Thank you from the Catania Family

Dear Family and Friends,

Thank you so much for your support of our mission’s trip to South Africa from Sept. 1-13!! You blessed us with finances, material donations, and prayer support! We were a part of a 16 member team from Grace Community Church, Maryland and partnered with a 6 member team from Georgia to work with Build the Nations ministries in a village called Shayandima. We encourage you to go to http://www.buildthenations.org/ to see the work that is going on in that region of South Africa.

 

With your help we were able to fill over 30 suitcases at 50 pounds each of clothing, school supplies, medicines, shoes, bed sheets, hats, towels and other necessities. These supplies will be used for the children who attend the Shayandima School of Tomorrow on the base where we stayed, the 5 orphans who live on base, and the surrounding village.

We spent most of our time at the walled base which contained the Shayandima School of Tomorrow, cottages and dorms for the teachers and compound workers, large playing fields, and the foundation for the future orphanage. Our time there was filled with building, repairing, and painting the facilities on the base. We also conducted 10 Vacation Bible to over 450 students at the school and afterschool programs in the village outside of the base. The children were thrilled to be with us and were so open to hearing God’s Word. We provided food for the children at the afterschool program which for many of them that was their only meal of the day. We also funded, organized, and then provided large baskets of food for 20 widows who come to the base on a regular basis for food for their families. We did enjoy 2 days at the end of our time on a safari in Kruger National Park. It was amazing!

We felt God’s presence the entire time on the trip. We believe God really worked in our lives and the lives we touched. We will forever be changed by this amazing experience. Glory to God! Thank you again for your support!! Psalm 100:5 “For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.”

Tom, Lisa, Ashley and Austin Catania