Well, we continue to work on Irene’s behalf.  Now a fine gentleman from South Africa has put together a fund raiser for her.  Here’s the link.  

We will keep you posted as things progress.

Skip

Well, we did it!  Thanks to your support for Irene, her world has changed forever.  And YOU DID IT!

Just before I left for the aircraft carrier, I started getting dozens of emails from all over the world asking about Irene.  This was quite perplexing since, as you know, we started the fund for Irene some months ago.  By the time I got to Pearl Harbor, I discovered that the article I wrote about Irene that was posted to the At God’s Table web site had been picked up by WHIS News 21 in South Africa.  They ran the story just as I wrote it including the pictures that I took.  Suddenly the world knew about Irene and what we have done to help her.

And now it seems that everyone wants to get on board.

So far Irene’s story has been on the local news in South Africa, the biggest newspaper in the country and many other web sites.  She was visited by the South African president of the Olympic Committee, several reporters and others.  I have received requests from as far away as Russia, Australia, Canada and the Netherlands.  Who knows?  Maybe Irene will be used by God to become the spokesperson for the tragedy of the White squatter camps.

Of course, there have already been critics and skeptics.  Several people blogged that this was a Nigerian scam.  They didn’t bother to check out any of the story before saying this.  Then I got an email (full of very foul language) that claimed this was all just White racism.  But most of the emails have been very positive, including those from coaches, athletic companies and other organizations that want to help Irene.  I hope this all turns out as a truly God-given blessing.  But I do fear that a lot of it will be nothing more than a human interest story soon to be forgotten by the press.  Let’s pray that this does not blow over and that all those who read or see it will be changed.  I know that we will NOT forget Irene, nor forget to be thankful that God is doing something that we could never have imagined.

So, the news is GOOD!  Really good!  This cyber community has done something that made the world stand up an notice.   Thank you!

Are you ready to do it again?

Skip

Links to Irene in the news:  (most in Afrikaans, but one video is in English about the Olympic Committee seeing Irene)

http://beta.beeld.com/nuus/2013-04-30-saskok-sl-help

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYXQcoapH5g&feature=youtu.be

http://beta.volksblad.com/nuus/2013-04-24-hulle-noem-my-klein-zola-budd

http://www.beeld.com/Suid-Afrika/Nuus/Video-Te-wit-vir-hulp-20130426

http://www.beeld.com/Suid-Afrika/Nuus/Irene-se-verhaal-gryp-hom-aan-20130428