homelifejan2001

Heartchange 1 - 7 January 2001

Dear Sisters

Happy New Year to all of you!! I look forward to what the
Lord has in store for all of us this year. A new year
always starts with anticipation to change. To strive to be
a better servant of the Lord. I wish this for all of you.
May you all grow closer to Him this year. May you all stay
tucked under His wings.

A huge blessing came our way - just before new year.
Friends of ours who own a sheep farm and live about 120km
away phoned us to wish us a happy new year. "Will you be
going through to your mom's house soon, Helen?" Ruth asked.
I told her that we were (my mom's birthday was on 31
December!). She proceeded to tell me that they wanted to
drop off a 'bit of meat, from a few animals they had
slaughtered'. My mom's house is sort of half way between
the two of us. When we went to pick up the meat, I was
totally overwhelmed. The 'bit of meat' was two, huge bags
full! My freezer is full. Absolutely full. Pork, lamb and
beef. All cut into family size meals for a variety of
dishes. God is so good. I am truly thankful for the
friends He puts in our lives.

This week, Sam and I went to my parent's house for a
cleaning blitz. The girls were at the library. It is
usually they who help, but on this occasion, I wanted them
to have time together, choosing books, while their brother
helped. My mom has recently discovered she has a varicose
ulcer and is very frustrated that she cannot move about and
'do' things. Sam carted the vacuum, prepared the cleaning
caddy, filled the buckets with floorcleaner, took out and
shook the mats, while I vacuumed, swept and mopped the
floors. Then I cleaned their bathroom, while Sam packed
everything back in the car. Just as we were finishing, the
girls arrived. It was a pleasure to be able to do this for
my parents, as they are of 'the old school' and are used to
doing everything themselves.

Another way we loved to help my parents was by making them
some freezer dinners. The girls and I really enjoyed making
them to use whenever. We made marinated scotch fillet, beef
stroganoff, Shepherds pie and macaroni cheese dinners, and
put them in those foil trays with lids. We always cook from
scratch and these meals were loaded with wholesome goodness
(and much love).

Do you have an emergency paper box? We have a box entitled
'Important Papers'. In it, we store mortgage papers, birth
certificates, marriage certificate, family history papers,
financial papers, citizenship papers, wills etc. It is in
the schoolroom cupboard and everybody knows it's exact
location. Because we live in the country, we are ever-aware
of the risk of a bushfire, so the box is ready to grab, if
ever the need arises. This is handy to have wherever you
live and whatever your circumstances may be.

Whenever we do the washing, we always hang it outside on the
washing line. The only clothing that goes into the tumble
dryer is the underwear! When we first moved into this
house, Andre built a washing line. He cut two galvanised
poles, dug the holes, then cemented the poles into the
holes. He had asked me "where?" I had wanted to put the
washing line. The only spot in the garden (although we have
an 1/2 acre garden) was near the left hand side fence, which
suited me, as I was considering sunshine and an efficient
spot, as not to impose on play/garden area. I have only
recently learned that 'sunshine' isn't the main factor in
considering garments to be dried and ironed. In fact, what
the sunshine does is 'starch' the clothing - make it stiff
and so much harder to iron. I could well have asked Andre
to build my washing line in the shade - as long as the wind
could blow it dry! Ha! I told you I was learning all the
time.

I have been compiling a list for my bookwork duties. I
didn't manage to get to it last week and so often I end up
wondering if I had done all that needed to be attended to.
Although our paperwork will differ to yours, as we all have
a different situation in life, my list looks something like
this:

1. Gather necessities: pen, pencil, ruler, stapler,
chequebook, stamps, envelopes, calculator, garbage bin,
diary/organiser and mail basket to be sorted. (I intend
storing these in a plastic tub with lid)
2. Open/sort mail: (throwing away envelopes, leaflets,
brochures, junk mail straight into the garbage bin). Make
notes in diary/organiser
3. Form piles: (four in our case. Business
correspondence, Private correspondence, To Do and To File)
4. Attend to piles (in the above order. As I go through
them, I find that Business and Private correspondence leads
to 'To Do', and finally ends up in 'To File')

Business Correspondence:
Enter on computer (we have an MYOB accounting system for
bills)
Print summaries
Write cheques
Record bill payments on computer

Private Correspondence:
Write cheques
Record payments on statements

To Do:
Address creditors envelopes
Reply to correspondence - Business and Private
Make any necessary phone calls (including telephonic bill
payments)
Reconcile bank statements

I also have a list of summaries, reports and other
'housekeeping' to do - especially for our computer
accounting system. Do hope this rough list will help some
of you.

