Simply Scott

OH STOP BEING SO SENSITIVE!

2011-08-04T11:53:00.000-07:00

Using the phrase "Politically Correct" evokes numerous responses and differing perspectives. Some cultures over use the phrase, others laugh at the very mention of it. This week a prominent public figure sent a letter to the White House apologizing for a comment he made last Friday on a Denver radio station. He used the phrase, "like touching a tar baby" in reference to being linked to a specific side of the debt debate.

While this term has been used to refer to something which is "hard to remove oneself from", it has long been recognized as a derogatory term for black Americans. It is something that Amor is all too familiar with. The commonly used term "tar squares" is used when building an Amor house which can best be describes as a small black square of roofing paper with a nail running through it. It is used to hold the long sheets of tar paper on the side of an Amor house that provides the backing needed to support the wet stucco when it is applied.

Long ago it was a common thing to hear someone ask for or ask someone to make more "tar babies." But as time passed we became well aware that this was offensive in many cultures so we specifically eliminated and requested others to eliminate the use of this phrase. Thus, "tar squares" has become the commonly and appropriate acceptable way to describe this product.

A great description of how to make a "tar square" is in our latest "House Building Manual":

I find it quite interesting that something as insignificant as a small black square could have such offending power if described or used inappropriately. Recently when I was helping build an home at the San Carlos Apache Reservation I was reminded that the Apache are generally a very gentle culture compared to your mainstream American . They aren't generally comfortable looking you in the eyes and their handshakes tend to be very gentle and relaxed. This is quite contrary to how I was raised to interact with people- "a strong, firm handshake and look them in the eyes, son!" Even something as simple as a hand shake or eye contact can offend someone from another culture.

Its perhaps one of the greatest challenges of short term missions. How do we serve those we have been called to or sent to help and understand their culture in a very short time, with the hope of reducing or simply not offending them- when we are doing our best to love and serve them? Its why many missionaries around the world cringe at the thought of short term [visitors] coming to serve with the very people they have served and patiently learned to understand their culture and their ways.

I would highly recommend anyone interested in this challenge to read one of my favorite books on this subject, "When Helping Hurts" by Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert. I would also recommend you visit their website at www.whenhelpinghurts.org and definitely check out the "Video and Audio Interviews with the Authors" under the "About The Book" tab.

A good reminder, if there ever was one, is to follow the words of Paul from Romans 12:18, "If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone."

LORD, REMEMBER ME

2011-04-01T16:30:00.000-07:00

I have heard Billy Graham speak on the radio and television, and read of his ministry most my my life. The "Gospel" he spoke was so basic, simple, and sincere that it seemed impossible to be confused on what he spoke about. I think of all the Presidents that Graham ministered to, President Johnson had to be one of the greatest challenges. Once President Johnson asked Graham to preside at his funeral, without notes, just from the heart. He wanted Graham to "preach the Gospel."

What came next has never left me after I read about it. When Graham got home he wrote a letter to President Johnson expressing his love and assurance about the afterlife for him. "We are not saved because of our own accomplishments," Graham wrote. "I am not going to Heaven because I have preached to great crowds or read the Bible many times, I'm going to Heaven just like the thief on the cross who said in the last moment, 'Lord, remember me.'"

In a Time interview with Billy Graham, he once again broke it down,

"I think we all need forgiveness. I look at my own life and my own heart, and someday I will stand before God, totally naked. I won’t be preacher, or whatever I’ve been. It'll be just before God, and I’ll need forgiveness. I’ll need the mercy of God and the grace of God."

Its very easy to get so busy with all the activities and responsibilities of life that we often forget that it was God who brought us into this world, and it will be He who accepts us into the next. With all our frailties, all our mistakes, and all our imperfections. Try ,as hard as we may, to accomplish great things, yet we just aren't perfect. We need God's grace.

It reminds me of a typical Amor home that has been build by volunteers with little or no skilled labor. The house isn't perfect when its done- the slab has crack a little as it dries, the wall's may not be perfectly straight, the door may not fit just right. Yet, when the home is done it is received with great joy and appreciation by a very needy family . The slight imperfections and the irregularities are simply forgiven and overlooked. Its the thought that counted, its the love and the "heart" that the family who receives the home recalls. We know that we tried our best and in spite of it all we still need the grace of this family.........and we will always "need the mercy of God and the grace of God!"

Scott Heads to Cienega in Cancun, Mexico

2011-02-07T09:20:00.001-08:00

Scott Heads to Cienega in Cancun, Mexico

Uploaded by www.cellspin.net

WELCOME HOME- AMOR SOUTH AFRICA TEAMS

2009-06-22T08:38:00.000-07:00

The EV Free Church “A” team has come home from South Africa as the “E” team. We are all EXHAUSTED! This team worked so hard and yes we played too. The SS. Simon and Jude team from Phoenix, Arizona, led by Jen Pitera were awesome. When our team was departing from the Johannesburg Airport Saturday evening we stood in a long line because "Don’t Expect Luggage To Arrive" - DELTA computers were down. When the SS. Simon and Jude’s arrived a huge round of applause and whoops went up. Everyone in the airport stopped in their tracks because it was so loud. You could tell what they were thinking, “what’s that all about?” What it’s all about is exactly what we should all be doing as Christians, stopping people in their tracks and making them think, “Hey, look what those people are doing! I want to know.”

What a week; so much living, seeing, hearing and interacting. Amor Ministries is incredible. Scott Congdon, staying home and coordinating Amor’s website so thousands all over could see and hear what we were doing - as we were doing it! Thank you Scott! This was the most promoted Amor project ever, and for good reason – the future of hope and reconciliation, which God has been working on and planning for all along. We are all so blessed to be part of it.

So many stories to talk about. So many people to thank God for. Let’s start by thanking Humphrey Birkenstock and Rainbow 90.7 FM for making so many wonderful things happen for us in South Africa; the meals out, SOWETO, the tented-church service, the buses, the historical information and the Lion Park, he along with his beautiful family, Anita, Raymond and Jerod accompanied us every step of the way in love. Thank you Sir Humphrey! “Amor,” what can we say about Amor Ministries who worked so hard to make this happened. The ones who are seen and the ones behind the scenes. Thank you Steve Horrex, Luke Makwakwa, Forest & Carrie Fowler, Scott & Gayla Congdon and all of their unbelievable staff. You are AWESOME MAN!

How can I sum this trip up? God did it for me last night at the airport. Understand, we left on Saturday and some of us (thanks to DELTA) didn’t get home until Monday, meaning many of us spent Father’s Day traveling and in airports. To be honest, my brain is fried! It is like mashed potatoes, but God has sustained me. We had numerous groups coming in at different times because DELTA split us all up in Atlanta instead of holding our flight for ten minutes. Sure, they did what man does when the opportunity arises; they resold all of our tickets at three times the price to their line-up of standbys, even though at every stage I spoke to DELTA asking them not to do just that. They told me it would never happen; they said we would make our connecting flight in Atlanta no matter what. By the end of this trip, I could only think $(#&@ DELTA - So, I hung out at the Sacramento airport waiting for our final group to arrive (and of course much of our luggage was missing… again). I was “Dog Tired.” I fell asleep right where the passengers come down the escalator, hoping the last group would see me. As I sat there in what has become known as the “Lou Diaz Deep State of Prayer” – head bowed down, eyes closed, looking to be in prayer, but actually in a deep sleep, I felt tapping on my leg. I opened my dreary eyes, he was a blur at first; I then realized it was my son Sean! who couldn’t join us in going to South Africa because he recently took a job with HP. Sean learned Dad was sitting at the airport all by himself and he came down to wish me a “Happy Father’s Day.” It was the best Father’s Day Gift I ever received. I stood up and hugged him. Then I heard a voice, “Hey Dan! Dan Irving!” Hearing voices on this trip is something I’m come accustomed to. I looked around and just saw a blur of people. But the voice would not go away, it was persistent and was coming from above and it was getting louder, “Hey, Dan Irving, Up Here!” I looked up and right above me was Bryce Lundberg, his wife Jill and some of the infamous Lundberg clan (they were returning from a family visit in Seattle). “Hey Bryce, how are you!?”

Now for God’s loving and welcoming story! When I first went on the EV Free Amor Mission Trip I started calling Bryce “My Main Man” because of something he did, something from his heart which made me think twice. On that trip in Mexico our campsite was hit with a nasty, tent shattering, rain & mud producing Pacific storm. It was a horrendous night. You couldn’t even go out in it to help others whose tents were being blown apart. It sounded like a war zone; girls were screaming, crying and calling out for help. You’d couldn’t walk in the 60 mph winds and there was no footing in the slick, snot like mud. When a window of opportunity finally opened there was lots of work to do. Kids were shattered, wet and cold, covered in mud. Bryce went out, got a bucket of water and a wash cloth and set up his station where he knelt and washed everyone’s muddy, cold wet feet. Two of those feet belonged to Allan Fleming. As I watched Bryce, I could only think of Jesus washing His disciples feet. That’s when I started calling Bryce, “My Main Man!” That was the voice calling out to me at the airport, and the voice behind that voice is the One who is calling out to all of us.

Then I saw a familiar face in the crowd, it was Steve Raley who had driven down to help transport our last arrivals. Then I heard another voice, I turned around and there was Eleanor Southwick with a group of her family, lots of teenagers all holding up signs that read, “Building Hope, one Home at a Time. Amor. Welcome Home Amor South Africa. EV Free Chico, We love U! Welcome Uncle Brett and Happy Father’s Day – Harlo!” There they stood at the bottom of the escalator with a gift box for the last group of arrivals. When Pastor Lou, Laura Diaz, Rich Willman, Dave Newquist, and the last of our group appeared, another loud round of applause went up and everyone at the airport stopped in their tracks, looked and listened for the moment. When they kinda figured out was happening you could see heart-warming smiles everywhere. So no matter how difficult our travel was, no matter how tired we were, no matter what a pain in the @$$ Delta was, there God was with us every step of way, making this A Trip of a Lifetime!

Now, before I forget, (I’m going to do it right now, after I finish this blog) I’m going to write a check and send it to Amor Ministries and on the memo line I’m going to write: “You are Awesome!” I pray you will too, because God’s ministry needs that kind of help.
We all made it back and we are HOME. It is good to be home, even though we left part of our hearts back in South Africa. God Bless you Amor Ministries. God Bless you Humphrey Birkenstock and Rainbow 90.7 FM. God Bless you SS. Simon and Jude’s God Bless our team leaders: Pastor Lou Diaz, Dave Newquist, Jim O’Bannon, Rich Willman. God Bless the EV Free Church of Chico California and God Bless all the hard workers who came on this trip. God Bless you all!
Dan Irving

SOUTH AFRICA UPDATE- THE LONG ROAD HOME

2009-06-20T07:15:00.000-07:00

By now the Amor South Africa teams from Chico EV Free Church and SS Simon and Jude Cathedral are either at the airport in Johannesburg or in-flight heading back home at last. This will be the final blog post on this trip while the team is actually still in South Africa. The Chico EV Free team had a long day on Friday having completed their final work day (#5), checked into the Sunnyside Park Hotel, and attended a special dinner celebration at Sunnyside Park Hotel. The photos below show some of the completed homes they put their hearts into building this past week. What a fantastic testimony of how God's children can share His love around the world!! Well done good and faithful servants!!

SOUTH AFRICA FINAL WORK DAY PHOTOS- DAY 5

2009-06-19T07:35:00.000-07:00

South Africa sunrise on the last day of work.

It's oh so cold here in South Africa but we were charged to work on our last day of our "labor of love".

Finishing touches on the roof of a new home.

A finished housed. Home sweet home.

More roof work.

The roof boards are up and all we need is this last day to put on the roofing.

The rising African sun is a welcome arrival as we finished breakfast and head to work sore, yet enthusiastic to finish our work on this, our final day of work.

Its time to head to dinner in Johannesburg at the Sunnyside Hotel and check into our rooms and get hot showers!!

Its time for to celebrate our work of service with the famous group photo.

Look at all those happy faces. See anyone you know?

Even after all that work, the group has energy to horse around. Or should we say "zebra" around.

Forrest Fowler, of Amor Ministries.....he's our hero!!!

SOUTH AFRICA JUNE TRIP 2009 VIDEOS

2009-06-18T22:04:00.000-07:00

Our South Africa partner in ministry, Rainbow FM 90.7, in Johannesburg, has posted videos of our teams at the Amor Ministries work sites this week. Click the picture below and go to the Rainbow FM 90.7 page with 7 short, but fun videos to watch:

SOUTH AFRICA TRIP UPDATE- WORK DAY 4

2009-06-18T11:33:00.000-07:00

Dan Irving, group leader from Chico EV Free Church/Amor Ministries sends a great update from South Africa detailing their WORK DAY # 4:

"Ladies & Gentlemen, Saints & Sinners, lend me you ears, your eyes, your minds, your hearts and if you can send a check ($) to Amor Ministries will do a lot of good. What is happening here is nothing short of God's love and His plan; His Story is taking place. I truly believe that God has planned all along for this to take place and it is getting ready to take a quantum leap forward in South Africa, where the needs are so great; where there is so much poverty, suffering, AIDS, unemployment and homelessness. Amor Ministries has been working on this for years, laying down the infra-structure, making connections, building relationships-Godly relationships-and the pieces of this puzzle are coming together in an unbelievable way. No! The pieces are coming together in a most believable way.

This is an amazing Mission Trip and yesterday I said to Steve Horrex, "Steve, is it possible that this is too good!?" I spoke too soon, because of course there are problems. What is happening here is BIG and Satan is really upset, and doing whatever evil can do to rock the boat, tip us over, even drown us in our desire to help each other. God is not going to let that happen, not here, not now, not anymore, where the suffering has been going on for so long in South Africa. This is a turning point in time, in History. Apartheid (separation) has ended and reconciliation is hard at work. Now is South Africa's time and it is always the right time to do what is right. Gandhi said, "Be the change you what to see in the world." The Pastor E. V. Hill said, "If God can get through to you, He will get it to you."

OK, down to giving "THE NEWS," which will only be a highlight of what is going on, because so much is happening here with the hundreds and hundreds of stories, interactions, and most importantly the relationships being built by the ones who are blessed to be here.

Yesterday, Steve Horrex and Luke Makwakwa met with fourteen Pastors from Delmas, an agricultural area where Amor Ministries will go from building ten houses at Ebenezer's Community Center to building hundreds, then thousands, then God only knows... how many homes. These Pastors, mostly Black, have the poorest of the poor ministries. They are meeting in a yard, a home, a metal shack and working at bringing the Gospel to their people. They watched and listened closely as Steve Horrex explained what Amor does, how these homes can be built and how Amor works with the local pastors who are the ones who will determine who will get the homes. Amor's only condition is that the family has ownership in the land so nobody can take it away from them. Amor's vision is that this will spread throughout South Africa and to all the other countries in Africa. It is not dream, it is visionary and we hope and pray it will be like a virus that will not go away, impacting everyone.

Ebenezer's Care Center was founded 22 years ago by Pastor Thomas Mirime and his wife Shirley who were both raised as orphans. They have been married for thirty-two years and their hearts and their faith are a work in action. Shirley has become known as the "Mother Teresa of Ennerdale." Eighteen months ago Tommy said he was a "Doubting Thomas." He told me was amazed by houses being built in five days with unskilled labor. He said he didn't believe it was possible. But it happened and Thomas then said we could do more to help and change South Africa by teaching the youth how to build these houses than anything else in the world; that by educating the South African youth how to build these homes they will gain confidence and hope in their lives and they will think that they can do anything. Praise God! Thomas Merime says he has changed his name to "Tommy" and he is no longer a doubting Thomas.

The Delmas area and the surrounding three communities has a population of 150,000. The
unemployment rate is 60%. Amor plans in the next 4-5 years to build every family in the four communities, those with the greatest needs a home. A good solid home, with a solid foundation, a good roof, insulation for the cold of winter and the heat of summer, and it will be impervious to termites and insects. But the most important thing about these homes is what Gayla Congdon, who co-founded Amor Ministries with her husband Scott said, "By building a family a home you are helping to keep families together."

