Grave News...

Dearest friends...

I have very gave news to share with you this morning...

I come to you asking for prayer for our family and for other families in our area...

This morning we evacuated our house and now are blessed to be sitting safely at a dear friend's house in town - our home burnt down a couple hours ago and we lost everything in the fire.

I woke up at 6am to the smell of smoke and a little sister crawling into bed with me as she was frightened by the terrible wind raging around our house.  You see, there was a storm last night...a terrible wind and a farm over the way caught alight.
 

Very soon, it was spreading from farm to farm, coming right our way.  At first we honestly didn't think we would actually have to leave...thus, we slowly gathered some of our most treasured possessions such as photographs and our computers and the sewing machines and put them into the car.  But literally 20 minutes later, we were frantically rushing about putting everything in the cars, loading everyone up and driving out.  The fire spread so rapidly, I cannot begin to actually describe how bizarre it was!  And the wind...it was horrendous and the smoke was so thick.

Our neighbour's driveway caught alight...and suddenly we knew had to get out and fast!  Praise the Lord, we could leave with our animals and a couple bags of items.  We did not think we would come back to no house.  We just assumed it would be there...  My dad dropped us off at our dear friend in town and went back home...but when he opened the door, a tremendous wave of heat hit him and he saw the inside of the house was black.

When he arrived here and told us the news...it was devastating.  Our home is gone.  Everything lost...everything.

Praise the Lord, our family is safe and our animals are with us.

In His graciousness, He moved on the heart of a kind lady at church who offered for us to stay in her holiday house for the time being free of charge.  We are blown away by her generosity...

Dear friends, this is a very painful time for our family...we are in absolute shock and disbelief, but there are many others suffering too...many other homes have been lost and the fire continues to spread.  And our country is in major drought...without water, fighting fire is virtually impossible!

Please, please pray for the Lord to send rain we so desperately need...to protect those fighting the fires...to provide for those without and to give us strength for what lies ahead.

I hope to give you an update soon, dear friends...  I am unable to write to each of you individually at this stage, but I hope to soon...  For now we can do nothing but cry unto the Lord and lean on Him. 

With love in Christ,

Kelly-Anne

"Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee."

~ Deuteronomy 31:6