I write to you with utmost joy as my first 2 weeks in Africa have already exceeded my expectations. God tends to do that! After my first week of getting settled in and revisiting the JAM team, I felt completely at peace. This truly is a JAMily. There certainly is no feeling superior than being confident that you are at the center of God’s will for your life.
I had the privilege of traveling with the JAM film and photography team in Angola for a week alongside the co founder of JAM, Peter Pretorius. I feel so privileged to travel and work alongside such talented, yet humble people. I cannot stress how many times I felt encouraged and cared for by this brilliant team. And I mean seriously, how many people get to travel and work with their heroes? Peter & Ann Pretorius have had a significant impact on my life and it is a joy to have such valuable time with these influential leaders.
Angola stretched me in ways I didn’t know possible. I experienced joy, heartbreak, challenges, and victories all at once. My eyes were opened to the scale of operations that Joint Aid Management has globally. I was in awe of the logistics and framework behind developing the JAM porridge that the children are fed, to how the food is delivered to rural villages that don’t even have proper roads. It is rigorous and exhausting work that this team executes to ensure that your support gives these children food and education. I can attest to the fact that the support you give to
JAM is not just giving a child a meal, but also completely changing a child’s life.
While camping in villages where JAM feeds and drills water wells I witnessed joyful spirits, hopeful smiles, and children singing songs of merit. These were ecstatic days. I could truly grasp the impact that my friends and I have made through Bands that JAM for Africa having this firsthand understanding.
Midweek we visited a malnutrition clinic in Catumbela. I still struggle to find the words to express this experience. I recall the film crew trying to capture my emotions and ask me what I thought at present as we walked outside of the clinic, but I was speechless. I have never seen such frail bodies in my life. There was a child just 2 months old in the emergency room that had been there 1 month. For half of this child’s life, he lived in a malnutrition clinic. My heart remains broken.
Food and water can prevent children from having to end up in a place like this. Just $60 feeds and educates a child through JAM for an entire year. That is as simple as sacrificing one cup of a coffee a month to prevent a child from ending up in a malnutrition clinic fighting for their life.
My friends, you have been so prayerful and encouraging. I am so grateful and ask you to continue, because God is truly doing some incredible things through JAM and in my life personally. For those of you who have asked if I need anything or what you can send me, I am being taken care of and am loved well by the people here. What you can do is consider giving $60 to feed and educate a child. It would truly change their life. My prayer is to be able to return to the villages in Angola that JAM is not feeding at yet and witness the fruit of your faithfulness and generous spirits.
Appreciatively,
Morgan