Friday, December 19, 2008

Sisters? Twins?

I don't think that Joy and I look very much alike. I guess it's obvious we're sisters. But we don't look like twins much less the same people. Especially since going out regularly to the restaurants people keep mistaking us for the other one. It seems to happen more to me. I'll be out and one of the waiters will look at me all surprised and say, "Oh, you cut your hair!" (shock and horror in their voice) Or people will ask if I was wearing a wig last time...
Joy and Noah go as a team and Steve and I as another team. One day Steve and I did the lunch hour at Mug and Bean where Joy and Noah usually go. The waiters thought Steve was Noah without the painted clown face and they thought I was Joy with a drastic hair cut. The really funny part was the next day when Joy and Noah went back to Mug and Bean. People told Noah confidentially, "You know, the other day your girlfriend was with another guy!" (most people think Joy and Noah are engaged, don't ask me why) Joy was met with disapproving looks and someone told her, "I saw you with another guy yesterday." and basically asked "what's going on." Poor Joy had to explain that it was me(her sister), and no she wasn't cheating, and no she was not even engaged to Noah.
Well, that's life when you have a look-alike sister! But I love Joy and think she's wonderful, so I don't mind when people think I'm her.

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Bitter or Better? You Choose.

This evening Steve and I went to Spur to do the dinner hour. It's usually from 6:30--9:00 with the busiest time being somewhere in the middle. Tonight however, the restaurant was rather quiet and more on the empty side. So it was slow, not many people and not much business. I do prefer things being more busy as time flies when you're occupied and having fun.
Some of the people we met were sour, stuck up, or mean. Seeing people like this was a little discouraging to say the least. It's hard to keep smiling when people are rude and snappy. But all this just made me think: do I want to be like that?
Do I want to be remembered by people I meet as an unpleasant character?
Do I want to be remembered as rude and mean, selfish and unloving?
Do I want to be remembered as the person who ruined an other's day?
Or:
Do I want to be remembered as a pleasant and cheerful person?--Someone who's considerate, well-mannered, kind, and loving? I want to be remembered as the person who brightened an other's day! I want people to see Jesus shining through me.
When you really stop and think about it you choose who you're going to be. You can let circumstances get you down, cause you lash out at others, or; let it make you into a better person. Like the story of the two old people, you can choose to be bitter or better!

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

News

Being here in East London has been a lot of fun, new, and challenging too.
We got to go to the beach this Monday. I love the beach! And living so far inland in Pretoria makes me like it all the more. Before coming down to East London I hadn't seen the ocean in more than a year. We only got there in the afternoon so it was windy and cold. Joy and I didn't go in the water. The cold wind didn't stop the boys though. They swam and had lots of fun while us girls kept warm on the sand. I wish I could've taken some pictures but sadly we have no camera.
Last week Joy and I did face-painting for a children's birthday party. We had never done face-painting before so this was a first. Of course like you we've painted our faces for fun or even others' faces for dress-up, but never professionally. The kids were so excited to have their faces painted even very young ones. We didn't get to do anything fancy. There were so many kids all waiting in lines so the teachers told us just to keep it simple and quick. Almost every girl wanted a butterfly and the boys wanted dogs. Some of the little one were so cute. One little girl was scared and she even started crying when getting her face painted. The hour went by so fast and before I knew it it was time to go home.
It's going pretty well at the restaurants. We've been going quite regularly to certain ones and the waiters and managers are friendly and welcoming. Today Steve and I did the lunch hour at two restaurants next to each other. I think because it was a public holiday there were so many people.--All over the mall and everywhere! Things were a bit noisy and hectic. It was a slower day with not many people wanting to buy our material. But it makes one happy for the times when it does go well.
Bev's car also broke down today so I'm not sure how this next week will pan out for us. We were counting on a vehicle to get to our different functions. Bev needs transport as well, as she does the gift wrapping at the mall everyday. I'm sure we'll make it...I don't know how, but we'll work out something.

Sunday, December 14, 2008

Brendan and Kiara

Latest pictures of those darling rascals. Oh how I miss them!








Friday, December 12, 2008

Restaurants, Tiredness...

Today I helped Bev at the gift-wrapping table and I got to do some Christmas shopping as well. Later in the evening Steve and I went to Spurs to do the dinner run. We go around offering to make balloons for kids, and while Steve makes the balloons I talk to the parents and get to show them our different material. Steve and I were at tables till almost 10 and we just got back home 10:15.
Now I'm so tired! I can feel tiredness in every molecule of my body. Sigh. I'm looking forward to a hot shower and my cozy bed. Good night all!

Thursday, December 11, 2008

Christmas Time

Christmas time comes once a year,
It's here and then it's gone.
But if we have Christ in our hearts,
Christmas will live on.

Christmas time, oh Christmas time,
Always live in my heart and mind.
Lord help me not to go astray,
But to live each day like Christmas day.

Monday, December 8, 2008

Gift Wrapping

Today we went out to help Bev(Steve's mom)with gift wrapping. We wrap gifts, charge a little fee, and get to sell our tools at the table. It's more fun when people have time and you get to talk and witness to them. Selling our products always brings out the witness anyway, and so many people love our material. Bev had another project to attend to so between Noah, Steve, Joy, and myself, plus hired help we had everything covered.
Things were slow as it's Monday. Noah and Joy went out shop to shop to promote our material. It went well and they were able to meet a few really nice people. Joy and I went out together a little later but because of lunch break none of the managers were available and most people didn't get their paychecks till Friday. We had fun anyway witnessing to people and trying to spread a little of the Christmas spirit and cheer to brighten their days. Many wanted to buy a CD or book but couldn't till the end of the week. No matter--we left them with the Christmas Activated mag and a smile on their faces.

