My heart was so stretched......but God ordered our footsteps!

Any of you who have prayed with me, know I usually pray.."The footsteps of the righteous are ordered of God". Today we gathered in Ntuzuma and Prince prayed God would order our footsteps. I also opened my email before we went out and Dr. Dan wrote that they were still reeling over the carjacking, and he had a scripture for me: james l:27 my translation reads: Pure and Undefiled Religion(in the message it says...the kind that passes muster before God)before God and the father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble and to keep on undspotted from the world.

Prince and I headed out about noon from the property, we were going to Lindelani to pick up the youngest of the orphan boys (Brooke and I call him "YES", because when we went clothes shopping for him everytime i said do you like this, he said "yes"). He is seven and we noticed he had a huge mark on his head that was oozing, his brother thought it was a reaction to sap on a mango tree, but it looked infected and prince thought we should take him to the clinic, so today we headed up to pull him out of school and go. Prince missed the turn and where we needed to turn was the street we turn down to pick up the kids that live with Laurah (the 8 orphans in a house we fixed this past June). We hadn't seen them in a couple of weeks, so we planned to check on them this week. I said, we are right here, lets just check on things.

We turned down their road, parked the car, and Prince and I got up, he was ahead of me and walked up to their house, I saw the little Indian/Zulu girl Pela in the yard in front, she was so dirty and didn't look good, then I noticed her lip was so swollen a HUGE fever blister, maybe more lots in a cluster, so pussy and swollen and her little eyes looked sick. I walked her up to the house where Prince had gone and said, "Penny,this little one is throwing up" there in the house was the 6 year old Amanda, the one that has come to the ministry with her grandma (before she passed). I've know her since she was about 2. the age of my Emily.
Prince asked where her mom was (who we never see there) and she said not here, hadn't been there since Sunday. Even the older Cousin who is l8 was Portia was not there. I went over and felt her head and she was burning up. One of the other children went and found the l8 year old from another house, we made her go with us to the clinic. We picked up "yes" and then back to them and then the clinic!!! Oh the clinic. The Drs. were out to lunch, here we were 3 orphans, waiting. Both Pela and Yes got medicines for their sores and antibiotic. Amanda was so hot...(can't tell you her temp, it was in celcius I think didn't know how to convert, but the nurses said it was high). She just sat on may lap and almost fell asleep.

The gave her a big shot and she cried and cried on my shoulder, it broke my heart as I didn't have zulu words to say. Then they put her in short stay to hydrate her. She fell asleep. Then we took her home, the cousin had all the medicine, and I phoned her mom. It was so hard, I just wanted to comfort her and stay take them home, they are so neglected.

Then we took the medicine to the big brothers of "yes", and the boy looked so handsome in his new uniform as did "yes". When Prince picked him up at the school, the teacher said she was so grateful to see him in his uniform, and she had no idea his mom had died(6 months ago). Isn't that unbelievable that a childs parent dies and the school doesn't even know??? We have been instrumental in getting id's and hopefully we will see the new social worker get them a grant. The older brother might become the guardian as they always feel it is good to keep them in their familiar surroundings. We will work along side the brother and take one of our moms there to build relationship with them. We found out they had no food, when I told Prince to tell them to make sure the boy ate with the antibiotic. So we had soup made from our feeding of tb patients this morning so we went back with that and a loaf of bread. Prince and Brooke and Lynel went and two zulu ladies fundi and pretty that work with us (both have sons). They found the boys wearing their new clothes and washing their uniforms. It was good. Fundi told them to clean the house and they were doing good. The older boy said Gogo (that is me) and Umcoolu (spelling wrong, which Brooke calls Prince who is 37 "grandpa in Zulu). the boys had laughed at this, but that is what they call us now. Pretty funny.

Well, we aren't dispising small beginnings, everyday we are trusting the Lord to order our footsteps. yesterday we had a pastor his wife and elders from a church in durban (white) come up and say they want to get involved. It was most encouraging, we also met a Dr. who works nearby in the township she is Indian and a christian and said she wants to be involved and help us. It was most encouraging.....one week after the carjacking. I also got an email that funds might be coming to help redeem the lost items, this was very enouraging too.

God does take care of us all. He is a father to the fatherless whether you are 55 or 5. I don't have resources or answers to all the things and needs I see, but I know the ONE who does. Pray we can draw close and know....His will for each life He draws us too. He is the LIFE we have to offer. We appreciate your prayers as we Love with the Love He gives Us.