Traipsing around....

Went to Ballito with Alex yesterday to pick up a Land Rover that had been at the garage to be worked on. We went to the beach for a few minutes just to walk along the boardwalk, but I wasn't feeling very good, have had a head cold for the last three days, so we didn't stay very long.

On the way into town, it was very foggy and rainy, but on the way back out to the Bosch, the cun was out and shining. I just marveled at the beautiful scenery that we are so privileged to live among. The hills are so beautiful, and when the clouds are low, they look as though they are kissing the mountain tops. I love seeing the little houses dotted along the mountainsides. Then I realize how wealthy we are compared to the people who live in these little shacks. Our water may go out now and then, our rooms wouldn't be considered all that comfortable or nice, by Western standards, but we are dry when it rains, have safe water to drink, always have more than enough food, and we have lots of 'stuff'.

Although I really despise the 500 speed bump between here and anywhere else, I really like Appelsbosch. Ok, maybe there aren't 500, but there are 28 speed bumps (I counted them) between here and eastern end of the road. South Africa seems to really love speed bumps, and not just one or two, they come in groups of four, packs of two with about 10 inches between them, or two lines of alternating round bumps. Anyway, I won't miss them.

It really hit home on Friday that this chapter of our time with Mercy Ships is coming to an end, as we were cleaning the room that has been the hospital office for the last 3 months. Fortunately this cleaning experience wasn't like last time. No old rats nests, mouse poo, dead birds, or bird feathers and poop, (which is what we found when we arrived) but just standard ol' dusting, sweeping, and mopping.

Well, guess that's it for now, see ya!

Average day......or not

Nothing exciting to write about today. Just another average day. But then I think to myself.......just two years ago, even one year ago, this would not have been average in the least. As I sit here in a big shared office/room, at an abandoned college campus, in the middle of a thousand hills in Appelsbosch, South Africa, I think back.

Just one year ago, I was at home in Clinton, North Carolina working at SRMC, and getting ready to come back to the ship. Had recently gotten back from a FUN and wonderful road trip with some of the best friends anybody could ask for. Had just told Mercy Ships that I wanted to change to long-term status (2 years), and still not knowing how I was going to be able to afford it. And was trying to figure out what I would need to take to survive for 2 years.

Two years ago I was extremely nervous as I was preparing to come to the ship for the first time. Had just gotten my first passport. Got lots of immunizations for diseases I had never heard of before. Was worried about leaving for 14 weeks and not being there to help care for my grandfather, not knowing he would pass away before I returned.

But, now here I am, writing policies and procedures for a variety of nurses to read and follow for years to come, listening to the hoarse rooster crowing every few minutes, looking out the window at a beautiful view of the Kwazulu Natal mountains, and realize how exciting and adventurous God's plan for my life is. More than anything I have ever been able to dream up. I wouldn't trade it for anything.

Joys of Community

Today started out very sunny and nice, but now it's dreary and raining. I thought maybe it was just because we are living on top of a mountain as to why it is always so dreary and rainy. But some of the others who have talked to the locals, said that they said, that all this rain is unusual. It's good for the crops, but I really like the sun!

Anyway, this blog post isn't about the weather, but rather about one of the recent things that makes living in community so enjoyable (although it definitely has it's struggles too!). So, as I'm sure you know, we have many different people living all together - singles, couples, and families. To accommodate the families with school-aged children, we have the Mercy Ships Academy. A top notch school on the ship - and I might add, they just got finished getting accredited!! So proud of our teachers and students for that wonderful accomplishment!

But, I'm not writing this to discuss how the school runs, but rather to brag about the wonderful school Christmas play they put on for all of us last night. None of the kids are mine, but I was proud of all of them! They sang, danced, spoke, and acted so wonderfully. The title of the play was "The Fear Not Factor". It was the Christmas story from the angels perspective. It involved all the kids, from grades 1-12 (and I think there is actually at least one kid in each grade this year).

