George Snyman, Hands at Work Co-Founder, will be speaking throughout Australia in April!
Team Reflections 2014
Our Gift to You!
This year, spread the message of Christ's love for the vulnerable children of Africa with Hands at Work Christmas cards.
We have six greeting card designs for you to choose from!
Select your country to download and print:
Australia | Canada | South Africa | UK | US | Other
Standard size 5x7 inch greeting cards
George in the UK
Hands at Work Founder and CEO, George Snyman, will be in the UK in November! We hope you can come out to one of the following events to hear him speak. If you would like to know more about Hands at Work, volunteering on the ground in Africa, or God’s calling for His people to serve the poor, these events are an opportunity for you to learn more.
Saturday November 9th
4:00 – 9:00pm
Great Wyrley, Staffordshire
St Andrew’s Church, Hilton Lane, Great Wyrley Walsall WS6 6DS
George will be speaking to supporters and friends of Hands at Work and a team who visited Africa in 2013 will be sharing their stories. A shared meal will follow. Please contact rose@uk.handsatwork.org for details.
www.link4lifeproject.blogspot.co.uk
Sunday November 10th
10:30am
Greenfinch Church
Gusford Primary School, Sheldrake Drive, Ipswich, IP2 9LQ
Phone Jan Bedford on 07977027999 for more details, or visit www.greenfinchchurch.org.uk
4:00-6:00pm
Battisford Free Church
Straight Road, Battisford, Stowmarket, IP14 2LZ
Tuesday November 12th
London
Wednesday November 13th
Birmingham
George Snyman, Founder and CEO, Hands at WorkThursday November 14th – 7:30pm
Swaziland Fundraiser - £10 per ticket, includes meal
Wade Street Church, Lichfield. WS13 6HL
An evening about the country of Swaziland: the need of the most vulnerable children and the opportunity for Hands at Work supporters in the UK to be a voice for the voiceless in this country.
Contact 01543254110 for more details.
Friday November 15th
Bristol
Sunday November 17th
10:00am
Family Church (formerly Eternity Church)
Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Millbrook, Guildford, Surrey GU1 3UX
Monday November 18th
London
We hope to see you at one of the events mentioned above! However, if you are unable to attend but would like to meet George, it may be possible to arrange a meeting that suits you better. Please note his location on each day and contact Rose at rose@uk.handsatwork.org and Nick at nick@uk.handsatwork.org to potentially arrange another meeting.
From My Living Room to Nigeria
By Stephen Jo
Stephen was a part of a short term missions team that visited the Hands at Work Hub in South Africa back in 2007. He was greatly challenged by what he saw and the work that Hands is doing and has been a supporter ever since. Here he reflects on his recent trip to Nigeria where he was able to visit the children he and his friends and family have been supporting for years.
It all began in the living room of my house in Southern California back in 2009. I invited George Snyman, Founder and CEO of Hands at Work in Africa, to come and speak to a gathering of my friends. That evening, God stirred the hearts of all who were there, although many of them had never visited Africa before. As a result of that meeting, we decided as a group of eight families to support 100 orphans in the Badia and Ilaje villages of Nigeria. We started this support in January 2010 and have been doing so ever since. June 2013, after several years of supporting the orphans in Nigeria, four men from the group finally got a chance to visit the villages in Nigeria. It was a life changing trip that none of us will soon forget.
The streets of BadiaGeorge met us in Nigeria to lead our team. On our first day, he led us on a walk through Badia, a large urban slum just outside the capitol city of Lagos. The four of us had seen numerous examples of poverty across several continents prior to this trip but the level of poverty in Badia was by far the worst. The community was composed of densely arranged plywood shacks with trash littered everywhere. There was a stench in the air from pools of stagnant water and a lack of sanitation. Thousands of people populated this slum with 80% of the women being prostitutes and 60%-70% of the children being orphans.
It was difficult walking through Badia because of the extreme poverty and the fact that there was a spiritual darkness hanging over this place. However, about a half hour into this uncomfortable walk, something unexpected happened. I saw a girl in a bright red shirt standing about 30 yards ahead of us. It was her bright shirt that caught my attention. She was looking at us and saw Peter, who is the local leader for Hands in Nigeria, standing next to me. Her face lit up with a smile when she saw him and she came running toward him. She jumped into his arms and gave him a warm hug then quickly ran off to play again. I asked Peter who she was and he said, “It’s one of your children.” That moment was like seeing a ray of light in the darkness. It taught me the impact that Hands was having on this community in just the short time we had been there. 
"It's one of your children"
The following day we visited the Care Point in Badia where I had a chance to meet the girl in the red shirt. She turned out to be an adorable 9-year-old girl named Rachel. She is an orphan who lives in Badia with her aunt and sister. Unfortunately, her aunt is a prostitute who works out of their one room shack. This means that Rachel and her sister are woken up and asked to wait outside when patrons visit their home at any hour during the night. It’s heartbreaking to know that there are children who have no choice but to live in this way, but Rachel’s story reflects the life of many Badia children who live in this same manner. Fortunately, there is real hope that Rachel’s story will change some day. She is enrolled in a school through our sponsorship and the Hands Care Workers are raising her in the gospel. For these reasons, I am very hopeful that the cycle of prostitution will someday end with her.
