Sunday, September 30, 2007
Phone call from Home
I got to talk with my mom and my little brother yesterday! It was great> urgh! (sorry>> my computer is being retarded and making me upset right now because it has gone to this wierd setting that whenever i press the number keys it actaully types !@#$%^&*( instead of one two three four five six seven eight nine!! urgh! and it won"t let me type periods> or other things like aposterphies! Aaron if you read this can you tell me what to do to fix it>> or anyone esle who is reading this and knows how to help me> thank you so much>
So anyways<> It was nice to hear their voices again! and to hear that things are good at home> My mom is enjoying her job yet there are lots of stuff that needs to be organized and set up still>> and now she is once again in charge of people>> which she was trying to get away from but she says it will be alright> Aaron got his jeep working finally so that is a blessing> I"m happy for him> and then mom was telling me that my little sister at bible college is kinda homesick : ( so that is sad but i totally know how she feels> First year away from home meeting new people>> or actually LIVING with new people is a really stretching thing and is hard> It definitly was for me and i even had my older sister with me my first year! But it was great and then D came into the office and me and her put our phone on speaker phone to talk with aaron and then i told him to put his phone on speaker phone and so the four of us talking together over the phone for a few minutes> It was really cool cause we were laughing and just having a good time together even though we are so far away from each other>
Today has been a nice lazy day> i helped with lunch and i gotta go and get supper ready for the guys here> Not very hard to do> just bread and gravy! But we had church this morning and I got to play piano in worship> It was fun> But its way differnet than playing with Rob> I miss playing in church back home> But it was still good> we don"t have any drums>> so pray for someone to learn how to play the jambae! that would be sweet
The pastor had a really good message about really really truly knowing the truth and really studing Gods Word and living in Him and asked us the question<>> no> i don"t really feel like i"m truly rejoicing in the Lord and ya<> Please pray for me as God takes me through this and that i will be dedicated to make the effort to rejoice in Him more>
but ya<> Oh and Car<>
So anyways<> It was nice to hear their voices again! and to hear that things are good at home> My mom is enjoying her job yet there are lots of stuff that needs to be organized and set up still>> and now she is once again in charge of people>> which she was trying to get away from but she says it will be alright> Aaron got his jeep working finally so that is a blessing> I"m happy for him> and then mom was telling me that my little sister at bible college is kinda homesick : ( so that is sad but i totally know how she feels> First year away from home meeting new people>> or actually LIVING with new people is a really stretching thing and is hard> It definitly was for me and i even had my older sister with me my first year! But it was great and then D came into the office and me and her put our phone on speaker phone to talk with aaron and then i told him to put his phone on speaker phone and so the four of us talking together over the phone for a few minutes> It was really cool cause we were laughing and just having a good time together even though we are so far away from each other>
Today has been a nice lazy day> i helped with lunch and i gotta go and get supper ready for the guys here> Not very hard to do> just bread and gravy! But we had church this morning and I got to play piano in worship> It was fun> But its way differnet than playing with Rob> I miss playing in church back home> But it was still good> we don"t have any drums>> so pray for someone to learn how to play the jambae! that would be sweet
The pastor had a really good message about really really truly knowing the truth and really studing Gods Word and living in Him and asked us the question<>> no> i don"t really feel like i"m truly rejoicing in the Lord and ya<> Please pray for me as God takes me through this and that i will be dedicated to make the effort to rejoice in Him more>
but ya<> Oh and Car<>
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Creche Day!
This morning was my very first time being a teacher in the creche and it was soo great. I did the story about Daniel and the Lions Den and the Zulu teacher there transulated for me. She is a very nice Christian lady and that is soo great. That was weird having a transulator cause it was my first time but it is soo nice to have because I wouldn't be able to get anywhere with the children! And it's not hard at all. It's just kinda is a drag that I can't understand what they say to me or vice versa. I have to learn more Zulu! Praise God they understood the story though. They are from the ages of babies to about 3. So cute. Then we played pin-the-tail-on-the-lion. They liked that. And as you see in the pictures I gave them some Canadian flag stickers and they really liked them and they were learning how to say "Canada".
