“LET ME TELL YOU A STORY ABOUT A PALACE... THE PALACE OF MERCY...” (March 26, 2018 update)

The HHTH team worked with Pastor Adziliwi Budeli in Masisi, South Africa, to build the Palace Of Mercy (POM) in 2017. It was almost completed not long ago and will hold up to 12 orphans and a live-in “House Mother.”

The space is beautiful, but we still need to complete the septic tank and bore a well. This will probably be completed soon because of two generous contributors back home. There has been a real BOG DOWN trying to get through the red tape of the SA government.

Along with Pastor Budeli and HHTH, we brainstormed what we could do. There are so many children who have nobody and need food and a safe place to live!

Pastor will submit all documents required for requesting a Non Profit Organization (NPO) designation (much like our 501 C 3) so we can help these vulnerable children as soon as possible. This is a shorter process than the first avenue.

To get use out of the building in the interim, and to help children, we have 3 boys living at the POM who do not have fathers, and are in a single parent home. Their Mothers get a very small stipend from the government but it hardly covers bare essentials. With the mine closing down at Tshikondeni (pronounced chicken-deni) there are few jobs in this area which has created a great hardship for so many families. So, let me introduce you to these young men.

Below is Elias, a very intelligent 14 year old boy. He loves music and knows all the technology for providing music at their Church functions. All the boys attend Church.

They have elected themselves to positions of responsibility to create a positive atmosphere while they live at the POM. Elias is responsible for keeping the Palace clean and orderly. The other boys help with the various tasks.

This is Safe. He is 17 years old, loves soccer and has a heart to help others who struggle with learning. Safe is the Prefect and makes sure all of them are doing their jobs. He assures that lights are turned off and the building locked when they leave for school.

And this is Given, 15 years old. He is the secretary and records notes at their meetings. Given also wrote and posted the rules for living in the building, and I believe he cooks their meals.

These young men are thriving on learning leadership and how to be a team.

Pastor Budeli, who is an excellent mentor works closely with Elias, Given and Safe to guide them along the path to being constructive, self initiating, taking responsibility as leaders, to keep up their studies and to be a contributor to their village. Their presence in the building also keeps the POM from being vandalized.

Though you only see Safe here, all three boys give the building a good cleaning every week. The value of what they are learning is amazing and they are stepping up to the task. The Mothers monitor things from time to time.

Pastor Budeli has such a respectful way of challenging these boys and guiding them to meet high expectations for themselves.

We are utilizing the building in various ways.

Pastor went out to several churches requesting food for the poorest of the poor orphans in this area.  The food was distributed at the Palace to these dear children. These children are 

hungry most of the time and could not believe they were getting that much food!

Elias got food for the 3 boys. 

The allotment is made up of their staple food; mealie, canned meat, 

tea, sugar, salt, cooking oil, and extras like packaged soups, rice and beans.

We want to again thank all of you who contributed to this building. Is is sacred space, and a haven for these fragile children. Some donors are Brody, Mike and Cathy McCarthy, Jeanette Abraham, Bobby and Amy David, Kayo Randolph. ..

Pastor Amos Siaga and Apostle V. W. Madzinge.

"The road has been hard, long and Rocky, but to experience the outcome has made it all worthwhile. There is so much more to be done, and we WILL stay the course. Please, we need your prayers for this project."

🌈Watch for more exciting “happenings” coming up!

Until next time . . . from the Bush with love,

Sidney and the HHTH Team

“WHAT DOES HHTH DO WHEN THEY ARE NOT IN AFRICA?” (March 25, 2018 update)

We fund raise through mailings, and various venues to sell our hand crafted African Artifacts. 
Throughout the year, we recruit sponsors for our many orphans. We get food to the current 80-90 orphans who are on our feeding and education program.

Education is essential for these children to ever be able to escape poverty.  When they are hungry most of the time, they cannot not focus or concentrate on school work.  The children are sponsored by individuals who  provide resources for four distributions of a 3 month supply of food each year.   One of the distributions in the year is done by HHTH. At that time, the children receive clothes, shoes, toiletries, school supplies, the 3 Month supply of their staple foods, school fees for one semester, and other basic needs.

HHTH also serves locally to help people in need.  Here, Clark Sanford, (Board of Trustees Member) and wife Karen, joined CJ, Wayne and I to pack survival kits for the homeless in our area. The kits consisted of hat, gloves, scarf, toiletries, water, Vaseline, some food items, and other necessities. 

