Zimbabwe GTT

Well we had a fantastic time in Zim. 4 of us went up in the church's micro bus to the GTT Geographical training time). We were pretty loaded with all our camping equipment and food for both us and the delegates, however we still managed to pull a trailer and took 35 food parcels which will feed 35 families of 4 for a month.

The borders were much smoother than in November. The locals tell us it is because the Zim government has placed such severe taxes on the Zimbabweans who were coming over to south Africa to buy food and resell it in Zim. These penalties are so high that it is not worth there while.

I noticed that there seemed to be a bit of food on the shop shelves now whereas in November there was nothing. The official currency is now South African Rands and US dollars. Due to this the huge black market in Zim has fallen apart both in money exchange and food stuffs.

When I went to the police station to tell them we were in the area and what we were doing the station commander asked me to bless the station. That was quite awsome. I also handed out a number of bibles to the policemen and a police woman.

Anyway I was designated chief cook and bottle washer for our group. I love eating so believe me we ate well. My 'kitchen" was the church building as it is too small to accommodate all the delegates who came from a radius of about 160km.

About 60 people arrived and spent 3 days at our hosts village. What a gracious humble man Issac is. Our water to cook and shower was carried from a few kilometers away. We used puri tabs in our drinking water as there is a bad cholera outbreak in Zim at the moment. A lot of foundational teaching was done which was really well received. God is amazing and really moved among the people.

We also went to an outlying village to do an outreach. Yours truly got to share his testimony and preach. It was weird using an interpreter. However God was gracious and 6 people gave there lives it was very humbling. We got to pray for many sick and I am just waiting in anticipation for feedback as to miracles that took place.

Mourning My Bike

Well today God has sold my bike:(( It is a bitter sweet day. I want her sold but I am really going to miss her. Natalie and I had so much fun on her and she is really going well at the moment. Well God's timing is perfect and obviously He says this is the time!!

Zimbabwe Food Drop

Well I am off to Zim next week on a GTT-Geographical Training Time. This is where a group of local pastors and their spouses come together and we go up and do traing with them. I have been delegated as Chief cook and bottle washer. I love it.
We were organising that 2 vehicles were going up besides us just to do a food drop. The one chap was very uneasy about the trip and had a dream that his car was being towed out of Zim. The next day he took it in to get serviced and the mechanic told him that the Turbo was busy packing up and he would not have made it there and back. God is good.
The other guy was on his way down to Durban and his vehicle broke down!!!
Needless to say we have postponed the food drop and will do it later.
Please pray for the GTT and the future food drops into Zim.

South African - Elections

This is taken from a site Family Values Institute.
Corruption – South Africa's Biggest Threat!
The campaigning leading up to South Africa's fourth democratic elections are in full swing. The various political party election manifestos have been launched with much fanfare and many more promises.

However, the exposure of corrupt politicians & corrupt political practice is fast becoming the nation's favourite pastime.

Corruption has the ability to unravel the nation's democratic gains while systematically undermining the development of a sustainable economic foundation upon which our social objectives can be achieved.

In Zimbabwe a corrupt and thoroughly discredited politician gets to retain the presidency despite losing an election - while his nation suffers devastating losses.

Despite its rhetoric about human rights & democracy, the African Union (AU) elected one of the continents worst human rights abusers and supporters of terrorism as its new leader - who promptly condemned democracy in Africa.

South Africa's leading presidential candidate faces 753 serious criminal charges including corruption, fraud, money laundering and racketeering.

It now emerges that Zuma's spokesperson, Carl Niehaus who valiantly defended his leader at his corruption hearings is now defending several fraud charges of his own.

Apparently, Gauteng Premier Paul Mashatile failed to report Niehaus' corrupt activities while he was a member of the Gauteng provincial legislature.

Five out of six senior police officials have been suspended & investigated for corruption in a nation with some of the highest crime statistics in the world.

South African travelers to the UK are now required to obtain visas as a result of the massive fraud & corruption in the department of Home Affairs.

South African Airways, our national carrier is now trafficking drugs to foreign nations while the airline's CEO is under investigation for corruption

Yet the ruling party responsible for all of this runs its election campaign on a corruption busting and clean governance ticket.

When one considers this on top of the hundreds of reports and investigations of corrupt and fraudulent activity in government & the private sector, the future certainly looks bleak.

Tragically, South African society seems to be growing increasingly desensitized to corruption.
Every new revelation of corruption receives adequate air time - which is met with the appropriate amount of public outrage - only to settle down till the next sordid exposé

Alarmingly, fraud and corruption seems to be settling into the national psyche as an embarrassing but tolerated part of the political life of our nation.

Significantly however, there are millions of South Africans who understand that to tolerate corruption & corrupt leaders means we have chosen, by default, the path of Zimbabwe and the many other nations destroyed by this cancer.

Corrupt and sleazy politicians can never be tolerated in a nation serious about overcoming injustice, addressing urgent social needs and building a strong united South Africa.

On 22 April 2009 South Africa arrives at a crossroads that will determine whether we join the ranks of the world's most corrupt nations or whether we reject crime, grime, sleaze and corruption and fulfill the destiny of God for this nation.