The most incredible thing is how the surrounding community is catching on fire with this Amor building concept. We have had government officials, church pastors, local school kids, local Muslims and community leaders visiting the work site every day and they walk away saying, "I cannot believe this, this is amazing, we want to help - Thank God, Praise God!" I've learned that everyone truly wants to give, yet we usually give in a way that makes us feel good. And yes, of course, it is in giving that we receive But it really helps if there is a plan to our giving; a plan of what to do with it, how best to put it to use. Experience, perseverance and faithfulness is at work here through Amor Ministries with thirty years of experience building thousands upon thousand of homes in Mexico. Steve Horrex and I did the math. How many homes have been built through Amor Ministries? How many volunteers has it taken to build those homes? How many family members have been impacted by these homes? We stopped when we hit one million. We stopped when we realized only God knows.

This South Africa Amor Mission has been launched and is ready to move into the next phase. To everyone reading this blog, listening to the podcasts and seeing the pictures, please keep on praying for us and please give to Amor Ministries, so they can do more... And oh yes, we are having a blast; we are having the time of our life!"

SOUTH AFRICA WORK DAY 4 UPDATE- MORE PHOTOS

2009-06-18T11:03:00.000-07:00

SOUTH AFRICA TRIP UPDATE- WORK DAY 3!

2009-06-17T22:50:00.000-07:00

Pastor Lou Diaz from EV Free Church of Chico just sent this from the Amor Camp in Johannesburg updating us on their third work day there:

"This was an incredible day! Dan Irving, Jessica Lundberg, and Erin Gulbrandsen from the Evangelical Free Church group with Amor Ministries left at 5:30 am to be interviewed by Humphrey Birkenstock on Rainbow Radio 90.7 FM. They shared about how the love of the Lord is their motivation for service and told something about their lives. When Erinn told about how she has organized volunteers from churches to mentor High School students, the radio station received a number of calls from teachers who want to come out to meet her to hear more about this program! Jessica Lundberg told about her work as an executive with Lundberg Farms that provides rice and rice products around the world. After the interview, there was enough time to stop by at a grocery store to see if rice from Lundberg Farms was being sold in South Africa, and sure enough, Jessica was thrilled to find Lundberg Farms Rice here! She bought it and donated it to the Ebenezer Care Center and Orphanage.

The rest of the Ev Free Team and the Arizona Team began work at 8 am. Shovels were flying, wheel barrows were rolling, trowels were spreading and texturing, and styrofoam "Lego" blocks were being attached. In one day, the three existing houses had stucco inside and outside that was textured to a smooth surface and two of them had roof frames in place while the double-wide house went from one layer of cement-filled styrofoam blocks to five layers, now over six feet high, complete with windows and doors.

The EV Free group had a tour of the Ebenezer Care Center. There wasn't a dry eye among the group as they saw the orphans for whom they are building the homes and heard stories from Shirley, who with her husband Tommy, founded Ebenezer's twenty years ago. Among the stories was of a day-old baby that was left outside - the police brought the baby to Shirley and she named the baby "Grace" because God allowed her to be found and brought to them. This baby had a condition that spread poison throughout her body, but thanks to medical care and nurture from Shirley, she is now healthy - you can imagine the joy the group had to see Grace in person as she was smiling, healthy, and sitting in a stroller. The older children looked so sharp in their uniforms to go to school. Tommy and Shirley make sure they do chores in order to learn responsibility and that they get a good education and learn about the Lord. One of the Amor volunteers said through her tears, "I needed to see that what I was doing is making a big difference!"

The bakery on the campus feeds the 260 children and adults and senior adults - which includes refugees from Ethiopia, Sudan, and Ghana. Shirley told how they pray for God to supply their needs and that she and Tommy don't eat until everyone has food. Sometimes they have to wait on the Lord for a few days. But God is faithful and takes care of them. What the Amor Team is building will be called Amor Village and will house these orphans.

Dan Irving witnessed a meeting between Steve Horrex, Vice President of Amor Ministries, Luke Makwakwa, who is training to be the Director of Operations for Amor South Africa, and eleven South Africa pastors to explain to these pastors how Amor works through the local church to build houses for those in need. The pastors were overjoyed when they heard of Amor's approach and vision to have nationals and Christians from around the world help eradicate poverty in South Africa. The representatives for these pastors will be coming to the work site tomorrow to see the homes. Already the hope that these initial homes would become "Model Homes" for pastors and church leaders to see and to work with Amor Ministries to replicate is being realized. How much more will be the ripple effect when pastors from all over the continent of Africa see the model homes next year after the Soccer (Futbol) World Cup here in Johannesburg in 2010! The youth group from a local church that was here on Monday came again today to help. This is the vision of Amor Ministries International: South African Christians and Christians from around the world working side-by-side to build hope, one house at a time.

Meanwhile, back at the work site, children were laughing and playing with the Amor Team as relationships are deepening. One Volunteer said that it will be difficult to go home and leave them. Another said that he wasn't going to go home! (Don't worry - we'll bring everyone back). Pray for the Amor Team tomorrow as we are determined to complete as much as possible by Friday. Also, pray for Dave Newquist and Heidi McCune as they are to be interviewed on the radio tomorrow. After the interview, Dave, a Fire Captain from the Yuba City (CA) Fire Department, will visit a fire station and exchange Fire fighter shirts, which is the fire fighters' tradition. Good will is being built with community leaders and civil servants that all may work together for the sake of those in need. To God be the glory! "

SOUTH AFRICA WORK DAY THREE- MORE PHOTOS

2009-06-17T22:40:00.000-07:00

The photos below were take on work day 3 when the Amor staff met with eleven South Africa pastors to discuss and plan the future work and ministry of Amor in Johannesburg and South Africa. Pastor Lou Diaz from Chico EV Free church captured the excitement and enthusiasm of this historical moment:

"Dan Irving witnessed a meeting between Steve Horrex, Vice President of Amor Ministries, Luke Makwakwa, who is training to be the Director of Operations for Amor South Africa, and eleven South Africa pastors to explain to these pastors how Amor works through the local church to build houses for those in need. The pastors were overjoyed when they heard of Amor's approach and vision to have nationals and Christians from around the world help eradicate poverty in South Africa. The representatives for these pastors will be coming to the work site tomorrow to see the homes. Already the hope that these initial homes would become "Model Homes" for pastors and church leaders to see and to work with Amor Ministries to replicate is being realized. How much more will be the ripple effect when pastors from all over the continent of Africa see the model homes next year after the Soccer (Futbol) World Cup here in Johannesburg in 2010! The youth group from a local church that was here on Monday came again today to help. This is the vision of Amor Ministries International: South African Christians and Christians from around the world working side-by-side to build hope, one house at a time."

SOUTH AFRICA- PHOTOS OF WORK DAY TWO

2009-06-16T09:55:00.000-07:00

SOUTH AFRICA- MORE PHOTOS WORK DAY 2

2009-06-16T09:50:00.000-07:00

DAY 2 WORKING IN SOUTH AFRICA COMMENTARY

2009-06-16T09:49:00.000-07:00

Last evening the group of SS. Simon and Jude and the Evangelical Free Church of Chico got together where each person stood up and introduced themselves and spoke about why they were here and what they were experiencing. These are two incredible groups with lots of Amor Mexico experience between them; that's lots to say. Many testified how Amor Mexico had changed their life and how it was the best thing they looked forward to and to be able to come to Amor South Africa is a "trip of a life-time!" We all love Amor and what they are doing here.

From my perspective what God has accomplished here through Amor is nothing short of His Amazing Grace and a complete transformation of what I saw when I first arrived 18 months ago. Then Ebenezer's Care Center was crumbling. It had been serving many in need but wasn't going any where. Both Tommy and Shirley's, the Care Center's Directors, faces carried the weight of the world with what they were doing. Today, they both look twenty years younger. A light is shining through their faces with how this place has been transformed. Monday Ebenezer's was Grand Central Station. We needed a traffic cop to direct the traffic coming through. Many from the surrounding community were coming to see what was going on, including about 25 youths who joined in the work. Their pastor has invited us all to their church for dinner. Then another group showed with about 75 blankets for the center. Later that day another group who looked Hindu arrived with another 50 new blankets. They had heard that the Americans were cold in the South African winter and wanted to contribute to help keep us warm.

Today, Steve Horrex looked out our office window and said, "Oh my, I wondering what this is." There was about 25 Muslims arriving, mostly in Black, many with turbans. Their group had come by the orphanage, to guess what? To deliver more blankets. They all came to our construction site to see what we were doing. They couldn't believe it. I spoke with them and one of their woman said, "You have woman working?!" My response was "Of course." Her response again was, "You have woman working!" I said, again, "Of course, what do you expect, we have to keep them working to keep them out of trouble." She laughed while one of the men's eyes grew wider and wider. I said, "there is my wife over there and my daughter is over there. C'mon I'll introduce you to them." About 8 of them followed me over. I introduced them and they asked Jessica many questions. They were amazed to hear that this is how she was spending her vacation time and that she had paid her own way (through sponsorship of her family and work and her own funds of which she took a second weekend job to be here) to come here. When I asked her if she knew what Amor meant she said, "of course, it means love." Soon these visitors were catching the attention of all and we all mingled, then took a group photo. The Muslims were so happy to see what we were doing. We joked with each other and spoke how if we could get rid of most of the politicians and religious leaders who keep us apart we could come and work together in love.

One of the more humorous moments was when they walked past Dave Newquest who was teaching a group of African children American football. One of the Muslims asked what he was doing and Dave enthusiastically and proudly said, "I'm teaching them American football!" The visitor said, "American football is a wimpy sport." Dave laughed and the Muslim laughed, at each other. We need to do more of that. After they left David continued with his American football lesson and every time one of the kids didn't do it the way he explained, he made them get down and do push ups; of course Dave did it with them. Then the skies opened up with a complete downpour of rain. Most everyone kept doing their work, cement, foundation, stucco, roofing and their was Dave teaching the kids - American football! Then someone said, the African skies are crying because the Americans are teaching us American Football!

As I sit here and blog there is music to my ears with the sound of hammers and the work pounding away from the work site. Children are nearby with some of our workers; they are in a circle singing, beautiful African songs, they are dancing, jumping up and down and they are laughing; there is joy in the air here.

Amor has changed this place! And those changes along with the help of Humphrey Birkenstock have become infectious in the surrounding community. People want to help each other and here you can see it in action.

Please enjoy the some 40 pictures we uploaded after this blog called "South Africa Work Day 2".

Note: Written by Dan Irving of EV Free Chico from the Amor Camp in Johannesburg and edited by Scotty in San Diego, Californa.

FIRST WORKDAY- REFLECTIONS BY A TRIP LEADER

2009-06-15T22:35:00.000-07:00

As everyone probably knows, the Chico EV Free Church/Amor team arrived all without our luggage. Ouch! Why would that happen? God only knows. The next night we all went back to the airport and a Doctor heard our excitement when our luggage arrived, we screamed. He said he just arrived with thousands of dollars of medicine and was hoping to find someone to give it to. He gave it to us. Had we not been there it would not have happened. The next day Humphrey Birkenstock of Rainbow FM 90.7 took us to an world's famous AIDS Center, Ekosi Haven.

Working at the Amor housebuilding worksite in Johannesburg.

When we arrived at the Amor Camp at the Ebenezer Care Center we noticed that from when we first arrived 18 months ago the place was crumbling and not going anywhere. They were just trying to maintain. Today, with what Amor has done it is a bustling center of activity. It is truly amazing. The traffic, the people, Humphrey, the building, Wow! God is truly amazing and this is his plan.

We started the day with meetings. Steve Horrex from Amor Ministries did a great job explaining what we are doing and the vision for the future, especially getting South Africa churches involved and it is happening. It happened today. Churches, youth workers from the surrounding area were coming out of the woodwork. Smiles on their faces, stucco in hand and working away. We all are working in God's day here. There must have been 70 of us out there today. Forest was stressed to get us all going and Steve had his headache going. We kicked it into gear and away we went. Building, stuccoing, foundation, scraping... drink water, stay hydrated. It's going up. Amor housing.

What Amor is accomplishing here is incredible and It Is Happening. People are excited! Shirley and Tommy, the Care Center's Directors, have smiles from ear to ear. The energy here is going up, up and up. I can hardly believe it.

Here in South Africa where the problems are so huge between the poor, the unemployed, the diseased and those that have so much. We are helping to change that, and not by just building houses. By changing lives. By changing attitudes. By God being at work in our lives. By us opening that door and saying "yes." We have said yes to being here with Amor, the EV Free Church of Chico and SS. Simon's and Jude's from Phoenix, Arizona. This has to be God's A team with Amor and Rainbow 90.7.

Everybody is having an amazing time experiencing and being loved by the people of South Africa. We are being treated like Gold, South Africa Gold. Everyone seems to be having the trip of a lifetime and we just started. The stories are already incredible. People will come home with more love, more understanding in their hearts. Hey, loosing our stuff was a tremendous thing. We were so worried about our stuff. We can't live without our stuff, but our stuff often, so often gets in the way. It made us realize what is important: God, Jesus Christ in our lives. Remember what God the Father has told us; "If you want to know me, know my Son", "Follow Him." We are trying to do that.

EV Free and SS. Simon and Jude are so blessed to be here with Amor on this pilot program. These volunteers are mostly all Amor veterans. Even though we are using different building styles, we know the rhythm and what the goal is. They are a great group of young, medium, and even old folks (I'm tired, can't you tell.)

Everyone is saying they love being here. Thank you for your prayers, thank your for your support which is so needed and so much is being done here with it. We know we are being used by God and we are so happy to be chosen to be here (hey, I'm preaching South African style) Hallelujah! Yes, hallelujah to our Pastor Lou and hallelujah to Jen Pitera. Hallelujah to Amor and Rainbow FM.

The team is laying the ground work for the cement foundation for a new home.

Amor Ministry's Luke Makwakwa (on right with white t-shirt)
helping the team rendering the interior walls of the new home.

Pastor Lou Diaz, EV Free Church of Chico, keeping a watchful
eye on everything. "Watching" for people to praise and encourage!!

Note: Thanks to Dan Irving from Chico EV Free Church for writing the body of the text for this blog post. Dan, you were oh so tired and still managed to capture a wonderful snapshot of the first day of work and all the adventures surrounding it!! To say you are deeply appreciated would understate all of our feelings immensely.

VISIT TO APARTHEID MUSEUM IN JOHANNESBURG

2009-06-14T20:29:00.000-07:00

Part of the tour on Sunday was to visit the Apartheid Memorial of the first child killed, Edgar Peterson which was the starting of the end of the apartheid years in South Africa. Tomorrow is the Holiday "Youth Day" in remembrance of how the youth of South Africa arose up against oppression and change the world they lived in.

As Amor Ministries starts to serve in South Africa it seems to me, we would like to serve here by being the catalyst of bringing about a new change. To once again ignite the passion of the youth of South Africa, to work together to bring about change for those in need throughout the country. Together we can all make a difference building one home at a time serving those in desperate need all around us.

AMOR CHICO EV FREE TEAM VISITS SOWETO CHURCH

2009-06-14T14:00:00.000-07:00

The Amor team from Chico EV Free Church attended a church service in the famous Soweto community in Johannesburg on Sunday, June 14, 2009. It was a rocking service from the appropriately named church, the "Rock of Salvation- Baptist Church".

The Amor team had a great time of fellowshipping and sharing in God's love. After church they shared in a traditonal meal prepared by the women in the congregation. "It was great!"

Pastor Dan Irving sharing the pulpit with Pastor Humphrey Birkenstock
at the Rock of Salvation Church.

Pastor Dan telling funny sermon illustrations on Pastor Humphrey.

Pastor Dan sharing His-story.... God's story, that is!

Pastor Dan, "in closing........".

SOUTH AFRICA TRIP UPDATE- THE FOUND LUGGAGE

2009-06-14T11:54:00.000-07:00

Pastor Lou Diaz from Chico EV Free Church who is with the Amor team in Johannesburg just wrote:

"Everyone except Shelby Ferrier got their luggage. Dan is meeting with Delta (D. E. L. T. A. = Don't Expect Luggage To Arrive) officials to track her's down for tomorrow's flight. We'll lend her stuff. Today was amazing! We worshiped and brought a Word of encouragement to the Rock of Salvation Baptist Church in Soweto. We were blessed by their energetic worship and the solid sermon from 2 Peter 1:1-10. They treated us to a chicken dinner and we met the other half of our team from Arizona, SS. Simon and Jude Cathedral.