I've been to a couple of school plays before, and they are fun to watch, but I feel that this one had an extra element. Because I knew the kids personalities a bit better than at any other school play, it was even more fun to watch them display their talents and see their personalities come out in their acting and dancing. Also, knowing how similar the kids were in real life to how their characters acted, made it so much funnier.

There's one little boy, who I just love! He is about 8 and was quite bored with the whole play thing, and it really showed, but in a funny way. He was the inn keeper and as he stood there waiting for Joseph and Mary to arrive, he kept looking around with a devious look in his eyes, and tapping his finger together, looking very mischievous, which he is! But it was so fun to see his personality come through in his acting.

I can't do the play justice or describe how wonderfully talented the children are here in writing, but watching them brought such joy to my heart. Seeing how they all pulled together, and how well the older children interacted with and helped the younger ones, was just beautiful to see.

I think it was such a great way for them to start their Christmas break. Not only did it bless those of us living here, but some friends from a local church that some of us have been going to were able to come and enjoy it. Anyway, those are a few of my thoughts on that, so i will close for now. Have a great weekend!

A day in the life......of me!

Today has been a good day. It started out with departmental devotions. The topic was being encouraging to each other, and how if we each try to draw closer to Jesus, He will draw us even closer to each other. Mae was leading the devos, and she did a cool little trick of folding a thin piece of paper over a couple times, put two paper clips on it, and then pulled the ends of the paper away from each other, and the paper clips got hooked on one another.

After that, she gave everyone a piece of paper and had us write our names on it. Then we all put them in the middle of the floor, and everyone grabbed someone else's and wrote something encouraging on it. At the end of the exercise we all got our own papers back. It was so nice and encouraging to read the things everyone had written.

One of the guys who was there had just arrived yesterday, so didn't really know what to write about him, 'cus didn't know him. So I must admit, I just wrote a generic encouraging sentence. But someone else had written "I don't know you, but you dress nicely". I thought that was a very honest, nice thing to write, and it was also kinda funny.

Got off work early (3:15) to go help bake cookies for Thursday night. Two of the teachers had organized for baking of cookies so the kids could decorate them with icing after community meeting Thursday. There are two kinds: sugar cookies and gingerbread cookies.

They made the dough Tuesday, but we ended up having to make some more because there wasn't enough. We totally messed up the gingerbread recipe, but salvaged it, and it was actually better than the original dough that hadn't been messed up. So Angie and I were quite proud of our efforts.

Taxi driver mix-up?

Went to church yesterday. We've been going to a church about an hour's drive away called Grace Family Church. We've really enjoyed being able to go to church on a regular basis, and really get something out of the teaching. The church family there is wonderful; very welcoming.

After church, we all went to the local mall; some to eat lunch, and some (us) to do Christmas shopping. I got a gift for Alex, but I can't say what it is, 'cus he might read this. Then on to the madhouse of Game - South Africa's version of Walmart - where we got a little Christmas tree, lights, decorations, and candy for the stockings. This will be our first Christmas together!! So exciting!!

So, at the appointed time, we all met up outside by the traffic circle where the pick-up zone is, and boarded the shuttle to come back to Appelsbosch. We were all in, but there was no driver. Then he finally came.......except he wasn't our driver. Sometimes I have hard time telling Africans apart, they look so much alike (they say we all look the same to them too); but this guy was a bit heavier set, and definitely had a different shirt on.

Maybe we are on the wrong shuttle?? No, here's the stuff we left on it. Maybe he just got in the wrong shuttle?? No. he's starting it up and driving off. Maybe we've been kidnapped?? That was the most popular idea, just because it was funny, but we knew it wasn't true. Maybe the drivers decided to switch vans??

Anyway, there was lots of confusion amongst us as our new driver drove off around the circle.......and kept going. Didn't take the first exit......didn't take the second exit.......oh look! We're back at the pick-up area. Oh yeah! And there's our original driver! So new driver got out, old driver got in and we were off........to Appelsbosch this time.

Still not sure why the other driver drove us around the circle, but I guess TIA still applies, even here; This Is Africa!

After we got home, I was still feeling festive and excited so I went ahead and decorated our room for Christmas. Here are a few pictures of my endeavors. (Note the beautiful gray walls!)

