Dean and Paula Finnie - South Africa |
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Prayer Update May 2008
Another month has literally flown by. It really does seem like only yesterday since we wrote April's e:mail! It has been a strange month, starting with 2 weeks of Easter school holidays and now finishing with another week off for Joel to incorporate all the public holidays that South Africa just loves! Paula was also on a full-time course in Cape Town last week so, trying to get any work done in amongst all of this has been a challenge!
Having said that, the boys are really settling down this year. We were just saying yesterday how much Joel has not only grown physically since Christmas, but also in maturity and emotionally. He has changed from a small boy to a much bigger boy in our eyes! He is loving school and is often to be found asking to do 'school work' at weekends or in the holidays - strange boy! Still, we are capitalising on this, whilst there is a keen spirit, and he is practising his letters and numbers and even doing some colouring in! Everywhere we go, he looks for letters that he knows and we have quite a laugh sometimes when he gets things mixed up! Eli adores his play group and everyone adores him! He is a gentle giant most of the time, but has a very strong willed independent streak which we are hoping is just a phase, who knows! We have certainly had battles with him that we never had with Joel. It is all good fun and we are grateful that they are such different individuals. On the whole they get on really well and are often to be found racing round the garden, literally, or on their bikes, playing an imaginary game.
Life in Chris Nissen has been busy as ever, particularly as we have tried to fit in all the work with afternoon or full-time childcare commitments, as dictated by school/holidays. This is a constant pressure for us and one that we still ask you to pray for. We could really do with a pool of people who could look after the boys or 1 boy for an hour or two most weeks so that we can get on with work. Unfortunately, as everywhere these days, most people are too busy for this and it therefore falls to other very busy mums, whom we feel we can't ask too often.
The home based care team has been kept very busy this month and we anticipate this to increase as the winter comes. Unfortunately, winter brings on the full gammet of diseases such as TB and pneumonia to those who are already immuno-compromised, whether because of HIV or their poor living/eating standards. We have continued to struggle with the health care service. One man was sent home from hospital less than 24 hours after being admitted with sky high blood pressure - he has already had 1 stroke. Dean arrived to collect him to find that his clothes had been stolen and the poor man had no idea what had happened to him or what would happen in the future. This is a very common story. Our patient who has just started anti retro viral treatment has had a difficult month. The combination of drugs is highly toxic to the body and she is already very weak. Please continue to pray for her and many like her. Her family struggle with the reality of the illness and the carers are often given a hard time as the drugs can make the patient very abusive.
The HIV/AIDS training that Paula and the team attended was absolutely brilliant. We all feel so much better informed and able to do our jobs. It was a humbling course too as we heard testimonies from people living with HIV and many stories of good and bad practice. We were very privileged to have Nicky, the main trainer come to our house 1 evening to specifically train the team on how to talk to the wider family about HIV and other such topics. The course has helped Paula to crystallise thoughts and ideas she has been having about her own future direction, so please pray for clarity from God on this one!
Dean has been kept extremely busy this month, as you can imagine. He loves the work in Chris Nissen, but we often feel that we are fighting a battle and the emotional wear and tear on us can be hard to bear at times . Please pray for us, that we would walk the right path in the community and not seek to be people pleasers, but God worshippers.
We would also value your prayers finally as we prepare for our mission education visit to the UK which is suddenly looming. We have so much to do and so little time, not least preparing our presentation and some preaches as well as tying things up at this end to hand over smoothly. We must also put all the finishing touches to our visits with churches and friends and sorting out accommodation etc, but we'll keep you informed through our blog: www.dpfinnie.com. It all feels a bit overwhelming - and then people say, 'you must really be looking forward to your holiday'!!!!! If only! We will be seeing many of you in the 7 weeks, but in case you are one of those we can't officially visit this time, please have a gaze through our speaking schedule below and see if you can't come and find us. We would love to see you.
Wed 11 June - arrive in UK
Sunday 15 June - speak at Hertford Baptist church - 2 morning services and lunch presentation
Sunday 22 June - speak at St Nicholas Burton, Wirral
Stay in Cheadle all week - various meetings
Sunday 29 June - speak at St Christopher's, Pott Shrigley (morning) plus lunch
Sunday 29 June - speak at St Mary's Cheadle followed by presentation of our work
Wednesday 2 July - St George's Weald cheese and wine and presentation of work - evening
Sunday 6 July - speak at St Andrew's Oxshott followed by lunch
Tuesday 8 July - momentous day in history - Paula turns 40 - we know you can't believe it!!
Sunday 13 July - speak at Christ Church Parkwood, Maidstone - plus lunch
Sunday 27 July - to Queen's Road Church, Wimbledon
Wednesday 30 July - Return to South Africa
Thanks for your prayerful support
Paula, Dean, Joel and Eli
XXX