We rode a coach bus and received a tour. When a 12 year old boy named Hector Peterson was shot to death on June 16, 1976, it began the unraveling of Apartheid. June 16 is a National Holiday called Youth Day - the start of the liberation from the death of Hector to the release of Nelson Mandela in 1994. Apartheid ended just 15 years ago! We are seeing freedom, property ownership, and integration like never imagined. Our wonderful host, Humphrey Birkenstock from Rainbow Radio 90.7 FM said that he and his wife were not going to have children until there was freedom - their son, Raymond, turned 15 yesterday!

We saw Mandela's house. Then we went to a flea market before heading back to the airport to claim our baggage. We stood for an hour while a hundred bags came out before ours did. Dave Newquist straightened every bag and we teased him that he will be hired by the airport. We cheered when Jessica Hyatt was the first person among us to get her bags! Thanks for your prayers. Here's the miracle of why our luggage was delayed: while waiting for our luggage, a doctor with a Native American Reservation in Montana gave us a duffel bag full of antibiotics for us to give to the orphans and refugees we will be serving! We would not have been at the airport at the same time were it not for this delay. God gets the glory for a plan better then ours. All the Red Sea Rules we have been learning are applying to this incredible missions experience. Brett Southwich safely arrived and looked as bleary eyed as we were yesterday. His dad, Harlo, was very happy to see him, and we gave him the official South African handshake and greeting from one of the eleven official languages.

PS: Apparently a strong wind at camp blew down our tents last night and they reinforced them for tonight. Pray for a good night's sleep and a productive day of work tomorrow from 8 am to 6 pm. Right now we are off to dinner! It's 7 :30 pm. What a day!"

CHICO EV FREE CHURCH TEAM ARRIVES IN JOHANNESBURG

2009-06-14T10:18:00.000-07:00

I got the call yesterday that the Chico EV Free Church/Amor team arrived in Johannesburg last night. What didn't make it on their plane was their luggage. Apparently bad weather in Atlanta, Georgia, where they were catching their connecting flight to Johannesburg, was delayed due to bad weather. They sat on the plane for just under two hours in Atlanta and were concerned they were going to miss their connecting flight. I got the call from their group leader, Dan Irving, that they were going to make their flight after all. The next call I got was from the Amor staff in Johannesburg saying they had arrived in Joburg (short for Johannesburg).

Since the team didn't have their luggage last night they checked into a Days Inn Hotel for the night. This morning they left the hotel in a bus and attended a church service in Johannesburg. I am eager to hear their report this afternoon so I can post it this evening to this blog.

As I was writing this post the Amor staff were at the Johannesburg airport picking up the "late arriving" luggage. As they say, "better late than never!"

One of Amor's staff/team members, Forrest Fowler, had something funny to share yesterday. He emailed me to say, "The first group has arrived and Steve Horrex [Amor's Vice President of Global Expansion] is on his way to pick up Dan Irving's group at the airport now. Things are going well, but it's sure cold here at night!

"Wanted to tell you a funny story. Remember how you were always turning on the windshield wipers whenever you wanted to make a turn here in Johannesburg since we have to drive on the other side of the road compared to the US? I was telling Carrie about it and telling her how crazy it made me and that you started doing it on purpose just to annoy me.
Now it's my turn! I can't seem to stop doing it! Every time I get in the truck and want to turn, I'm turning on the wipers! You have your revenge, it's driving me absolutely nuts! I can't stop my self, and of course I laugh every time thinking about how much I teased you about it. I guess I'll have to be more sensitive to you next time.

Things are going well.
Hope you are doing well and we are thinking of you and wishing you could be here to join us."

SS SIMON AND JUDE PHOTOS OF ARRIVAL IN JOHANNESBURG

2009-06-13T22:55:00.000-07:00

The Amor team from SS. Simon and Jude Cathedral in Phoenix, Arizona arrived in Johannesburg as the first team from the US. They actually arrived on Saturday, June 13, 2009. I just got some great photos of their arrival at the OR Tambo International Airport, formerly know as "Johannesburg International Airport". This airport is the busiest airport in all of Africa and is regarded as "hot and high". Meaning, it sits at almost 5,500 feet above sea level and the air is thin. Did you know that this airport also has one of the longest commercial non-stop flights in the world? Washington Dulles International Airport to Johannesburg is a 15 hour flight.

SS Simon and Jude Cathedral team arrive at Johannesburg Airport.

Their first bus ride from the Airport thought the streets of Johannesburg.

Happy faces as they head to the Amor Minstries Camp at Ebenezer Care Center.

Home, sweet home, for the week for the SS Simon and Jude Cathedral team
at the Amor Camp in Johannesburg, South Africa.

FIRST ALL SOUTH AFRICA TEAM WORKS ON AMOR HOUSES

2009-06-13T17:00:00.000-07:00

Humphrey Birkenstock, Johannesburg radio station manager for (Amor Partner) Rainbow FM 90.7, facilitated and headed up the first all South Africa team to work together on building Amor houses on Saturday, June 13, 2009. These homes were started (and almost finished!) by the incredible team from the United Kingdom (some 188 people) last April. They will be proud to know that their great spirit and hard work just over a month ago is being complimented by a day team of nearly 50 South Africa's and another 40 Americans this week. A true international partnership of individuals with hearts of compassion and service. What an example of Christ's sacrifice and love in action, from Scotland, England, Wales, Ireland, US, and South Africa!!

FIRST US TEAM ARRIVES IN JOHANNESBURG

2009-06-13T12:55:00.000-07:00

SS. Simon and Jude Cathedral arrived in Johannesburg this morning. Chico EV Free Church is still on the plane en route to Johannesburg no doubt.

Amor's very own Luke Makwakwa just Facebooked saying that "The first group of 15 from Phoenix arrived this morning. It was already sunny and beautiful at 10:30am. They set up tents for the rest of the team to follow tonight, and were treated to the traditional "Africa Warm Welcome." After resting they had a guided tour of Ebenezer Care Center, and were later treated to some hearty "boerewors" for dinner."

For those of you who don't know what "boerewors" are, they are a traditional dish of sausage name after the Afrikaaner word "boer" for "farmer" and "wors" for "sausage". What a hearty meal to start the trip!!

AMOR RETURNS TO SOUTH AFRICA- LIVE RADIO BROADCAST

2009-05-26T15:42:00.000-07:00

In anticipation of Amor returning to South Africa to build homes in Johannesburg this coming June 2009, a live broadcast from Chico, California and Phoenix, Arizona was conducted. Dan Irving, from EV Free Chico, and Jen Pitera, from SS. Simon and Jude Cathedral in Phoenix, shared their anticipation and expectations of this upcoming trip. You will also hear from some of the youth who are joining Jen on this upcoming trip who share about their experiences on past trips to Mexico with Amor and what they anticipate from their first trip ever to South Africa.

Johannesburg based Rainbow FM 90.7 Station
Manager, Humphrey Birkenstock interviews
Dan Irving, Jen Pitera, and the Youth from
SS. Simon and Jude.

Click the Podcast logo below to go directly to this live (but recorded) broadcast:

NEW AMOR LOCATION? APACHE RESERVATION!

2009-05-20T18:29:00.000-07:00

I had the humble experience today of visiting the San Carlos Apache Reservation, just a two hour drive east of Phoenix, Arizona with the Executive Director of the Arizona Reservation Ministries (ARM) , Dale Lawrence and his wife, Diana, who have directed this ministry for eight years. The Lawrence's recently called Gayla and asked if Amor would consider partnering with them to provide desperately needed housing for the Apache Indians.

San Carlos Apache Reservation, Arizona

The San Carlos Apache Nation is the third largest reservation in the state of Arizona and with the shocking unemployment rate of more than 75%. This reservation, located in central Arizona, of nearly 3,000 square miles, encompassing 1.8 million acres, boasts a population of some 16,000 (over half of which are under 18) and is the 10th largest American Indian reservation in land area.

The San Carlos Reservation is one of the poorest Native American communities in the United States, with the median annual household income being approximately $14,000. About 77% of the people live under the poverty line. San Carlos was, for a time, even the home to the legendary Apache chief Geronimo.

According to ARM, “The climate in San Carlos from October to April is warm enough to do just about anything.” During the summer months, they suggest working in the mornings, rest in the afternoons, and then head back out to the reservation for ministry opportunities. At 2,600 feet elevation, San Carlos has a temperate semi-arid climate. Summer daytime temperatures range from 90-100 degrees, dropping to the mid-60s or mid-70s at night. Summer, the rainiest season, brings approximately 3-4 inches of rain.

"Nearly everyone on the Reservation speaks English, but you experience a very different culture as you enter the Sovereign land."

Amor has been asked to partner with ARM to build upwards of 1,600 homes on the San Carlos Apache Reservation. In 2005, a representative from ARM had the privilege of meeting with the tribal Chairwoman of the San Carlos Apache Tribe. In that meeting, her face lit up when asked if ARM could help with the need for additional homes for her people. A meeting then followed with the Tribal Housing Authority. There the difficult statistics were revealed: if 135 homes were constructed each year for the next ten years, it would only meet the needs at that time.

Poverty On The San Carlos Reservation Have Lead To Terrible
Housing Conditions

The Chairwoman stressed that there is a dire housing shortage on the Reservation, “There are approximately 2400 families on the Reservation in need of homes. 39% of families live in substandard housing and 40% of the families live in overcrowded conditions. Council members and the San Carlos Housing Authority receive at least 6 visits a day from families who have no place to go and are in desperate need of housing. Local community leaders say that it is heartbreaking to tell these families that the waiting list it too long and that there are no homes for them.”

Apache Families Will Occupy Anything That They Can Find

Homes on the San Carlos Apache Reservation range from the size and appearance of a garden shed to over 1,300 square feet. Within the walls of these larger homes, as many as 20 people, sometimes up to 4 families, may reside, most waiting for over 15 years for a home of their own. For many, cramped quarters, un-safe living conditions and poverty contribute to a vicious cycle where “home” is not a safe place to reside. The need for adequate housing is urgent. Chuck Hill, a San Carlos Reservation Housing Council representative, local church leader, and a San Carlo's Apache told us today that it far too common that in a three bedroom home there are four families living there: one family in each bedroom and another in the living room.

We almost couldn’t believe our ears when Chuck told us that his son had been on several Amor trips to Mexico. Chuck said he remembers mostly his son saying, “Man Dad, we had to use handsaws!” Only recently Chuck has become extremely frustrated with the difficult and timely processes of trying to get adequate housing for his people. “I thought recently, ‘I am quitting this housing thing. Its too frustrating. But, maybe this is about God getting me back to this. There is a need for well over 1,500 homes today.”

Families Are Living In Cars, Crumbling Trailers, and Dilapidated Dwellings

“The need is so severe there is no way we can meet the need on our own”, shared Dale Lawrence of ARM. After seeing this need personally Steve Horrex, Amor’s Vice President of Global Expansion, said, “the need is so great and we have an opportunity to make a real difference here by sharing God’s love in a tangible and life changing way, building homes for these very, very needy Apache families.” Steve, who is already in the process of identifying several churches to work with on the Reservation also went on to say, “I can see us working in concert together with ARM. Our goal will be to be here year round. We want to make difference, a long term difference.”

Arizona Reservation Ministries Has Contacted Amor to Partner With Them

Amor is prayerfully considering establishing a base of operation at the San Carlos Indian Reservation to work in partnership with the Arizona Reservation Ministry and the Apache Nation to build homes for these needy families.

The Need For Adequate Homes For the Apache Is All Too Obvious

As we were returning to Phoenix today after this trip I shared with the Amor team who I traveled with, “We can learn from the challenges that the Apache’s have had to deal with in terms of their traditional values and their lives as Christians. It’s a great dialogue and discussion for us to have with our youth who are also wrestling with living life in a post modern teen culture and doing their best to live as a Christian youth in that culture.”

ARM Volunteers Building Home For San Carlos Apache Family

The need and opportunity for Amor and countless youth groups from around the world to serve on the Apache Reservation is truly a call to action. A call from the Lawrence’s, a couple who have dedicated their lives to loving and serving the Apache people will all of their hearts and all their God given abilities. This is a call to prayer and a call for Amor and ARM to humbly consider joining together in serving our friends and neighbors of our Apache community.

WALLS GO UP IN SOUTH AFRICA

2009-04-07T22:37:00.001-07:00

It’s a joy to be here at Ebenezer Care Center in Johannesburg, South Africa with the 150 volunteers from Urban Saints in the United Kingdom, the United States and Canada. Bill Hebner from Urban Saints has set up two tent cities, one for the males and another for the females along with kitchen and bathroom accommodations.

Tommy and Shirley, the Directors of Ebenezer have their busy as they can be as they support the regular 135 residents of the orphanage and in addition to the 120 refugees that have just arrived. The UN Representatives arranged to have 8 families come out to stay at Ebenezer. When the buses and trucks arrived, they brought more than 120 refugees. These are people that had lived in South Africa for many years, had their own businesses and for the most part supported themselves. Then their homes and businesses were burned and torn down because they were not “true South Africans”. Tommy and Shirley just couldn't turn them away. “We just couldn't turn them back . These are human beings with no place to go”, stated Tommy. The South African government has arranged for them to stay until the end of April, then the financial aid ends and Tommy must send them on their way. Financially Ebenezer just can’t survive supporting this many residents without additional financial support. Over 20 of the refugees have jumped into help pouring concrete and helping in any way they can to help build the Amor homes. The rest lie around waiting for their fate. When they leave they will be given 2,000 Rand (approximately 200 US Dollars) to start anew.

Currently five homes are being built by Amor's participants using two different styles of building materials. The first is Maxi Block. This is a cinder type block that is set with concrete. The second method is Taws Styrofoam block. This process is much like putting together Lego blocks. Rebar is set vertically in a concrete foundation and Styrofoam blocks or sheets are fitted over the rebar. Then concrete is poured inside of the blocks to form a very secure, very insulated wall. The third method which is under review is Panel W. This is a sheet of meshed steel rods that enclose strips of Styrofoam. This is a very lightweight panel that is coated with concrete to form a very sturdy, very insulated wall that can withstand hurricane force winds. Although this third method is not being implemented here in South Africa as of yet, it has been highly successful in the Amor homes built in Yucatan, Mexico.

Amor continues to move forward with the construction of housing for the poor with an eye toward new technologies that will make the homes we build, stronger and cheaper. They must also have the ability to be constructed with un-skilled labor. “My goal is find a building material that not only makes sense culturally but it has to be financially feasible so that volunteers can build it. It needs to be a home that I would be comfortable living in”, said Steve Horrex V.P. of Global Expansion of Amor.

AMOR ON TWO RADIO STATIONS AT ONCE

2009-04-07T12:37:00.001-07:00

Today was a real first for Amor!! I took three kids and Steve Cosgrove, Amor's Chairman of Strategic Partnership Alliance, from our South Africa work site to Rainbow FM 90.7's studio in Johannesburg today . We did a live over the phone broadcast to WZPL in Indianapolis, Indiana on the "Smiley in the A.M." show. I other words, we broadcast live in Johannesburg and talked to Dave Smiley, the WZPL broadcaster at the same time. People were listening to Steve and the kids share about their experiences in South Africa this week on the air to hundreds of thousands of listeners as they drove to work in Indianapolis while another couple hundred thousand more listened to the same broadcast live in Johannesburg as they finished their lunches. The same broadcast heard on opposite sides of the world at the same time. I don't care who your are.......that's amazing!!!

Countless thanks to Steve Cosgrove for setting this up, WZPL in Indianapolis and Rainbow FM 90.7 in Johannesburg for making this Amor first possible.

LIONS IN JOHANNESBURG

2009-04-07T12:13:00.001-07:00

April 6, 2009

Day?

OK! I have been a bad blogger. And, you're never supposed to comment on your frequency of blogging or apologize for it, but I am. We've been busy here in Africa!!!!

