God demonstrated His love again with an outpouring of love and assistance towards our Race to 300 campaign. Praise the Lord, seven additional children started their new school year at our partnering private Christian school.

Thank you all for joining this race and providing this ongoing opportunity!

This month we are shining our spotlight on the Saintly Sorters who work so diligently in the Pricing Room and are most worthy of our Hearts and Hands recognition. This article is written by Mary Stoll who is the newest member of the group and whose story of how she became connected with Mabopane you may never have heard before.

“Prior to moving to Apex from Mebane to be close to my daughter and her family, I traveled back and forth with some frequency—often passing the Mission House, seeing yard sale signs, and wondering exactly what went on there. More than a year later after moving to Apex, I decided to find out. So I drove to the Mission House, found that there were a few cars on site, and saw someone entering a door to a building on the back of the property. So I knocked on the door of what turned out to be the “Pricing Room”. I was greeted by a lovely, smiling face which belonged to Frances Blanchard.

After introducing myself and learning more about Mabopane, I inquired if there might be an opportunity for me to be a volunteer. (As I was preparing to move from Mebane to Apex, I had been praying for the Lord to show me how and where I might serve as a volunteer and make new friends. I had volunteered for many years at my church in Mebane.) Frances stopped and looked at me and said I was the answer to her prayers as she has been overwhelmed with so many things to sort, clean, and price.

Working in the pricing room has become the beginning of a wonderful new career as a volunteer. We have a great group of sisters to work with—gals who are like-minded in many ways and caring friends who pray for each other, worry about each other, and share our joys. There are 5 of us known as the Saintly Sorters who show up once or twice a week to work in the pricing room. We each have a specialty: Frances is our lead person. Helen sorts items. And then Frances handles bedding; Gail and Alisha handle household items; and I handle toys and games. It’s almost like Christmas every day in the pricing room. You never know what you are going to open up and find. Treasures galore!! And learning about the function of some items and how to price them keeps our activities always interesting.

Unfortunately, for health reasons, our long-time leader and friend Frances is stepping down from her responsibilities in the pricing room. This does NOT mean that Frances is leaving Mabopane and the Mission House. She will continue to be involved but in different ways. With Frances leaving the pricing room and as our inventory continues to grow, we are in search of several volunteers to help out. Training will be provided. Anyone who decides to join the Saintly Sorters will be blessed by the opportunity to fellowship with a wonderful group of women.”

Editor’s Note: Mary’s volunteer involvement is not confined to working in the pricing room. She volunteers at nearly every Pop-Up Sale and has covered almost all areas of need. One summer, Mary invited her high-school aged grandson, Gabriel, to join her as a volunteer at the Pop-Up Sales. Willing and happy to do whatever was asked of him, Gabriel was quite popular with the other volunteers and some great relationships were formed. Getting young people involved in volunteering is a wonderful way to teach them about being mindful of the needs of others, approachable, grace-filled, bold, and self-giving. It is an act of love.

And speaking of volunteering, we appreciate the willingness of Holly Donaldson and her friend Jennifer Compton to pick up Panera Bread products for the next six months and deliver them to the Mission House on Thursday nights before our weekend Pop-Up Sales. THANK YOU SO MUCH!

“My name is Matlhomola—also known as Soloman. I’m thankful to say I’ve had the opportunity to stay at Ya Bana since I was a young boy. This has been a big experience. I was able to learn how to be responsible and, most important, how to love God and become a man of honor. Even today, I’m fighting to become that man. And, I must say, it’s not always easy.

There have been and always will be rules and regulations; but I’m happy to try my best.

Thanks to all of you, I’m now a trained, professional baker at Ya Bana. I’ve always been passionate about cooking but never really thought of baking. I’m happy to see people being proud of me.

Now all the bread is made on site for our Village and ELC. It’s no longer necessary to purchase it outside. I am also learning to make pizza as well as other things. It is my wish to work with other young people to pass these skills along. As a young man, I’m addicted to positive growth. I don’t think I ever want to stop learning. For me, it means a better future.

We are happy to announce that this year’s annual PLANT SALE will take place on April 29 & 30. This much anticipated event always brings a smile to all of us outdoor gardening enthusiasts. There will be a variety of perennials, ground covers, small shrubs, and occasionally even some house plants available for purchase. Please mark these dates! We are asking and would really appreciate our friends and volunteers helping to supply cuttings, plants, bulbs, rooted house plants, and anything you have growing around your property that can be shared with us.