This week I started a Bible Notebook. I have a plain
exercise book, sectioned off for favourite verses, questions
I want to ask Andre, verses for mothers and wives -
including attitudes!, verses for children. As I read, I
make my own notes in the Notebook. My Bible is full of
notes and is growing weary. The Notebook can relieve my
Bible notes and one day, I would like my children to read
it. I consider this part of their 'glory boxes'!

This is my first year on a list of families that use the
Charlotte Mason method of homeschooling. Although our
methods of homeschooling are not exclusively Charlotte
Mason, I am very fond of learning how other families live
and homeschool. Each month two or three families have to
compile a family homeschool newsletter, and distribute it to
all on the list. This month, it is our turn. I have been
making notes, working on the newsletter and have enjoyed
every minute of it. You see, I have found that going
through everything makes me re-assess and consider. It
calls for much discussion with Andre. We set new goals.
There is new motivation. In fact, it is rather exciting.
I'll post a copy when I have completed it. For those of you
who homeschool, I wish you a rich, productive year in so
many ways.

This week, I made snacks for the children that were so
reminiscent of their primary years. Many of you may know
this. I take sticks of celery, spread peanut butter inside
the hollow part of the stalk, then 'spot' the peanut butter
with raisins or currants. Finally, I chop this into two
inch sections. Placed on a plate with cut up orange or
apple quarters looks so appetising. My mom always told me
"Helen, make their food look appetising. It will encourage
them to eat it". She is so right!

Being so hot here, I realise how much our pets suffer from
the heat as well. We have a Pekingese dog called 'Blossom'.
Her fur is thick and fluffy and there is a lot of it. This
week, I cut her hair! She looks so cute. Big floppy ears
and a bushy tail (I didn't cut her ear or tail fur) while
the rest of her body is baby fluff and you can see her pink
skin! It was such a pleasure to do this, and it made me
think again of the Lord. How He gave us animals - domestic
pets for our pleasure. All our pets are pleasure pets -
including the horse. They do nothing 'worthwhile' in the
world's eyes, but to us, they are precious. To think the
Lord didn't have to give us pets, but He did anyway.
Awesome!

Here's hoping you will start off your new year with great
enthusiasm and a will to please the One Who Loved You First.

Love
Helen

Heartchange 8 - 14 January 2001

Dear Sisters,

I have been looking around my once-green garden and wincing!
Yes, all is now a tan-brown-yellow colour, with wilted
leaves, dead headed shrubs, patches of weeds and bird-pecked
fruit. The strawberries we planted are wiltered. The black
and red currant bushes are drooping over with their bounty.
The hot summer wind has broken a few branches off my
greengage plum tree. The lawn is dry and yellow - like
straw. Drought has taken it's toll. Not only this, but our
lack of watering. As I have mentioned before, we have a
less-than-adequate water system.

It hasn't always been so. At one time, Andre had a fully
functioning water system extending to all the garden beds.
Thin, black pipe stretched and winded across each bed like
huge black mambas! All it took was one of us to turn on the
tap, set the timer, then, when the buzzer went off, to turn
the one tap off and the other on. Although I enjoyed this
system and appreciated it, I am even more appreciative of it
now that we don't have it. You see - with the alterations
and extentions Andre is working on in his shed, two water
tanks had to be moved, with their corresponding tap
fitments. Over time, the surface water pipes were uprooted
too! I keep asking the Lord for patience and understanding
and that please could some progress happen soon? And yet, I
know that tomorrow is another day......maybe one filled with
more action that I can handle!

I have ordered sets of seeds from Eden Seeds, which is an
Australian seed company selling non-hybrid, non-chemically
treated seeds. I read on the back of each packet of seeds
for the recommended sowing time. When they had been sorted
into the four seasons, I fastened them together. These four
groups of seeds are now kept in a pretty box with a mesh
lid, allowing air, but still keeping the seeds in it's dark
confines. It will soon be time to sow the autumn seeds, for
winter crops. All I have to do is prepare the beds with
more manure and that should start us off with our supply of
'winter vegetable soup'. I already have some seed starting
mix. Some of the seeds I hope to start in this mix, while
the others can be sown directly into the soil of the
prepared beds. The seeds going in the starter mix will be
kept in an old rabbit hutch with lid - protecting them from
wind and harsh sun.

