Developing news

In April, a sub-committee of our Board was tasked to produce a long-term development plan for Silver Oaks. Bruce Dickson, Geoff Hartley and Carl met last month and a document has been hammered out. Its value for CFC lies primarily in outlining the steps involved in bringing the mission property into line with its ministry goals.

In the meantime, local farmers Blaine and Quentin have kindly provided labour and material for draining the landslide. The floor to the new dining-room has been laid. The adjacent storage rooms are being cleared and plastered. The Brook carport has a floor and CFC now has a reserve water tank. Two more tanks have been repaired, painted and await installation next to the hall. Praise God for a substantial gift of metal shelving that will facilitate a temporary library in the guest cottage.

A concern right now is the status of the cabins - the quality of construction is poor. An under-floor beam has rotted and needs replacing but, judging by the negative online comments about the company we bought from, we’d prefer to do the repair ourselves! Another concern is that the property stretching from Southbroom to Mpenjati, including Bushy Vales, is under land claim. The strategy undertaken by local landowners is an attempt to de-gazette the claim, the legal costs for which CFC must contribute towards.