a nice welcome home

IMG_4781
Originally uploaded by duprasville4

And we're back

It's interesting that it takes so long to do very normal things. For example, calling my parents. That's easily something I should have done Saturday morning. Writing this post, took me 3 days.

Today, Brian goes back to work. Today is my first full day back at home with the two boys (wonder what we'll do?).

It's nice being home. It's REALLY nice having clean clothes.
What's interesting to me is that at no time on our trip did I feel like "ugh, when do we go home?" Even the day that we left, I felt like I was just rolling along with the schedule. No feelings of exhaustion. Amazing.

The other thing that has been brewing inside of me is this feeling that I didn't do enough. I fear the parable of the servants and the talents -- did I bury my coin? I've felt that God has responded with "oh, is it all about you then?" The truth is, what I think I've done is on a totally different economy than what God sees that I've done. I've struggled with wanting to have something to show for my work when what the Lord wants is my heart, not my hands. He wants my availablity, my willingness, my surrender, not my task list.

One of the things Erika, Beam's director, said is that we may never understand how much the work Brian did means to them, and how valuable it is to the center (Brian worked on setting up their computer lab, installed software, ran virus scanners, etc). My mom reminded me that it was my initiative to even go to South Africa and that alone is obedience to God's calling.

I'm also excited to see how this trip will change my boys' lives. It may be in small ways that only show up here and again, or it may change their lives in big ways -- establishing a heart for overseas missions. Seeing their own lives differently. An understanding that the world is a big place and that there is more than what we can see from our zip code.

We fly home today

Can you believe it?

Our flight is at 3:45pm and we arrive in Denver at... 6:25pm. If only it really was a 2 1/2 hour flight!

We're ready to be home, but not in a "I'm ready to be home!" sort of a way. Or at least, I'm not. I'm ready to have clean clothes (I dream about it) and a room seperate from my kids, but I don't feel like I'm exhausted from travel.

It'll be great to be home. Really.

anne

Correspondence from our trip

While we were in Africa, internet access was spotty and cumbersome. I did, however, manage to get out some emails to friends and coworkers. In reflecting on the trip, I thought these excerpts would make a good blog entry. -Brian

Greetings from S Africa

I'm writing to you from a computer lab at the Education center where I'm updating about 10 computers with Adult Education and literacy software. Outside my wife and kids and the rest of our group are talking with about 150 local children about life skills and the gospel.

It's amazing the idiotic policies that the gov't has to deal with the poverty. They're building brand-new slums and concentrating all the poor into high density living areas outside the cities. No jobs, no transportation. It's like they're building hopelessness intentionally. Frustrating to see firsthand.

Gotta go - good to hear from you.

And an email from just before we left Africa:

Final update

Our work at the township has concluded. Another group of young missionaries has arrived at the education center, and we've driven down to the Indian Ocean coast to a town called St. Lucia for a couple days R&R.

Serving at the education center was a privilege - the children and adults served by the center are so grateful for our visit. During our time there we played a lot of soccer with the children, upgraded a lab full of computers with adult literacy training software, and even started a business. A group of disabled adults served by the center have banded together to start a car wash business, and will expand to create an internet cafe in time. Kevin, a businessman that traveled with us, has been consulting on the business plan and has started a micro-finance program to assist with startup funding. This program will persist and is targeted at helping the people of Nellmapius rise out of their poverty by thier own hands. The enthusiasm of the people served by this program is a joy to witness.

For the Dupras family, we have two more nights in South Africa and then we travel back with a layover in London for a few nights. Pray for safety health in travel - we have a long way to go.

London R&R, then home again

We're in London now, laying over for three days R&R and sightseeing on the way back home. We took the boys on a surprise trip to Legoland as a reward for their spectacular travel behavior. We've also seen the London Eye - a ginormous ferriswheel-like attraction along the south bank of the Thames, directly across from Big Ben and Parliament.

