Dear Family and Friends,

Have you noticed that we seem to be getting more and more New Year updates and fewer and fewer Christmas newsletters? I'm convinced it has nothing to do with a lack of interest in Christmas, it's just that time is proceeding at a speedier rate than ever. In fact my New Year greeting to most of my friends has been to hope that this coming year goes just a little slower than the last!

Mark has just celebrated his 70th birthday. The actual big day was the 5th of January, but we decided to postpone the party to the16th so that the whole family could be together, which in itself is a big achievement, We had a wonderful evening, with just family, volunteers and a few close friends. We roasted a pig on a spit, and next morning the whole family got together for photos and a brunch at Juliet and James's farm opposite - it was a truly memorable weekend.

Kirstin spent 5 weeks in England and Scotland to celebrate the end of her school career. She got a bonus extra day, as she was one of many stranded at Gatwick airport on her way home due to heavy snow. The matric results were published while she was on her way home - her school was proud to announce that they had a 100% pass rate - far better than the average for the country as a whole, and nice for us to know that the school we have chosen for the TYB kids has such a good academic standard.

The children have settled down well for the new school year. All the boys have been promoted to the next grade, although both Noxolo and Nozipho are repeating grade one. Nozipho and her brother Sibusiso were taken to Nelspruit by their Mom to spend two weeks with their Grandmother over Christmas. It was hoped that they would be able to stay with her permanently but it now seems that they will be staying with us for a while yet. So...another one has started at Prestige College and Noxolo is very proud to have her "sister" in the class with her.

2009 was a year of lots of babies, after a long spell of an overabundance of toddlers. We are still sending many little ones off for adoption, both locally and internationally. We still have lumps in our throats when we see a new mommy (and often daddy too) taking their new special child away to be their own. The whole process of dressing the child in his or own new clothes, the actual saying of the goodbyes.....it's all so very moving. Sometimes with local families we even drive the new little family home, and we are treated as honoured guests in their (often humble) homes. However right now we are in the process of preparing little Kutlwano (now known as Emil) to leave TYB with his new mommy and daddy in a day or two. He is obviously a little confused by the whole process but has taken to his new parents very readily. One of our little girls and another boy should be following him in a few months.

The Dinokeng Big Five Game Reserve project is nearing completion of its first stage. The entrance gates to the reserve are almost ready, so before long a whole lot more fencing will be taken down and an even greater variety of animals will be on our doorstep. We regularly have to slow right down as animals are in our path on ther road or driveway. Kudu, wildebeest, zebra, impala, sometimes even rhinos, are seen on our land. The lions will be arriving as soon as all the gates and fencing are complete.....then...it's no more walks in the bush!

The last week or so has been busy as ever, and I am trying to get organised for another two week trip to the UK, this time to spend some time with my Dad so that my brother can take a short holiday. I will be leaving this Tuesday, 16th. We did hope to "lose" a few children before then to make it easier for the team at home but......as I said earlier, Nozipho and Sibusiso are now NOT going, and although one child was adopted 2 weeks ago and another is leaving tomorrow, we had two emergency placements this past week. First, a call from our magistrate to ask if I could please pick up a baby NOW and the following day Mama Cathrine called with two problems, firstly her car had broken down for the umpteenth time, and secondly she was on her way to us with a one year old, so could we please come and pick him up? The police had brought the child to her, but she really doesn't have the resources or facilities for babies, so she decided to give him to us instead! The legalities will be sorted out tomorrow and the baby is really cute. When his mother was asked what his name was she said; "If you are taking him away from me I will not tell you." (So we've called him Itumeleng). We towed the car to the garage to be repaired and it is now up and running again, while we all await the next emergency!

So much for keeping the numbers down - our local magistrate places children in one of three places, which meet with her approval, Tshepo Ya Bana, Tswaraganang and Ebenezer Home, a fairly new set up right in Temba township. All three places are actually over full, but what do you do when there is nowhere for a child to go?

Meanwhile we praise the Lord for supplying the finance, the strength to keep going and a ready supply of volunteers. We had one or two anxious moments during 2009, when our funds were really low... but the Lord has never let us down, as He promised.

"To Him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before His glorious presence without fault and with great joy - to the only God our Saviour be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen" Jude 24,25.

May the Lord bless you all throughout 2010.

With love from all at Tshepo ya Bana,

Chris