Little Eden Society for the Care of Persons with Mental Handicap

Some thoughts and prayers to nurture your spirit

It's amazing what you can learn from a handicapped child: every day, the children at LITTLE EDEN inspire us with their spontaneous joy ... their ability to find pleasure in small things ... their trust and loving hearts ... their courage in the face of difficulty and their determination to try and try again to master small victories such as grasping a spoon or saying their name.

Share the inspiration in this section of our website - and please feel free to contribute your own story by emailing us.

Harvesters of Jesus Newsletter: July 2008

The human body is amazing! When well looked after, it has the ability to heal itself. It was designed with specific systems and functions in place to constantly 'scan' the environment for anything potentially harmful.

The human heart, however, is a little more fragile and doesn’t heal so easily. Only someone experiencing a serious illness, pain or tragedy knows how hard it is to handle these misfortunes. They know how difficult it is to cope with fear and uncertainty. They know how absurd it sounds when someone tells them to "keep a positive attitude".

It is a proven fact that healing, whether physical or emotional, happens quicker and easier when the person is in an environment where he or she feels safe, nurtured and loved. At LITTLE EDEN we experience this first hand on a regular basis.

Some of our children come from a background of abuse, trauma, and neglect – many of them to such an extent that we did not know if their spirit could ever survive. Others have fought desperately for their lives despite serious illnesses and have lived, long after doctors had given up hope.

I believe the difference is love. Visitors often comment on the love and peace they experience in the Homes. It has been said before that LITTLE EDEN is an oasis, and it certainly is. Not only for our children, but also for a dry and thirsty world in desperate need of healing!

Showing compassion, patience and understanding to a fellow human being every day makes us powerful instruments of healing in God’s Hands.

Hanneli Esterhuysen

Little Eden poem
compiled by Kim Neil after input from, and discussion with, the residents both children and adults, of Elvira Rota Village Bapsfontein

Little Eden
A place I call home
A place where I'm loved
And my care is important to others.
It is a place where I'm encouraged
To be all that God has planned.

Little Eden
A place where my friends are my family
A place where my teacher is my friend
And her teaching helps me to grow.
It is a place where Sister cares for me when I'm sick
And laughs with me when I'm not.

Little Eden
A place where I can paint with my fingers or my toes
A place where my effort is praised
And my artwork cherished.
It is a place where I make music
And sometimes, the music is louder than my voice.

Little Eden
A place where I can hear and see the tractor ploughing the fields
A place where I can hear the bleating lambs
And watch them feed from their mothers.
It is a place where I can watch the milking of the cows
And drink the milk in my tea.

Little Eden
A place where I eat sugar beans
A place where I watch the mielies grow
And then harvested.
A place where I picnic in the shade of the pecan nut trees
And then listen to the nuts being cracked.

Little Eden
A place where I'm encouraged to fold laundry
A place where I can help to feed the animals
And then ride the horse. A place where I can butter the bread
And share it with my friends.
A place I'm proud to call My home.