Each of the precious children in these rural areas received a large warm blanket, to help them make it through this very cold and wet winter. The young people of Helping Hand were there to hand out the items, wrap the blankets around the children, say kind words, and give warm smiles. It was both wonderful and heart-wrenching to see the living conditions of so many this winter.

On top of the blankets we were able to distribute needed food parcels with fresh food, cheese, and meat to every person in these communities. Both the children and adults were most grateful for the help, thanking us over and over!

So an enormous thank you to all of you who made this Youth Day project a reality. The children of God who live in these very trying circumstances thank you. You have made their lives better, and reminded them they are loved and important.

It brought us so much joy to stand outside this dear family’s tiny home and present them with a beautiful stroller, baby walker, nappies, and formula for their third child – a little baby girl!

We also left them with a large food parcel, toothpaste, soap, and a full set of brand-new plates, mugs, and bowls!

Hundreds of people in two very in-need communities received all kinds of foodstuffs – fresh fruits and vegetables, oats, soup, rusks, sauces, instant noodles, Gospel tracts, and more! It’s always amazing how the Lord pulls these events together, and we give Him all the glory!

These dear children each enjoyed a large portion of warm oats for breakfast, and on other occasions bananas, apples, cheese, peanuts and raisins, or other foodstuffs to take home after their Bible lesson. What a joy to bring this bit of help and hope in a cold and tough season.

This project took a lot of planning and preparing, yet really came together not by our own efforts, but by a series of miracles! From different sources, we received instant noodles, cereal, sauces, coffee, tea, rusks, soup, peanuts and raisins, tissue paper, and even chocolates!

Then one gentleman, upon hearing of our plans to give everyone a substantial food parcel, suddenly donated enough carrots to give EACH PERSON a whole 5kg bag! Incredible! And at the last minute we were able to add bananas, apples, and oranges!

Because of the thousands of kilos of carrots, both of our vans were at capacity, and we had to borrow an additional three bakkies to bring all the food to the township. Thank you so very much to everyone who helped with food, sponsorship, bakkies, and volunteering on the wet and cold day!

As you can see from the photos below, the food was gratefully received and everything was orderly and blessed through the hours of distribution!

For Mother’s Day, the children at Sunday School glued colourful hearts onto a card, to bring home to their moms after the Bible lesson. It touched our hearts to see how excited they were to create personal art, and how much they looked forward to surprising their mothers in this simple way!

To show a little love and recognition for the dear nurses – who labour long and often unthanked hours all the year – we packed and personally delivered 150 appreciation packs with treats, cards, and Gospel Activated magazines to the staff at six different government clinics!

The joy and thankful smiles made all the preparation and planning well worth it!

A virtuous woman is worth far more than rubies. Her children arise up, and call her blessed and her husband praises her.
Proverbs 31:10 and 28

Happy Mother’s Day!