Angels gathering

We had Vovo leading the Angels meeting last Friday. It was wonderful to see all the girls together and have them share what they are feeling and thinking. Vovo did such a great job leading and helping the girls express their thoughts.

Vovo is continuing to be a rising leader among the vulnerable and poor. She shars her own life openly and freely to any who are interested. She has her own struggles with being vulnerable but she is so strong in Jesus that He is showing the way for others to have faith and be strong in the Lord and He will shelter and protect. Ps. 91

School Supplies Fundraising Drive

Every year, Vulnerable Children SA has been able to provide school uniforms and school supplies for every child in our VC families. Because of the major fires in Masi this year, our emergency fund has been drained very low. So in order to provide the necessary school items for each child in the family (not just the VC sponsored child), we're raising extra funds this year.

For about US$100, you can provide a completely new school uniform and all the required school supplies (pens, pencils, folders, etc.) for a child. Without these supplies, children are not allowed to attend school. Would you consider partnering with us in providing for a vulnerable child? You can pay for the entire cost of supplies for a child, or donate any amount to which you feel led. Please see the flyer below for more information.

Click here to download:

school_uniforms_flyer-_U.S..pdf (1.72 MB)

(download)

VIDEO: VC Camp

The Vulnerable Children camp in July really impacted the children who participated. It also made a big impact on the locals who helped out as counselors. Watch the video below to hear about the camp, especially the story of one of the counselors from Masi who is discipled by two of the VC mentors.

an update from July and August:

JULY

July was a month of firsts for the Vulnerable Children program!

Our FIRST ever Vulnerable Children camp and our FIRST ever Vulnerable Children graduation!

We are so grateful to God that he is advancing and growing our program day by day.

We have been spending a lot of time as a team brainstorming strategies to better empower our families. Our heart and vision for this program is to come alongside our families and help meet their basic needs, but even more than that we seek to empower them to be strong, healthy and self-sustaining, and to live out God's great plans for their lives! We eventually would love to see our families no longer need assistance because they have the tools and confidence to have a job and the skills to take care of their family on their own! When a family comes to that point it is time to “graduate” them from the program. And we have decided that when a family comes to that place, it is very necessary to CELEBRATE! So we had our first graduation for Vivian* last month! Vivian and her daughter, Zodwa*, have been in our program for several years now. Vivian has given her heart to Jesus and is following him with her life. She has found successful, stable work and is now at a place where she can take care of her family without any assistance! She is such a wonderful mother and is a light in her community!

We held a graduation ceremony for Vivian, to honor her for her faithfulness in following Jesus and taking care of her family in hard times. A handful of women from our team, as well as, a few women from the community, gathered at her home to celebrate her graduation. We celebrated her becoming financially independent with cake, tea, a song and prayers. We presented her with a certificate of graduation and then spent time praying and encouraging her. It was very meaningful for Vivian. We are so proud of her and excited for her future!

AUGUST

August has been a good month! We are enjoying so much seeing the fruit that has come from the VC camp last month. There is a growing openness and hunger in so many of our families to know more about the Father! We have also been seeing so much happening in our VC kids' lives. Here is one fun story about two of our VC kids!

"One day at kids club Lily* was telling me about her friends in the area she lives who really need to hear about God’s love. She told me she wanted to have a kids club for them! I joyfully agreed and told her to ask her friends if they were interested. She got right to work setting everything up! Two weeks later we held our first kids club. Lily and her best friend, Vuyani*, led most of the meeting! Beforehand, I asked her what we should do at the club. She said she wanted to go through the stories in the bible starting with Adam and going in order. I brought my storybook bible and she led the story about creation! Her and Vuyani also led the kids in a prayer time, teaching them how to pray! It was so amazing to see all 25 kids jammed packed in her shack, listening intently to her and Vuyani! And we have had the club every week since then! God is raising up these once vulnerable children to be strong, radiant leaders in their community! This is one of our visions for the VC program; 'to see groups of spirit-filled kids discipling one another!' Praise God!"

First-ever VC camp was a success

Camp was just FABULOUS!! Thank you for praying. We did have many
challenges but we have seen such a great response in the children. The
time spent living together, eating together, playing, hiking, putting
on a talent show, worshipping, singing, dancing, learning, cleaning,
COOKING (oh my soul), team adventures and challenges brought us
together in a way we have prayed for.

The Oklahoma team that came and put this camp on with us had a real
way to reach the campers. A church in the United States sent a
donation in to cover the camp costs, which was a miracle for us. The
camp was filled with blessings for the kids. We had a night of stories
around the campfire and they had their first experience of s'mores. O
yeah! They all were so excited to see the team in the township a day
after we had ended the camp. The OK team taught some chants to the
campers and they were yelling them out to the team in the township —
so fun.

The weather was like I have NEVER experienced in a winter in Cape
Town. We had amazing weather. It was like summertime. It did not rain.
Honestly, the weather made the campers so much more able to engage as
we explored so much of the outdoors.

Our theme was that the campers were treasures to God. So we did
treasure hunts, and told stories and had activities revolving around
this theme. Each camper got an award at the end of camp and it was
like a word of encouragement over them. Some of the kids even cried
when they got their award.

One of my highlights of the camp was when our local Xhosa leaders at
the camp gave testimony of how God had changed their lives and how
real He was to them. They were speaking in their native tongue to the
campers. While they shared the children were so captivated you could
hear a pin drop. These two local leaders were vulnerable in sharing
their story. What was such an experience for me was they were speaking
a language I could not understand, yet I sensed the presence of the
Lord SO strongly. Wow. Many were so touched.

