as long as I shall live I will testify the love....

As always the week has flown by so before I know it it’s Friday and I still have yet to write my blog entry- naughty Lindsay always leaving it to the last minute! I suppose the major thing for me this week actually doesn’t have anything to do with the children. Last Friday the phone lines went down and they are still down. That means that I’ve not been able to read any emails you guys have sent me (so sorry for not replying already!) and even more importantly I wasn’t able to have my weekly phone call from my parents. Every Monday I go the office at 8pm ready for my parents to call. We chat for at least 2 hours- well I say we, to be fair it is mostly me who does the talking. Those two hours are so special to me. They keep me connected to home. They allow me to stay focused and grounded and above all they keep me feeling supported and loved. Initially I thought that the lines would be back up quickly but it’s now Friday night and we’re still without the lines. Only now do I know how blessed I am to be able to talk to my parents even though they are on the other side of the world. Only now do I start to appreciate phone lines. Clearly it’s not just me who this affects- the entire village suffers. We don’t have our intercom service between all the houses and buildings which means a lot more running about to deliver simple messages. Lots of different people only have our landline number such as social workers or staff at the local hospital. For all we know there could be a child somewhere who desperately needs to be placed at the village. That child could be in a horrendous situation- they could be living in horrible conditions or worse be suffering terrible abuse. They could be lying all alone in a hospital bed just waiting for us to pick them up and give them the love and care the so desperately need and deserve. Without the phone lines we could be and am sure are missing so much.
One of the little babies was admitted to hospital on Monday as she was vomiting all weekend and so was dehydrated. We arrived at the hospital at 8am to find a full paediatric ward. Usually on a Monday the ward is quite empty as a lot of children should have been discharged the Friday so we were quite shocked to find it full. We sat for 3 hours with a poorly, uncomfortable, tired and visibly distressed little girl. She was quiet for about the first half an hour but then she was getting restless and tired so I sang to her a little and rocked her and eventually she dropped off to sleep. Then the rather (when I say rather I’m actually being extremely polite) incompetent nurse started to fill in all the admission forms. I lost count of the number of times she got up and wandered off and then came back 5 minutes later. Some of her questions were ridiculous. The baby is 5 months old and so was obviously born this year. Knowing this the nurse then asked whether the baby had previously been in hospital this year or last year! Ah! Needless to say the whole process was very frustrating. All made worse by the fact that the nurse kept poking the poor little baby with a thermometer so each time she woke up with such a fright that she started crying- who could blame her? My heart really went out to her. She was in so much distress and there was little I could do for her but sing and rock in the hope that she would somehow find comfort. Eventually we said that we would take her home and bring her back when a bed was available in the afternoon. The nurse was less than impressed and wandered off again. Miraculously 2 minutes later a bed was available and within 2 more minutes I put her down, said a little prayer over her and then left. It was heartbreaking leaving her in the knowledge that while she might receive the right medical treatment she probably wouldn’t receive any love or attention until she was discharged back to the village. All in all it took 3 hours to admit the poorly little girl. Thankfully she came home on Wednesday and looked significantly better than she did on Monday. She is now back to her smiley, noisy self. The whole experience served as a reminder not only that these kids are sick but that we are in South Africa where there are limited medical resources and medical expertise. How much to we take for granted that in the UK we have free medical care which is of extremely high quality- it may not seem like it is high quality sometimes but trust me it is. Think about that next time you complain about the NHS.
On a better note there have been some lovely memories made at the village this week in baby crèche and big crèche. I feel that maybe I’m leaving them out a little bit so here are a few pictures of some special moments..

I also did some dancing with the older children one afternoon as they’ve been asked to dance at their church next Sunday. Most of the children are now at an age where they are really starting to worship God with so much passion. You can really see the Hold Spirit moving in them as they dance! I was astounded at how quickly they picked up all the moves! By the third time through they not only had all the moves mastered but they were singing along to! The words to the song are so powerful and they sang them with such conviction! The chorus starts with "as long as I shall live I will testify the love" and they really meant it when they sang it! I felt so blessed to be among them that afternoon! After dancing we just played together in the activity centre. I really cherish these times as the children just completely relax and really show off their different personalities…

Huge huge huge thanks!

T everyone who was involved in anyway, shape or form in the "Geordie Night" held on the 31st October to raise funds for Rob and I can I say a massive thank you to you all. You truly are all wonderful people and all support whether it be through prayer or financially is hugely appreciated. Your faith is most definitely matched by your deeds.
Many many many thanks again to you all

