200 kids +  paint brushes + squirt bottles + every color of paint  = a BEAUTIFUL mess!

One of our favorite parts of every year is getting to paint canvases with the children at Ithemba.  Usually, we design one canvas, using cups, or blocks or squirt bottles, something easily replicated and let the kids go to town.  With this method, all of the canvases look roughly the same

But this past summer, we decided to take a risk and give the kids the freedom to use whatever colors they want to and add whatever “finishing touches” that their creative little hearts desire!  Our only request was that they paint only vertical strokes (we tested this and they looked amazing!!)  So this year, we are SO excited to offer our first line of individually personalized, hand painted canvases!  The kids did an incredible job…their creativity was able to shine and they had a blast doing it.  I just wanted to share a few pictures of the “creative process” with you…Now, when you purchase a canvas, you get a little glimpse into the personalities of each child and like always, it is signed with a hand print or foot print and sent with a picture of the little one that created it!

For just $250 you can CHANGE A LIFE.  The purchase of a canvas provides nutrition, academic education, medical care and a Biblical curriculum for one child for one year.

If you are interested in purchasing one of these canvases, please click over to our store!

Valentine’s Day seems to be a very important holiday in South Africa…EVERYTHING turns pink and red- the stores were decorated, the restaurants were celebrating for a full week, and all of the kids at Ithemba were so excited about the holiday…mostly because they know it means an ice cream party and day of heart shaped arts and crafts…but also because every year, they have an Ithemba pageant!  The kids get SO excited for the chance to walk down the home-made “runway” and show off their best “model walk!”  The girls walk with so much attitude and the boys walk trying to show off their muscles…mean while all of the other kids are cheering them on from the audience.  It might have been one of the cutest things I have ever seen, so I figured I would share some pictures!

When we arrived in J’Bay, we were so excited to meet the new children.  We have 26 new kids in the morning program at Ithemba and they are all wonderful!  We got to see all of their personalities through painting canvases with them and each child has such a sweet heart…here are a few pictures of the new babies!

It’s a new year and we are expectant and excited about what the Lord is going to do in 2010.  We have big dreams and big goals and thankfully, a very BIG God.  We can see evidence of just how BIG he is pretty much everywhere we look…the incredible sunsets in Jeffrey’s Bay, the piercing eyes of a child in Nicaragua, and as we reflect on 2009 we can see His fingerprint all over it.

This year, we were able to take over 80 people on trips to South Africa and Nicaragua, support all 200 children at Ithembs and 26 children in Nicaragua by providing nutrition, medical care, academic education and a Biblical curriculum, and build a safe house in South Africa to offer 12 children a warm and loving place to call home.

In January we found out about the huge need in Jeffrey’s Bay for a safe place for abandoned and abused children.  We heard stories of children left on the streets with no food, no medicine and no one to take care of them.  It was then that God gave us the vision for a safe house at Ithemba.  At the end of January, we traveled to Jeffrey’s Bay and made a line of canvases to raise money for the house.

In April we had the opportunity to go to the Orange Conference and there, through the generous hearts of the ReThink family and the leaders who attended the conference, we were able to raise enough money to build the entire safe house in only 2 days!

In May we sent two interns to J’Bay for two months to live and work with the kids and oversee the building of the house and took a trip to Nicaragua to train our partners there on the ReThink curriculum.

In June Gavin and I left for J’Bay again and this time, we were so exciting to bring 31 people to see what God is doing there.  At the end of June, 23 of ReThink’s staff joined us and served the children for two weeks…having them there and seeing them love the kids was such a blessing.  While they were there, we made our latest line of canvases and hope to finish selling them soon to support the children in J’Bay.  A few days later my Mom and her best friend traveled the 8,000 miles to come and meet the children…I think we can safely say that not only did them meet them, but their hearts were stolen by them!  At the end of July, our good friend Rebecca brought a group of 6 people and we had so much fun!  This group was like a family from the start and we had a blast getting to know them all a little better.

By the end of July the safe house was completely finished and we were ready to start making it a home and we sent 16 people from Murray, KY to Nicaragua to serve at Casa Havilah and Casa Robles.

In September we started a series of Collide events…our first was in Austin, Texas…in November we went to DC and had our first event in Atlanta!  Through these events, we were able to raise $18,000.00 to furnish and decorate the safe house and cover operating costs for the rest of the year!

In October we took our final trip of the year to Jeffey’s Bay and this time we were joined by 8 wonderful people from the Orange Conference and my dad!  Again, the children stole everyone’s hearts and we had so much fun watching people bond  and become even more invested in Ithemba.

In November, Gavin and his Atlanta based small group took a trip to Nicaragua and spent 4 days falling in love with the children there.  They got to really see their personalities as they made another line of splatter painted canvases….kids LOVE to splatter paint

In December, we were so thankful to be able to relax, enjoy our friends and family and get to reflect on everything that God did in ‘09.  It was a precious time to spend with he people we love and a great month of planning and preparation for 2010 with with our wonderful board of directors!

Looking back at this year, we are TOTALLY blown away by God’s provision and all of the many ways that He has blessed LUO.  We are so thankful for each of you…your generosity and faithful giving has made such an impact on these children.

