a lot of food for the month (for here). Anywho, I was looking at those kids sitting on top of the truck and thinking that they might try to break open some of the parcels to steal some of the food...so I was watching out for that as we were driving behind them and then I was praying for them, then I was thinking about how we make relationships with villages and then I was thinking about feeding orphans and taking care of widows then I was thinking about being wise then I was thinking about temptation and how I battle to loose weight and these kids probably battle theft just to stay alive. Why is feeding one kid more important then another? It kind of broke my heart.

Trucks and bugs

So today when we went to get food for all the soup clubs we filled up like 5 grocery carts full of food. Yay...it is kind of crazy going to the store to take care of all of those because we make such a spectacle of ourselves with all the food and carts and whatever...but we can't think of a better way of doing it because we get a fat (phat?) discount at the local grocery store where we get all the supplies to stock the clubs. We do this every 2 weeks.

Anywho, so the soup recipe calls for split peas, carrots, onions, potatoes, gravy mix, curry, oil, beef stock and as I was piling that all onto the checkout thingy I noticed little black bugs all over the onions. Ewww, gross. I swiped them off and looked a little bit closer. They were crawling all over not only the onions but in most of the 76 bags of split peas as well. I about threw up. This is what working in a third world country is all about. We had to pick out all the "bad" food...try to communicate with the people what was going on and buy the rest of what we needed. The guy then asked us if it was"a go" to put the food back on the shelf. I told him "no" and he took the cart away with the bugs and the peas and the onions. Who knows what he did with all of it. Dang.

In other news...because we finally have a work vehicle that works...we are now able to fit all the food into the truck we bought! Yay. So it was a good day indeed. So thank you for all those peeps who have been praying for a vehicle that works...we finally have one and are so thankful.

 

Extra food...we like that.

When we go back to the States, sometimes classrooms, Sunday schools, youth groups, ect. ask us to come speak. One such situation is a class in Wichita of super cool fifth graders who have sort of "adopted" Daniel and I for the past 2 years. Whenever we go back they have us come for an hour or so and have a ton of questions and we bring pictures and usually presents (key-chains or hand made crafts from here) and share what life is like. It is cool because they are about the age of a lot of the  kids we feed on this side of the ocean, so they somehow connect and are old enough to get what it is that we do over here. I love hanging out with them. I love it I love it I love it. So for Christmas this year instead of sending presents to us (which they totally do because they are rock stars) they raised money to feed the kids. Usually the kids in our Soup Clubs only get split pea soup every day, so this year they sent the money they raised which ended up being $112 and with it we (on this side) were able to buy:

Fruit	Pounds
Oranges	200
Bananas	38
Apples	38
Total:	276
Loaves of Bread	30

Buckets - part two

Even though yesterday rocked and even though I love feeding kids; the day was bittersweet. Almost every time we go to Motherwell (the township where we do most of the ministry in Port Elizabeth) we are bombarded with people asking, or demanding us to help them. Some people are actually pretty aggressive. This isn't unexpected because as long as we have been here (close to two years) we haven't seen any other people or programs helping people in this area. PEOPLE ARE STARVING TO DEATH. There is no help, no food, no medicine, no hope. So no wonder they ask and beg and do what they can to get their basic needs met. So when we do the CSP (each one is different, but this particular one we meet up with the families at the grocery store where they pick up the food for the month) we have at least 30 people or more ask or tell us to put them on the list (we carry clipboards with the list of people sponsored). So then yesterday as we were hauling in buckets filled with extra goodies for the sponsored families all of the other people at the store were all there watching. Many stopped and asked us for food. Even the people working at the store have now started telling us their stories and why we must help them. "Give me a bucket, give me a bucket" I heard over and over again. It made my stomach hurt. So then we started the day, processing the families through and checking them off our list and as we did - one lady came through the line and she wasn't on the list. Occasionally this happens and we then double check to see if there was a discrepancy in our paperwork; if her sponsor had stopped sending in money; if her child passed away (yes, families still come, trying to collect the food); whatever...and nope - She wasn't on the list. So I then looked at her and asked why she was there. The whole time I just assumed she lost or forgot her ID (we assign ID cards - kind of like drivers licenses to every family so we know they are with us)...and she looked back at me with that hollow "I am starving, please help me look" and said something like "I thought you could help so I stood in this line". Even though at that point I was frustrated and emotionally drained from all the people telling me to give them a bucket, this woman broke my heart and I had to tell her that we couldn't help. I know that sounds harsh...but we first of all  don't give food out to adults...Oceans of Mercy is an agency who works really hard at providing hope, life and love to orphans and vulnerable children...it is a by product that the family benefits (if they have a family), we try mostly to help those kids because they are the neediest and most neglected. And secondly and more importantly we only have enough money for the kids who are sponsored.

Buckets - Part one

If you look in the left hand corner of this blog you may have noticed that every day or so I change the picture and name of a kid. Those are the kids currently sponsored in the Child Sponsorship Program, here in South Africa through Oceans of Mercy. So I go and change the picture just to keep them running in the back of peoples minds to generate awareness, sponsorship,  and hopefully prayer of what is happening  out here. We are a growing ministry with 365 kids currently being fed through this program. Yay. So yesterday we took buckets filled with extra food for these families for the kids who are sponsored in the one in Motherwell, a local township. That particular one has 124 families. Daniel and I got to go shopping, then make up the buckets, then take the buckets to the CSP (where the families meet us at the local grocery store to pick up their monthly allotment of food) and be Santa for the day as we passed out their gifts of "fancy food" as they called it. Seriously...it was a fabulous day. So if you are already sponsoring a kid, this is what you gave them for Christmas. Last month we passed out school shoes. For reals, I love my "job"...

