Deb's Very Late Update November 05

Deb’s Very Late Catch Up News

As usual life here has been frantically busy so huge apologies for the lack of communication, no more excuses just information…

Emyezweni Pre-school.

I have been busy working out budgets and filling in official forms to apply for per capita funding from Social Services. We have to have a plan in place with projected outgoings and admissions for the academic year 2006 – 2007; those who know me can imagine how much I have enjoyed that! Figures and funding are not my favourite subjects but it is now all “finished and kla” as they say in Afrikaans and I am very relieved.
We are hoping to apply for Government Registered status as a Pre-school next year so that will mean more paperwork and inspection visits – it is getting scarily like a real teaching job but I refuse to start wearing sensible clothes to school!
We currently have 68 children on our waiting list for next year, enough to open other pre-school, so any eager volunteers out there let me know… More importantly, any eager funders out there also let me know. We are very seriously looking for a trained Early Years teacher / Nursery teacher to work with our 3 year olds for January so if you are interested in a non paid but incredibly rewarding job please contact me on this blogspot.
After a few months of break ins at the school we have had a quiet month with only one minor drama – the key broking off in the front door padlock meaning that staff and children were stranded outside until someone could legally break in for us! We are in the process of organising a church work day at Emyezweni to sort out some of our ongoing repairs such as replacing the playground gates, repairing hinges and doors etc.
We have recently been blessed by the opportunity to buy waste food at a very reduced price from one of the large South African stores and we are hoping to buy a chest freezer in order to maximise the potential of this great offer and to also develop our menu for next year.
As Gary’s role has been changing this year he is no longer on our Committee so the lovely Marion Du Plessis has taken his place, Marion and her husband, Charl, are the elders responsible for HCCs work in Lwandle and it is great to have her on board our team.
As the school year is drawing to a close we are busy preparing for the end of year graduation ceremony; for many of our children this is the only chance they will get in their school careers to have a graduation certificate so we go to town a bit with a ceremony, graduation gowns and smart certificates. Keep your eyes out on this blog for photos next month!
We are also planning our Christmas party; we have enrolled an intrepid Father Christmas (Thanks Phil for being such a star!) and have sent out invitations to friends of Emyezweni. We have also invited the local International school with whom we have been building links this year and they are hopefully coming to make party hats and play party games for a couple of hours in the morning of our party day.
HCC has already very kindly donated money for Christmas presents and Rachel and I had a great morning shopping for 70 children’s presents! They are boxed up into classes and ready to be wrapped when the children have printed the wrapping paper.
Term officially ends on Friday 2nd December but we know from experience that children start to disappear off to the Eastern Cape pretty soon after graduation and the party so we are planning to spend the last few days of term taking children on outings to the beach and Helderberg nature reserve – what a hard life hey?!
The staff are going to have an end of year celebration, probably a nice civilised afternoon tea somewhere that makes great cakes and I will also post some photos of this as soon as possible.

Lwandle Cell Group

Our Ladies Alpha course has now finished, we had lots of visitors and one lady who now comes regularly to church and wants to become a member of HCC.
For me the highlight of the term was having ladies from the Khanyisa church in Gugulethu come over and lead several sessions for us. It was great to spend time with them and we are going to keep up the contact with them this term.
Another outcome of this Alpha course was that Rachel, Sarah Beatson, Nothini and I were asked to run the children’s work at the Khanyisa church camp. We had an excellent time with the children and adults; it was such a privilege to spend time with people so committed to multi-racial church with all its joys and frustrations.
This term the women and men in the Lwandle cell are meeting together for worship and then splitting up for our teaching and sharing times. The ladies are looking at the idea of deepening relationships with a cross cultural theme and we have planned several outings and fun days outside cell time to develop this more.


Deb’s house news!

I am now very happily settled in my new place next door to the lovely Hawkins family; I have my own garden and can even use the family’s swimming pool! It is nice to be on the other side of the mountain I have a great view of it from my sitting room and it is wonderful to have peace and quiet when I get home from a frantic day. I have a good sofa bed for visitors so get booking for summer 2006!

That is me just about up to date with all my news. Thanks for reading this and post your messages and comments so I can update as necessary.

Prayer Points:
For a great end to the term and safe travel for children and staff.
For a pre-school worker for our 3 year olds.
For a great holiday for me in the UK!
For favour with Social Services and the Department of Education.

Thanks Guys!
Love
Deb
xxx