We have been missing music in the kitchen. (We gave our
tape recorder/radio to my brother, so that they would have
some form of music in their new home). And so - we took the
music centre out of our bedroom and moved it to the kitchen.
We have a honey coloured kitchen with lemon walls. Our
music system is all black. Where to put it, that it didn't
stand out? I sent Emma and Sam to the store room and they
came back with an old meat safe. It is a honey-toned wooden
framed cupboard. The 'walls' of the meatsafe are made from
fine, wire mesh - to let the meat cool and dry, but keep the
flies off! We put the meat safe on top of a wooden sofa
table for height. The four tiered music centre is now
stored in the meat safe, and fits so perfectly. No black
cords hanging around, either. There is even room for tapes
and CD's to be stored discreetly in this cupboard and it
goes lovely with our kitchen decor.

My husband and I have been having nice chats. We are
growing together in the Lord. My Andre has been such a rock
for me. The Lord has been changing his heart, too. With
having so much company, it always takes a time to get back
into 'homelife'. He told me this evening that he wants "his
Helen" back again. "You've done so much for others, now I
want you back again for me. I want my Helen back" he says.
This gives me a fervour to do things for him. I know that
we often get caught up with the lives of others, domestic
lives, children's lives, but in doing this, are we leaving
our husbands in 'the wings'. This approaching week, I hope
to do more special things for him. I want him to feel that
he is the 'king of our castle'.

I have had a recurring bladder infection. My doctor has put
me on a course of antibiotics. The more I read about them,
the less I like to use them. However, there is a time and
place for everything, and she felt that I was 'too far gone'
to go without them. And so - with the antibiotics I am
taking cranberry tablets (for all urinary tract infections)
as well as lactobacilli powder, taken once a day in a little
water. Lactobacilli replaces all the 'good bacteria' that
antibiotics deplete. Also, it keeps you 'regular'.

I'd like to tell you all about a special tea that I drink.
The South African ladies on this list will know the one. It
is called 'Rooibos' tea - which stands for 'Red Bush'. The
bush grows in Cape Town, South Africa. When we lived there,
I knew of many toddlers/ young children who would drink this
tea in their bottles. I like it with milk and sugar. Most
people drink it black, with a little sweetening - either
sugar or honey. Andre's Ouma would make up a jug each and
every day. I will always remember her little green plastic
jug. She would place three tea bags in the jug, then add
boiling water. The tea was then sweetened and left to cool.
She drank this cool tea throughout the day from a tiny glass
tumbler. To read more on the benefits of Rooibos tea, go to
www.rooibosltd.co.za . Rooibos tea is available in
supermarkets in the health food section. It is boxed by
'Vital Health' here in Australia.

My friend gave me some country magazines to look at. Sarah
and I sat on my bed one day, paging through and commenting
on those scrumptious pictures. "That's lovely, mom. Do you
think we could do that?" she would often ask. I taught her
how to take a good look at the picture and tell me what she
could see. She started breaking down the areas of a room.
"Tell me what you see in that corner of the room, Sarah" I
would ask her. She looked very carefully. "Hey, mom - WE
could do that. We have all those things".
Many times it's not the objects in a room, but the way they
are put together. I then taught her how to make a list and
write a description of the room. This is what I've done for
years and years. I have a notebook on decorating and refer
to my own notes and descriptions. Reason being, although I
love to keep decorating magazines, I don't like cutting out
the pictures. I have done this a few times, but find that a
year passes by and my taste changes. Then, when I go back
to the magazines, they are a mess and sometimes pertinent
information has disappeared. Furthermore, many of the
cuttings get lost anyway, as they are moved around and
looked at. Also, if you have many magazines and you have to
declutter, at least you have the instructions of how to
create those special places in your home. One day, I will
pass my decorating notebook on to my girls.

