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Hello again!

I thought I'd let you know that Reginald completed his rehab programme successfully. He came back to the Kibbutz on Friday. Yesterday I went to see him, and I'm thrilled to report to you that he is doing just fine! Tomorrow I have to go with him to court, as he still has a court case pending. Fortunately the judge has taken a personal interest in Reginald, and truly wants to see him well adjusted. Actually, it was due to his suggestion that Reginald spent the past 5 weeks at the rehab centre. So I presume tomorrow he will accept our recommendation that Reggie be placed in our care at the Kibbutz.

Then I want to thank Jeannette for her suggestion. She was a volunteer from the UK who served the Kibbutz during 2003. She is a vet, and was aware of Lemile's love for animals, so when she saw Lemile on a photo with Samuel a couple of weeks ago in the newsletter, she suggested that I link him with a local vet, dr De Wet. Well, Jeannette, I did just that. Guess what? He started Friday and loved it! He'll be working alongside dr De Wet Mondays and Fridays, while the other weekdays he attends classes at ABET (Adult Basic Education and Training).

Today I want to focus on the level 3 children. You might wonder what this means? We see level one as those street children who have come off living on the street and now live on the Kibbutz and who are growing physically, emotionally and spiritually. Level 2 are the kids still living at risk, but who are again back to attending main stream school, or the ABET programme. They fluctuate between living in the community and sometimes back on the street. Then level three are those boys who struggle to maintain attending any programme, and somehow are locked or held captive by their living on the streets. On the photo I'm sending today, you can see some of these boys. Please pray for them and for us, that we would find the keys to truly help them.

Before I close, I want to say that its going well with our discipleship programme. This is attended by boys from levels 1 and 2. This week we did an introduction to TheoPhostic Counselling - should there be any reader familiar with this amazing method of counselling.

Bless you all for taking the time once again to be with us.

Erena

Hello dear friends!

Its been a nail biting weekend! Reginald has been granted off weekend to come home. Ivan and I went to fetch him Friday morning at the rehab centre, to spend the weekend at the kibbutz. We all realise the risk involved. The moment Reginald takes drugs, he falls out of the programme. The social worker at the centre explained to us (as if we didn't know!) that his stress level is low, and even if someones speaks too harshly, he'll easily revert to his old pattern. Oh dear, and life is cruel, especially in Roodewal... is he going to make it? Well, its Sunday, and Reggie is still standing strong! Praise the Lord. But please don't stop praying! And tomorrow is a public holiday in SA, so its a long weekend - still another day to hang in there. Tomorrow he has to be back at the rehab centre before 5pm to complete the final week of his treatment programme. One day at a time...

You might wonder about Reginald? His nick name is Bones. He was wounded in many ways, even as a baby, by his father, so Reggie soon began with behavioral problems. He began using drugs at the age of six. By nine or ten he was sent to an institution, and when he was eleven he was allowed to come home for his mother's funeral - she had burnt to death in the shack where she lived. Since then he was sent from one institution to the next, and spent many weeks in detention in jail.

We met him as a street kid in Worcester last year. And now you've met him too. I'm sending you a photo of him, standing with Ivan. He is so eager to make a success of his life, but realises he is so weak. You can imagine how thrilled he is that his desire to come off drugs has inspired Samuel to also go through this treatment programme. He dearly wants to help others too, even though he's scarcely begun the road to recovery himself.

Bless you all for spending this time with us again!

Erena

Hello again!

..... I thought I'll give you a quick update on

what happened today.

The health train is in Worcester this week, so today we took 17 of our boys for a check up. The Rotary Club said they would pay all expences for our boys!

Apart from Lemile, every boy needed medical care - teeth extractions, ear infections, some got glasses and others just some general care. But today it is pouring outside, it even hailed, and I wouldn't be surprized if there's snow on the mountains. Our boys were bitterly cold - we rushed around to get them warm clothing. And we arranged with the Cumberland Hotel for a large pot of soup for the boys. I had some too - delicious!!!

Its been a long day - the boys and volunteers were out by the train since just after 7am, and I've just returned home from taking the last boys home - about 4pm.

Thanks for your interest!

Erena

Dear friends,

Reginald is doing well ... already reaching out to his friends still living on the street and those struggling with drugs. He wants them all to come live with him on the kibbutz!! I overheard him tell Adian: 'You can share my room and bed!' Its because of Reginald that Samuel will be entering the rehab programme this coming week. Samuel is so open and ready for changing his lifestyle - he was the first one to start the indivudual TheoPhostic counseling process with Deon and Ivan. He sobbed as he received much healing and breakthrough. By the way, if anyone is interested in helping with his rehab fees, its R2,710 for the course. Its more than Reggie's because he was using TIK (Crystal) as well as 'dagga' and Mandrax.

