Easter Drama 2010

This evening the children of Salvokop performed their Easter Drama (see previous posts). The children were sooo committed. When we started with drama in Salvokop 10 years ago, we practised for weeks and weeks. The children then were very unruly, stole sweets and toys and were just generally very difficult to work with.
Now the children are ... well still noisy children, but there is generally much, much better co-operation and good manners and lots more enthusiasm.
God is working there and angels abound....

Here we are all dressed up and ready to start the Easter Drama.

Pastor Joel welcomes the people, because it is already 17:15...

But where are the people? The parents in Salvokop do not really support their children. I pray that these children will one day support their children. (My mother never attended any of my ballet lessons, but I made sure that I very regularly attended my children's classes and certainly all their performances! It takes a community to raise a child, and a generation to really make a difference.)

Tannie Lalie explains what this drama is all about.

Joyful, joyful.... (The highschool girls did two beautiful dances)

"King of King and Lord of Lords... "the Junior boys await the coming of Jesus to Jerusalem with gusto.

"Jesus is coming!" (You will never guess who is sitting in the back row! What a pleasant surprise Retha!!)

The devious religious leaders scheming on how to corner Jesus.

Eat this bread, it is my body... Sabatha (with brown head cloth) was Jesus for this part. She has been part of Inkululeko since she was 3 years old and is now in Grade 7. All the other children in the picture had been in the pre-school while I was still the principal there.

Shaen, Tamerin's brother and my niece Eugenie singing Panis Angelicus. Eugenie also sang other background music and Shaen was a pillar of strength at the computer and C.D. player! Thanks Shaen! Thanks Eugenie!

The tired disciples sleeping in the Garden of Gethsemane.

"We found this man misleading our people!"

(Dimakatso, the priest, was still a preschooler, alone in their house when it burned down. Later their shack burned down too. His mother was convinced they had been bewitched.)

Jesus walking down the streets with the cross bar of his cross.

A willing Jesus being nailed to the cross by zealous soldiers.

"When I survey the wondrous cross..."

Christ the Lord is risen today... Halleluja . (I coached the disciples and this dance and what a joy it was!)

Celebrate Jesus!

Joyous celebration from the stands.

Vigorous gumboot dancing, celebrating Jesus.

At least the hall is fuller now...

Jesus is alive today - this man was shot, but because he carried a Bible on his chest, he was not killed. (A skit by boys from the shelter across the street of the Community Centre.)

Thank you Jesus for being there tonight!

May you all have a very blessed Easter. Our Easter has already started on a very high note!

Drama Jitters

I have so much news. Last week was Martelize's Ouma and Oupa day at her school and in the afternoon she and I had a lovely outing.... ending at her meeting Janita.
I have been too busy to blog (or to read blogs): Tomorrow is our Easter Drama at Salvokop! We are no where near ready, but the children are sooo positive and committed.
Please pray that their parents (or someone) will come and support them. Several of the children were the "underachievers" while at the Day Care Centre and they probably are still underachieving at school... but in the drama they too can be SOMEONE and they eagerly participate.
Dear God, please bless all the drama children. Please let their parents allow them all to participate tomorrow.... (Carmen did not come today, because she had to clean the house!) Please let no-one be sick, and please let the parents support them and come to watch the drama. And most importantly Lord, please let the children meet YOU in all this!

She's here!

When we heard the telephone this morning about 6:30, we knew it was news from Dorette. I expected to hear that she was on her way to hospital - only to hear that her baby had been born already! We did not hear the telephone in the night! (We lock all doors and the telephone in the bedroom does not work. Good thing we were not the ones to go and look after Franco.)
Of course I couldn't wait to see my new granddaughter, but first I had to pack my laptop etc. for Easter Drama practice in Salvokop this afternoon. Although yesterday was Dorette's due date, I convinced myself that the baby would only arrive after her next doctor's appointment, so I was not really ready when the big moment arrived!

Here I am with the precious little bundle, just after her first bath... which she did not like at all.

And here is Janita Elsa L. Just 5 hours old! She is named after Oupa Jan (gift of God - same meaning as Dorette) and Ouma Elna (Grace of God.) She arrived in the early hours of the morning.

Look how wide awake I am! I weigh 3.3 kg and am 50 cm tall.

Dorette had a 100% natural birth: no drips, no painkillers, no suction or tongs - not even a doctor. The nursing sister couldn't get hold of the doctor (mixup about whom to phone - Dorette's gynae was enjoying the long weekend)and so she had to deliver the baby herself. She was not as handy as the doctor when it came to stitching , but did a good enough job and according to Dorette the birth was more relaxed than before.

