Cape Town Craziness

Check out my New Blog

2009-02-03T16:55:00.003+02:00

I have started a new blog for my ministry in South Africa. Please check it out here.

Visiting Paul and Shannon Again

2009-01-31T02:30:00.010+02:00

My dad and I drove to NJ to visit my brother Paul and his wife Shannon and of course their dog - Gimli! I am so glad that I was able to get one last visit in before my return to South Africa on Tuesday! We had a great time and all enjoyed some shooting. There are bonuses to living in the country.

Before heading out today we enjoyed some Chinese food. Yummy! By the way - don't you LOVE Shannon's shirt - I do!!

The drive home was gorgeous as the sun was setting. All in all a great trip!

Lunch with the Old People

2009-01-27T02:12:00.003+02:00

Yep, that is what they call themselves, and they are so kind to allow me to join them each Sunday for lunch! I will miss this wonderful time of fellowship when I return to South Africa. These sweet people love me and pray for me despite my many flaws! They are so very dear to me!!

Pastor and Mrs. Moats

2009-01-27T02:07:00.003+02:00

The Moats' have been family friends since I was a kid and I love them dearly. It was wonderful to be able to spend Saturday evening with them. It is hard to say "hi and bye" and know that it will be one or two years before I see them again. Mrs. Moats has won her battle against breast cancer and would appreciate your prayers that she won't have to fight it again!

A Game Night

2009-01-27T01:46:00.007+02:00

Friday night several ladies from Wayside gathered at Hope's home for a fun night of games. We played In a Pickle, Apples to Apples Bible Edition, Imaginiff . . . , and Rummikub. There was much laughter, fighting (to prove how one was right!), and utter silliness. A wonderful night for all involved!!! Oh yeah, and of course there was snacks - a nearly perfect night!

A Breakfast Bible Study

2009-01-18T00:49:00.010+02:00

This morning I joined the Wayside ladies for a breakfast Bible study. These ladies sure can cook and the meal was delicious.

Some people feel that only using one fork isn't really effective! Go Becky!

It was a wonderful morning which ended with a great Bible study on prayer. Thanks Lorie!

Away with Friends

2009-01-14T05:08:00.013+02:00

Last week I went away with some dear missionary friends. Bekah and I have been friends since we joined the mission board in 2000. Josh and Bekah Jones have been friends since they joined the mission board a few years later. I love their three dear children, Caleb, Bekah-Lynn, and Stephen and enjoy being Auntie Amy. On our last day, Bekah and I went to Jim Thorpe, a really cute town. We enjoyed lunch at the Albright Mansion - a tea room style place.

We also enjoyed browsing the shops. It was such a quaint picturesque town!

The drive home on Saturday was snowy but beautiful. The trees were covered in ice and snow. Though part of the trip was a bit hairy, I made it home safely! I loved spending time with these wonderful missionary friends! (Sorry for the lack of pictures - I was having too much fun to think about taking pictures!)

Trip to NJ

2009-01-14T04:57:00.008+02:00

On New Year's Day my parents and I drove to NJ to visit my brother Paul and his wife Shannon. Oh yeah, and my parent's grandpuppy, Gimli! They spoil this dog for sure. He enjoys doing tricks for treats or ice cubes.

On our way home Friday we stopped and ate at a great little diner. Then we began our drive home - it was a wonderful visit and I can't wait to visit them again! (And yes I stayed out of the pictures AGAIN! Smart me!)

Mini-Golf Fun

2009-01-14T04:52:00.006+02:00

The week after Christmas my dad and mom babysat our pastor's two children for two days. We had a lot of fun and enjoyed a day of indoor mini-golf. Dad beat us all! Jaymie and Jayson were only one point apart - way to go!!

We played games and built Legos! Fun times with two great kids!

Christmas Eve

2009-01-14T04:45:00.008+02:00

Oops, I am out of order - that happens when you are behind in posting!!! Christmas Eve morning, my mom, Lorie, Jaymie, Susan, and I went beading. (The only picture of me was too blurry - so sorry!) I had never done this before and was surprised at how easy it is.

