I’ve been sorting through photos, trying to upload onto Google drive and move things off my rather poorly laptop. So here are some photos to capture something of what 2016 held…
January to April saw us spending a lot of time with these wonderful people – an American missionary family from Angola who came to Cape Town for Danny’s medical treatment. Such a special family who we have come to love so dearly. They return regularly for medical checkups – all clear so far – so we have the joy of catching up every few months… but it’s not quite often enough! (Sorry, Riley… but I love the way that pic captures your crazy cheeky side!)
April also saw a graduation for students at Living Hope, with a group moving from phase 1 to phase 2 and a group moving from phase 3 to phase 4. It has been a joy and privilege to watch students grow in confidence and spiritual maturity and to be able to keep in touch with some after they leave. Gamu, in the picture on the right, has been taken on at a local restaurant where her potential has quickly been spotted and she has been moved from washing up duties to learning to make the perfect latte.
June and July saw a 3-week trip back to the UK to catch up with friends, family and supporting churches. It was wonderful to see old friends and to see so many new faces at church. I was really excited to see Woodgreen Evangelical Church reaching out to the deaf community with signing at services.
Returning to a cold and wintry Cape Town, we were soon in whale season, although I have yet to capture any great whale photos… most of mine are a whale if you know they’re a whale, otherwise they’re just a rock! It was pretty exciting to see the v-shaped spray from a humpback whale just the day after I read somewhere that this is how you recognise them from their spouting!
September saw some real excitement for Living Hope’s HTI programme as our phase 4 student, Langa, was awarded the gold prize at the local further education college’s entrepreneur contest, seeing off some stiff competition. 
He impressed the judges with his business skill and knowledge and his honesty, integrity and godliness shone throughout the day.
That wasn’t all… he subsequently went on to the final 5 in a national pitch and polish entrepreneur’s competition, winning himself an all-expenses paid trip to Johannesburg to the finals. His success is a testimony to his own hard work, as well as to the depth and breadth of the training he has had at the Living Hope course. And at every step of the way his response has been… “To God be the glory!”
October was visitors’ month, with three visitors from the UK, Rachel and then Peter and Glenys. Visitors mean a little sightseeing, and in spring (yes, October is spring down here) that definitely meant a trip to Kirstenbosh Botanical Gardens where Peter and I probably took a few thousand photos between us!
November feels like a blur…and the year rushed on into December with another Living Hope graduation, iThemba preschool graduation, carol services, carol concerts, another visit from the Hall family from Angola and much more. We will be spending Christmas Day with a few friends – American, Zulu, Xhosa – all united in rejoicing in Emmanuel – God with us. Thanks for reading my intermittent bloggings through the year. I promise to try harder in 2017!
“Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labour or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.” Luke 12:27
African Crossroad 