Hello Mamma!

Janita nursed well soon after birth, but seemed a bit nauseaus and only nursed properly again about 12 hours later. She was often awake during the day, but did not cry once. So far no problems with wind or colic or hunger or anything.

She slept soundly for hours. Ouma couldn't resist opening the covers to see the cute little tiny body in her cute pink clothes.

The world is a wonderful place... (Note her blanky - its the one I knitted on our Russian tour - so its from Russia with love.)

Wellcome in the world, Janita!

Ons het so lank vir jou gewag en gebid en nou is jy hier!

PRYS DIE HERE VIR SO 'N GAWE UIT SY HAND!
Dankie, dankie, dankie Here!!

Last farm visit without "Sussie"

Today (Saturday) the L's came for a visit. The last time they were here, was for the baby shower. In the meantime, Gert has been very ill and he has lost 5 kg off his slender frame! After weeks, he finally had a blood test and only got the results after days and several phone calls to the doctor: he has glandular fever and should take it easy at work (Ha!) and not sit in the air conditioning! (Ha, ha!). He should get plenty of sleep and no excitement! (Ha, ha, ha!) With "Sussie" due any moment lots of rest and no excitement will not exactly be possible! "Sussie's" due date is tomorrow, but I doubt she knows that and will make her exit whenever. Dorette's body has been practising contractions for weeks, so Dorette is pretty uncomfortable, but she looks very well - no bloating or swollen feet.
Franco was still a bit drowsy from his nap in the car on the way here and at first just wanted to sit and snuggle against Dorette's comfy tummy. "Sussie" got several hugs and kisses and lots of pats.

Soon after, however, he was his usual active self. His big smile says it all!

Oom Hendrik is the best uncle in the world!

Martelize also thinks so and she has started to call him "Hennik". She calls herself something like "Marte"and Franco sometimes calls her "Lies" (Lize - not Lies as in untruths). He calls himself "Fanco". Both of them say "Ouma"and "Oupa" very clearly. Franco sometimes say "Oupa Jan." He is fortunate to have all four grandparents alive and all living closeby.

Martelize and Franco walking and walking on the treadmill. Later they sat next to it and put their hands on the slow moving belt. Great fun. Then Franco got up, and several times walked to the top, tried to climb back on and slid off. What an exciting slide for a very active little dare devil.

At home his latest "toy" is his father's aluminium ladder. It is quite a big thing, but he carries it about and makes up his own games: first he lies it flat and steps in between the rungs, then on the rungs, then he opens up the ladder and runs under it! Other favourite toys are his father's tools, including a 10 pound hammer! He will be 23 months in 4 days time.

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"Dis lekker op die treadmill" (See video clip for Franco's happy shrieks.)

Martelize saw her old baby car chair, pulled it down from the shelve and got in. Franco was happy to rock her, albeit it a bit on the wild side. Hope he doesn't rock "Sussie" the same way! (Hy het die hele tyd "Af, af!" gesê. Nie baie seker wat hy bedoel het nie: "Op en af" of "Martelize klim af"?!)

Franco and Martelize enjoying an early supper of left overs (mince and rice) in the kitchen. Franco did not care much for Ouma's food, but later both he and Martelize tucked in again when we all had supper at the dining room table (chicken). Martelize on the other hand ate all her food, plus Franco's left overs. Her favourite food is fruit and today we had mango and grapes. Yum! Thelwyn said she ate so well because she did not really eat any lunch. What a thing to say to the cook. Of course it was because she couldn't resiste Ouma's wonderful cooking! (Ouma prefers to forget that Martelize did not want to eat a bite of the same dishes the previous night!)

A freshly bathed Franco hugs his baby sister. "

"Sê vir haar dis tyd om uit te kom Franco!" "Uittom...!"

A goodnight kiss for Sussie. (Franco knows her name, but we don't know it yet and he won't tell...!)

"What is in your cup?"

Martelize "feeding" a willing Franco.

"Sit, sit!" And Franco happily obeyed Martelize and sat down next to her on the steps.

A Day of Blessings for....

Another project that kept us quite busy recently:

A "quilt" cake with a 0 candle - Thelwyn's handiwork.

So what's that and my best tea cups doing on the dining room table?


What are Dorette's cousin and nephews doing on the farm? Why is Dorette looking so flushed?

You guessed it! It was time to bless "Sussie" with gifts and blessings. Sussie's name is still a big secret, but according to Dorette, she has a name. Each guest was asked to bring a written blessing for Sussie, which Gert and Dorette will share with her later on.