Stephen and his team with Peter and another local volunteerIt was a blessed experience to witness how God was using our modest support to change the lives of the orphans in Nigeria. We saw how Hands was bringing hope to places like Badia where none would be expected and children without any choices had hope for a better future. Most remarkably, our partnership with Hands gave 4 Americans an opportunity to be in a gospel community with 100 African children an ocean away. None of this would be possible without the loving God who not only cares for the orphan and widow but also graciously allows us to partake in the work of caring for them too.
George in the US
George Snyman, Founder and CEO of Hands at Work in Africa will be visiting many churches and advocate groups in the U.S. from October 4th through the 20th. Here is a breakdown of his schedule. If you are in the area, we would love for you to come out and connect with George. If you would like more detailed information, please contact Lauren at lauren@us.handsatwork.org
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
October 5: Artist Showcase at Christ Church http://www.handsatworkbenefit.com/
October 6: Sunset Church http://sunsetchurchsf.org/
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
October 7
MINNEAPOLIS
October 8 – 11
October 10: St. Leonard's Church http://www.stleonardmn.org/
CHICAGO REGION
October 11- 17
October 12: Event for Hands at Work U.S. Advocates
October 13: Grace Church http://graceinracine.com/
NEW YORK CITY
October 17 - 20
Discovering a new reality of hope
A group of individuals in Australia, led by the compassionate McLaughlin family, seek to make a difference in the lives of vulnerable children in South Africa, and to the Care Workers who serve so sacrificially each day to build for a positive future for their community. By partnering with communities like Welverdiend, in Bushbuck Ridge, this group has seen transformation taking place in many lives. Here is just one story:
In 2009, 6 young children were devastated by the loss of their parents. The eldest girl, Busie, 15, took responsibility for their mentally challenged and mute brother, Robert, and an uncle offered to take in the four youngest siblings: Segney, Gertrude, Ronald, and Karimo. It wasn’t long before the children realized they were not going to experience the care and provision they had anticipated from their uncle. Their uncle began stealing the small government orphan grant being given to the four orphaned children. On many nights, the children went to bed without food and often went to school without adequate clothes. One by one, the children fled from their uncle to their old home.
In 2011, Busie became pregnant and gave birth to a baby girl. With no one to help Busie raise her daughter and siblings, and with repeated years of failing at school, Busie dropped out in Grade 8. Motivation to continue attending dwindled and the hope for a brighter future became bleak. Housework and providing meals for the family became overwhelming. The growing instability in this family’s life started to affect the other children’s school work and their teachers became concerned. Aware that the family was in need of support, the teachers asked Care Workers at Pfunani Community Based Organisation to help.
Ester, a Pfunani Care Worker began to visit the family and look for ways to support them. She helped the children to apply for a social grant which they are now receiving. Each morning, Care Workers visit the family home on their way to the Care Point to ensure porridge is cooked for 
Robert. During other home visits, Ester helps to ensure the house is clean, laundry is washed, and meals are cooked. Although Busie still struggles with feelings of depression, the family are discovering a new reality of hope. Not only are they fed physically, with a nutritious meal each day at the Care Point, but also spiritually and emotionally. They enjoy interacting with other children at the Care Point and attend weekly lessons led by their older peers, where issues such as self-esteem, healthy relationships, and sexual education are discussed.
Ester desires to continue helping Busie and her family to experience brighter days, to understand that they are loved and embraced as family.
The McLaughlin family and friends desired to make their partnership with Pfunani Community Based Organisation personal. They wanted it to go beyond just the sending of funds. This group are getting to know the Care Workers and children by name, and they look for creative and meaningful ways to impact their lives and the community. In 2013, they formed a team and travelled to South Africa to spend time with the people they had grown to love. During their time in the community, they worked to make the Pfunani Care Point a safe, secure and fun place for the children and Care Workers to meet.
Children like Busie and her siblings, who have battled with so much loss and rejection, now find a place of acceptance and value. The McLaughlin family and friends work closely with Hands at Work to make a positive impact in the lives of these vulnerable children. And through it, they have discovered a new reality of hope for the children and Care Workers they know by name.
Have you considered sending a team to visit Hands at Work, or joining other individuals who desire to bring hope to the most vulnerable? Find out how you could get involved with Hands at Work by sending a group of passionate people to serve on a short-term team. No skills are required, just a commitment to serve and a desire to care.
To find out more, contact your local Hands at Work office:
Australia: info@au.handsatwork.org
Canada: info@ca.handsatwork.org
For other countries please contact partnerships@handsatwork.org
Come!
We invite you on a journey to seek the heart of God with us in Afirca. Come see what God is doing!
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