From Jodi Gerald-Cameron

Today’s verse in the Generous Living Guide (8 weeks of Generous Living) is all about how it's better to give than to receive (Acts 20:35)… That could not be any more real than it is today. The team that is in South Africa is shopping for the needs at our Forever Home today and at other points during this week while we’re here.

Last night, on our arrival to the house, we celebrated Pastor Sheila’s 50th birthday with all the girls! They were elated to have pizza and cake and party bags that each of them received full of a Barbie, crowns, feather boas, and loads of other fun stuff! Everyone was having so much fun! Especially when our oldest girl “Dorothy” surprised us with spraying Mama Sheila with silly string instead of the speech she told us all she was going to give. Then, our future preacher, 12-yr-old Matty put tears in all of our eyes as she read a heartfelt letter/poem she wrote to Mama Sheila for her birthday.

While we were at the house yesterday, we were able to get some needs on paper that our team can focus on while we’re here. We’re going to be able to leave behind so much love and generosity by the time we get on the plane to return home next week. And it is always such a blessing in our own lives to be able to GIVE those gifts and necessities to the girls in our home.

This trip we are also buying them more than they just “need” we’re buying them Christmas presents. We’re plotting and strategizing what each girl wants and what we can get for her, as well as thinking of Mama Blessings as she will also love some specials things for Christmas. They are all so tender hearted, it is hard to get out of them exactly what they want – they don’t want to come across too aggressive or unappreciative for what they already have… but I hope we’ll be able to get a few specific things that each of them would ask for this year.

Then before we leave we’ll wrap all the pressies and get the house decorated for Christmas – the tree and all its fixings ☺ I can’t wait!

Tomorrow, we’re taking the older girls to Casalinga, a beautiful restaurant, for a tea party – that will be a blast! I can’t wait to see all their faces as they get treated extra special this week! We always come here to bless them with love and kindness and I always end up going home feeling so blessed myself from how amazing all the girls are. It was so great to drive up to the house yesterday and all the girls were yelling our names in excitement again wanting to show us their latest accomplishments. They told us it has been countdown central around there counting the days until we arrived to see them! The older girls pulled out the photo album that we left them to show us the pictures that they must look through so often because the picture holders already look worn and picked through. We’ll have to put that on the list! More photos!

Thanks for all your prayers and support!