"A LIFE THAT STANDS ON MERIT" - A story within a story (July 8, 2017 update)

A long life of selfless mentoring young people has uniquely groomed Pastor Adziliwi Budeli for God's ultimate purpose for his life... to nurture and guide children to a new beginning as leader of the Palace of Mercy Orphanage. 

Pastor Budeli has been mentoring young people for over 20 years.

He teaches by example and teaches hands on" the   nobility of hard work and serving others.  He always has young people around to whom he teaches valuable life lessons.  He treats them with respect, opens them up to their worth and guides them to a path of goodness. 

David Tshiruwani Nemalale is one of the many young people Pastor Budeli helped to change their life story. 

While guiding the construction for The Palace, I had the opportunity to talk with the young man who furnished us with the bricks and sand at a very low cost.  He was a successful, respected business man in the Masisi area.  His is a heartwarming story. When David was young, Pastor mentored him and had  David in his home often. David had talent and wanted to learn how to play the organ, which wasn't possible in his situation.   Budeli found a gifted teacher and took him to lessons until he learned to play.  Budeli's kindness changed David's life. He learned not to give up and that all things are possible.   Because Pastor cared and invested time, belief and effort in David, David began to believe in himself.  To this day he returns the goodness he received by supporting Budeli and helping him whenever he can. 

Another product of Pastor Budeli's mentoring. 

This young man was also fortunate to receive guidance from the Pastor.  His fruitful life speaks for itself. He is now a Pastor himself in the Pretoria area. He helped Budeli to get his  NPO (Non Profit Organization) status.   

He is respected and admired by all of his own sons. 

 To earn the honor and respect of one's own children is an amazing accomplishment... and he has achieved that wondrous position. 

He inspires people to do more than they thought they could.

Volunteers showed up to help on the hardest and least desirable jobs. They were taking on this project with enthusiasm. 

Even his wife Mashuda (in white hat) finds it hard to resist his call to be all you can be.  

Not only did these women load and shovel dirt, but they also were the pounders" who prepared the floors to be ready to be cemented. My hat's off to you!  What women!!

I have witnessed the way Pastor interacts with the littlest ones. 

One of the tenderest moments I witnessed last year was when Pastor Budeli came around the Creche toddlers, they would rush to him, and he gently touched their little heads. The look on his face was tender and protective. Their feeling of complete safety while near him touched my heart. His gentleness with these precious, vulnerable ones amazed me. And it was the same this year. 

Adziliwi Budeli was born to become the Director for the Palace of Mercy Orphanage. He and Mashuda have an eloquent demeanor and their life speaks of a dedicated, loving life in pursuit of helping others. It is our honor to work with Pastor Adziliwi Budeli on this Vision. 

Until next time...from the Bush with love ❤️, 

Sidney and the HHTH Team

"PRINCIPAL GILBERT MBEDZE, A MAN WITH A PASSION" (July 8, 2017 update)

HHTH has been working with Principal Gilbert for over 5 years. He has a passion for his "learners" to succeed and FINISH the race! 

Part of our mission of sustainability is supporting education; and Gilbert is key to that project in the  Venda area. 

We asked Gilbert what would help him in his work this year.

He let his teachers and the parent representative  know his HHTH friends were coming and wanted them to all decide what they could use the most.  Ended up, they wanted a laminating machine, with material because they give out many recognition rewards.  And they needed another chair in the office.  Most schools there operate under the barest of conditions.  These teachers give their whole heart ❤️ to their job and helping them is helping the "learners."

A 3 drawer, metal, locking file cabinet was also high on Gilbert's list to keep sensitive documents secure. 

You would think he had been given a pony, he was so happy.  Gilbert is so professional and organized. He helped us a lot this trip and we admire the way he is involved in the lives of his charges. 

Gilbert works diligently with HHTH to help us take care of the orphans from Fethani High School. 

On his own time and petro, Gilbert helps us get the food, clothes and gifts distributed to the children our sponsors help in his school. He originally helped identify the children with the greatest need. He told us it was so hard for these children to concentrate on studies when they are hungry all the time.  So, getting regular meals has improved their performance. 