Sunday, December 7, 2008

On The Road Again

Travelling down to East London ended up being better than I thought. I usually get really sick on buses and am miserable most of the ride. This time was a lot better. We boarded the bus in Pretoria around 5pm and went to the station in Jo-burg. On the way one of the drivers made an announcement about tickets and who should get off or stay on at the Jo-burg station. So according to what he said Joy and I were supposed to stay on the bus and go straight to East London. This is a little relieving as changing buses can be quite confusing at a busy station.
So we get to the station and I got out to make sure Joy's suitcase wouldn't get taken out of the bus. But there's this guy, trying to help, and he's just pulling everything out of the bus and not listening to anyone. Ok fine, have it your way. I got Joy's suitcase and waited so I could put it back on the bus. Next thing I know, amidst all the confusion of people milling about with bags and wondering where to go, one of the bus drivers starts shouting for East London passengers to go to another bus up ahead. I was like, what can't they make up their minds? I managed to call Joy who was peeking out the bus window and we grabbed out stuff and headed for the new bus. It was indeed going to East London and apparently taking a more direct route. PTL, at least we were on the right one. We were directed upstairs and were pleasantly surprised to find it much nicer than the first. The seats soft and comfy, you could push them back very far, and there were footrests--cool! We couldn't sit together but we settled down as best as we could and prepared for the next 10 hours or so.
I was so thankful for being in such a nice bus. I hardly got sick and was able to sleep a couple of hours at a time. We had two proper stops in the middle of the night. One at Bloemfontein around 12, and the other somewhere in the boonies (at a town that I can't remember the name of) a while later. It's nice to stretch your legs a bit especially on these looooong trips. The facilities are also a lot nicer, and easier to use since they're not in a moving vehicle.
Joy and I were able to witness a bit to the people we were next to. The lady I was sitting next to just had her sister pass on and now she was going home. And the lade across was a grandmother taking home two of her grandchildren. She told me a testimony of how the Lord protected her during a hijacking.
Our bus arrived in East London ahead of schedule. Very amazing as we had left late and had some long unexpected stops. Joy's phone battery had died so we borrowed a friends' to call the boys and tell them we had arrived. So that was our eventful, or rather uneventful, trip down to East London. Steve and Noah came to pick us up. I was so happy to see Steve and Noah teased about "capturing the moment with Kodak"--but I didn't care.
So East London here we are.

Friday, December 5, 2008

Temporary Residence Permit

Today is a day of miracles because...ta-ta-da-daaa...I got my visa!--or temporary residence permit as they like to call it. It's been frustrating and annoying all the trouble we've had because of trying to get this little sticker for my passport. Joy and I are finally leaving to East London tomorrow instead of today as was planned. But I don't really care because I have my visa.
Yesterday we were at the visa office all day. A sweet lady found my application papers that were lost and no one else could find. She helped us take care of the papers and said to call the next day at noon. Then we would find out if I had a visa or if I had to leave the country in 30 days. I admit was praying that I would just get a visa and that they wouldn't think up some reason to kick me out of the country.
So today rolls around and we can't get in contact with this lady so we decide to go ahead by faith to the office. Our bus tickets to East London were already booked so we needed to know. We're in the car racing down the road as we only have a small window of time before the office closes. Gabe passed me his phone and I repeatedly tried calling her. After the 4th or 5th time she picks up and Gabe talks to her for a while. Then, YES! She tells us to come in to the office because they've approved my application and I have to come and get my little sticker. Oh, that was such a happy and relieving moment. I don't have to leave the country in 30 days.

Thursday, December 4, 2008

I Miss Steve!

He's only been gone for a day now, but still...I miss him.

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

East London...I'm On My Way

I know it's December, the month of Christmas and all...but I don't really feel christmasy!? Any suggestions? Well, it's usually like this for me and sometimes I don't feel christmasy till after Christmas. Is that crazy or what? But I figure it's not really how you feel that counts, but how you make others feel. I was just thinking, maybe I should try to give others lots more hugs and kisses. You know, share the love? Then I remembered I still have laryngitis...scrap that plan. Oh well, I'll just have to think of something else.
Anyway, this December will be a little different for me. I'm going down to East London. Noah, Joy, Steve, and I are going there on a road trip. Apparently lots of people from Gauteng go down there for the holidays, and we're going there after them to tell them about the real meaning of Christmas. Whoopee, an adventure for me at Christmas-time! A big thanks to our home for letting us go even though it leaves a small team for all our other work. GBY.
Noah and Steve left on the bus this evening, I think it's a 10hr or more ride. Joy and I will join them on Friday if all goes well. Tomorrow morning I'll be going into the office for my visa, so as you can guess I'm praying that all does go well and according to His plan. I've never been to East London before so I'm excited to go. It's also where Steve spent most of his childhood so he's anxious to show me the town, where he grew up and all. I think it'll be fun.

The Joys of Teaching

Life is full of surprises and changes. I finally have a classroom and I'm so happy! I've been teaching Kiara for two years now and for that whole time we never had a classroom. It was always the living room, the dinning room, or my room, but never a proper room where I could teach. But now my dream has finally come true.
I also have a brand new pupil--Brendan, Kiara's new little brother. He's almost 4 months. I know that's kinda young, but who says he can't learn? So far he can hold his head up, stick his toes in his mouth, and of course make the scariest poop packages you've ever seen! He's so lovely I wish you could see him. He smiles more than any baby I've seen so far.
Things are so different now being with the two of them. Kiara takes being the big sister really well and loves to help. She likes watching when I change his diaper and then throwing the used diaper in the trash. (So funny the things that make little ones happy!) When Brendan wakes up from naps he's usually content to amuse himself by playing games like: "let's see if I can get my toe in my mouth". Reading is the most important subject with Kiara right now and when little man is busy I get more focused time with her.
Now Reading is a whole 'nother subject. I'm so excited and thrilled to see Kiara progress in reading. I always knew tiny guys could learn how to read, that's what I was told. But I never really got to see it till now. Kiara can read! I think I have to say it again because I'm so happy. Kiara can read! It's like a teacher's dream to see the results of what you pour into that little one. There's so much more she can do and I'm so proud of her, reading is just the latest thing right now. We have a little book just for her that I write words and sentences in. Then we draw a picture about what I wrote, and she gets to color it after reading. She's a little shy and whenever I encourage her to read to others she's a little hesitant. But when she gets the courage to read to others a page from her book, she gets all excited and a little proud too. Oh, it's so cute to watch!
In spite of all the little frustrations, times of fatigue, poopy diaper after poopy diaper, or the constant "why,why?", teaching is fun--and I'm proud to be a teacher!

Thursday, November 13, 2008

Adorable

I was feeling a little sad that I haven't been putting up any pictures on my blog. It looks a little empty...So I decided to share some of my favorite cutie animal pictures with you!

"Just a little stretch..."
"Heeheehee, no one will find me here!"

"Who cares if you're wrinkly? I still love you."


"This suit is a little tight but just what I need. I've always wanted to have spikes and look fearsome."


"Ooohhhhh, I just love you!"




As You Pour Out…

Sometimes when talking and pouring out to people special things happen. I’m naturally very shy, so going up to complete strangers and talking to them has never been easy. Just yesterday though, I got to go witnessing at the university. I hadn’t been out personal witnessing in a long time and I felt a bit nervous about how I would do. This time was different; okay I did feel a little shy, but it wasn’t that paralyzing and nerve-racking fear. Usually my stomach gets in knots, my heart races, and my hands tremble. None of that this time, I felt perfect peace and I didn’t even have second thoughts about approaching people.
It was almost time to go home when I starting talking to this one guy. I gave him a tract and told him about our work and a bit about my life and background. He in turn told me about how he discovered Jesus and what he was now doing. We talked about the country and the economic and political situations in the world. He told me how he loves to teach and was just getting ready to give a Bible class to his students that evening.
Just when I thought it was about time to leave he offered to pray for me. I was a little surprised as I had been offering to pray for the different people I had met and now someone wanted to pray for me! I said sure, we sat down and he took my hand and started praying for me. It’s nice to have people pray for you, but it’s even more special when it’s a complete stranger. He prayed an amazing prayer—amazing because mentioned things in his prayer that I had not even told him, he must have gotten it in the spirit. I think that to know things and to pray prayers like that you have to be really close to Jesus. It felt like there was an angel telling him what to say and what I needed prayer for.

