I started this drive with two challenges… I asked our worldwide contributors to make or send 150 blankets, and I challenged the youth of Flames Church to make the same number of blankets. My challenges were met… and exceeded!
Pastor Tivane’s daughter got all the blankets ready for our party!!!! We had over 300 blankets, scarves and hats to distribute!
BYRON, our special cheetah guest, arrived at our party —looking sooo majestic!!! Love this kitty and he loves me… heehee.
NOW, for the party!!! WE had more kids than we thought we would have from the school. The number of orphans in need continues to rise. We needed another bus which is expensive; but wouldn’t you know… the day before someone from South Africa was led by the Lord to give me a big donation… way more than enough to cover the extra food, transportation… and we already had more than enough blankets!
IT took three truck loads to carry ALL the blankets to the Elandstrand Tent! Flames Youth made 200 and I brought 150!
We had a performance by the youth of Flames: “Soldiers for Jesus”! This is our ‘drama’ team… a homemade African band and dancing ‘soldiers’!
THE kids were so attentive! They sang songs, watched the ‘Soldiers for Jesus’ dancing, and listened to an ex-convict tell them his story of life on the streets before his life was changed and now lives for Jesus…
Eating before…. the blanket distribution! FOOOD! Pap, meat and veggies! …. Food to fill Kings and Queens!
THE pile of blankets exceeded the stage space, the scarves and hats too….it was a miraculous provision!
Ouma Maria, Lorraine Vermeulen, and many of the Flames Church ladies and youth labored making 200 blankets for the kiddies, some kids that help make blankets are orphans themselves!
THE group of kiddies that are raising themselves, who have no living relatives, came thru the line first and boy, we gave them the GOODS!
Each child got a scarf, a hat, and big soft blanket! AND a note of love, written by Linda Kuczynski in the USA
Their eyes lit up like Christmas Trees when handed such beautiful, hand crafted, and warm blankets! It is getting cold especially at night. It is wonderful to know they are being warmed by your love…
Our kids were as happy as I have ever seen them!!
Here is one proud, young man going back to his village wearing his blessing of warmth!
This little angel took the love note that was on her precious gifts and decided to wear it! She pinned it to her dress…. She was so tickled that someone from across the big ocean loves her.
I had Jen make beautiful DIPLOMAS for every worker that helped with the party; some cut and assembled blankets, some cooked, and several pastors shepherded these sheep… our little lambs… our orphans.. I just had to take this picture as some of the ‘Go-go’s (the elder ladies) had never before gotten a certificate of such beauty before! They have gone their whole lives without a certificate proclaiming a job well done. Many told me they will hang it on their wall… framed in a place of prominence in their shacks… it broke my heart! They were so proud to walk up and get it from us along with a gold necklace heart… an outward sign of their hearts of gold.
Thank you everyone! Thank you sooo much everyone!!! Thank you!!! How can we tell you thank you enough?????