After lunch we went out and did outreach. We went to this one house who is full of orphans. The aunt and the uncle are caring for about 8-9 children because the parents had died. Oh it was such a blessed time and a very heart touching experience. We brought them lots of new clothes and food and the kids and the older people were so happy and dancing around and being all goofy because they were soo happy for these gifts. Then we started singing and dancing! They were about 15 of us, children, adults and five of us from Melusi. Every got up from sitting and joined in. It was soo cool. Everyone was so happy that they had gotten this things. It was awesome cause even the baba (older man) was singing and clapping away. And they sang so loud. It was just such a new experience because I have never seen a family who has recieved gifts be so happy and celebrate like that over a little bit of food and clothes. It was a priceless moment for sure. And they are such nice people and adorable kids!
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Pictures at the Museum
Here we are at the museum's little coffee shop/restarant. We did actually go into the museum.. just to the gift shop there. There was a lot of neat African stuff there. After as we were driving back we saw the skipping boys and their coach practicing so we went to visit them. Oh ya I didn't tell you guys about them yet. Oh man they are soo cute and will have to put a pic up here of them. They do really sweet things with skipping ropes and they are actually going to nationals this Wednesday! Till Saturday. The four boys are Loounga, Seethlay, Paul and Boongani and the couch is Wellington. Only three of them made it to nationals though. But they are all really good! So ya, we went and visited them and then gave them a ride back to their home because they had been practicing for close to three or four hours in the heat and they had to walk all the way back home. Its really really far! It's so crazy. But they are so used to walking all the time and very long distances. Wow we are so blessed to have vehicles!!
Maresa, Valerie and Claudette
The two younger girls are the kids of the cook. They also have two little brothers.
And no they aren't twins, even though they look like it. They are 11 months apart.
Yesterday was so great! Me and D went to town for the whole day! 9 to 4. We walked around everywhere that whole time so we definitely got our workout for the day! And wow it was so hot but the wind was really nice. And really the heat didn't bother me too much, but i think it was because of the wind : ) We got dropped off in town and first we went to this adorable coffee shop! And the lady was so nice. We loved the CD she was playing and she let us take it home and bring it back next time we came! Oh man and the coffee and muffin were so good. It’s filter coffee and I liked it better than perked coffee! Then we walked around to all the cute little different shops here. Wow shopping here is so fun and such nice stuff and so cheap! I bought a sweet fake billabong hat for $4, (yes mom, now you know I have a hat and I will be wearing it) and me and D bought sandals for $4. And the jewelry is so beautiful here! But surprisingly I haven’t bought any yet! That’s pretty good I think, for me anyways.
Oh man and then we were walking down the street and this drunk man came to me and was grabbing my arm and telling me to buy the hat I was looking at because it was a nice one and “it was look good on you.” Oh man he was so drunk and then we just kept walking and he staggered down the street. Crazy man.
Today I also bought a cell phone and the guy there was so nice to us. He gave me a sweet deal. 250 Rand instead of 300 Rand and he gave D a coke and me bottled water AND haha, he gave us each a back pack! And it totally has actual speakers built into it! Oh it’s soo ghetto, I love it. Haha. But the guy took out something.. and so it won’t work. Me and D had a good time laughing about the fact we both were wearing matching backpacks around town. But it was really nice cause then we didn’t have to carry everything we had.
And then we saw a guy holding this snake and we got to touch it. Dione was pretty scared of it and then I asked the guy to put in on the ground and Dione freaked. so he didn’t do it. Oh Dione : )
We went out for lunch at Spur’s. It was very good food, and really great service. It was so nice to finally sit down and rest our feet. Its been so fun being with her and just hanging out again. It was such a great day.
Today was my first church service here and it was really nice. After church we had coffee and then Dione told me this one boy here played the piano as well and so he started playing and then I played and the four of us. (me, D, Daniel and I can't remember the other boy's name) sang for about 45 min in the church. It was really neat how we could all come together and sing even when we had just met.
And now in five minutes we are going to the museum here : ) Should be good! There are five of us girls going.
Oh ya and this is just a random comment but in October there are gonna be two Venasulan girls coming to the mission to help out! I'm excited. They are about 23 I think so close to my age!
Anyways. gotta run... Have a great Sunday!
Lins
Oh man and then we were walking down the street and this drunk man came to me and was grabbing my arm and telling me to buy the hat I was looking at because it was a nice one and “it was look good on you.” Oh man he was so drunk and then we just kept walking and he staggered down the street. Crazy man.
Today I also bought a cell phone and the guy there was so nice to us. He gave me a sweet deal. 250 Rand instead of 300 Rand and he gave D a coke and me bottled water AND haha, he gave us each a back pack! And it totally has actual speakers built into it! Oh it’s soo ghetto, I love it. Haha. But the guy took out something.. and so it won’t work. Me and D had a good time laughing about the fact we both were wearing matching backpacks around town. But it was really nice cause then we didn’t have to carry everything we had.
