Christmas is one of our busiest times in South Africa for our children's TREASURES FOR TOT'S AND TEEN'S outreaches! We start our outreaches in November but start preparing in October. We started giving out in November  100 gifts for children to the Church on the West Rand (Pastor Robert and Suzette Brun's church). If you recall their church buildings used for education and school were all burned to the ground by racist's. They are still feeding over 100 children a day at the dump and squatter camp. We also made 15 gift packs for the Homeless people who they have staying on their grounds. On Thanksgiving day, I had 8 from our Missions group at HOF here for TURKEY dinner - what a pleasure!! We were able to give Graham & Eileen Greene from Messiah Ministries who work in Diepsloot - just around the corner from where I live about 2 k's - 50 children's packs for their children's outreach.

     On Thursday Nov. 30th we took a team, Pastor William Popper, Catherine, Mary and myself to the school and gave a Christmas Party to the EMTHONJENL WOLWAZI PRIMARY SCHOOL grades K-8th in Orange Farm. These children all come from homes that are literally shacks...see pics of last years outreach www.sondraberryyoung.org. Each child was given a gift pack (a toy, sweets, chips etc). And after having their soda's they were given an ADDITIONAL GIFT. But they were told NOT to open it. They must NOT give it to someone in their family or school. They must GO OUT into their neighborhood and find a child or youth who does not have anything and GIVE them a Christmas gift. In this way they are taught to GIVE also. GOOD IDEA HU?

     Pastor William gave them a message, and Catherine led the entire school and workers in a prayer of dedication to the Lord - all 100 of them, plus prayer for each worker and teacher and principal.

     Our Partners helped us to give each worker a gift pack worth $150 plus a cash gift of one whole months salary per volunteer teacher (5 of them). We were able to give the Principal who does not get a salary a check for 1000 Rand. We brought the three cooks who make soup each day for the children, new purses filled with lots of goodies and some food money. We gave the Gardner a BLESSING PACK. We presented Principal Lydia with a new sewing machine to make uniforms for the children. The Christmas tree which was also sponsored by one of our partners, was fully decorated with the ornaments I bought from the USA at the 99 cent store.

     We were able to give Evangelist Sidney Francis, 30 children's Christmas Packs and crackers (a South African tradition) for the kids he works with in Hammonds Craw and a set of New Testament Cassette Tapes and Bible that Sharon and Thomas sent us from Julian, CA after her father went home to be with the Lord. We already had given him the tools to make packs for the hospital patients(100) and 50 Christmas packs for the children. Please remember we can always use BOOKS AND TAPES for give aways. Sidney mentioned he needs a "GOOD" Bible Dictionary if anyone has one they can donate or sponsor one. I just called the Bible book store here in Johannesburg. They run 480 rand - 540 rand which is $75 - 80 USA dollars. Everything is imported here. In America an Ungers Bible Dictionary runs about $25-35 in the USA but then about $20 bucks to ship it over. Even a used one would be most welcome!!!

     This next week we will be giving 100 Children's gift packs to Pastor Ida and Pastor Francis from Kenya who Pastor a church in a very needy area of Britts, South Africa - we also gave them a new DAKES BIBLE and many many other books for their church library.

      We have ready to go the Children's packs for an additional 100 children in Orange Farm Squatter camp who attend Pastor Anthony Sitoholes church. But only 3 FOOD PACKS have thus far been sponsored! We need 97 more sponsors in order to give his church congregation a food pack the Sunday before Christmas, so please pray and consider sponsoring a FOOD pack for a needy family! Let's help people who are less fortunate have a healthy meal at Christmas time. Each food pack costs $25 USA dollars or 175 Rand. See bottom of email for contents of each gift pack for food.

     I want to thank Eva and Harold Lemings for help with teachers salaries, Bob Lazov for help with Christmas tree.....and Pastor Earl D. Johnson and Covenant Life Church, Duarte who have pledged to send $500 this year to help with Leper Colony food for Christmas to supply them with a dinner meal on Dec. 26th. Thank you Pastor Bill Tell, New Wine in Crestline for helping with children's packs, Liberty in Spirit Church, Pastor Joan Loftis and Church family for helping with sewing machine and children's packs and party, and Pastor Kristien Bandelin - Shiloh Christian church for helping with children's outreach, Carolyn and Sylvestor Williams, Ron Woolwine, Mel Gerrard, Gena Turley, Streetwise in Hollywood, Tom & Anna Jordan, Richard and Donna Gonzalez, Hans & Mary Weyer, Linda Hill, Dan Moore, Michael & Terry Van Wijk, AVDUCT, FL,Barabra Nunn, Father's House, OK, FATIH COMMUNITY CHURCH, AZ, Dorothy Russell,Dr. Emma Waits, Ted and Audrey Beckett, Richard & Kathleen Caine, Missionary Andy Weaver in Mexico, Evg. Tom Shanklin Min.,Pam and Carl Houston, Kathleen Creapeau, the Zulianis, Kathy Daw, Jeanne Crawford,Mr. and Mrs. S. Spurling,Debbie Kleinbak, Pastor Betty Padgett, and one of my board of Directors, Pastor John and his wife Karen Mastrogivanni, Garnett Simpson-Grier, John & Connie Brunskill, Ron Hallett, Highland Park Full Gospel Assembly, Carole Lee,Shirley Bridwell, Connie Kelly and In Accord Ministries,Marc-Andre Leclerc, and Pam Meredith and Andrew Batty for food packs . I just wanted to say thank you soooooooo much for your gifts in Oct/Nov/Dec for the children, for the school and supplies and to our Ministry to touch lives for JESUS! Sometimes people think $5 or $25 is tooo little to send.......but every single penny helps us so much and empowers us to help sooooooo many people. And of course the BIG gifts are much needed too! THANK YOU AND MAY THE LORD BLESS YOU AS YOU HAVE GIVEN TO THE POOR THE LORD PROMISES TO REPAY YOU!!

     We still have thousands of needy children to help....and PEOPLE TO FEED. We used to have about 10,000 gifts at Christmas.....so you can see our numbers are way down..BUT OUR HOPES ARE WAY UP!! So pray the giving goes UP UP UP and more churches and people help us to help the lost, the loney and the deprieved to have a wonderful Christmas. Each packet will contain a KNOW YOUR FUTURE GOSPEL TRACT!!!