6th July 2007

Hello Everyone!

I think my emails are just becoming a monthly thing! lol! I text my friend the other night apologising for hardly emailing but by the time 7pm arrives and I'm finally free, I flop down somewhere for rest........and don’t get up for the rest of the night! lol!

Well I don’t even think I've emailed since Dave's dad got ill. Dave had to fly to the UK on the 19th June (I think it was the 19th anyway-I have lost track of the weeks!) because he had received news that his dad was seriously ill. His Dad's name is Baden and he'd seemed to have a blocked bowel and doctors had to remove the whole of his large intestine. It was a miracle that he pulled through the operation as his health is quite frail anyway. Praise the Lord, Baden is now home and is recovering well.

Dave was meant to fly to the UK on the 9th of this month and then fly to the U.S on the 12th; He is still going so please remember him in your prayers as he tours America. With the extended visit because of his Father's illness, Dave will now not be back at Ebyown until the 8th August and he is terribly homesick. He rings almost everyday and Lyn has the ministries mobile constantly in her hand texting.

Then on the 22nd, Paulina, thanks to a lot of prayer and donations......................got a wheelchair!!!!!!!!!! it is a beautiful black and pink one and it is better than we could have ever imagined! I went with Lyn, Aaron & Di to collect it and we all got very emotional seeing her ride in it for the first time..........her life has already been drastically changed by it......she has gained a whole new level of independence and her self confidence is growing by the day! she no longer has to crawl on the floor to get anywhere. however we have had some screams with her driving........and it doesn’t help when she doesn’t know her left from her right! lol!

I hear you have all been having bizarre weather the last few weeks...........well so have we. last Tuesday night we had a terrible lightening storm and howling winds, then at 1.15am(well I suppose that would mean it was early Wednesday) I get a text off Roxanne Wells (friend) telling me 'not to kill her cos its so late but to look out my window cos its snowing!' well as you can imagine at that time I was not with it so I pulled back my curtain and could only see the silhouette of a tree blowing in the wind so I went 'huhhhhhhhh????' and then collapsed back asleep. (I should also point out I wasn’t sleeping well that night because I was starting with a bad cold and throat). so I was awake at 3.30am when Diane's phone started to ring, when she didn’t answer I got up and woke her in case it was home calling her..........the missed call was off Alen Wells (Roxy's dad......goes to our church)..........so while we're both terribly confused and our sleepy brain are struggling to think, I go to the bathroom and on coming out I glance out of our front door and what do I see...............................SNOW! AND LOTS OF IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. so i run into Di saying it’s snowed, Roxy had text me.....that must have been what Alen was ringing for......................"what there's snow?????" "yes Di"(pause)"what..........here right now" "yes Di there's snow quick come and see!!(pause)"are you joking???....you telling me there’s snow outside our door?..here.....in South Africa?" "Di...............GET UP AND SEE!"

Well we had so much fun running round at 3.45am taking pics of everything!, I got Aaron up and we had a little snow fight. At 4.15am we thought we'd better go back to bed.

When I woke in the morning I was feeling a little ruff, but not too bad..............and the snow was still there! We played allllllllll morning in it until it melted, and then we back in T-shirts by the afternoon! it was so crazy! that afternoon I took all the =ive kids for their blood tests. It was a 45 minute drive there and back and the tests took over an hour so by the time we got back in the evening I felt TERRIBLE! and was in bed the next day.

I am still trying to get over it and still have the sniffles! lol! but the whole household has got a cold so I'm not the only one.

Then poor Polly got a very bad infection in her bad foot on Tuesday and I had to take her and Lyn to the doctors. Her foot was like a baseball and the doctor asked why she hadn’t been seen by the hosp yet (if you remember, she has a cyst on her bone and was meant to go the hosp for special treatment) when Lyn said we were still waiting for an appointment the doctor was shocked so hopefully they will get thing moving now. Polly had to have an injection of antibiotics right into her leg, it was that bad an infection and she had to go back yesterday and today for two more injections. Me Lyn and Aaron have also been out every morning doing the monthly shopping so I am so tired from driving, I don’t thing I’ve ever driven so much!

Another sad story is poor phoenix the puppy.

Rouge had broken her front right leg at the top joint. She had had it in plaster for 2 weeks. Last week the plaster was removed and she was just starting to put weight on her leg and use it again when Rouge attacked her again yesterday evening for chewing on Rouge's bone. it was the same leg as well and this time........there was blood poring out of her wound. & she was howling with the pain......we had to immediately take her to the vet again. We rang today and apparently it looked worse than it was but her leg is back in plaster. We may not be able to keep her if Rouge doesn’t take to her soon which I would be so gutted about because she has kind of become mine and Aaron’s and she is very attached to us and sleeps next to Aarons bed at night.

After reading all of that I guess you can imagine that schooling has kind taken a step back the last few weeks.........so we have taken the opportunity to start making the new calendars for next year. We make them every year and send them to all of Ebyown's supporters. we usually make around 200 and the children help too.

I think that is all the major news.........oh another thing.......S'phiwe has got a new hobby...........hiding in the boot of the combi when Salvador goes out! he's done it twice now and we've had to go pick him at various places in Gauteng and Salvi travels far and wide! it’s almost like he's on a secret mission and is a stow-away!

anyway i will sign off now........I promise I shall email a little sooner next time, and I hope you are all well.

Take care and God Bless

Love Erin

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