Visiting family in Welbedacht

On the way from FELS to Welbedacht we drove via Grootspruit. We drove slowly - contrary to my normal practice - and enjoyed the winter landscape, the blue skies and the lovely mountains of N. Natal. We say 5 crowned cranes - beautiful specimens! We crossed Angelika's bridge, were she had an accident many years ago, but which still haunts her. We had time to touch this and that topic - a perfect morning.
At my parents place we heard that they had gone to Salem to unveil a tombstone of Rev. Sibiya. I was sad that we had not heard about it earlier. That would have been a good thing for the Church Council members to attend that. Then we could have immediately have inspected Salem first-hand, met good people from the Church and shown our interest in things happening on the ground and in the parishes. Communication is poor in our Church and I as Bishop need to work seriously on this. There always remains a lot to do. We need to decide how best to make use of Salem. Should it be sold? Can we use it as a church centre for Mpumalanga and place the dean there? He would have a small congregation only to take care of and could really work for the diocese. There is a lovely school of 800 children plus more than 20 teachers to target with the gospel. A real fishing hole as President Golter would say.
Back in Welbedacht we visited with my eldest sister Ruth, who's children Renate, Thomas/Liesl were there on holiday. Their little foster-child Lindile [?] was there too and we saw her for the first time. She's a real darling. Ruth has been granted the duty of taking care of this child as long as the mother is still incapacitated due to the excessive use of alcohol. The little one had been sorely neglected. She suffered from malnutrition and lack of clothing and probably of lack of lots of love and care too. However Ruth and Walter together with their children are trying very hard to make up for this lack. Lindile is now walking - and that with determination - talking, drawing and laughing a lot. Angelika enjoyed her thoroughly and even I don't remember when I laughed as much as that morning. Although the Benekes are doing a lot of good to the girl, I believe she does them and countless others immeasurable good too. It's just like any baby, child, daughter or son - they receive, but they give endlessly more in return. Its good to be a parent and have such children. Walter has found an answer to the serious question posed by people to the Benekes is, what about the child's future once the mother is better and gets the child back, which makes a lot of sense to me too. He says: What do we know about the future? Now is the time to take care of the child in the best possible way and we pray that it will work out to the best of the child. And about the future? Who knows? Only God - and he wants that all people be saved and come to the knowledge of truth [1.Ti.2,4] - even this little Lindile!
My parents got back after we had a lovely lunch of lentils and even a little rest. We then enjoyed the afternoon with them and noticed once again, that we don't have enough time with each other. Time is fleeting and long before we had shared everything on our hearts we were on the road again. We are looking for the heavenly rest, when at last we will have found an end to our "sinful labours and toils here on earth". Oh, how I long for that!