London is a beautiful city. We're staying in Camden in what appears to be the birthplace of punk. Interesting hair and body art abound. Is it wrong to have your 7 year old tattooed?

We have one more full day here and then it's on home again. Pray for safe travel.

Brian

Things I've learned

The number one thing I've learned is how incredibly stinkin' rich we are. I learned what aspects of my everyday life are luxurious, what things I take for granted (no guilt here, just observation), and how amazing my kids are.

I've always known that my kids are amazing, but watching them with the kids at BEAM, seeing how well they "roll with the punches" of travel, their attitudes (for the most part), and their sweet spirits. I'm so in awe of who they are. I'm excited to see who they are in 5 years, 10 years and into adulthood.

I had no idea that hot water was such a luxury. I mean, I suppose I did, but in reality, not having hot water sometimes was a huge inconvenience for me. I can get used to the whole don't-drink-the-water way of life, but not having ::hot:: water was difficult.It's hard to wash hands and keep dirt from getting trapped under your fingernails. I was able to have a cup of tea each day because of an electric kettle. Even as I write this, I feel like I'm whining.

We are in Paradise!

We're in St. Lucia, on the Indian Ocean coast. Today, Brian and I took the 5 boys to the beach and it was absolutely beautiful! The boys loved feeling the sand beneath their feet and the pull of the current (which made me crazy thinking they'd be carried off to sea!).

We weren't exactly sure how long it would take to drive here from Jo'berg and we got different answers from everyone we asked. We heard 3 1/2 hours to 7 and it took us... 10. There was construction that closed one of the two lanes of traffic. We'd have to stop for the oncoming cars for sometimes a half an hour. It was miserable. Everyone was cranky in the car. Poor Andy.

We are staying at the most beautiful place. It's called the Avalone Guest House and it's prettier than the pictures make it look. We went exploring behind the property and I felt like I was at a theme park -- we saw banana trees, thorn trees and those African trees that you see when you think of, well, African trees.

We went for a boat tour this morning and saw hippos and crocodiles.

The rest of the group left for home last Wednesday (they should be back by now). Now it's just us.

And that's about all I have to say today.

(oh, and I'm on a shared computer so I still can't upload pictures.)

controlled chaos

we did some out-right crafts today. We made butterflies with coffee filters and clothespins. We sequestered the girls into the church (the boys are way too rowdy) and made bracelets with their names on them with beads. You can only imagine: I'm sitting in a chair with a box of seperated beads in my lap. Children EVERYWHERE. Some of them understood what we were doing, most of them knew how to spell their name, others needed help from others. I'm just hoping that they keep their name bracelets for the next group (who arrived today) to help them with names. Yeah, so we kicked out the boys and so the next group won't know the boys' names either.

Next group?

Yes, a young fresh group arrived today from the States. They're college students from NE, CO, UT, WY and SD and arrived in Pretoria from Jo'berg today. There's probably 20 of them and it's funny how we all feel like veterans since we've been here a week.

Tomorrow is our last full day with Beam and then on Wednesday, most of the team travels back to Denver (Kevin and his son Brian are travelling to Namibia, the McCulloughs and the Dupras are driving to the Indian Ocean coast on Thursday). We have one full day of overlap with the two teams and then we can pass the baton to the young fresh group.

We're not nearly as tired as I would think we could be, but we are definately ready to go back to our hostel by 4pm.

We're going to try and post some pictures either today or tomorrow.
annie

I Got Bit by a Lion Today!

yeah, ok, so it was a cub, but still!
We went to a Lion Park today -- which was amazing -- and had a chance to pet the lion cubs, feed ostriches, and see some giraffes, well, mating. This was like a very small safari. We all piled into a caged truck and drove through the plains. We saw zebra, antelopes, hyenas, and cheetahs. They have 4 prides -- one with white lions -- and they've each got their own fenced in area to roam. When we got their, it was right after they got fed (horse meat) so we got to see them tear into their meal for the week.
We're all sitting together in the common room so I'm feeling really distracted, but I wanted to let you know that I got bit by a lion (cub).
Pictures to come.

