April 2011

Dear Friends of Morning Star

This is the day that our Lord has made – but it’s also the day that I must begin my Morning Star News-letter! I’ve been struggling for 3 whole weeks to find a gap to let you all know that I’ve arrived home safely but, somehow or other, the days slip by, leaving me feeling more and more guilty as I shut down my computer here each evening!

My trip to England and Wales in February/March seems 100 years away now! I hit the ground running, and haven’t stopped since! It’s not that the oversight in my absence was lacking but that in the midst of catching up with everything and tying up loose ends there’s always so much going on here.
I returned home to a wonderful, new camaraderie amongst the Welkom staff members, some-thing that hasn’t been as evident in months! I’m trying to determine whether this has anything to do with the resignation of our former receptionist, Matlakala Rantso, on the very day I left for England or whether it’s just because I was away in the UK for 4 weeks?? Whatever the reason, it’s deeply satisfying working in such a relaxed atmosphere with such a happy staff!

Our Morning Star children are generally doing very well at the moment. In fact, I think this is the very first newsletter I’ve ever written where I’ve NO deaths to report! (Our last death was that of 8-year-old Mmasabata Rantsheuwa on the 10th January 2011!) We praise God for this, ever mindful that He is the one who sustains life and gives us every breathe we take. But thankful, too, that Morning Star’s nutritious meals, optimum care and the general good results of ARV’s play a huge role in the lives of our little ones as well.

We do still have a few children with serious health issues but none appears to be suffering from a life-threatening condition at present. In fact, the only 2 children in hospital right now are 12-year-old Thato Moeketsi – receiving treatment for the dreadful TB-related abscesses on his neck and 7-year-old Thato Mokoena, recovered from meningitis but needing to remain there for a full 9 months for her treatment to be administered.  (A bit of a waste of a year- but at least she’s being well fed, won’t be cold this winter and receives regular treats/surprises from us when our professional nurse, Sr. Pulane, visits her each week).

The greatest disappointment awaiting my return from England was to learn that our oldest teenager, almost 20-year-old Nompi Fihle, is pregnant. I was devastated!  I honestly thought she’d be one of the first ones to finish her schooling, abstain from sex until marriage and be rewarded with an aeroplane-trip to Cape Town at the age of 21 years!! We’re even wondering now if ANY of our teens will meet the above requirements – and, how would we prove this anyway??  Our township children are born into a culture of immense promiscuity, live in overwhelmingly deprived circumstances and are subjected to such extreme peer pressure that one wonders if it’s even possible for them to overcome against all these odds? Only God can change hearts and minds. Only a spiritual revival in this land would safeguard the ongoing spread of this awful disease – HIV/AIDS – and alter people’s mind-sets and sexual behaviour. 
We’re now praying for our teens on a daily basis at Morning Star – and by name – calling on our Lord to protect them and help them to stand firm in the face of the many obstacles in their paths. And, trusting Him to save some (even if it’s just a few) from their sin and enable them to break free from the patterns and lifestyles of their fathers/mothers and, thus, be instrumental in bringing this dreadful AIDS pandemic under control.

The father of Nompi’s baby has already moved on with his life, is regarding her present state as a bit of a joke and has told her, in no uncertain terms, that he has no intention of taking responsibility for his child.

We’re having a continual flow of overseas volunteers at Morning Star this year. Bill Muddyman and Linda Gardiner were first, spending a few busy days with us in January when we reopened after the Christmas break. They were followed by Sophie Jones from Hook Evangelical Church in February/March and Christian & Cynthia Puritz from High Wycombe in April. We’re now looking forward to the arrival of Norma & Melody Sharp (Hook) in July, a group of students and their lecturers from Coleg Morgannwg in Rhydfelin, Wales, in August,  Bethany Rigby (Hook) and Steve & Lindsey Knibbs (Bedford) in September and David & Jan Isherwood and Iris Bancroft (Trentham, Stoke-on-Trent) in October. Whew! There are a few others who are still finalizing their dates and could still decide to come over before the end of 2011 – like Hannah Gwilt, Sarah James and Ellen Reakes-Williams. It’s always wonderful having overseas visitors in our midst. They contribute so much, even without being aware of it, ever enriching the lives of children and staff alike. All return home changed forever and many with the intention of raising funds for us or with a growing desire of their own to help make this world a better place to live in.

On reflection I think the 3 major issues we’re facing at the moment are as follows:

1. Our Quantum Bus was involved in a road accident on 28th March in Thabong Township. It was hit by a vehicle crossing from the left to the right lane of a double carriage-way and attempting an unexpected U-turn in front of it. Our minibus is quite badly damaged in the front and our driver, Andries, was pretty shaken by it all; we’re just thankful that nobody was injured in the crash and that all but one of our children had already been safely delivered to his/her home.  Fortunately, the Quantum is still drivable and has continued to transport children in the interim. It goes in for repairs the week after Easter – when Morning Star closes for 10 days – and will cost about R30 000.00 all-in-all! Thankfully we’re insured.
2. Our former receptionist, Matlalaka Rantso has taken me to the CCMA (Commission for Conciliation, Mediation & Arbitration) for supposedly dismissing her unfairly. Just before leaving for the UK in February she informed me that she’d been offered a better paying job and that she was giving Morning Star 24 hours notice!! By the following day, however, she’d changed her mind requesting, rather, that she be given permission to do both jobs at the same time. This is totally against company policy but I did agree to present her request at our Board Meeting on the Saturday. The Board’s unanimous decision was a resounding ‘NO’ and I was requested to inform her that she’d have to choose either to remain at Morning Star or leave and pursue her new job offer. To cut a long story short, when Board Member, Lindie Tshabalala, and I met with Matlakala on the Monday morning – and after much resistance – she finally agreed to retain her secure job at Morning Star and forgo the new offer. But, when it came to putting pen to paper and signing a document indicating this, she refused point blank to do so. She was given 24 hours to reconsider but when still refusing to sign the following morning – the very day I flew out to the UK – I reluctantly informed her that she wouldn’t be able to stay on. In my opinion she terminated her employment contract herself rather than being dismissed unfairly. The arbitration process is set for 9th May.

