It is winter here in South Africa, where the days are sunny and moderately warm, and the mornings and nights are cool. The World Cup is in full swing and you can feel the excitement everywhere you go. I have never been a soccer fan--and didn't even have a basic understanding of the game--but you can't live here during this momentous time and not get caught up in soccer fever. I find myself looking for places that have televisions, to watch some of the action and cheer on Bafana Bafana (the South African team). Hosting the World Cup tournament is generating pride and unity among all South Africans. The children love to play soccer and as I travel through the villages, I see soccer balls fashioned from many things--plastic bags, pieces of cloth tied together, and string balls. Seeds of Light has helped provide much needed soccer shoes, uniforms and equipment.

In this newsletter we decided to do something different by featuring stories of people who were inspired to contribute something to the Seeds of Light children, and who each found their own way to give something of great importance and value to the kids here. With each gift that we helped facilitate, we were privileged to witness the impact they had on the children who were the gift receivers-- the gratitude, joy and smiles of the children. This exchange of giving and receiving has bridged the worlds between all who offered something and those children in South Africa who received the gifts.

We have also included a letter from Daphne Mhaule, the Principal of Funjwa Primary School, one of our long-time school partners. Daphne suffered a severe stroke in early January of this year and has been on medical leave since that time. Many of you have inquired about her health and we wanted to give her an opportunity to let you know how she is doing. When I attended the discharge conference at the care center, and met with her team of doctors and therapists, they told me that Daphne was one of their miracle success stories. Dr. Theron, her primary physician said, "I hear that a lot of people in the U.S. and in South Africa have been praying for her". I told him that was true. He said, "Well it has made a huge difference for her. We rarely see people who recover as quickly as she has". Daphne is one of our most beloved and trusted champions here and we are immensely grateful for all of the love and support you have sent to her. She is still recovering her strength, and will be forever changed. But her progress has been amazing and she wanted to express her gratitude to you. We ask that you continue to hold her in your prayers and thoughts.

We hope these stories will touch your heart and inspire you to consider what you can do, how you can help. In the last article we offer some ideas of ways you can contribute to the work we are doing. Encouragement, acknowledgement, love, and support make a huge difference to these very vulnerable children. The gifts that are described in this newsletter are not "sustainable" in the way that we usually think about sustainable projects-- but they build a field of love and serve to open the Global Heart, which is the core mission of Seeds of Light.

We thank you for your love and support for our work.

Becky Harmon

For me, knitting has provided a creative outlet and a wonderful connection to a community of other knitters who have mentored me and kept me company. Last year, I was delighted to be able to knit booties and a hat for a new baby in our family, my precious niece Amelia. At the same time, I was learning more about the circumstances of the thousands of orphaned and vulnerable children in the region of South Africa served by Seeds of Light. I found myself thinking of a beautiful Native American prayer, which says in part, "all children are our children...every child is our precious child...". I felt inspired to send the same sort of items-- handmade with love--to precious children in South Africa.

I spoke with Becky Harmon, the Director of Seeds of Light, about the need for winter hats and she replied with an enthusiastic, "Yes!" These children are not only vulnerable emotionally because of their losses, but they are also vulnerable physically and medically. While we certainly could have collected donations to purchase hats, it felt especially meaningful to me to know that a hat made by my own hands and filled with my love and well-wishes would be received by a child in need. I also wanted the child receiving the hat to know that it had been made especially for him or her, so I attached a message for each child to the hats.

While I had been thinking of this as a small project, my friend Melody Long inspired me to think bigger about the potential of this project. She encouraged me and facilitated getting the word out to other knitters. I began to spread the word in my local community and at my workplace. Part of the delight I took in this project came from the incredible generosity of other knitters who showed up to help, both in the U.S. and South Africa. Many mornings, I would arrive at work to find hats on my desk, or I would arrive at home to find hats stuffed in my front door. When I read the notes attached, it was clear that we had begun to create a bridge of caring between our communities. While I am not so naive as to think that a hat will change the life of a vulnerable child, I do believe that the cumulative effects of these caring actions and intentions are profound. For this reason, we decided to call the project, "One Hat, One Heart".

