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