We get to go back to Beam tomorrow. It may be muddy.

Happy Fourth of July!

Yes, I realize that every country has a fourth of July, but well, Happy Independence Day! We had a nice braai* with Louis and Erika (the founders of Beam) at their beautiful house. They cooked up sausages, baked potatoes underneath the fire and made a delicious soup. We dined al fresco as, I suppose, the Africans do.

On the illness front, as of right now (as far as I know) 11/17 of us have gotten sick. Isaac's been sick twice, as with some of the McCullough boys. It's tiring.
I did not go to Beam last Friday because I was caring for Isaac and Brian. I mentioned to Charlie that he may not be able to go because he wouldn't have a parent with him, and he was so very sad. Thankfully, Jeanine agreed to take him under her wing. Later, when Brian was feeling better, I dropped him off at Beam so he could work on some more computer stuff. Charlie had a great time and I was so excited he was able to go. Since about half of our team was sick, we didn't have the same presence that we had on earlier days. But, wouldn't you know it, that particular day, there weren't a lot of kids.

Our Accommodations
The place we are staying is, well, NOT the height of luxury. In fact, many of our luxuries are absent. As soon as some of us realized this wasn't a Holiday Inn -- it's a lot like camping -- our transition became smoother.
Part of me realizes that our accommodations are appropriate for our work. Just about all our luxuries have been stripped away, yet we still have more than the kids at Beam. Here, we have beds, blankets, electricity, and the ability to attain what we lack, ie: food, medicine, heaters...
So, we maynot have heat (without our heater that we bought!), we may not have exceptional indoor plumbing (including hot water on demand), it may not be a sterile place to share, we may not be eating what we're used to eating... it's still better than what those kids have. Much better.


*look it up

The Stomach Bug has Attacked!!

Three members of our team came down with this nasty stomach bug today: Paul, Robin and Isaac. The rest of us are just waiting until it's our turn to catch it. (remember, Luke had it first, then Charlie got it)
BUT I have loads of pictures to share with you. I'm uploading most of them to Flickr for you to browse through :)
I've met about 100 different kids and know about 4, maybe 5. of their names! Some of them have traditional names like Maria, Michelle, Teddy, Tim etc. and then another lot has names that are words: Surprise, Gift, Respect, Beauty... The kids that have traditional African names are the hardest for me to hold on to. It kind of doesn't matter.
They're very sweet. There's one girl that just wants to hugged or held and she'll literally hang off of you so that she can be in constant contact. There are others who like to play games like soccer, basketball and cricket. We brought jump ropes today (much fun, hard to regulate), construction paper and crayons (super fun) and Charlie had a chance to have his own "station" and taught some kids how to fold paper airplanes. I was literally thinking to myself "we're making paper airplanes for Jesus!" (I helped with the overflow).
We have devotions each morning and talk through a bible study that talks about the poor. We talked a lot about how our perspective had changed since we've been here. We can see what is excessive in our homes (b/c this kids literally have nothing) and in our lives (you're in how many bible studies?). We are challenged by the fact that there will always be the poor, and it's our job to do something about it. We can't solve the problem, but we can do what we can to help individuals and maybe change lives!
hopefully more tomorrow,
please please pray that this bug is gone quickly and that no more members of our team contract it.
annie

ps: I almost forgot! Robin, me and the boys went to drive out to the grocery store the other day. I really thought I knew the way, but I was mistaken. So we drove around Pretoria, on the left side of the road, without a map. Yeah, it was cool. (of course we got lost! but we found the other grocery store that we gad been hoping to go to!)

Oh! and all but 1 bag came today. The last bag is full of Crocs for the kids. I've learned a valuable lesson in packing: split up your clothes over 2 bags (if you're bringing 2), and have an extra set of clothes in your carry on.