Something similar actually happened to me earlier this year. I never got to write it down but I never forgot it and never will. A few of us had attended a wedding party/event being organized by our friend. She had wanted us to help at the event and witness to the people. We agreed to be there and we helped as waiters. We were also all dressed up as people from Bible times. Imagine a headdress and long robes and you’ve got the picture. It was fun serving drinks, talking to people, and making sure there was enough food and snacks. People were really intrigued by our strange dress and were very eager to talk. We got to witness to a good number of people that day.
Later in the evening we were supposed to keep the coffee table running. I remember thinking that there were so many people. Between Joy, Gina, and myself we barely managed to keep the table going. Just as we’d put down new coffee cups and saucers they’d be gone! But it was fun and people were so appreciative and sweet, they kept on thanking us.
A little later I was putting out new dishes, things had calmed down and the girls went to take care of the food. A lady came up to get coffee and her and I started talking. She inquired about our dress and nationalities. Most people that day thought Joy, Gina, and I were triplets and possibly from the Middle East. I explained that our parents are French and Filipino and that we were all full-time missionaries. She was so impressed when I told her about our work and she shared what she was doing as well.
I don’t really remember how it happened, she came around the table and we kept talking. Then it was almost like she started prophesying, she starting asking personal questions and saying things that she couldn’t have known. She held my hands and told me how precious I was and kept blessing me for serving the Lord. Then she started praying for me holding my hands all the while. I felt like it was Jesus right there, someone knew everything about me, my faults and weaknesses, my doubts and fears, and was praying for me and strengthening and encouraging my spirit. It was so powerful I had tingles all over my body and I started crying.
I was going through a really difficult time spiritually and emotionally and was tired of fighting the battles. I would never have told a complete stranger all these things, but she already knew! It’s hard to find words to describe the whole thing. In her prayer she said, “She loves you so much Jesus and she just wants to serve You with her whole heart. You bless her Jesus, You give her the desires of her heart. Help her not to get discouraged, strengthen her faith. Bless her for giving to others every day even when she gets nothing in return. Bless her for the little things she does every day, the things that nobody knows about but You know Jesus. You see her heart and You know she loves you more that anything.”
I cried and cried, how could she know what I felt, how did she know what I was thinking? Jesus was the only person I had really told about the little things and the struggles I faced each day. I just felt His love so strongly as the spirit spoke through this woman. It was truly amazing!
When she finished praying she squeezed my hands. I wanted to hug her and thank her for her prayer. She reached out saying, “we can hug we’re sisters”. I thanked her and we hugged, I was still in awe at what just transpired. She squeezed me tight then we both acknowledged our need to be elsewhere. She went to get coffee and she was gone. It was like the Lord anointed her for something special, to pour out to someone else but now it was done and she was back to her normal self. I went back to serving and I didn’t get to see her again, or say goodbye. I haven’t seen her since but I know that Jesus sent her to touch my life in a special way, and to let me know His love for me. I won’t forget that lady and I will always be grateful to her and to her willingness to obey the Lord even in the little things like: praying for a stranger.

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Internet

Ahhhh, the little things in life we take for granted. Like internet. Sigh. Our new house is not completelly set up yet and one of the things we don't really have is internet. Right now all the people with desk ministries share one tiny little G3. It's expensive but we have to do it for the work. I don't have a desk yet so I can't set up my ancient laptop. So right now I'm at a cyber cafe...yoohoo! Contact with the outside world, ooohhhh! Yeah, it's things like that, that I take for granted untill I don't have it anymore. It's a bit expensive to be here but I thought it was worth it to write you. Don't give up on me though. I love you!

Thursday, October 30, 2008

Little Creatures

There's so much to discover at our new house. There's no end to the freaky and strange bugs and creepy-crawly-creatures that we keep finding! Just last night we found this terrifyingly ugly creature. It looks like a spider but it has ten legs and mandibles. I caught it(this was before I had a good look at it) and we put it in a big glass jar. Gabe is collecting strange things as he hopes to make a collection of it. Well, it's just plain creepy, it gives me the shivers every time I think of it.
We also found a snake in our house the other day. Gabe caught it and we discovered it's a poisonous snake. Oh well, I guess we have to be more mindful and not walk barefoot.

Monday, October 27, 2008

Chips


French fries or chips are soooooo yummy! I'm sure you agree with me. During the move, when we had the trucks over, we decided we wanted to eat chips. It was Thursday last week and the truck had already left with the stuff and a few of us were left home to clean and do whatever was needed. Steve had left with the truck and I had managed to make a few sandwiches for him to take along.
We didn't really have anything to eat at home, we had moved the whole kitchen to the new house. Joy, Tim, and I decided to take a break and just go eat out. Give ourselves a little treat for working so hard...you know? Anyway, we took a little walk to Attebury and found a little chip stand. By this time we were starving so we bought nice big boxes of chips and I got a ham and cheese sandwich. We were so tired and hungry so that led to foolishness and we were being silly with the lady making us the food. Joy and I kept of teasing Tim and telling the lady to put chutney sauce on his fries. Of course Tim didn't want chutney sauce with his fries but the lady would play along with us and it was just so funny.
Once we got and paid for the food we found a bench to sit down. Ahhhh, it was so nice to relax and eat fries! It's so fun to be with Joy and Tim, they're so cute together.I think eating good food is really soothing for a weary soul. You should try it sometime.

Sunday, October 26, 2008

New House, Unpacking, And Other Tidbits...