We’ve not yet filled Matlakala’s position at Morning Star but the young girl helping us out at the moment is very pleasant, highly efficient and well liked by all.

3. The 3rd issue uppermost in our minds is the dawning realization that our part-time gardener, Joseph Tsoeu, has long been dishonest with us and has very cleverly been robbing us right under our noses! He first landed up in my office at the end of 2010 after being caught moving a Morning Star vehicle without permission (and without a licence/ID document). He denied this vehemently at first and only ‘came clean’ when I threatened to dismiss him. Then, whilst I was in England this year he did the same thing again! AND took a staff member’s car to Kultwanong without permission – and remained there the entire day! There was no leniency this time – even though mum died in 2010 and nobody else in the family is employed! He was dismissed instantly. Since then, through a process of events, we’ve also discovered that Joseph has been using monies designated to assist his family repair their shack, obtain legal South African documents for them all (they’re from Lesotho) and meant for his younger brother, Thato Tsoeu’s (on Morning Star’s register) urgent school needs. We even e-mailed Thato’s UK sponsors with the wonderful news that he’d been selected to represent Kutlwanong at a Maths/ Science Workshop because he was achieving so well in these subjects – and invited them to assist us with his travelling costs etc.!

Slowly it dawned on us (and only because Joseph was becoming increasingly careless in his greed) that nothing he’d been telling us/passing on to us via his brother’s school was true and that he was actually forging the school principal’s signature on the documents they were supposedly sending us. And purely to get money out of us! 
Once realizing this I met with the school principal, revealed all and learnt that Joseph had been expelled from this same institution in 2009 for similar behaviour. Then he’d hired a bus – forging the principal’s signature on school paper – as now, and got all the students to pay him a sum of money for a school trip that never happened!!
I would never have believed all this without experiencing it myself! Joseph appears such a nice young man. He works hard, is always clean and neat, doesn’t smoke/drink and appears not to be on drugs. So, what on earth is he using all this money for? Gambling? He’s a very clever crook indeed and has a great future in this country the way things are going at present. The school principal is laying a charge against him for fraud but who knows if Joseph will ever land up in prison or if so, how long it’ll be before he’s released and free to pursue his lucrative trade. Even deporting him to Lesotho would be meaningless. It’s just so easy to slip back over the many borders, undetected, and begin in a new place with new, unsuspecting people! So much for thinking I was a pretty good judge of human character!

Just a few issues before I close:

1. We are desperately short of children’s underwear (knickers/underpants & socks) and winter clothing for children from 3-10 years.
2. We have initiated a “New Minibus” Fund. At present we have R52 000-00 ear-marked for this very urgent need – only a sixth of the full amount! (Total required: R300 000.00). If any of you would like to contribute towards this please mark your gift with ‘Bus Fund’ when making a deposit into our Lloyds or CAF accounts.
3. My 2nd fund-raising trip to the UK, scheduled for September this year – is now in the planning stages. If any of you would still like me to visit your church/home etc. please contact Glenys Barham as soon as possible. Her e-mail address is as follows: glenys.barham@gmail.com

 
A BLESSED EASTER TO YOU ALL
Yours in Christ
Joan

PRAYER REQUESTS:

• Praise & thanks that the bulk of our children are well at present and that we’ve had no deaths over the past while Also for the improved health of 16-month-old Solomon Botha – who came to Morning Star weighing just 5.7kgs in January is now over 7kgs and 7-year-old Rorisang Malebo, who presented with a severe skin complaint upon admittance in February now looks so much better/is full of smiles.
• Praise & thanks that staff members Tim Kelly & ex-teacher, Selina Thobi, are feeling much better too. In addition to his leg ulcers, Tim was quite recently diagnosed with water on his lung/in heart failure and Selina has taken months to recover from a severe bout of shingles.  We thank God, too, for the complete recovery of Papiki from his bicycle accident and trust that the road accident fund will, indeed, pay all his hospital bills and that the owner of the bus that hit him will, at the very least, replace his bicycle!
• Praise and thanks that Val (& Danie) Bekker have finally sold their home in Welkom. Val’s last day at Morning Star will be Tuesday, 31st May 2011. (I don’t even want to think about it!)
• Please pray for our 2 Thato’s in hospital and for staff member, Merriam Moreboli, also presently recovering from extremely painful boils on her face/neck which, apparently, are connected with her diabetic condition.
• Pray that our Lord would continue to lead and direct us in these difficult economic times; that we will use our funding wisely - and not be wasteful - and that we will all ever strive to put the needs of our children FIRST at Morning Star.
• Do remember our 60 odd teenagers – pray that they’ll be able to stand firm in the face of the many obstacles they face each day and ever be able to recall the lessons learnt at Morning Star.

“Be very careful, then, how you live – not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.” Ephesians 5:15-16

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