::UPDATE::
two more members are sick, Jack and Kristin.

We've Arrived!

We've only been away from home and already we've had so many experiences. We've seen a slice of London. We've had 2 people get sick from dehydration. We are still waiting to get the rest of our luggage. We've learned that in America, we've gotten so use to many "luxury" items that are really just taken for grated.
Hot water is one.
Indoor heating is another.
Mexican food is apparently not popular in Africa.
Neither are pumpkins.

Robin and I stayed behind today while the rest of the group went off to BEAM today. We stayed back with Luke (who was sick), Isaac, Jack and Drew and I see it as a HUGE blessing to get the smaller boys more aquainted with our new environment. We had an opportunity to have a down day with the boys.

Otherwise, we're doing really well. Charlie made 3 new friends today. Isaac has finally pooped (since we left Louisville) as of TODAY. Luke has recovered very well.
We're all a little cold most of the time, but really, we're doing well. Robin, the boys and I get to experience BEAM tomorrow. Wow.

anne

We leave on Saturday

"Are you ready?"

Who knows if we're ready! We spent most of last week ramping up our parenting (read: Anne did) to help us prepare for thrusting our boys into a very different world.

What I can say is that God is teaching me so much from His Word. I was reading from the boys' bible story book the other night and read about King Saul. He was impatient for the prophet Samuel's arrival to prepare offerings for God before a great battle. He decided (and this can seem right to us as well) "well, I'll just do it. Offerings are good no matter who prepares them." Samuel rebuked him. After this, the Lord gave Saul another chance. He told Saul and his army to attack the Amalekites ("Now go, attack the Amalekites and totally destroy everything that belongs to them."). Saul brought back the king and the best of their cattle and livestock for offerings to the Lord. God at that point rejected Saul as king and sent Samuel to annoint David as the next king. (1 sam 13, 15)

Why is this significant? God wants my obedience, not (necessarily) my offerings. So, how do I prepare for our trip? I surrender what I think I should be doing and be still. Still pack toiletries and toys for the boys but as far as preparation, I'm going as the hands and feet of God. I'm there to do the work He is already doing. He wants us to go to do what He wants us to do, not necessarily what we think we should be doing.

The other verse that has been significant in my "preparation" is Psalm 139. God loves those kids as much as He loves my own. He knows how many hairs are on each of their heads, He knows what hardship they've been through. They have not been forgotten. It's an opportunity to tell these kids how much they're loved.

Psalm 139

¹ O LORD, you have searched me
and you know me.

² You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.

³ You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.

⁴ Before a word is on my tongue
you know it completely, O LORD.

⁵ You hem me in—behind and before;
you have laid your hand upon me.

Thanks for praying for us.

Healthy? Paranoia

Isaac has this tendency to get lost in his own world. He'll go off on his own -- in his world -- and not know that he's wondered off from where we are.

This will NOT work in South Africa!

I'm trying to think of areas that I can train my boys to prepare for our trip.
...ie: don't wander off! Ask to go outside! Don't expect to get what you want all the time!

A lot of this training is for us, the parents.

Please help us pray for discipline in this area. Pray for safety over my precious boys. Pray pray pray.

As our trip gets closer, more of these "issues" are coming to the surface. I'm getting nervous!

