Save the Date for our event in RALEIGH July 14th!

Cuteness

Serious.  She is just cuteness personified.

This picture was taken after a girl brunch with some of my favorite ladies here and Kiers.  She was so good the whole time and just hung out because she LOVES these friends.  Sweet.

Great Saturday, great weekend.

Lots of naps and rests and time in our peaceful home.  It was just great.

Kieren is the most hilarious person ever right now by the way.  And the sweetest.

Every night in bed we ask her, "who do you want to pray for?"  Then she gives a list, "Kyle, Vano, Keegan... Jensen's mommy and Jensen's daddy (our great friends Julie and Karl)...Treswill and Cindy...and Stacy....and Steven and Charmaine....and granny and Lita...."

It goes on for a while.  SWEET.

Love my life,

Sarah

OV Youth Chaos

This is what youth looks like at our house on a Friday night. It is CHAOS. Good times :)

Miami Meets Ocean View

This is what happens when Miami meets Ocean View

While we were on our REST at Mosaic Farm, we met a wonderful family from Miami, Florida who are traveling the WORLD for a year.  They took their three beautiful kids out of school and have been all over - and we met them at Mosaic!  They are lovely and so we invited them to come visit our 'hood while they were in Cape Town.

Our sweet girls Roxie, Meagan, and Jadine were hanging at the house and totally bonded with the Americans.  They taught each other Spanish and Afrikaans and other fun games.

LOVE.  

Have I told you before that we love visitors?  We DO.  Come.

Love

sarah

Little Letters

Just some thoughts for today


Dear Ocean View,
I love you so much.  I am so glad we are friends.  Thanks for letting the Prince family be all up in your bizness and for letting us pretend we are coloured.  We know we aren't but we so love thinking we are in our hearts.  I think you grow more beautiful every day.


Dear Kieren's big-girl bed,
You are my new best friend.  Thank you for making Kieren happy and helping her to sleep SO WELL  I love your green big-girl sheets and being able to lay next to her.  I love that she loves to jump on you and run into you.  I just love you.

Dear Diet Coke,
This week I learned that you are toxic.  Like not "duh, of course you are 'good' for me" toxic but in a "whoa you could totally cause me a stroke, peel off my teeth, kill me" sort of toxic.  I am bummed.  This article was NOT good for our relationship.  I think we have to break up.  You know we have had a long, long and intimate relationship.  But I must find a new, less toxic vice.  The only alternative in Ocean View is crystal meth, or 'tick' as they call it, so I am going to keep looking.  Oh I am so sad.

With love,
Sarah

Book Review- Enchantment

I just finished "Enchantment: The Art of Changing Hearts, Minds, and Actions" by Guy Kawasaki and thought it excellent.  The book is inspiring, practical, and helpful in thinking through how you present your cause to people, how you work with and interact with them, and then how you get them to believe in and join your cause.  This could be your business, non-profit, idea, family relationship, anything.
With Ubuntu Sports Outreach, and specifically the Ubuntu Football Academy, being in its infancy stage still we are constantly looking to 'enchant' people so that they want to do all they can to help us succeed.  This gave me some good ideas and also reinforced many of the ways we operate.
I would encourage you to read this if you lead, sell, grow, distribute, or market anything!  If you have a big idea and want help getting it out there, read this.  If your boss doesn't realize how great you are, read this.
Overall grade: A