Then we hit the streets to hand out the bags. 

Clark and Karen know their way around Detroit, so they led the way. 

CJ’s granddaughter helped pack 50 survival packages in useful bags for the recipients. 

These ladies were thrilled to receive the gifts.  It was a cold and wet snow evening, and all 50 bags found a person delighted to receive them. 

Sidney sews all year round, making school Bags for all of our orphans in South Africa and Zimbabwe.   CJ embroidered many of the children’s names on their bag, so they will feel special. 

Our dear friend, Don Burton, convinced his cousin m, Chuck Burton to help Sidney the bags for HHTH, so Chuck makes quite a contribution. 

Another “happening” was our Guide, Janco from Africa, came to Michigan 

for a month to do jobs for CJ, and Sidney to earn money during the off season for Guide work.  

He cleaned the Bonvallet’s siding and painted and organized many rooms inside. 

Janco’s first excitement about seeing snow, quickly wore off when he faced it in African attire.  Guess those shorts don’t exactly in 20 degree weather. 

He packed many suit cases for us to take to Africa to give to our children there. 

Wayne and Sidney usually spend one or two months a year in Mt. Pleasant, SC. Jonathan Flanary, owner of Aiden’s Fabric donates great quantities of material to produce the bags we see for the children.  Jonathan truly understands our Mission work as he frequently does mission work himself in S. America. 

So many people help us help the children.  My grandson, Jacob, donated a swell pair of cowboy boots.  They are "man size" so some young man will be ecstatic to receive a bonafide pair of Texas boots!

Sidney had an open house sale the lovely African Artifacts. 

The scarves  are all made in Africa and are beautiful. 

Various elegant carvings were for sale. 

The African Batiks are always a hit 

because of the African scenes done with this ancient technique. 

HHTH sells the authentic African Artifacts at the yearly Alternative Christmas Fair 

at Hope Lutheran Church in November.   This lady determined to take a large giraffe home. 

Shiela Ricks, our friend of about 25 years, is so good to come and help us in this endeavor.

Other friends, Janie and Bobby who live in North Carolina, met us in Mt. Pleasant, SC. Janie created a better pattern for the school bag and they brought us loads of beautiful material.

The generosity of our friends and family is amazing.

This is a great adventure to do God’s work. To have so many of you join in with your “helping Hands,” touches so many hearts across the globe.  Thank you from our heart. 

Until next time . . . from the Bush with love,



Sidney and the HHTH Team

“RESULTS OF THE CHARITY BALL - 9,000 THANK YOUS” (March 24, 2018 update)

WHY WE HOLD THE BALL...

To assist the most vulnerable segment of society 

To feed as many orphan children as possible so they have energy to do their school work. 

To go into the dwellings of the impoverished 

and determine how to empower them to go beyond survival. 

To help someone like this young woman achieve her dreams.  Michele is deaf, but dreamt of being a chef. HHTH Charity pays her tuition to go to School for the Deaf to learn to be a Chef.  

To help the poorest of the poor make it through another day with hope in their heart. 

CJ gave beans to this little elderly woman searching for acorns alongside the road. 

To provide mosquito nets to help people avoid malaria. 

To give the small pleasure of a pretty school bag for children like Pafarhe. 

To provide school shoes for children like Mpupho. 

The attendees enjoyed the elegant dancing by professionals, tasty food and drinks, Silent Auction for baskets donated by businesses in the area, a fantastic Balloon Drawing for chances on winning a whole basket full of lottery tickets, and chances to “dance with the professionals!”  What a night it was!!
The Ball Event raised a gross of   $9,000.!!!  Sidney, Wayne and CJ are now in South Africa initiating their projects and work.  This grand total, generously given by all the attendees, has the power to change many lives.
Special thanks to Izabela for spearheading this large event.  Thank you all for your kind support.

Please save the date next year for this awesome event.

Until next time . . . from the Bush with love,



Sidney and the HHTH Team

“GREAT EXPECTATIONS!" Or “BE CAREFUL, SHE IS ON MEDICATION!” (March 22, 2018)

March 16th

After a harrowing 48 hour flight making our way to Africa, we saw the sweet and friendly face of Janco Scott, Our Guide,  waving at us. I think his heart secretly drooped a little at first sight of our “load.” Then, when our 15 huge suit cases rolled around the corner, followed by 3 over sized  night cases and 3  oversized bags passing as purses, the look of disbelief completed the incredulous picture. Miraculously Customs did not check any of our luggage.  We quickly piled all 21 of those Monster bags, blankets and pillows on our already 1/2 full,  groaning trailer. 

