Update I wrote on 21st October

So monday was alot more exciting than expected! In the morning Mark asked whether one of us volunteers would like to come and visit Oarabile in hospital that afternoon. Fortunately since Maggie had only come 2 weeks before she went into hospital I got the chance to go! So I was to work will 2 o'clock and then we would leave to go to the hospital which is an hours drive away.

But that morning we went for a nice long walk around the whole farm with the 4 toddlers and 2 of our babies and we saw 3 ostriches and a huge kudo! We thought that was exciting enough and then lo and behold Mark got a phone call from Darin who lives on the farm opposite. There had been a spotting of a rhino on their farm, so of course we all jumped into the car with the toddlers and managed to spot the rhino! Took a while to find him because they are so well hidden and we had to track him down, as you can imagine they soon move on. Got some great photos and videos of it!

Our little girl is still very sick Im sad to say, she can't hold her head up, move her legs, eat properly or make any noises. Although she smiled and laughed with me! She could recognise the songs I used to sing to her, and the names of the other children. She was being transported on wednesday to Pretoria hospital for the MRI Scan thank goodness! But she is being moved back today which we are all not happy about because 1) the hospital is a long trip when you have 16 other children to care for every day 2) she is not getting the care she should have, Pretoria hospital is a lot better.

Kirstin arrived safely in Belgium but sadly the host family she was due to be staying with have been very unwelcoming to her, so she is now going to have to find a new host family in Belgium. We are all trying to keep her spirits up because as you can imagine arriving in a completely new country, with no support around her and having to leave the family is a bit scary for her. But hopefully the Au Pairing Agency will look after her and find a nice new family who will welcome her properly.

Wednesday was my day of and we went to pick up a new baby - an 8 month old - a GIRL! We finally have a little girl to dress up! She's beautiful, all we know is that ehr mother never anted her from the start but her Uncle insisted she not be put up for adoption. I guess the mother had juts had enough! We also have a new born baby boy! Came to us last week only 4 days old (although he's bigger and drinking more than our premature baby who we've had in our care for 5 weeks! Crazy). He is also adorable.

But as you can imagine it is very very tough, we only have 3 volunteers helping with the childrne now and with 7 babies (4 babies under 4 months!), 2 one year olds and 3 toddlers it is madness. Every hour a baby needs a feed. We do have Mama Mina who is a local lady who works 7.30am-4am every week day. But weekends and evenings are the hardest when we have all of them to look after.

Please pray that we would get more volunteers! 2 people that Chris had in mind for next year but invited them to come earlier, because it is so crazy at the moment, have not been responding to her emails. So pray either that we would be able to cope, get another volunteer or more importantly that some of these beautiful children would actually be ADOPTED and go to families who want them!

We actually have Mark and Chris's granddaughter here today to help out, she lives and studies in Pretoria. She is a great help but obviously has studying and exams so can only come on odd days if she gets time. We get along very well, and she has invited me to a concert in Jo'burg in December so that's something to look forward to! At the moment I never get the chance to leave the farm - especially now the lions are here we cant even walk!

Oh and don't worry, I whave been taking advantage of having a beautiful swimming pool everyday! My hair is going turn into chlorine soon I think, but it wont stop me!

All my love!

October so far.

So, after a good night's sleep, Im now sat in a lovely new room , quite quaint and cosy, in a luxurious double bed, with a cup of tea beside me and a view of the bushland beyond my cottage. What more could I ask for??

Since last time I spoke to you, the pool has been up and running and since the older boys (Tsepho Nhlanhla, Tom and Kagiso) were off school for the week we had great fun in and out of the pool. Of course I could only go when I was on break from shift work but was still great. Their nephew Robert also came to stay for the week, who is ten years old, but we had lots of banter and laughter!

Im so excited to tell you that I had my first day out on Tuesday the 4th! Charlie, who comes from a near-by farm, agreed to take Kirstin and I to Gold Reef City. Johanesburg's big theme park. I have never been on a 'proper' rollercoaster, being strapped in and all, but I went on every ride! Even though it was school holidays the queues were only 10 minutes a time, and we went on the same ride over and over - one where you just get tipped up and down and get soaking wet!

That week one of our boys, who recently turned 2, was due to go back to his mother. She raised him for the first 11 months, but when he came to Tsepho Ya Bana he was incredibly undernourished and ill. Looking at pictures, you couldnt believe its the same child (which is a similar story to a couple of our boys here). But his mother didn't come to fetch him for a whole week, we were getting very nervous whether she was ever going to come, technically Chris and Mark has signed to papers over to him ont he 4th but he was still in our care till the 11th.

As I may have said before, Kirstin is off to Belgium for one year to au pair with a family. So that friday we had a braii for her and invited some of her friends over. It was a lovely relaxed evening and just stayed chatting outside till early hours of the morning. The next day I was on 6.30am start but the children were so well behaved for Auntie Gemma! And since some of the people stayed overnight it meant we als had some more helping hands, and a guy called Cameron for the boys to play with also.

That sunday I was also very happy to get the chance to go to church again with Mark and the older boys. It was a great sermon, it was at Constantia Park Baptist church. Its a very European style church (best way I can describe it).

Tuesday was my day off which was nice as Kirstin came to my room in the morning and said that two people we had met at the braii has invited us to come to Pretoria for an evening out. So again Charlie came with, and we met up with some new people. It was nice to meet some south africans my own age. Its funny out here because you either get the 'Africaans South Africans' or the 'English South Africans' so some are very similar in their ways to English people and some are very different.

That day I had spent most fo the day in the pool. We are able to take the three older toddlers in. Except on of our boys, doesn't like it very much and just cries and our other boy has really bad skin. So he cant go in water very much, and as you can imagine the chlorine is awful for his skin. But our third toddler absolutely loves it and jumps in the deep in even! Its so fun trying to teach him to swim and he's getting great. So he joined me in the pool on that tuesday.

That was also the day that Kamo got picked up from his mother, it was horrible saying goodbye but we know that it is much better for him. All of us, and the children, miss him very much. That evening when I put one of the boys to bed (he is about 16 months old and he and Kamo used to sleep next to eachother in cribs) started crying and crying. So had to keep rocking him to sleep.

This past week has been very busy as Kirstin has been packing to leave and on saturdya we had to say our final goodbye. It was very emotional because she's been my best friend ever since Ive been here, and she's even spoken about moving to England permanently so I know we will definately stay friends and meet up lots. She arrived in Belgium early sunday morning and as far as I know she said the travelling was long but the family seem nice.

So our last couple evenings we watched movies, all jumped in the pool with the older boys and all the other volunteers, and I stayed in her room one night and we were laughing and giggling till 2am! Again the 6.30am start was tough!

Now to tell you about our little girl, she is still no better. Luckily she is going THIS WEDNESDAY for an MRI, she is getting moved to a different hospital for 2 days to get the scan. Can't believe this is going to be her 5th week in hospital and she is still waiting for an MRI scan on her brain, meanwhile she is laid there not eating, not drinking, not talking, not moving. Lifeless.

Please keep praying for her.

Anyway I must now drag myself out of bed, these children need me to go make breakfast! We only have 3 days left where we can go for walks, because the lions get realised on thursday!! So I think I will be taking them on a nice long walk today!! Lets hope we see some animals!

Peace and love to you all.