And then we saw a guy holding this snake and we got to touch it. Dione was pretty scared of it and then I asked the guy to put in on the ground and Dione freaked. so he didn’t do it. Oh Dione : )
We went out for lunch at Spur’s. It was very good food, and really great service. It was so nice to finally sit down and rest our feet. Its been so fun being with her and just hanging out again. It was such a great day.
Today was my first church service here and it was really nice. After church we had coffee and then Dione told me this one boy here played the piano as well and so he started playing and then I played and the four of us. (me, D, Daniel and I can't remember the other boy's name) sang for about 45 min in the church. It was really neat how we could all come together and sing even when we had just met.
And now in five minutes we are going to the museum here : ) Should be good! There are five of us girls going.
Oh ya and this is just a random comment but in October there are gonna be two Venasulan girls coming to the mission to help out! I'm excited. They are about 23 I think so close to my age!
Anyways. gotta run... Have a great Sunday!
Lins
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Life lived so differently
I cannot believe how blessed you and I are. And on top of that, how we always want more and how we can never just be thankful, truly thankful, for the things we have. You guys, God has given us SOO much! My eyes are watering up as I type this.
Tuesday afternoon a group of us went out in the bakkie (truck) with about 20-30 crates full of half full, overdue, broken yogurts, juices and maas, a mixture of cottage cheese and sourcream. It did not smell to great. We drove out to a part of the township close to here and handed out all this "waste" (as the store calls it and what we would call it too) to many of the families and children who live there. I felt so bad giving them this food because it was soo gross and messy and some of it rotten. But at the same time it felt so good to give it to them because they were soo incredibly deseparate for it! It was soo hard to see. When the kids saw the bakkie coming they started yelling and running towards us shouting "Please! Please! Juice! Juice!" and "Mahyeno! Mahyeno!" (which was the name of the mission but it just changed to Melusi) They would congregate around us in the back of the bakkie and reach out their hands and some had huge smiles on their faces and others had this concerned, desperate look on their faces like they wanted some juice and food soo soo badly. SOO many kids! Everywhere! I never have experienced this before. It was very overwhelming.
Yesterday morning I went with Denise to visit the creches and oh my goodness! I loved the kids! They were soo adorable. Here are some pics of them. Some mornings during the week I will be teaching this kids. Not sure exactly how I'm going to do it because they don't really understand English, only Zulu. haha so ya, I guess the teachers are there too (I think!) and they speak English so hopefully they will transulate for me! Here we visited the school to bring them some food. They were soo cute wanting to help out and carry the crates and ran back to us when the crate was emptied. They were soo excited to see us and grabbed onto my hand and just smiled and laughed and wanting to be held. SOO CUTE!!
Then in the afternoon I went out on the outreach with Dione and some other team members. We hand out parcels of food to certain families and at the same time visit with them and pray with them in their homes. I got to pray for two ladies and it was really neat. They are so thankful and happy that I was here helping the poor and needy. All the way from Canada : ) hehe. They are precious people.
I have never in my life seen such poverty though. Here are some things I saw while I went out and hopefully this will give you a feel for how things are for these people. A chiildren, maybe 2 years old playing in the dirt with a bare bottom. A little boy washing in his home standing in a little tiny basin filled with very little very dirty water. A man about 30-40 years old weeping in front of us and his people as he suffers from great physical pain in his heart. Garbage and glass EVERYWHERE... and little kids not wearing any shoes and walking around everything. Mom's using towels as diapers for there little ones. Soo many kids with ruptures in their stomaches sticking out. This one lady the mission was able to give her a mattress and bedframe and she is 84 years old. And that was the first time she ever slept on a mattress in her life. 84 years of sleeping on the ground. Literally shacks for houses. Made with any they could find. Oh man the list goes on but I just wanted to give you a little taste of how life is for these people. It's so incredibly sad and breaks my heart so much. It's very hard for me to see such poverty. We take for granted sooo many things! Or I know I do anyways!
Last night I went with Dione to her cell group on this farm with a gorgeous house oh my goodness. So nice. And the people were soo kind and soo nice and really excited to have me here. They are people from the church here I will be going to. (the church is right on the mission here) The mission leader, Peter, is also the pastor. ya, so it was really fun and it is like a half hour drive out of Dundee and so me, D, and Maresa got to lay in the back of this truck with pillows and blankets and relax and talk and watch the African sun go down. Oh it was beautiful.
