In September 2009...
We found the perfect 83 acre farm north of Amaoti next to the Mahlabatini Community. The vision remains the same: The church in the centre surrounded by 100 homes, each with a foster mother and six orphans: Schools to cater for the children from crèche to matric. They would grow up in a safe haven, knowing that their Father in Heaven is their Father and they are loved. We believe they will become future leaders and valuable members of society as they grow up, ‘the right way’ (lungisisa Indlela), and make a positive impact in our country.
The abuse and neglect of children grows as the death toll rises at an alarming rate due, mainly, to the rampant Aids pandemic. The crisis Africa faces is unprecedented. Statistics show we will have more than fifty million orphans in Africa by the end of 2010. We are convinced that the church is the answer and has the resources and skills to make the difference. No longer can we sit in our church buildings and not hear the cry of the Father’s Heart for the fatherless. No longer can we ignore James 1:27 that tells us ‘pure religion is this: to visit and care for the orphans and widows in their affliction and need, and to keep oneself uncontaminated from the world.’ No longer can we dare to ignore the warning our God gives us in revelation 3:16 about being lukewarm..
A Kenyan by the name of Charles Mulli made a huge impact on me when I read his book in 2008. He was a street child that nobody wanted. He found Jesus, and became a top businessman in Nairobi. One day, whilst walking in the streets of the city, he came across a group of street kids. God told him to look after these children. He sold his businesses and moved these children onto farmland where they were loved and nurtured. He has impacted and transformed the lives of more children than anyone else in Kenya. When asked how he would define prosperity he answered: ‘prosperity, in the eyes of God, is a changed life. When you impact a life and they, in turn, impact others. That is true prosperity..’
