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

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:

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.

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.

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.