Here is my starting point and then the finished product. Pretty, right? I could so do this again!

Christmas

2009-01-14T04:38:00.006+02:00

Ok, ok, I'm a few weeks behind in posting!! So here are some pictures from Christmas. On Christmas Day we had my Mamaw, Uncle Bobby, Aunt Lee, Uncle Ron, and Uncle Ron's mom over for dinner. On Christmas Eve we had Gary and Hope Rohrer over for dinner - sorry no pictures of the actual event. Here are some from Christmas Day.

Uncle Ron's mom and Mamaw (my Dad's mom)

Dad and Bobby (my dad's brother) - do you think they look alike??

Aunt Lee and Uncle Ron

Mom and Dad

The Saturday after Christmas we went to Aunt Lee and Uncle Ron's house. I didn't get many pictures but we had a wonderful time together. And yes, if you look, there are disgusting brussel sprouts on my aunt's plate. YUCK - I didn't partake for sure!!!

Wayside Baptist Christmas Cantata

2008-12-23T22:19:00.007+02:00

Sunday night was the cantata at Wayside Baptist Church in Hagerstown, MD. My mom sang in the choir and my dad directed the cast. They did the play in a reader's theater style and the cast did an EXCELLENT job! I was impressed!

The children sang two songs and it was so cute. No matter where you are children are fun to watch!

A Day at School

2008-12-23T22:10:00.006+02:00

After leaving Johanna's house I headed to my Aunt Lee and Uncle Ron's house in Virginia. My aunt had asked me to speak in the chapel at the Christian school where she teaches. Friday was their last day for this year, can you believe 2008 is nearly over? After teaching the entire student body (and forgetting to take a picture!) I helped my aunt with her Christmas party. There was food, presents, coloring, stories . . . . and 8 very excited children!!! It was a fun day and I enjoyed my time with her class.

A Day in West Virginia

2008-12-23T21:48:00.007+02:00

Thursday I spent the day with Johanna and her youngest children, Kenny and Abby. We have been friends since I was in high school. Her youngest Abby was born while I was in South Africa and I have been looking forward to seeing this sweet little girl. We enjoyed lunch at Chick-fil-a and did some shopping and other errands. (In the picture of Abby, she is wearing a baby the African way - too cute. The second picture of Abby shows how this isn't a wise way for her to carry her babies!!)

We then picked up the oldest three from school. Alysa, Autumn, and Alexis are a lot of fun though very silly at times. It was so fun to spend the day with Johanna and see her growing family.

I didn't get to see Kenny, her husband, so I guess I will have to visit again. I have known Kenny since I was in elementary school, and don't you worry Kenny - you can't avoid me forever!!

Christmas Concert

2008-12-16T23:25:00.007+02:00

Saturday night my Mom and I had dinner at the home of the Mullinax's. Dinner was DELICIOUS - what a wonderful cook! They treated us to a night at the MSO (Maryland Symphony Orchestra). The concert was beautiful and the sing-a-long was a lot of fun. Other than Jingle Bells the songs were Christmas Hymns in the sing-a-long.

Mr. and Mrs. Mullinax

Mr. and Mrs. Higdon

Becky Higdon and my Mom

Wayside Christmas Party

2008-12-16T23:13:00.008+02:00

Friday night was the Christmas Banquet at Wayside Baptist Church in Maryland. It was a lot of fun and the games were great. The "theme" was supplies - office and spiritual. It was fun to win something off the prize table! It was a wonderful evening of fellowship, food, and fun!

Wednesday

2008-12-16T22:56:00.007+02:00

Wednesday morning I taught chapel at one of my supporting churches which has a small Christian school. Kara and Jerid are students, Mrs. Cummins is one of the teachers, and Brent (Kara and Jerid's dad) is the principal. The children listened very well.

I headed from chapel to Ambassador Baptist College. The college is out in the country and a familiar scene greeted me as I pulled up to the college - the cows were loose. Cows and sheep were sometimes seen around campus when they had escaped their fences.

