Way Too Long




‘Stop the world I want to get off’….. no, not really.  I love the adventure! I must admit the pace is a little more than I wanted and the scheduling at best has been a little chaotic.  However, over the past 3 months so many great things have happened to help the poor and the needy in South Africa, Gambia, Kenya and yes, still in Wales, that it has been worth the step of faith from the safety of YL. I will provide an update for each.

Our change in season is in actual fact more of a personal seasoning… Releasing the skills we have developed over our adult lives to do more to make a difference in the world for which we were appointed bond servants to the most high God.  Our lives will always be about HIS ministry, His work and for His glory.  Thus, the name of our new venture into humanitarian and low cost housing solutions for the poor - Hebner Innovative Solutions (HIS). Though we are no longer part of a larger national charity it does not make what we are doing any less a mission.  We still covet your prayers in what we are doing, finding balance, striving to scale up the effects of the YMP projects in Africa, and around the world as we use more local volunteers and create work programs for the poor via HIS.  This blog will highlight a few of the things we have been up to since the silence in the winter silence.

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GAMBIA - Just before Christmas I travelled to Gambia to complete the construction of a school I designed.  Since then the group from the Isle of Lewis has been back and completed the septic tank and the final touches on the structure.  Now, with all the paper work in place, and soft skills identified, the school will begin operation at the start of the next semester.

 I have been so impressed with the work of Jonathan & Scott Maciver and their team. What a testimony of what is possible when we empower young people and give them a little bit of focus.  I have learned so much from being a part of their work.  They radiate hope and love.




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KENYA - My long-time friend Peter James was in Kenya to build a school in Isinya.  In order to be close at hand to support him if needed, I had an opportunity to work once again with Hope for the Nations (HFTN) based out of Kelowna/Vancouver Canada.  While Pete worked on a school, I would do the groundwork for a new structure in the Soweto Slum Nairobi.

Thanks to all who made this extra project happen, including Ralph Bromley and some old friends from the Kelowna area.  The irony is that Peter’s group spared time to help mine and not the other way around… What a gift from the group from Grande Prairie.

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LITTLE ROSE - The August HIS project, to build a temporary dorm for orphans, snowballed over the winter months.  Sage computing, Fujitsu SA and Trafigura all saw an opportunity to lift the 125 children from the community to a new level of housing and education.  Their gifts along with the resources brought with the YMP April 2016 team allowed us to do significant structures for Oma, a faithful ‘street’ grandma’ veteran of helping the poor for the past 20 years.
At the writing of this blog the roofs are going on the 3 major structures on the site.  Words cannot express my gratitude to these corporate partners along with the youth from Wales that made this happen.  In total we had a budget of just under R2,000,000.00 (£100,000.00)  since August.  This has translated to over 700m2 of new space for housing and education built by 55 teens from Wales 150 youth from Africa and 50 volunteers from Rainbow 90.7FM.  The centre is quickly becoming the centre of the community with capacity to make more of a difference in their world.
One of the highlights of my time this year was staying in the PUSH centre.  PUSH is a container structure built by HIS in November.  The deal was we would build it first and then use it to host the YMP students 600m from the Little Rose site in Kliptown.  Lorna the director made sure that the building was comfortable for us beyond our wildest dreams.  Things are working!



WHAT NEXT - I am now back in the UK for a season.  How long we do not know.  Our priority will be to get things ready for the Middle Park summer camp in July while directing several construction projects in SA remotely from my office.  Interest in what we are doing is growing.  Opportunities exist in Columbia, Kenya, Zambia, Cambodia and other areas which are catching on to the versatility and speed of the relief structures we build.  I would covet your prayer for wisdom in how to approach all these great needs in a pragmatic way.  Welsh groups have already approached me for a small August 2016 trip and a full April  2017 YMP trip.
Life is not about being busy, it is about being obedient to the small still voice of the Lord in your life once you have opened up a relationship with Him.  Please pray that Brigitte and I, along with our wonderful girls, heed to that leading, remembering that good can be the enemy of the great if we do not stay focused on what we are called to
In Him,
Bill

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