Surely the Sailboat

Surely the Sailboat
Last Day

Shirley's Sign

Shirley's Sign
Beginning the Journey

At the Western(Wailing) Wall

At the Western(Wailing) Wall
Tony, Joe, Myself

Heartbreaking Hawaiian Sunsets

Heartbreaking Hawaiian Sunsets
Scenes of Heartbreak in Haiti will follow later

Pastor Emory Gaskins, and his wife Cindi

Pastor Emory Gaskins, and his wife Cindi
University Ave Baptist Church

University Ave Bapt Church Cambodian Mission

University Ave Bapt Church Cambodian Mission
'Him' playing a Cambodian Thor

Waikiki Yacht Club Xmas 09

Waikiki Yacht Club Xmas 09
Guest of Brian&Kimmie Mahalo!!!!

Good Friends Brian&Kimmie

Good Friends Brian&Kimmie
We Were Kaiser Pediatricians In The 70's!!!

Our Family The Best To be Sure see Chris in other pics

Our Family The Best To be Sure see Chris in other pics
God Is Good, God Is Love, Thank you, God

Chris and The Volcano

Chris and The Volcano
Did He Inhale??

Chris Gets His Goat

Chris Gets His Goat
Date: 1010/01/02/2010

The Father, The Son, The Holy Goat

The Father, The Son, The Holy Goat
We Ask Thou Blessing, O Lord

Kauai Krushers Poipu

Kauai Krushers Poipu
Hard Way To Fish

Well Not Skunked

Well Not Skunked
Chris And The Wrass

Adam and Eve

Adam and Eve
Dec 17, 2009, Another Famous Day!!!

Life is good again!!!

Life is good again!!!
My Bird and Xmas has arrived!!!

Sounds of Aloha!!

Sounds of Aloha!!
Our performance at Kahala Nui 12/3/09

Sounds of Aloha!!

Sounds of Aloha!!
Dan and I

Mac Keral (speaks Spanish) and me

Mac Keral (speaks Spanish) and me

Jeff on GW

Jeff on GW

'Tea Fer' x 2

'Tea Fer' x 2

'Two Fer' x 2

'Two Fer' x 2

Condo Sept 09

Condo Sept 09
WOW!! Compare this with 1974!!

Bill's last Sunday, His Church

Bill's last Sunday, His Church
He left it on Fire; see the Smoke!!! ( Who will be the new Pope?? )

Bill's last Sunday

Bill's last Sunday
with Crystal and friends

Bill's last Sunday at the Pullpit in Hickory

Bill's last Sunday at the Pullpit in Hickory
Still looks young!!!

Commander Walls with me last days

Commander Walls with me last days
A very special person, a joy to work with

A Wonderful Goodbye, Cherry Point

A Wonderful Goodbye, Cherry Point
My CO, Cap't John, old me, Mike, the Base Radiologist, and the Paddle for my Butt for leaving

My doctor friend and old guy: Truk Hospital 1971-73

My doctor friend and old guy: Truk Hospital 1971-73
36 years seem to fade away that day we met again in Ala Moana Park

Chuukese Missison Church Nuuanu

Chuukese Missison Church Nuuanu
Classic Chuukese dress for the women; the head pieces are called Marmars

Chuukese Mission Church at Nuuanu Baptist Honolulu

Chuukese Mission Church at Nuuanu Baptist Honolulu
The young people sing the rich Pacific island spiritual songs

Chuukese Family and Haole Guy

Chuukese Family and Haole Guy
my doctor friend with his large family under the Banyan tree

Chris

Chris
FrontSteet, New Bern

Jamming at the Dink's

Jamming at the Dink's
Patsy fills and thrills!!

WB&Ruth brought the cake

WB&Ruth brought the cake
Go Back 44 years!!!

Gretchen and Joey

Gretchen and Joey
with Shirley at our BibleStudy weekend in May09

Beer Can Chicken and my sister

Beer Can Chicken and my sister
NannynannyPooPoo!!!

Father&Son: Ren&Bill

Father&Son: Ren&Bill
Dock Devotion Time

GG&GW: Jonathan&GradyWhite

GG&GW: Jonathan&GradyWhite
Lift Off!!!

July 2 at Shacklebanks

July 2 at Shacklebanks
Chris, Buzz, Lee, and his boys-Lee manwhatatan!!

Horace&Fran

Horace&Fran
"This is so nice"

Chris' GRRR888 MUSIC

Chris' GRRR888 MUSIC
OneManCBand

Airport Reunion

Airport Reunion
TheCMan arrives!!!

Monday, April 7, 2014

Mabopane, Souh Africa August 2013

This was another amazing story of how God works in our lives connecting strings of years ago for His Good works.
In June, 2000 a group of Snyder men and women traveled to S Africa, to help build a new church for the First Baptist Church of Mabopane about 30 miles N of Pretoria. This was thru the auspices of the NC Baptist Men and the brotherhood partnership with the SAfrican Baptist. Roy Smith headed this up from his home in the Johannesburg. We also found time to be involved with the Door of Hope run by Don and Cheryl for orphans and some kids with HIV.

God's strings stayed connected and in the spring of 2013 I wondered, since I was committed to seeing kids at Mathara in Nairobi, Kenya, why not go see the church we helped build in South Africa; it was only another 2000 miles south??!! So to drag out the old journals and pics I found Roy Smith in Va Beach as head of an association there. He connected me with Pastor Willie who was at Mabopane then with a series of emails. But Roy was not finished with that; he said Al, you must call Becky Young in Cary and maybe visit the orphanage she has been working with for several years.
And so I did and it was the most loving experience: 5 mothers, many from Zimbobwe took care of kids from few months old to kids in early 20's in 5 newly built homes in a compound there in Mabopane.
Father George was their leader and just a whirling dervish of organizing and managing the place.
I saw and examined thoroughly all 30 kids and three had to be referred for more care: one with nasal foreign body that I attempted to remove but had been in there for over 2 years, another with esotropia (crossed eyes) actually George's 3 yo daughter, and newly diagnosed HIV child.
Azania and her granddaughter
George, bless his heart, drove me to Pretoria to meet with Pastor Willie; we had a wonderful meal and time with his family; he connected by phone and email with David Crocker who led our group in 2000. Then on another day we met with my host mother, Azania and her daughters of 13 years ago, and then on the last Sunday we visited the First Baptust Chruch of Mabopane; it was alive and strong but only 4 original members were still there; we surprised them and in the middle of the service they recognized me. After the service we had a wonderful memory time. God is good!!! and He is ever present!!!! It was a wonderful week with old and new acquaintances made and renewed!!!
I was happy to supply the gas for the old truck George drove and was happy to make a donation for a new van later at the recognition banquet in Cary in October where we were invited as Becky's guest.

Pic also of Father George and kids

No comments:

Post a Comment