Right outta the box!

Really long sticking-up thingie

All finished!

Some Christmas crafts I made Saturday

at the fun craft night!

It's all about the stamp

Alex and I went to apply for unabridged copies of our marriage certificate yesterday. We had been warned that it might take hours, especially if we didn't arrive really early in the morning. It might have taken longer if we were applying for an ID card, or visa or something. But fortunately we weren't, because we didn't arrive until about 10:45am.

We found a parking spot, and then made our way through the people selling ink pens. No matter what you come for, you will need to fill out paperwork. There are no general use pens there. We remembered that there was a pen in the vehicle folder (to document mileage) and used that one.

I told the information desk guy that we needed five copies of our marriage certificate. He seemed very surprised and asked a couple of times were we sure we wanted five. He told us they were R70 ($10) each, so we decided to only get three. He gave us the forms, but they had a lot of areas to fill out, which seemed odd. He had given us applications for copies of birth certificates. Said he heard me wrong. Later I realized he had quoted us the correct price for marriage certificates though, not birth certificates.

Africans are very good at sitting patiently for long periods of time. Even with squalling children. Breastfeeding seems to be the most popular form of feeding infants among black Africans. The lady in the seat next to us breastfed her child multiple times. I remember reading many articles over the past few years about how controversial public breastfeeding is in the states. The mother has her right to feed in public. The public has their right to not see her feeding her child. Black Africans don't seem to be hung up on this issue at all.

I like to people watch. Since we were waiting in line, well actually sitting in line, for over an hour (waiting to get the papers stamped), I had lots of time to observe. I know there are creatures, insects mostly I think, that have exoskeletons. Well, I found a man who has an exobrain. Fortunately he had his back to me, because then I could see his head better, and he couldn't see me looking at him. It was really cool. His head that is; he had furrows all over it. It really looked like one of those brain models. It was shaved of course, that's how I could see it so well. It was very cleanly shaved and had no nicks on it, that's talent. I hope he realizes how cool his head looks.

To top the day off, we met Elvis. Elvis may not have married us, but we had to pay him for the copies of our marriage certificate. He didn't have sideburns. And no fancy suit. But his name badge said his name was Elvis, and name badges don't lie.

So, that's all folks! For today anyway.

Ship or Appelsbosch?

Yet again it has been ages since I posted on here. There are two main reasons for this; first I'm a top notch procrastinator and 'tomorrow' hasn't arrived yet, it keeps being 'today'; second, I just don't think I have anything interesting to write about. I've started reading a book recently, well, today actually, and I really like how the author writes, so I thought I'd try something similar, and just write about all the little things that go on day to day.

As we were driving today, I was thinking about needing to do a blog, and I was trying to figure out what I was going to write about. We aren't in a field service right now, so I can't write about how we are changing lives, and my experiences with life and death. Maybe what I consider mundane won't be so mundane to you, or at least you might get some interesting (I hope) reading out of it.

I went to the ship today, first time I've been back since we left September 2. It was an interesting experience. It didn't really feel like home but didn't seem strange either. Maybe more like just some place I've been before, but nothing special.

Alex suggested we play a little game - what are you looking forward to about the ship, and what are you going to miss about Appelsbosch. That got me to thinking. I've not been looking forward to going back to the ship, because sometimes it can feel a bit confining and now I'm used to being under high ceilings, or just the sky. I really like trees and grass. Needless to say, there are neither of those on the ship.

But I realized that I need to focus on the things I look forward to on the ship. So, some of the things I thought of are these: bathroom in our room, not all the way down the hall; the crew galley, where I can cook or bake when the notion strikes; mango smoothies (well this is actually kinda more for when we are back in West Africa where mangos are fresh, sweet and plentiful!); carpeting; non-echoing hallways; the sail; not having to walk very far to get to the dining room; and having a comfortable communal hang-out place (mid-ships lounge).

Well, there are some of my thoughts for today. I'll try and write something again tomorrow........well.........it'll be 'today' by that time. Anyway, that's all folks!