Sunday 19 June

Hello Friends

It's been a harder day again today I'm afraid. Tommy had a difficult morning because they reduced the oxygen help from the ventilator to see how much he could manage on his own. It wasn't much unfortunately and it became quite an ordeal, which culminated in him throwing up. It was very traumatic for him and he was really upset that he can't seem to catch his breath.

Mom was there luckily so she did her best to soothe him and when I visited this afternoon he seemed a bit better. He was able to ask me if I could bring him some small pieces of ice as his mouth felt hot inside and he was craving ice. Mom took some with her tonight, crushed ice in a little ice bucket. Hopefully a soothing comfort for him.

I know all of you reading are reading because of Tommy but I wanted to share another sad story, if you don't mind. It seems that tragedy is making the rounds at the moment and today I experienced some that hit very close to home. Please don't feel you have to read on. I just need to tell this story so that it is not all stuck in my mind as I try to go to sleep.

Our cook, Cynthia, lives in a township not too far from us called Orange Farm. It is a mixture of steel shacks, self built homes and government houses called RDP houses. These houses are tiny matchbox buildings, unplastered airbrick walls and only 1 electrical outlet.

Living next door to Cynthia and her family were 2 young men. Bongani (20) and Vusi (18). They had been orphaned several years before and whilst they had one of the government houses to live in, they struggled to manage. An uncle of theirs lived in a shack in the yard to help offer some adult assitance as Vusi was still finishing school and struggled with epilepsy,  and Bongani worked night shifts fairly regularly.

Two days ago, Vusi spent the day washing the 4 blankets they owned and he lay them out to dry inside near their one bar heater. It was a horrible day and the blankets did not dry by evening. Vusi went to sleep with no blanket and Bongani was out at work. Somewhere in the night the blankets caught fire and Vusi tried to crawl to the front door and escape but it appears that midway he suffered a siezure and was killed when his head hit the small broken television laying near the bathroom.

Cynthia and her husband, Stephen heard the sound of breaking glass at around 2:30am and went out and worked feverishly to put out the fire and find Vusi. They were devastated to find that they were too late to save Vusi.

Cynthia came to work and asked if we could help with some food for Bongani as he was beside himself with grief and unable to go to work. I packed up some food and a few new blankets that we had recently been given and drove with Cynthia to drop them off.

It just broke my heart. This young man, now all alone, motherless, fatherless and now brotherless. It is beyond comprehension how much suffering there must be in his heart right now. His house smells like acrid smoke and there is a big black streak up the bricks where his bed must have burned. You can see little patches where the two must have tried to apply plaster to the bare brick walls when they had a little money to spare.  The house is freezing because many of the windows are broken and the roof is exposed as there is no ceiling but worst is that he has to live there in this building that is such a terrible and constant reminder of all he has lost.

The idea that I had brought such measly offerings makes me so depressed. I wanted to do so much more. These are the times when I really hate how poverty is able to keep people in bondage until the lie broken or dead at the feet of society. I wish so much that I had an endless supply of resources to help people like this. It is just so unfair.

Thank you all for listening and may I ask you all to pray for Bongani and seek God's compassion for him.

We love you all
Pippa