We received a total of 176 hand-made hats from knitters in the U.S. and South Africa. In May I had the great privilege of traveling to South Africa to see the work of Seeds of Light and was able to help distribute the hats at three different local schools.

Our first hat event was a joyous and moving experience at Hloaia Primary School. This school is down a very bumpy, red-dirt road, and is clearly the heart of this rural community. Immaculately kept, the school serves 521 students. Of the 521 learners, the school identified 95 children who are orphaned or vulnerable (vulnerability would include illness in the family, lack of income in the household, etc.). Sadly, in many of these deep rural villages, current estimates suggest that 1 in 3 people are HIV+.

The children each had the opportunity to choose the hat they wanted, and the staff helped to interpret the messages included on the tags or in cards with each hat. We were also treated to singing by the teachers, the student body, and several of Hloaia's award-winning choirs.

Additional hat giveaways took place at Funjwa Primary School, a long-time partner of Seeds of Light, and at the Katlego Creche (preschool). Funjwa school was near their school break so less than 20 orphaned children were at school to receive the hats. Once school resumes in July, additional children at Funjwa will receive hats. At the Katlego Creche, every one of the kids received a hat. We also gave hats to the local hospital, for newborn infants who have nothing to wear home.

This is only the beginning of the One Hat, One Heart project. Through the relationships that Seeds of Light has with their 7 partner schools, there are hundreds of additional children who could benefit from receiving the gift of a warm, winter hat, made especially for them. So I guess I'll keep knitting, and knitting.... I hope you will join me!

~Jennifer

I heard about the need for soccer shoes and uniforms at a conference I attended in January. Both of my granddaughters attend Catholic schools that have taught them the need for service in the world. When I got home from the conference, I asked them if they would like to be part of this soccer effort for their year's service project. They were excited about contributing to the girls in South Africa.

I doubt that there is anyone in the world who could look into the beautiful faces of the children of Seeds of Light and not become inspired by them. They are the light and the children of our future--they are radiant.

My granddaughters have learned much from the game of soccer--they have strengthened their bodies, learned commitment to others, made new friends, and shared the excitement of winning and the experience of losing, only to keep going toward their goals. The thought that other children can have these same opportunities extends our hearts to the girls at Seeds of Light.

We got an old coffee can and cut a hole in the top. We wrapped pictures of children around the can and asked friends and strangers for money for a girls' soccer team in South Africa. We passed the can at many soccer events and some social events--several times. I found that it was easier if people already knew us. Many would inquire and ask, "How much do we have so far?" A lot of the contributors seemed to be invested in the idea that these children would have their soccer shoes. And now they do!

Thank you for this wonderful opportunity to share about what is in my heart.

