The Schallerts Newsletter May 2011

COMFORT THEWIDOW

"For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in." Matthew 25:35

Sawubona from South Africa! Our past five weeks here have been filled with true ABUNDANT life as we have had opportunity after opportunity to love the lonely, feed the hungry, help build and welcome orphans into a brand new home built just for them and share the gospel of Jesus Christ which is indeed such good news! So even as the face of poverty is inescapable and the remnants of apartheid at times raise their ugly head, we can shout with utter certainty that the Kingdom of God is alive and well in South Africa.

FEED THEHUNGRY

Mbonisweni Feeding.In the nearby community of Mbonisweni we have the privilege of joining about 50-75 congregants in a humble church building for worship and prayer on Sunday mornings. We attempt to sing along to the most beautiful a cappella songs sung in Siswati and although we hardly understand a word of what is spoken, it is undeniable that God is among us in that place. The same church partners with Ten Thousand Homes to host a feeding for 200-300 children - many of them orphans. For many of them this will be their only meal of the week. We have been so blessed to help prepare the meals on Wednesday mornings, to serve the children as they come and to give hugs and handshakes and play soccer with kids who sometimes go days without interaction and affection from adults. We also got to celebrate a “welcome home party” for 4 orphaned boys who photogenX helped finance a home for!

Dwaleni Feeding.On Thursdays we prepare meals at a community called Dwaleni. The building where this feeding program is hosted was purchased specifically for this purpose by a missionary a few years ago and is run by several local women who are all home-based health care workers. During the week they also host free health clinics for people in the community. It has been a joy to help them prepare the meals on Thursday mornings and quite a cross-cultural experience to be learning how to prepare foods like “pop” (a gritty corn meal) and awfa (pronounced “awful” and appropriately so - it smells awful! It’s the small intestines of a cow) working in their “kitchen” (which is made up of some large pots over an open flame on the floor of the building). About 200 children attend this feeding and are excited to see us each week and teach us traditional dances and songs in their language.

Baby Schallert.Baby Schallert is growing and very active - especially when Diane is trying to sleep! We are excited to have an appointment with our midwife in Kona the day after we return to make sure that baby is healthy and hopefully find out the gender! We are shocked at how quickly this pregnancy is going by and are so excited to meet our little one soon (23 weeks already!). Being pregnant on this outreach has been a treasured connection point between Diane and many local women. As we have been surrounded by so many children who have been orphaned we are struck again and again at the important task of parenthood that the Lord has entrusted us with. It has also been a blessing for us to be around several missionary families with small children working full time in South Africa. Such an encouragement! We are dreaming of the possibilities of where the Lord will lead us together as a family.

Whats Next.Next tuesday we will be saying goodbye to our photogenX Around The World Track Team, who are doing very well on their journey of hope, and heading to Cape Town to visit some ongoing efforts there as well as to fellowship with a fellow missionary community we are connected with. Lord willing we can also find some good time for relaxation before the long trip back to Kona. We return to Kona on May 19th. Our summer will be spent getting ourselves situated for the arrival of Baby Schallert, as well as preparing for the Community Transformations DTS which we will be staffing alongside our friends John and Jenni in the September quarter of the UofN. The focus of the discipleship school will be to train young missionaries in a holistic view of gospel and then launch teams out into the nations! We are very excited for this new partnership forming between Voice for the Voiceless and Community Transformations.

LOVE THEORPHANED

I HAVE FOUND THE GREAT PARADOX THAT IF WE LOVE UNTIL IT HURTS, THERE CAN BE NO MORE HURT. ONLY MORE LOVE...MOTHER TERESA

COMMUNICATESTEVE@PHOTOGENX.NETDIANE@PHOTOGENX.NETDONATE: BIT.LY/STEVEANDDIANEPRAYER REQUESTS+ FOR SAFETY AS WE TRAVEL SOME 15,000 MILES OVER THE COMING WEEKS.+ FOR OUR HOUSING SITUATION WHEN WE RETURN TO KONA (WE NEED A PLACE TO LIVE).+ FOR THE CONTINUED HEALTH OF DIANE AND THE BABY AS WE ENTER OUR 3RD TRIMESTER.+ FOR THE ORPHANS OF SOUTH AFRICA. THAT GOD WOULD SHOW THEM HIS FATHER HEART.+ FOR THE UPCOMING COMMUNITY TRANSFORMATIONS DTS. MAY IT SHAKE THE NATIONS.