When the going gets tough.....

My daughter below, has always been an outdoor, camp fire kinda girl so when her cooker stopped working a couple of weeks ago she turned to the garden. They live on a very tight budget and have chickens and grow mushrooms. They are hoping to grow more vegetables in the future. My daughter loves to cook and bake..hopefully she will have her oven repaired soon.

with one of he orphans that they help support in Kwa Zulu Natal

 Mushroom Stroganoff was on the menu this week

South Africa

I have posted before about the work that my daughter and her husband do in South Africa and also about Sean and Rachel Macnamara, friends who are out helping them for a while. Well here is a video clip of them working in Mcetshwa Primary School

Sean and Rachel in South Africa

Back in 2009 I posted about my friend Jacqui, her son Sean. Sean his wife Rachel are good friends with my son Dominic and his wife Alice.

 Here is the post http://finelinenandpurple.blogspot.com/2009/07/i-just-had-couple-of-lovely-days-with.html

 Well Sean and Rachel have just given up their teaching jobs in London and flown out to South Africa to work for a few months with Project O the charity that my daughter and son in law run supporting children orphaned through HIV/Aids. Sean and Rachel will be a great help to Vashti and Martin and we are so grateful to them for giving up their time to go out there

Please check out their blog and see what they are doing with the children in Kwa Zulu Natal

http://seanandrachelinsouthafrica.blogspot.com

http://seanandrachelinsouthafrica.blogspot.com/

URGENT PRAYER

Please pray for my daughter and her family...they have just returned to South Africa, click on their prayer blog below to find out what is happening......

http://outofsa-withlove.blogspot.com/



Prayer Request

I am sending out a prayer request. As most of you readers will know, my eldest daughter and her husband are missionaries in South Africa. www.project-o.org.za  They support and build homes for children who have been orphaned through HIV/Aids. Finances are always a constant battle. But we know from past experience God always comes through for them. At the moment  they are having vehicle problems (this is a regular prayer request)...they are either breaking down or in this case the monthly installments are stacking up!

Hebrews 11:1 says

'Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen'

Keith Hudson says " The few who are willing to stand in the gap praying will make the difference between and battle won and a battle lost"

Thank you for standing with us!

Trip to visit the President

 GuGu, the Presidents daughter

President Jacob Zuma

This is what I wanted to post about yesterday but couldn't because of my uploading problems.

 If you check out my daughters blog she explains it all much better than I can

http://littlefingersandfrosting.blogspot.com/

My son in law is now on his way back from visitng and spending the night with the President of South Africa! Quite an odd thought really. I have only received a brief message from my daughter saying that Martin had had an amazing time, they had dinner together and stayed up chatting until after 11pm. I am looking forward to hearing more.

chickens

Back last summer I told I blogged about our trip to see out daughter and her family in South Africa. Her and her husband run a charity for Aids orphans. While we were there we visited a cottage on a farm that they were hoping to move to and last September they did just that.

when she was very young my daughter always wanted to be a farmer...she loved to wear her big black wellies everywhere...she didnt want little coloured boots like other children because she wanted to look like a farmer! Well now she is living on her little farm with her own chickens, some ducks and a pig. Visit her blog here 

For some reason while I am writing this I cant actually see the photos that I have added to this post...seem to be still having problems with posting. Would like to write about the photos but cant see them to do that!

http://littlefingersandfrosting.blogspot.com/

Cindi

Those of you who have read my blog for a while will know that one of my daughters lives in South Africa with her husband and two adopted boys. They are missionaries and work with orphans in the Valley of a Thousand Hills, Kwa Zulu Natal. www.projecto.org.za

For about 2 years now they have had Cindi live with them, she was orphaned together with her brothers. Her brothers live with their grandmother in the house that Project O has built. The house is in the Valley which isnt always a safe place for young girls to live. Martin & Vashti would love to adopt Cindi but the adoption laws have changed recently and also adoption is quite an expensive process. Cindi has fitted into the family so well and the boys love her.

Cindi has been in a local school but is now due to go up to high school, she doesnt cope well in large groups. She loves to read and works hard. My daughter has decided to home school Cindi, please pray that they will receive funds for this and that Vashti and Cindi will work well together enabling Cindi to reach her potential. She is a great girl and loves the Lord. I know that He will bless them as they move into this new season.