The Cross set you free, use your cross this election to set the nation free!

Standing

Errol Naidoo

Zimbabwe Lemon Juice

In Zim there is nothing to buy in the shops. One time we were up there one of the ladies in one of the churches gave us some homemade lemon juice. It was great and really thirst quenching.
Check out the recipe. Really simple.
Juice of 7 rough lemons
zest of at least 2 ( can be adjusted to your preference )
1 ltr boiling water
1 tsp Citric Acid
1.2 kg white sugar. ( you can adjust this once you determine your preferences for taste .)
Method.Dissolve sugar in hot water.
add the zest to steep ( alternatively leave the zest and add when the water has cooled slightly - again a matter of preference)
add citric Acid to the hot water allow to cool to about blood temperature and add the lemon juice .
Cover and leave to cool.When cool - bottle and refrigerate . use as a cordial mix with water or soda .
Try it you won't be sorry.

House Sale - Despondency sets in

Well the sale we were so excited about did not materialise. I got very down and despondent over the weekend. We know it is all in God's timing but it does get hard!!!! Any way we have put up a sign with "Private Sale" and my Cell No, on it and on Sunday someone drove past and popped in and yesterday evening someone also popped in. Another person phoned and is coming around tomorrow to look.
In these times it will only be God's miracle when it goes.

Our Cambodia Trip

Check out our pics when visiting Dave,Kascha and Jemma.Cambodia

Fun for You

Got this tag from Katherine and Seoun in Phnom Penh.
Here are the rules of the tag:
1. Grab the nearest book.
2. Open to page 56.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the text of the next 2 to 5 sentences, along with these rules.
5. Don't dig for your favorite book, the cool book, or the intellectual book. Pick the CLOSEST!
6. Tag others to do the same!

Sunflower Seeds
One-half cup of shelled sunflower seeds contains about 43mcg selenium.
One cup of shelled sunflower seeds contains about 86mcg selenium.
You can chop the seeds up and add them to stews, or roast them.

This is from a booklet called Positive Health published by the Utility Company I work for in South Africa. Eskom. I think the whole reference to sunflowers is great especially with Valantines so close. A big smiley face!!!

House sale

Need lots of prayer. Someone is very interested in our house. Please pray that we will find favour in God's eyes. That he will lay it on their heart to buy our house and release us to go to Cambodia.

Dengue Fever

Heard dave in Phnom Penh has had a bout of dengue fever. Phoned him this morning. Tells me he is over the worst now only has the rash. Need to pray for him and the family that little Jemma doesn't get it.
Symtoms:
This is manifested by a sudden onset of severe headache, muscle and joint pains (myalgias and arthralgias—severe pain gives it the name break-bone fever or bonecrusher disease), fever, and rash.[4] The dengue rash is characteristically bright red petechiae and usually appears first on the lower limbs and the chest; in some patients, it spreads to cover most of the body. There may also be gastritis with some combination of associated abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea.
Some cases develop much milder symptoms which can be misdiagnosed as influenza or other viral infection when no rash is present. Thus travelers from tropical areas may pass on dengue in their home countries inadvertently, having not been properly diagnosed at the height of their illness. Patients with dengue can pass on the infection only through mosquitoes or blood products and only while they are still febrile.
The classic dengue fever lasts about six to seven days, with a smaller peak of fever at the trailing end of the disease (the so-called biphasic pattern). Clinically, the platelet count will drop until the patient's temperature is normal.

Our House-Our Mill Stone???

Well we are still trying to sell the house. At our church conference in Bloemfontein in 2007 Tyronne Daniels did a session on 1 Kings 19 :19-22 which spoke to me about selling the house.19So Elijah went from there and found Elisha son of Shaphat. He was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen, and he himself was driving the twelfth pair. Elijah went up to him and threw his cloak around him. 20Elisha then left his oxen and ran after Elijah. “Let me kiss my father and mother good-by,” he said, “and then I will come with you.” “Go back,” Elijah replied. “What have I done to you?” 21So Elisha left him and went back. He took his yoke of oxen and slaughtered them. He burned the plowing equipment to cook the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he set out to follow Elijah and became his attendant.

I felt God saying sell the house as when things get tough I don't want you running back. We need to burn our plough and slaughter the oxen. God also spoke to me and Natalie clearly to say don't sell your stuff give it away. "He burned the plowing equipment to cook the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate." Well we still wait to sell. In these times only God can preform this miracle.

The "Kid's"

God really blessed me with two wonderful children of whom I am very proud. No man could have wanted nicer children. Danielle and Ryan, Thank You for being the children you are. I love both of you so much.

Zimbabwe Food Drop

I am trying to organise another trip to Zimbabwe to drop food. They are in desperate need of food. This will be my fourth trip since July last year. We are just trying to raise the funds. My son rolled my vehicle last year and I haven't replaced it yet, but God has been really good and brought the right people with the right vehicles for every trip. Amen
We are hoping to be able to take more wheelchairs up for the disabled. Hopefully we will also get to see the blind.

One Small Step for Man, One Giant Leap for Meeeee!!!!!!

Well I have finaly taken a step into the Blogging world. I will just have to learn how it all works.