We have now officially moved into our new house! Since then we have been busy unpacking, cleaning, and moving heavy furniture. I carried so many heavy things that I had such a backache for a few days. It's a weird feeling, you feel sorta like an old man, only minus the grey beard and wrinkles. I wish you could see how much stuff we have. It's crazy! I felt like we should just get rid of half the stuff. It takes forever to unpack and find a place for everything...
Being in a new house takes some getting used to. The first few nights I didn't sleep so well. That's also because we have a new bed! You know how it is, all of a sudden you have new factors like: mosquitoes, strange noises, strange smells(we have a thatch roof), strange sounds. The first morning after getting up I was looking out of our balcony and I saw a bunch of blesbok(a type of antelope) grazing near our property. That was cool!
For the two days we had the moving truck Steve was in charge of all the moving. He was the "moving manager" and took care of telling the movers what to take and out what to leave, what goes on the first or second trip. Then he also had to ride with them and direct the offloading. It was such a big job and he almost missed eating meals. I had to run around and make sure he had food to eat and make him lunch, etc otherwise he wouldn't eat. I'm so proud of him though and I don't know what we would've done without him.
A few guys from other home came to help: Phil, Ben, and Ben. They did so much for us and we're so thankful to them for their help. We also had Tim to help us for a few days of the move. He was such a big help and it would've been a lot harder without him. He did cooking, carrying furniture and boxes, cleaning, and much more. Of course Joy was happy to have Tim at our house so that was a double blessing. THANK YOU GUYS FOR ALL YOUR HELP!
Pretty much everyone(except Kiara and Brendan) is suffering from extreme fatigue and aches and pains. But, praise the Lord, we did it. It's not really over yet, there's still lots more to move and arrange. The good new is, is that we've made it this far and we're still alive! I love you all and thank you for thinking and praying for us.

Monday, October 20, 2008

We're Moving!!!

Yes, this is it we are finally moving! The first moving truck will be here 9:00 Wednesday morning. So a lot of us spent today cleaning up the new house. You wouldn't believe the amount of dirt and dust we had to deal with. Anyway, tomorrow we will be focusing on packing, all the rest that needs to be done so we can be ready for Wed. Amazingly we got running water and electricity at the new house today. It was a real blessing as we were able to vacuum and do all that nitty-gritty stuff.
Now I'm just really tired and exhausted so I'm having a hard time concentrating on the screen here. This is probably going to be my last post...for the month or till we get Internet at the new house. Depending on how busy we'll be next week maybe we can come back to this house to connect and check mail, since we can keep this house till the 31st anyway.
Well, until then! Don't forget to keep us in your prayers.

Sunday

Joy and I went to Menlyn this afternoon. We decided to dress sorta matching, just for fun. People here in South Africa apparently think we look Chinese! Anyway, we ran around a bit getting a few things before we sat down for a drink.
We went to a little coffee shop and I got a mug of coffee while Joy got some ice-coffee thing. I really like coffee but Joy never really drinks it. It makes her hyper and crazy! Her coffee was too strong for her so I sent her back to the counter to ask the lady to add more milk to it. The worst they could say is "no" right? The sweet lady filled it up to the top and Joy was all proud and happy with her drink. We had lots of fun talking and having sisterly time together. By the time we got back in the car to go home we were in such a foolish mood teasing and laughing at each other. (this is a normal occurrence in the Caroni family) The kids were saying the two of us shouldn't spend time together cause of the side effects. hahaha
Below are some new pictures I took when we came back home.
The view from our balcony. I saw the sunset today, it was just so gorgeous I couldn't resist. So I ran and borrowed a camera and ended up taking 10 or more shots of the sky. But this one looked the best so here it is.
Me showing off..lol Joy trimmed my hair recently and she gave me a new haircut with bangs.

Me and Steve.

Sunday, October 19, 2008

I Love The Rain!

It's starting to rain here and I'm so happy about it. I love rain! I love the feeling of excitement I get when the dark clouds build up, and the wind starts to blow, and you hear the rumble of thunder. I love the smell of rain--that special scent in the air when it's about to rain and the clouds look so heavy that they're about to burst.
Rain has such a cozy feel. It makes you just want to curl up under the covers and sleep all day. Or walk around in baggy pyjamas, read a book, have a hot drink.
Or sometimes it makes you go crazy and you want to run and jump and dance in the rain. I want to splash in the puddles without a raincoat, close my eyes and try to drink the rain.

Some rain pictures I like:

"God is in the rain!"


Friday, October 17, 2008

Little Accidents

This week Steve was swimming with the kids when he hurt his finger really bad. At first he though it was nothing but a day later it was causing lots of pain and he thought it might be broken. We tried keeping it bandaged up and Niki gave us a popsicle stick to use as a splint.--so sweet! A few days later Steve was finally able to get an x-ray of it and it turned out that it wasn't broken, praise God. Today he got it looked at and the doctors said he must have damaged some tissue or muscle inside. They didn't say much else. So I guess we'll have to let it heal by itself as there really isn't much else that can be done. I'm just happy it's not broken. Please pray that it will heal quickly and without problems.

I was cooking lunch a few days ago and I was in a hurry to get it done on time. We have a counter ledge that sticks out a lot, it's kinda weird and I'm frequently bumping into it. I was rushing to put away dishes when I walked pretty much into the ledge. Well, it was my hip that banged into the counter, not the bone but right above. Owwww! It hurt so bad. It swelled up a bit and turned into one huge bruise. It hurt to sit or even lie down. Thankfully it's all past now and my side only hurts when pressure is applied. Lesson learned: haste makes waste! But I guess you already knew that. Some people(like me)only learn the hard way.

Friday, October 10, 2008

Stress Not

How to Relieve Stress
by: unknown
1.
At lunch time, sit in your parked car with sunglasses on and point a hair dryer at passing cars. See if they slow down.
2. Page yourself over the intercom. Don''''t disguise your voice.
3. Every time someone asks you to do something, ask if they want fries with that.
4. Put your garbage can on your desk and label it "in"
5. Put decaf in the coffee maker for 3 weeks. Once everyone has Gotten over their caffeine addictions, switch to espresso.
6. In the memo field of all your checks, write "for sexual favors".
7. Finish all your sentences with "in accordance with the prophecy."
8. Don''''t use any punctuation marks
9. As often as possible, skip rather than walk.
10. Ask people what sex they are. Laugh hysterically after they answer.
11. Specify that your drive-through order is "to go".
12. Sing along at the opera.
13. Go to a poetry recital and ask why the poems don''''t rhyme.
14. Put mosquito netting around your work area. Play a tape of jungle sounds all day.
15. Five days in advance, tell your friends you can''''t attend their party because you''''re not in the mood.
16. Have your coworkers address you by your wrestling name, Rock Hard Kim.
17. When the money comes out the ATM, scream "I won!", "I won!" "3rd time this week!!!!!"
18. When leaving the zoo, start running towards the parking lot, yelling "run for your lives, they''''re loose!!"
19. Tell your children over dinner. "due to the economy, we are going to have to let one of you go."

Thursday, October 9, 2008

The Journey

Don't let life pass you by. After all it's not where you're going, but how you get there that counts.



Saturday, October 4, 2008

Our Great Adventure: The Fire

OK, firstly I want to apologise to all of you for not posting anything the past few weeks. I am still alive though and will try to make it up to you. There is a very good excuse(and excuses) for that though and I'll get to it in a minute.
The word "fire" in the title probably got your attention huh? Well, it wasn't just any fire, like a match fire or little bonfire. What I'm going to tell you is about one of those really BIG fires that are actually quite scary and could consume one's house in a matter of minutes. Anyway, I'm getting a bit ahead of myself here, so I'll try to start from the beginning.