Casey

New Normal

I am not sure what universe we are living in, but last week we certainly stepped into a new one.  On Thursday night I got a phone call from Ntokozo asking if she and Minky (cousin) could come to youth on Friday night at our house and then SPEND THE NIGHT!  And then she said to tell Kieren good-night (she didn't SPEAK to Kieren the last month she lived in our home).  I was like 'ummm, okay!'  What?  What planet are we on??  So the girls came over on Friday and stayed much of the day Saturday and we had a great time!  They were polite, helpful, although a bit quiet.  We were all a bit quiet - but mostly me - thinking WHAT THE HECK IS HAPPENING?  So I am thinking this is our new normal, as on Sunday Notkozo called me to wish me happy Mother's Day!  Huh?  I will take it and feel that I ready.  Not ready to call her brown daughter, or move her back in, or have an intense conversation, but I am ready for her to come back and start out NEW relationship.  I feel good about it, and I really just let myself work through ALL my feelings last week before my surprise call on Thursday.  My Stephen Minister (lay ministry in USA, I speak with someone monthly to help me process the chaos!) helped me to see on Wednesday that I really was grieving; and that is really where all my feelings were.  I was seriously going through the five stages and I feel like I had lost a dream and a daughter.  I'm on the way back though and really feeling much better.  Still on a journey, but it's moving.  And looking forward to this new normal and our relationship with Ntokozo and Minky.  I think we are a safe place and a growing place - but now she can call the shots of when and her speed.  I can do that, and I hope she can too.

When I hung up the phone after our conversation on Thursday my FIRST thought was - wow everyone has REALLY been praying!  You have - keep it coming - God is doing MIRACLES!  You never know what life has planned, but we can KNOW that God is in it all.

Lots of love,

Sarah

Buds

Kieren has been playing with a new buddy lately, one our neighbors, a girl named Roseka.

Roseka comes running down the street when we drive in and loves playing with Kieren.  She is probably about 10 years old and full of laughter and joy.

Picture below is me TRYING to take a picture but they were laughing and jumping around.  Classic.

I especially love this friendship because it's not one I would have chosen for her.  Actually, Roseka has been coming around our home the past year and a half, but Kieren is the one who just now invites her in all the time.  At first I thought Roseka was just a bit awkward or pushy, but then I learned she goes to the local handicapped center for school.  I am beginning to understand why she is so needy for attention and why she often ends up alone without the other kids.  I am not sure about the family, but I don't think it's the most awesome situation.  I often see her at night on the street playing with kids in her bathrobe and slippers.  

And I didn't want to let her in, but Kieren did.  Kieren loves her.  Hugs her when she comes in.  They laugh and play and are so cute.  Kieren is teaching me about true love.  Kieren is teaching us about opening our home to a beautiful girl who just wants to be loved.  Kieren loves without noticing what everyone else sees.  It's beautiful.  Very humbling.

I love that they are buds.  I hope that Kieren keeps loving people so graciously and boldly.  And I really hope I can learn to do the same.

Love

Sarah

School Thoughts....

So I am taking a class online these days through Fuller Theological Seminary called 'Poverty and Development.'  It's kicking my butt in all kinds of ways, but just overall teaching me SO MUCH.  Development is a huge topic and obviously something we care about living in the community of Ocean View.  We want to see people's lives transform and develop so they can be all God longs for them to be.  This doesn't happen through magic or even just love - it takes major vision and wisdom.  I thought I would just share some of my thoughts from this week.  Enjoy!

Love,

Sarah

Question:

Reflecting on Walking with the Poor, by Bryant Myers, what aspect of development practitioner presents the biggest challenge to yourself? What disciplines might help you improve in this area?

Meditating on the principles needed for a holistic development practitioner, the concept that has challenged me to my core was introduced by Myers through Melba Maggay's "dance of death."  Myers writes about this, "Self-emptying is the only way to genuine incarnation...Technical power can come from good training and good experience.  Spiritual power comes only this harder way" (161).  WOW (I wrote in the margins).  How terrifying and humbling.  I sometimes recognize myself as a 'task-oriented' person who loves to make goals and check them all off the list.  But the deepest and most important part of our discipleship is total surrender and death of our own will.  In ministry, it can be so easy for me to make about the things I want to do and see accomplished rather than laying it all down for Christ.  I often still want the same Messiah the Jews were looking for: a regal and powerful leader.  I want to follow that Christ.  I recognize in myself a reluctance to follow the humiliated, shamed, lonely, and rejected Christ.  But there is only one Christ to follow.  There is only one way.  In my context of Ocean View, this means surrendering my schedule and time and personal goals of ministry.  I have to get into the flow of what God is doing in this community through MANY people working together, and submit myself to the ways this community works and relates to one another.  I must sacrifice for the families I love and even the ones I don't love.  I must put them before myself; think of them as better than my family.  Only then will I begin to see Christ truly alive in my ministry and development.  Challenging stuff this wee

