December is here!

Hello Friends,
So where did we leave off? As I’ve mentioned before, this is our very busy season! We haven’t stopped to take a breath in weeks.

We are so excited to have ASTEP with us! (See our previous blog for more info). Welcome Kathryn (who has been here for 10 weeks already), Mauricio, Will, Damien, Tia, and Slaveya! The YMS leaders have been attending training classes, arts classes, as well as teaching our own classes! Last week, each ASTEP leader and YMS leader took turns teaching something they are passionate about in order for everyone to get to know each other as well as show off our individual teaching styles. Already, we as the YMS team feel we have so much to learn from ASTEP and we are so thankful for their presence here at Refilwe.

The program One World Through Theatre has begun this week. We are discovering who we are as the Refilwe community, South Africans, Africans, and human beings. At the end of this week we will put our ideas and discoveries into a theatre piece and film it...so look out for this in coming weeks! Our piece will be sent to theatre groups around the world for them to respond to. We will in turn receive three pieces of theatre from around the world to respond to.

After this week, the following two weeks will be a holiday program for all ages; from 2 to 25. The children and youth will participate in singing, dancing, drama, and visual art. They will share their findings in a production on 24 December, here at the Refilwe Community Hall. If you are in the Johannesburg area, please make a plan to join us!

As the year comes to a close, we are still praying that companies, friends, and other donors who believe in what we are doing as YMS will partner with us in order that we will be able to financially move forward through next year. We are so thankful that at the moment Refilwe is sponsoring our office space, electricity, etc, but as an organization, we need to get on our feet and become sustainable. Please speak to us if you believe in our cause.

Thank you for your support and prayers!
God bless,
The YMS Team

December is sneaking up on us

Well, here we are the middle of November. Everyone around us is wrapping up their departments for the year, but we are just gearing up for December and the most hectic time of year for YMS.

Kathryn, a volunteer from the US and part of ASTEP (see below), has been with YMS for about 6 or 7 weeks now. She has been a real blessing to our team! She has already begun to work with the youth during our Saturday Live youth as well as weekly through dance and drama classes. She is even giving a ballroom dance class for all the adults every Friday night! She is a great asset to our team because she is not only developing skills in our youth, but also empowering the leaders and leaving tools with which to continue on after she has departed.

Kathryn has been taking the YMS leaders through classes each week to develop skills for our very own theatre project. We (as leaders) will be creating our very own piece of theatre through a project called “One World Through Theater”. In December, we will be taking this project to our youth to create a piece of theatre of their own as well. The exciting part is that we are partnering, in a sense, with drama groups in Seattle, Washington, North Carolina, and the Philippines. These three groups will separately create a dramatic piece and send it to us, as we send ours to them. We will in turn create a dramatic response to each of these pieces. The project will take us all the way through March when Kathryn sadly leaves us.

ASTEP is an American organization that has partnered with the Refilwe youth program for the last two December s. ASTEP, which stands for Artists Striving To End Poverty, will be putting on a holiday program for Refilwe and community children for three weeks in December. The program focuses on performing arts and provides the youth and children with dance, singing, and drama classes.

Not only is December a busy month because of ASTEP, but myself (Leah) and Piet are preparing for our wedding!! It is literally just around the corner and we are busy with finalizing all the preparations for our BIG DAY!

YHO! I’m exhausted just thinking about everything we have going on!

Blessings to you all,
The YMS team

Youth House Project Update

Dear Friends of YMS,

Thank you to all of you would have supported us emotionally, spiritually, financially, or otherwise. These last two weeks have been some of the craziest in the life of YMS. We moved straight from the Holiday Program into a huge youth house project.

The majority of the renovations were completed this past Saturday. About 25 to 30 employees of the company Satreno and about the same amount of youth and Refilwe residents came to work on the house and what a difference! The house came to us in desperate need and may have even been considered a health hazard. We came across a few obstacles in the final push of the renovations this week, but overall, the day was a success! We were blessed to have been given three bunk beds from one source and two from another. The unfortunate thing, though, was that the three steel beds would not fit through the passage way into the bedrooms. So, the guys are busy completely disassembling the beds and will reassemble them once in the room. When the beds are complete, we will have a total of 10 beds for young vulnerable men to stay!

The vegetable garden was completely redone with R2000 worth of vegetables! The food will not only be sustenance for the youth house residences, but will also be a source of income as YMS will be selling it to local businesses.

