It was a tough week. I felt particularly sorry for Dries who was mourning the death of his brother while trying to be a support to the rest of the family and at the same time dealing with the many problems we face at the moment.
I feel that we are under tremendous spiritual attack; the work that needs to be done here as well as Ampamata school, the fact that Gabriel will be taken out of the water, is a reality which is so daunting that we don’t know where to start, everything keeps breaking and needs constant maintenance and our finances look worse than ever. My mother who is eighty years old has been living with my youngest brother for some years, but he unexpectedly sold his property and will move away. My mom, understandably at her age, cannot make a big change like that and wants to remain in Moorreesburg. We have to find a solution within two months and for the first time since living in Madagascar, I would have just liked to go and help out and be there for her without having to consider other responsibilities.
The Discovery and Kids Rangers every Wednesday, are such a blessing. My patrol which consists of twelve boys, is a boisterous bunch, but I adore teaching them as they love everything we do from the moment they walk in until they go home. I am teaching many French worship songs as we have to improve the level of the French in the school. I am by no means a good guitar player, but a couple of chords goes a long way.
At Saturday Rangers, we are teaching the young people how to draw the Ranger emblem and use it to share with others what Rangers is all about. It turned out that it can be used as an effective tool for evangelism too.
Masilaza did very well in her first exam in secondary school. We have to work on the French though and she will start coming to our home on Saturday mornings for some extra classes. For the moment, I concentrate on language and reading at school as that seems to be the need. For the first time, we have a proper bookshop on our island, ‘A book for everyone’. This is wonderful as we never had access to affordable French reading and text books. These are secondhand books coming from Reunion and the owner who is also from that island, has been a big blessing to us. The prices are good and he gives us additional discount. This is a huge step in the right direction and I pray that other schools will seize this opportunity to improve their level of teaching and keep the bookshop in business.
Joop’s funeral message was taken from Psalm 16. It offered hope to the believers and an opportunity for those who live their lives far away from God to come to Him and be saved.
Psalm 16 v5 – 11
Lord, you alone are my portion and my cup; you make my lot secure. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance. I will praise the Lord, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me. I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure, because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, nor will you let your faithful one see decay. You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.
May you have a blessed week
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