As 2025 is now well upon us, we look back at 2024, and stand amazed at all that God has done for us and the ABC baby home. We had 21 babies move through our home over 2024, with 14 still living with us at that time. We are so grateful that we were able to give them a safe and loving environment to grow in, while they lived with us. The builders have done a great job and now all 3 houses and Gerry’s workshop are built and the baby house roof is going up. We still need to do the finishing touches: the painting, plumbing, electrical, flooring, cupboards and excavate the land to make it more baby and weather friendly.
There was a court case, held at the end of November, concerning the house that we are living in at present. The judge ruled in the owner’s favour and we were nearly evicted on the 15th, but our amazing lawyer managed to get us some more time in this rented house, to allow us the time to complete the new home and move in. This house is badly in need of repair and is slowly falling apart. It is not a safe environment for our babies any longer, as the owner does not do any maintenance at all. With us building our own place, we had stopped doing any maintenance on this place as well. The front verandah is help up with scaffold jacks and the walls are crumbling and we also experience ‘indoor water features’ every time it rains because the roof is in desperate need of repair.
On the 2nd, aunty Thobile started her annual leave and returned to work on the 30th and, on this day, aunty Emmelinah starts her annual leave. Then on the 8th, our gardener, Mfana, slipped and fell on his hand breaking some of his fingers. His hand was put into a plaster cast and he was booked off for the next 4 weeks! Poor Sam has been working really hard to keep the grass trimmed and the garden neat. As it is summer and as it is our rainy season, one can hear the grass growing daily. The Summer rains came in full force this month and our country experienced floods throughout the land causing a lot of damage to homes and roads. We are grateful for the rain as our country was experiencing drought at the time and we desperately needed the water.
This month, on the 9th, we were able to pay for the 2 cows (E10,000 each) owing for our new ABC land which is required and goes towards our chief and our king for granting us the national land for us to build our new home. Thank you to all of you who have supported us financially to help make this possible for us to do. The land is now officially ours.
On the 16th, it was a cold day, and we were on the new land when we heard a kitten crying.
Robyn found it and it ran to her and she picked it up. It started purring loudly. It was so friendly. We did not know where this kitten came from as there are no homes around our new land. We brought it home and gave it to Keturah who gladly announced to us that she had been praying for a cat since last year. God answered her prayers because we had told her that she couldn’t get one. Kitty had been named ‘Princess’ and immediately made herself at home. An abandoned baby of a different kind!
Robyn finally, on the 22nd, completed the last chapter on her book. For many years, people have asked Robyn to write her story down and she just never had the time and then 2 years ago, our friend Kathy Proff, felt led to write it for her.
With Robyn sending voice messages to her, she has managed to capture “Robyn’s Story” for her. Watch this space for more updates and info on it.
On the 28th we received a new baby boy making him our first admission for 2025. He is very tiny for his age at 2 months old and is another emergency placement. Robyn named him Gareth and he will live with us for the next 3 years. This now puts our baby numbers up at 15 when our limit is supposed to be 10! We are very squashed for space and it’s another reason for us to get the new baby home completed to move into, as we will be able to house up to 20 babies at a time.
Also on the 28th , the Eswatini schools opened for the start of the new school year. Keturah is now a senior in Form 4 (grade 11). We sponsor all our staff children in high school and have a total of 6 teenagers in high school this year. ABC has been able to pay the school fees, through the generous financial donations, to help make sure that our staff children get their education that they need to improve their lives too.
Prayer Requests: Nothing changes without prayer!
- Please continue to pray for enough funding and materials to be donated to ABC so as to complete the new baby home project.
- We are also thankful that we were able to pay the school fees this year, for Keturah and 5 of our staff members children who are in high school. God provided and we are so thankful to Him for the provision.
- Please continue to pray for good foster families to be found for our babies who need to move to new homes once they turn 2 years old. We have 4 older ones that need to move in the next 3 months.
- Please give thanks to the Lord for His continual provision for the baby home and also for us to complete the new home as soon as possible
- Please give thanks to God for what He is doing!
Our words cannot express our gratitude to everyone who has supports us, who prays for us and encourages us to keep on going. We are extremely grateful to everyone and appreciate all that everyone does to assist us with the running of the ABC baby home. Without you, we cannot survive.
THANK YOU!
God bless you
Gerry & Robyn
For anyone who would like to donate towards the building fund, can please do so through www.thelamborphanage.org OR use our banking details listed