During the Student Body chapel at ABC they honored Dr. Childs for his 19 1/2 years of service. He has retired so that he can take care of his sweet wife, whom he affectionately calls, "Tiger"! He will be greatly missed!

After spending time at the college I had lunch with a family from my church in Maryland. It was wonderful to see them again. This was my last full day in NC. Thursday morning I began my long drive home.

Out with Friends

2008-12-16T22:43:00.008+02:00

I am so behind in my pictures of my time in NC. Tuesday night I was able to spend the evening with the Cummins. Pastor and Mrs. Cummins personally support me and are very dear friends, my Mom and Pop Cummins. They are the grandparents of my kids - Kara, Jerid, and Jordan.

We went out to eat together to celebrate Jill's birthday. Brent made her cake - it was an Oreo cake and it was YUMMY!

Here are some pictures of our night - I already miss my dear NC family!!

Then Jesus Came

2008-12-08T23:30:00.013+02:00

Sunday night was the adult Christmas cantata and WOW they did an excellent job. With over 68 people in the choir the songs were beautiful. The children's choir sang, "We Ain't Never Done it that a Way Before" and it was great! Please enjoy these pictures of the cantata - I enjoyed watching it in person!

After the cantata was finished Pastor Surrett preached and gave the Gospel. Please be praying for those who came and heard it on Saturday and Sunday night. There were many visitors there from the community!

After the preaching the cast invited Mrs. Surrett up to thank her for all of her hard work this year. She always directs the acting portion of the cantata and does an excellent job!

Christmas Around the World

2008-12-08T23:20:00.008+02:00

Sunday morning I was excited to be able to see the Children's Christmas program at Emmanuel. I have never seen one as I was usually in the nursery! They did a great job. The first part was the 2-5 year olds. They were so cute as they do everything the teacher (and parent) hopes they won't do!

The theme was Christmas around the World. Some of the children were wearing clothes from other countries. They would share the Christmas tradition and then the children would sing a song from that country.

Dan and Sarah Hefner worked with these children and they did a great job.

At the close Pastor Ogle preached and gave an invitation. Please be praying as some parents were visiting that don't usually attend.

Discovery Place

2008-12-08T23:03:00.012+02:00

On Saturday Naomi and I went to Charlotte again and visited the Discovery Place. We walked through the museum, watched a documentary on Ancient Greece in the dome IMAX theater, and visited the Day in Pompeii exhibit which outlines the day a volcano destroyed this city.

I enjoyed walking through the aquarium which was small in comparison to the one in Cape Town. They had some neat fish though.

The rainforest was pretty and this parrot was beautiful - thankfully he stayed on his stand and didn't fly at me or something like that!

The last visit was the Day in Pompeii exhibit. What a terrible day that must have been - I cannot even imagine!

Hollywild

2008-12-08T22:45:00.012+02:00

Friday night Naomi, her roommate, and I went to Hollywild to see a huge setup of Christmas lights. On the way we passed the famous peach water tower in Gaffney, SC. I had to get a picture - isn't this thing amazing!

We drove through the area which took about an hour and there were so many lights!!

One section was an area where you drove through huge herds of deer and were allowed to feed them. We didn't buy food but sure wished we had as we saw all these deer who would eat right out of your hands.

At the end of the driving tour there were some animals to feed and/or pet as well as concession stands.

We saw these beautiful Biblical scenes as we were heading on our way out. All in all it was an enjoyable evening!

A Celtic Christmas

2008-12-08T22:32:00.013+02:00

Oops, I forgot to mention the concert Naomi and I went to on Thursday night. Before the concert we enjoyed walking in downtown Charlotte - the skyline is beautiful. My camera's ability to take pictures in the dark is limited - I thought I would share these weird and strange pictures of myself as well.

The building where the concert was held had some art exhibits. The first was just random photographs of people and things.

The second was random and strange art. It was interesting to see - though very strange!

We then headed to the concert and it was beautiful and fun.

