Bread and Activated magazines for nearly 200 people in two communities! A huge thank you to those that made it possible!

There’s more to wish you this New Year
Than simply happiness
A year to live without a fear
Without the loneliness
Of the past year that’s just gone by
With all its many woes
And yet, the sun brightened its sky
And Jesus held us close…

Thanks to an amazing surprise donation of flowers – LOTS of flowers – we brought these beautiful touches of joy to over 200 senior citizens in retirement villages around town.

Just before Christmas, we were privileged to be able to provide this senior citizen care home (131 residents) with foodstuffs for Christmas festivities – meat, yoghurt, vegetables, flour, tea, rusks, sauces, and more! And for the nurses, gratitude packs with chocolates and treats.

But that’s not all! Thanks to a kindhearted group of friends, we also delivered a Christmas pack for every resident, with many different hygiene products and goodies!

Like previous Christmases, we wanted to be sure that everyone – including the homeless – would be served a special warm Christmas meal. Unlike other years, with COVID restrictions and social distancing in place, we were not able to invite others unto our mission property to enjoy this meal. So we adapted.

Thanks to the generous donation of take-away containers, we were able to pack and give a full three-course meal to all those who would have otherwise gone without on this special day, as well as to essential services workers.

As we handed out the meals, we encountered surprise, joy, and tears. More than once we were asked to pray with and for these dear ones; struggling with their future in these uncertain times.

For the nearly 100 people that received a meal and a juice, in spite of restrictions and social distancing, it turned out to be a very Merry Christmas!

All the children at Sive Nathi home had a treat for Christmas – soft toys to cuddle and hold, plus bubbles and interaction to enjoy! For E, a young man who is the oldest resident, we brought a special gift – bluetooth headphones! He was absolutely thrilled, thanking us again and again!
Then, for the precious staff who faithfully care for the children day in and day out, Christmas hampers, which were received with smiles and joy!

When we heard about the over 1000 households that were displaced – with 6000 people left homeless and hopeless following a massive fire – we immediately felt led to help as much as we could!
We filled up two vans with everything from blankets, hygiene products, and household goods to clothing and shoes. Thankfully, we were able to add toys and goodie bags for children; making sure that Christmas will still be celebrated this year. We’re praying for the residents of Masi to be reestablished as soon as possible.

We were preparing to distribute Christmas presents to a group of teenagers and were told there was one 15 year old boy among them.

The girls’ presents were easy, but what to give a teenage boy? After looking through the gifts all we could find that was suitable was a cricket set, (we hoped and prayed he was a cricket fan)

When H. opened his present he was speechless (we were eagerly looking on. Did he like it?) Then his mother started crying and explained that H. has been wanting to be a ‘Protea’ since he was a small boy. He was so good, in fact, that the local High school recruited him for their cricket team while he was still in primary school.

When we heard this we decided to add an official Protea shirt as well; which we had but hadn’t known who was best to give it to! Now we did!

He was so pleased and proud and overwhelmed with joy that it brought tears to our eyes too. Coincidence? We think not. God planned it, no doubt about it.