I really thought this trip would be easy for me to spend time blogging. We had plenty of Amor team members to cover the group. I was wrong. There hasn't been a dull moment. The three days I didn't blog have flown by. So, enough explaining, here is what has been going on in South Africa:

Twenty five of the. Urban Saints group arrived on Friday, April 3. The rest of the group, some 150 more, arrived on Saturday around 6am. The entire Urban Saints group then drove by bus to the Lion Park on the east side of Johannesburg. There they went into cages with lion cubs and pet them, cuddled them, and avoided being bit by them as best they could. There are some 90 lions at the Lion Park and in one area you drive into four separate lion camps that consist of a pride of lions. In other words, a huge male lion, a half dozen to a dozen females and that many more cubs. You drive right beside them to were you can literally touch them if you had your window down. This would not be a very smart thing to do though. They are all wild lions!

Sunday, April 4th, the entire group went to church and two of the UK kids came forward to accept Christ. The group was able to go shopping in the afternoon and then had dinner at the Boston Barbecue. Now the name "Boston" really throws you off since on the buffet style menu are selections like "Kudu with Raisins", "Mustard Tongue", and my favorite, "Monkey Gland Steak". The adventurous try these while the majority stick with fish sticks, potato salad, spinach and the likes. The variety of food is out of this world.

DAY 3- AMOR RETURNS TO SOUTH AFRICA

2009-03-31T14:55:00.001-07:00

March 31, 2009

5:00am. I awoke to the most amazing sounds of exotic birds this morning. Exotic to me that is, not to South Africa. They were bird calls quite different from the bird sounds from my home in San Diego. The sun rose just like at home but to a chorus of birds very foreign to my ears. I knew I wasn't home. I was in AFRICA!!

7:00am. We were up and out of the secured gates to drive to Rainbow FM 90.7's studios to drop of a vehicle but saw a McDonald's on the way. One note though, since we are driving on the left side of the road (unlike how I normally drive on the right at home) I keep turning on the wipers instead of turn signals- they are on opposite sides compared to back home. So, I turned on the wipers and made a left into the McDonald's. The guys who are traveling with me in my vehicle are starting to get my strategy. When the windshield wipers come on I will soon make a turn. I consider it an advance turn indicator!

One of the pictures below I am with Ronald McDonald in Johannesburg. Can you see the hidden Donald Duck? OK, Forrest says its the wrong color to be Donald and that technically its Daffy Duck. But we don't have the heart to tell Luke's little son who sent "Donald" on a trip to Africa with us. Keep an eye out for the "hidden Donald Duck" in our future photographs!

Also, in one of the pictures below you will see the countdown of the FIFA World Cup Soccer 2010. There are signs, banners, balloons, and more all over South Africa celebrating and advertising the upcoming World Cup. The countdown continues.

8:30am. We arrived at Rainbow FM 90.7's studios and were ushered into the studios to our surprise to do a live broadcast. All four of us talked and Forrest even shared about Christmas tree farming to all of Johannesburg.

9:30am. Visits to banks can be fun and they cannot un- fun. This was not a fun visit. Steve spent well over a hour trying to get some funds out of our account to pay some vendors. He went from line to line, and then back in the same line. Nothing like not being able to get your own money out of the bank. In the end he succeeded and fixed the confusion. I had a similar experience at the Post Office across the street and was told that if I bought stamps today they would cost more tomorrow. I was really confused. Eventually I understood. April 1 is the first day of the 2009 stamps and they cost more. Of course, I thought, this could be an April Fools joke!!!

2:00pm. We arrived at the Ebenezer Care Center where we are building five homes next week. They have built a kitchen house for us, moved the communications trailer closer to where our groups will be camping, and have almost all the materials at the site for us to start making slabs. We are so eager to get started building!!!

3:45pm. Steve and I drove to our main building supplier in Lenasia, just a few miles from Ebenezer. This is where I truly get to see Steve in action. Its amazing to Steve and Achmed working together. Continually drawing diagrams on pieces of paper, questions shooting back and forth, answering with careful details, each sharing a new angle, a new way to do something. Creating a masterpiece in concept. I feel like I am witnessing a symphony. Each one playing their part, solos at times, in concert at other moments, pauses to smile and enjoy their work. Its truly amazing to watch. The picture below is Steve and Achmed at work at the building supply office. Let the concert begin. At one point Steve said, "I want to build a home I would be proud to live in myself." Later, Achmeo replied, "I am more interested doing this for God than in making money." "When I retire I want to come and work with you guys", he replied with a huge smile. Note, Achmed is a Muslim! God is at work in ways and in places that we least expect them and often where they most surprise us.

5:30pm. We follow Humphrey back into Johannesburg to visit a 120 unit condo project being built by a South African Christian. He's done something we have almost never seen before. He's nearly completed the project in 6 months. That's a miracle in itself. This building is just a short walk to Rainbow FM 90.7's studios. The three bedroom condos are going for $60,000 US. It sure would be a wonderful thing for Amor to have a condominium in this location for our interns, long term volunteers, and visiting staff. What an incredible location.

7:35pm. Traffic was horrible due to an accident and what normally took us a half hour took almost an hour and a half. Can you believe they have traffic accidents in South Africa too? We finally found a restaurant we could all agree to and it was "Italian". Three pizzas and Mediterranean fish. When are we going to find the "monkey gland hamburgers"?

9:47pm. We got lost again. Two GPS units talking away, three human navigators and we are driving round and round in circles,. We seem find easily locate places in the poor communities but when it comes to locating our donated quest house in a very nice neighborhood we get lost over and over again. It think its a sign that we are due a move to where we belong.... at the Ebenezer Care Center.

11:56pm. Time for me to retire on my couch. Oh, did I say that the only piece of furniture in our quest house is my couch? It really is! I finally finished writing this blog and sent it to you through my Blackberry Storm via email. What an amazing and strange world we live in. "God doesn't create any junk", some one once told me". Good night, see ya tomorrow.

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At McDonald's In Johannesburg

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DAY 2- AMOR RETURNS TO SOUTH AFRICA

2009-03-30T20:06:00.001-07:00

March 29, 2009

7:00am. We landed in Dakar, Senegal after a long Atlantic flight. I must have tested out 1001 sleeping positions without much success. Fortunately I had an empty seat beside me. All that tossing and turning would have driven the person in the seat next to me nuts. Ask Dan Irving about that from last years trip to South Africa. Dan, bless him, sat next to me. A test of true friendship.

9:00am. I begin reading a chapter from the yet unpublished book, "Home" as I fly over the African continent. Author, Dan Irving should be very happy that I waited until I was soaring over the African coast before I began reading this, yet another, incredible chapter. I can't wait until the book gets published next year.

5pm. We land in Johannesburg as weary but excited travelers. Our plane had been full of all sorts of international travelers. Luke Makwakwa said his section of the plane was filled with a plethora of languages ranging from Afrikaans to Zulu. The new Johannesburg airport is a sight to behold. Its been completely been rebuilt and expanded in preparation for the 2010 World Cup Soccer. Basically the biggest Super Bowl of them all. We were very glad to shortly find our host, Humphrey Birkenstock at the arrival area.

6pm. We depart in two borrowed vehicles with all our luggage. We are staying at one of our South African supporter's homes. We have never been there before and we only get an address. But, "We have GPS", we proudly proclaimed. After well over two hours of scouring the city, getting separated from each other, we arrive at our quest home for the week. One thing we can say about this evening's diving adventures, always follow Amor's caravan rule #1, "if you get separated from your caravan and can't see any of the cars in your caravan, stop! Find the closest and safest spot where you last saw your caravan and wait." IT WORKED!! Steve and Luke returned to the exact spot we had last seen each other nearly a half hour later. Amazing thing was that we each arrived back at the same spot at the same time.

8pm. We arrived at the quest house after passing through the main security guard gate. We are so glad to have arrived and are all really hungry. We drive to the nearest shopping area and you would have thought we were in Mission Viejo, California. Ah, South Africa, a land of stark contrasts. Get this, we ate at the Cattle Baron, a US rest chain. The exchange rate is so good here, the South African Rand to the US Dollar, that the dinners were all under $10 US.

9:30pm. We are all back at our quest house and full, and tired. We are ready to hit the sack. We only found one sleeping bag and two air mattresses from last years trip so tonight two of us sleep on the carpeted floor and in our clothes. Tomorrow we will buy a couple more sleeping bags and perhaps even more important, our PILLOWS!

FINAL COMMENTS: Last year on this trip we were blessed to have writer Dan Irving on the trip with us. He became our official writer, historian, and blogger. For those of you who have read his previous writings, it was delightful and..... oh, so witty. We miss Dan dearly on this trip but he is leading his very own trip with us this June with people from his very own church in Chico, California. Dan, you are dearly missed on this trip and I will do my best to capture the adventures and misadventures of this journey with your inspirational writings of past trips in mind. But now, since I am writer and editor, I get to leave out the infamous Scott and Steve bickering!

PS. Geek moment. I am writing all of these blogs on my Blackberry Storm with a wireless Bluetooth keyboard. I didn't even bring a laptop computer with me this time. Can you believer that? Scott traveling without a computer! Now this is a first. But, this phone is truly amazing. Like having a full computer in palm of your hand. That evenbworks all over the glohe. And, have found a wonderful use of waking up at three am in the morning due to jet lag and a different time zone....blog until the sun comes up!!!!! Oh, by the way, the other guys are all asleep and I am typing via flashlight.
Scott Congdon
Founder/CEO
Amor Ministries
1664 Precision Park Lane
San Diego, CA 92173
USA
619.662.1200 US Office x130
619.247.3113 US Cell
619.662.1295 US Fax

+27.11.461.3222 South Africa
+44.203.026.4006 UK
+52.335.350.0280 Mexico
scott.congdon- SKYPE

www.amor.org
www.simplyscott.org

DAY 1- AMOR RETURNS TO SOUTH AFRICA

2009-03-30T18:52:00.001-07:00

DAY 1
Amor in South Africa
Steve Horrex, Forrest Fowler, Luke Makwakwa, and Scott Congdon

March 28, 2009

4:30am. Woke up before the alarm went off. Grabed some snacks from the refrigerator, let the dog out, and took my suitcases out to the curb in front of my house to wait for my ride.

5:15am. My ride arrives and we head to the San Diego airport. On the way down we get a call from onr of our traveling companions who is already at the airport and he says that the ticket counter line is out the door and onto the walk over bridge. "Check in at curbside", he says.

5:35am. We arrive at the airport for what I thougth was a 6am flight to Atlanta and then Johannesburg. Curbside checking was slow. I was getting nervous. Then just as we got to the front of the line the sky cab said they couldn't check us in for an international flight. We had two bags to check so we were told we had to go to the upstairs ticket counter after all. Not a good prospect at this time.

5:45. Some how the sky cab who volunteered to take our bags on a cart up the elevator to the ticket counter got us expidited. We were in the security line with minutes to spare and then we realized we had more time that we thought. Our departure was at 6:30am not 6:00am! Whew. Now you konw why I always like gettting to the airpoirt two hours early, foreign or domestic flights.

6:30am. Our flight departs San Diego with all four of us!: Steve Horrex, Forrest Fowler, Luke Makwakwa and myself, Scott.

10am. We land in Atlanta, Georgia for a two and a half layover. It time for an early lunch in the food court before we catch our plane. Panda Express seems to follow us where ever we travel.

3:00pm. After a hour delay of our plane at the gate with us on board we finally take off to fly across the Atlantic or the "pond" as our British friends call it.

Scott Congdon
Founder/CEO
Amor Ministries
1664 Precision Park Lane
San Diego, CA 92173
USA
619.662.1200 US Office x130
619.247.3113 US Cell
619.662.1295 US Fax

+27.11.461.3222 South Africa
+44.203.026.4006 UK
+52.335.350.0280 Mexico
scott.congdon- SKYPE

www.amor.org
www.simplyscott.org

2009-03-29T12:05:00.001-07:00

The Amor advance team is on its way to South Africa. We departed San Diego at 6:30am, are now in Atlanta and are getting heading to board our next jet to Dakar, Senegal. We will only refuel in Dakar and head to Johannesburg. The three and a half hour flight to Atlanta was pretty smooth and uneventful.

The only adventure was trying to get through the lines at the San Diego airport. The ticket lines were so long that Forrest said to check curb side. There they informed us we couldn't check in since were were eventually going on an international flight. Steve had two bags to check so we had to go to the ticket counter. I know many of you are envisioning this and are imagining that we were bickering. We weren't! We were probably both just too plain tired! Up at 4:30am to make our 6:30am flight! Even with all this time it felt like we just barely made our flight. When we got to our gate we almost boarded immediately.

Our team today consists of Luke Makwakwa, Forrest Fowler, Steve Horrex, and myself. We are arriving five days before the Urban Saints group of 160 youth arrive from the United Kingdom. Once they arrive in Johannesburg this Saturday they will soon begin building five homes at the Ebenezer Care Center in Grassmere- on the outskirts of Johannesburg.

Got to go. They are calling us to board our plane. Here we go!

2009-03-29T11:46:00.001-07:00

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2009-03-24T10:59:00.001-07:00

Jeff Ahlberg and I are enroute to Dallas, Texas to meet with Amor Board Members and promote our upcoming Dallas Golf Tournament on May 11th. The photo on the post below was just shot using my new Blackberry Storm. Its a tough phone to get decent self shot/self portraits. The shot below is me standing in our plane on the ground in Albuquerque, New Mexico as we head to Dallas. This is Jeff's and my first road trip, OK, "flight trip". The "road trip" starts when we arrive in Dallas and get our "Thrifty" rental car.

AMOR'S CANCUN CAMPUS IS A JUNGLE- LITERALLY

2009-03-16T21:18:00.000-07:00

JUST A COUPLE MILES FROM AMOR'S CANCUN CAMPUS

2009-03-16T16:12:00.001-07:00

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I HAVE TO HOLD EVERYTHING UP AROUND CANCUN

2009-03-16T15:58:00.001-07:00

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MEETING OF AMOR'S CANCUN MINISTRY PLANNING BOARD

2009-03-16T14:12:00.001-07:00

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IN OUR YUCATAN JUNGLE BASE CAMP REVIEWING CAMPUS PLANS

2009-03-16T10:34:00.001-07:00

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WE ARE IN CANCUN REVIEWING THE PLANS FOR THE AMOR CAMPUS

2009-03-16T10:30:00.001-07:00

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FLYING TO CANCUN

2009-03-16T10:23:00.000-07:00

After just five hours of sleep I jumped out of bed on Sunday, March 15 at 5am to pack and get a ride to Amor's headquarters in San Diego. From there I joined three other of our staff to drive to the Tjiuana airport. I always like getting to airports early, preferring the more relaxed venue since airport security and the likes can be at best unpredictable. Flying from Tijuana is a unique experience but mostly not unlike another Mexican international airports. Security is a bit more relaxed than in the US. No need yet to remove shoes, don't need to take out the laptop, and you can put all your 3 ounce and under fluids in a clear plastic bag but its not necessary. Even the security personal smile quite frequently, especially when you talk to them.
If you have never flown a Mexican airlines it really is quite a pleasant experience. We actually are served a morning breakfast in the air rather the familiar peanuts. I especially like the rich Mexican coffee that is regularly served. Sorry Starbucks, on Mexicana airlines you just get beat every time.
Our flight took us to the Mexico City airport that in years past I used to dread. No air conditioning loud, and hard to figure out things... elementary things. Like, where's my gate, is it on time, etc.
Not anymore. Its air conditioned, there's a Subway and a Carl's Jr. We boarded our flight around 4pm and landed in cloudy and soon dark Cancun.

Our flight from Tijuana to Cancun was a delight. Great service, no hitches. We drove through the 15 mile hotel zone that is full of world class hotels and resorts. At night its a feast for the eyes. Palm lined streets, golf courses, it looks like a first class US resort city.
We stayed downtown at Amor benefactor, Gilberto's apartment. Downtown Cancun, a separate community for the Cancun Hotel Zone has over 700 thousand residents. Armor has built just 12 homes in Cancun having temporarily ceasing our operations here in 2001.

We are now actively involved in undertaking our ministry here by facilitating short term missions to build our Amor Cancun Campus.

JORDAN UPDATES FIRST WORK DAY IN TJ

2009-03-15T19:40:00.001-07:00

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JORDAN LEADS TRIP TO MEXICO

2009-03-14T16:55:00.001-07:00

My son Jordan is in Tijuana, Mexico with a group of college friends building a home for a very needy family. I spent the morning preparing the site with him and his friends as we leveled the site and prepared the form for the cement. By late morning we were pouring cement by hand for the floor of the home. Nothing could make a dad more proud! What an incredible group of friends he brought who worked so hard to make a difference for a family and are changing their lives forever.