Comparing the 2 Cultures

A few weekends ago, Robin, Jeanine and I went out and picked up craft materials that for activities for the kiddos in S Africa. Andy, Robin's husband, told us as gently as he could that unless we have ONE for each child (150? 200? who knows?), then we shouldn't bring anything at all.
Last year, some of the stories we heard are about some of the stations they had set up for the kiddos were ransacked because the kiddos grabbed things that were meant to be shared and kept them for themselves. This is not naughty behavior, this is reasonable considering these kids have nothing.
Here in the States, we like these neat and tidy. Everything in its place. We like to wait in lines and observe certain rules and regulations. I took this for granted until we went to China 8 years ago and learned about how other cultures work. In China, people walk right up to the counter when they're ready, they don't really stand in a line. It's rude to us, but to them, it's just how you get your turn.
In Africa, it's my understanding that everything is laid back. Time is relative. Relationships are of upmost importance, not being on time for this that or the other thing. Andy said that last year, the kids wouldn't leave. They wouldn't leave until the missionaries left. Andy and his team had to be careful to keep the kids from returning home in the dark.
I know this adjustment is going to be hard on the kids, especially Charlie. Charlie (and I) thrive in rule-based settings. We both like to know what's expected of us and have a set beginning and end-time. Please pray for me and Charlie, that we will be able to be flexible and available. Not having our own agenda, that we could think of others before ourselves.

A Prayer Request from Anne

These two boys of mine have been getting mighty testy lately. There's nothing wrong with them -- in fact, they're doing what all the other 7-year-old and 4-year-old boys do to their mothers. Push. Push. Push.

Mom?

Mom?

MOM!!

Please pray for creativity and confidence for me to discipline my sons so that I can keep them safe on our trip. This has been my latest mantra: if you don't listen and obey my words, I can't keep you safe. Pray that I would follow through against disagreeable behavior and not get so irritated by their sibling rivalry.

This is an important prayer for me. This upcoming month will be a big one with all the preparation that we've got to do.
Thanks.

Our Dear Supporters

I'm humbled by all the responses we've received -- the generosity, the prayer support, the good well wishes.
We're just about a month away from our endeavor. The boys are finishing up with school, TV shows are having their finales, the weather is full-on spring.
We've reached 50% of our financial goal as of today, but every day we receive more and more support. I've never really been too concerned about whether or not we'd raise enough money -- that part always seems to take care of itself.

Here's a glimpse of how we are preparing:

• Robin, Jeanine and I are pulling together ideas for crafts and activities for the kids.
• We're all learning about the South African culture and Robin is trying to develop a presentation for the girls and young women to teach them about personal safety and personal ownership of their bodies. This is an area of great difficulty for us because of the vast differences in our cultures.
• We're trying to prepare our kids for the trips. We have world maps that the boys can draw on so that they can see where we're going.
  I'm trying to ramp up my discipline for the boys so they will learn appropriate boundaries and not get lost! We're trying to remember ways to incorporate what (we think) we'll experience in Africa so that our boys can be on the lookout for situations that will likely be very different than what they understand here in the States.
• I'm constantly trying NOT to say "Eat your dinner -- there are starving children in Africa!!" (seriously)
• The world continues to look different every day as we look forward to our trip -- how my boys react in situations with other children, how greed and entitlement are prevalent in their daily lives and so on.
• We're relaxing Isaac's diet to see how he reacts to small amounts of foods that his body is sensitive to. He still has a little eczema but it's manageable. Praise God!!
• I'm in regular counseling to help me prepare myself for an intense 3 weeks. I'm learning that God is Good and worthy to be trusted. Exciting stuff.
  

The Lord Provides!

We've reached half of our financial goal! Thank you so much!!

Specific Prayer Requests

Prayer for Unity in our group
We have a team of 17 people going and for many of us, this is the first time we’ve ever met.

Prayer for Travel
While Charlie and Isaac generally travel well, this trip will push them to their limits (and ours). 8 hours on a plane is difficult, adding another 11 is even more of a challenge. Please pray for patience from us, general health for our whole family and perseverance (and perspective!) to make it through the long airplane ride(s).

Prayer for Charlie
Charlie is a bright, energetic boy who loves to play. He can get overwhelmed when surrounded with too much activity or people. He needs to be able to go off by himself to recharge, but in this particular trip, this can be difficult. Please pray for him and that he can learn to adapt or that the Lord would provide a place for him to recharge.

