News

Michelle
Michelle has been asked to start work in a company that cares for the mentally retarded ASAP. She is fantastic at that work and finds it very satisfying and fulfilling. She will start off by working with a couple of adults with Downs Syndrome, and she is required to do training and take exams. She will start off at quite a low wage but it will increase with every qualification she gets. I am delighted for her. She gave her Notice in at Saga today. She leaves them with regret as they have been good to her, but she has no job satisfaction in working in a Call Centre selling insurance. Michelle is a girl with a strong Caring motivation, so sales would never be right for her. A person cannot help their basic personality type and it is good that she recognised that and had the courage to take action.

Caelyn, Nigel and Wendy
Caelyn and Nigel are moving next week. They have asked me to sleep over on Tuesday to help look after Wendy on Moving Day which is Wednesday.
It was Nigel's birthday yesterday. Caelyn's kitchen is all packed up in boxes so they came here. I made a cake which to my horror turned out to be not very nice at all. I can't think what I did. Anyway, I had got some steak because Nigel likes it, but because we so seldom have it, he had to cook it himself. At least we remembered to celebrate. He has all our best wishes for a fabulous year to come. Nigel may have some interesting news for us soon, so watch this space.

Sue and Sean
Sean's birthday is on 30 March but we won't celebrate it much as it is still in Lent. His daughter Marie has just moved in to her first home and he will be going up to see her on Saturday 31 March. We will be going to Downside for Easter as we usually do. Please note that my Virgin mobile doesn't get a signal there so if you need to get hold of us, use the Vodafone number.

Josie
Josie has kindly agreed to look after the dog over Easter while we are away. I hope he will behave himself for her. Josie hasn't been too well - she's had a nasty throat and chest virus. She was pleased to find a comfortable pair of shoes last week. Her feet are very narrow with a high arch so getting a comfortable shoe is extremely difficult. She got an attractive AND comfortable pair! How often does a person strike it lucky like that? She is off to South Africa soon, and Michelle will be working in Hythe so she will house sit at Josie's house, keeping Jenny company. I hope she cleans her room here before she goes as I can't face tackling it again.

Very Angry
We are all very angry. Josie has a really lovely neighbour, Auntie Essie, who is in her 80s and has been having some exhausting heart trouble. She was on her scooter on the way back from the Dr and all she could think of was getting home to bed because she flt so ill. A van began "stalking" her and some young men badgered her and badgered her into buying carpets she did not want. She felt so ill and so tired and they wouldn't leave her alone, so just to get rd of them she agreed. She is deaf and did not notice them following her into her house after she had parked her scooter and put it on charge. They took her to the bank and got £300 off her - an old age pensioner!!!

This lady worked as a cleaner and as a school dinner lady and similar jobs for which she was paid little but had to work very hard. She has managed over the years to raise more than £10 000 for the Missions. She knits dolls, she makes and sells marmelade and gives the money to her minister to give to people in need. If she sees something like a warm coat, she buys it for the homeless. She has a heart of gold and she is very well loved because she is so kind, thoughtful and wonderful. She is a lady who has a habit of prayer and her prayers are answered, and I'm not surprised about that as she is so pure in heart and generous. She is also shy and discreet and doesn't like people to know what she does for others. But a light like that just can't be hidden. Now that her health is failing, she gets conned like that!! Worst of all, she was ashamed to have been conned, but what could she do in the circumstances, feeling as ill as she did? Her Minister and neighbours have worked out a code with her so that she will get assistance as soon as she asks for it, using a special code word.

I hope that code will never be needed. I am so angry that a precious lady like Auntie Essie should be made to suffer like this and made to taste humiliation. She did nothing to deserve it. Still, we thank God that she wasn't physically harmed as she could have been with them following her into her house. God was with her and I hope He sends his Holy Spirit to convict those young men concerning "sin, righteousness and judgement". Auntie Essie would regard it as all worthwhile if it was used by God to bring those young men to Himself.