Lambano Sanctuary...

Image from  http://lambano.blogspot.com/    

During the December holidays I got such an awesome opportunity to work with some of these kids in a play at the Civic Theatre Johannesburg along the Drama group from Reddam House. They where between the ages of 9-12, stay with a very bigggggg family at Lambano Sanctuary, a christian haven providing care and support for kids who have been impacted by HIV, do not have families or often rejected by their families with some of the kids at birth. They provide Palliative care and medical attention to some kids who are too ill to be looked after by their care givers. These 5 boys you see here, celebrated their birthdays in February. It might not mean that much of a bigger deal to the ordinary average Jo'burger but to the caregivers, the founders, the  supporters, the volunteers, their teachers, etc it means they have seen yet another full year of life!

I remember returning from the play and all I could think about were the very same smiles on this picture that I saw on all those kids. Very humble group of kids I have ever met. The depth of love they have for eachother as, to them, sisters and brothers, was so striking it left me without dry tissue bags. It just reminds me constantly in several occassions how Christ's love is just made out to us, lavishly made out to us! That continued for a number of days. Rediscovering their blog, it was back to square one. There was a dent left and that left me a little bit restless. Though clear as it could be, the Lord made me aware that it had not yet been time for me to pray about them but for them. Like any Christian NPO, Lambano prays their support in and the Lord just blesses them. With the 60 patients they have opened their doors to, a great portion of them are rehabilitated and after years of great and healthy recovery, they are discharged to their families, foster families or adopted. Watching a slide show of some of the pictures from 2009, I cannot even begin to imagine the amount of emotional and spiritual maturity is required to be so bold to look after these amazing kids. Keep praying for you Lambano. That Christ may rise up servants who would go in and not only spend time doing charitable things, but be intentional in grooming the boys and girls for teenagehood, just standing as figures and role models and representing discipler to them, bring them to understand the true acceptance they have and the abundant love thats in our Father!

Bafana