Glad...

... to know that right now, our son Richard is on his way to the village to bring blankets, mosquito nets and much needed FOOD to the 3 orphaned children he is now caring for (one of which is his biological sister, we found out)!

REALLY happy!

This was made possible through some thoughtful, caring and generous friends of ours! Yippeeee Jesus!!!  THANK YOUUUUU!!!!

There is also some planning in the pipelines for some sustainable way to feed them and the old lady caring for them long-term, but this will take some time.

In the meantime, I go to bed happy to know that these children are loved by this woman (very much so, I'm told, and no, she really doesn't want to give them up to an orphanage) and also by Richard, and most of all by their Daddy, who cares enough about them to touch people's hearts around the world to allow them to EAT and BE WARM at night!!!

Father of the fatherless...

I can SO imagine their exuberant joy at the sight of the provisions arriving!!!

So simple - small acts of kindness - yet - so BIG!

These kids will get to hear about their loving Father in heaven! Praying that they will also get a revelation of him and enter into relationship with HIM!

Thrilled to bits!

One of the highlights of my recent trip to Uganda was the day I got to visit with Praise -

and the surprise that GOD had in store for her at the end of the day when she got to meet the team from "International Voice for the Orphan" and tell her most amazing story.

I totally felt that this connection was from GOD!

You can read about the whole story here - it all started with my broken tooth.

Fast-forward to this week-end:

That same ministry is taking another team to Uganda - 

and I am tickled pink about one of 3 main projects they are hoping to accomplish:

Give a clean water system for Praise and her 24 orphans!!!

This just ROCKS and MAKES.MY.DAY!!!

And I know it's gonna bless Praise's (nonexistent) socks off her!!!!

Read what Linny Saunders wrote about it on her very popular blog:

A Place Called Simplicity

There are even a couple of photos of Praise on the night that she met with the team. 

Just after she had told her story. Not to be missed!

What a beautiful young woman - inside and out! 

She really deserves all the help and support she can get!

If you're in the USA and want to contribute to the purchase of this very efficient long-term water solution for Praise, just follow the link in the post.

Wouldn't it be AWESOME to have a part in this LIFE-GIVING project and change the statistic of

 one child dying of contaminated water every 20 seconds!

It seems that they are not too far off from the goal.

Just a bit left.

YAY!!!

I was really happy today...

... until I read my emails.

Being in contact with Africa through emails is dangerous. 

You find out first hand what's happening...

ALL.THE.TIME.

How do you reconcile their world with ours? 

That's the hard question that I don't have an answer to, 

and I just get wasted - again and again and again.

HERE are Nathalie and Lewis, enjoying life, parenting - and expecting another baby - YAY!!! ...

HERE is Jeremie is pursuing his relationship with Austen and working in Hawaii - 

having a great time... 

THERE is our son Richard in Uganda, who is just between Nathalie and Jeremie in age,
loosing weight through sickness, lack of money to eat and worry. 

Yes, he is finished with his studies and working as a mechanic (when not sick), but not making enough to provide for all of his own needs as well as those of his extended family.

Just found out today that his Jaja (grandmother) died - that's enough sadness in itself. 

She raised him from the time he lost his parents at age 8.

visiting Jaja - not sure where she is now, as she was a M*slim

But to make matters worse, she left several young children that Richard is now expected to care for, as the most educated next of kin.

not sure if these are the ones  (Jaja was looking after them when we visited)

They're in a village at quite a distance from Kampala, looked after by some woman. 

They are freezing for lack of blankets (it's the rainy/colder season). 

They are starving (along with the whole village, it seems).

And Richard is left with the burden to "find some money" to care for them...

My son - our (adopted) son - - - HOW can I bear it?

Yet, we cannot even afford to send him a single dollar right now to help out...

HERE is Leilani, comfortably finishing up high school (home-schooling) and having a full social life...

 enjoying an afternoon at the park with Jeremie and the family before his departure for Hawaii

HERE is Kylie, happily going to school every day 

(I will home school her in 1 month to enable us to leave for Europe for 2 months)...

Gideon is CRAZY about Kylie - she's definitely his favourite!

THERE is a 14-year-old orphaned girl who's 7 months pregnant. She had been staying with a woman who only made her work and even hired her out to work for other people. She was so desperate to go to school that she believed the 17-year-old guy who promised to send her to school in exchange for sleeping with him. 

When he found out she was pregnant, he left her and she was brought to Praise as she's been found roaming the streets.

Praise (barely older than Nathalie and caring for now 24 orphans) can't have her stay with her in the village because she wouldn't be able to get her to the hospital to have the baby - when time comes - for lack of transport. 

Where can she go?

HERE is Shayden, thriving with all our love - and the therapies and help a special needs child gets in New Zealand (horse, swimming, gym, bike, chiropractor - you name it)

THERE is little Alex, also one of Praise's children, who recently barely escaped death from malaria -
for lack of a mosquito net.

photo sent by Praise from the hospital

I read these emails -

AND THEN I go to the Tauranga House of Prayer

- crying my eyes out before the Lord -

and pick up my Bible

only to read this in my daily reading (Ps.82):

"Do justice to the weak (poor) and fatherless;

maintain the rights of the afflicted and needy.

