Sani Bonani my friends,
I hope this update finds you all well! Well I have been sick to my stomach again for the past three days. I cannot figure out what is going on, as at home I am rarely sick to my stomach! I THINK I am feeling better today, but we will see. I certainly hope so as tomorrow we are having a pool party and BBQ for my birthday :) Much better than spending a birthday inside because its freezing cold and snowing :)
Counseling is going well- I actually have 2 clients who feel they are finished because they are feeling so much better and lighter just from being able to talk to someone! Now I would not reccomend that they finish so soon, but I cannot force them to stay. But Praise God they are feeling more positive and no longer being daily rormented by things of the past! One of the ladies accepted Christ this week! She is actually a Shembe- which is a Christian cult that worships ancestors and also believes this Shembe guy is like the messiah- how they still call themselves Christians, who knows. She also has been in the initiation stages to be a Sangoma (witchdocter) so her decison to follow Christ is huge. When Nelly and I prayed for her we could see that God was doing things and were really hoping that none of the demons would manifest as we do not have much experience with that!! But after we prayed she said that people have different powers and she could feel the power in us through the Holy Spirit was different then other powers she had encountered. Praise God!!
Well my flat is almost finished- except for the bathroom and kitchenette. I have added some pics here one of me with baby Praise on my back Zulu style :) - thats in my bedroom, and the next picture is in my lounge. This next one is some kiddos in the Valley at Molweni that we meet with every other Thursday!
I have discovered that we have an Avacodo tree in our yard!! That makes me excited- I can just go pick one off the tree and eat it :)
Sandile has also decided to join me in running and he wants us to do a race!! :) - seriously it was his idea not mine :) So we have been running after he gets home from work- the girls have decided that they like to come with us as well which is aweosome as they really need to be more healthy. It slows us down a bit, but I am impressed with them, and it is fun to encourage them and see them trying to be healthy- I think I am having a positive influence on them :) They are often curious about what I am eating as well and I already have one using milk in her eggs instead of cooking oil :) haha.
Well there have also been many challenges as always when working in the ministry on the front lines. It is difficult to encounter such suffereing all the time, and sometimes it is hard to keep positive. Yesterday Maxwell, Elias and I went down to the Valley in Molweni to check on an 8 yr old girl that we saw last week who looks terribly ill. We spoke with the family and the mother agreed to come with us to take her to get tested for HIV. She is positive. Her CD4 count was taken, but we will not get the results for a few days. Judging by the way she looks I am sure it will be very low and she will have to start on ARV'S. I pray her mother gives them to her correctly otherwise they will not work. The child looks completely miserable and it is so sad to see. She doesnt smile, her eyes dont change, she doesnt play....And then there is the question- has she somehow miracuosly survived this far from contracting it at birth, or has she been raped? We will follow up with the family and most likely do more investigating and try to become more involved with her. Keep her and her family inyour prayers.
On a side note- when we went down there we spoke with the gogo (Grandma) first,although I could not understand her she is a little spit fire and made me laugh. She looks extremely old, but is still full of life. I found out later she is 102 years!!!! I want to take a picture with her. :)
Sani Bonani my friends,
I hope this update finds you all well! Well I have been sick to my stomach again for the past three days. I cannot figure out what is going on, as at home I am rarely sick to my stomach! I THINK I am feeling better today, but we will see. I certainly hope so as tomorrow we are having a pool party and BBQ for my birthday :) Much better than spending a birthday inside because its freezing cold and snowing :)
Counseling is going well- I actually have 2 clients who feel they are finished because they are feeling so much better and lighter just from being able to talk to someone! Now I would not reccomend that they finish so soon, but I cannot force them to stay. But Praise God they are feeling more positive and no longer being daily rormented by things of the past! One of the ladies accepted Christ this week! She is actually a Shembe- which is a Christian cult that worships ancestors and also believes this Shembe guy is like the messiah- how they still call themselves Christians, who knows. She also has been in the initiation stages to be a Sangoma (witchdocter) so her decison to follow Christ is huge. When Nelly and I prayed for her we could see that God was doing things and were really hoping that none of the demons would manifest as we do not have much experience with that!! But after we prayed she said that people have different powers and she could feel the power in us through the Holy Spirit was different then other powers she had encountered. Praise God!!
Well my flat is almost finished- except for the bathroom and kitchenette. I have added some pics here one of me with baby Praise on my back Zulu style :) - thats in my bedroom, and the next picture is in my lounge. This next one is some kiddos in the Valley at Molweni that we meet with every other Thursday!
I have discovered that we have an Avacodo tree in our yard!! That makes me excited- I can just go pick one off the tree and eat it :)
Sandile has also decided to join me in running and he wants us to do a race!! :) - seriously it was his idea not mine :) So we have been running after he gets home from work- the girls have decided that they like to come with us as well which is aweosome as they really need to be more healthy. It slows us down a bit, but I am impressed with them, and it is fun to encourage them and see them trying to be healthy- I think I am having a positive influence on them :) They are often curious about what I am eating as well and I already have one using milk in her eggs instead of cooking oil :) haha.
Well there have also been many challenges as always when working in the ministry on the front lines. It is difficult to encounter such suffereing all the time, and sometimes it is hard to keep positive. Yesterday Maxwell, Elias and I went down to the Valley in Molweni to check on an 8 yr old girl that we saw last week who looks terribly ill. We spoke with the family and the mother agreed to come with us to take her to get tested for HIV. She is positive. Her CD4 count was taken, but we will not get the results for a few days. Judging by the way she looks I am sure it will be very low and she will have to start on ARV'S. I pray her mother gives them to her correctly otherwise they will not work. The child looks completely miserable and it is so sad to see. She doesnt smile, her eyes dont change, she doesnt play....And then there is the question- has she somehow miracuosly survived this far from contracting it at birth, or has she been raped? We will follow up with the family and most likely do more investigating and try to become more involved with her. Keep her and her family inyour prayers.
On a side note- when we went down there we spoke with the gogo (Grandma) first,although I could not understand her she is a little spit fire and made me laugh. She looks extremely old, but is still full of life. I found out later she is 102 years!!!! I want to take a picture with her. :)
1 comment:
Love you, Abby. Happy belated birthday.
Ah, will be praying for this little one.
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