July 8th: At 10:00 am Friday morning, the team, girls, housemothers, our local Kuyasa partners, community leaders, and local donors gathered at the site to dedicate the new Tapestry Orphan Home. And what a celebration it was.
It is important to us that the Kayamandi community “take ownership” of the Tapestry Orphan Village and identify our local Kuyasa partners in a leadership role. To that end, we were delighted to invite the new Chief Operating Officer of Kuyasa, Nkosanathi (Co-sen-a-tee), to MC the event.
The celebration began with Nkosanathi welcoming the community, thanking all of the participants, and casting a vision for what the new home will mean to the girls living in the Tapestry Orphan Village. This third home will be a place where: the girls can concentrate on their studies; they can gather to celebrate special events; they can be discipled and receive counseling from the new social worker, Bonani (who will office in the home); and the home will be an emergency shelter for abandoned teenage girls seeking refuge from the streets of Kayamandi.
We all then gathered around the girls and housemothers to lay hands on them and pray, followed by the placement of the Tapestry Homes cross and anointing of the home. We joined in the cutting of the ribbon, and the girls and housemothers were welcomed to their new home. Inside, guests were invited to tour the home, and the girls and housemothers showed their appreciation by blessing us with song and dance.
We were overcome with emotion as we bathed in God’s faithfulness and reflected on the privilege of bringing salt and light to these forsaken young girls. God is powerfully using Tapestry Homes to make a visible difference in the lives of these girls–girls who just two years ago entered the first Tapestry Orphan Home as shy and emotionally broken individuals and who are now blossoming into confident, loving and hopeful young ladies.
With tear-filled eyes and warm embraces, we said our goodbyes to the girls and housemothers. We left more encouraged than ever seeing the mighty foundation God has laid for the future of the Tapestry Orphan Village with the completion of the first three homes and the timely arrival of Bonani and Nkosanathi.
When the remaining three homes are completed, we can visualize a holistic, Christ-centered community where lives are redeemed, life-skills are learned, and discipleship is nurtured. A place where the girls go on to college or learn a marketplace skill, and where they return to mentor and encourage other girls living in the village.
It is a beautiful snapshot of the body of Christ working together to develop a sustainable, replicable model of community. A community that touches hearts and changes lives eternally.
