February 2005 Newsletter

Hello all

Well, I have finally done it!

I have finally taken that leap of faith and resigned. It has taken God a few months to get through to me, and I have had to learn some hard lessons along the way, but I cannot tell you how refreshed, and how burden free I am feeling. I feel as though all the barriers that were blocking me from God’s “connection” have been broken down. I feel as though I have been filled afresh with the Holy Spirit.

The following verse describes so well what I am feeling.

Isaiah 40:31
But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

I thank God for the special people He brought alongside me to give me spiritual guidance. They have shared with me, they have prayed with me, they have prayed for me, and for my family. They have been messengers of God.

I was asking God to direct my paths, perhaps thinking He would say go this way or that, but what God has revealed to me over the last few months are these precious gems:

· I need to trust GOD (and God alone) 100%, with everything

· In everything – it is not about me but ALL about God

· I cannot hope to reap a harvest, if I do not sow seeds, and nor can I expect blessings from God, if I am withholding from God what is rightfully His, and what He has commanded me to give.

So no, God didn’t tell me to go North or South, but he has brought me to a place of repentance and obedience, and I feel SO great.

Late last year, I decided that I would sell my house, and trust God for bigger accommodation. I’ve been trying to fix up the house since. But the more I fix, the more needs fixing.

If I thought last year was tough, I think the first month of 2005 has left me with one thought: "Fasten your seat belt! It’s gonna be a rough ride." But it’s OK, because I have God at the wheel.

The 1st of January was great, and so was the 2nd and 3rd. By the 5th, my washing machine broke, and a comedy of errors rolled into motion.

The washing machine was followed by the central locking in my car. I unlocked, and like magic, the car relocked. For days I was climbing into the car through the passenger seat. My son asked me why I didn’t ask God to fix it. So I did. 3 days later, on the same day the car was booked in for repair – the locks suddenly started working again.

Ok, so these things happen in three’s they say.
The third thing was minor, a tile came off the back step. Whew – that’s not so bad. A little of the right kinda glue and that was that. Fixed. Now we’re home clear right?

Well, apparently not.
After this the creepy in the pool stopped working. The filter sand needed replacing. (Fortunately for me I didn’t rush out and replace it.)

The toilet blocked – called a plumber.

The Y-Wammers came, and they worked so hard in my garden.
It was such fun having them, and they were such a blessing! (They worked really hard).

We made a couple of new gardens and they (very kindly) removed the unwanted gardens growing in my gutters.

That night we had a really heavy storm. The new garden washed into the swimming pool. The pool was transformed into a dam.

A few ducks and we’d have had that smallholding we want so badly. “Oh dear says the pool man, this pool is badly stained. We’ll need to replaster it.” Well, the dam dried up, the walls were chiseled, and we sweated big drops for a couple of weeks, waiting for the pool company to have good weather and enough staff ON THE SAME DAY, to get the pool fixed! The up side is that the insurance covered the cost of the replastering AND the sand for the filter.

The same storm blew one of my 1M X 1M windows shut so hard it broke – called Glass911. They came and the window was fixed. That evening the kids were settling in front of the telly, and alas, the duvet cover got caught under the foot of the chair. One tugged the duvet this way, and one tugged the chair that way, and – oh dear, no – yes – the arm of the chair went through ANOTHER 1M X 1M window. - - - -Count to 10 and down again. We can deal with it – right?

2 days after the storm, and the insurance claim, the granny phones me at work. "Would you like the bad news or the bad news dear?" says the granny. "Oh the good news will do just fine thanks.&qyot; "Well the fence has just fallen down."

Now just note that the fence happens to be a concrete precast wall! Alas the insurance won’t cover this. The wall man says it fell down due to "old age".

The kids blocked the toilet – yes AGAIN! Called a different plumber. The toilets fixed now – for a while anyhow.

And now – My car has sprung a water leak. Well, bring it on – It will take more than this to floor me!

So, with effect from 1 May, I will be working full time in this ministry, and will be trusting God to meet our needs, and I feel really positive, and safe in the arms of the everlasting.

