Good morning family & friends,

I'm always a bit reluctant to share personal posts on FB, but recently my husband & I suffered a traumatic experience, and my hope is that by sharing our story, some good can come from it. As most of you know, we live on a game farm in rural South Africa. This little piece of heaven on earth, has been our happy place for a couple of years now. We're blessed, that on a drive to get groceries in town, we may see giraffe, zebra or buffalo. Our sanctuary was shattered, when 3 armed men wearing balaclavas attacked us in our home, in the middle of the night. They woke us up, and for the next hour and a half, we didn't know if we would survive. When they left, they had taken everything of value we had - but most importantly, we, our dogs, and our cats were okay. God was in our home that night protecting us from evil. First on the scene were not the police, but Farm Watch, a volunteer group of men & women from Hoedspruit and the surrounding area. When they rushed in, we began to feel safe again, as they offered protection and comfort. They immediately checked us for injuries. They covered the outside, looking for tracks and the points of entry. They sat with us as we gave our police report. In the aftermath of this trauma, they stood for strength and compassion. I'm sharing our story, in hopes of raising some much-needed funds for Farm Watch. These men and women are farmers and businessmen who work hard all day, then take turns patrolling Hoedspruit and the outlying areas throughout the night. They have response units at robberies, car accidents, rhino poaching incidents, and other emergencies. They put their lives on the line, so that their neighbors can feel safer. They are not paid, but depend on a small annual membership fee and donations. They currently are in desperate need of bullet proof vests, a night vision drone, fuel for their vehicles, hand radios, spotlights, etc. Recently, they purchased 2 bullet proof vests at the cost of R20,000 (approx $1500). I know times are tough everywhere, but if you can help, even the smallest amount will truly make a difference. (Just 1 USD = 13 ZAR, and 1 EUR = 16 ZAR) The justgiving.com site makes it super easy.

I appreciate each one of you who took the time to read my mammoth post :) I'm still shaken, but will never lose my love for the African bush. SA is not just beautiful landscapes and wildlife, but amazing, resilient people. Hoedspruit reminds me so much of the small town Grapevine I grew up in. I wish I could tag all of Farm Watch, but know that each of you are in our hearts forever. Diane & Con #everycenthelps #SouthAfricanproud#Texanstrong