Today I would like to introduce you to Pinkie. (For those involved with the New Life Gang Project in the eighties, this is the son of Agab.) Abandoned by his parents, he is living with different family members in Roodewal. As he is one of our boys on level 2, we pick him up in the mornings to attend the ABET programme. Well, Pinkie was slipping through our 'system'. For the past few weeks, we would look for him at the different houses, but no one seemed to bother as to his where abouts. Finally I found him last Monday. Thats the one side of the story. Now for the other...

Its about Janetha. Janetha is a widow. Her husband was murdered 5 years ago, which left Janetha to look after their four minor children. She has a heart for our 'lost boys', and often hosts our programmes for our level 2 boys. Well, Janetha has now taken Pinkie into her care. When I asked her how she was coping, she admitted: 'Me and my children are used to being without food, but how can I expect Pinkie to live like that?' I

guess that's why our ministry is there? To help the orphans and the widows...

Everytime I now see Pinkie, he smiles that handsome smile of his and gives me the thumbs up sign! On the photo, you'll see him with Shirley, my partner. This photo was taken on a day when he was sad about something - he often seems to be the odd one out, but not in God's book - there Pinkie is much loved.

Hello to all our friends!

I thought it would be good to let you know how we're doing back in Worcester, SA. All of you have crossed our path in some way... Maybe you should know that your time with us was invested well.

Kibbutz El-Shammah has developed and its different ministries are meeting needs within the Roodewal community. Currently I'm involved with the Street Children Ministry team of the Kibbutz. I'd like to share more about this ministry?

*STREET CHILDREN BACKGROUND*

About three years ago, Shirley, an Australian YWAMer at the Worcester Base, was working with the kids on the street. At that stage, we had just completed building a house on the kibbutz for street children thanks to funds donated by the Broadway Christian Church in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and a little boy from Holland. A local Dutch Reformed church helped us too. Shirley brought more than 20 children to this little house.

Of these children, only about ten stayed. The others gradually returned to the street. But those who stayed were impacted by volunteers and Kibbutz staff. Through home schooling and life skills they were prepared to return to school at the beginning of 2003. These children, now known as the Kibbutz Boys, are doing very well.

*SUMMER CAMP*

Last year I joined Shirley on the streets, while Ivan and Sophia continued working with the Kibbutz Boys. At the end of the year, we had a summer camp for the Kibbutz Boys, the street kids, and those boys living between the streets and high risk homes in the community. Nearly thirty children attended this camp. Here 16 boys made a commitment to the Lord.

After the camp, our Kibbutz Boys continued with their schooling and other programmes, while those who had not been attending school for some years, were taken up in the ABET programme. (Adult Basic Education and Traing).

We began a weekly discipleship programme for those who made a commitment to the Lord. Not an easy road, though. Many of these boys are addicted to drugs, to begging on the streets, gambling, and overall struggling with any form of discipline or routine. But we are a committed team trying to meet every boy's need.

*SECOND CAMP*

We just completed our second camp for those boys attending the discipleship classes. Sadly only 14 completed the camp successfully. This camp focused on their spiritual growth.

*LIFE GOES ON....*

Our Kibbutz Boys continue growing physically, emotionally and spiritually.

The boys in the ABET programme still need all the support they can get. Those living on the street are woken up in the mornings, taken to ABET, given something to eat, sometimes toiletries are provided to help them

clean-up, we wash their clothes and give as much support as possible.

The weekly discipleship continues, while the other children not interested in growing spiritually at this stage, are being drawn into another programme catering for their specific needs.

For all these programmes we are grateful to volunteers, staff, and anyone willing to network with us. Sometimes we have money, sometimes we don't, but somehow we keep on doing what we're doing ... a love in our hearts just keep on growing for these boys.

*EACH BOY....*

Each boy has his own unique story. I wish I could share them all with you... Lemile, whose been living off and on the street for so many years, struggling with anger management, yet currently doing so well. We see so much potential in him. Marshuheen - also off and on the street for many years, but still hanging in there with us and part of the discipleship programme. And then there's Bones (16 years old). He has a horrendous upbringing. We met him on the streets last year. We managed

to get him out of jail to come on our summer camp. Again we had to get him out of jail to come on our second camp, and at this camp he confessed he was addicted to drugs. So straight after the camp he was sent to the hospital to detox, and now he is in a rehab centre in Worcester. Oh, there's so much beauty underlying the hurts and outward appearances of these precious boys.

God said He will give us the treasures of darkness... (Isaiah 43v3)

I hope you will continue to parter with us to be the instruments in walking God's walk with these boys?

Erena van de Venter