MAY THE LORD BLESS YOU AND PROTECT YOU, MAY THE LORD SMILE ON YOU AND BE GRACIOUS TO YOU, MAY THE LORD SHOW HIS FAVOUR AND GIVE YOU PEACE. Numbers 6:24 – 26
We have once again come to the end of another very fruitful and successful year, managing to place many abandoned babies into wonderfully secure and happy “forever families”, folk who have been successfully screened to become adoptive parents.
These special people have hailed from many diferent areas and countries, always making sure that the babes first “temporary parents” at Shepherd’s Keep, are kept updated on the babies progress, not as a stipulation, but an act of kindness, that the trained nurses and caregivers who almost breathed life and motivated traumatised babies to live, praying over them, becoming their “surrogate mothers”, feeding them every couple of hours, round the clock, are rewarded for their efforts, in being updated.
Most parents are kind enough to do this willingly and “comfort reports” are sent to Cheryl on a regular basis, who are read out to the staff in the nurseries, ( only for our information) and all the oohs and aahs are sighs of relief and satisfaction, that their little loved ones are happy and well and fine!! Thankyou to the new parents for their on going up -dates–we have parents hailing from England, Holland, Germany, Italy, America,Canada,Netherlands,Australia, New Zealand, and many in South Africa.
We had a Parents “Get together” In Decemeber, for past babies, and oh, did we have fun, seeing all the little faces again, growing into delightful little children–our eldest being 15 this year! What a big boy you are!
We had a miraculous “Christmas Gift” baby, given newly born for one blessed Mum and Dad, by a lovely birth Mum, and we are still all celebrating God’s goodness for this wonderful time of thanksgiving!
We also have a slide show of our babies on a computer in the playroom , for staff and visitors to enjoy.
Donors and sponsors, all who are personaly thanked by our Administrative dept. are highly praised at SHEPHERD’S KEEP for their continuing and faithful support. We could not carry on without any of your goodselves, and as a non-profit org., we rely only on the goodness of folk such as yourselves, in that also having requested on proposals, have indeed mirrored your care throughout! Sincere thankyou’s from Managment and Staff.
Having had such a busy and operative area for so long, our building is in dire need of a face lift, so we are taking the opportunity in the early new year, to do just this!
We are painting and scraping and tiling, and re-furbishing, with changes to change rooms and facilities, with a new kitchen and laundry too!
We will keep you all informed of our new exciting plans in the new year, on our website, which will be stripped of all old news, and the new year, 2008’s plans put up for all to see!!
We have new links with new countries and lots of adoptive moms and dads and birth moms too!! So all in all, 2008 sounds like a challenging year for us all!!
We are grateful to so many “hands on” folk who come in on a regular and voluntary basis, to give the babies, “baby massage” and volunteer just by holding the babes close to them,and giving them love, which is of utmost importance, to those who supply gallons and gallons of screened breastmilk, which is the best start for any newborn babe! What a gift! Thankyou to this marvelous breast milk bank!
To those who deliver diapers, milk formula, foodstuffs and toiletries, on a regular basis–new baby clothes, and toys, the biggest thankyou of all! Our babies are kept healthy, happy and beautiful all year round!
We have those marvelous folk who have donated washing machines, dryers, a new state of the art suction machine, water coolers, microwaves, fridges,urns,fans and heaters, cleaning materials, new Chapel furniture and refurbishings, garden plants, all we ever needed to maintain SHEPHERD’S KEEP on the excellence note it was started on and we thankyou all so very much!
Our staff of many ,all highly trained and efficient, have been absolutely wonderful and so faithful this past year, they have been trained in many ways to further their abilities in nursing and caring, and we salute each one in their efforts.
They have received wonderful Christmas gifts and hampers from supporters and they all say a grand thankyou aswell!
A huge party was held, hosted by management of Shepherd’s Keep for the staff’s children, and all had a wonderful day with gifts and lovely things to eat!
Over 1000 children were fed and clothed and received gifts over the Christmas period of surplus and arranged clothes collected by management of Shepherd’s keep, and distributed through 2 church ministries to the children in squatter camps who had nothing exciting happening for them–this was done in such order and will become a yearly event for Shepherd’s keep, all being so blessed to be included in the miracle of the birth of Jesus Christ our Saviour, and the gift He was to us, receiving a gift themselves, helped them to understand why we celebrate this day.
We pray God’s richest blessings over you all you amazingly incredible folk in this next year 2008, and hope all your dreams and visions become reality.
May you all live in safety and be blessed with peace.
With sincerest and heart felt thanks for a wonderful year.
Colin and Cheryl Pratley and Michelle Potgieter
HOMES FOR ABANDONED HIV/AIDS BABIES
P.O.Box 21054
Bluff
4036
Kwa-Zulu Natal
South Africa
Phones:
270314666106
Colin Mobile: 0761238252
Cheryl Mobile 0835066570
Michelle Mobile 0845812453
MATTHEW 19 v 4
“suffer the little children and forbid them not to come unto me for such is the kingdom of heaven”