Becoming Chris Kamalski

An Afrikaans boy looking for the camera at Huis Judea, a ministry in Vollmer that reaches out to the impoverished Afrikaans community of Pretoria North.

During our Orientation in mid-February, we traveled down the street to the southern part of Pretoria North (our local city) and visited Huis Judea, a (primarily) Afrikaans ministry that is located in Vollmer, an impoverished, largely marginalized and forgotten neighborhood in the city (especially since the fall of apartheid in 1994).  What is fascinating and equally heartbreaking about this neighborhood is that it is almost entirely composed of lower class Afrikaans citizens, a group that is rarely viewed as impoverished.  Huis Judea is attempting to stem the tide of poverty and create a welcoming home in this neighborhood that promotes holistic care for its citizens.

I stumbled across some of the most beautiful children I have ever seen.  In taking this second photo, a red ball came rolling into the picture at the exact right moment.  I was stunned at the beauty of these innocent faces!