HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!……….and ten other kids. :) Every two to three months we have 
one big birthday party for all of the kids whose birthdays were in those months. Last week we celebrated April, May and June. Since my birthday is June 23rd I received the privilege of celebrating my 23rd birthday here in South Africa with some of the cutest kids ever. That 
day I gathered all of the kids together to make cards for all of the birthday people. That afternoon we decorated the dining hall in preparation for that 
night. After supper that night we sang, ate cake and ice cream and watched the kids open their presents. It was so much fun to see the joy on the kids faces as they opened their presents. They received so little compared to kids in the states, but what they received was theirs. In this setting any toys that come through are community toys for the thirty kids here to share. Toys usually do not have a long life span. Birthday time is a very special time for the kids.
one big birthday party for all of the kids whose birthdays were in those months. Last week we celebrated April, May and June. Since my birthday is June 23rd I received the privilege of celebrating my 23rd birthday here in South Africa with some of the cutest kids ever. That 
day I gathered all of the kids together to make cards for all of the birthday people. That afternoon we decorated the dining hall in preparation for that 
night. After supper that night we sang, ate cake and ice cream and watched the kids open their presents. It was so much fun to see the joy on the kids faces as they opened their presents. They received so little compared to kids in the states, but what they received was theirs. In this setting any toys that come through are community toys for the thirty kids here to share. Toys usually do not have a long life span. Birthday time is a very special time for the kids.PRAISE THE LORD!!!!
I have a couple of praises. I asked you to pray for Florence’s salvation. She is one of the cooks and a fill in caretaker. Praise the Lord she has dedicated her life to Christ. I was helping her in the kitchen the other day and we were singing Christian Zulu songs. I asked her what those meant to her if she did not believe in Jesus. She gave me a puzzled look and told me that she now believed and was a Christian. I was so excited I danced around the kitchen praising the Lord. :) Praise God for His work in the lives of people. 
I have a couple of praises. I asked you to pray for Florence’s salvation. She is one of the cooks and a fill in caretaker. Praise the Lord she has dedicated her life to Christ. I was helping her in the kitchen the other day and we were singing Christian Zulu songs. I asked her what those meant to her if she did not believe in Jesus. She gave me a puzzled look and told me that she now believed and was a Christian. I was so excited I danced around the kitchen praising the Lord. :) Praise God for His work in the lives of people. 
I also asked you to pray that Thandeka would agree to take when I left.
I found out today that she wants to take over the study when I leave. Praise the Lord. It is so much fun to see how God works things out in His timing, will, and for His glory.
SLEDDING IN SOUTH AFRICA IN THE WINTER.
The teachers in the local schools have been on strike for the last two weeks. Needless to say the kids have been pretty bored but have been stretching their imaginations. Scott and I have been doing construction on the activity room putting up sideboards on the walls. The kids took the
scrap pieces 
and have been using them to sled down the “slopes” that we have on our property. It has been so much fun to watch them. Praise the Lord there have not been too many injuries. This will probably be my last blog until I get back to the states; my friends that have a computer are leaving for the states today. With them leaving it limits my computer usage to almost nothing. I leave South Africa on the 26th and I arrive in America on the 27th. It is very surreal that I leaving South Africa. It does not seem like it has been four months. Thank you for all of your prayers. God bless and have a wonderful day! Oh! One more thing….pray that my ringworm heals quickly. I am not a huge fan of it and my body seems to heal ten times slower here than when I am in the states. Thanks. :)
The teachers in the local schools have been on strike for the last two weeks. Needless to say the kids have been pretty bored but have been stretching their imaginations. Scott and I have been doing construction on the activity room putting up sideboards on the walls. The kids took the
scrap pieces 
and have been using them to sled down the “slopes” that we have on our property. It has been so much fun to watch them. Praise the Lord there have not been too many injuries. This will probably be my last blog until I get back to the states; my friends that have a computer are leaving for the states today. With them leaving it limits my computer usage to almost nothing. I leave South Africa on the 26th and I arrive in America on the 27th. It is very surreal that I leaving South Africa. It does not seem like it has been four months. Thank you for all of your prayers. God bless and have a wonderful day! Oh! One more thing….pray that my ringworm heals quickly. I am not a huge fan of it and my body seems to heal ten times slower here than when I am in the states. Thanks. :)