And talking of decorating, our church will be having a
missions conference in two weeks, and the rooms in the
building need to be decorated. The theme is 'Go Ye'. Our
church family is very small. There are only 10 ladies who
are able to help. Each of us have been assigned a country.
We have to cook a main meal and dessert indigenous to that
country and decorate the buffet accordingly. My assigned
country is Africa. I know we are going to have fun doing
this.

I forgot to mention a treatment we commonly use whenever a
family member has a stomach ache. Take a mug and fill one
third with white rice. Add cold water to the top of the
mug. Stir well. Drink immediately. When finished, add
more water to the cup and place in the fridge. Repeat this
every twenty minutes. This works every time for all of us.
It's the starch in the rice water that calms the acidity in
the gut. If pain persists, see your doctor!

Another tip that really works is the use of peppermint oil
for headaches. My son, Sam, often gets nosebleeds and
headaches when the air is dry. He has learned to come to me
and tell me at the start of his headache. I rub the
peppermint oil into his temples, in a circular motion, then
the same circular motion between his eyebrows. Then I tell
him to go and lie down a while. When we catch the headache
early like this, it seldom develops!

I took our children to the next town's swimming pool this
week. Because it is a small town, the pool is usually so
quiet. Sarah had found two pairs of shorts for herself and
a pair of swimming trunks for Sam at the thrift store. They
wore these to swim in. I sat on the embankment under a
tree, armed with ice water, crisps, notebook and my Bible.
Despite the heat and lots and lots of ants, the day was so
peaceful!

Oops! Another blessing I forgot to tell you. Shortly
before my brother arrived, Andre was working almost every
night on their bedroom. One night, when our small town had
'gone to sleep', a car broke down in front of our house. A
young couple saw the light in the room where Andre was
working and knocked on the door. We learned that they had
run out of petrol. Our local shop/petrol station has just
closed down. This young couple had no petrol and no way of
getting to where they were going. Andre decided to take the
young man to Goulburn, as we had some petrol stored at mom
and dad's house. The young woman stayed at home with me. I
made coffee and we chatted. Then, when Andre returned home,
we chatted and laughed some more. It was well past 12.30am
when they left and now - George and Diana are our new
friends! We have invited them to call in whenever they pass
again. And I suspect they will.

Just before Christmas, a package arrived for the De Bruin
children. It was from George and Diana. In the package, we
found two educational maths CD's - equivalent to the
Australian Higher School Certificate maths! I couldn't
believe it. What a thrill. What a kind, thoughtful gift.
Oh, we are so truly blessed!

Have a blessed week, sisters!

Love
Helen

Heartchange 15 - 21 January 2001

Dear Sisters

Last week I mentioned that I wanted to do more for my dear
husband. We all (the children and I) help him in so many
ways - in his business, as well as the maintenance chores he
has to do when at home. But - I questioned myself on what I
actually did just for him. The home and the business is for
the benefit of all. However, what do I do specifically for
him? Sadly and shamefully - not much. This week I tried to
change. I realised that my attitude was the biggest
problem.

I began to see how I have changed over the years. The more
we have grown in love together, the more Andre does for me -
in so many small ways. The trouble is, I have taken
advantage of his help. To the point of expectation. To the
point of low-gratitude. What a shame!

This week, I have endeavoured to change this mind and
heart-set; I thanked him more, praised him more, listened
more intently to him, considered his feelings instead of
looking on him as my 'rock' all the time. I mean, he is my
rock, but the rock can also become weather-beaten in the
storms. Life's meanders can and do beat on the rock and
wear it down. This week I let him know how much he means to
me. How much I appreciate how hard he works for us. I know
that his now deceased Mom and Ouma would be so proud of him.
I let him know that I am proud of him too!

This week, I specifically purchased his favourite pack of
steaks. Just a small pack; - a single 'Dad's Only' pack. I
seared them in hot olive oil on both sides, then I turned
them again - once each side, added a little rock salt and
smothered the steaks in mild mustard. He told me they were
so tender! Also, when washing his work overalls, I added
fabric softener. I've never done this before. Because
Andre's overalls are so dirty and oily, my main
consideration has always been to get them clean. I was so
glad that I had done this, made a change for the better, ~
especially when the fresh linen fragrance was so evident as
I ironed them. I hope to do something for him each week.
Especially for him!