What is a SOUP CLUB again?

What is a Soup Club and where are they located?

Soup clubs are places where hungry children are guaranteed to get at least one meal a day. They are set up in some of the poorest townships and shack towns in the Eastern Cape Region of South Africa.

Who runs the Soup Club?

Oceans of Mercy oversees the management, supplies and accountability for each Soup Club. The day-to-day administration of the Soup Club and making of the soup is done by a Mama*. The Mamas are local ladies that we seek out that are already trying to make a difference in their community. We then enable them to do more by providing the resources of a Soup Club.

*Mama is a title of honor given to an older lady that is respected in the community.

What do the children get?

Six days a week (Monday – Saturday) the Mamas prepare a large pot of split pea soup (different flavors are created with a variety of soup stock) and serve each child a cup or bowl of soup. We have developed relationships with local stores and from time-to-time they donate bread and fruit for us to hand out to the children.

Which children get fed?

In order to qualify to be in the soup club the child must not be getting regular daily meals. Also, when soup is being served the youngest children are served first and then the older kids. Because of the amount of people that would show up it is necessary to have a cut off age of 18.

How much does it cost?

The first month of Soup Club cost $200. This is for the initial set up cost and for the first month of food. After this the amount is $100 a month for the first 50 kids and $80 for each additional 50 kids.

What does the setup buy?

2 Burner Gas Stove
Gas Hose
Gas Regulator
Gas Cylinder Deposit (x2)
Gas Cylinder Fills (x2)
21 Lt. Cooking Pot
Large Metal Spoon (x2)
Metal Ladle
2 - 1kg Iodated Table Salt
16 - Top Class Soup Gravy Mix (Various Flavors)
2 - 24 pack Oxtail Stock Cubes
2 - 50g Rajah Curry Powder (Mild & Spicy)
2 - 2L Sunlo Pure Cooking Oil
20 - 500g bags of Split Peas
20 - Medium Onions (around 1.4kg)
20 - 750g bags of Carrots
2 - 10kg bag of Potatoes
1 - 9kg gas refill
The above list is for 50 kids. If there is more than 50 kids we double it or triple it depending on the total. The gas refill only has to be done once a month.

What does the monthly food cost buy?

The total cost in dollars breaks down to about six cents per bowl of soup. This price drops a little when you add more kids to an existing Soup Club.
Number of Kids per Week 50
Weekly Cost per Soup Kitchen (Rand) 120
Number of days per week 6
Cost per kid per day (Rand) R 0.40
Cost per kid per day (Dollars) $0.06

May I choose my Soup Club?

If you want to choose a specific Soup Club we will gladly contact you and let you know which ones are available and the story behind them and the Mama running it.

How often does Oceans of Mercy check up on the Soup Club?

We are in constant contact with the Mamas running the Soup Clubs and try to visit every Soup Club at least once a week. We have set up accountability at every level to make sure the right children are being fed and that everyone is doing their job.

Do we receive updates on our Soup Club?

We will gladly let you know how things are going at your Soup Club. We will email photos of the soup club on a regular basis so you can see the change in the children as they consistently get a healthy meal. It also gives you a chance to share with others the work that is being done here in South Africa.

How can I do something special for my Soup Club?

While we discourage sending presents for the children, if you would like to donate extra funds for the purchase of bread, fruit or sweeties (candy) we will gladly pass that on to your Soup Club. Simply attach a note to any extra funds explaining where you would like the funds designated.

How do I donate funds for the Soup Club?

You may pay monthly, quarterly or annually.
Send check to : Oceans of Mercy
Attn: Soup Club
P.O. Box 860143
Shawnee, KS 66286-0143
Put in the Memo field: Soup Club

Being a grown up

Yesterday Daniel and went grocery shopping. This isn't normally something that gets me emotional because I have been buying my own groceries for a very long time now...but what we were doing was picking and choosing the groceries needed to feed as many people as possible for as long as possible. Part of "our job" here is to run the CSP. The one in Port Elizabeth is ran pretty smoothly as the people in the township know the routine and come once a month to the local grocery store and pick their own groceries for their child and we pay with vouchers. We have guidelines for them..like they can only buy food (no laundry soap, or sweets) and all the kids have to be in school. We check up on the kids, and have an accountability set up and for the most part everyone is pretty happy with the system. We also have a Child Sponsorship set up in a very rural village in the Transkei. This is the one we were shopping for. These people have no running water, no clinic in the village, nothing really to help them get a foot up. We have fallen in love with these people and are trying really hard to build a bridge. A bridge of hope, of nourishment, of love, of education, of health. So it is essential to get as much food as possible for our dollar. It hit me as we were checking out prices and trying to compare quality...that this is really the most important "thing" I have ever done in my life. I hope I get it right. I hope that these people get fed and have the opportunity to get healed because once they do and get some sort of nourishment into their systems...then it is only then that they are able to hear what we are saying and able to receive the love of the gospel message. Those are the days I cherish the most.