HHTH has 20+ Orphans in the high school. 

As the children were getting their food and themselves loaded on the truck, Luci (who just transferred from Tshikuyu Primary School) ran up, hugged me and whispered, "I love you.  Please tell my Sponsor, Ms. Pam (Kast) I love her too for always helping me."  

What an awesome moment of pure love, and What a big difference a a little food makes?  

Gilbert, with his wife Freida, who is a nurse.

They made the sacrifice and worked hard to get all of their children through university with degrees which gave them great careers. 

This lovely couple works together to support their beloved community. 

Their life is dedicated to changing the life stories and exposing  the young people they come in contact with to a hopeful future. The challenge has been issued to the upcoming seniors who will graduate in 2018. If they raise their performance level and improve their scores they will get 2 beasts for their graduation ceremony!  @And the cheers roared our across the assembly."

Until next time...from the Bush with love ❤️, 

Sidney and the HHTH Team

"CJ AND SAM'S PROJECT TO FEED AND PROTECT PEOPLE IN OUR FIVE VENDA VILLAGES" (July 8, 2017 update)

You met our Sam Simonenko last year when she came all the way from California to help HHTH in our Charity work here. Sam is generous, loving, and kind. She has an African heart.  Janco picked her up in Nelspruit and they drove 6 hours to reunite with us in Louis Trichardt where CJ, Wayne and I met them.  Though she had already traveled for two days, she was eager to get to work!

Sam was ready to start her mission. 

Janco took her to the Game Store (like a mini Wal Mart), and here she LOADED up Jabulani (our trusty Landie) with mattresses, toys, blankets,   food and sundry items.  She and CJ bought a Landie full of food  - Mealie, tea, Rice, sugar, dry milk, beans, and LOTS of pop corn. 

Sam and CJ sorted through their copious supplies to make up food kits to pass out. 

(They made up countless packages of food to give out in each village.)

Food is a gift they all cherished.  

(Popcorn was on the top rung of the hit parade for the Villages. 

Adults and children scooped it up and had a lavish treat.)

Even though the '60's are well over, this little girl knows exactly what to do with her hula hoop. 

To be able to play for just a little while pulls these people out of the darkness of poverty and into a brighter day.  It took the girls (CJ and Sam) 5 hard days to get these supplies to all the Villages.   They sorted, popped popcorn, and made individual food packets by night and passed the packets out by day in the villages.  They were the "food earth angel brigade. "

Mosquito nets are always a huge hit. 

For more years then I can count, Mike and Cathy McCarthy have provided  HHTH with mosquito nets for 250 people yearly. That means 50 people per village clamored for the coveted, life saving nets. Advertisements in the area caution that the mosquito can create a pandemic capable of killing over 10,000,000 souls it is more possible for this devastation then even war. 

Sam bought mattresses and food for all the Creches. 

(This Belini Creche teacher was mega grateful for the fresh new mattress so her tiny charges can take turns napping.)

This little old lady was harvesting tiny nuts to feed her goats. 

We passed her on the side of the road at  8:30 a.m. working on her hands and knees in the already sweltering heat.  When we  came back that way at 4:30 p.m., she was STILL on her hands and knees with no food or water, doing this back breaking job.  CJ couldn't take it.... she jumped out of the car and gave the lady an armful of food, which she gratefully accepted. 

The girls also distributed food when they visited Swaziland for a few days.

(It is 't hard to find hungry people all across the "dark continent.")

Photo 9.  Sam has a special gift for finding exotic and interesting friends to help. 

(This young man tearfully expressed his gratefulness for her genuine kindness.   The joy truly blesses the "giver.")

You might ask, "What good can it possibly do to feed a person for just one day?"  If you have never been poor or went without food, you might not know. Since I grew up in severe poverty, I can tell you, ANY relief, even for only one day, is a precious glimpse of hope. It is at least one day of relief from gnawing hunger. For just one day you can fill full.  