It's so hot here oh man! Yesterday it was 33 and i'm sure today is hotter. They say it gets the most 36-38.. yikes! and that is everyday until about March!
Oh my! And seeing Dione has been soo incredible amazing!! Wow! It seems soo weird and surreal!! Its crazy that I'm in Africa! with Dione! God is too good : ) The first night I got here to Dundee, Monday, she took me out for supper at the Steak House here. OH it was soo good and she has been such a sweetheart to me! Oh and has helped me soo much to feeling comfortable and settled in. IT's been so funny and it just soo good to laugh with her again and just be with her.
In about an hour we start Kid's Club, called Club5. We are doing a skit out of the book "You Made Me Special" (or something like that) by Max Lucado about the Wemmicks. Remembering that story? IT's a gooder. and then playing some games with them and having snack. Should be good : )
Sorry I havent written on this in a while. But here it finally is : )
Oh ya and I really really have to learn the Zulu language or some of the more important words to get by at least! It's very frustrating! So if you could pray that I catch on fast that would be perfect! Thanks!
Bye bye for now.
Tuesday afternoon a group of us went out in the bakkie (truck) with about 20-30 crates full of half full, overdue, broken yogurts, juices and maas, a mixture of cottage cheese and sourcream. It did not smell to great. We drove out to a part of the township close to here and handed out all this "waste" (as the store calls it and what we would call it too) to many of the families and children who live there. I felt so bad giving them this food because it was soo gross and messy and some of it rotten. But at the same time it felt so good to give it to them because they were soo incredibly deseparate for it! It was soo hard to see. When the kids saw the bakkie coming they started yelling and running towards us shouting "Please! Please! Juice! Juice!" and "Mahyeno! Mahyeno!" (which was the name of the mission but it just changed to Melusi) They would congregate around us in the back of the bakkie and reach out their hands and some had huge smiles on their faces and others had this concerned, desperate look on their faces like they wanted some juice and food soo soo badly. SOO many kids! Everywhere! I never have experienced this before. It was very overwhelming.
Yesterday morning I went with Denise to visit the creches and oh my goodness! I loved the kids! They were soo adorable. Here are some pics of them. Some mornings during the week I will be teaching this kids. Not sure exactly how I'm going to do it because they don't really understand English, only Zulu. haha so ya, I guess the teachers are there too (I think!) and they speak English so hopefully they will transulate for me! Here we visited the school to bring them some food. They were soo cute wanting to help out and carry the crates and ran back to us when the crate was emptied. They were soo excited to see us and grabbed onto my hand and just smiled and laughed and wanting to be held. SOO CUTE!!
Then in the afternoon I went out on the outreach with Dione and some other team members. We hand out parcels of food to certain families and at the same time visit with them and pray with them in their homes. I got to pray for two ladies and it was really neat. They are so thankful and happy that I was here helping the poor and needy. All the way from Canada : ) hehe. They are precious people.
I have never in my life seen such poverty though. Here are some things I saw while I went out and hopefully this will give you a feel for how things are for these people. A chiildren, maybe 2 years old playing in the dirt with a bare bottom. A little boy washing in his home standing in a little tiny basin filled with very little very dirty water. A man about 30-40 years old weeping in front of us and his people as he suffers from great physical pain in his heart. Garbage and glass EVERYWHERE... and little kids not wearing any shoes and walking around everything. Mom's using towels as diapers for there little ones. Soo many kids with ruptures in their stomaches sticking out. This one lady the mission was able to give her a mattress and bedframe and she is 84 years old. And that was the first time she ever slept on a mattress in her life. 84 years of sleeping on the ground. Literally shacks for houses. Made with any they could find. Oh man the list goes on but I just wanted to give you a little taste of how life is for these people. It's so incredibly sad and breaks my heart so much. It's very hard for me to see such poverty. We take for granted sooo many things! Or I know I do anyways!
Here are some pics from the outreach yesterday. One of the 30 families we gave food to.
This is one of the little girls who has a huge rupture in her stomach. 