Much love and blessings

L
xx

Point of no return

Sitting in devotions on Thursday morning a baby started to cry. Instantly without even looking up I knew exactly which child was crying and exactly why she was crying. At that point I realised that there is no going back now. These children have moved me in a way I couldn’t ever attempt to successfully describe. I have such a strong connection with each and every child, a connection I now know after the experience of Thursday morning will never leave me. As you all know I have no children of my own but I can now begin to appreciate how much a parent loves a child. When the children are crying real tears and are visibly in pain or are suffering I feel their pain. Deep inside. I went to one of the houses on Thursday afternoon and found one of the beautiful little grade 1 school girls sat at the table with a heartbroken expression on her face. I instantly went to her and asked what was wrong. She didn’t answer. Instead her huge brown eyes filled with tears which then silently rolled down her cheeks. She said nothing and for 10 more minutes sat and continued in the same way. I asked if she was sick, I asked if something had happened at school or at dancing. I asked if someone had said something nasty to her but each time I got no reply. I couldn’t get through to her and it broke my heart to see her so visibly distressed. No matter what I did I couldn’t lift the sorrow from her heart. I cradled her in my arms; I tried to make her laugh but nothing worked. Again I knew that now there is no going back. My life will never be the same. These children will always be a huge part of my life. As I write the words of an amazing song called “Albertine” by a phenomenal Kiwi Artist called Brooke Fraser spring instantly to mind:
“Now that I have seen, I am responsible. Faith without deeds is dead. Now that I have held you in my arms, I cannot let go…….”
Never did I realise how much a child can touch your life in such a way as to leave you completely changed without they themselves even noticing.
We also had the privilege of going out and working in the community this week. One of the external workers had a new house build last year however the outside had yet to be painted so the volunteers and I went to her house and gave it a coat of brilliant white paint. she was overjoyed by our efforts even though all we did was put two layers of paint on the outside of her house which is smaller than my bedroom at home. Half a days work and what a different we made. From the hillside the house now stands proud. It was such a strong statement to the community- 5 white people working for a black family. Never before will they have witnessed what we did- and they probably won’t again. It was so humbling because what we did seemed so small but the appreciation was huge. The difference between developed and developing has never felt bigger………

Smile boy smile- please!!!!

Another week goes by and again the time comes for me to find something to write here that may be mildly interesting for you all to read! Again we’ve had an amazing week where many good memories have been made. On Sunday we went to church as usual for 9.00am. The church is amazing with a congregation of at least 700 every single week. The worship is excellent (always a bonus!!) and the preaching is something I’ve never experienced before in my entire life. The Pastor is phenomenal. He is so energetic and he really knows his stuff. What’s more he knows exactly how to communicate exactly what God is putting on his heart. I’ve got so much out of his sermons already and I can’t wait every Sunday to hear what God. He is so accurate and whenever he quotes scripture he always gives the context of that particular scripture. So many times bible verses are quoted and because the context is not considered the verse is taken completely out of context so he really is refreshing! Anyway I digress. After church there was a touch rugby tournament on the rugby pitch next to the church. It was a lovely hot and sunny day but the wind was blowing so it was bearable. We just sat and watched and cheered everyone one and had a relaxing time together in the sun. It was just what I needed. Because we live at the village in amazing accommodation we effectively live where we work! I absolutely love being always so close to the children and house mums but sometimes it’s good just to get away for a bit and empty my mind completely of what’s happening at the village. Don’t misunderstand me as saying that I wish I didn’t live in the village or think that I’m being ungrateful, we all just need to totally disconnect from everything that’s going on for a while. Without a little time away from the village every now and then I don’t think I’d be enjoying my time here as much!
I’m still as involved in Baby crèche and Big Crèche as ever however in the afternoons this week I’ve been helping paint the rooms we use for crèche. Before we started painting the wall were a Salmon pink colour which we didn’t think was very child pleasing so we’ve gone for a lovely Green colour which is covering the walls nicely! Because I don’t have any old painting clothes here for obvious reasons I’ve been wearing a very attractive green dress with buttons all the way up the front. It causes quite a roar of laughter every time the house mums and external staff see me- didn’t realise I looked quite so funny! It’s been a really productive week and hopefully by the end of next week we should be just about finished. Will post finished pictures as and when!
We’ve actually had some nice weather this week so I’ve had many sessions with the children in the swimming pool. Only a few of the children are confident to swim without armbands so I only take one house at a time- i.e. only 4 children in the pool with me. They absolutely love playing and swimming in the pool- it’s such a big treat for them that they usually behave! Generally the school children are the only ones who swim however some of the big crèche kids join us if their house is swimming!
This week it’s started to hit me just how sick some of the children are and just how much we need to pray for all the children to keep fighting this horrific disease. A little boy who is 2 years old but is smaller than they average 1 year old arrived with us in August. He had clearly been very neglected but he picked up quite quickly and he started smiling quite soon after his arrival and had life in his eyes. In the last few weeks I’ve noticed him smile a lot less than he used to and that little spark in his eyes is fading fast. I really have to work hard to get his to smile. He just sits slumped over and makes no effort to interact even with the little girl that he lives with. I’m so worried that he is just giving up and isn’t willing to fight for his life anymore. He is quite clammy at the moment so I think that he has come down with something so please could you all pray for healing and for the strength to keep on fighting and keep on living. I’ve no idea what most of the children have been though in their short little lives but sometimes the pain they’ve gone through is quite visible. Sometimes the children seem to get lost in their own little world and we have no idea what they are thinking. The little boy in the pictures below demonstrates how sometimes it takes a while to get a smile back on his face…..