AMOR SOUTH AFRICA VIDEOS DOWNLOAD SITE

2009-02-13T09:18:00.000-08:00

We recently launched a web page to enable anyone to download our most recent videos of South Africa. Its as simple as selecting the video, right clicking it, and saving it on your computer. You can then view, show it, enjoy it any time you want. There is even a "mobile" version for you to use on your smart cell phone, like a Blackberry or iPhone. Go to: http://mumbles.amorhq.net/africa/ or just click the photo below to go directly to the download site:

LIVE REPORT FROM PUERTO PENASCO, MEXICO

2008-11-12T12:51:00.000-08:00

Amor Ministries was in Puerto Penasco, Mexico over Veterans Day weekend. Amor's very own Jon Wilson was there on hand to personally report on the progress made to eradicate the conditions of poverty for the poorest of the poor.

Here are some of the statistics of this weekends project in Puerto Penasco:

1,782 participants (from 26 different groups) accomplished the following in 4 days:

47 homes built

1 church built

1 rehab. center built

A family in Puerto Penasco represents the typical conditions of poverty we see there.

Click the photo below or the podcast logo below to hear this 9 minute interview:

Jon Wilson on the way to Puerto Penasco, Mexico

FUN ON SOUTH AFRICA'S RAINBOW FM 90.7 RADIO

2008-11-12T07:45:00.000-08:00

Across the "pond" as they say in the UK was where Amor's Steve and Forrest were for this early morning South Africa radio broadcast. The "pond" being the Altantic Ocean of course. I called into the radio station so we could do a brief interview on how things are developing with Amor in South Africa this week. The highlight of the show was hearing Forrest do the traffic news and Steve doing the weather, in Johannesburg of course. Its a really entertaining interview. The broadcast length is just 16 minutes. Click the podcast logo below to go to the interview:

SOUTH AFRICAN CHILDREN SING IN AMOR CLASSROOM

2008-11-11T10:08:00.000-08:00

I got to talk with Steve Horrex this morning who is in Johannesburg, South Africa today and he just sent me a video of adorable children singing in one of the classrooms that Amor built with the United Kingdom team last March. Its just barely a minute long but you need to watch it to the end because the end is best part!

STEVE AND FORREST VISIT AMOR SOUTH AFRICA PROJECTS

2008-11-10T20:15:00.000-08:00

DAY 1- SOUTH AFRICA

Steve and Forrest from Amor Ministries sent some amazing photographs today as they traveled throughout Johannesburg doing the work required to set up things for our April 2009 mission trips. I think their pictures tell the story:

Driving through the "townships" on the outskirts of Johannesburg.
The poverty seems to go off into the horizon forever.

The South Africa grasslands surrounds the never ending squatter camps.

The dirt floored homes made from metal siding, pieces of spare wood, and anything than can be used to build some sort of shelter. Its in these conditions that seventy-seven percent of South Africa's children live in an environment without access to proper toilet facilities, electricity and piped water as well.

One of the five homes that Amor built with the youth and adults from the United Kingdom last March, 2008. The five homes soon became classrooms for the orphans at Ebenezer Care Center and for children from the surrounding township. Notice the nice addition of brick pillars being built at the front of the classroom? They are being built by the homeless adults who have now found a home at Ebenzer.

Bathrooms under construction between two classrooms built by Amor last March.
Its exciting to see the inhabitants of Ebenzer Care Center taking such ownership and interest in continuing to build on what Amor and the UK youth started.

Music plays such an important part in the lives of the children of South Africa. A photo opportunity becomes another reason to clap hands and sing a wonderful song. This is just one of the five classrooms Amor recently built.

What a great sight seeing little children doing their school work in a well constructed, happily decorated classroom. Education and the love of God are the greatest hope we can share.

The three little buddies love their school. Doesn't it show on their faces!!!

The colorful tables and chairs brighten up the classrooms and the lives of these now fortunate children.

Amor's Forrest Fowler more than enjoys the special time he gets to spend with the children of South Africa.

AMOR ADVANCE TEAM ARRIVES IN SOUTH AFRICA

2008-11-10T19:18:00.000-08:00

Steve Horrex and Forrest Fowler from the Amor South Africa Advance Team arrived in Johannesburg Sunday night. Steve writes, "We made it here safely and here is the first picture from our dinner meeting that Rainbow FM 90.7 station manager Humphrey Birkenstock hosted. We have made our plans for the week we are here in Johannesburg and now it's all in God's Hands. We are scheduled to be on Rainbow FM 90.7 this Tuesday morning so make sure you're listening-
Steve Horrex".

From left- Humphrey Birkenstock, Steve Horrex,
Forrest Fowler, and Arnie Hicks.

Is that "Monkey Gland Steak" I see on their dinner plates? Or maybe "Kudu" or "Eland"?

KUDU? or ELAND?

It was this morning, which was this evening for Steve, when he shared how his first day on the ground in Johannesburg went. When you listen to the Podcast below he'll tell you about the surprise weather and some interesting developments in the huge housing need for the poor in South Africa. Its one of the shortest podcasts we have ever done, barely 5 minutes. Consider this just a preview of things to come this week as we communicate with Steve this week in South Africa. Tonight at 8:50 PST, Nov. 10, 2008, Steve will be doing a live radio interview from the Rainbow FM 90.7 studios. I hope to record this interview and email it to you tomorrow with lots of pictures they took today. For now, click the Amor Podcast Logo below and enjoy listening to Steve in South Africa.

OFF TO AFRICA

2008-11-08T09:53:00.001-08:00

I talked with Steve Horrex, Amor's VP for Global Expansion, and he and Amor's Forrest Fowler, are on a plane this morning for Johannesburg, South Africa. They are the advance team and will be spending a week working out the logistics for our April 2009 missions teams from the UK. At present we have 150 missionary participants scheduled to work over the course of two weeks of work in Johannesburg (75 each week).

No doubt their 19 hours of flying time (some 23 hours from San Diego to Johannesburg) will give them plenty of time to think of what they have to get accomplished in a weeks time.

PASTOR DIAZ- LIVE RADIO INTERVIEW

2008-11-05T13:53:00.000-08:00

I helped facilitate a live interview with Pastor Lou Diaz from the home of Dan Irving in Chico, California. Pastor Lou Diaz has been on mission trips with Amor for the last three years and is working with Dan to send the first Amor US missions team to South Africa in June 2009. Recently Pastor Lou ran 26.2 miles in the Chicago Marathon to help raise funds for water projects in Africa.

TO READ MORE ABOUT THIS INTERVIEW ON RAINBOW FM'S WEBSITE CLICK THE PHOTO ON THE LEFT OF PASTOR LOU DIAZ

Pastor Lou Diaz Running in the Chicago Marathon

Rainbow FM 90.7 of Johannesburg, South Africa aired this broadcast live from their studios in Johannesburg while Pastor Lou and Dan talked from Dan's home through his computer over the internet via Skype.

CLICK ON THIS PICTURE TO HEAR THE ACTUAL LIVE INTERVIEW!

Actual Live Studio Cam Photo Taken During Pastor Lou Diaz's Interview

To listen to live internet audio streaming of Rainbow FM 90.7 go to www.rainbowfm.co.za and click the "Streaming Audio" button. Or go directly to the streaming audio at http://rainbowfm.netdynamix.co.za.

IN THE JUNGLE

2008-10-30T11:37:00.000-07:00

Don't ask me where I am....some where in the Yucatan jungles looking for workers to continue cutting out the road to the Cancun campus with machettes.

Posted on SpotJots near:

ENTRANCE TO AMOR CANCUN CAMPUS

2008-10-29T11:55:00.000-07:00

I am standing at the NE corner of the Cancun Campus. This is where the entrance to the Campus will be. I am standing in jungle as I write this on my Blackberry with a jungle pond not but a meter to my left. Did I mention that the mosquitos are following me? OK, some of them are on me!

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SONG DEDICATED TO AMOR ON RAINBOW FM 90.7

2008-09-24T17:49:00.000-07:00

This song was dedicated to Amor Ministries by Humphrey at Rainbow FM 90.7 in Johannesburg, South Africa. Humphrey wrote: "dedication to Amor Ministries-Sáciame Señor/Yo Sé Que Estás Aquí by Donnie McClurkin & JoAnn Rosario" and aired it early this week. What a beautiful and appropriate song to be devoted to Amor!

LIVE SOUTH AFRICA BROADCAST

2008-09-21T23:11:00.000-07:00

As I promised on my last blog post.....here is tonight's live broadcast from my living room to Rainbow FM 90.7 in Johannesburg, South Africa. I think the interview talks for itself so with no further adieu.... click the photo below. I hope you enjoy this short conversation about what just happened in the US economy, what just occurred this morning in South Africa politics, and see how I avoided a controversial political opinion that Humphrey often likes to drag, or should I say, "trap me into".

Click the photo to the left to hear the live radio interview.

AMOR'S NEW BROADCAST STUDIO

2008-09-19T12:07:00.001-07:00

Our partnership with Rainbow FM 90.7 in Johannesburg, South Africa has taken on a whole new dimension with Amor's acquisition of a portable broadcasting studio. Humphrey Birkenstock at Rainbow FM has regularly been asking me to call into his morning radio broadcast. Sometimes I am at the Amor Headquarters in San Diego but most of the time I am calling from home to his morning show in Johannesburg which normally airs at 6:50am (Johannesburg time) to about 9am (Johannesburg time) which for me is 9:46pm (California time) to about midnight (California time). We are doing a short broadcast from San Diego this Sunday, September 21 at 9:45pm (PST). You can hear this broadcast live at this time at R ainbow FM 90 .7 audio strea min g (http://rainbowfm.netdynamix.co.za/) or by going to the website at Rainbow FM 90.7 at www.rainbowfm.co.za and clicking on "Audio Streaming". I am also going to record this Sunday's broadcast and we should be able to have it available on the next blog post.

Scotty and Steve at Amor Ministries broadcasting to
Rainbow FM 90.7 via the internet to the Global Christian
Community of Rainbow FM 90.7

Here is the new Rainbow FM/Amor 90.7's California,
USA broadcast studio at Amor Ministries Headquarters
in San Diego, California... in the offices of Amor CEO
Scott Congdon.

Click the image to the left to hear the live recording of Humphrey at Rainbow FM 90.7 announcing the new San Diego broadcast studio.

Click the image to the left to go to the website for Rainbow FM 90.7 where they announce even more about the new San Diego studio.

Why Pray?

2008-08-26T10:23:00.001-07:00

I have always been intrigued and amazed by the significance of prayer and, as many call it today, "the power of prayer". In graduate school at Azusa Pacific University in the early 1990's one of my professors, Don Goehner shared how the President of Mission Aviation Fellowship regularly prayed 3 (yes three) hours a day. He was often seen walking through their headquarters in the early mornings praying the halls, over staff members desks, and at the picture wall of their missionaries around the world. From that day on I have always been concerned that I find the time to dedicate daily prayer for the ministry, the people I know, and what ever God places on my heart to pray about.

I would love to read about how busy executives who travel manage to keep prayer as a priority. Its bad enough trying to keep your exercise routine going much less your healthy diet regiment active when you travel a lot. For me all the above have often been hit and miss. But, as they say, there is no excuse for the present. I find that if I don't write it down, or don't put it in my calendar things often don't get done or addressed. What works for me is having "PRAYER" scheduled the first thing every morning in my calendar so that I am reminded and committed to daily prayer. With today's technology it is so easy to schedule some time like this. Just go to "7am" on any day and hit "recurring daily" and its in your schedule for life. Just a practical idea. I would love to hear other's ideas that have worked as well.

Bishop Desmond Tutu Praying on the cover.

It may not be necessary for me to write something as elemental as to why prayer is important but something that I recently read reminded me again of the relevancy and magnitude of talking with our Creator. Bishop Desmond Tutu, the Noble Peace Prize winner and South Africa priest, sometime during the apartheid in South Africa was visiting General Theological Seminary in New York. While there he met a nun who was essentially what they call a "solitary nun". Most of her time was spent away from people, in solitude, and in the presence of God. In a conversation with Bishop Tutu she shared that, "I live in the woods in California, and my day starts at two in the morning, and I pray for you."

Bishop Tutu responded, "Here I am being prayed for at two in the morning in the woods in California! What chance does the apartheid government stand?" The Bishop went on to say, "Most of us don't take seriously the power of payer. How much we owe to those dear old ladies who faithfully go to the Eucharist every Wednesday morning. They are unspectacular, unsung. We're probably going to discover that some extraordinary things when we get to heaven. We'll be amazed at the number of people who sustained us."

Never, never underestimate the power of prayers!!

*Dedicated to Greg Yova and appreciation to Dan Irving.

STAYING ON MISSION

2008-08-15T11:34:00.000-07:00

I have been hanging out at the Presbyterian Global Fellowship conference in Long Beach the last couple days. One of Amor's actively involved churches is Solana Beach Persbyterian and their Pastor, Mike McClenahan was the opening key note speaker. I am here with some 1,000 people from all over, representing 34 states and 4 continents. Amor Ministries has an powerful presence here with an exhibit booth, a full page advertisement in the conference folder, a full logo on every tote page for every participant, a conference folder sponsor, and a huge Amor logo on the stage screen shown at the general sessions, and more.

I wanted to pass on a little about what Pastor Mike shared that really set the mood for me and hit things right were they needed to be hit. As South African Christian radio broadcaster, Humphrey Birkenstock, often says, "Hit me!". First Mike framed things as they are, "We are in a post- Christian/post-denominational [era]." The reality is that the US is a mission field and always has been. The declining number of so many denominations in the US sends a chilling message that we must all face our "relevance". I remember once asking Humphrey Birkenstock at Rainbow FM 90.7 how he measured his success in the Christian broadcasting business. Humphrey said, "I measure our success on how relevant we are in our community." I was a little embarrassed of thinking he was going to say how many listeners or advertisers he had.

Another speaker yesterday, Alan Hirsch, stated that "consumerism" has become our most influential and powerful religion. As a matter of fact, he once used to be a marketing executive and he shared that the marketing leaders of today are saying that they are filling the void that the church has left behind. They are fervently using the vocabulary of the church in a very scary way. They are leveraging the spiritual needs and voids in people's lives with a search for meaning, significance, and purpose through a message of a fulfillment in consumerism and materialism. Buyer beware!! Do you realize that you are exposed to over 2,000 advertisements a day.

One of Mike's most powerful statements was that we need to "move evangelism out of the hands of the professionals and into the hands of the people- as sent people of God." The church", he said, "needs to be "inwardly stong, and outwardly focused." He shared how his church has sent over 600 people to Mexico with Amor in the last 3 years. Mike believes that all of God's people are his "sent people" and that they need to all experience what it is like to be "sent".

Here are a couple random quotes that I took today that I just love:

"God created us in his image and then we returned the favor." Voltare

"Jesus was in the neighborhood for 30 years and no one knew it. This is the humanity of Christ." Alan Hirsch

"I've come to the conclusion that God does not want mission to be part of the church- but the heart of the church. Doug Henderson

"I won't die happy until every one in our church has a vital missional connection." Tom Theriault

"The highest calling is wherever God has put you." John Knapp

URBAN SAINTS RADIO INTERVIEW IN UK

2008-07-30T10:36:00.000-07:00

While in the United Kingdom this month Gayla and I had the pleasure of meeting with the leadership of Urban Saints. We conferred with many of the staff of Urban Saints and discussed our partnership to facilitate mission trips to South Africa and Mexico. To read more about Urban Saints click their logo below:

To hear the live radio interview podcast with Gayla and Lyn Ellis from Urban Saints headquarters in Luton, United Kingdom click the photo below:

Gayla Congdon (left), Lyn Ellis (center), Humphrey Birkenstock (right)
doing live radio broadcast to Rainbow FM 90.7 in Johannesburg, South Africa.