When I was first diagnosed with celiac disease, I went to
see a nutritionist/dietician. Amongst many beneficial foods
she recommended to me, my favourite new addition to our
pantry is LSA. This is a ground mixture of Linseeds
(otherwise known as flaxseeds), Sunflower seeds and Almond
nuts. We sprinkle this on our breakfast cereal each
morning. It has a wonderful nutty flavour and is very
beneficial. It is also an excellent source of healthy fatty
acids, protein, calcium, iron, magnesium, selenium, vitamin
A, vitamin E and B group vitamins. After a week on this, I
feel very 'cleansed'. hee hee....
LSA can be bought in the health food section of most
supermarkets, but we make our own, as this works out cheaper
and we can make more of it. I buy the three ingredients raw
at a wholesale food outlet. To make up the mixture:

1 cup almonds
2 cups sunflower seeds
3 cups linseeds

Grind to a fine meal in a food processor, and then store in
an air-tight container in the fridge (the oil in the nuts
and seeds can go rancid otherwise). If you buy in larger
quantities, it is better to make up as needed, instead of
grinding the whole lot at once. LSA can be used in soups,
stews, cakes, casseroles, biscuits and desserts. Hope you
enjoy this as much as we do!

I topped up our first aid box this week. With the children
being outside more often, there were more bites, stings,
cuts, friction burns, gashes and bruises. Our box contains
the following items:

A variety of bandaids - 'plasters', as the English call them
Calamine lotion - my mom always used this on our stings and
bites and rashes!
1 x heavy crepe bandage
1 x gauze bandage - for high movement areas
Several smaller bandages
bandage clips
Sterile eye pads
Eye bath - with saline solution
Several gauze pads with white sticking plaster
Waterproof dressings - ideal for cuts and grazes exposed to
water and bacteria
Dettol antiseptic
Antiseptic surgical powder for wounds and abrasions
Hirudoid* cream for prevention of nasty bruises
Pain relieving cream
Sports gel - ideal for aching muscles
Tweezers
Thermometer
Scissors
Cotton wool

There's more that I've probably left out, but we consider
these the basics. Do hope some of these items may remind
you to top up too!

We re-arranged the fridges this week. Similar items were
stored in separate plastic tubs with lids and handles. In
one we stored sandwich spreads - jams, vegemite, peanut
butter, cheese spread, hazelnut spread, lemon curd, etc. In
another we put butters, drippings, shortenings and hard
cheeses. In another we put lettuce, cucumber, red and green
capsicum, radishes for salad sandwich making. And in yet
another, we have apples, pears, and oranges. In the
humidrawer at the bottom of the fridge are carrots, pumpkin,
butternut pumpkin. I have found that storing these
vegetables in the pantry encourage them to mould very
quickly during our hot summers. They stay a lot fresher for
longer in the fridge. The bread and milk is still stored in
the top freezer part of the fridge, while salad dressings,
mustards and milk and juice in use is stored in the fridge
door. In our smaller under-the-counter fridge, we have
further supplies of vegetables and fruit drinks.

Although there has been much to do this week, I have
experienced a 'drawing' to the computer. This frustrates me
immensely. I realised the cause of this; I had too many
email lists. The chatter can become exciting and for us
stay at home wives and mothers, this aspect of email lists
holds much attraction. Recognising this to be the exact
problem, I withdrew from all but two lists, which are
'moderator only can post' lists. I was telling myself that
I was learning from these lists. I probably was. But....
the main thing when learning is to put the newly learned
information into practice! Ha! Thinking more on this
situation, I came to the conclusion that books, when read in
the evening on a variety of helpful topics - the topics I
love - homeschooling, home up-keep, Christian living,
baking, planning, organising etc - were beneficial in a
couple of ways. Firstly, they would get me to bed earlier.
There's nothing like a bath, bed and a book! Getting into
this habit appealed to me immensely! I know I will look
forward to this - as I have enjoyed this way of life
previously - pre internet connection! Secondly, these books
will be an asset for my family - whether they have a
computerised future or not. And so, sisters, this coming
week will be 'The Week of Books' for me! Godwilling!