The biggest changes in the house are the bathrooms and kitchen. One can hardly recognize it as the same place. Before, the kitchen contained only a sink, stove, one falling apart cupboard, and a handful of dishes. Now, the kitchen has a new sink, countertops, a brand new refrigerator, several cupboards, plenty of dishes and cutlery, and lots of food to fill their cupboards and stomachs!

Satreno was our biggest contributor to the youth house and we are so grateful! They have helped to make the house livable. However, they were not our only contributors. We had several donations from individuals and churches that included paint, beds, furniture, table and chairs, curtains, and clothes.

YMS wants to say a BIG THANK YOU to all who helped make this dream possible!

Blessings,

The YMS team

The Finished House

Holiday Program and Youth House Progress

While everyone else was relaxing and putting their feet up this September holiday, YMS was busy, busy with our September Holiday Club. Once it was over, our leadership team sighed a deep sigh of relief – one that indicated we finished strong and successfully.

Some of our vocalists at the Production!
Like any other holiday program or Saturday Live that YMS puts on, we entertained the Refilwe kids and community kids with active games and lots of musical activities to draw them in. The theme for the week was a continuation of Identity in Christ. Our subjects centered around this theme and included topics such as trusting one another, hearing the voice of God, sharing life stories with each other, and being confident in who God has created YOU to be.

The drama group!
The week concluded with our 3rd Holiday Production of the year. We are very proud of our youth as they really work hard to put on a good performance for community members and family. The singers, dancers, and dramatic performances left us very pleased!

With that being said…September holiday program 2010…COMPLETE!


In our last blog, we spoke about our youth house and the full renovations that will be taking place there. The project is being completed this Saturday 9 October! We have been working very hard in the last two months to get everything ready for the big day. As I am typing this, the majority of our leadership team is up at the house scraping walls, applying poly filler, painting the showers, and putting up the fence for the vegetable garden.

We are very excited that Satreno will be here this weekend to complete all outstanding tasks, spend time with us, and hand over the keys to the youth house residents! This is the beginning of a house that will now be home to 12 young men!

Praise God for his blessings and for our new friends at Satreno. We hope this will be a start to a long-term relationship with this awesome group of people!

Youth House Renovation

It is an unfortunate reality that many youth of this generation grow up in families that are unstable or broken. YMS sees young people hurt from abuse, neglect or need on a regular basis. It is a value of YMS to see these young people rise above their situations and backgrounds. One of the ways YMS has been able to do this is through the YMS youth house.

The youth house, which is within the Refilwe premises, is home to YMS youth leaders and students (all male). This house serves as a safe place to stay for those who have fallen subject to an inhibited upbringing. We have seen the potential in these vulnerable students from the community and would like to not only give them a place to stay, but train them as YMS leaders to serve their community. It is important that all the students that stay in the house excel in all areas including school work because they are setting an example for those with whom they will be working.

The criteria for staying in the youth house:
• School attendance and/or
• Part of small enterprise development/skills development within Refilwe
• 18 years or older
• 12 young people, initially men
• Upkeep of the house
• Maintain a working food garden

YMS is very excited to announce that a company by the name of Satreno has offered their time and resources to completely renovate the youth house. The house was given to YMS in desperate need of repair, so we are truly blessed by this opportunity. The renovations range from a vegetable garden extension, new beds and bedding, a brand new kitchen, and more! Satreno, a business consulting company based in Pretoria, is bringing 30 staff from their office to assist in the all day renovation. The Satreno staff will be at Refilwe on 9 October to execute the project alongside YMS and the Refilwe children, as this will be a good opportunity for them to learn how to serve their community.

Satreno has made several visits to Refilwe to get the process started. They have already brought basins, poly filler, and other supplies for us to do all the prep work for the house before the big day.

At the moment, there are only three guys staying in the youth house, but after the renovation, we will be accepting applications for up to 12 young men!

YMS and the future students of the youth house are eternally grateful to Satreno for this incredible blessing.

YMS Tennis

Talking about Saturday Live and our youth is probably the most fun and relative to report on, but it isn't the only department under YMS. We wanted to give you a glimpse of the first half of our sports department: TENNIS, and Canny (pronounced like Kenny), lovingly referred to as "Coach" by the children

Canny Moyo came to Refilwe in November 2010 and began teaching tennis at the Refilwe primary school two days a week. For the first 8 months, Canny did not receive any remuneration for the skill he was teaching. Only recently has he been sponsored by Tennis Inc to teach the children in the Lanseria area.

