It's freezing here! We are getting used to having numb hands and feet in a house with no central heating, and sleeping under 2 duvets and a blanket. The cold weather started off as a bit of a novelty and a pleasant change from searing heat, but we are now looking forward to some sun when we're back in England. The snow has settled on the mountain tops, and in the towns higher up from us, there is enough snow to build snowmen. Even Nathan has finally packed away his shorts and flip flops!

It took us 2 mornings to teach the employees at People's Crafts how to use a ruler (none of them finished their schooling), but they are now up and running with the new card range, and they're looking great!

We had employed one of the young men from our youth group to do some DIY projects around the house, as an apprentice to one of the men in the church, but unfortunately we had to sack him this morning for turning up 2 and half hours late for the third day in a row. We are struggling to instill him with a sense of his future being in his hands, and therefore the need for him to make wise choices. We keep trying to encourage him to think about how his choices are restricting his opportunities in life, and we are far from giving up! We have noticed a general trend amongst the young men in particular for making poor choices out of a lack of foresight and discipline, and seeming to be baffled by the consequences. I don't know whether they have ever had any accountability or responsibility in their lives - i am guessing not, given that the townships are full of toddlers roaming the streets even late at night, and young people seem to be able to drop out of school without any protest from their parents.

Please pray for us for wisdom in knowing how to counter this.