This is the Friday Photo I sent out today:
This is not a photo from this week, but it's still a glimpse into our lives...
These are boys that live either on the streets of Muizenberg or in nearby townships (in which case they spend their days on the streets). Over the year, Hans has interacted with these boys, learning their names and talking to them when he sees them. It's not uncommon to hear kids shouting "Hey Hans!" (pronounced "Hands" without the "d" sound) as we walk around our neighborhood. Hans wrote a blog post when we first got here about the dilemma of whether or not to feed these kids, since they are always hungry and asking for food. They know where we live and often ring our bell, asking for something to eat. We usually have an extra loaf of bread and jar of peanut butter around the house so we can make them sandwiches. (We don't feed them every time they ring, but it's hard to say no every time!) This time they rang and asked for tea, since it was a cold winter evening. I told them I didn't have containers for them. Within minutes they all had found empty bottles (from who knows where) that I could put their tea in. How could I say no with that kind of effort and creativity? So Hans made them sandwiches and we sent them on their way with hot tea. We still struggle with this issue. There are signs in shops around town that say "Giving Doesn't Help" because it really only perpetuates the problem. But when a hungry little boy is at your door, it's hard to turn them away.
So these are a few faces that are a part of our life here in Muizenberg:
These are boys that live either on the streets of Muizenberg or in nearby townships (in which case they spend their days on the streets). Over the year, Hans has interacted with these boys, learning their names and talking to them when he sees them. It's not uncommon to hear kids shouting "Hey Hans!" (pronounced "Hands" without the "d" sound) as we walk around our neighborhood. Hans wrote a blog post when we first got here about the dilemma of whether or not to feed these kids, since they are always hungry and asking for food. They know where we live and often ring our bell, asking for something to eat. We usually have an extra loaf of bread and jar of peanut butter around the house so we can make them sandwiches. (We don't feed them every time they ring, but it's hard to say no every time!) This time they rang and asked for tea, since it was a cold winter evening. I told them I didn't have containers for them. Within minutes they all had found empty bottles (from who knows where) that I could put their tea in. How could I say no with that kind of effort and creativity? So Hans made them sandwiches and we sent them on their way with hot tea. We still struggle with this issue. There are signs in shops around town that say "Giving Doesn't Help" because it really only perpetuates the problem. But when a hungry little boy is at your door, it's hard to turn them away.
So these are a few faces that are a part of our life here in Muizenberg:
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