As some of you know, it is so very hot where we are. I am
always looking at ways to stay fresh and smell good.
Something that came to mind earlier in the week is a tip my
sweet mom gave me quite a while ago. After bathing and
general 'boudoir', she taught me to add a little perfume oil
to a cotton wool ball and place it in my bra! It really
works! Even though you may feel very hot, sticky and
'glowing', the fragrance coming from the cotton wool ball
still surrounds you! Be careful with the darker oils,
though, as they can and do stain a white bra. I pour a
little oil onto the ball, then squish the sides of the
cotton wool over the oiled piece, so that it is not directly
on my skin or bra. Just a little 'something', but I'm sure
you'll enjoy it.

After church this week we decided to visit friends. Dave
and Angela have eight wonderful children. While we were
there, we were waited on hand and foot! The children served
us with tea and coffee, biscuits and lollies. The older
children played with and tended to the younger. Babies were
passed from children to mom and then to dad, during the
course of relaxed conversation. Then, when supper time
arrived, the men went to buy take away food, brought it back
home and again the children dished up for themselves, the
adults and the toddlers. Everyone was served quickly and
without fuss. Why am I telling you all this? Because it
impresses upon me the importance of training our children
early in life. Teaching them. Showing them, by example.
Giving them responsibility meet for their age groups. I
know that my children thrive on being responsible and
praised for it.

Even though this scenario sounds ideal and even hard to
achieve for some of you, be encouraged. Training children
in all aspects of life, attitude and life-skills is an
on-going, never-ending process. Although they may be well
trained and show a good attitude and a happy countenance
THIS week, not following through, watching them diligently,
correcting them in the nick of time, listening out for those
little quarrels etc, could be a total different story NEXT
week. I am ever-learning, sisters. Training my children is
a conscious and often tiring effort. Sometimes I feel that
I am too tired and that maybe they have had enough of my
reprimands. But.... I know if I stop now, rebellion can set
in very quickly. Disrespect creeps in shortly after. Luck
has nothing to do with well-behaved children. Diligent
parenting does. If I stop today, tomorrow I could be
reaping bad fruit.

Well sisters, I trust that this new week will be a blessing
to you all, as you strive to do the Lord's will. And
remember: any changes for the better in your lives start
with you!

My love to you all,
Helen

Heartchange 22 - 28 January 2001

Dear Sisters,

My aim this week was to prepare for our new homeschool year.
Not necessarily start. Just prepare. For so long, I have
set unrealistic goals and have become somewhat frustrated
when they have not come to pass. This year, I am determined
to be flexible. Take life as it comes. Have plans, goals,
a purpose, but train myself to take everything in my stride,
as my mom often says. She is forever expressing her concern
for our full-to-the-brim-and-running-over lives. She is
forever telling me that she now practices the 'be still and
know that I am God' mindset and heartchange. And she would
surely know. She's lived my lifestyle before I could ride
my first tricycle! Both of my parents are very dear to me.
I value their council. Sometimes, I disagree with them and
often Andre disagrees with them (smile) but.... I honour
them and consider all.

I have been jotting down notes for the homeschooling
families newsletter I've had to complete. And complete it,
I haven't! Ha! There is more to writing a newsletter than
one would expect. Most nights, I've added to my notes.
Most nights I've learned a little more. It's amazing what
you learn about yourself and your family when you actually
write it down. Whether in journal form, or as points,
accomplishments, achievements, failures. It definitely
gives you a perspective on what you have left out and what
you would like to achieve. All in all, a fruitful exercise.
Even if this exercise is completed by taking very tiny
steps.

In preparation for the newsletter, I often re-read those of
other families, jotting down book and curriculum
recommendations as I went. Doing this filled me with
excitement for the current year. Teaching and training our
children is very challenging. I pray that my attitude
remains one of a heartfelt desire, almost an urgency ~ to
teach my children more and more about the ways of the Lord
and this fascinating world that He has allowed us to
experience ~ for His pleasure. To think that He put us here
for His pleasure, and yet ~ life itself is my pleasure. How
I love life!

This week, we have been preparing for the Missions
Conference at our church. Each of us ladies were assigned a
country in which our supported missionaries live and serve.
We had to make a main course dinner, as well as a cultural
dessert to go with it. Furthermore, we all decided that it
would be very effective to 'decorate' our country's area of
the main buffet table. Our family was assigned Africa
(wonder why!! - hee hee). Two (newer) ladies to our church
were assigned Italy. They were happy to bring an Italian
meal along, but were unsure what to do for a decoration, so
we volunteered to decorate their section of the buffet table
as well. Thought I would share how we decorated the tables
with you (recipes later!)