~Dorothea

~~~~~~~

The following is from a letter to Seeds of Light from Cheue School

We, the Cheue Sports Committee, on behalf of the Cheue staff, parents of our lovely learners, our learners, and the community of Rooiboklaagte at large, would like to extend our heart felt gratitude for what you've been doing for the school. You helped us where we needed it the most. We had been striving to get soccer boots for our girls' soccer team, but in vain. Thank God you came to our rescue.

We have noticed with passion the difference that you have brought to our school and the community at large, and as such, we thank you for the tireless efforts you have made to help us develop our institution. Your generosity has brought wonderful and positive impacts in our lives. Words cannot put out clearly our feelings and appreciation, but please note that we truly say, "Thank you once more".

The moment came when I no longer needed my current laptop computer. I looked around thinking what to do with it? The laptop still felt alive and useful. Having spent time in Acornhoek, South Africa, I had seen what a difference a computer makes--no matter how ancient--and decided to donate it to Seeds of Light. I found a repair shop in Santa Fe to have the laptop serviced in preparation for its new life. The computer repair shop even joined the opportunity to give, and offered free labor when I explained what I was doing. And Brad (Laughlin) agreed to transport the 10+pound laptop to South Africa--a gift too, as anyone who has traveled knows--surrendering precious luggage space is a gift to the recipient.

When Seeds of Light told me that they were giving it to Eulender, I was so excited. She is a bright teenager who I know is making, and will continue to make, a positive difference to her family, her community and the larger world. So a simple gift that most Americans would consider an anchor weight became an opportunity for positive change. It has been my experience over and over that we always have something to give. And when we take that extra step to actually give an item a new life instead of tossing it into the landfill, everyone wins. Retelling the experience now, and seeing the picture of Eulender with her "new computer" fills my heart with so much love and joy.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Eulender Mbetse is a Seeds of Light scholarship recipient and attends Southern Cross School in Hoedspruit through a scholarship from the school, from Seeds of Light, and through generous donations from individuals recruited by Judy Miller.

A Note from Eulender~

Hello!!

I am very happy to have a computer, and it's working very well. I wanted a computer so badly, because at school, they give projects that need to be done through research. So now that I have one, I'm so grateful I can do my projects quickly and perfectly. Thank you so much.

May God bless you.

~Eulender

This is to send you very warm greetings from Acornhoek Village of Mpumalanga Province in South Africa. I'm sending you this letter to thank you for the support and generosity that you have shown after receiving a message that I was admitted to the hospital due to a serious stroke. I never imagined that I would ever walk on this beautiful planet again. It is often said that "when days are dark, friends are few", but in my case the opposite was true. We have never met before but I could feel your warm touch from miles and miles away through your faithful ambassadors in South Africa. It never crossed my mind that there are people who can think of others even when they have never met nor seen them before. I thank you for this kind of benevolence.

The first day I was admitted to the hospital was characterized by darkness and nothingness and life did not have any meaning to me. I couldn't make a distinction between life and death. Today I can walk, bathe myself, cook and do whatever my little heart desires. Through your endless prayers, I feel much more than ever before. Prayer is more precious than silver and gold.

There is a lot to appreciate in this kind of love. You have in you an amazing potential for goodness and your hearts are full of grace and generosity. May the good Lord give you strength and courage. My family in South Africa wishes to extend a hand of appreciation to show how much we love you. From the bottom of my heart, I thank you and thank you very much.

Kind regards,

Daphne Mhaule

You can save a life.

Please join us in moving our work forward. There are many ways you can support Seeds of Light. These are a few suggestions--be creative and you will come up with ways to help that fit your particular passion.

1. Forward this email to friends who might be interested in supporting us. Encourage others to sign up for the e-newsletter.

2. Make a presentation about Seeds of Light to a church group or a club you are involved with.

3. Organize a fund raiser for Seeds of Light, and we'll help you with all of the materials and information you need.

4. Sign up through the CoreLight office to be a monthly sponsor and to have your donation automatically deducted from your debit or credit card.

5. Write an article about Seeds of Light for your local community paper or newsletter. Please send the draft to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it for her to proof for accuracy before it is published.

6. Make a one-time donation by check or online at http://seedsoflight.org/home/donate.

Your donations are fully tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.

Seeds of Light's mission is to assist with the awakening of the Global Heart, which we perceive to be the interconnectedness of all life through tolerance, forgiveness, love and compassion. Seeds of Light is the humanitarian service arm of CoreLight, a spiritual non-profit organization dedicated to inner and outer peace in the world, based in Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA. Seeds of Light does not impose any spiritual beliefs on the people it supports. Visit our website at www.seedsoflight.org.

Seeds of Light, 223 N. Guadalupe #275, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501

Phone: (505) 424-8844 Toll free in USA/Canada (888) 989-3552

Fax: (505) 424-8848

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Website: www.seedsoflight.org