Latest News:

28-Feb-2018

Follow us on our roadtrip for Heart for Children!

As some of you already know, we have planned a road trip to visit most of the 21 homes that currently receive support from Heart for Children / Hart voor Kinderen. As stated before, we have noted a healthy income trend and part of the reason for this road trip is to determine where the need for additional help from our Heart for Children foundation is the greatest. 

Read more here:
http://breadonthewater.co.za/2018/02/28/follow-us-on-our-roadtrip-for-heart-for-children/

Newsletter: February 15 2018

As you might know from the previous newsletter, I had planned a road trip in November 2017 for Heart for Children to visit the ca. 20 foster homes that are sponsored in South Africa. Unfortunately, my car broke down and I just want to share a valuable lesson I learned from this. I was reminded of what my grandmother always used to say. She taught me never to say ‘I will do’ this or that, but to always start my sentence by saying, "Lord willing, and if we live”, "I will or I want to ….” It is something that I do still have always in and on my mind, when I do announce my plans, but now in this case, I have to admit that I did forget to mention it in my Christmas letter. So, just remind yourself, before you say: "I will ” ….……to always please remember my grandmother’s important teaching!!

Thankfully, I was able to postpone the trip and Lord willing it will now take place at the beginning of March 2018. Annette will accompany me as well! It is always best to travel with 2 persons. Just to let you know: My wife is retiring at the end of June 2018. After this, she intends to put as much of her time as possible into Heart for Children. She will also do this Pro-Deo, i.e. for free; both of us decided that we will not be asking for an income from the ministries. We decided that we want to focus more on Heart for Children as we felt there is still a great need to get more children off our streets and into properly run homes.

I am sure we are all in agreement that it would be ideal for orphaned children to grow up in a two parent foster home but one has to consider that this is not always immediately possible. An abandoned child first needs to be accommodated at a halfway house before being considered for placement at a foster home. Not so long ago, Philip Nicholson, who is also a board member of CCMSA and Heart for Children, and myself, visited the Kings Children Home in East London. The house is run by Tracy King who started this ministry for these children. They provide a temporary place of safety for babies and young children who are victims of neglect, abuse, or abandonment. I was almost reduced to tears when we noticed a child with a deformed nose and we were informed that this baby (now child) was found on a rubbish dump where rats had started eating at the nose and fingers. We heard that another baby had been found, still alive, in a sewer... Their biggest needs are for nappies, baby food (the one with the biggest nutrition value) and other food and of course salaries for the nannies. After some prayers were said, we felt that God is impressing on us to put the Kings Children’s home highest on our priority list. I am grateful to report that we received a special donation from Hart voor Kinderen NL to enable us to sponsor this halfway house for R6000 per month for at least the next 6 months to buy enough food and supplies that they need. God is good! He provides when we do His work.

We are grateful to report that we are experiencing an increase in donations for our Heart for Children foundation and my wife and I are praying and believing for much more to come! Your ongoing support for our Heart for Children foundation is much appreciated. If you have not done so yet: Please consider supporting on a regular monthly basis. Your contributions are tax deductible as Heart for Children is registered as a public benefit organisation.

Together we can make the difference!

Note that, Lord willing!, we will be visiting the following places to determine their specific