The Lord had given us this house: really beautiful, in a nature reserve, pool, garden, cottage, thatch roof. It was all ours by faith. The Lord had given us many promises in prophecy and we had lots of prayer meetings from the time we saw the house till now. Problems kept on cropping up, it felt like we'd take two steps forward and the enemy would push us one step back.
Some of the problems:
-There was no water or electricity at the house making building and cleaning difficult
-We found there was a complication with the water as it comes from a borehole
-The owner was almost impossible to get in contact with
-He wasn't coming through with his promises (like clearing out rubble and trash)
-The neighbors told us that the owner was a dishonest man, and basically described him as a "shark"
On the building side of things it was going pretty well for the most part. We got all the building materials donated to us and we only had to buy a few things like tile adhesive. I won't say that it was easy, we had most of the guys gone 5-7 days of the week. We also had to keep people up at the house at night for security's sake as we had the generator and our power tools up there.
Because of the seeming difficulties we had to ask the moving company if we could push back the moving date from the 22 of September to the 22 of October. It seemed like a setback at the time.
One Wednesday, two/three weeks ago now, it was especially chaotic. We were trying to organize trips to the house, who needed to go and what needed to be done. It was decided that Jim and June would go and the kids would go and get to explore the nature reserve. Jim was going to stay the night at the new house to keep guard then June thought she would stay at the house with him. The kids were supposed to come back home for dinner but they decided to stay and sleepover at the new house.
Later in the evening 5 of us young people took the second car out clubbing for a friends birthday. It was just a normal day and now night, or so we thought. We had fun out at the club, dancing and spending time with friends. Since we had a normal work-day the next day we decided to leave at 1:00. I was feeling pretty tired from the day and we had been dancing for 3 or 4 hours now. Noah reassured us that he was fine driving this late and encouraged us to sleep on the ride home.
I settled down in my seat and tried to get comfy for the ride. Five minutes later Noah's cell rings. It sounded like a call from home and I was wondering what could be going on this late at home for them to call us. We were all sitting up when Noah said, "What?!" on the phone, then I knew for sure something was wrong. As soon as the call ended we bombarded him with questions.
"The cottage is on fire! They're asking us to the house to help as soon as possible as there are no other cars at home!"
Hearing that was just so weird and for a while it couldn't register properly in my brain. Why would there be a fire? It just didn't make sense. After a few seconds we in the car all joined in prayer. We hadn't been told how serious the fire was but we prayed as best as we could for a few minutes. The minutes dragged as we sat in the car in silence. Noah turned on the emergency lights and we raced down the highway as fast as we could go. Joy kept on praying in a whisper and pretty soon I joined her. I wasn't really sure what to pray for but I prayed for us to make it there safely, for the house, the children.
On the last piece of road down to the nature reserve, I had the feeling that I had never felt so desperate in all my life. Was the whole house burning? Was anyone hurt? After praying so much I felt like I couldn't pray anymore. I just started to praise the Lord. I know it sounds strange but I started to praise the Lord for the fire and all that had happened with the house.
The last hundred metres or so from the nature reserve we could see the whole thing. The house is up on a hill and can be seen clearly from the road. This time was different, it was night so everything was dark, everything except the fire! We could see fire on the hill and it looked like a lot. There was fire where our house was, fire behind, and a line of fire coming around the right side to the front. It was terrifying!
It looked like a serious bushfire. What are we going to do? We don't even have any hoses or water! Our Honda went through the reserve and up that hill bouncing up and down on every bump and hole in the road. When we got closer we realised with relief that the house was not yet on fire. Still the roof was thatch and a little wind was blowing, realistically and logically speaking there was no hope.
When we neared the house we jumped out of the car. Noah and Anita went back down to direct the firetruck that was supposed to arrive soon, the rest of us ran to help. June came running to us shouting, but I couldn't understand. We were still dressed in our party clothes as we had come straight from the club. I was a little wobbly on the bumpy/rocky road in my high-heels but you never really mind those kind of things in emergencies. June finally asked if one of us could stay with the children, she had told them to go further down the road a safer distance from the fire. She had been running back and forth from the children and the fire that whole time.
I thought that staying with the kids was just as needed as putting out the fire, and well, as much as we'd like too we can't all be heroes. So I offered to go be with the the kids and searched the darkness for them. I ran back down calling their names and finally saw two figures in the dark. We hugged and huddled together for comfort and warmth. They were so brave, I was so proud of them. The told me their side of the story and together we prayed against the fire and for those fighting it. From where we were standing we couldn't see so well what was going on. The cottage roof was completely burned and now the inside with all the junk and scrap wood was burning. Wind blew sparks from the cottage and caught the carport on fire. We couldn't see though because of the distance and tree in front. To us it looked like one side of the house had caught on fire. There was nothing we could do but pray. The kids and I were crying and praying asking the Lord to spare the house and all our people there fighting the fire. We prayed desperately for the wind to blow in the opposite direction away from the house. I also started praying specifically against anyone doing anything crazy that might get them hurt.
Meanwhile a bunch of neighbors had come up to our house to help or to watch. One neighbor brought a small truck with a generator attached to a water tank and a hose. That was a real help as there was no running water on the property.
Jim, June, Steve and Joy were trying to put out the fire on the carport roof and hopefully save the house from catching on fire. The house is 5 or so metres from the carport so they were really afraid of it spreading. Upon arriving at the scene Steve jumped into the water tank (that thankfully had some water left in it)and started hauling out buckets of water to Joy. Joy would pass the bucket to Jim who would then run and dump it on the fire. The water tank was quite big and Joy could only see Steve's hand as he passed the bucket to her. The poor guys felt pretty helpless! And Jim was still barefoot and in his pyjamas running back and forth on the gravel.
At one point when the carport was barely burning Joy asked June if they should go under and try to some some of the stuff there. "No way!" June was adamant that no one should try going under there to save anything. Just minutes later the roof collapsed and the whole thing burst into huge flames. Everyone had to take a few steps back and cover their eyes as the heat was so strong. Seeing that happen from were the kids and I were we all thought for sure the house has caught on fire.
There was an air con in the carport and Jim was afraid that it might explode. He finally threw a few buckets of sand on it and it popped and fizzled and stoped burning. The people operating the hose sprayed the burning thatch a bit, but then watered the wall between the house and the carport. The wall was so hot that the water sprayed on it turned to steam. It's a miracle the roof of the house didn't light.
The firemen and policeman arrived around that time. They first started spraying down the cottage a bit. There wasn't much to be done about that they had to let it burn down or else it could start up again. It was the same for the carport. All they could do was to make sure things stayed under control and that the house didn't catch fire.
Back home the mommies had been praying from the time they first received the call about the fire till the time we all got back home. Gabe then borrowed the car from next door( thank you sweet neighbors! xoxox) and drove up to the house along with Liz and Andy. The ASH was also alerted about the fire and the sweet people sent a carload of men to come help. Mind you this was all happening between 1 and 2 in the morning.
Gabe and them arrived even before the firemen, and GB Gabe he really went on the attack against the fire. After helping a bit at the house he left by himself and put out the fire that had been creeping around the side of our property. When I found this out I told him he should have asked someone to go with him for safety. Thankfully he was perfectly fine and did not get hurt.
After turning the kids over to Liz I went with Joy to see the damage caused by the fire. There was lots of smoke coming from the burning remains of the carport and I could barely see my way through the gate. Everything was under control though. We were able to be a witness to the policeman and even the fireman. The police himself commented to Jim that it was a miracle that the house didn't catch on fire. He said if that house started burning there was nothing that could be done to save it. "You could even hose the whole roof down till the inside of the house would flood but it wouldn't stop the burning thatch," he told us."
They kept raking the thatch and letting it burn, occasionally spraying it to keep it down. Since the firetruck was the only thing with water now they had to conserve it for the house roof instead of using it on the remains of the cottage and carport.
It was difficult to look at the fire damage, especially to see the cottage burnt out with only the shell remaining. We had put so much work and effort into the cottage and now it was only burning ruble. I felt especially sad for Steve and Jim who had worked on the cottage almost everyday for 3 weeks!
By about 3am we finally went home. The firemen would stay longer and we left Noah and Jim to guard the house for the rest of the night. The ride back home was very quiet. We were thankful the house had been spared and that no one had gotten hurt. But it was difficult to accept the loss of the cottage.
I was so exhausted when we got home. I had to go change into warmer clothes as that whole time I had been standing outside getting chilled in my party clothes.Everyone gathered together in the living room to pray. We poured out our hearts to the Lord praying for continued protection and even thanking Him. After praying we discussed the miracles of the whole event. It was so touching to hear the different sides of the story and to see people praise the Lord in spite of it all! God bless Janet and Nora who had stayed home the whole time and prayed for all of us from start to finish. We were able to share with them what happened. A few people had visions of the Lord's protection and it was so nice to end this terrifying experience on a positive note.
I munched on dry toast as I listened to different people speak. It was past 4am now and I felt very weak. We finally ended the prayer and praise and everyone stumbled off to bed. I managed to shower and wash off the smoke and burning smell before crawling into bed with Steve at 4:30. He was pretty upset by the fire. I didn't really know what to say so we just prayed for the night and I drifted off into a troubled sleep.