It reminds me of the starfish story that many of you know.  Thousands of starfish were washed up on a beach and languishing on the sand. A man was seen down at the beach, rythmatically stooping 

down, grabbing a starfish⭐️ and slinging it back into the ocean, where it slid back into exuberant life. Another gentleman who had been observing him, and could see the thousands of beached starfish said to him, " what on earth can you do to help these countless stranded creatures?  What difference can YOU make?"  As this hero grabbed another starfish and threw it back to life, he responded, "It makes a lot of difference to that one one!"  While sustainability is great, and HHTH has so many projects that are; offering relief and hope has an important place in life's struggle to find our way too. 

Until next time...from the Bush with love ❤️, 

Sidney and the HHTH Team

"JUST WHAT IS THE WORTH OF A PAIR OF SHOES?" (July 7, 2017 update)

It makes a difference who you ask.  If I ask my great grandchildren, the answer is something like, "...yawn...., uhh, they are the brand I wanted... they're cool."   And they ARE grateful.  If I ask one of our Tshikuyu children, they are in awe.  They can hardly speak, they are so happy. Because they all walk to school, it is less painful... they are protected from diseases like ring worm and hook worms, and they feel less shame. 

A PAIR OF SHOES IS A BIG DEAL. 

Watch the less than one minute video, then just enjoy their reaction. 

Principal gathered the children around to explain what they were getting. This is our 5th year helping children at Tshikuyu. 

All children who needed shoes were assembled. 

(There was excitement in the air.)

Twenty eight children needed shoes.  Teachers drew their feet on a piece of paper so HHTH could take it to Louis Trichardt (3 hours away) to buy the shoes. 

Our little orphans were included. 

(Rokunda and Hudivhanni patiently waited to get their foot traced.)

These children were thrilled just knowing they would get new shoes.

(These are 5 of our orphans waiting for their treasure.)

Enjoy the excitement.  Sometimes they were in silent gratitude.

The teachers selected the children in greatest need. 

(Teachers did a great job identifying those who needed shoes the most.)

Happiness is... a pair of shoes! 

(The children were happy for each other too.)

Waiting their turn.  

(Each child held onto the drawing of their feet till it could be redeemed with bright new school shoes.)

Refreshing to witness their delight. 

(These are mine!!)

Precious grin. 

(This smile says it all.)

My new shoes!

(These are better than ice cream!)

Our team celebrated the sweet ache in our hearts with an Awelani lunch.

(Nothing can be more satisfying than to fulfill a child's dream.  This glow comes from the inside out.)

Please pray for these dear little ones. And pray for our work with them. 

Until next time...from the Bush with love ❤️, 

Sidney and the HHTH Team

"THE POWER AND WISDOM OF A CHIEF" [And, an almost unpleasant incident] (July 5, 2017 update)

HHTH has been working with 5 Venda  Villages for over 5 years: Bende Mutale, Tshikuyu, Dovho, Belini, and Mutale. We have learned the way of life here and the line of royal power.  Chiefs who reside over these villages are chosen by "blood line," and each Village has a Headman from the royal family, appointed by the Chief.  While here, we take a step back in time where traditions rule the behavior. Chief William rules over these five villages as well as others. 

Chief William

(Chief William is revered and respected.)

The chief is a lively and healthy 93 years old. With the air of wisdom and authority, Chief William carries himself with regal dignity. His bearing is elegant and confident, yet he is approachable.  He is well aware of all the work HHTH Charity has done in his villages and it is custom to bring him a gift each year. 

Chief William and his entourage has attended all the yearly Recognition/Celebration  affairs at the end of all our projects. He is totally aware of our movements and everything we are involved in with his people. In fact, without his blessing, we would not be able to do our work here.  I share all this with you to set the stage for this communique...

HHTH has worked with Tshikuyu Primary School since we first came to the Venda homeland. We furnish them with a lot of school supplies, shoes for any child who does not have a pair, and HHTH feeds and clothes 7 orphans the teachers and Principal chose from their school. 

Principal Edson at Tshikuyu. 

(Principal Edson is a good and selfless man.)

He has never asked for anything for himself but for his school children's needs. 