Loaves and Fishes

Tonight was another meeting with my View ladies.  Oh my GOSH I love these ladies.  They rock my world.  We shared a great time in God's word together learning about John 6 and the miracle of the Loaves and Fishes.  So great and profound; who knew?  Check out my notes below.  Then we gathered in prayer, and one of our lovely ladies had a major request for her family and their financial situation that is dire and stressful.  She broke down and the floodgates opened.  For all of us.  We gathered around her and prayed a mighty prayer of belief for breakthrough in her life.  More tears.  It was so great.  It was beautiful.  And this is my life; seeing the Kingdom of God break through in people's hearts all the time.  As my hand was on her, hearing another one of my friends prayed, I just thought, "I am so blessed,"

Good night,
Sarah

Read notes at the link here, or read below.

If I quit my day job

If I quit my day job, I would become a dentist.  Not kidding.  I have an odd affection for all things dental hygiene and teeth related.  So strange.  I use to be terrified of the dentist because of a traumatic teeth-pulling episode in elementary school.  But then I got thrown into the medical/dental mission at my church Grace Community back in the diz-ay because the trip always pulled in crazy medical professionals.  And there in the midst of these crazies I found my passion.  Well I first just love people, especially strong-willing, independent, know-what-they-want-but-BREAK-over-Jesus people, but I also fell in love with dentistry.

On one mission trip in Mexico they actually talked me in to pulling a woman's tooth.  It was TRAUMA for everyone involved, including the patient.  Yeah.  But I did it.  So BAM.

Anyways, some of my dentist friends have been bugging me (or I have been bugging them, can't remember now) to put together a dental trip to the Mother-land hosted at the Prince home.  What could be better?  My hood with my crazy dentist friends walking around?!?

Finally am starting to do some research to see if it's even possible with Living Hope (they also want to bring some dentists over) AND needed to take Ntokozo to see the dentist.  SO finally got to go to the ONE dentist in Ocean View this week - Doctor Sonday.  Hollar at my new boy!  He is so cool, and down to earth, and really smart and competent, and CHOSE to move back to the View after leaving to go to school.  So much respect for him.  We'll see what evolves with a trip, but I am definitely excited about MY upcoming visit for a cleaning to my new main man.  Going to the dentist in Ocean View; how GREAT is that?  That might even get you to finally get on a plane and come over here, right?

Hope stuff develops, hope some peeps come over to do dentistry here, hope we can teach and help the people in this community with dental hygiene, hope I never have to pull another tooth.

Love,
Sarah

Chapel Time

Today I was asked to preach at the weekly chapel service at Cornerstone Institute.  It happened to be the last gathering of the students with the study abroad group who had been taking classes among them from America.  Every time I am at Cornerstone I fall more in love with the community.  They are just amazing, authentic, and hungry for growth and learning.  And today I got to preach to them and share some insights from living in my 'hood.  It was GREAT.  So thankful, just SO thankful.

Read my notes below or open there here.

Love,
Sarah

Family Time!

Saturday we decided to regroup as a new family of three, and have some time together.  

We went out for pancakes and waffles (something SPECIAL and RARE here!)

I wonder where she gets her faces....

Hanging with friends for a birthday party at the 'Scratch Patch' where we collected rocks

Happy family and a GREAT weekend together :)

Saying Goodbye

Saturday came and went.  Our home is eerily quiet and my heart is a mix of emotions.  Ntokozo was SO unhappy living here and I knew it was time for her to leave.  I still can't even really express what happened - not that I can't talk about it, it's just that I don't understand it.  But really, I think it comes down to that she just wasn't ready for it.  Wasn't ready for all of us.  So that is okay.  But saying goodbye was NOT something I was looking forward to.