The Worship-Driven Life......AW Tozer

'Worship,' Tozer explained, 'is to feel in your heart and express in some appropriate manner a humbling but delightful sense of admiring awe and astonishing wonder and overpowering love in the presence of that most ancient Mystery, that majesty which philosophers call the First Cause but which we call Our Father which Art in Heaven.'

Looking Forward to the Christmas Holidays

You will notice I havent posted for a few days. ..that will be because I have my daughter staying from South Africa. The interesting thing is that she has been able to update her blogs even though I haven't...I wonder what that tell you? Tomorrow I finish school for the Christmas holiday....cant wait!  Below is the new film that has been made for Project O, the charity that my daughter and son in law run in South Africa. Please take a few minutes to watch it

Project O from Colin van dongen on Vimeo.
.

Thank You Helen!

On Saturday morning my daughter arrived from South Africa, her and her husband have set up and run a charity called http://www.projecto.org.za/ working with children orphaned through AIDS in the Zulu community of Kwa Zulu Natal. Also arriving on Saturday, all the way from Australia,  was my prize from Helen at Aunty Henny's  

http://auntyhennys.blogspot.com/2010/11/i-picked-winner.html

This is beautiful and I am amazed at the handiwork...thank you Helen!

When I opened it and showed it to my daughter she said "Zandile would love that!" Zandile is one of their staff members in South Africa, she has worked with them for a few years and at the moment she is the only Zulu staff member so they rely on her for translating as well as visiting the children with them. So as I know that Martin & Vashti have a low income I said she could take my prize back and give it to Zandile for Christmas. As much as I love my prize and would like to keep it I know that Zandile will treasure it.(I am keeping the calendar as a reminder!)

So Helen be assured that your gift will be treasured twice and is going to a very worthy home. Thank you again!

My beautiful prize

Zandile and one of the orphans

Mcetshwa Primary School, Kwazulunatal

We have arrived home from South Africa now but I have a few more photo's to post. The community where our daughter and son in law work with orphans has this school. A business man from the UK sponsors their charity to carry out a breakfast feeding program in the school. Often children, especially those with no parents at home, will arrive at school not having eaten so this program is vital for them children to carry on their school day. They also take their volunteers to the school to help with English lessons and games with the children. While we were there the children sang and danced Zulu dances for us. When I figure out how, I will post a video clip!

Teachers

Some of what this trip is all about

'Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.'

James 1:27

Yesterday we took a trip to a valley in Kwa Zulu Natal, to see the Project O house,

www.project-o.org.za this has been built for orphans to live in and a familyof 5 brothers and their GoGo (grandmother) have moved in. It was an amazing drive and great to see the house finally finished and lived in. Later we drove to what seemed like the top of the world, up a dirt road driving up and up into the hills to see where the next house will be built together with a pre school. Some of the team went out on the quad bikes to deliver food to orphans living in other huts and shacks in the community. We also visited a local school and I will post photos of those another day.

I Love My Boys!!

Next Sunday we are travelling to South Africa to visit our eldest daughter and her family, they have set up and run http://www.project-o.org/ which is a Christian ministry caring for children orphaned through Hiv/AIDS here is their blog http://literallyalifeline.blogspot.com/

So today I went into London to meet up with our sons before we go, my husband couldnt join me because he was running the 'Dad's & Toddler' group at church. This is an old photo of my sons taken last year...I didnt manage to get one today. It is always great to meet up with them they know all the best paces to visit and our trips always include lots of food stops! We met at Borough Market and bought a coffee in Monmouth then popped in next door for a cake from Konditor & Cook We then walked along the South Bank, calling into the Tate Modern as we passed. After this Dominic went home to his wife and Ben and I continued into town, stopping at The Milkbar in Soho for a toasted salmon and cream cheese bagel. We hiked along Regent Street and stopped to look at the beauiful flowers on sale at Liberty. We looked around a couple of shops before I jumped on a number 10 bus back to Euston station to get the train home. Yet another great day out in London with my boys!!