The Plastic Bible - Moriel Ministries

Allen & Sue
B
D
N E W S L E T T E R
mailto:bezaleel@saol.com
ear Friends
Sue’s recovery from a serious bout of bronchitis,
and a much longed-for rest from the
It is with wonder and thankfulness that runaround of music and ballet, year-end concerts
and music festivals, we have started our
we look back over the years at the faithfulness
of God toward us at Bezaleel. As we school year with anticipation and enthusiasm.
have called out to Him, He has always met The children are between the years of 7 and
with us and provided what we’ve needed in 16, so the nursery years are behind us and
terms of our relationship with Him. We are the road to reading, comprehension, expression
and math—among everything else—has
blessed by the love, truth, hope, strength, joy
and peace He gives us through His Person truly begun. For the older ones, building on
and His salvation so richly and freely given. the foundation already laid continues.
We are additionally blessed by you, His people,
who in turn demonstrate His character in throat and mouth compounded by thrush that
Apart from a recent, severe infection of
being so gracious, caring and giving toward Ruth had, the children are all well and growing
in every way. The improvement of the
us in such a faithful way. We thank Him and
you for our daily bread, health, shelter and disability Rosie has with her hand and foot
clothing, the means to educate the children, from her ballet classes is remarkable. Lizzie
and the provision for their medical needs and has passed with merit all her exams for recorder,
flute and piano. Thabo has switched
the ARV’s, without which they could not survive.
The reality is that, in spite of most excellent
care through their pediatrician, there through his inability to reach certain notes,
from recorder to piano after discovering,
have been times we’ve faced genuine crises. that he has a mild form of asthma. Ernest
Yet our Heavenly Father has miraculously continues with guitar, and Ruth has elected
intervened on our behalf and brought the to have a break from music this year.
children through.
With regard to how international and national
decisions around HIV/AIDS affect us
Our desire in devotion to Him is to reflect
His faithfulness in our day-to-day living—to
faithfully declare His salvation and which again remind us that our hope is in the
personally, some developments have arisen
not to be ashamed of the Gospel; to be faithful
in our marriage in the midst of short-lived in the world around us, we are His children
Lord and that, regardless of what is going on
vows or easy partnering up with little or no and we can call on Him for direction and provision.
For some time now, indications have
commitment; to be faithful in the work to
which He has called us, and not throw in the pointed to potential reductions of funding
towel when situations arise that seem insurmountable;
to faithfully bear fruit in and out vides our ARV’s, blood tests and visits to our
from PEPFAR in the US, the group who pro-
of season to the glory of His Name; and, to pediatrician. PEPFAR funding affects millions
of HIV+ people in South Africa.
quote Francis Schaeffer, to “bear the mark of
a Christian in the demonstration of our love Some two years ago Ruth became seriously
ill and needed to be hospitalized im-
to Jesus and to one another.”
We have ahead of us the “middle years” mediately. Our pediatrician told us which
of our children’s lives where the slow, patient,
day-by-day, stone-upon-stone work lies we could reach some agreement to treat her
hospital to take her to, with the assurance that
before us in terms of raising them to know there. As it turned out, after seeing account
and love God. It is our desire to provide the personnel and another pediatrician at the hospital,
they turned us away because we could
best possible education we can for each of
them, and to remain constant and committed
to providing the medical care they need front. I asked if they could put her on a drip
not pay the full amount they required up
and to give them a safe and loving home in overnight, as she was severely dehydrated,
which to grow. This is not mountaintop work but they refused. Distraught, I walked out of
much of the time, but it draws on the ability the hospital with Ruth in my arms. We called
to run the race patiently, and to be faithful out to the Lord and He graciously made her
in the small, hidden things of sowing seed in well. I asked the Lord about the significance
prepared soil, nurturing the growth, pruning of what had happened, and He impressed on
from time to time, and looking with hope to me the necessity of getting medical aid. It
the harvest.He will cover you with His pinions,
And under His wings you may seek ref-
friends of ours pay the costs of medical aid
was an impossibility for us to do so, but dear
uge; His faithfulness is a shield and bulwark. on our behalf in spite of penalties placed on
(Psalms 91:4 NASB)
Allen and me for previously being without
After a wonderful year end of fellowship
with brothers and sisters in the Lord, nine children. Two of our children are with us
medical coverage and the cost of covering
including Lina and Marijke, and Salvador without court orders, so the medical aid will
and Dianne (who spent some time with us), not cover them. Most of us were restricted
E Z A L E E L
from access for a year due to preexisting conditions
including HIV/AIDS. As of the start
of this year we can claim for treatment, and
the timing is astounding. The Lord prepared
a way beforehand and His care is amazing.
US assistance to HIV/AIDS programs
are expected to be reduced over the next five
years in a country where nearly a million
South Africans are on lifelong ARV’s with
the expectation of the number tripling (covering
80% of those who need it) in the next
decade if the government keeps to it’s implementation
plan (“Huge cuts in aid ahead for
HIV/AIDS treatment,” by Kerry Cullinam,
www.health-e.org.za).
Globally, some 33.4 million people have
HIV. Since the early 1980s almost 60 million
people have been infected, and 25 million
people have died of HIV-related causes. Sub-
Saharan Africa accounts for 67% of people infected
with HIV and 91% of all new infections
in children, according to United Nations data
(“Millions at risk of AIDS focus fades, says
expert,” by Kate Kelland, Reuters Africa).
As we commit our children to the Lord,
we are mindful that He is our source of life.
It is easy to become complacent and take for
granted systems that are in place, but are tenuous
to say the least. May the Lord bless you
and establish your paths in faithfulness.
Shalom,
Allen and Sue
South Africa News
March 2010
March 2010 • Moriel Quarterly 19