Prayer for Isaac
Isaac is a happy go-lucky boy that loves life. He doesn’t necessarily love to do what everyone else is doing and occasionally wanders off to find, what we call, “something shiny.” He loves to explore and discover the next new thing. Please pray that he would NOT get lost EVER and that we can keep a good handle on hemming him in.

Prayer for Anne
My heart will be split in two on this trip. I’ll be a mother to two boys and an ambassador for Jesus to 200+ kids. Pray for my heart and that God would have me exactly where He wants me to serve Him. If that’s hanging back with my boys, so be it.

Prayer for the Group
Please pray for unity among our group and that our gifts would compliment each other. Pray that our group would be a complete representative of Jesus and that these kids and families will be blessed.

Greetings from the Dupras Family

...we have exciting news. The Lord has called our family to go serve Him in South Africa. It’s a three week trip, and we’re in need of both prayer and financial support. We trust that the Lord will provide both.

First, what does it mean — “called by God” — to serve? Throughout scripture, God has called people to action in peculiar ways — a burning bush, a commandment, a vision, a revelation. God works in mysterious ways, and he works in the most normal of ways as well. For us and for this trip, friends of ours simply asked us to come along. After prayer and consideration, we are convinced that this is an opportunity presented by God to join work already occurring in his name, and to witness firsthand his passion for his people.

A note from Brian
The Dupras family is a typical suburban story, with all the trappings of middle class living. It’s been all too easy for me to immerse myself in unimportant things, growing insensitive to God’s gentle guiding, setting a sedentary precedent for my family along the way. Preparing for this trip has forced me to take notice — to pray to God simply that he’ll open my eyes, my ears, my mind and my heart so that I can hear his call. He is doing this, and though I still find myself fighting to stay in old habits, I trust the Lord will coach me and my family back to an active spiritual lifestyle. Pray that God will shape me and mold me as spiritual leader of my family.

A note from Anne
When the opportunity to go to Africa came up at church, my heart jumped at the chance to serve “the least of these” with my family. We have received a free gift to live our lives here on earth as children of God. I can live my life for Jesus because of the love that He has given me in my heart for others. I’m excited to see how God will change my heart, and the hearts of my boys.

What the boys think
Isaac talks of bringing meat with us to Africa to feed to the lions. He was concerned about the lions eating us, since they’re not in cages “where they belong.” (his words) Isaac is a ray of sunshine. He always has a smile on his face and gives everyone - everyone - random hugs and kisses. We’re excited to see how he can share his love with the childen in Africa.

Charlie has such a strong faith. Everything to him is black or white, right or wrong. When it comes to Jesus, he understands that He is the one way to salvation and the eternal inheritance promised by God. He is really looking forward to playing with the other kids and telling them about Jesus.


We’re headed to Nellmapius, a township outside Johannesburg and Pretoria, to serve at a ministry called Beam Africa. While there, we’ll be serving children — many are orphans — and very poor families by serving meals, playing sports, teaching and playing. We will reflect the love of Christ to the people we serve by opening ourselves to relationships, sharing ourselves in hope of the same in return.

Why Africa?
Because God commands us to love his people. Because he’s already at work there. Because we were asked to go. Because it sometimes takes the proverbial “mission trip to Africa” to awaken the spirit and to shake off the dust.

Beam Africa
From the website: Beam Africa is a Christian ministry that runs a Development Center in the heart of Nellmapius. We feed and clothe over 120 children (This is all we can manage to care for at present so we take the most vulnerable of the vulnerable). We also teach skills to adults in the community to help them gain a livelihood and rise above their poverty. Above all Beam Africa desires to bring the hope found in Christ to this community. We know that only Christ can redeem and transform our nation!

Your Role
Would you please prayerfully consider supporting us on this trip? We need prayer for protection and safe travel. We need donations to offset the cost. We need encouragement to face the many challenges God has put in front of us.

email annie at duprasville dot com for more information or our mailing address.