The tennis began with only 7 children, and has grown to 26 children from Refilwe as well as the community in just a few short months. Canny reports that every child he works with has had no previous experience in tennis, but has improved greatly. The ages of the kids range from 5-19. Canny begins his days by working with the smallest children who are the least experienced, and even uses some of the older kids, from 11upwards, to help him teach. He rotates the youth and children in groups so that they receive equal practice time.

Canny uses the court 5 times a week. He teaches the Refilwe and community kids on Tuesday and Friday each week from 15:00-17:00. He also trains Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 15:00-17:30. In addition to personal tennis training, Canny is part of the YMS leadership team and attends leadership development each morning in order to further his leadership skills.

Canny can recall one 15-year old boy named Steve who came to him not even knowing how to hold a racket. Just since March of this year, he has become the most improved of all the children Canny works with.

A short term goal of the YMS tennis is to see the children improve on a daily basis and to get them prepared for tournaments as early as this year November. They have greatly improved in their techniques, backhand, and forehand swings, volley and they are currently working on their serves.

A long term goal of the tennis is to see these children take tennis seriously and advance even into the professionals. They have been given a unique opportunity to gain skills and we want to see them succeed in this way.

Saturday Live Youth in progress!

Friends,

This past Saturday was our OFFICIAL LAUNCH for Saturday Live Youth!

As with anything that is new, there were a few bumps in the road, but all in all, we deemed the afternoon a success.

Saturday Live began with serving lunch to all of the youth. We are really trusting the Lord for funds to do this each and every week. YMS was also so fortunate to have an awesome youth band from one of our local churches, The Barn Fellowship, come out to Refilwe to put on the praise and worship. We were so grateful to them and they did an amazing job to really get the youth excited for worship.

After Saturday's program, it was apparent that these youth are hungry for God's Word and really do want to grow. We asked them to write down ideas that they have for Saturdays, names that they would like to call our Saturday club, topics they would like to discuss as well as prayer requests they have. At times these youth are a bit shy to open up, but writing things down proved to be powerful. After doing Beat the Drum during the holiday program, these youth are hungry to know more about healthy relationships. I was pleasantly surprised!

Here are a few things they would like your prayers in:
-School work/studies
-Joy
-Wisdom
-Health
-Receiving and experiencing the Holy Spirit
-That Saturday Live would grow in numbers and commitment

In addition, the team would also love to have your prayers. Our leadership team is struggling a bit as far as commitment goes. We really want to see each one step up and take their role seriously as they lead these youth. Our team is still learning, but we want to see them progress in their relationship with the Lord as well as with YMS.

Thanks for loving these youth with your prayers and support!!!
With Love,
The YMS Team

YMS Youth

If you read our last blog, then you know that we are starting up YMS (Youth Mission Solutions) youth group this Saturday. It is a lot of work and energy starting from scratch, but we are very excited about it. We have learned a lot from the past weeks in our holiday program which will help us create a successful youth program.
The structure of our youth will be very similar to our holiday program, but adding a few elements. One exciting thing we will be doing is feeding the community each week. We will serve polony on rolls and juice to all of those that come to attend the youth. This is also a great way to reach out to those in our surrounding communities and motivate them to come.

YMS is currently busy writing our proposal to make YMS an official program underneath the Refilwe umbrella. Eventually, the goal is to be fully funded by outside donors (YMS does not currently have a budget). This is exceptionally difficult when starting from the ground up, but we are trusting the Lord that he will bring the funding.

We are well aware that sometimes it is easier for people to get involved when they know exactly what their money is going towards. If there is any interest from your side, we have put together a list of things we need donated/funded. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

General Youth Group Needs:
• Funding for Running costs i.e. office space, internet, phones, etc.
• Money for food each Saturday youth group (R200 per week)
• Colour Printer (R1000)
• Urn for tea and coffee
• 50 Mugs (R10 each)
• Youth worker curriculums and helpful books
• Drama books
• Christian books

It is an unfortunate reality that the youth of this generation grow up in families that are unstable or broken. YMS sees young people hurt from abuse, neglect or need on a regular basis. It is a value of YMS to see these young people rise above their situations and backgrounds. One of the ways YMS has been able to do this is through the YMS youth house.

The youth house, which is within the Refilwe premises, is home to YMS youth leaders and students. This house serves as a safe place to stay for those who have fallen subject to an inhibited upbringing. We have seen the potential in these vulnerable students from the community and would like to train them as YMS leaders to serve their community.

