Indigent Legal and Life Support Campaign

Hi, I am Charmaine Arendse an intercessory missionary living by faith for 17 years with my family suddenly finding myself needing to assist my father as part of our mission. 

Ivan Gordon is a 79 year old recently widowed disabled homeowner who has been struggling to evict a non paying tenant for 12 months since November 2022 with an accruing outstanding total of over R55 000. My late mother, Margaret Rose Gordon (75) who had an existing medical condition, emphysema, tried her best, together with our dad to deal with this tenant until her sudden passing on the 14th of July 2023. Little did we know that as we celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with our parents on the 2nd December 2022 it would be their last anniversary together. My brother & i have been assisting our father by taking him to lawyers, courts at our expense as well as helping with home cooked meals. After a lengthy wait for a 79 year old going from pillar to post in trying to get pro bono assistance from the law society we were advised that the cost for a faster eviction starts from R20 000 upwards. Dad is only receiving a pension of R2 000 which is insufficient to cover today's cost of living, groceries, healthcare, car maintenance, etc. 

After praying into the matter this idea came to mind to fund dad's cause with not only the eviction fees but also hoping to acquire a reliable second hand vehicle. Family & friends know how my dad has been struggling these past few years & in general life has not been easy for him. Dad who was a hardworking asset to society for many years did not get the monetary benefits due to him because Monviso knitwear the company he worked for closed down overnight. My father has been struggling with his secondhand Mazda 323 bought 17 years ago. He still helps fellow pensioners to get by, one of which a lady with a mentally challenged adult son, monthly taking them to fetch their grants & do their shopping. Fortunately dad has wonderful neighbours who try & assist him where possible helping with refilling his gas tank and bringing a plate of food for him. Our late mother paid it forward by sowing such hospitality into the community. Now having to suddenly struggle with police, lawyers, & court as well as dealing with the trauma of mom's passing has not been easy which is affecting his well-being. Dad is now on heart tablets due to stress of obtaining affidavits for protection orders against the tenant & her sons. He has been in & out of court these past months with no regard by his heartless tenant while he only tried to help this single mother with grown son's. 

Please will you consider giving assistance to Ivan Gordon for firstly the eviction and lawyer fees, growing day to day living expenses and when we reach our target we will hopefully be able to get my dad a reliable vehicle.

Dad will celebrate his 80th birthday on the 14th of March and he will consider it a gift to be able to put all this behind him. 

In all that we are experiencing this has highlighted the plight of so many elderly who are being taken advantage of because of legal loopholes. Many pensioners have to sell their homes due to not having the necessary assistance / finances to be able to evict their tenants. Join our prayers for this scourge to be dealt with so that this abuse will not continue as we find ourselves on a different mission field of caring for the orphan & the widow. 

"I know that the Lord secures justice for the poor and upholds the cause of the needy."

Psalm 140 : 12

Thanking you for your assistance in helping to change the plight of South Africa's indigent.

Arendse & Gordon families.