SEPTEMBER LETTER

We greet you all in the wonderful name of Jesus.

We have been longing for the cool, autumn weather that you all are enjoying, as we are trying to survive
the sweltering heat of springtime. The weather has suddenly changed during this past few weeks, which
has turned our usually calm and mild children into rambunctious, talkative kids.

Throughout this term we have experienced many breakthroughs with our students. One of Elizabeth’s
students named Athi has a mild case of autism. He is socially inept and cannot speak or relate to many
people at all. This year has been difficult for Elizabeth, as she has struggled to make some kind of
connection with Athi. He doesn’t respond in the classroom or to teaching. He is very clever but non-
responsive. However, this last term Elizabeth managed to capture his attention with a discussion on space
and the moon. Through that discussion Elizabeth discovered that Athi loves facts and so she gave him a
book of facts and Encyclopedia’s. Now Athi is so enthralled with his books that all he wants to do is
read. Elizabeth has won his confidence and they talk and even laugh and joke together. It has been very
rewarding for Elizabeth.

In grade five we have been studying countries, and I divided the class into four teams. Each team had a
chance to come to our house and cook ethnic foods from China, Italy, Norway and France. The students
loved that they could actually cook and try foods from other countries. This week, they are going to be
giving their oral reports complete with skits, songs, and other ethnic activities. It has been a lot of work
but it has also helped the students get a global perspective. Also, we have been reading a Proverb a day
this term and have read all the way through Proverbs twice. As we have gone through Proverbs I have
seen a remarkable difference in the behavior of my students. I can see obvious differences in many of my
children. Zolani, a boy in my class has made a sincere decision for the Lord. He went from being a rebellious
troublemaker to a polite, sweet, sincere boy who is on fire for God. He is the first one in my class to want to
pray for any situation or problem. Also, Lelethu, a girl who earlier in the year was the cause of many troubles
in the class is now at the top of the class academically and as an exemplary Christian. It has been so exciting
and rewarding to be a part of these students’ lives and to watch and see how God has taken hold of their
lives. We are nearing the end of our third term. On the 23rd we conclude this term and have a short break
until October 11th. During that break we will be hosting another conference for one week which should see
an attendance of about 600 people. While we are looking forward to the conference, we are also nearing the
end of our strength. Please pray that God will sustain us and strengthen us as we go into the conference and
then our last term of the year.

Our students face many kinds of suffering such as poverty, AIDS, abuse and pain. We consider it a privilege to be here, volunteering our time and talents for the Lord to use as He leads. We pray that our service to
them and to God will have an impact on these children’s lives for His glory forever.

We are still praying that God will bring in the necessary finances for us to return next year. If you are
planning to continue supporting us, please contact us by e-mail and let us know so we can plan for next
year. Also, we are in need of money for our return plane tickets and visas. We need to get all these things
together this month and we trust that God will provide. So please keep us in prayer. You can reach us at:
vdcs@iafrica.com

In Christ,
Tyler & Elizabeth
Willowvale, South Africa