• A transition home for abandoned babies
• Adoption facilitation
• A permanent home for babies not placed
• Outreach to child headed homes in the surrounding areas
• Preschool for resident children
• Preschool for children from child headed homes
• Youth camp / mission facility, offering aids awareness and training courses
• Satellite AIDs clinic offering testing, ARV’s and counseling

Sure this will not all happen overnight, and it will need to be a network of many people all working together, so, I would urge each one of you to please commit this to prayer, and to contact me if you could help me with the raising of the funds needed.

This property costs much more than we have. MUCH MORE! But my God is faithful, and I am certain that He is more than able to do what I cannot even comprehend.

AMEN!


BABY NEWS:

Siya and Si started Pre school, at Morning Star (Dbn North Baptist), and they are enjoying this SO MUCH. They cannot wait to get ready and go in the mornings and think they are ever so big, going off to school with Jay and Tazz. Of course this is much to Mary’s disgust, and she can be heard bellowing (as only Mary can), across the neighbourhood.

I will have to send her to school as soon as they will have her, but for now we have to look at that sad little face as we drive away each morning. (It’s getting better though.)

Siya is still doing remarkably well without the ARV’s and the only tell-tale sign creeping in is a persistant skin rash and laboured breathing. We certainly give thanks to God for his remarkable health.

Simon

I have a perfect way of describing the personality of these 2 boys: Imagine the 2 boys each in their own box. Simon is very happy in his box. He is not concerned about what is on the outside of his box, and in fact, he prefers it if you don’t mention that there is an outside to his box. He would really rather not know. Siya, on the other hand, just cannot be contained within his box. He HAS to get out of the box – regardless of what is on the other side!

Siya

Tazz and Jay have settled back into their new school year quite happily, and are both working hard, and knuckling down. Some days that’s not so easy with the heat, and Tazz gets really severe headaches. But on the school front, I think we can say we have had a good start to the year, for which I give thanks to the Lord.

Little Mary is growing so fast, and is busy potty training. She’s getting pretty good at telling you when she’s finished, but I am sure she will get it figured out soon enough. She is such a little charmer. Every morning she goes into the room, brings me my cell phone, and then shakes her little finger telling me she is not allowed to touch it. Too precious!

Jake, the big chief: Praise the Lord ! ! ! He is now walking. (he is 20 months). What a milestone. I thought it was never going to happen. For the first few days he would only walk if he thought no one was watching, but now he has built up his confidence and is A for away. There is one thing about Jake – He is ALWAYS dirty. He is a real little boy. He just loves being outside and playing in the sand. While he has been learning to walk, and even now that he has the hang of it, there is this grubby horizontal line, that matches the height of Jake, along all the walls in the house.

All the kids were very spoilt at Christmas time, and there were no disappointed peeps in the house. To all those who made this time so special – a very big thank you.


OUR NEEDS:

With me resigning, we are going to need to cover all running costs, such as groceries, cleaning materials, Washing powder, Stasoft, Disposable nappies - Extra large, Babies toiletries etc. (If we get this farm, we’ll have a sure supply of milk and eggs)

The biggest need we have right now though is a BIG need - Finances. Sinakekele cannot move forward, until such time as we have attained new premises


Our wish list:
This property described to you.
A combi


Happenings:
As mentioned we had the Y-Wammers during January–such a blessing-Thank you guys

We have the Nedcor team challenge to look forward to in the next few months, and, I have the excitement of closing one chapter in "my book", and starting another.

We are in the process of organizing a fundraising evening, to raise funds for the property, and I will send out details regarding this soon.


And from my heart:

World War HIV

Oh wretched invasion of the human cell
You hide yourself from the naked eye
So microscopic

Oh sinister invasion of the core of life
You are a mastermind of destruction
Silently infiltrating

Stealthily you move, outsmarting the best
Who will ever tell from where you came
What genius origin

And scientists tell of the evolutionary fight
Between the human immune system and you
War is declared

Oh ominous invasion you war against the flesh
Can you infiltrate the soul that belongs to God
You lose

Copyright ©2005 Ruth Allison Grobler


Thank you to each one of you for all your support and prayers. I really believe that we are going to see God do an awesome work this year.

Yours in God’s service
Ruth