Dear Friends,
We realised that we had not done a JUNE newsletter and we apologise for that. We have been really busy this July month and normally the newsletter is written at the end of the month but somehow was overlooked in June. We are trying to put a newsletter out every month so as to keep everyone updated.
During June a lot of clothing and half of the babies’ cloth nappies disappeared. We are really disappointed that one of our staff members continues to steal from the home. We have locks on all of the cupboards but it is not so easy to lock up the babies clothing and nappies. Clothing can also easily be taken off the washing lines.We keep appealing to the staff to please stop stealing from the home as they are actually stealing from God and it will not go well with them. They may think they are getting away with it but God sees everything and He knows who is doing it. We know that It is only one of the aunties and have an idea of who it may be, but cannot prove it yet and are praying that God will reveal who it is and either remove them from the home if they are not willing to change and or they will stop stealing. On a more positive note, Jesus hung on the cross between 2 thieves and one of the chosen 12 on Jesus’ team, Judas Iscaariot, helped himself to the funds out of the treasurey box. For that reason, we continue to love on our staff and treat them all as Jesus would, with love and compassion. He will do the rest.
Andrew finally got his study visa sorted out in the 1st week of June, and returned to South Africa to complete his final year at Uni. He will remain in SA until he completes his degree at the end of this year. José was on a 1 month break from college, for the whole of June. We were struggling to get his passport and after much prayer and continued persuing of the immigration officers and social welfare, he has succeeded in obtaining a travel document which will allow him to go out of the country and into the countries surrounding Swaziland. Keturah celebrated her 9th birthday on the 11th June and asked to join the public library in Mbabane, as her gift. She loves to read so every time she enters the library, she is in heaven with all those books around her. With the Rav now back on the road and running well, Keturah has joined the Sweet Aroma Girls, at our church on Fridays, and Robyn has been able return to the ladies’ bible studies on a Wednesday. It is such a blessing to have 2 cars available to us again.
Lozi is a member of the Debating and Public Speaking team at her school and she was chosen to participate in the National Public Speaking tryouts. She won a certificate for her public speaking and is enjoying being a part of the team. She is doing really well at her new school and we are so happy with her progress. She is trying hard and her marks are showing it.
We have had a very full month for July with two American teams visiting us. Rick Clapp and his team from Beyond Survival, Colorado Springs, and the other team, Fire and Dance, from Alaska. We were so blessed and encouraged by both teams. Rick Clapp and his team helped to hang
the wire fencing around the children’s play area. They blessed us with many gifts for everyone, including our staff, and treated us to a special lunch from Nando’s Grilled Chicken. The staff really enjoyed that! The ladies on the Alaskan team came with many gifts for the children, lots of encouraging words, prayers, hugs and very special bacon from Alaska, which we are still all enjoying. A big ‘thank you’ to both teams for loving on us in such a special way.
Robyn with donations from Rick Clapp’s team
The children are all gowing well. Emanuel, Emily and Lucy are all potty training and doing really well. Emily is out of nappies at night too. This has helped lessen the amount of cloth nappies we have to wash every day. Isaac has turned 17 months old and is our youngest baby at present. We continue to remain positive for the adoptions opening up, as we believe that they will open up again and that it will happen soon. Our babies need ‘forever’ families. For that reason we Robyn with donations from Rick Clapp’s team are holding onto Barry and April for now, even though they over the age limit for our home, in the hopes that they will be allowed to be adopted out soon. We feel that God would not have moved us from Bulembu, where they did not approve of adoptions taking place, if He did not plan for adoptions to happen again. Adoptions are our heart and our vision.
Lozi and Keturah have been writing exams at the end of this month and the schools will close for holidays next month. José really enjoyed his trip into Mozambique, his first time out of Swaziland, and said that it has changed his life. It has made him realise where he could have been if we had not taken him into our home as a 6 week old baby. The team he was on came from Durban and they completed a church building and did a lot of out reach, handing out food rations, in a very poor and dry area just south of Maputo. He hopes to be able to go back again next year with the mission team. Sam completed his studies at BSA training Centre and wrote his exams at the end of June. He is looking for a job and waiting for his results but in the mean time he is assiting around the home and working with Gerry on the cars. They are now putting together the Camry engine and hopefully it will be back on the road again soon. It has been a long and hard job. Well done Gerry, for being able to do it and for learning as he went along,
to stip engines completely, repair them and put them back together again.
On the 14th July, Luke and Florence arranged for the photographer who had done their wedding pictures, to come and do a photo shoot with us and our babies at ABC. It was a lot of fun and the babies all got dressed up in their Sunday best and we all enjoyed the special experience and the morning.
Please continue to pray with us:
1. For the new babies that God wants in our home and that they would come in the right time.
2. For our staff, children and us as the parents. For our health and for the stealing in the home, to stop
3. For the adoptions to open up soon.
4. For us to buy this house that we are in.
5. That Sam will find the right job for him.
We have been so blessed with finances and many donations this month. Thank you to all who have prayed and donated in any way.
God bless you,
Gerry & Robyn
The ABC Aunties and our kids showing off the lovely donated home made soaps from USA, and our Aunties with their beautiful donated blankets to keep them warm this winter.
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