Upward Shoutout from SA

One of the sacrifices made to be on this trip, was knowing that two weeks of the Upward Basketball season at the SEMC would be missed. Last year, it was a privilege to assist Aynsley as she coached a team. This year,  head-coaching The Chargers, a wonderful group of Grade 2 and 3 students has provided great fun and laughter, while we learn some basketball.

Aynsley and I had the chance to do some painting in the morning and then we were scheduled to go to the highschool in the afternoon. However before that second part happened, we played with some of the younger school children. Because of the safety and care and the content of the instruction the children receive at Seed of Hope the children come after their regular school day, to do another hour of learning...but after they play. 

Please remember to pray for these kids, many of them grow up without a stable father figure. Which results in this province having a the fasting rising HIV infection rate in South Africa among girls 15-24. It also has significant negative results on the boys as they grow older. The investment of Seed of Hope into children and their families reminds me of why we do Upward, why every long Saturday is worth it, why every child that get's their name announced by Albert, is so meaningful, why all the effort that Theresa puts into coordinating teams, players, coaches and volunteers is so valuable and why we need to continue to share our stories with those who come to the games...because in doing so we are not just reaching children, but their families. Changed families change communities...Jesus bring the change...

Deve