We started the day with a Sunday lunch. Franco used to be a very good eater, but lately he is not very much into food.

The menfolk were busy chatting and not into photos, but at least I got a photo of my three girls - I mean my four girls. How lucky can a mother (grandmother) be? (My own grandmother used to say "A girl in time saves nine!")

Martelize in her pretty party dress. My couch is not supposed to be a climbing frame, but oh well...!

Martelize with her "bersie", which I had knitted for her. I knitted a very soft "bersie" for Sussie as well, but a spoegdoek (cloth nappy) would make a more sensible blanky than the one I knit.

Martelize still hanging on to her bersie.

Oom Hendrik pushed the two around on his desk chair and this provided me with the chance to snap the two - they never sit still, so it is difficult to take photos of them. My camera is a bit too slow for them!

A photo of material in a shop for Dorette - I did the pre-shopping and Dorette met me at the shop to give the final OK for material for the cot bumper, nappy (diaper) holder, laundry bag etc. I bought the material, but Ouma Elna made the stuff, so its a combined Ouma effort. (Dorette chose the middle pink polk dots - not too pale, not too bright.)

And while I'm blogging - another photo of Franco and Martelize in the water. (The pic of a very pregnant Dorette undressing Franco just got deleted by mistake and I do not know how to get it back.)

Typical poses of Martelize with a flower in her hair.

A very busy Franco in the park. I sometime fetch him at his school when Dorette has to go to the doctor and this time we played in the park.

Small brave pilot in big aeroplane. When we stopped at the park, he ran straight to this aeroplane. I flew the aeroplane with him. Clever of them to have two steering wheels.

Martelize busy with another typical activity: feeding the dogs. She is wild about animals: like mother like daughter.

God, please bless our darling grandchildren! Hold them in the palm of your hand and keep them safe.

Long time no see

We've been rather busy! Here are some of the things that kept us busy.

45:32 (!) That's how long it took me to complete the Midmar mile this year. (In case you don't know, the Midmarmile is the biggest outdoor swimming event in the world.) I swam a minute slower than last year and I was (am) much fitter this year than last year! I mean, I actually trained a bit in December and January and I have spent a whole year religiously doing water aerobics at least 4 times a week!

Why the dissapointing time? I never looked at my watch once during the race - I thought it would discourage me. I had a good time swimming, even though the water was a bit choppy and I swallowed quite a bit of water and got the usual amount of kicks by other swimmers. I talked to God and He talked to me all the way as I reflected on specific chapters and or verses for about 100 metres each:
Matthew 1
Mark 2
Luke 3
John 4
Acts 5
Rom 6
1 Cor 7
11 Cor 8
Matt 9 (The books after 11 Cor do not have enough books so I started with Matthew again.)
Mark 10
Luke 11
John 12
Acts 13
Rom 14
1 Cor 15
11 Cor 13 (11 Cor does not have a chapter 16)

The adrenaline to compete and to push myself never really kicked in, and I am dissapointed in myself for not trying harder, but very, very grateful for good health and the ability to still swim a mile.

Jan and I stayed in Umhlanga Sands and had a glorious time of rest. I took some photos but they are not blog material.

One of the things God said to me while I was swimming was to give more of myself. So I phoned the principal of Inkululeko to see where and how and I could be of assistance. Inkululeko is the preschool where I was the principal for the first 7 years of its nearly 10 years existence. It is part of the community centre in Salvokop, a very poor dilapidated residential area in the C.B.D of Pretoria. Besides uplifting children, the school has also given many of the staff members a chance in life to improve their own lives. The now principal, Thelma, was originally appointed as a cleaner there. She is now busy with her degree in foundation phase education. The middle group teacher, Josephine, was also a cleaner for several years. She is also busy with E.C.D. training.

Anyway, even before Thelma and I had a meeting, Lalie phoned to ask me to help with the Easter drama (passion play) at the community centre. So that's part of what has kept me busy: first of all to prepare a dance for my group - ballet nogal! And secondly to start practising the dance and script with the girls. Quite a few girls turned up on Tuesday for drama practice and I was thrilled at their eagerness and DISCIPLINE. Lalie and I did the first of several Easter Dramas exactly 10 years ago. We had more than 70 eager, but very noisy and naughty children! They used to steal, fight and generally not listen to us! And now! What BLISS! I could talk to the children in a normal voice (no shouting to make myself heard) and they concentrated and generally were just sweet and good. Most have them have been at Inlululeko when they were preschoolers (the eldest is now in Grade 7) and know the ropes. HURRAH FOR INKULULEKO!

Watch this space! More to follow about the Easter Drama!