As if this weren’t enough, we pulled up to Da Arden on 75 Fourth St. Street, our lodging for the night and couldn’t get past the locked gate. We were in a daze from lack of 💤 sleep 💤 and couldn’t rouse anyone to let us in.  Janco did his normal thing about climbing over the fence until he almost touched the electrified wire on top. He gingerly climbed down while we contemplated our next move.  I caught a guy milling around and asked for the manager. A barefooted, long haired vintage hippie appeared, and opened the gate. This was Steve, the owner. 

What first appeared to be a disaster spinning toward a catastrophe, faded, when we turned the corner to a paradise of cool greenery encircling a pristine swimming pool glistening in the sun. It was a colonial style African Lodge from an earlier elegant time. Steve couldn’t let us in the room just yet because it wasn’t “ready.”  He asked us to please be patient as it had flooded in the area and there were a “few” things in need of repair. 

(Little did we know...)  No staff was there to check us in, so we were asked to wait for Simba, the check-in clerk and Sonya, the brand new manager.  

Finally settled in our rooms, we began to look around.  What had once been a  lovely, South African post Colonial Lodge, now sagged under the weight of unattended years. 

The flooding was obvious and we started to unpack. Then we realized about 1/3 of the lights didn’t work. CJ started to shower, but no towels. She redressed, found a maid outside and asked for towels. To which the maid responded, “towels don’t come with the rooms.”  CJ dressed and she and Janco went to the store and bought towels. Red flags were popping up all over the place.  The headboards were not attached to the beds but simply leaned against the wall, threatening to fall over on us if we moved too quickly.  As CJ started to take a shower,  we heard her squeal!  The towel racks were not attached , and crashed to the floor, while she tried to control the hand spray. Since there was no step out bath mat, CJ started to skid before she regained control.  Having survived the shower, she bravely went to the kitchen area to make a bite to eat but quickly discovered that the stove did not work.  Meanwhile, Wayne, Sidney and Janco tried to turn on other lights but more were burned out than worked.  

Finally, giving up, we all headed to bed only to discover the promised WiFi did not work.  Defeated, we pulled back the duvet to find no top sheet under the questionably clean bed covers.  We decided we couldn’t stay the second night there and planned to leave the next morning. After a restless night we prepared for our departure, when Simba and Sonya appeared to collect the fees. CJ nicely let them know of a few of the issues, that we were uncomfortable staying under those conditions and paid for the one night. 

New Manager Sonya softly said, “I will personally see to these repairs. Would you please not write a bad review about us?”  We assured her we had no interest in doing such a thing. While we walked to our rig, Simba kept saying we must pay them for the second night, which we kindly but firmly refused. 

After we got into our vehicle, Janco asked Simba to open the locked gate but he clutched onto CJ’s window and refused.  Sonya, a soft spoken woman, and Simba’s superior asked him to let go of CJ’s window and open the gate, and he refused again!  This is too comical not to be true. Simba said, “If I let you out, we cannot...” “Sidney joined the fray, “what do you mean, ‘if I let you out,’ you can’t kidnap us! Please Open the gate immediately!”  Sonya calmly told Simba,”you must let our guests out.” Simba fought valiantly for control and spit out, “you cannot leave, you have a problem!”  CJ yanked the door open, “OK, NOW I am getting excited!”  Sonya interjected, “You must not excite our quest, she is on medication!”  She took the keys away from Simba who stomped off in defeat. Sonya, ever the calm one, cajoled, “I am sorry for your unpleasant experience. This is not right.  I promise the issues will be corrected and you can write any kind of review you want to!” Our “great expectation was just to get a clean room, and get a little sleep for the night.

Oh well, as Janco always says, T. I. A.   “This Is Africa!”  The delightful Mountain Top Lodge, The Ultimate Guest House, awaits us....

CJ doing “Moon Dance” while becoming intoxicated on the 

“Otherworld” aroma of the exotic  “Moon” flower.

African kisses come in the shape of “ruby red hearts.”

Afternoon tea at the Ultimate Guest House Lodge. 