I would like to thank all of you who faithfully pray for me and for our home. I know your prayers were a help to us in our time of need.

Sunday, September 21, 2008

Cute Kiara

Yesterday we went on a little "outing". We were going to Menlyn to check out Exclusive Books and do a few other things. In the car on the way there Kiara was blabbering away and being so bubbly. She was talking to Lisa and looking out the car window and she just sounded so cute I couldn't help making a comment about it.

"Somebody is so cheerful today!" I said.
"Oh! Who is it?"
"It's you Kiara. You're being so happy and cheerful."
"No, I'm not cheerful. I think I'm funny!"

Later we were in the bookstore and I was looking at calendars. You know the ones with theme pictures for each month? Anyway, there were cats, wildlife, flowers etc. I saw one with James Dean.
"Joy likes this guy." I said, as I picked it up to have a better look at the pictures.
"Oh!" Kiara's eyes widened. "Is it Tim?" (Tim is Joy's boyfriend)
I just laughed and laughed...

Thursday, September 18, 2008

Sara Jane

You live with a person all your life and sometimes you forget to tell them how special they are and how much they mean to you. I have lots of brothers and sisters but each one is different and special to me.
So here I want to write something for Sara, my youngest sister. She just had her birthday on the 17th so, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY SARA." I took some time to think of 10 words that describe you, things that I like about you.



10 Things I Love About You


  • Cuddly

  • Lovable

  • Spunky

  • Spirited

  • Bubbly

  • Rascally

  • Petite

  • Caring

  • Strong-willed

  • Shyness

Our Great Adventure: Updates

"When life throws lemons at you, make lemonade!"

Hmmm, it seems like we're drinking lots of lemonade these days. Well, newest update is about the eletricity situation of our new house. Yipee, I love surprises! We just found out today that our new landlord owes the electricity company TONS of money. And because he's not paying up they cut his house off from receiving electricity. So our dilema is that we need electricity and we need the landlord to sort out this problem so we can move in.
Weapon of choice for today is: Extreme Praise.

Okay here I go, "Thank you Jesus for lemonade!"

Sunday, September 14, 2008

Happy Birthday

YOU ARE SPECIAL

Don't say you're not important,
It simply isn't true,
The fact that you were born,
Is proof that God has a plan for you.

The path may seem unclear right now,
But one day you will see,
That all that came before,
Was truly meant to be.

God wrote the book that is your life,
That's all you need to know.
Each day that you are living
Was written long ago.

God only writes best sellers,
So be proud of who you are,
Your character is important
In this book you are the "Star".

Enjoy the novel as it reads,
It will stand throughout the ages,
Savour each chapter as you go,
Taking time to turn the pages,



I want everybody to know that today is the birthday of someone really cool and special and it's for him that I'm posting this poem. Happy Birthday Philz!! I love you so much and you're such a great friend. You're always so understanding and caring, fun and spunky, full of life, crazy about Jesus, a music freak, a true XDer! I pray that Jesus will give you the desires of your heart this year. Forever be an XD! Yeah!!!

Saturday, September 13, 2008

Our Great Adventure

I would venture to say that moving is like an adventure. In our case it's like Monster on the Move. Monster..?--That would be our home, and yes we are moving! So far it's been a series of miracles big and small, and some we don't even know about. Every time we move somewhere it's like an obstacle course or a test in faith. Either we don't have a house, or we don't have money, or we don't have a moving truck, actually it's quite a long list. Right now we're in the middle of packing and my room is covered in boxes as we speak, (or more like: as I type).
The Lord supplied a company that is graciously donating the use of one of their trucks to us. The scheduled date for moving is none other than the 22nd of September. Yikes! That's about a week's time, a week to pack all my junk and precious treasures. Oh well, that should be long enough.
Ok, so I have to admit in spite of any worries or fears I have it's been an amazing ride so far. The miracles that we've seen are so cool and it's just the beginning. For example: our new contract starts on the 1st of October, but our current landlord won't let us leave till the end of Oct. unless he gets new tenants. We're praying that the Lord can do another mighty miracle and get new tenants so we can leave. It's the 14th right now so that doesn't leave Him much time to work. But then again, who are we to put God in a box? If it's His will the new tenants could appear at our doorstep just like that!
The new house needs some building and fixing done before it's really ready for us to move in. A few of the boys work on the house and sometimes stay the night. But there's no electricity and there's no water! At first we had to rent a generator to be able to use the power tools but now a sweet friend offered the use of his for as long as we want. The Lord also supplied us with new power tools, the owner of a small hardware store let us buy all the tools we needed for cost price, and they're a good brand too.
All the material we have so far and that we're using to build has been donated to us. Plywood, logs, bricks, tiles, tile adhesive, sand, cement, kitchen cupboards, shelves, etc. It's quite long list of what the Lord has done for us.
I'll try to keep you all posted with news of us and the move. I'm sure that there's plenty more exciting news to come. We might not have Internet for awhile in the transition of houses but I'll be as faithful as I can when we do. We started having prayer meetings every night at 8:30 to pray for everything concerning the move. Please help us out by keeping us in your daily prayers we really need them. Here's a short list:


