I am......: Loooooong time coming......

I know I'm rubbish! But you would NOT believe the past few weeks that we have had here in South Africa! It has been INSANE! So much has happened since my last post that I do not even know where to start.

Okay so the crappy stuff first......... We had gunmen raiding our property for 6 nights straight. That's every night for almost a week men with guns and knives got into the farm and terrorized those of us living there. They got into our friends cottage and tied him up and held him at gunpoint while they stripped his home of everything valuable. They then moved on to the cottage that we use as an office for Project O, they wiped that out too. taking all our computers.

The next night they came back and tried to get into out cottage, thankfully we have burglar bars and they could not get in. We called armed response and they came fast and the bad guys escaped. The next morning we moved into a guesthouse with the kids for 4 nights.

I think that even 2 weeks later my body is still suffering from the adrenaline and lack of sleep.

Since the intrusions we have adopted 2 German Shepherds. Eden and Storm are 6 years old and are beautiful..... although I am seriously doubting their guard dog skills as both of them are VERY soppy!

This took a huge emotional and financial strain on us as a family as we lost all our computers that we use for the ministry and we had to pay to stay in a guesthouse for so many nights. Please pray that what the enemy has taken from us God will replace.

The boys are back at school after way too many public holidays in the month of April! South Africa loves themselves a public holiday! Seriously its insane how much time the kids get off school during this time of year. Both boys are really loving school.

Jesse is still in his Montessori pre-school and is thriving and loving Grade R.

Joe is now in an amazing Waldorf school not far from where we are living. To say that he loves his school would be a gross understatement. If I could go back to school I would go to Joe’s school! And that’s saying something as I really didn’t enjoy school all that much.

He is coming home every day with amazing stories of fun and adventure, of magical moments in the classroom, with beautiful arts and crafts. His teacher is an angel…… I’m convinced! And he keeps the same teacher all the way through the primary years.

And Cindy……. My beautiful, “sometimes” daughter……. She is back in the Valley living with her Grandmother. She went back last year to visit her grandmother and brothers for a weekend. She then came home and was complaining of sore kidneys. She had a UTI. Something pressed on my heart to get her a pregnancy test a couple of weeks later and sure enough it came back positive. She is due at the end of June. The father of the baby is a guy who lives in her community. His family has taken responsibility for her and for the pregnancy. We gave her the option of coming home to us but she wanted to stay with him. We are not her legal guardians so we can not force her to be with us, all we can do now is pray and be there for her when she needs us, which I’m sure will be a lot when the baby comes. Please pray for her during this time, for God’s peace and protection.

I have been spending a lot of time at the Homeless Shelter in Durban. I know that this is where God wants me to be ministering. It has been very hard and challenging building relationships with these people. You cannot trust a drug addict, most of the girls that I spend my time with are addicted to something and will lie, cheat and steal to get their next fix. I learnt this when I was living and working in Brooklyn NY but in the Ghetto of SA life is a lot more desperate and these people will do what ever it takes for their next fix. The elaborate lies that they weave to try and convince you to give them cash often blow my mind! Some of these people would make fantastic lawyers or movie stars.

Last week a guy came to me and told me that he needed R100 for rent and if I could lend it to him he would get his cousin who lives in a castle in Scotland to put the money back into my account by the end of the week. I laugh but it’s actually quite sad. Having to lie and con people just so that you have a roof over your head at night must be an exhausting way to live.

I am lied to every time I go to the Shelter and yet I love these people. I know that God has a greater plan for their lives. And as discouraging as it is I will stick it out.

We had 2 birthdays in the Shelter last month. My beautiful friend Ronelle turned 27 years old. My friend Danae who came to visit from the States a couple of years ago met Ronelle during her visit. Danae blessed me with a financial gift so that I could go and get Ronelle some birthday gifts. She was so excited while opening her birthday card that she didn’t want to rip the envelope, it was the first birthday card that she had ever received and wanted to keep the envelope and the gift wrap that was around her gifts in perfect condition.

The other birthday was that of S’Fiso. He turned 17 and is one of the Street Children who lives in the Shelter. If I could bring this child home with me I would, without hesitation. His mother passed away when he was 11 and he has been on the streets ever since. The only adult that is left in his family is an Uncle who was so abusive that S’Fiso and the 4 other children who were in his care all ran away and are now living on the streets.

Danae and her husband Steve also gave to help us throw a birthday party for S’Fiso along with my friend Thabs , Ruth and myself pitching in to bless this awesome kid with a birthday that he will remember.

He has had a passion to learn to surf for a while and when on the beach begging one afternoon he got chatting with a surfer. S’Fiso told this guy how he would love to learn how to surf and the guy gave S’Fiso his surf board!!!!!!

S'Fiso had never had a birthday cake and the morning of his birthday I took my boys to their friends birthday party. Jack had turned 4 years old and after blowing out his candles on his rugby ball birthday cake he decided he wanted to give me the cake to take to S'Fiso at the homeless shelter!! Now tell me what kind of 4 year old does that? I will tell you what kind..... one that has amazing compassion and understanding of those who do not have. His mother Melis is one of my best friends, Her and her hubby John are clearly raising their children in the right way! You should have seen S'Fiso's face light up when Ruth and turned up at the shelter with a cake for his birthday. It was a priceless moment. And from that moment S'Fiso has called me "MUM" I love him!

Some thing else that happened this past month was that our wonderful friends Ben, Kristy, Myles and Neo came to South Africa for a visit. It was amazing to see them. Myles is one of my boys closest friends they really love each other so much and when the family moved to the coffee hills of Burundi it was a sad time for all of us. Go check out their exciting adventure here .