A crazy thing happened on the way home from church the other week...



Every month or so we, the "South Africa Team", get together to talk about what is ahead for us as a group. This last year, the team pretty much split into two smaller sections, and one took a trip to Emthonjeni in the fall, the other took a trip to CapeTown this last spring. Now, we are gathering to ask 'What is next... what can we do...?" So, three weeks ago, when we met together, the idea was... "how about if we throw a big South African Benefit - let the DiCocco's have the stage for a little while - and introduce all our friends and the Mars Hill community to our partnerships in South Africa at the same time!"


Great idea! And in order to get it in before summer hit in full force, we wanted to host the event... this week Thursday. Yes, in two days. We have planned the entire thing in three weeks... and I can't believe how great a party this is going to be!


We decided to create a big South African marketplace.... to have an actual market - filled with the treasures from South Africa that we have purchased to support local merchants and the women from Emthonjeni. To build a shanty house that people can walk into and get a feel for what it must be like to live with a family of 5 in a house the size of my bedroom. We are hoping for an African drum circle that people can join in the rhythm that has been beat through the ages. We have an art gallery, with images from South Africa, and some huge framed, graffiti-ed children Johnny created. And then, we are going to watch a South African film - that portrays HIV/AIDS in a rural community in Africa, much like our own KwanDeBele. My hope and dream and prayer is that people get to truly experience even a moment of what it is it be in South Africa....and why our hearts are planted there.




And I set a purpose to the painting I had wanted to do a few weeks ago. We filled canvases with beautiful colors and shapes. We laid out a big canvas in the driveway and invited friends over to pick up brushes and let their imaginations run. We sat in the sunshine all week and just talked and painted and learned to make Italian sodas. We have about two dozen paintings now. All completely unique and amazing. All with the image of Africa highlighted in the middle. There are about 6 that I want to keep. I promise, I won't buy them all before you get there...

Thursday - in the student room at Mars Hill

6:30 -Marketplace

7:30- program and film