Prayer Requests

-For our Honda to get fixed. Supply of car parts and mechanics.

-For all the building that is happening for everything to be done correctly, and without any eventualities, for safety and protection

-For a tenant to take over our lease at the end of September

-For the water and electricity situation to be solved smoothly and speedily

-For the packing and closing down of our house

Thursday, September 4, 2008

You've Got Mail!

Joy did an art project with the kids this afternoon and the assignment was: mailboxes. Each one had to make their own personalized mailbox. So, using small cardboard boxes, colored paper, glue, and other accessories the kids got to work. Even Kiara helped by designing the cover for her mailbox. Of course there was also the usual competition of whose was nicer/cooler! But since each one made their mailbox how they wanted it there wasn't any problem.
They all got really excited by the whole thing and started talking about how they were going to send mail to each other, and hoping they would in turn receive goodies. Kiara, in customary toddler fasion, kept asking every five minutes if she had mail; or she would ask me to write her a letter. It was so cute to see her just as excited about it as the older ones.
Later after dinner we got together for a little "family time". Most of us were doing art, mainly painting, in the dinning room. Jed made popcorn for everyone, and then read Asterix and Obelix out loud to us while we painted.
Kiara got a few letters in her mailbox and she was so happy. She even wanted to write letters back right away. The kids kept writing notes back and forth to eachother and even to Joy and myself. It's rude not to reply to your mail, so I made little cards/notes for each one of the children and put it in their mailboxes. (they're all in bed so no chance of getting caught) Nothing fancy, just a note to say what I appreciate about them. I didn't forget to stick to important rules like: something boyish or manly for Jed, something feminine for Niki, and something cute(with BIG writing) for Kiara. I gave her stickers in her note and I can't wait to see her face when she gets it tomorrow morning.
It makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside when you get this piece of paper, clumsily folded with loving little squiggles of writing inside. Maybe the grammar and spelling are terrible but the translation is simple: I love you is what it says.

Laughs With Dave Barry

This article of his is my favorite, at least for this month! There's no knowing what Dave Barry will come up with next.

***

The bleu plate special
Dave Barry, Miami Herald (back column)
What lies ahead for the European Union? This question is very much on the minds of concerned journalists looking for a way to take a tax-deductible vacation abroad. For this reason, I recently spent several weeks assessing the mood in a broad cross-section of Europe, ranging all the way from Paris, France, to several other parts of France.
I would say, based on this trip, that the biggest problem facing Europe today is that everything over there is hard to pronounce. Even the word "France" is pronounced as a different word entirely ("Fwonce"). But basically the mood of Europe is good, except when you order your food incorrectly, in which case Europe can get snippy. My family and I experienced this personally at a cafe in Paris called Le Mistral (French for "The Snotty Attitude"), where we offended the waiter by committing the unforgivable blunder of existing. To make matters worse, when the waiter, after ignoring us for 15 minutes, reluctantly came to our table, I made the horrific faux pas (literally, "hors d'oeuvre") of attempting to order my food before I ordered my drink, if you can possibly imagine anything so gauche (French for "American").
The waiter was so offended that--I am not making this up--he tore up his order slip, spun around and walked away in what the French call "une huffe." So we went to another cafe, where the waiter was very nice, and where we wrote, in what we hoped was French, a letter of complaint to the Le Mistral management.
After our meal, we marched back into Le Mistral, where I handed the letter to the manager, who read it and handed it to the snotty waiter, who also read it.
The three of us then had an argument. Unfortunately, we conducted it in French, which I have not studied since the 1960s. If you translated this argument into English, it would probably go something like:
MANAGER: What is the problem?
ME (pointing at the waiter): There is a duck in your elevator.
WAITER: I do not know what you are talking about!
ME (forcefully): Give me the fish of my uncle!
After several minutes of this, we marched back out, proud of having made our point. Meanwhile, back in Le Mistral, they probably laughed until tears fell into the bouillabaisse, and vowed to be even ruder to American tourists, in hopes of generating more linguistic comedy entertainment.
I found the European mood to be mellower in Provence (French for "Province"), an extremely picturesque sector of southern France filled with picturesque houses and fields and little picturesque towns connected by winding roads upon which the French whiz around at speeds upwards of 17 million kilograms per hour in cute French cars the size of an Altoids tin.
Provence was once occupied by the Romans, who built picturesque ruins until their empire collapsed as a result of eating too much cheese. The same thing happened to us. We consumed cheese by the metric ton. We bought it at open-air markets, which are held in certain towns on certain days. The rest of the time, France is closed. (You think I'm joking.)
On market day, all the residents of Provence get into their Altoidsmobiles and whiz to the same town, where they form a massive traffic jam and park in every conceivable place, including on top of other cars. Then they walk around the market and buy delicious, inexpensive cheeses, sausages, breads, pastries, candies and other delicacies. Then they go home and throw all the food away. At least that's what I assume they do, because, despite living in Cholesterol World, they're all thin. The entire population of France weighs less than a standard American softball team.
But we tourists, not knowing the local customs, actually ate the food. Our schedule was: Eat, sleep, then go to the market again. Eventually, we had to tie our French rental car to a post so it couldn't flee when our bloated bodies lumbered toward it.
In conclusion, the European Union is an important issue that everyone should care about. I urge you to go over there and assess it for yourself. If you happen to eat at Le Mistral, and you happen to see a waiter who looks like a ferret with a mustache, and you happen to speak French, tell him, for me, that he has a duck in his elevator.

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

Gardener's Guide



Gabe bought this really cool book on plants and gardening. While studying it one day I found this little piece of paper glued in one of the front pages. Obviously the former owner thought it a valuable addition to his book. This is what it said:

GARDENER'S GUIDE
BULB: Potential flower buried in Autumn, never to be seen again.
DROUGHT: Weather immediately following planting.
HOEING: Manual method of severing roots from stems of newly planted flowers.
HOUSE PLANT: Much better idea.
PROPAGATION: Method of increasing plant population. Normally only effective with weeds.
CREEPER: Slow demolition expert.

