12 Days Out!

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Rebecca Clendenin

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Jul 23, 2008, 11:13:01 AM7/23/08
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Friends,

Unbelievably, we are just 12 days out from our departure, Atlanta to Johannesburg.

We want to share with you what's been going on since we last wrote.

The Nyathis Visit North Carolina
Last month, we had a blast helping welcome Pastor Vincent and his family to our part of the world.  Vincent's son Mandla entertained friends all week long with his stories of soccer and cricket.  The week was made even better by our friend and teammate Will Brown and former Africa Revolution interns Gabe and Rachael Dagani being in town as well.  For a recount of the week and a photo slideshow, check it out: 

More Than 80 Dresses Collected!
Over the last few months, Rebecca has been collecting bridesmaids dresses (and even some wedding gowns) for Gloria, Vincent's wife, who runs a small business -- a bridal dress rental shop -- out of the Nyathi house.  Gloria's business is a successful micro-enterprise, which is so important to the livelihood of the Nyathi family and to the economy of Mamelodi.  Her shop offers to the women within her community the opportunity to rent nice, affordable wedding and bridesmaids dresses for the special occasion-- a delight not to be underestimated in the township.  Additionally, Gloria considers her business a ministry as it gives her the opportunity to talk to expectant brides about marriage and Jesus.  Rebecca's initial email was forwarded and forwarded, and the result was that more than 80 dresses -- many from friends, many from complete strangers -- have been collected to be given to Gloria's ministry.  Thank you to everyone who donated!  We are excited to haul these dresses to Mamelodi, first in August and again when Rebecca returns to the States in September... for a wedding :)

A Much-Needed Break
The day after our jobs wrapped up, we went on vacation to Grand Canyon and surrounding parks in northern Arizona/southern Utah.  Simply put, it was an awesome trip.  For the brief low-down about our travels and a selection of Nate's photos, click here: www.mamelodistories.org/2008/07/21/a-brief-hiatus-from-africa-prep/

A Marathon Last Couple of Days in North Carolina
Upon our arrival back home, we dove right back into the craziness of Africa planning.  We purchased our buddy pass plane tickets and sent off for our Visas (a very complicated process), wrapped up getting all remaining belongings into storage, moved out of our house, stayed with friends (thank you, Surukis and Daryanis!), welcomed our renters, ran countless errands, etc.  On top of that, Rebecca participated in a weeklong audio documentary workshop at Duke University's Center for Documentary Studies (cds.aas.duke.edu).  There, she learned a ton about field recording and editing/mixing audio and came away totally inspired about storytelling in Africa.  

A Beautiful Send-Off
This past Sunday, we were officially sent off by our church in Chapel Hill.  It was an emotional night for sure as we were moved by the love of a community behind us.  Thank you for encircling us and bathing us in prayer!

New Instructions for Giving
We continue to be humbled by everyone's generosity.  We are excited to report that we are just a few hundred dollars shy of our fundraising goal.

Going forward, if you are interested in supporting us, you can give through Africa Revolution.  For calendar year 2008 and 2009 tax-deductible contributions, please send a check payable to "Africa Revolution" and indicate that it is for "Nathan & Rebecca Clendenin" in the memo line.  Mail contributions to:

Africa Revolution
P.O. Box 477448
Chicago, IL 60647

You may also give using a credit card or PayPal account using the "Donate" link on our website.  Please note: contributions made payable directly to us will not be considered tax-deductible, but rather a gift.


Many thanks to Grace Community Church and our friends David Hauser, Lois Suruki and Charity Pennock for volunteering their time to help collect contributions to date.

"Facing The Future" Now on Display at Padgett Station
Nate's "Facing The Future" exhibit -- part of his original thesis project "HIV Stories" (www.hivstories.org) -- has changed locations.  If you are in the Triangle area, we invite you to stop by Padgett Station coffee shop (www.padgettstation.com) in Carrboro to check out this portrait series of orphaned Mamelodi children.  Thank you to Cyndi Whisnant at the Chapel Hill Bible Church for allowing "Facing The Future" to hang for many months there, and to Rachel Lillis for helping land Padgett Station and other forthcoming venues in the future.

Pray for Will and Allan & Annie
We ask prayer for our friend and teammate Will Brown as he wraps up details in Atlanta.  He is having some trouble finding a renter for his house.  If you know of anyone looking for housing in a neighborhood offering awesome community in downtown Atlanta (www.whittiermillvillage.org), please let us know.  Pray, too, that the Lord would amaze Will with His provision and that out of this experience, Will's faith would only be strengthened.

Also, team leaders Allan & Annie Greig of Africa Revolution are already abroad, having spent some time in the UK and now in Tunisia.  Please pray for them as they now travel to South Africa to prepare for and await the team's arrival.

We feel privileged to have the opportunity to serve overseas with friends Allan & Annie and Will.  Pray that God would go before us all as we look forward to living in community together.  Pray that our friendship will only grow, and that through the ups and downs of sharing physical space together, working alongside each other on a daily basis, studying Scripture and other books together and traveling throughout Sub-Saharan Africa sharing transportation, that we will be gracious to each other and be an encouragement to each other in our faith. 

Thank you again for your support, prayers, encouragement and continued interest.
With love!
Rebecca & Nathan

Rebecca Clendenin

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