Bible Club in NC

2008-12-08T22:19:00.008+02:00

On Friday afternoon I was able to teach the Bible club that our church holds in a local public school. These kids have been praying for me and even collected their change for me. The change was $30 - that is HUGE!!! I had taught here once before leaving for South Africa. It was fun to see this group and I was excited to see how many were coming! Thanks Mrs. Barrick and EBC teens - I had a BLAST!!

My Friend Naomi

2008-12-08T22:09:00.005+02:00

While I am in NC, I am staying with my friend, Naomi. We were roommates in college and then were roommates again before my move to South Africa. She now has a new roommate and two dogs. I just had to share the pictures of her dogs - Bonzer and Boomerang - Australian names for Australian dogs. Aren't they cute????

I also got some pictures as the sun was setting - the sky was pretty awesome looking.

My Dad's Church

2008-12-03T22:21:00.016+02:00

I visited my dad's church - Heritage Baptist Church up in PA. This church is about an hour and fifteen minutes from our house.

Mom teaches Sunday School and Junior Church. Here she is showing them the ostrich egg that I gave Dad after my fist trip to Africa.

Dad sitting at his desk.

Here are Mom and Dad and Dad is almost smiling!

This is the "thankful" tree. The people were able to write who or what they were thankful for and then tape their leaf tree.

Someone donated these pews to the church - though they are BRIGHT orange and don't match the rest of the decor - they are the MOST comfortable pews I have ever sat on, EVER!!

Here are some of the people in the church:

Miss Shirley

Mike (Miss Shirley's son)

Sandy

Jim and Helen

Andy, Jamie, Matt, JT, and Josh

Dinner with Friends

2008-12-03T22:08:00.010+02:00

Monday night I spent the night with Brent and Jill Herron and their three adorable children, Kara, Jerid, and Jordan. I used to babysit Kara and then Jerid and they are my kids. I held Jordan when he was only a few hours old!

We went out to eat at Cracker Barrell and I thought I would take some more pictures for those who are interested in what it looks like. There are the rocking chairs on the porch and the very full store!

The kids enjoyed a game of checkers on the porch before we left!

Trip to NC

2008-12-03T22:00:00.008+02:00

This past Saturday I drove down to NC to visit my sending church and stay with my friend Naomi. I enjoyed the drive and took some pictures to share with you. The views were beautiful even though it was a very cloudy day.

That evening was the Messiah concert at Ambassador Baptist College. I enjoyed the singing but didn't take any pictures during the concert. Here is one of the auditorium so you can see what it looks like.

My Family

2008-12-03T21:28:00.021+02:00

Here are some names to go with the faces for my mom's side of the family. (This is her sister Lee's family.) I really enjoyed spending the day with them!

Uncle Ron

Aunt Lee

Ron and Erin

Little Ronnie

Benjamin

Paul

Silas

Troy

and his wife Dreama

Michaela

Nicole

Elizabeth

David

and his wife April

Abby

Katie

Jared

and his wife Sarah

Jade

Uncle Ron's Mom

My Grandpa George's girlfriend, Joann

Thanksgiving with Family

2008-12-03T20:59:00.019+02:00

I am so behind in blogging but traveling does that to you. I am enjoying my time in NC at my sending church. Since I am back online I thought I would share pictures from my Thanksgiving with my mom's side of the family. We had a Thanksgiving meal the Saturday before with my brother and his wife. I hadn't seen my cousin Ron(nie) and his family for five years. The rest I hadn't seen since before my move to Africa. I am so thankful for my family! My brother and his wife were unable to be there since Shannon had to work. Aunt Lee and Uncle Ron have four married boys and between them there are 10 grandchildren. This makes for a very full house!

My Favorite Restaurant

2008-12-03T20:44:00.007+02:00

On the list of places to eat - Olive Garden is at the very top! I have missed it while I was in Africa. Friday, a week after I arrived at home I was finally able to enjoy this delicious place!!

My parents, my brother Paul, sister-in-law Shannon, and I enjoyed a delicious meal and great fellowship.