The buffet table was 7 metres long. We were each allowed an
area of 90cm. The tables were covered in white damask.

African Scene:

A piece of sacking material as a base, spread over the white
damask tablecloth. Then, in the background, a miniature
African cooking pot (looks like a 'typical' cannibal pot you
see in pictures!). In this cooking pot, one mealie cob
(corn cob), standing upright. Another mealie cob lying
randomly on the sacking material. Also inside the cooking
pot, for the purpose of whimsy, a tiny, plastic African
'chief'. At one side of the pot, Andre's Oupa's army helmet
(which looks like a hat I would expect 'Dr Livingstone, I
presume?' to wear). Leaning on the helmet, an African
spear. A plastic family of giraffes, standing together. A
plastic elephant opposite. Somewhere in the middle of the
animals, a miniature 'kraal' ~ (African circular house -
usually with white-washed walls and thatched roof) Then, at
the back of the buffet table, pushed in between the table
and the wall, a long gum tree branch, which looked like the
African gums, crooning over the whole scene.

Italian Scene:

A red and white checked tablecloth, spread at an angle over
the white damask. In one corner, a bottle of extra virgin
olive oil, with a stainless steel oil can next to it. In
the other corner, a bottle of balsamic vinegar, surrounded
by whole garlics. In between, a terracotta pot, with juicy
black grapes spilling out of it. In front of the terracotta
pot, a stick of bread, broken in two, complete with crumbs.
Then, scattered between the display, a variety of pastas.

Dining Tables:

All that went on to the dining tables were more white damask
tablecloths. There wasn't much room for table decorations,
so the girls and I made very small ones. We took a block of
florist's oasis, cut it into three, making 3 x 10cm square
blocks. We wrapped the blocks in patriotic American
material (all the missionaries come from America!), snipping
a cross in the middle. In this cross, we pushed red tapered
candles. Another lady from church made tiny flags on
skewers, which we also pushed into the block, surrounding
the candle, but at angles, so that they wouldn't catch on
fire! Two blocks were placed on each table. Yet another
lady brought greenery from her garden, and around this
greenery, we draped ivy -along the length of the table.

I wish I could tell you all that was preached at the
Conference. We were greatly blessed. The visiting
missionaries were a couple from Papua New Guinea. They had
left a life of comfort in the USA over 14 years ago, to
serve God in the swamps of southern PNG. Along life's many
challenges, they live with crocodiles, mosquitoes, frogs,
snakes, sometimes angry (very angry) tribal people and, I
kid you not ~ boa constrictors in their kitchen!!! We now
have a greater understanding and respect for missionaries.
Our lives will never be the same again.....

During the course of our preparations, my mom came to stay
for the weekend. (It has been so hot here - temperatures
reaching 45 degrees C. My poor old dad couldn't bare to
venture out of his little cottage, so he stayed at home). I
learned a lot about hospitality, helping out and attitude
during the course of the Conference. Basically, we were
travelling to and fro, dropping off, picking up, cooking,
eating, sleeping, then starting again. I find it quite hard
to concentrate on more than one thing at a time, and I thank
the Lord that He put me through this training session. To
continue to be gracious, kind, hospitable and thoughtful,
whilst being so busy is quite a feat! However, as I have
been learning, I have been teaching my children. We have
been learning together. As a family and singularly. With
the Lord's help, everything ran so smoothly. Mom was
pleasantly surprised as she watched me chopping meat, while
directing Emma to prepare an African salad on her own, step
by step, answering her questions and at the same time,
organising Sarah with the ironing board, and stopping to
show her how to iron the tablecloths without them draping on
the floor. Also setting mom up with basins, peelers,
graters and knives at the kitchen table. Mom was also
pleasantly surprised as she watched us pack up, prepare, set
up and organise, both in the home and church. I know it
made her very happy to see us all work together. I also
know this adds to her perception of our life; super
overflowing! She comments on this, and I smile sweetly and
remind her that I watched her do the same things for many
years.....

All in all, we are both reminded that it is the Lord that
helps us. It is He who gives us a desire to change. The
will to change. He changes our hearts. We are new
creatures. He helps us every step of the way. We know that
He will never leave us - nor forsake us.

Till later,

My love to you all,
Helen