There are currently 3 guys staying in the house and when it is completely finished, the youth house will be home to 12 leaders/students. The house is not in the best shape at the current moment and needs a lot of work. Here are a number of things that we also need donated or funded.

Room 1: Lounge
• Light need to fixed and bulbs replaced
• TV stand
• TV aerial
• Couches
• Curtains
• The floor needs to be tiled

Room 2: Kitchen
• Fridge
• Plumbing
• New basin
• Lights to be fixed and bulbs replaced (need an electrician)
• Stove
• Food cupboards
• Big pots and cutlery

Room 3: Dining Room
• Dining table and chairs
• Window replacement
• Curtains
• Light fixture

Room 4: Bathroom
• Showers need to be completely renovated
• Tiling
• Fix toilets
• Painting
• Plumbing
• Hand wash basin

Room 5: Small Bedroom
• 2 Bunk beds
• 4 Mattresses
• 4 sets up bed sheets and blankets
• Lights need to be fixed (need an electrician)
• Wardrobe

Room 6: Large Bedroom
• 4 Bunk beds
• 8 Mattresses
• 8 Sets of bed sheets and blankets

Room 7: Half Bathroom
• Hand wash basin

Everyday Needs:
• Food, i.e. Bread, milk, eggs, maize meal, rice, soup, canned foods, etc.
• Toiletries, i.e. soap, shampoo, toothpaste, etc.
• Cleaning supplies
• Money for books


Seeing the needs of YMS can be very overwhelming. The above are some things you can be praying for us for. It is our aim that those who are aligned with our vision and values and see the needs of African youth will come alongside us with something small. Please contact us directly if you are interested. We can be reached at yms@refilwe.org

In addition to these things, your prayer and support as we start this new youth is highly appreciated!!

God Bless you friends!
The YMS team

Dear Friends!
Thank you for your prayers for our holiday program. After four long, tiring, and amazing weeks, we are finished!

The first two weeks with our under 12 kids was a bit of a challenge. The kids were very receptive to the message of love, and by the second day, we had about 30 children attending. Unfortunately, by day 3 the kids appeared to come only when they felt like it or not at all. By the end of the two weeks, we were down to about 12 children. Since YMS specializes in teens, we are hoping to now outsource holiday programs for the smaller children from here on out. The two weeks were filled with singing classes, drama, and dance, and the children also did community service projects one day each week. We loved working with these children, but it definitely wiped us out!

The following two weeks with the older kids was not only fun, but educational and fulfilling. As mentioned previously, we did the Beat the Drum curriculum with them. The youth soaked up the information and truly felt challenged. These youth have rarely, if ever, been exposed to topics such as marriage, sex, and HIV in healthy and positive ways. In government schools, they push condoms and safe sex, so abstinence is a somewhat new concept. At the end of the program, many made commitments to abstain, but others are still skeptical and need a bit more encouragement. Please continue praying for these teens!

YMS was fortunate enough to have a group of volunteers from the US during this time. The first group was a group of six ladies who worked in the surrounding community in the morning, and came and helped with Beat the Drum in the afternoons. We were so appreciative for their input and positive influence on the youth! The second group came about a week after the girls arrived, and also helped with Beat the Drum for a few days.

Everyone who participated in the holiday program, young and old, put on a performance this past Friday. The kids loved it and everyone did excellent. The program was packed with lots of dancing, lots of singing, a summary of what they learned from the holiday program, two dramatic performances, and even a rap!
Our weekly youth group will be starting up July 24, so please be in prayer for that as we work out all the kinks in the meantime. Our biggest challenge has been with our leadership team. We are so grateful for those that God has given us, but we are always in need of more volunteers that are committed to African youth!

God bless you all, faithful readers!!

With love,
The YMS team

June Update

For the past few months, YMS has been busy, busy, busy!

There are currently three guys living in the youth house and it is slowly making progress as far as renovations go. The boys have been hard at work with working in the garden, painting, and other projects around the house.

As was mentioned previously, YMS has a new member of its family! Leah, Piet’s fiancé, came to join the YMS team last week on Friday, and here we are in full swing. The YMS team is growing and feels a bit more complete!

Here is a picture of our team: DeDe, Simon, Canny, Piet and Leah





The next four weeks will be devoted to a holiday program for the children of Refilwe as well as those in the surrounding communities. The first two weeks will be for children 6-12 (primary school), and the following two weeks will be for children 13 and up. The focus of the first two weeks will be love as it pertains to loving each other, serving, trusting, and being honest. The following weeks with the older kids will be a curriculum entitled Beat the Drum. This curriculum is based on a film with the same name, and it deals with sex, AIDS, true love, and abstinence. Both Piet and Leah have facilitated this program in the past and are excited to bring it to the Refilwe community.

