The little girl I mentioned last week in my blog, 6 year old Lisa, arrived on Monday.  She is much sicker than we first anticipated.  We were able to take her to the peadiatrician yesterday who confirmed that she has HIV and TB but also said that she is suffering from pulmonary heart disease.   Her damaged lungs have put so much stress on her heart.  Now apparently the treatment for this heart diseases is sildenafil (aka viagra.)  Yep that's right, viagra, which is very, very expensive.  So I'm at it again.  Always asking for money I know.  But if anyone would like to sponsor the medication for Lisa that would be great.

She is really unhappy at the moment and just wants to go home to her Uncle.  The reason he brought to us is because she is too sick for him to look after.  Please pray for Lisa.

Next week the YFC staff will be having a week long fast for the Hotel Rio.  It will start on Monday and finish the following Sunday evening.  Feel free to join us as we come together before the Lord and petitiion for the Hotel Rio.

Just had a call from Social Welfare to pick up a seven year old litte girl.  She is an orphan and she is also HIV positive.  It is becoming more and more obvious that we will need to establish a small hospice for our sick children.  A place where they can receive good treatment and lots of love.  We need a full-time nurse.  Our mothers don't have the time or the expeience to meet the needs of some of ur sicker children. 

Des is fantastic with the kids.  They come to us sick and usually very dirty and smelly with ringworms and sores and yet Des looks at them through the eyes of Jesus.  She sees a precious child who is beautiful in His sight.  She picks up the children and cuddles them and calms them down.  She brings little toys for them and she makes them feel loved and wanted.  What a pricless gift she has.

Buhe has just informed me that she is 24 NOT 25.  And that the Lord led her to Zimbabe this year and that she really hated the photograph I posted of her so here's another one.  Posted with her approval.  You know what these young people are like...it's all about the image.  My apologies Boo!!

I thought you might like to see some before and after photos of Nothando. The one below was taken whilst she was in hospital,,,the public hospital!!!!. She came out looking like that. After a week we put her into the private hospital where she was diagnosed with TB. She has almost completed her treatment and as you can see by the second photo below she is looking much better and is certainly much happier.

 

Meet Buhe  (pronounced Bookay).  She joined YFC in September and now has officially become my new PA.  She is doing a wonderful job.  She has been like a breath of fresh air to YFC.  We needed some young blood on staff.   Buhe is 25 and was born and educated in Zimbabwe.  She has been living in the UK for the past few years where she attended Bible College.  Last year she felt the Lord's calling to return to Zimbabwe to serve Him in full time service  We are also grateful to the Lord for bringing her to us.

In my last post I commented on the number of children we have been asked to take in the past week.  Well yesterday we were asked to take three more.  8 year Dumoluhle (pronounced Doo Mo Loo Shlay) arrived in the afternoon.  He was brought to us by social welfare after  reports were made that his Aunty was physically abusing him.  Dumoluhle is an orphan.  When we told him that we would need to meet with his Aunty to get more information he became hysterical and started sobbing.  One wonders what this little boy has been through. 
Fleur is at the hospital at the moment dealing with the other two cases.  The five year old boy we were supposed to take has been admitted to hospital.  He is HIV positive and is currently on TB treatment.  The six old girl is with Fleur at the moment.  She is also HIV positive and receiving TB treatment.  Fleur has just phoned to ask whether she should bring the little girl to us.  How do I make a decision like that?  I am always worried about bringing sick children into our care.  It's put the rest of our children at risk but how do I say no.  This  little girl is an orphan and desrves to be loved and cared for, just like the rest of our children. At the moment they are waiting for her to see a doctor.  I am hoping they will put her into hospital for the time being.  We will then be able to visit and keep tabs on her progress. 
Fleur has just arrived and has come with the little girl.  Her name is Lisa.  She is also suffering from malnutrition,  We have agreed to take her but can only do so on Monday.  First she has to go back to her village in order to get her TB medication and chest xrays.  Once we have those we can find a clinic in town that will continue her treatment, 
With all the new children coming into our care we are going to need more sponsors?  Anyone out there interested??