We feel so blessed to have so many incredible supporters, encouragers and friends that give so much of themselves to help the children at our partnerships.  We love hearing about all of the creative ways that people raise funds to provide for the kids, and we love hearing the stories.  Today I received an e-mail from a wonderful woman that has been faithfully supporting us every month for the past two years.  Not only does she give through her finances but she uses her gifts and talents to give back as well.  Recently, she started Sew in Love…she sews and tailors clothes and instead of making any money, she asks for donations for LUO in exchange for her services.  Her latest project was making 12 adorable aprons for a woman and all of the girls in her family for Christmas.  She just sent me some pictures of her beautiful work and made a donation…She is such a special lady, and we are so inspired by her dedication to the children in South Africa and Nicargua, we hope her story inspires you as well!

Friends,

As Gavin and I look at the close of 2009,  we are marked by how our awesome God has provided for LUO and the 226 children we’ve had a chance to impact in South Africa and Nicaragua. I know we are forever changed and couldn’t have done it without the love and support of friends and family like you. Thank you doesn’t seem to cover it.

So, here I sit behind the computer screen searching for the right words to say this heartfelt “Thank You” and decided the best way to let you know how much you mean to me, Gavin & LUO was to invite you in to the life of a child that inspires me. It’s children like this one that remind me to hold steady, focused on the path God has for us.  And it is my hope that in sharing this story, this child, will touch your heart and encourage you as much as he has mine.

This summer, we were introduced to one of the sweetest spirited children that I know. Attie is seven years old  and from the outside, he doesn’t appear to have a lot going for him.   Attie contracted HIV at birth and was left in the care of his great-grandmother.  When he was three years old, he caught a very bad case of  meningitis.  He was lucky to survive, but in the process of battling the disease, he lost his hearing.  So, at seven years old, he has HIV, has lost his parents, cannot hear, and does not speak. Although the odds seem stacked against him…I have never met a child so incredibly full of joy, full of  life! Seemingly, un-phased by these obstacles, his eyes shine, his smile melts your heart and his gentle spirit  warms you when you come in contact with him. He is special and God has something great planned in intersecting his life with ours.  Needless to say, we completely fell head-over-heels in love with this child and his ability to speak to our hearts without saying a word.

Attie is now one of the first children to move in to our safe house. Because of friends like you who have given of their time, money, love, prayer, and wise counsel Attie has a healthy,  warm environment, a loving house mother, and most of all…a place to call home.  I know I can sleep better at night knowing he is taken care of, getting the medicine he needs to battle the disease attacking his immune system, as well as a balanced nutrition…and of course all the hugs he can stand! Now, with the proper care, Attie will also be able to learn sign language so that he can communicate for the first time.

And that story is just a glimpse at what keeps me going every day. We are dedicated to doing what we do at LUO because of children like Attie. So please accept my heart-felt thanks for believing in LUO and our mission to set children free from poverty. In 2010 we hope to continue to grow and expand our projects at Ithemba  in Jeffrey’s Bay, South Africa and at Casa Havilah and Casa Roble in  Managua, Nicaragua.  And if you’d like we’ll keep you posted on how you can continue to impact the lives of children just like Attie.

Grateful for your partnership,

Lindsay

Each year at Ithemba, we celebrate the children’s graduation from the Creche (which is similar to our day car…it prepares the kids for school) to Grade R (which is like our kindergarten).  The kids get all dressed up in white dresses and graduation caps and gowns.  There is a ceremony and then a huge picnic at the beach!  The kids have so much fun and get to experience a real sense of accomplishment as they move to their next stage of schooling.  Ria just sent me a few pictures from the graduation ceremony this past week.   I don’t know if these kids could get any more adorable

Thank you so much for making Collide such a wonderful success!  It was so much fun to get to see all of our friends and so wonderful to have all of your support.

Gavin and his small group from Atlanta left on Thursday to head down to Nicaragua and spend a long weekend with the kids.  They just sent me a few pictures and an e-mail reflecting on their time there…

After a full schedule the last two days, tonight we finally got a chance to reflect on our trip and converse about the feelings and emotions that have impacted us.  There was an agreement among the group that we couldn’t come close to pointing to a single event or circumstance that impacted us the most, so we have a collection of thoughts to share with the blog, and hopefully relay some of our experiences, although words cannot come close to illustrate how we truly feel.

For those that know nothing about La Chureca, the city dump, it’s one of the most horrific places on this Earth, full of darkness and destruction.  It’s unfathomable that there are communities within this reched place.  The tour of La Chureca has left a lasting impression on every single one of us.  It’s heartbreaking to witness this harsh reality that’s so overwhelming, it’s almost numbing.

It’s so comforting to know that there is a bright light.  After leaving the dump, we visited the incredible children rescued from the dump living in the orphanages funded by LUO.  The contrast between the kids in La Chureca and the kids in the orphanages is like night and day.  It’s only by God’s love and grace that these kids have been given a chance; a chance to change the deadly trajectory they were on before LUO and Open Heart’s ministry found them.  They are full of so much love and joy, it’s so inspiring for each one of us.  We paralleled their life in the dump as our own lives before knowing Christ, dirty and full of darkness.  Then we are cleansed, as these kids are cleansed, by the grace of God.  It’s been an incredible experience to engage and get to know the kids and each of their unique stories.

In closing, our hope is that God’s work continues to expand in Nicaragua, and that our efforts impact other children through the awareness that we bring back with us.  Ostensibly our work here has been short, but we realize that we can make a difference.  Thank you for your support and the never ceasing prayers.

Love,

Gavin, Jamie, Randall, Dustin, Ryan and Paul