We have 7 Sponsors  for the orphans,and these sponsors provide the resources to feed these hungry children and provide bare essentials. 

When we arrived at Tshikuyu School this year we were told there was a lot of trouble over feeding the orphans. Through a misunderstanding, the teachers and some parents felt we should not feed these orphans, but feed ALL the other children in their school.  This we could not do because of limited resources, and our Mission is to feed and clothe the poorest of the poor.  Jealousies were creating a major issue.  Sponsors have paid for these orphan children to be taken care of.

We investigated what was going on and asked our good friend Principal Gilbert Mbedzi of the Fethani H. S. (Who we also help yearly) for his advice. He went with us to speak with Principal Edson and the teachers. Gilbert reminded them all that the government provides food for all the children for lunch and that the food is a sufficient amount for all children to be fed lunch. He was able to see into the heart of the matter and he called to get us an appointment with Chief William. Unbenounced to us, he finally got through to the Chief and explained that the parents and teachers did not want the very children they chose to receive the food but the whole school instead.  The Chief got quite agitated. 

Then one day, we heard a knock on our chalet door and there stood Chief William!  The Chief DOES NOT make house calls!!  Everyone GOES TO HIM.  Not knowing why he came, we quickly invited him in and rushed to get Jabu, our cook, to interpret for us. We exchanged pleasantries, gave him refreshments and a small bag of Mealie as a gift. Still puzzled, I finally told him we needed his help with the Tshikuyu situation. We shared our dilemma with him (we had to find a way to get these children their food, clothes and shoes). He listened intently. Silence...  Did he understand?   We knew we must wait for his judgement.  He thoughtfully said, "If the teachers originally chose these children to receive help from sponsors, the children should receive it."

Chief William gave us permission to care for our orphans. 

He signed permission statement that we could continue to work with our orphans.  We took this statement back to the school and like magic, everything cleared up!  The Chief must be respected and obeyed.  Edson said, "You have been coming here many years and always helping us.  We will take care of this."  

We gave the school 2 huge bags of school supplies valued at over $500.  We then proceeded to our orphans' homes.  Our housekeeping lady came to guide us. We raced to get these dear children their desperately needed food and clothes. 

Soko Thaidzo

(Soko's siblings' clothes were ragged as well, but they were happy for her. 

Soko is one of six children that Betti Alessandri sponsors.)

Rejoice helps Soko try on her new dress.  She felt so pretty. 

Tshiwandacani Hudivhanni. 

(Hudivhanni loved the hat Audrey Diaz made for all the children. 

Phyllis Washburn and Donna Pitcher sponsor him. )

Minzinhelele Sandani. 

(How sweet she looked in her new dress and hat. She is sponsored by Dennis and Rochelle Fletcher.)

Sandani could not hold back her tears of joy for the food, clothes and shoes. 

Kweranda Rokunda wanted to thank his sponsor Terese Pohl for helping him so much.  The food and necessities mean everything to these children.

Rokunda held on tight to his gifts. 

Matholi Maphari. 

(Maphari' sponsor is Patty Laskowsky.  Her guardian carried her food home for her.)

Maphari was thrilled to find a brand new dress hidden in her cherished school bag. 

Rejoice with Mealie on her head. 

(We thank Rejoice for helping us deliver this prized cargo.  

Rejoice, true to her name, rejoiced over the Mealie she received.)

To sum all this up, the Chief is truly powerful and wise. 

Chief William entering The Palace of Mercy.. How phrophetic... and that works for us for how he treated this situation.

Though Gilbert had explained our trouble, Chief William took the time to hear what we had to say. Seeing that the stories were the same, he righted the situation. 

So!  Chief William is our Hero!  He wisely listened to both sides, he sought out information, made a thoughtful judgement and made "just" the situation. He became the powerful voice for our vulnerable children who could not speak for themselves. 

All is well once more... 