I have just spoken to a grade one class at Petra Christian School about Australia.  It was great fun.  I made a didgeridoo which I proceeded to play for them.  We ate vegemite sandwiches and then we made some damper, wrapped it around some sticks, built a fire and cooked them over the open fire.  After they were cooked we pulled the dough off the sticks and poured syrup down the middle of them....and the kids ate them.  Each child had to cook their own piece of dough.  Some were burnt beyond recognition but they still enjoyed eating them.
Last week I also spoke at Petra Assembly on the "One in a Million" campaign.  The school was very supportive.  They organised a civvies day last Thursday and each child had to bring one dollar for the privilege of not having to wear their uniform.  We are getting great support from the schools.  This morning we met with the ministry of education who have agreed to give us a letter of endorsement to go into every school and share with them the "One in a Million" campaign.  We want to get as many  Zimbabweans  as possible involved in  this project.  I share with the students what life has been like for many of our children and how their dollar can make a big dfference in the lives many children who have so little.  I am so encouraged by the enthusiasm the children have for this project.
Over the last few months we have had very few new children join us at SJCV.  However in the last week we have been asked to take 2 small children and 4 teenagers...3 of whom are pregnant.  It's always been like this.  Quiet for a while then very busy.  For some reason Christmas is always a busy time and sadly more children are abandoned at this time than at any other time during the year.
Our grade seven are writing their exams at the moment.  These exams are very important.  Without them they cannot enter high school.  Our form four girls start their exams next Monday.  Please pray for these young people.  They have worked so hard.  Passing your O'levels is extremely important in Zimbabwe.  Without them there is very little you can do.

5 year old Nelson and 3 year old Juliet.  They joined us last Thursday after being abandoned by their mother.  She left them in the care of an elderley GreatAunt who is already looking after 8 children.  When it became obvious that their mother was not returning for them, the Aunt took them to social welfare and they were eventually brought to us.  They are really sweet little kids who seemed to have settled in well.  Nelson is very underweight and is going need some fattening up but otherwise they seem to be in good health. 

Also with us at the moment is 13 year old Mercy who is five months pregnant.  It's difficult to get the truth out of this child but it seems that Mercy is pregnant to her boyfriend.  Social welfare have asked us to care for this children until she gives birth.  We don't usually takes cases like this one and so will need the Lord's wisdom in deciding what to do with Mercy.  A lot will depend on her attitude and her behaviour.  At this point I am anticipating that she will not be with us for long!!

We have also been asked to take another 13 year old girl was was raped by her step brother and is now pregnant.  She will probably join us later this week.
I love this photo of Calvin.  He had a sore on his ear and kept pulling off the band aid so eventually we had to bandage his whole head.  He's such a little cutie!!

When you get some time take a look at the following link. http://www.yfc.co.uk/oneinamillion   Youth for Christ UK have been so supportive of the "One in a Million" and we are so grateful to Richard Moss for all the work he has put in this project.
And finally a big thanks to Phil and Di for all they did for YFC and especially for our children.  It was very much appreciated.  See you next year!!

I wrote my on blog yesterday and then accidentally deleted it.  I was so annoyed with myself.  I know many of you are wondering "how did she do a stupid thing like that"?  Well my friends it was not difficult.  Anyway now I am starting all over again.
First I must tell you that Bulawayo has been experiencing a heatwave over the past ten days with temperatures in the low 40's. It's been too terrible.  I have an airconditioner in my bedroom and it is not unusual to wake up in the monring to find all four girls sleeping in my room.
I spent this morning at Willow Park.  It is always so good to spend time with the kids.  Everytime I am there I come away praying that the Lord would make it possible for us to buy Hotel Rio as soon as possible.  I just don't have the time to get out to Willow Park...it's just too far and yet I love being with the kids.
Awakiwe is back in town with us for a little while.  She came out of hospital very thin and needs a bit of fattening up.  She is such a great little girl who always has a huge smile on face.
 All our children are doing so much better.  Please keep praying for them.  Because so many are HIV positive they easily catch whatever is going around and tend to take longer than the average child to get over it.
I recently had the amazing privilege of baptising 9 of our girls in the swimming pool at the Sandra Jones Children's Village.  It was very special for me.  I have seen these girls come to us as broken hurting children and I have watched God take the brokenness and turned it into something beautiful.

Sera with her brother Liam

 We had to say good-bye to Sera recently.  Whilst it was really hard to see her go, she has gone to a lovely Christian family and is very happy...and that's what it's all about...finding loving families to love and care for our children.
 Also gone is my darling little Chanelle.  I was so brokenhearted when she left and am really missing her.  However she did go to her Grandparents who seemed to be lovely people.

Chanelle

And last but not least we also had to say good-bye to Ashley who has been reuinted with her mother..  We knew she would only be with us for a short time and yet it is always hard to see them go.

Whilst I have been writing on this blog Fleur has gone into social welfare to collect two small children.  Whilst they were not adnandoned they are unwanted...but not for long.  We want them!!!  More about them tomorrow.