Let me introduce myself, I am Amanda de Jonge, born and raised in Newcastle. I am also the founder of the "Jesus Cares Project"
Well, where did it all begin? I accepted Jesus Christ in my life in 2002. At 2004 I was involved with a sewing ministry at a local church. I volunteered to help them out with the sewing work. The sewing really was something I enjoyed to do, so it developed into a passion.
In 2006, my husband and I also became involved at Raphah - Upliftment Centre in Newcastle. One day as I was sewing, I asked the Lord; what can I do for Him to help build the Kingdom of God, for He has done so much more for me? The Lord then reminded me of the story in Matthew 25, where the servants each received talents.
Every one of us has certain talents, something that we exceed in and can do very well above any other thing. This we receive from God and it is a gift from God. If we do not put these talents into good use, which God has given to us, then it will disappear with time.So the Lord told me to start using these talents to make clothing for the underprivileged children and for other outreaches. I had many questions for the Lord.
I am just a simple housewife with no influence, what so ever in the community. How and where will I get all the necessary materials and accessories for this project? At first I was afraid to take up this challenge. The Lord assured me that He will open the right doors for me and that He will provide in every need for the project. "If God is for you, who can be against you"? Until today, God has kept His promises and is still providing for the "Jesus Cares Project" All the Glory to Him.
People from the community started to visit the Centre to see where they can assist with help or any donations. God already provided for a room at the Center where the sewing ministry started off. The donations and materials came in faster than I could imagine. Sometimes, if God is doing something, He does it in an eye blink. Then the project got the name of "Jesus Cares".
The women at the Centre became involved with the sewing, they helped out by cutting patterns or sorting fabrics. I, in return had the opportunity to teach the women some sewing skills. Some of them have never even worked on a sewing machine before. It was a great experience for these women to see that they can actually sew something and see the end product. This is when you realize that you are worth something to someone. This really uplifted these women's spirits and they feel good about themselves and put their time to good use.
This is the vision that God has given to me for the "Jesus Cares Project". To mobilize workshops where women can learn the necessary sewing skill to make clothing for children in their community. Recently, we have moved to Pretoria and the project is still going on at home. I believe that God will provide another workplace where women can become involved with the sewing project.
The project has done several outreaches and it is a huge success. It enlightens my heart to see the happiness and the smiles on the children's faces when they receive a piece of clothing. A "Jesus Cares" label is sewn onto each piece of clothing to tell these children that Jesus, really does care about each one of them and how Jesus have died, so that they can be saved from a world of sin. These outreaches were only possible with the help of our Lord and the help of the community.
I want to take this opportunity to thank every donor and everyone who contributed towards the project, to make it such a successful ministry. Most of all, I would like to thank my mother who were there from the beginning of the project. She helped me a great deal in making this a success. Because of her knowledge of needlework that she has taught me, I am able to carry on with this noble work. She does not live with me anymore, but is now in an old age home. May the Lord bless her and everyone else abundantly? Above everyone else, I want to thank my Heavenly Father, who made all of this possible and saw the great potential it has towards the Kingdom of God, here on earth. The project is entirely dependent on donations to proceed with the good work.
New projects for this year, 2010:
In the month of June - Reach a child with a blanket in association with "Touch me Lord Ministries" Lesotho. For this project, we need 500 blankets and 300 Bibles. (150 English and 150 South Sotho).
In the month of November - Outreach in Lesotho, handing out of clothing and carry bags. We need fabrics to make sufficient clothing (Rib trim, T-Shirt, Polar fleece / Track suit and cotton fabrics). We would like to hand out carry bags (made of fabric) to each school-going child, containing the basic school accessories e.g. pencils, crayons, exercise book / colouring book, pen, rulers, erasers etc. The number of children will be confirmed later on. Any form of donation will be much appreciated.
Blessed is the Name of Jesus!
Sincerely,
Amanda de Jonge