Until next time, From the Bush with love, Sidney 

"SOME THINGS YOU ONLY NEED TO DO ONCE AND ONCE ONLY" (July 1, 2017 update)

That is exactly how I feel about the "Mopani Worm Challenge. " O how I wish the gentleman hadn't said this thing the way he did.  Let me share this absurd story with you.  We were building the Palace of Mercy and it was time to get a quote for digging a septic tank hole. We went to Pieter van der Westhuizen, site manager for RWC, RUWACON in the Masisi area, for that quote. Pieter had a Backhoe and we badly needed a hole.  I explained that HHTH was a charitable organization and we were building an orphanage in the Masisi area that would serve the whole surrounding communities and we needed to build a septic tank. Therefore, we needed a quote.  Pieter shot back, "when do you need it?"  I panicked, because We didn't know if we could afford him, and squeaked out, "we were hoping to get a quote because we don't know if we can afford you or not." He said, "how about for free?"  I gulped and he said, "we will donate our machine and operator for your project.  When can you be there?"  To which I blurted out, "any time you need us, we will be there!" Pieter's parting shot was, "See you tomorrow!"

The Backhoe. 

("You gotta love a Backhoe.")

We got up at the crack of dawn and went to our building sight.  Sure enough, Pieter's  lovely Backhoe lumbered on site, and the dust rumbled over the earth. The crew worked hard and at the end of the day, they had dug a huge hole for new outdoor toilets and got 1/2 of the septic tank dug. Then Pieter was down 2 machines and other work was calling him, so they couldn't come back to complete the hole right away. Being from the South, I wanted to give Pieter something for his generosity.  So we gave him one of my PGA golfer son's beautiful golfing shirts. Pieter snared this opportunity to issue his dastardly challenge, "I challenge you, if you eat a Mopani worm, I'll dig the other side of the septic tank hole for you!"  

Pieter van der Westhuizen. 

(Pieter threw down the gauntlet, and Silly me picked it up.)

I accepted the challenge and that was my last night of sleep for quite awhile. I fretted and sweated over that Worm and thought of all possibilities on how to disguise the Worm so I could eat it. I had conversations with myself, "If our Venda friends can do this, I can!"  To them, it is a delicacy along with locusts and is a great source of protein.   Yummy.  

Sidney with mustard. 

(How does one disguise a worm?)

I wretched at the thought of it.  Finally, it was decided... I would use their sun dried one (their boiled ones were a definite "NO") and cover it with mustard.   Wayne would stand by with a large glass of Coca Cola to help me swallow it. Pastor Budeli volunteered to furnish the Worm.  More sleepless nights. The suspense and stress were beating me down. THE DAY OF DOOM ARRIVED. 

A bowl full of Mopani Worms. 

(Just looking at these critters turned me green and gaggy.)

I had Janco, our esteemed guide, examine the bowl full and promise to choose the smallest one. My strategy was to swallow it without chewing. "OMGoodness, I don't know if I can do this!"  My hands were sweating, I felt light in the head, my ears were roaring... "Buck up Sidney.  Remember the kids!"  What we won't do for love.  I love these precious children... there is no backing down. Six witnesses were waiting.  (CJ, Sam, Wayne, Janco, Pastor Budeli and his son). 

A single Worm. 

(Janco made his choice, and slushed mustard all over it.  He wrapped bread around, 

 but I blatantly insisted he cover ALL the edges so I couldn't see it.)

(Proof of achievement of the challenge.)

I hysterically threw the "thing" in my mouth, tried to swallow, gagged down all the Coca Cola humanly possible while my stomach tried to reject it.  More Coke hoping the acid would dissolve it. "THE DEED WAS DONE... and I lived to tell about it," though my stomach rumbled for two days. 

Half a hole.

(So, Pieter, I did your awful Worm Challenge.)

"It was HORRIBLE I say!  Now I need the other half hole."  Our plumber, Patrick, can't build the septic till the hole is complete. 

Backhoe. 

(Pieter, please make a plan and send your beautiful Backhoe back so the children can have bathrooms.)

Just recalling all of this makes me tremble and weak in the knees. 

BUT... I hope I never ever have to do this again!  And we deeply appreciate Pieter and RUWACON company for their generous gift. The children will also be very grateful. 

Until next time,

From the Bush with love, Sidney