She packed up all her stuff, and spent the day hanging here with her cousin Minky.  Minky is also an orphan and lives also with their aunt and uncle in Kommetjie (down the road).  It's a house with some problems (where we took Ntokozo out of when she moved here) but Minky seems to be doing fine there; only showing how she had a much more emotionally stable and encouraging background growing up.  We have gotten to spend a great deal of time with Minky over the past months and even watched her commit her life to Jesus Christ at Hillsong Church one night.  We love her and have kidded with her over the past weeks that she could always switch with Ntokozo and come here. :)

So we drove them back to Kometjie.  I just couldn't believe we were going back with all her stuff.  I still can't believe it.  We unloaded all the stuff, and Ntokozo was noticeably happy.  Then Minky came up to me as everyone was inside, hugged me and said, "I just want to thank you for all you've done."  I was stunned and replied they were both so welcome and we will continue to be in their lives.  Then Ntokozo came up and Casey and I both made her hug us and say goodbye (awkward/forced/blah), and then I see Minky.  She is crying HARD.  I come up to her and hug her again and she says, "I just can't believe it's ending like this."  WOW.  I tell her it's not ending and we are always here for them and will see them all the time.  But wow.  How beautiful and telling of what she has seen.  I was so moved.

And so we got in the car and drove away.  It was quiet.  Sad.  But peaceful.  I know we have done all we can.  It's time to have a peaceful and happy home again.  It's time to stop battling with a very hurt girl and trying to force her into something she isn't ready for.  And it's time to surrender it all to a God who loves her WAY more than we ever could.

I just never thought it would end like this.  Praying....

Love,
Sarah

Our Own Freedom Fighters

This past week Friday rolled around like usual (our normal night for youth at OV Methodist), but we decided to do something a bit different.  I threw out the idea of a movie night and then we found the 2007 movie 'Freedom Writers' in our movie collection.  Little did I know how inspiring and relevant it would be for our kids.

The movie is set in the early 1990's in Los Angeles just after the Rodney King riots.  An idealistic young white woman goes to teach at an inner-city school with big dreams to change lives.  She finds herself in a freshman English class with students who couldn't care less about their time in the classroom.  She finally gets through to them by challenging their own racism and violence teaching them that it's just history repeating itself.  She connects their story to the Holocaust, takes them to a Holocaust museum, has them read the Diary of Anne Frank, and they even get Miep Gies, the woman who hid Anne Frank's family, to come and speak to their class.  The kids are inspired, and they write their own stories, and they grow and evolve as they go along on a new journey together.  It's an incredible TRUE story, and beyond the sappy movie I thought it would be.

Most of our youth had seen the movie before, but it was STRIKING to watch it with them.  They are LIVING the struggles the actors are playing on the screen.  As the kids in the movie begin to write, they share their stories of pain and abuse.

One girl named 'Brandy' writes, " In every war, there is an enemy. I watched my mother being hlaf-beaten to death, and watched as bloodand tears streamed down her face. I felt useless and scared, and furious at the same time. I can still feel the sting of the belt on my back and my legs. One time he couldn't pay the rent. That night he stopped us on the street and pointed to the concrete. He said, "pick a spot." 

And this is an exhange between the teacher and one of the students named 'Eva,'

Eva: White people wanting respect like they deserve it for free. 

Erin Gruwell: I'm a teacher, it doesn't matter what color I am. 

Eva: It's all about color, it's about people deciding what you deserve, about people wanting what they don't deserve. About whites thinking they own this world no matter what, you see, I hate white people. 

Erin Gruwell: You hate me? You don't even know me. 

Eva: I know what you can do. I saw white cops shoot my friend in the back for reaching into his pocket, his pocket! I saw white cops come into my house and take my father away for no REASON except they feel like it! Except because they can! And they can, because they're white. So I HATE white people on sight! 

This is a CHARGED movie, and it was wonderful to watch it with our youth.  It ends with inspiration and hope.  Just the ending I want to see with our Ocean View youth.  It reminds me that these kids do have incredible stories to tell, and they are courageous and choosing to come to church, even though it's the last thing most of their peers would do.  They are my heros already.

Miep Gies says to the students, "but even an ordinary secretary or a housewife or a teenager can, within their own small ways, turn on a small light in a dark room."


It's so true and so possible.  I am thankful for more hope.

Hillary Swank with the REAL Freedom Writers

Love,
Sarah