The last thing YMS is trying to improve is the tutoring of children at Refilwe and those in the community that need extra help. It has been a bit slow going, but we are getting there. There are always lots of volunteers from Johannesburg who are excited and willing to help! What a blessing!

We thank God for the progress of YMS. We thank you for your prayers and all the support you have given.

Continue to pray with us in the following ways:
-For the upcoming holiday program
-For the growth and unity of our team
-That lives will be changed because of what we are able to do

April Update

Hello friends!

I apologize for the silence in between updates. The last few months have been hectic around Refilwe, as always.

During the April school holidays, YMS held a holiday program which was a great success. This program was YMS’s first ever April holiday club. In the two weeks combined, we hosted 45 students. It was wonderful times of helping young people grow in their talents and in their knowledge of Christ.

The first week, April 5-9, was focused on the older youth from ages 13 and up. We did praise and worship each morning, fun activities and games, music lessons, as well as teachings. The four topics that we focused on were respect, love, honesty, and trust. In the afternoons, the youth were divided into their skill groups: guitar, keyboard, drums, bass, dancing, and singing.

The second week, April 12-16, focused on pre-teens. We invited the children from ages 5-12. The unique part of week two, was that many of the older kids from the first week were now involved in the planning, preparation, and teaching for the kids of the second week. The discussion for this week was much the same as the previous week, but altered to fit the ages of the kids. We would challenge the kids to practice the practical skills at home and give us feedback the very next day of what they learned.

During the holiday program, we had one volunteer from Holland named Tess. She helped teach singing as well as colouring and arts with the smaller kids.

At the end of the two weeks, all of the youth that attended the program put on a production for the parents. They sang, danced, and showed off the musical skills they had learned during the week. The kids even served tea and coffee to their parents!

All in all, the holiday program was effective and we are excited to do it all again next year!

The YMS boys soccer team is still as strong as ever. We are working on getting them officially entered into the league in order to advance their soccer career. Once the hype of the World Cup is over, things will be back to normal and we can continue with our matches. For the past couple of months, we have started up Friday night teachings with the boys. We discuss life and how to be a godly man. We are also focusing on building education within the soccer team and trying to find tutors for each boy.

YMS has recently gained a new staff member. Piet’s newly engaged fiancé, Leah, has recently moved from Port Elizabeth to Refilwe to develop the non-existent girl’s ministry. She will be providing all of the admin for YMS as well as building up the girls who up until this time, have had no females leaders to confide in.

The final big project within YMS is the youth house. As has previously been mentioned, YMS has been given a house within the Refilwe premises as a place for YMS leaders and students. It is a place of refuge for youth with unstable homes and upbringing. The house was a blessing, but needs a lot of physical work. God has sent a few groups of youth workers who will be sponsoring and collecting materials for the renovations of the youth house. There are currently two YMS leaders, and two students living in the house. The goal is to have 12 guys living in this house that will be a part of YMS. We are praying that God will send these students.

A few prayer requests from YMS:
- The leadership and Staff will grow in Christ
- Seriousness of purpose

- YMS will follow God’s leading and direction
- Girl’s ministry

Praise God for all HE ALONE is doing in and through YMS!

Thanks for your support!

Best Regards & God Bless

The YMS team

Welcome to YMS!

Hello friends!

We want to take this opportunity to thank you for joining the Youth Mission Solutions (YMS) blog!

Many of you are already members of our facebook group, and this blog is an opportunity to hear first hand some of the activities we are doing in YMS.

The YMS strategy plan is the foundation by which Refilwe aims to create an environment that generates opportunities for youth to have a safe and healthy journey into adulthood, and to equip them with the necessary knowledge, skills, and social connections to both make informed decisions about their own life and break the cycle of poverty so common to African youth.

The YMS strategy has two distinct, yet complimentary, intentions: the first focuses on healthy adolescent development using research-based method title the 40 Developmental Assests strategy; the second focuses on spiritual development of wholeness through teaching about Jesus Christ and His offer of salvation for every person.

The YMS staff will be using this space to interact with all of you - the youth of our surrounding city, our supporters, and dear friends. We would love for you to share your ideas and give input into our newly developed program.

We look forward to sharing our hearts with you!

Thank you for your passion to help break the cycle of poverty in our youth.

Best Regards and God Bless
The YMS team