So the past few weeks have been full of different happenings. I'll first update you with the things I have been up to then inform you of all the changes at Tshepo Ya Bana this month.
Last friday 24th was a great day as in the evening myself and 2 of the other girls went across to Tamboti Lodge to watch the rugby match between the Blue Bulls and the Lions! A veyr important match out here! We enjoyed a nice cold beer and relaxing by the television and then also decided to order a pizza and then Derek offered to take us on a game drive he was planning on doing that evening. So we had another chance to go on a game drive which was great! Sadly didn't see any of the large animals but saw plenty others!
That saturday 25th I had specifically asked if I could take off in order to take the four bigger boys (ages 11-13) to go into Pretoria Menlyn shopping mall and take them all to the movies and then get food afterwards. So that's what we did,we all got popcorn and slush and enjoyed a good movie then went to the pizza place for lunch. It was nice to treat the bigger boys and spend some time with them too as we all get on great. It is also nice for them to get the chance to get away from the other children and the farm for a bit else their weekends are very boring!
That evening myself and the 2 other girls I share a room with, Maggie and Arike, realised it was our last evening sharing a room all together because Maggie leaves 5th March and I leave the 8th and until then we had to take it in turns with night duty int he main house. So we had a girly evening, i cut Arike's hair and painted Maggies nails and we enjoyed some sweeties!
Work was same as usual on sunday but that Monday was my day off but I was still awake at 7oclock. I watched a movie and Mark needed to go get a new pair of shoes, and as men always need womens help he asked if I would like to come to Jubilee Mall with him which is just in Hammanskraal. So we spent a few hours searching over lots of shops. Then in the afternoon , Tom has been nagging me to go to Nando's with him as he loves it almost as much as me (a famous Portugese restaurant) so I decided I would go with Mark when he collects the boys from school and he would be able to drop us there to get takeaway. Maggie also came as she was free at the time so we all tucked in to nice Nando's with all the boys and Mark! That evening since I was off, I chilled in the cottage playing lots of guitar.
Maggie, Arike and myself also decided it would nice for us to go to Tamboti lodge for a breakfast before we all leave so AGAIN we went and ate out. It was very nice to sit outside in the quietness of the lodge and enjoy breakfast. I had a two hour break from work so then it was all hands on deck again afterwards.
Wednesday, Thursday and Friday I was on night duty (my last ever!). Buhle our prem baby has been struggling lots with wind so on my first night it meant only 30 minutes kip, as soon all the other babies were awake needing bottles. But you get to sleep all morning so it's not a problem.
But also on thursday all of girls decided we must go out for a final meal before 2 of us leave. So AGAIN it meant a meal out (you'll notice Ive been out to eat a ridiculous amount this week!!! Eek!) But was another lovely evening and time spent with all the girls and enjoying my last time across at Derek's place.
Then this saturday was lovely. Since Maggie and myself leave this week they always take the volunteers out for a meal.... so off we wernt at 1oclock to Mongena Lodge. Sho'. You may want to look this up on google because it is a beautiful lodging place and very expensive. We got to sit out on our own private deck, because there was a large party of people in the restaurant, and we looked out on a lovely dam which had a baby crocodile in and also lots of kingfishers darting for food. And I ate ostrich fillet! Very tasty and we also enjoyed a desert and cuppacino. We ended up arriving back at Tshepo Ya Bana at 4pm so spent a good while relaxing and enjoying eachother company for the final time.
Sunday was another eventful day as Mark and Chris were attending church in the evening so they had a big braai in the afternoon and Kirsin also had 2 friends down for a braai who I also chat to quite a bit and was nice to see before I leave. And then that evening Maggie and myself were invited to Mama Joye's for supper (she stays on-site as works as a cleaner.) Her and her daughter, Violinda, are really lovely and originally from Zimbabwe. But they made us proper south african food which we had to eat with our hands! Loved it, and we also stayed and watched a movie and chatted looking through some of their old photographs. Great night, and Maggies final night! It's sad because she has been here since September and we have grown close but we hope to visit eachother in the future!
Now to update you all on Tshepo Ya Bana. Well it is going through a lot of change currently. Firstly to explain how it works at the moment: Mark and Chris run the place and live in the main house with the 4 bigger boys who are permantent, and the other children/babies that are put temporarily into Tshepo Ya Bana care. Because they are now being registered it means they must have the temporary children seperate from the permanent children. Therefore the plan is - Mark, Chris and the 4 boys will move out of the main house and into the house that is currently known as the volunteers cottage (where I stay). Yet this means that they will move the volunteers in the main house but of course need permanent people to be house parents (volunteers cant run this place alone).
They have finally found suitable house parents (if you read one of my blogs back in July/August you will read about an African couple and daughter who came to us one evening). Therefore the couple were approached about the role as working as house parents at Tshepo Ya Bana but will be a apid job for them (Mark and Chris recieve no income from TYB therefore they have also had to consider financially how support the change.)
But the plan is going ahead/had gone ahead. Papa Christian and Mama Claudia (and Faith, 4 years old) moved into the guest cottage last thursday and will shortly move into the main house once Mark and Chris have completed the mammoth task of moving out and volunteers moving up. This is due to happen just 5 days after I leave. Yet there is also a huge amount of building work that needs to be done for this to be possible. They must build 2 bathrooms and also another room for Faith, and must also tile all the flooring and try to fit 5 volunteers in two small rooms that the boys currently live in.
Then Mark and Chris will be able to take a back seat and start to enjoy retirement, whilst looking after their permantent kids. And Papa Christian and Mama Claudia will take over the role of 'Mummy and Daddy' doing school runs, DIY jobs, helping wiht ngiht shifts, cooking supper, administration work, contacts etc.
This place needs a lot of prayer. Firstly for the children that they would not be too confused, or damaged by all the different changes (volunteers coming and going and Mark and Chris moving out and a new family moving in). Secondly, financially to be able to do all the building work, salaries etc. Thirdly, that Papa Christian and Mama Claudia would settle in and pick up how live at Tshepo Ya Bana works and exactly what needs to be done to keep this place going. Fourthly, that these children would actually GET ADOPTED! The social workers and courts are not doing a lot, many of these children should be either back witht heir families, or up for adoption. But nothing seems to be happening to many of them. There are currently 18 children and we need prayer that these children will finally go to families (in and around Hammanskraal or overseas to places like Luxemburg, Holand, Germany etc.).
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