I wanted to write to you, and I am sure Whitney will write even more
later. I am going home to the USA this week. Whitney and VC team will
carry on while I am away. My son John is getting married to Bethany.
Bethany was one of the young women who helped Missy found Vulnerable
Children. I am honored to have her in our family. We love her very
much.

Many Blessings to you and thank you for your support and prayers,

Kalyn Arndt
Director of VC

Vulnerable Children June Update

A letter from Kalyn, the program director of Vulnerable Children:

One of the biggest things I can give thanks for right now is God hearing our prayers and answering them. Let me give you a glimpse of just one of them. We love our children so much and want them to see that their future is full of hope with Christ. One of our goals is to reach the WHOLE family where the children live. Either with their siblings, auntie, uncle, or mom.

We have been praying a lot for the moms and care takers of our children. That they would desire to know about Jesus and His love, and that they would be touched as a family. Our hope is that when their family is touched, they will then share with other families how God is transforming their lives and their future.

After the fire we have been helping rebuild the shacks and gather what is needed for our families. We are STILL working on this as it was a huge loss and it takes time to get everything back in order. Our families said that they were so touched that Jesus would love them through our help. One older mama, Mama Eilene, was so touched that she said she wanted to be baptized and renounce her ancestral worship. In her response to Jesus, Mama Eilene began to gather some families together to begin to share life, learn about Jesus, and study His Word in a discovery method we teach in All Nations.

We found out that two of the families that Mama Eilene was gathering were two of our VC families. On Sunday they all came to see Mama Eilene get baptized. We gathered at the ocean. We sang and danced and talked about getting baptized and what it meant. Then three people were baptized.

One of the VC children, Lily, came over to me and said, "Can a child be baptized?" Lily is 11 years old. I said, "Yes, but let me explain what it means." She listened and then said, "I want to be baptized." I asked her to ask her mom. Her mom said yes and that it was good that her daughter wanted to be baptized, and Lily was baptized.

It was such a moment for me. Lily has been mentored by Bethany for several years, and this year has been mentored by Anna. So much has been poured into her life. She has been faithful to come to our kids' club and has been having so many experiences with Jesus. She even had words of encouragement for Whitney and Anna during kids' club.

It was such a boost to my faith that God poured out on Mama Eilene to reach her friends. And that these friends were the very mamas we have been praying for. And not only that, but Lily fully giving her life to Jesus!

WOW WOW WOW WOW WOW WOW!

We are desiring this life for all of our children and their families. Pray that this women's group will grow with deep foundations in Jesus and that they will effect their community.

Sometimes it is like an uphill battle working in the townships. And then there are days like these when you know God has a bigger plan than you had even thought of. Praise the Lord O MY SOUL and everything within me Praise His HOLY name!

The fire burned away more than shacks this time. It burned away a life in bondage to ancestral worship. God is using his people to reach out with true love and life, and we witnessed a life born now with hope and destiny. A destiny to touch others and see great things. This is just the beginning of a swell of life that is happening in the township.

PRAYER WORKS!!! BELIEVE FOR THE IMPOSSIBLE.

Love to you All ,
Kalyn and the VC Team

COMING IN JULY...

The First Vulnerable Children Camp!
July 11th thru July 14th
For all of our VC kids ages 7-18

We have a highly skilled team coming from America to put on our three night VC camp! Because of generous donations, we are able to offer our kids a camp free of charge! We are so expectant of the BIG things that the Lord has in store for our kids during this camp! Please pray with us that it would be truly life changing for them!

VC Update

(download)

2011
a year marked by God’s MERCY
for so many of the most VULNERABLE kids and families in Masiphumelele...

As most of you heard, a devastating fire swept through the wetlands, the poorest part of Masi, during the Christmas time. Over a hundred shacks burned completely to the ground, including three of our very own VC families. As people around the world celebrated the joy-filled holiday season, these families found themselves with absolutely nothing, except rubble and ashes. But praise be to God, they were not without hope! Because of your generous support, the VC team was able to immediately come to their aid. We were able to completely rebuild new shacks for our families and help get them functioning again. We brought in Dave Landshutt (who was a builder in America before he became a full-time missionary) to manage the construction of these shacks. Our families' shacks are well built and will be able to withstand the elements! We were able to replace all the school uniforms that were burnt, as well as much needed additional clothing and shoes for every family member, not just your selected vulnerable child. But because of the extra funds raised for the fires it doesn't stop there! We were able to provide our families with mattresses, stove tops, refrigerators and pots and pans! These families have seen ashes turn to beauty right before their eyes!

As the new school year as begun, we have provided new school uniforms for your sponsored children, as well as the needed school supplies! These kids are starting the school year off on the right foot with all their school needs met! They can attend school without having to worry about where school fees or supplies will come from.

Last month we kicked off the new year with a BEACH DAY with 30 of our VC kids! They absolutely loved every minute of it! It was a wonderful time for them to get outside of their daily lives and have some fun! It was also a great time for them to connect to one another and form new friendships with different kids in the program! The day was quite a success!

We believe that 2011 is going to be a year full of breakthrough for our VC kids and families! We are so thankful to have you as a part of our team! Thank you so much for sacrificing so that these kids can have a HOPE and a FUTURE!

Vulnerable Children South Africa

$80 a month will give a child hope...