UNITING THE KINGDOM

2008-07-14T15:02:00.001-07:00

Gayla and I are traveling over the United Kingdom this week. We started in Pwll, Wales last Saturday after landing at London Gatwick Airport and taking a 2 hour train ride to Pwll. Dan Irving from Chico, California and Humphrey Birkenstock, from Johannesburg, South Africa joined us for the train ride that actually lasted 3 hours. It seems that the commonly on time train service had a delay, what they call a "signal malfunction". After waiting for 45 minutes on the tracks the train continued on and we were met by Andy, the Director of Urban Saints. The delay with the train meant that Gayla missed her speaking at the general session. We were more than able to make up for this over the next two days as Bill Hebner graciously found opportunities for us to share about Amor and the South Africa trip at numerous occasions. This camp was located beside a river that opened out to the Atlantic ocean. Just under 200 young people were camped out in tents learning about Christ and how they could help change the world.

Monday, Gayla, Dan and I took a train back to London while Humphrey headed north to Rhyl, Wales, home of Bill Hebner and family. We are in London now to meet with the leadership of Toc H, Urban Saints and Young Life. The adventure of the day was when we arrived in London at the Paddington Train Station. We had just arrived and stopped in the station for a cup of coffee. Just as we began to sip our coffees a loud alarm went off announcing that were were to evacuate the terminal immediately. Hundreds of people quickly left the train station to the streets of London. A bag left on a train dock caused suspicion of a bomb and the police had us evacuate. We have surely left the peace and quiet of Wales. We found a suitable hotel in the Kensington district and met with an old acquaintance of Dan Irving's from his Toc H days some 30 years ago.

I took a short walk outside the hotel after dinner to discover that we were just blocks from Kensington Palace. In 2000 I had the pleasure of meeting with the personal assistant of the Duke and Duchess of Kent who were residing at the palace. This was also were Princess Diana had an apartment, adjacent to the personal assistance office. I had gotten a private behind the scene tour of the palace courtyard and then treated to fish and chips at the Goat Tavern across the street from the Palace. What was quite unique was the personal assistance had been on a mission trip with Amor the previous year. We share stories of Mexico and I learned that he had decided to pursue a career in the ministry. I only recently managed to connect again with him to learn that he is now an acting minister with a church in England.

One great story I have to share was told by Bill Hebner this weekend. There is a show called the "Secret Millionaire" here in the UK. It seems the show sent cameras and a crew to follow Bill around in Rhyl, Wales after hearing about all the great work he has been doing for the community. Bill took them around for days showing them all the great work going on by all sorts of people. By the time they stopped filming and following Bill, the Secret Millionaire announced all sorts of charitable contributions to various people and charitiable entities that Bill had shown them. Much to our delight, one if them was Toc H which I had introduced Bill to in his very own home town of Rhyl a few years ago. It appears that the Secret Millionaire made a 30,000 pound comtribution ($60k US) to the Rhyl Toc H Chapter. In case you didn't remember, Toc H of the UK funded the program at the University of California in Irvine, California called Community Concern in the 1970's which was the group I first went to Mexico with to the Tijuana orphanage where I met Gayla and where we subsequently started Amor Ministries!

CANCUN CAMPUS ENTRANCE

2008-07-08T11:27:00.000-07:00

I thought you might be interested in seeing the current architectural renderings of the proposed gated entrance to the Amor Cancun Campus. This first gate is actually the front entrance to the entire 100 acre residential community being planned. The Amor Campus will be located towards the back of the community. Work is already underway for the entrance which includes an office, a small store, and a meeting area.

Front gate to "La Cienega" and Amor Campus.

Front gate with a view of the office, store and patio on the right.

View of front gate from within "La Cienega". The Caribbean is
just two miles off in the horizon.

WE ARE BUILDING A CHRISTIAN CAMPUS!!

2008-07-07T16:28:00.000-07:00

On a recent trip to Cancun, Mexico to work on the planning for our Cancun Campus I met someone I had previously met nearly eight years ago. Macario Morales was the recipient of the last home Amor built in Cancun. It was in early 2000 when Amor built a home for Macario with his wife and 4 children. Unfortunately things became difficult in the Morales family and they separated. Gilberto Figeroa met Macario at the church they were the both were attending. Gilberto was helping build the church as he continues to do today.

Gilberto at the church he has been helping build.

For nearly 5 years Gilberto lost touch with Macario. Just 4 months ago Gilberto decided to track him down. Macario was driving a taxi in Cancun. Gilberto needed a mechanic to work on his vehicles including the tractor was being used to build the road and grade the land where Amor’s future campus with be. Macario is a handy man of all kinds.

Macario (on the left) and Gilberto (on the right)

The Amor Campus is located in a development called “La Cienega” which in English basically means a “a big place with water”. Gilberto is developing a residential gated community of some 100 acres located just 10 miles south of the Cancun International Airport. It is nearly a mile off the main Cancun-Tulum highway. That mile feels several miles since it is deep in the Yucatan jungle. There is currently no inhabitants, much less electricity, running water, or any amenities- just raw pristine jungle with a meandering limestone gravel road (known as ‘sascabe’) that runs directly to the entrance of the Amor Campus.

Gilberto and Macario discussing repairs needed
on the tractor at the entrance to the housing and
Amor Campus project.

Macario is currently fixing the tractor that is situated at the entrance to La Cienega. This is a small, old, but capable tractor known as “Mosquito”. Macario also drives the tractor as he continues to build roads and grade the entire La Cienega and Amor Campus project. The tractor is driven six days a week from 8am to 5pm, raining or not. And it rains a lot here. Why do you think they call it a jungle?

Gilberto has been ministering to Macario every since they became re-aquianted. Just last week Macario promised to go back to church this week. Gilberto says Macario is a great worker and a good man. He knows he is working on the Amor Campus as do all of Gilberto’s other workers. Knowing that they are helping build a Christian Campus gives them incredible motivation to brave the often stifling heat and humidity in the jungle. Gilberto reminds them of the story of the 3 brick layers who was asked what they were doing. The first brick layer said, “ I am laying bricks, of course.” The second brick layer say, “I am building a wall.” The third brick layer said, “Why I am building a catheral!”

Gilberto said that all his workers know that they aren’t just cutting roads our of the jungle with a machete. They aren’t just driving a tractor to level the ground. No, they aren’t just cutting down trees to clear they terrain. They all know they in their own personal way they are building God’s kingdom. They are building a Christian Campus to train pastors and missionaries who will change the world in the name of Jesus.

FAMILY CAMP TALKS TO JOHANNESBURG

2008-06-28T15:51:00.000-07:00

I was in the Mexico/US border line this week heading home after having spending the evening at Rancho Amor (Tijuana, Mexico) with our Family Camp. While in the border line behind a line of some 50 cars I text messaged Humphrey Birkenstock at Rainbow FM 90.7. I was actually listening to his 7am (Johannesburg time) broadcast and thought he would enjoy knowing that I was listening to him using my wireless card on my laptop. His streaming live broadcast from Johannesburg was coming in over the internet like it was a local Tijuana, Mexico radio station.

Click the picture of me below to hear this broadcast:

Click photo to the left to hear the radio interview.

I am wearing the hat that Humphrey Birkenstock gave me
in South Africa. It says, "Building hope, one home at a time.
South Africa 2008." I also understand that the color
orange signifies "hope" in Africa.

HELLO JOHANNESBURG

2008-06-25T09:16:00.000-07:00

What started as a great friendship and partnership with Johannesburg radio station manager, Humphrey Birkenstock, last May in, of all places, Tijuana, Mexico, has lead to nearly weekly live broadcasts to Rainbow FM 90.7 as I have been traveling. I have had the pleasure of talking with Humphrey on the radio from places such as Cancun, Mexico; Tijuana, Mexico; Rosarito Mexico; San Diego, California; and Lake Almanor in Northern California.

Is quite amazing to think that we call call on our cell phone or use SKYPE and call over the internet to a radio station and be heard by nearly a half a million people 10,000 miles away. Its both exciting and inspiring to see how the love of Christ is being broadcast all over the world via the internet, satellites, and soon cell phones. Humphrey just sent a Facebook email to all his friends saying that this summer Rainnbow FM 90.7 would be deploying audio streaming that would work on cell phones around the world. Amazing!

Click the picture below to go to the most recent Podcast I did of an live radio interview we broadcast from Northern California to Johannesburg, some 10,000 miles away:

Click picture to the left to go to the Podcast.

Oh, by the way. If you haven't already seen it, I thought you would enjoy seeing the t-shirt design that Humphrey did for our March 2008 mission trip to Johannesburg. Before being a radio jock, Humphrey did a lot of graphic design. What a talented guy.

CLEAN WATER

2008-06-05T21:10:00.000-07:00

Amor recently completed our first water filtration project at Rancho Amor in Tijuana, Mexico. For years we have dreamed of developing a way to give the families we serve in Mexico a simple, low cost, and low maintenance solution to clean, drinkable water.

According to a published report from El Economista, ninety-five percent of Mexico's fresh water supply is contaminated, and 25 percent of the country's water treatment plants operate inadequately. The report listed other scary statistics as well stating that thirteen million Mexicans do not have access to potable water and another 27 million lack proper drainage systems.

Such a huge dilemma demanded some research and a response by Amor. Kamar Chafi, Amor Intern and recent graduate of San Diego State University, has spent this year tackling this issue and organized the training and construction of the first water filtration system used by Amor. Through a coordinated effort of Darrell Larson at Canyon View Christian Fellowship , Cup of Hope International , and Amor Ministries an extensive training session was undertaken and then the construction of an actual BioSand water filter was completed.

The first step was filling the metal form with concrete.
This only takes about a half bag of cement- a readily
available product around the world.

The cement is allowed to dry in the metal form with the
lid securely closed. It is then allowed to set
over night.

We loosened the bolts and banged on the sides of
the mold as we slid the hardened filter out of the
mold. Voila, a SandBio Filter is born. Gravel and
sand was then placed in the filter.

In the picture above the cloudy water on the right
was poured into the filter the day we made the
filter which had only just been filled with sand
and gravel.

As you can see, the filter cleaned out probably
70% of the matter in the water. Wait 6-8 weeks
and the naturally forming algae will grow throughout
the sand in the filter and complete the process of
cleaning the water. Once the algae takes hold the
filter will clean the water 90-99 percent.

The team that made the this all possible is shown above.
The first BioSand Filter built at Amor and displayed
at Rancho Amor in Tijuana, Mexico.

This it truly a monumental occasion as we have now installed and
displayed the very first piece of "appropriate technology"
at the Ranch. This is the beginning of our dream for a Center of
Appropriate Technology showcasing hundreds and
hundreds of technologies that can improve the
conditions and lives of the 3 billion people around
the world that live on less than 2 dollars a day.

RELIEF IN ENSENADA, MEXICO

2008-06-04T13:47:00.001-07:00

I am writing this blog as we are driving along the Ensenada-Tijuana coastal highway after having met with former Amor board member John Shattuck. Don't worry, Steve Horrex, Amor Director of International Relations, is driving. I am typing this email out on my laptop as he swerves along the cliffs above the Pacific Ocean listening to an out of frequency Mexican radio station. To add to the fun of the winding cliff road we also have coastal fog and rain. In San Diego we call this "June Gloom".

We just completed meeting with John Shattuck at his manufacturing plant in Ensenada to look at a prototype home made of OSB. For those of you who don't know or didn't know, like me, OSB stands for "Oriental Strand Board". Don't ask me why. This prototype house is made of pre-constructed panels consising of a Styrofoam core sandwiched between two pieces of "OSB" panels. Even the roof is made of from these panels. The insulating factor is excellent.

This home is being design to be used as a quick build disaster/relief shelter. Ideally, this stype home could be loaded into cargo containers and shipped or flown anywhere in the world to provide permanent emergency shelter. It can be built easily in less than a day. We discussed numerous options and modifications to this design that should enable us to build the first model by the end of the year. The prototype we saw, as shown in the photograph above, was 11 feet wide, by 14 feel long. The model that Amor will be testing will look more like our convention al Amor single homes with a floor measurement of 11 feet by 22 feet. Just as the current Amor singles have, this model will also have a single sloping roof at the height of 8 feet high one side and 7 feet high on the other.

30 YEARS TO MEXICO

2008-05-24T22:17:00.000-07:00

Gayla and I spoke at First Christian Church (FCC) of Concord this evening. FCC has been going to Mexico for 30 years. Yes, their youth group has been going to Mexico that long. Longer than Amor has even existed. But Gayla worked with them on their first trip in 1978 in Tijuana, Mexico when she was living at a Tijuana orphanage. After Gayla and I met for the first time that same year I began working with them and in the early eighties we moved from working on the orphanage to building the first homes in the Tijuana dump. Yes, I said "dump". It was here that the city was sending their garbage and where well over a hundred homeless children lived and more than 300 impoverished families lived off the garbage.

FCC Concord Celebrates 30 Years of Ministry to Mexico

In those early years, Youth Director Bill McNabb and Steven Mabry brought their Northern California youth groups to rustic Tijuana, Mexico. These were the days of showing up in Mexico with a general idea of what we were going to do and the youth group bringing what cash they had raise. We had to plan the projects and buy the materials the day the groups arrived in Mexico! Oh the thrill of it.

It was amazing hearing all the stories of people who had gone on trips to Mexico with Amor. One adult had gone on more than 16 trips to Mexico. FCC Concord Senior Pastor Russ Peterman has led trips from his previous church assignments as well from LaFayette, (California) and Sandy Springs (Georgio). Russ had even gone on the very first Amor trip to Cancun, Mexico to help put a roof on a home and establish the beginning of Amor in the tropics of the Yucatan.

This was a wonderful evening hearing such great stories and seeing their enthusiasm for their upcoming Mexico trips. 30 years of of ministry to Mexico, 28 years of partnership with Amor, and we look forward to what the next 30+ years of ministry bring.

OFF TO MEXICO THEY GO!

2008-05-24T14:28:00.001-07:00

Gayla and I stopped in at Solana Beach Presbyterian Church this morning to see the 350 participants load up on MexiCoach buses this morning.

They left about 8am and headed to Tijuana, Mexico to join the other40 members of their church who were at Rancho Amor in Tijuana already setting up their camp.

That's a total of 380 people from Solana Beach to build homes over the long Memorial weekend. Six MexiCoach buses and a long line of assorted shuttle buses, cargo vans and other vehicles followed right behind.

Past Amor Board member- Polly Nelson (in red jacket on the left), Amor Co-Founder- Gayla Congdon (my adorable wife in black in the center), and past Amor Board member and Senior Pastor of Solana Beach Presbyterian Church- Mike McClenahan (on right in jeans, of course!) had a great time visiting with all those people going on the buses to Mexico.

One of the last sights we saw as this great team of compassionate servants began heading south was past Amor board member- Polly Nelson waving her banner for her team as she lead them to the bus to head south.

In three days this huge team will build over 20 homes. I wish Gayla and I could be there but we are at the San Diego airport right now getting ready to board a plane to Oakland, CA to speak First Christian Church Concord and First Christian Church San Francisco this weekend. I really look forward to reporting to you how their weekend goes. I am sure they are all really happy as the buses pulled away and the clouds broke open for the sun to shine through. It looks like the rain that has saturated San Diego and Tijuana has finally moved on. Hurray!! McClenahan mentioned that he was glad the rain passed through and put a damper on the normally ever present dirt and dust. He did comment on how the sawing of the wood might be a little more difficult the first day since some of the wood may have gotten soaked. "A challenge we will gladly will take on", he said with a smile.

LIVE BROADCAST TO SOUTH AFRICA

2008-05-22T22:10:00.000-07:00

I just got of the phone with Rainbow FM 90.7 in Johannesburg, South Africa. I once again had the pleasure of talking live with radio station manager Humphrey Birkenstock. It still is quite an amazing phenomenon to think you call can from your home in San Diego and talk to a radio station in Johannesburg and be heard in a city of some 6 million people more than 10,000 miles away.

Humphrey and I had talked on the phone yesterday mostly for me to get a proper perspective on the news about South Africa that has been running on all the US media. Recent riots in the poorest communities in Johannesburg have made international headlines and they describe nearly two dozen communities that have been affected. Rising costs of food, major unemployment, and the perception of broken promises by the government for such essentials as housing have driven them to desperate measures. Their anger is being focused on the estimated 3 million undocumented foreigners who have fled Zimbabwe and Botswana from the north of South Africa. Conditions far worse than in South Africa have driven them from their homelands.

Our discussion on the radio was in part to answer my questions about how the media was reporting this situation and for Humphrey to let his listeners hear how the US and international community was perceiving this news. If I didn't know anything about South Africa I would be deeply concerned about making travel plans to South Africa. I think foreign investors are likely looking at this news also and getting very concerned.

