The Life & Times of Louis & Amber - A Day in the Life...

Today started bright and early.  We got the girls off to school by 7:30, then picked up Alex - our new helper and one of the boys from Bible Study.  We got to the property and laid out some tools for our daily projects.  I started finishing up the brandering for the ceiling, Alex started working on a trench for the phone lines, and Brian began digging a junction pit for the phone lines.

At 9:30 three helpers showed up from the Methodist church.  These three have committed to a year long missions trip.  All three are from Welkom and they have decided to use the bulk of their missions trip here in Welkom.  They learned of our project through a friend of a friend and wanted to help.  So these three are coming every day this week, while 17 more of their friends are joining us on Saturday.  We spent most of the day working together filling cracks between the bricks of the children's house.  It was a great time of fellowship with these three believers.

At 2:00 it was time for me to pick up the girls from school.  It took me 20 minutes longer than normal because, for the first time in 2.5 years of living in Welkom, there was a traffic jam.  Not sure what caused it, but it took me 11 minutes just to get out of the school parking lot.

Then it was back to The Village for some more work.  Brian had to leave early for an errand in Johannesburg, so I finished up with our three volunteers.  Just as they were leaving two random guys showed up to inspect our work.  They are local contractors and saw our special bricks on the house.  I spent 20 minutes explaining to them what we are doing, how we are doing it, and why.  They are potentially interested in buying bricks themselves, which is a funny thing because Brian and I have recently been discussing potential ways to make and market them.  Could God be at work in this?  Only time will tell.

After these guys left I was joined by our friends Lawrence and Trish who were at The Village watching the Niehoff children.  You can't visit with "Pops" and "Banana Trish" without a theological discussion cropping up, so we spent 30 minutes discussing the will of God and how to know it.  Then it was time to pack up, lock up, and leave.

Only while we were packing, locking, and leaving I received a call from Okuhle.  You'll remember Okuhle recently moved from our former ministry to live with her "father" in Hani Park.  She was calling to say a young man had approached her sexually and when she refused he began threatening her.  This has happened two other times with other guys, but both times her father was home and able to take care of things.  This time he was at work in the mines and not able to be there.  After consulting with Amber, Alex and I went out to check on things and talk to this guy.  He was still a bit upset when we arrived, but after 20 minutes I think we were able to make peace.  Again, only time will tell.


After that I dropped Alex off at his house in Thabong, then made it home in time to catch the end of supper with my family.  And now, I'm posting a quick update, then heading to bed.  Night.