This is one of the little girls who has a huge rupture in her stomach. Last night I went with Dione to her cell group on this farm with a gorgeous house oh my goodness. So nice. And the people were soo kind and soo nice and really excited to have me here. They are people from the church here I will be going to. (the church is right on the mission here) The mission leader, Peter, is also the pastor. ya, so it was really fun and it is like a half hour drive out of Dundee and so me, D, and Maresa got to lay in the back of this truck with pillows and blankets and relax and talk and watch the African sun go down. Oh it was beautiful.
It's so hot here oh man! Yesterday it was 33 and i'm sure today is hotter. They say it gets the most 36-38.. yikes! and that is everyday until about March!
Oh my! And seeing Dione has been soo incredible amazing!! Wow! It seems soo weird and surreal!! Its crazy that I'm in Africa! with Dione! God is too good : ) The first night I got here to Dundee, Monday, she took me out for supper at the Steak House here. OH it was soo good and she has been such a sweetheart to me! Oh and has helped me soo much to feeling comfortable and settled in. IT's been so funny and it just soo good to laugh with her again and just be with her.
In about an hour we start Kid's Club, called Club5. We are doing a skit out of the book "You Made Me Special" (or something like that) by Max Lucado about the Wemmicks. Remembering that story? IT's a gooder. and then playing some games with them and having snack. Should be good : )
Sorry I havent written on this in a while. But here it finally is : )
Oh ya and I really really have to learn the Zulu language or some of the more important words to get by at least! It's very frustrating! So if you could pray that I catch on fast that would be perfect! Thanks!
Bye bye for now.
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Touched By One of God's Children
Today I was greatly touched by one of God's children. Her name is Sarah and I met her at the flea market June took me to this afternoon after a wonderful church service. Sarah was selling these gorgeous skirts from Malayisa and I just feel in love with them and she had a lot of fun making me model all the different skirts in her little shop. haha. anyways, it was fun. I think she put four of them on me : ) As I finally decided which one I wanted I went to take out my money and sadly, I found out that I was short 30 Rand (that is about 5 dollars canadian.. but alot for being Rands) This skirt was 160 Rand and I only had 130 Rand. Before I went to pay her we had gotten into conversation and I told her I was doing mission work in Dundee and she said "Oh you are doing God's work?" and I found out that she as well , was a believer and she was very happy to hear that I was here in SA all the way from Canada. So back to the moment of when I was going to pay for this skirt... I looked through my wallet inside and out trying to find more money but that's all I had. Then Sarah told me, "I will let you take it for 130 Rand and I will pay the extra 30 Rand. Because you are a missionary for the Lord I want to do this for you. " I was soo humbled and didn't know what to say but thank you and God bless you! Then she told me " This is what happens when you do the Lords work. He blesses you." I just stood there for a second and thought about those words. Wow, such a blessing I tell you. Her words so true.
I'm sooo excited about getting to Dundee finally and meeting the team there and seeing DIONE again!! She phoned me the second day I was here to welcome me to South Africa. haha she is too cute. I love her. It was so nice to hear her voice being here in a foreign country.
I am soo blessed to have Dione here with me while I'm here. God is just so great. I have some one I can trust and talk with and share my frustations and uncertainites and questions with and she will understand where I'm coming from. And I know that Dione will listen to me and help me in the best way that she can and I'm ever so grateful for her and her friendship. Plus she is super deadly and a ton of fun so we are gonna have so many great times together. I'm really looking forward to it all. And thanks so much Dione for all the help you have been to me soo far and for your encouragement. You are a huge and wonderful blessing to me. Love ya
Oh ya, and I had my first cup of African coffee. My oh my its delicious! Very nice taste and I'm going to be drinking alot more of it for sure! And it was only about
1$ for a cup : )
As well, today was my first time participating in an African church worship service. It was very different than any Western church I have been to. Even though there were probably only about 75 people in the church when they sang it sounded like 200-300 people! Everyone sang so loud and energetic and with passion. And we sang for about 45 minutes. The pastor was very good and very passionate and loud and spoke a very sound message. And there were many many Amens! being said through out the whole service and message. I did feel out of place there,(because of their style of worshuip) but at the same time very not out of place.. like absolutely no one was in that church was being judging or not really wanting to be there but that everyone there was there because they were passionate and deeply in love with Jesus. It was definitely a challenge to me and the way I worship, and just a challenge to be more free in the way I would like to worship God.
Well today the city will be without power from 6 - 7. Some electricty problems here...i guess they always have this and sometimes they tell the public but other times not. haha some times it's longer than just an hour. Good thing I brought my flashlight : )
That's all for now. Later, Lindsay
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