“If not us, then who? If not now, then when?” – Winston Churchill
Dear Friends,
We are so absolutely overwhelmed and honoured by people’s support, both financial & prayerful, over these last months. With the decision having been made to come home from Zanethemba, we honestly weren’t sure if people were still going to stand with us during this season of rest & re-envisioning. Thankyou, each and every one of you, for doing so. We do not take this lightly and are so, so grateful that you each trust us to move forward with a vision, entrusted to us by our heavenly Father who longs to place every prince and princess into a loving forever family.
“A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families..” (Psalm 68)
How we have seen this to be true in the last year! And how we long for more. We were remembering recently how the doctors of one little girl we had the privilege of looking after, wanted the name of our place of safety because they wanted to send more of their HIV+ children to us. We long for the day when this will be possible.
At present, we are in the process of finalizing our decision of who we are going to work alongside, on returning to S.Africa. We are also in the process of gathering info to get volunteer visas re-issued, and reading through material that will help us plan the next steps, the S.African Children’s Act etc.
This has also been a season of deep rest & healing for us, and we have enjoyed time in Co.Clare as a family, and also time with family and friends in Dublin & Belfast which has been invaluable. God has been setting us free from fearing what others think of us when we go after Him with our whole hearts. He has been reminding us that He is a river of life which has to flow out, and so with the healing and freedom He has been bringing to our hearts, we have been enjoying getting to minister that same freedom and healing to others here in Ireland. We are both in better shape spiritually than we have ever been, simply because without “jobs”, living with Kate’s amazing mum, and life with our 2 boys, Jesus really is the only one we can trust and who brings real peace & purpose in this season. Dependency+desperation=intimacy with the Father+a whole lot of joy. We really have felt His smile & his approval in these last months. He is with us. We are hungry for more of Him, for us, our kids & family, and these treasures He has called us to. Our “job” is to show the world, how beautiful they already are.
We read Nehemiah whilst on holiday & I was so struck by his boldness when he was questioned about the rebuilding of the wall of Jerusalem. “The God of Heaven will give us success, & we His servants will start rebuilding..” Despite the opposition and the rejection, they overcame. And so we know the God of heaven will give us success..
Please can you pray in this season for:
- That we would get to meet with the right people at the right time
- God’s guidance, wisdom, protection as we step out again into this calling, understanding & knowledge of all we need to know to embark on establishing new child havens in S.Africa.
- That God would give us opportunities to cast vision, and that he would highlight the right people to stand with us as we pursue Him in this calling.
- For our boys, that God would be their security & that we would know how to answer Joseph’s questions about the future. Praise God he got into a great nursery which he is loving!
- That God would continue to give us His blueprint for the ways in which He wants these children cared for.
- Praise God we have enough finance coming in each month for our current financial needs.. please pray that this would increase as we look at moving back to S.A & having to rent a home.
Thank you for enabling us to live this dream. Our prayer for each one of you is that this would be a season of “more” for both you & your families. More of the Kingdom forcefully advancing.. & more forcefulness in our laying hold of it! Thankyou Lord that the Kingdom is close at hand.
Love,
The Cathcarts.
Love Never Fails 