Dear friends and family

The past month has been very eventful. Here are just a few things that have been happening:

Mandela Day

Our four Mandela Day projects were all a huge success. Sally and two of her grandchildren, along with Getty and myself, went to Indumiso Daycare in Bertrams on Friday 15 July, where we treated the children to a lunch of hot dogs, chips and cool drinks, while handing out the forty sleeping mats they had requested. A special thank you to Francois and Annemarie from Rosslyn Foam for supplying the mattresses and giving us a huge discount!
 
On Monday 18 July, a large contingent of staff from various Woolworths stores arrived at Mom Batha to paint the new ceiling which Woolworths had donated the funds for as part of their contribution towards Mandela Day. This is the third year in a row that Woolworths have partnered with us on Mandela day projects, and we are extremely grateful for the support we receive from an organization such as theirs, not only with Mandela day, but with the weekly food donations we collect and distribute to poverty stricken communities.
 
While Morné and Getty oversaw the painting at Mom Batha, Sally and I spent the morning at Motswedi Daycare for our third project. We played and interacted with the children, and treated them to a delicious lunch of hot dogs, chips, cool drinks and sweets. As mentioned previously, we are in the process of having the building plans for the upgrading of Motswedi drawn up and approved. As soon as this has happened, we will be able to get a cost calculation of the project, and start the fundraising.
 
Our final Mandela Day project involved repainting a section of Zamani Lekang Daycare on Friday 22 July. We were blessed to have a team of staff from Olivia Thornet and associates come and assist us with the painting, and in addition they donated paint as well as materials. A special thank you to the girls for their assistance and interest shown in the work we do.
 
Lastly, we would just like to thank everyone who supported our projects in the various ways. Be it through donations, prayers, volunteering, or even just creating awareness, we really appreciate each and every one of you!
 

Mom Batha

It has been three years since we first met Mom Batha, and looking back, the blessings that the Lord has bestowed upon Mom Batha and the children has been nothing short of astounding. When we first met Mom Batha, she was looking after the children in a dilapidated room, with a few dirty carpets and no toilets, no running water or electricity, and no kitchen. Today the daycare centre is thriving with a fully functioning kitchen, a bathroom with toilets and running water, electricity, an outside, fenced off playground, two tower vegetable gardens, as well as a pre-school educational curriculum in place. We praise the Lord for his provision! We have attached a detailed report on the progress and transformation at mom Batha’s over the past three years.
 
Unfortunately there have also been many challenges along the way, especially this year. Mom Batha lost three of her original teachers within the space of three months. Nonhlanhla and Gladness accepted offers at another daycare centre, and on 10 August Zodwa tragically passed away as a result of complications due to Tonsillitis. It was a severe and very sudden shock, as Zodwa had been complaining about her throat being sore the week before. Mom Batha sent her to the clinic on Thursday the 4th, but they did not help her and sent her away with no medication. Mom Batha then gave her money to go to the doctor on Friday the 5th, but the doctor’s rooms were closed by the time she got there. She then went into the hospital on the weekend, and stayed there until she passed away last week Wednesday. We do not have all the facts and details at this time and there are still many unanswered questions. Getty and I took Mom Batha and Zodwa’s colleagues to visit the family last week Thursday. We prayed with them and offered comfort, but please keep them in your prayers as there are now four children between the ages of nine and eighteen who have lost their mother. The children will now be living with their granny in a tiny place. Although Mom Batha had managed to find three additional teachers to work at the daycare centre last month, the new ladies have not had any formal teacher training in pre-school education. Getty is currently helping Mom Batha and the ladies by working through a teacher training manual with them, and we will be assisting in sending the ladies to teacher training workshops as soon as they become available.
 
On another very sad note, one of the little girls who attended the daycare was sent to live with her granny in rural Kwa-Zulu Natal, and while there, she was raped by her uncle. She is four years old. The little girl is back in the community at Mom Batha, but there is a long road ahead with lots of physical and especially emotional healing to work through. Unfortunately these kinds of acts are not uncommon in these communities, and it is a very harsh reality we often encounter. Dube Hostel (where Mom Batha’s daycare is situated) is facing a massive spiritual battle, so we ask that you keep praying for everyone there, as well as myself and the team.

Special Projects

Limpopo

The past year and a half has seen tremendous strides being taken in the uplifting of facilities in Limpopo. We have also attached a detailed report on the building project and changes in general. This has been another project which the Lord has blessed immensely!

General News

Getty has been experiencing some health problems the past few weeks. Please keep her in your prayers. She has such a heart for the Lord’s work and needs to be strong for her family and the people she helps in her area.

Morné has been feeling more and more that the Lord wants him in full time ministry. Recently he received these messages as he was having his devotionals: Deut 15:11 “There will always be some in the land who are poor. That is why I am commanding you to share freely with the poor.” and a few days later from Galations 2:9-10 “They encouraged us to keep preaching to the Gentiles while they continued their work with the Jews. Their only suggestion was that we keep on helping the poor, which I have always been eager to do.” He really believes that this is want he is meant to be doing. He would also like to take some courses in counselling. Please continue to keep Morne in your prayers.

My mom, Marilyn Cook, and I were blessed to spend a weekend in the Cape with my oldest and youngest sons, Jeff and Joshua, and their lovely girlfriends, Jenna and Kristin. We were very spoilt and had a wonderful break! We will be spending this coming weekend with Jono in the bush (Hoedspruit) where he is working. Always special to have time with family!