But lets talk about the reality of the situation as it is today. Twenty two people have been killed as a result of these pressures but to the everyday person in Johannesburg, six million no less, life is as normal as it has always been. The news has an amazing way of creating what I continue to call a disproportionate response. Why this morning I read in my own local paper that 11 homes had been broken into and robbed since April in the neighborhood where I grew up and where my parents still live. This is a really nice neighborhood, and one full of million dollar and up homes. Based on the brief news I read, if I reacted like many are regarding South Africa and the drug wars in Mexico I probably would stop driving the 10 or so miles to visit my parents.

The good news is that 9 million tourists visited south Africa last year and that number is expected to climb to 10 million by 2010. At present Amor has an estimated 700 mission trip participants going to South Africa next year, up from 75 participants this year.

MEETING WITH THE CITY OF TIJUANA

2008-05-21T17:10:00.000-07:00

I've been on a world wind tour of Tijuana and Rosarito, Mexico today. Steve Horrex, Amor Director of International Relations, and Gayla, Amor Chief Spiritual Officer, and I met with the top city officials of Tijuana. Our intent was to meet the newly elected officials now in office in Tijuana, re-acquaint them with Amor, and request their support in locating land for a new camp and Center of Appropriate Technology. Among the officials we met with were the head Administrator for the city as well as the Director of Public Relations. As usual, they were very receptive, appreciative and more than welcome to assist us.

Steve will be going with officials in the next week or so to look at potential available property for our needs. This all goes so well in hand with our newly developed partnership with one of Tijuana's leading universities, the University of Tijuana.

Immediately after our meeting with the city, I drove to the old Tijuana dump. Not the original Tijuana dump were we built our first homes in 1985-1990, but the old, new dump that has recently been closed and moved towards Tecate. As it was, Amor board member Dan Kuban was working with a college group from his church in Tennessee. This week they have been doing some additions for some very need families. After many years of working with Amor at our Juarez location, Dan had never seen the areas in Tijuana where we work. Dan and I drove from his work location at the dump, our our Rosarito Beach camp, south though Rosarito Beach, past the Foxploration movies studios to what is knows as Dos Mil (2000) highway. This is Tijuana's newest highway project and traverses the far south extreme hills of Tijuana and wraps all the way around to the eastern fringes of Tijuana, almost to the border community and border crossing of Otay.

We visited several work sites were Amor had built homes and then visited Rancho Amor, our main camp in Tijuana. It was interesting seeing the Ranch before the big Memorial weekend. There were nearly a hundred tents laying flat on the ground in preparation for the weekend groups. I am not sure how many groups or people for that matter will be at Ranch this weekend, but its a lot. I'll let you know on my next post.

Our travels reminded how much Tijuana is continuing to grow. Tijuana is a big city now, well into 3 million people. I love this city. From the ocean, the beaches, through the city, to the rural countryside, its city of adventure and amazing history. I was reminded of how much this city means to us as Gayla shared just that sentiment with the city leaders today with here eyes watering up. She has been involved with ministry in Tijuana for well over 30 years. Amor has been involved for 28 years here. It breaks her heart and mine about all the disproportionate media regarding the supposed violence in Mexico. There is a war on drugs in Mexico, thank goodness.

SOUTH AFRICA REFLECTIONS

2008-04-18T17:58:00.000-07:00

Its hard for us to believe that nearly two weeks have passed since we all returned from the South Africa mission trip. I think that part of the delay of writing this post is that so many things have been running through all our heads regarding this amazing trip. This was truly a history making, "His Story" making (as author Dan Irving describes it) and life changing experience. We have all come back with memories of amazing experiences, our hearts changed, and a renewed passion to return to South Africa with a fervor.

I thought that I would let this post tell its story in pictures and other people's testimonies before I find the clarity to give my perspective on this trip.

To start with I think seeing the trip video that was created by trip participant, Doug Hurrell (Ribbit Media Productions) tells much of this great story. Click the Youtube link below to see the video Doug created for the Amor and United Kingdom group. Its about 8 minutes.

Youtube Video of Amor/UK South Africa 2008 Mission Trip

Another great link to visit is a Facebook page created by two of our South Africa mission trip participants, Hannah Halpin and Claire-Emily Kingsley. Click the link below to see all sorts of resources and other links:

Facebook Page of Amor/UK South Africa 2008 Mission Trip

You have got to check out the Fickr account we set up for us all to upload our photographs of this trip at the link below. There are 1.419 photos already uploaded and more being sent each week. Some of the people who have contributed to taking and collecting all these photos include Steve Cosgrove, Dan Irving, Steve Horrex, and yours truly, Scotty.

Flickr Photos Page of Amor/UK South Africa 2008 Mission Trip

Humphrey Birkenstock put a photo album on his South Africa radio station's Webite and you can see it by clicking below:

Rainbow FM 90.7 Photo Album of Amor House Housebuilding in Grasmere, South Africa

Dan Irving and Humphrey Birkenstock in Front of 5 New Amor Homes

Oh, one more link I think you might enjoy! Dan Irving spoke in his church, EV Free Chico, just before we left for South Africa. Its about 15 minutes long. Click below:

Dan Irving Speaking At EV Free Chico About The Upcoming South Africa Trip

Momentum for our future in South Africa continues to build as Steve Horrex and Dan Irving facilitate a South Africa celebration this Sunday at EV Free Church in Chico. I continue to work diligently in planning our future trips for 2009.

Stay tuned for upcoming announcements on what we have planned South Africa in 2009!!!

HIS STORY

2008-03-30T21:02:00.000-07:00

THE HISTORIC NEWS FLASH!

But first, on the much lighter side, a little more from the Scott Congdon and Steve Horrex show. These two have been working together for 25+ years and it does show. What they have worked for, planned for and orchestrated here in South Africa with Humphrey Birkenstock of Rainbow FM and Bill Hebner and his group from the U.K. is nothing short of a miracle. The planting of a mustard seed that is already growing with the anticipation of 500 volunteers coming in 2009 to build even more houses! It has already started.

Today was the day for many goodbyes and many tears were shed. Tommy the manager of Ebenzers Community Center couldn’t say goodbye. He just couldn’t do it. He was so moved by what happened here. He just couldn’t say goodbye and he just had to stay away because he didn’t want us to go.

After most everyone left, Steve and Scott could let down. Whether they will admit it or not (and they won’t) they have been under a tremendous amount of stress which has resulted with sleepless nights and some “burp,” indigestion. However, back in the car, with most everyone gone, they are back to their old selves and it went like this with Scott at the wheel and Steve in the navigator’s seat:

Steve to Scott: Turn right.
Scott: No it’s a left.
Steve: No, it’s a right. You [turkey].
Scott: Don’t call me that you [turkey]. I know it’s a left.
Steve: No you don’t, because you’re wrong.
Scott: Yes I do. I know I’m right!
Steve: Shut up!
Scott: Why should I when I know I’m right.
Steve: You don’t know, because I know you’re wrong.
And on and on and on it will hopefully continue as His Story becomes our story. His Story is the Bible which is called the “Living Word” and His Story has been alive and well with what God has accomplished through Amor here in South Africa. And for the Historic News Flash :

5 double wide homes in 5 days (Never been done here before!)

5 homes in 5 days at a cost almost 40% less than what the African government
said it could be done for!

5 homes in 5 days with a construction style that has been validated in Mexico for
the past 28 years, with thousands of homes being built with a totally different
style of construction than what South Africa is accustom to!

And we did it in less time than the South African government said it could be
done.

Peoples lives were changed as we experienced each other and many found their
faith and now know they can trust in God!

The truth is, we didn’t do this, God did it through us and it brings hope for the future of South Africa. Won’t you please join us!

MANUAL & LABOR

2008-03-28T21:28:00.000-07:00

We toil away on this the hot African day in this labor of love and we brought along with us two very important characters, all the way from Mexico. No, they are not Steve Horrex and Scott Congdon—but in a way they are—because here they are, here we all are: Manual and Labor.

It has been decided we are going to stay an extra day at Ebenezers to finish the houses. But the kids are tired and we are too. With an extra day we can take a mid-day break and we are off to Joburg (Johannesburg) for shopping at the flea market. Along the way, we pass the construction site of the new soccer (their football) stadium being built for the Word Cup, where the eyes of the world will be on South Africa in 2010. If we think the Super Bowl is big, it is small in comparison to the worldly audience of the World Cup where over a billion people will watch. We all get a nice break and some of us shop. No, we did not find Livingston and he’s still missing, however I did find something better, believe or not, I actually bumped into one of my relatives. Unbelievable!? And it wasn’t just one relative because I bumped into three. First it was my brother, then it was my sister and then (“Oh No!”) it was my Mother. That was great. However, the only question I have is: if they were my brother, my sister and my mother; why did they want all of my money as I bartered for their goods?

Scott, Jackson, and Dan (I think Dan drew in Scott's ears)

In 2010, after the World Cup there will be a World Conference of ministers in South Africa and Amor will be there. They will hear about what God is doing with Amor. Many will come and see the tangible fruits of God’s love, His manual labor. The building of homes—5 homes in 5 days!—and the building up of His people, with His Spirit, the Holy Spirit. Truly, the only way to describe this experience is as “Amazing!”

Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

THE HISTORIC NEWS FLASH SHALL BE POSTED ON THIS BLOG MONDAY, MARCH 31st!

BUY A DONKEY!

2008-03-27T20:27:00.000-07:00

Construction, Construction, Construction. That is what we are doing. With Bill Hebner’s eclectic group of young warriors; kids and young adults, many who have never been to Church and who have never swung a hammer or wielded a saw. They are an absolutely magnificent group of young pioneers who are building 5 houses in 5 days. And unbeknownst to them they are on a Crusade to break down the walls that separate us and to build bridges that connect us by building five houses in five days. That is so much worth repeating: FIVE HOUSES IN FIVE DAYS! God is accomplishing this through us in South Africa. We are His hands and His legs and we are His labor; and it is through His labor of love that we are here building homes and hope in South Africa.

Being here, doing this, as the British would say is “off the bleeding charts.” Nothing is random, nothing is coincidence, what we all are experiencing is by Divine Incidence.

These kids and young adults and us older guys and gals too; we are all having the experience of a lifetime. Really! Every action and every interaction with the South Africans and with each other are amazing interactions where God is planting and building amazing relationships. We are building homes together. Homes to help keep families to together; it is the cornerstone of Amor Ministries. The miracle that happens with this ministry of Love (Amor means love in Spanish) is that we are building these homes, God is building us His Home in our hearts; something which is critical to our very lives and to any hope we can have for our future, especially our future together with God in what we are to labor to achieve; our Home in Heaven with Him. And so we say, over and over again, “Buy a Donkey, Buy a Donkey,” which in Afrikaans means “Thank you very much, Thank you very much!”

IT'S LIVE

2008-03-26T22:24:00.000-07:00

Humphrey and Rainbow FM have set up a live broadcast at Ebenezers and he starts our day with Afrikaan reggae. We begin the mourning with a blast. Then Humphrey interviews the kids and young adults from the worksite. The energy here is sky-high. Everyone loves it as they talk about it.

Humphrey is a most incredible man. He says: “Nobody influences me. Nobody can tell me anything. The only one I listen to is God.”

The walls are up the, windows and doors are going in; soon the roofing materials will arrive. Nails are being pounded, wood is being cut as friendships and relationships are being formed. God is alive and doing so very well here in South Africa and HE is living through us and we are so very much alive.

ARE YOU GOING TO HELP US?

2008-03-25T13:41:00.000-07:00

The work continues with the framing and by the end of the day some walls are up. It’s beginning to look like a small development of model tract homes. For the 75 youth, their leaders from

Wales

and our contractor in the field, Steve Horrex, this is a long, hot trying day. The siding arrives and it’s the wrong size.

Drink water, everyone drink water, lots of water. For some of these youth it is the hardest working day of their life… and they are doing a fantastic job.

More than 7 million South Africans live in shacks with little to no basic human services like water or sanitation. The poverty rate has escalated to 55% and the unemployment rate amongst the African youth is 80%.

Ebenezers is located between two townships and about 400 yards behind us is a squatter community. A squatter community is when people start living on somebody’s private property. If the owner doesn’t respond immediately by forcing them off, others come; in the hundreds—and then the thousands. The owner looses control of his interest. This squatter’s community started up 15 years ago with over a thousand family members. Nobody really knows how many people live here, because in the squalor of poverty there is no way to tell. Humphrey takes 6 of us in and we do a photo/video/news shoot. In the middle of this community they have cut the field; it’s their soccer field. A game is being played and there are hundreds watching. School is off this week and they will play football all day. The houses are made of sheet metal and heavy rocks hold the roof on. There are no windows and in the heat of the day these shacks are ovens. In front of one, behind the barb wire are three generations of one family; a grandfather, grandmother, two daughters, 3 grandchildren and two dogs. We smile and they smile back. The grandmother says something. I cannot hear her. I move closer. She calls out again. I still cannot understand. She calls out again, this time I hear her say “Are you going to help us?”

FIRE

2008-03-24T13:38:00.000-07:00

We are on fire! Both from the incredible Easter Sunday service we experienced to the dancing in the rain. We’re ready to work and the day starts off by breaking into teams. Suddenly, Keith Meadows screams “FIRE!” Panic! Keith quickly directs the panic into an organized response with a mad dash for buckets of water to douse the flames. It was an electrical fire, probably the result of 80 new residents over taxing their limited electrical system. We caught it in time.

Scott “Scotty” Congdon walks from his room into a small open courtyard and has a serious de-ja-vu. He stops in his tracks and is momentarily stunned by this revelation of “Ephesians 1:11-12: In Him we are also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of Him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of His will, in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of His Glory.

It’s time to get to work and we come out of the chute running. The slabs are poured, all the framing is be pre-cut in the tent and the teams commence building the twenty exterior walls in sections. It’s a long hot day of Amor construction under the beautiful hot African sun.

Neil Jones from Wales is only 14 years old and towards the end of the day he is asked to describe his experience so far. Neil says, “Amazing! It is the only word that could begin to describe this.” He and his older brother Karl needed to raise $1,800 to make this trip. Their small Welch-Baptist church called Llanelwy consists of only 35 people. Neil said that the South Africans he’s met are “friendly, upbeat and positive and I’ve fallen in love with them in a matter of days.”

It is apparent to us that Ebenezers Community Center is a solid “Gold” nugget in this field of the Lord and it is becoming more and more evident to us that we are meant to be here!

EASTER SUNDAY- DANCING IN THE RAIN

2008-03-23T22:50:00.002-07:00

It's Easter Sunday and we're celebrating at Harvestime Dome, a non-denominational church located in one of the pooest areas in Johannesbug. They sing, they dance, they raise their hands up and celebrate: "Hosanna, Hossana, Jesus Christ is King!” They embrace each other, and some are moved to tears. It is Resurrection Sunday which for the past 2008 years represents the greatest day in the history of mankind. Pastor Dalton whose home we are staying at leads the service and he welcomes us warmly. There is a full Gospel choir, a drummer, a keyboardist, a guitarist and the children dance. This large auditorium is filled with spiritual evangelical energy and we are lifted up by the celebration. Pastor Dalton teaches that God has a plan and a purpose for our lives. We are not here by choice or accident, we are here because God planned for us to be here, and our purpose is the hand of God. He brought us here to the soil of the “Dark Continent” and Jesus is proclaiming that the Light shall now shine on South Africa. God is planting a seed in South Africa through Amor Ministries and the harvest of this seed shall come to South Africa. Amor has come to build homes and once it starts we won’t want it to stop. We will want them to come, and to come and to come and to help us in South Africa. This celebration service has an energy that is not of this world, and for some of our students it is the first religious service they have ever attended.

After the service we board the buses and travel to SOWETO which is an acronym for “Southwestern Township” It was here on June 16, 1976 that 15,000 students marched against the white controlled Africana government, and it was here that Hector Pietersen was shot and killed. The tragedy of this young boy’s death was captured in a historic photo showing Hector’s horrified sister and his friend carrying him. As the photograph spread throughout South Africa riots and protests erupted as 600 people died in those protests during the following year.

HISTORIC PHOTOGRAPH!