To carry on slightly from what I rambled on about in my last about how it seems the South African government is “burying its head in the sand” I was thinking that in the past few months actually while I’ve been here in South Africa I have watched 3 brilliant and thought provoking films which illustrate in a big way just how corrupt the whole world is and how it is the vulnerable that suffer. I’m not just talking about South Africa and not just about HIV/AIDS. “The Constant Gardner” is an amazing film which always moves me each time I watch it. In Kenya and many other developing countries we see how huge drug companies exploit and use the vulnerable to test new drugs which are still in clinical trial. These people that are used are completely coerced into taking drugs which they have no knowledge of whatsoever. It probably won’t help them in any medical way either. However, if these people refuse to take the drugs on trial they don’t receive the drugs that they actually need. Clearly the story in the film which is based on a true story is a lot more complex that this however what I have just explained is the harsh reality that hits me every time I watch. The drug companies are highly connected with many governments of the Western world and so they are also involved in this most hideous exploitation up to their necks. If people die from the side effects of these new drugs they are inhumanly disposed of in mass landfills. In this way both the drug companies and the leaders of the world have blood on their hands. But, they don’t care. They use money and power to try and wash themselves clean. Let’s face the harsh reality here that these developing countries such as South Africa and Kenya will always remain just that- developing. They will never be able to become developed like the rest of the Western world even though they strive and long for the chance to develop. The leaders of the developed world will always suffocate these people and literally keep the cork in the bottle...

Don't bury your head in the sand unless there's a thunder storm...

So another week has gone by- that’s five here at Rehoboth and 7 in South Africa! Oh my word how time is flying! Before I know it it’ll be April and I’ll be thinking about leaving for home!
We’ve had a bit of a topsy turvy week. On Monday evening we had just finished dinner and all of a sudden there was a very loud bang, a blinding flash of light, the switches sparked and the power went. From then on we witnessed the power of God in the form of a huge thunderstorm. It was tremendous- I’ve never experienced anything like it. We sat outside out accommodation and had a 180 degree visual of the show. There was fork lightning which struck left right and center- you didn’t know where to look next! Scatter lightning permanently lit up the sky and the noise was deafening at times. It was so fascinating and for a full 2 hours we sat and watched in awe. On Tuesday morning we heard that one of the first hits of the lightning struck down here at the village. It didn’t just hit anywhere though- it hit the main power box by the front gate hence why there was a rather loud bang and why we still had no power! Eventually at 10.30pm on Tuesday evening most of the power to the village returned, however as we then realized that another one of the power boxes had been hit which just so happened to supply out accommodation so that had to be fixed which took til late Wednesday afternoon- so not one but two cold showers for Lindsay! Boy do I appreciate electricity more than I used to! It kind of serves as a good reminder that after all we are in Africa and problems here take a little more time to be sorted than at home. It doesn’t help that most of the power cables and boxes are above ground and therefore vulnerable. At least however we are all safe and well. No one was hurt only material possessions we damaged which can of course be replaced. God really protected each and every one of us at the village so this week we’ve had a lot to be thankful for!
Yesterday I had fun dressing up and dancing with all the older school children. I put on some worship music and the girls did some beautiful dancing. Their African roots really show through when they move. They absolutely love to show off and perform- if I’m not constantly taking photos of them they start to get annoyed with me!

I think those photos capture so much beauty and innocence in each individual child. They live here surrounded by so much love and protection. By the grace of God they have been brought here and saved from a potentially short and abusive life. Unfortunately we can only care for the children brought here- there are so many who are still out in the community who desperately need our help not just from us here at the children’s village but from the world. The South Africa government has literally just buried their heads in the sand. They refuse to acknowledge the problem and moreover because of this they are so illeduated on the subject of HIV/AIDS. Firstly the President of South Africa believes that there is no link between HIV and AIDS. The Dep slept with a prostitute who he knew had AIDS and then said that because he took a good shower afterwards that he would be fine. Then finally the Health Minister advises those already infected to eat lots of garlic, lemons and olive oil. Completely shocking. If the government refuses to do something to help all these people in desperate need of help then I’m afraid it is down to us. That doesn’t mean that I think we should all be out on the mission field nor do I think that everyone should be throwing money at the problem. We all just need to take time to think about these people and most importantly pray for the situation. If God wants practical help from you then he will most definitely tell you and not stop telling you until you do something about it. If God just wants you to pray then please pray. Pray that the government would wake up and stretch out a compassionate and helpful arm to all these people in need. Pray for all the researchers who are desperately trying to develop new treatments. Pray for all the people affected by HIV/AIDS that they would try to help themselves by taking their drugs regularly and by leading more healthy, non-promiscuous lifestyle. Pray for all the volunteers and missionaries out here trying to make a difference that we would have the strength, encouragement and compassion to continue with God’s work and hopefully make some difference to the lives of the people here who so desperately need our help…..