This is where you get the REAL “skinny”  about the news around the village. 

Just another “lousy day in paradise. 

CJ basks in the cool of a lovely African evening. 

Those red “thingies” are 
Just TOO pretty to be true.

It seems “Takalash” (one of the African mischief makers) was “trailing” us to keep us on our toes. 

A little screw made a BIG flat on the abandoned “Never Ending Road.”

Janco crawled in to get the spare. Always the optimist, declared: 

“No problem guys. This is easy peasy.”  That’s easy for him to say in the 🔥 fiery hot 

sun.  Our little tongues were hanging out, scorched to the bone. 

Thankfully, God sent us the fisherman Ellias.  He must have been “sand fishing” 

because we didn’t see any water no where, no how!  Ellias, a Madala (old man) 

cheerfully helped us poor Americans by helping Janco quickly change the tire. 

From the looks of Ellias’ torn pants and worn out shoes, it was obvious he was in need.  CJ rewarded him with a loaf of bread and a little money. He was jubilant with gratitude, particularly for the bread. 

What a lesson his little son, Tussu witnessed.  He saw his Dad being proactive to help someone in obvious trouble. And by cheerfully helping someone, there was a good reward. 

It is fulfilling to observe how Janco just “rides easy in the harness,” and graciously allows others to be involved. He is patient and respectful with them.  We are actually witnessing a little bit of magic with each of these experiences with Janco and the native people here.

A Charity Ball and A Flight to Africa (March 13, 2018)

Our 4th Annual Charity Ball was held on March 11, 2018, and was a great success.  A post from Izabela's website tells the story.  We appreciate her permission to use this material.

Our team flew to Africa on March 13.  We will start sharing our 2018 African adventures on this blog soon.  Thank you for all your support and prayers.

Until next time...from the Bush with love ❤️,



Sidney and the HHTH Team

Dear Friends, On behalf of Wayne, Sidney, CJ, Sheila, Mike, Cathy, Sheena, Karen, and Clark I would like to say my sincere thank you for attending our annual Charity Ball, “Dancing For Goodness’ Sake,” on Sunday, March 11 at Dance New York in Plymouth. With 180 attendees we raised $9,000. Your financial support helps the charity “Helping Hands Touching Hearts” to continue their mission of building orphanages, providing shoes, food and education for the community, and bringing hope to the poorest of South Africa.  Our sincere thanks also goes to all the performing couples for sharing their time and talents, and to the dance studios for bringing their students and positive energy. We appreciate Mark Brock, our MC, for encouraging everyone to donate and participate in the event’s activities. And, of course, our gratitude goes to Glenn Clark for playing fantastic music, and to Suzanne and Clive Phillips of Dance New York for generously allowing us to use their beautiful studio. We look forward to seeing you and your friends next year for another fun-filled fundraising event. Again, we are so grateful for your support! With warmest regards, Izabela Jaworska   Left: "Dance with a Pro"  game, where professional dancers donated their dance to raise money for orphans in South Africa. Right: The night was filled with dancing, great music, and lots of fun! Left: Sidney and Wayne Bonvallet, the founders of "Helping Hands Touching Hearts", welcoming everyone to the ball. Right: Sidney and Mark working side by side to raise money for the charity. Left: Marian from the Dance Pavilion in Ypsilanti was the happy winner of the Lottery Box. Helping her to celebrate is Ron, also from the Pavilion. Right: Izabela is very grateful to have so many guests at the Charity Ball. Left: Jim and Debbie from the Dance Pavilion won the 50/50 raffle and donated their win back to the charity!  HHTH will get another bike for a village in Africa! Right: Karen and Clark are on the Board of Trustees and are longtime supporters and sponsors of HHTH. Left: African Artifacts were for sale and helped us to raise money for the charity. Right: This was part of a very touching video presentation from HHTH. Here are our wonderful performers who donated their shows and captivated our hearts. From left to right:  Louis Johnson & Lauren Murphy, Chad Brown & Kiyana Brown, Sherrad Glosson & Ashleigh DeWeese, Dwight Davis & Joanmarie Vanaski, Robert Kubis & Jackie Steinbacher, Jonathan Welly & Tiffany Sullivan, Jasper Yu & Alison Tseng, Guillermo Moreno & Gabriela Moreno   Copyright © 2018 IzabelaJaworska.com, All rights reserved.