After we visited this historic sight in SOWETO we headed to Ebenezer Care Community where we will be living and working together for the next week. Tommy and the community here have done a fantastic job preparing for 80 new residents. Clouds had been forming throughout the day and after dinner a most magnificent thing happened. It started to rain with thunder and lightning. It was pouring down buckets. African music began to be blasted and some African girls began to dance in the rain. Quickly, our students joined them and danced in the rain. It was a dancing circle of joy that rotated in one direction then spontaneously changed directions. They were dancing under African skies and illuminated by the lightning, and the significance of the moment was magnified by the rolling thunder. As they danced a new kid joins the circle. He is filled with exuberance and joy as he dances. And just who is this kid? It’s Scotty Congdon!

TONGUE IN FRENCH MUSTARD

2008-03-22T23:00:00.000-07:00

The advance team which is comprised of Scott, Steve and their band of Merry Men headed off to American Express to make a cash withdrawal of $5,000 and then move it to a South African account where it was transferred into the building suppliers account. The band of Merry Men doubled as Scott’s unarmed escort. It was a successful transaction with a lesson learned—don’t go to the bank in South Africa on Saturday as the lines are very long. After the 2+ hour wait and transactions it was off to “Juicy Lucy’s” for refreshing fruit drinks. It then started to rain and we decided not to meet up with the British group at the Lion and Rhino Park, and the cave where the world’s oldest skull was found. Truth is, it’s been a long week of running around and we are very tired. We go back to Pastor Dalton’s house for our first afternoon rest which was needed.

The British and all the others were off to a beautiful day at the game park. They saw lots of lions and were able to go down into The Cave. During the day at the park we had our first medical situation as two of the Brits couldn’t resist jumping on trampolines meant for smaller kids. They were two heavy and went too high, bumping their heads on the overhead beams which required a few stitches.

We all gathered for a buffet dinner at the Boston Barbeque and picked our way through an assortment of dishes including; curried pickled fish, pickled jalapenos, Portuguese chicken livers, Kudu sausage, kidneys and onions, impala, monkey gland steak and what would any meal be without Tongue in French Mustard.

MAJOR NEWS FLASH- PLEASE STAY TUNED TO THIS BLOG AS IT IS ANTICIPATED THERE WILL BE A MAJOR NEWS FLASH FORTHCOMING; ONE OF HISTORIC SIGNIFICANCE FOR SOUTH AFRICA AND AMOR MINISTRIES.

GOOD FRIDAY-THE TROOPS ARRIVE

2008-03-21T23:35:00.000-07:00

We started with a meeting at Ebenezer Community Center to check on delivery of building materials and meet with Tommy and his work crew regarding the pouring of the five slabs. After reviewing the situation, this time Steve said, “It’s all really good.” Scott and Dan were dropped off at the University of South Africa, the largest correspondence University in the world to look for internet access. After clearing their security station we entered the campus to find a ghost town; no students, no teachers-- nobody. We found our way inside and walked the buildings. Nothing; no internet signals. We walked backed to Rainbow FM.

We learned today that Tommy and his wife, Shirley the Directors of Ebenezer (Christian) Community Center, were both were orphans and actually met at an orphanage. We also learned they recently took in a newborn baby, just days old, wrapped in newspaper and left on their driveway. The child will be taken in and loved. We’re all looking forward to the construction week which will start Monday and where we will all be living and working with this very large family of African orphans.

The troops arrived from Wales, Scotland, Ireland, Britain and the USA this evening, led by the notorious and illustrious Bill Hebner and his wife Bridgette. Three different incoming international flights. We are back and forth to the airport with vehicles and two hired buses. One of the buses it turns out can only travel at 10-15 miles per hour resulting in a long ride to the Church where they are to spend the night. They arrived all knackered and hungry, but the good thing is they arrived. Uh Oh! After everyone is in it’s learned that three missed their flight and another trip back to the airport (25 miles each way) is necessary. It was a long day for everyone and its Mexico all over again. You know, Mexico-Flexico. Well, by the end of the day it all worked out and eventually everyone was fed and tucked in for the night. It’s a good thing that God is in control and man’s best laid planes are put to rest. Goodnight & God Bless!

ITS ALL GOOD

2008-03-20T13:32:00.000-07:00

We woke at 6:00 am and were at Rainbow FM by 7:00 where four of us did a live, “on air” interview with Humphrey Birkenstock, the Session Manager who has a listenership of about 110,000. Steve Cosgrove and Scott Congdon spoke about what Amor does and the purpose of this trip; to build homes for the poorest of the poor. Steve Horrex spoke about the construction of the homes and Dan Irving spoke of the historic story taking place between Amor Ministries and South Africa. After the interview we were off again to hunt down building materials and camp supplies, then back to Rainbow FM for a fabulous lunch. Food and mealtime is an expression of love and the South African hospitality. Their appreciation for what Amor Ministries is doing is incredible. We are being loved and fed with six to seven course meals. We shall all come back heavier than when we arrived.

Romans 12:9-13 “Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in af

fliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.”

After lunch our African Safari for building materials and supplies was back on into the concrete jungle of Johannesburg.

The day ended at Ebenezer’s Community Center where the men living there

had cleared the ground, dug the footings and were preparing to pour the concrete for the slab foundations. When work commences on Monday with our 100+ workers we shall hit the ground running. We should be able to complete the objective: five double houses in one week! These homes will house 50 people which will be immediately filled and then there will be the hope for more to come.

As a blogger, vol

unteer, gopher and worker, along with trying to be a keen observer I have been amused by some of the interactions between Scott Congdon and Steve Horrex who after working together for the past 28 years are like an old married couple. I understand both their brains and patience are being taxed to the max and they are in a time crunch to get things done. Part of today’s discussion went like this:

Scott to Steve: “How much is that going to cost us?”

Steve: “About 15,000.”

Scott: “15,000, no way, we can’t afford that!.”

Steve: “Well that’s what it is, 15,000, I’m sure of it, I’ve worked the numbers over and over.”

Scott: “We can’t do it.”

Steve: “We’ll have to because that’s what it comes out to. We’ll just have to mak

e it work.”

Scott: “There’s no way we can afford it, not with five houses.”

Steve: “Well those are the numbers.”

Scott: “How could you have been so mistaken, how could you be so ‘OFF?’”

Steve: “What do you mean; it’s what we planned for?”

Scott: “No it’s not!”

Steve: “Yes it is!”

Dead silence.

Scott: “Wait a minute, wait a minute. Are you thinking in terms of dollars or rand?”

Steve: “We’re in South Africa; I have to make my calculations in rand.”

Scott: “OK, OK, we’re OK then. I was thinking in terms of dollars.”

Steve “You dummy”

Scott: “I’m the dummy!? You’re the dummy.”

Steve: “Give me a break."

Well, it’s onward and upward as these two speak their minds to each other, which is a good thing, or as Steve Horrex would say, “It’s all good.”

WHEN IN ROME

2008-03-19T21:24:00.000-07:00

It’s still wet and cold outside, but inside we are warming up to South Africa. Amor is being challenged and confronted with problems and Steve Horrex’s brain is being taxed and he must rearrange the plans. How to build an Amor house in South Africa, an Amor house that can be constructed in a weeks’ time with an enthusiastic, young, yet unskilled labor force? Steve has to think about a different roofing system other than the one he has been accustomed to during the past 28 years, and a different exterior system because many of the materials which he’s use to aren’t available here. Everything has to be recalculated with new materials and different costs, then converted from dollars to rand. While he’s doing this he has to try and stay on budget, which if Amor is successful at will absolutely shake South Africa up, because they cannot comprehend that Amor can build a house below what the government or local contractors could build it for. If Amor is successful here and able to accomplish what they have set out to do, it will truly be God’s work. Prayer was answered and the sun has started to come out!

As the day progressed Steve decided, “When in Rome do as the Romans do.” He’s going to adapt the South African roof system to the Amor house; however he has come up with his own exterior siding system. We don’t have the time to work with brick as they commonly do when they build here. Amor is pioneering a new exterior siding system in this construction, and if it works…!

Both Steve and Scott are being heavily challenged, their minds are racing and sleep doesn’t come easy. They’re tired, but as you would say in Southern California, they are “stoked!” Scott is busy keeping relationships going forward, forging new ones, cultivating existing ones and making sure this vision for Amor ministries stays on track. He’s being pulled in different directions because so many need help here. “Could you build houses for us? Could you build classrooms for our school? Our Church needs buildings, could you help us? Yes, yes we’d like to; but we are here to build
houses for the poorest of the poor.”

South Africa is a big city, with much of the same that goes on in any big city. But what is happening here is critical to all of mankind because the war of principalities is monumental in South Africa and all of Africa. Africa has been divided for so long. There is deep rooted fear, hatred and separation. Apartheid is more than a wound it is an infected virus which has spread throughout. There can be a strong undercurrent of anger as a result of the suppression and oppression. There is new hope here with the ending of Apartheid and we are so blessed and excited to be here; to be a part of that new hope. It will not come easy; it can’t. It will take years of hard work, and many hands working together. And of course it will take money. Most importantly it will take prayer, lots of prayer and only through the blood of Jesus and the workings of the Holy Spirit are these things possible. Only through the forgiveness of the cross do we have hope to forgive each other and live together. Without that forgiveness we are doomed, forever doomed.

Here in Africa the sins of man are so eerily apparent and that is why, now! more than ever, this world needs to come together and work together in helping our brothers and sisters in South Africa. And Jesus is with us, you can feel it here. His loving, working and forgiving hands are working through us. He can lift us up, restore us and bring us home into His Kingdom!

SOUTH AFRICAN IDOL SINGS

2008-03-18T19:34:00.000-07:00

It’s still raining non-stop. We begin the day with prayer, then breakfast and off to Rainbow FM for morning meetings, then off to hunt down building materials. They do things differently here; roofs are mostly metal or of a metal composite, measurements are all metric (you can’t even buy the Imperial system/inches and feet because that is against the law). We’re purchasing rain gear because the forecast is for rain, rain and more rain and we’re purchasing flashlights and batteries because of the national rolling blackouts. Friday is Good Friday and everything will be closing down so we need to have the materials figured out and ordered by Wednesday so they can be delivered on Thursday, to be sure everything is here by Monday for work to commence. During our evening meal we gave thanks and prayed for the rain to stop.

Lauren a beautiful young lady who works at Rainbow FM and who was a finalist on South African Idol sung us a hymn of praise that lifted our hearts.

AND THIS IS SOUTH AFRICA

2008-03-17T22:18:00.000-07:00

It’s still cold and wet and it is unusually cold for late Fall in South Africa.. Today started out with meetings at Rainbow FM with Humphrey who operates the station, a real shaker and mover, along with being an outstanding character. The conference room we meet in started with 8 and by the end of the meeting had 12 people coming and going. The one thing that is apparent is that there is definitely a need here for what Amor does.

Off to the community center named Ebenezer which is located between two townships and where the Director had no idea what Humphrey was bringing them; a group called Amor who were coming to build them homes. 137 people live here including 65 children. They have a vegetable garden, a bakery, a play ground and they make their own bricks to sell. It is evident they are poor, dirt poor, but it is equally evident they are rich in Christian spirit. We sat down with them and Steve Horrex explained what Amor wanted to do--they were overjoyed with what God had brought them. Their Director, Tommy said, “I see a vision with this.” They were astounded that Amor would be able to build homes for them in just one weeks’ time. “I’m excited and once it starts I won’t want it to stop. I want to work on it with my own hands with you. I want to be involved in the whole process,” Tommy said. By the end of our meeting all of Amor’s planning from Plan A had evolved into Plan E with most everything coming together. We are now all going to be working, living, laughing and praying together with the folks living at the Ebenezer Community Center. By the end of the day the Director gathered us together in a circle, holding hands in prayer, worship song and it ended with them literally jumping up and down in joy and giving thanks to God.

ROCK OF HOPE

2008-03-16T22:16:00.000-07:00

It’s cold and raining, very cold, and this is South Africa? And the rain and cold is being completely off set by the South African hospitality. We are staying at Pastor Dalton’s and being promoted by Rainbow FM . The plan was to build up to ten homes in Kimberly, South Africa, but due to government regulations and some lack of communications between local and national government officials it is not going to happen. Kimberly will learn today and will be tremendously disappointed that they will not be getting the Amor houses; this time.

It’s on to plan B and building homes in the Johannesburg area at a Christian Community center where the compound may be called “Rainbow Amor Village.” This Christian community center is known as “Ebenezer’s Community Center” which they translate into “Rock of Hope.”

With the complete shift in plans Steve Horrex is doing double duty. Many are the plans of me but the Lord directs His actions. Steve’s poignant words to all, “we are here to make a difference” and “whatever it takes we will make it happen.”

Time To Go

2008-03-15T22:09:00.000-07:00

Three guys with a combined age of 153, with three sore backs, a very sore neck, a recently operated on knee, a soon to be operated on shoulder and numerous other multiple aliments boarded a jet this AM for South Africa to meet up with a group of 75 from Wales, England, a family from Indiana, a CEO from Canada and one American youth, along with 30 South African youth who will join together to endeavor to build homes and to establish the beginning of Amor Ministries with the hope of creating an ongoing international ministry of keeping families together while building Christian hope and character in everyone involved.

It’s the beginning of a long thought-out dream from Scott Congdon along with his fellow founders who are his wife, Gayla and his best friend Steve Horrex. It’s the beginning of a new beginning on a continent and in a country filled with problems including an HIV/AIDS birth rate of 30% where many children receive a death sentence before they are born. There are 38.6 million people infected with HIV/AIDS worldwide and 24.5 million (65%) live in Sub-Saharan Africa.

It’s a new Government since Apartheid ended in 1994, a new government of new people learning how to govern. It’s a country filled with problems… however from the perspectives of this Amor Missions team those problems mean only one thing—opportunities to help.

The following posts on South Africa are being written by Dan Irving in conjunction with Scott Congdon. Dan has worked on four Amor Mission trips with the Evangelical Free Church in Chico, California. Dan is presently writing a book called “Home” that includes a biography of Amor and he is blessed to be on this historic Amor Mission trip to South Africa.

2008-03-15T14:26:00.000-07:00

Amor Takes Off For South Africa
Steve Horrex, Dan Irving and I departed for South Africa this morning at 7:45am aboard a Delta jet. Our flight took us across the US on this historic flight in 3 hours and 20 minutes. The 2008 mile flight landed us in tornado laden weather that was wreaking havoc in Atlanta, Georgia. It was one of the bumpiest landings in a big jet this size I have been on. We soon heard that the tornado had even damaged the Georgia Dome..

We are now stuck on the tarmac with rain and hail pummeling the jet. The on-time departure is now a myth. We have now been on the ground foe over3 hours and a half hours, about the same time we have been in the air at this point (3 hours and 20 minutes).

Once we take off again we will face a 19 hour flight to Johannesburg with a short refueling stop in six hours in Senegal, the most westerly point in Africa.

Scott Starts Podcasting

2008-03-06T14:36:00.000-08:00

My aged laptop computer finally gave way to a new one and much to my surprise it came as an Apple MacBook. After struggling through the Windows to Mac transition I have finally mastered enough of it to figure out how to podcast. Basically this a way of developing and publishing a lot of different media types than can be played on iPods, other media devices, including computers.

I published our first podcast this week with the help of Steve Horrex, our Director of International Relations. This initial podcast is a 15 minute discussion of why Amor is going to South Africa. Click on this link, Simply Scott Podcast, or the picture below to view the podcast page. I am also adding a link to the Simply Scott blog that makes it easy to click on and navigate to the Simply Scott Podcast.

South Africa Update- 3 Weeks To Go

2008-02-22T11:17:00.000-08:00

As we near the departure of our team to South Africa in just 3 weeks, an update on our progress seemed very appropriate at this time. So here is the latest news:

The house building sites have been approved by the government and local Kimberley Pastors have visited each location.

The building plans for the Amor houses have been approved by the government including the approval of the building material list.

We are waiting on the final word from the government if we are going to receive any funds from the government for building materials.

We have confirmed that a videographer and a biographer from the US will be joining the team during the week we are building homes in Kimberley.

If we need to the have the slabs poured before the team from the United Kingdom arrives our partners in South Africa have stated that this can be accomplished.

The UK Team has confirmed that they are bringing 70 mission trip participants.

Depending on the option of funds from the South African government, we will be building at least 5 homes with a maximum of 10 with funding.