I laughed so hard after reading that and when I showed it to Gabe he was almost rolling on the floor with laughter.
Gabe and I are sorta the "gardener freaks" in our home. He's something like a walking encyclopedia and I know quite a few weird plant names (like: phalaenopsis) courtesy of Kiara's flashcards. Anyway, I like plants...a lot. I wouldn't say that I know how to take care of a garden. I just like to, that's all.
Btw, phalaenopsis is an orchid species. So it is actually a real name and not one I made up. I have a white one that sits on my desk. It's not as fancy as the one in the picture, but I think it's beautiful.

Thursday, August 28, 2008

Toddler Tidbits

Sometimes little guys say the cutest things! They try to use big words or expressions they've heard you say. Or they say things that are just hilarious to you, but are very serious and mean a lot to them. Here are some things Kiara said recently:



We were eating lunch together and one of the kids were being silly and teasing her dad.

Adult: "Is (name of child) being naughty? Does he need a spanking?"

Kiara(very seriously): "No, cuz Jesus says you need to love your enemies!"



This morning Kiara was waiting while Joy got her breakfast and Niki came and sat next to her. Later Joy told me their conversation. It went like this:



Niki: "Did you sleep well last night?"

Kiara: "Yes, but...I had a whoopsie!"

Niki: "A whoopsie. What's a whoopsie?"

Kiara: "I went peepsie...I...I mean peepee, in my bed."

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Off To The Zoo We Go

On Monday we took the kids to a big zoo in Jo-burg. It looked pretty big on the map so we asked the kids which animals they really wanted to see, and we went to see those. We stayed in the zoo for at least 3 hours and we didn't see half of it. The kids had fun though, we saw the lions real close, they fed and petted the horses.--They loved it. I had a hard time trying to keep up with the older kids, take pictures, and push the stroller at the same time. We had brought a cooler bag that was full of juice, apples, and bananas. That, along with Kiara's backpack was so heavy every time Kiara got out of the stroller it would fall backwards. It was actually kinda funny.


"He's not a real crocodile." For some reason Kiara was convinced that this wasn't a real crocodile. It's probably because he stayed so still most of the time. I had to talk and explain for quite a while that it was in fact a real, alive crocodile. "ROAR..." This looks like a silly picture but she's actually making lion noises for the camera. That's the lioness's head poking up right there next to us. They had a nice enclosure with glass windows so we could see the lions close-up.

"Sitting still for pictures sure is boring."

"The horses are 'tinky."

"Say Cheese!"





Dros


Last Saturday evening a few of us went out for a few drinks at a pub nearby. We drank, had fun, and took a few silly photos. "Drink up me hearties. Yo ho!"
With Joy and Anita, posing for one of those "pretty girlie shots". Of course the camera man is saying something ridiculous hoping you'll pull a silly face. That explains my grin.

"Ready, set, go! Glug, glug, glug..."





Warning! Warning! The hazards of drinking.


If there's any of you I haven't told yet, this is my boyfriend, Steve. So yeah, now you know.

Thursday, August 21, 2008

Puppies

Our chows have two puppies, a boy and a girl. They're so chunky and they barely have their eyes open. I put a puppy on Kiara's lap so she could have a chance to hold it. They're still quite young so the poor little guy was scared being away from the dog house. I explained this to Kiara and here in the picture she's trying to soothe him saying, "Don't worry, don't be scared."
Cute widdle puppy, so fat he can barely stand.

Here she's singing to comfort the puppy.














Teaching--My Life

For those of you who don't know, I'm a full-time teacher. I teach one of the cutest little girls on the face of the earth. (or at least that's what I think) Her name is Kiara(Gabe and Nora's daughter), she's a typical little pisces with blond hair and blue eyes. I've been her teacher/caretaker since she was 5 months, and now she's two.
Teaching her is so much fun! Toddlers are just adorable. I can't resist their smiles, chubby cheeks, and the cute things they say. Since Kiara and teaching are such a big part of my life I'll be posting pictures and stories of her here on my blog. For those of you who love little people, stay tuned!

Here's a picture of myself holding Kiara the first month or two I started taking care of her. The rest are the most recent pictures I have of her.









Thursday, August 14, 2008

A Little Snip


June has a friend at a hair salon who offered to give us complimentary haircuts. The lady's real sweet and friendly and letting us have haircuts benefits her as well. The "learners" get to "practice" on us. Ha, don't worry it's not as bad as it sounds. Tecnically they know how to cut hair they just lack practice/experience. So they get to use us as their models and everyone's happy. We get a haircut and they continue learning.

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Visa Complications

Yesterday I went with Gabe and Lisa to Home Affairs. Lisa's visa was ready and Gabe was hoping we could also get mine and thus save us a trip later in the future. Everything went as usual. You know how it is in places like these: lines of people so long they start outside the building. Fortunately for us it wasn't that bad. Gabe told us laddies to sit down and he would stand in line. I took a look and one of the chairs and thought, "No thank you! Don't really want to get lice or whatever else is in that chair. Hmmm, what to do?" I spied another chair that looked less fortunate in wildlife and decided to sit on the edge. "Oh well, we're gonna be here a while anyway. Might as well do some prayer vigil and catch up on my reading."
After a bit of waiting, reading, climbing flights of stairs, waiting some more, taking out papers, putting them back...and more waiting, we finally discovered they couldn't find my application papers anywhere. "Go back downstairs." they told us. "Okay, here we go again." After even more waiting, interspersed with questions and phone calls they told us the news.
"Your papers have been sent down to Durban." Gabe was so upset poor guy I was afraid he'd have a heart attack right then and there. I however was feeling a little confused. "Durban? Why did they send the papers to Durban?" Apparently at the very bottom of the letter from our association was a tiny little line giving our old address in Durban. They didn't do that to anyone else's visa papers though. Oh well TIA!

By the way please keep praying for my visa. Gabe says that we'll have to contact an agent in Durban and get him to take care of it for us. Just pray that all works out and that there won't be anymore glitches.

Saturday, August 9, 2008

National Women's Day

I just found out that today is "National Woman's Day". Whoopee, it's a day to celebrate all those wonderful women out there!! The first two women that come to mind are my dear mothers. Yes, I have not just one but two mothers. I'm twice blessed and they are the bestest in the whole wide world.
To Mama and Mommy (aka. Jessica and Rose):
Thank you for everything! For loving me, teaching me, molding me, and helping me grow into the person I am today. A mother's love is forever and both of you have always been there for me. When I was small you'd lift me up, wipe my tears and kiss away the pain. Now that I'm no longer at home you still do the same for me in your prayers. I love you both.
Much love, your daughter