Deliver the poor and needy; 

rescue them out of the hand of the wicked."

My heart is broken

I am devastated

And in spite of being incredibly (and sometimes too) busy -

I am COMPELLED to continue pouring myself out

on behalf of

 THE POOR

THE WEAK

THE ORPHANS.

Just don't be surprised if you see me around Tauranga wearing my sunglasses in the middle of our (almost) winter...

Let the reader understand.

Europe trip coming up!

Wanna know what I've been up to?

And why I haven't posted much lately?

Just too busy, that's all.

I've been preparing for an awareness-/fundraising trip through Europe for this beautiful, beautiful ministry!

Some of the people in this video will be traveling with us

12 children/youth and 4 adults

Exciting stuff - and keeping me out of mischief for a good while :)

Birthdays!

Leilani turned 17 a couple of days ago - and had her birthday party today!

We are SOOO privileged to have a daughter like her who brings MUCH JOY into our family and is becoming a radiant young woman who loves God and people!

Sadly, our camera isn't working at the moment, so no photos from the birthday...

AND

One year ago - tomorrow - our first grandson - Gideon Temana, the mighty warrior, made his entrance into this world - with a big battle - which, by the grace of God, he won!

We are SOOO grateful for his LIFE and HEALTH and SMILES and the busy little man that he is - full of energy - just started walking!

What a JOY he is and we are SO grateful to GOD for this gift to our family!

Here are some photos from his first year. Enjoy!

 -

This scrapbook customized with Smilebox

Happy (belated) EASTER!

"Greater love has no one than this, 

that one lay down his life for his friends.

John 15,13

 

We've had a wonderful Easter!

Hence the - belated ~ ~ ~

Just enjoying LIFE - FAMILY - FRIENDS - NATURE - and mostly

JESUS!!!

 

"He died not for men, but for each man. 

If each man had been the only man made, He would have done no less.”

~ C.S. Lewis

West-Africa

I just stumbled onto this information - makes my heart ache!

This is the area of Africa that I feel called to - at SOME point.

French-speaking Africa.

I recently told Rich that I don't know if I EVER want to go back to Africa.

The PAIN I experience with what I see and hear there is just about too much to handle...

Of course, I WILL go back.

I HAVE to.

(as of today, there are 58 children sponsored by our church-members in the "Hope In Villages+" project and this will have to be followed up - 

especially the + part...)

But not soon.

Just a 2 1/2 week trip has pretty much consumed my life for 2 months.

And my family needs me.

But nonetheless, my heart breaks for these dear people in West-Africa.

LORD, have mercy!

WATER - precious WATER

Thought this short student produced, directed, and created film that has won numerous awards since being released, fit well with my recent post with the photo of Praise's children getting water.

Just another ~ creative ~ perspective on the world water crisis.

I would SO love for Praise and her kids to get access to CLEAN WATER!!!

In Memory of you ...

... SWEET baby ELIZABETH

 

You were abandoned

malnourished

depressed

sick

longing for belonging

love

from a mother and a father.

NOW

you are healed

well

happy

whole

in the arms of JESUS.

There are many of us who are grieving for you, sweet princess - and we miss you:

Remmie, who took you in

and cared for you since you were 2/3 months old

staying many days/nights/weeks with you in the hospital

even though you were just one of 20+ she was caring for.

She truly loved you

even though she knew you were not hers to keep.

Remmie, the Baby Home director - with the older children just before school

The "aunties" at the Baby Home who loved you and cared for you

tirelessly 

The other children at the Baby Home.

Your adoptive parents, who were just waiting for the complicated adoption process to be finished,

so that you could be in their arms forever. 

And there's our family - especially me.

Shayden (and often Kylie) and I prayed for you almost daily since last September.

My heart is in much pain - once again.

I've also loved you - and one day I know, I will see you again!

Until then,  ENJOY heaven - and your NEW LIFE there!

SOOOO MUCH BETTER!!!

P.S.: I will never EVER forget you!!!

I don't know why...

... I keep writing about Praise and her children...

There are so many other things to write about, too.

I guess, when I first met Praise last year, I felt a strong connection with her and was DEEPLY moved after I left her place.

She's doing exactly what I've felt I was supposed to do since I was a little girl:

taking in abandoned babies and little ones -

I just find my heart so strongly connected and constantly praying.

Praise was really encouraged about the money that has been given to help her with the debt for the house and she 

THANKS EACH ONE VERY MUCH!

Here's an excerpt from her email yesterday:

...Since now many people know that i stay with children so i find that 

almost every day i get more than one phone call telling me
about cases of suffering children and even last week they brought  a
baby and left the baby in one of the class rooms  at night and in the
morning we found a child  crying wrapped in rugs and i took it to
police and they the police asked me to keep it... 

God helped and found a pastor who took the baby.

There's much more to say - Praise also goes out and shares about the love of Jesus with the street kids, she tries to find families for the many children that end up at her doorstep.
She cannot possibly take on more at the moment, as she cannot even properly provide for the ones she's got.  But she's got a HUGE heart!

this is where the children get their drinking (and other) water - NOT clean!