I love their salad and could have eaten this whole bowl myself. (Ok, so I probably did eat a whole bowl but hey who's asking??)

While we were eating it was snowing. I was able to get a picture of the slight accumulation on our car! It didn't stick to the ground which was fine with me - I really didn't want to have to shovel snow!

My Basement Bedroom

2008-11-20T22:23:00.004+02:00

I have moved back into my basement bedroom - this is where I lived the last few months before my move to South Africa. I like having my own room and my own bathroom (we have a nice bathroom here in the basement!)

One wall is this built-in unit with cabinets, dresser, closet space, and a small desk. The other "wall" is made up of a tarp. Hey it works and I enjoy it!

The "B.O.B." Box

2008-11-20T22:17:00.003+02:00

Often on Wednesday nights Pastor Pittman has the "B.O.B." box - Bible Object Box. This week Justin brought it in dressed like this! I just had to snap a picture! Inside was a Nerf dart and the application was the fiery darts of Satan. Justin put his application in the box with the item. Then Pastor gives what he thinks the application is. It is then opened up to the church family to share what they think the application could be.

More Whale Pictures

2008-11-20T21:22:00.007+02:00

I had told you that I would share some more whale pictures with you from Eric's camera. He gave them to me and I finally had time to blog with them. His camera is able to zoom much closer than mine - aren't they amazing??!!??

One of my Favorite Restaurants!!!

2008-11-19T23:42:00.009+02:00

YUM - Sunday night I went to Cracker Barrel which is one of my FAVORITE restaurants. I went out with my parents, brother, and close family friends - Gary and Hope.

I enjoyed a chicken salad sandwich, steak fries, and a sampling of coleslaw. I even ordered a cup of hot tea but it just didn't taste the same at all.

You can sit down and enjoy a game of checkers. I didn't get a picture but they are also known for their rocking chairs on the front porch.

And this one is for the van Besouw family - a 5 pound Hershey chocolate bar. It is HUGE!!!

Around Town

2008-11-19T23:30:00.012+02:00

The other day as I was driving through town I decided to take some pictures. It was something I would have done in Africa so why not here?!? Also my friends in South Africa want to see what an American city is like - so here you go! (Just so you know - some of these houses are from a nicer area of town - I don't live in a house quite this big!!)

I have to get used to driving on the other side of the road, miles per hour, sitting on the other side of the car, and many other differences. It has been fun!

Thanksgiving Fellowship

2008-11-19T23:17:00.013+02:00

On Saturday I went to the Thanksgiving Fellowship at Wayside Baptist Church. It was wonderful to spend time with the church family, as well as enjoy some traditional dishes.

I decided to make bobotie, a South African dish. It is one of my favorite dishes and this was my first time making it on my own. I also had a side dish of yellow rice. This is what was left so I suppose that means people enjoyed this dish! (Or were kind enough to try it!)

This is a picture of my Mamaw and Uncle Bobby.

Here are some of the faces in the church family here. It was so good to see everyone again - 18 months is a LONG time!

My Second Flight

2008-11-14T00:14:00.011+02:00

After a five hour layover in Frankfurt, I headed on my second leg of my journey home.

This is a picture of the airplane I was in as we went by a glass walled building - I thought it was an awesome picture!

Here is a picture of me midway through my second flight - I was so tired! Both flights were so full and I was unable to get very much sleep.

I also was able to get some pictures as I was landing in Washington. I wanted my friends in South Africa to see what our landscape looks like!

After the plane landed I was excited to see the American flag flying! It was wonderful to be home!

First Flight

2008-11-14T00:02:00.008+02:00

I decided to take lots of pictures from the plane, especially since the flight left at 7 pm and the sun was just beginning to set. This first picture was while we were still parked - there is a rainbow on the right hand side of this picture - can you see it?

The views were amazing and I wanted to share them with you!

Amy's Friends ??????

2008-11-13T23:43:00.011+02:00

On Tuesday the Paynes dropped me off at the airport. There were lots of signs for the pilgrims on their way to Mecca. I noticed several of them in the airport and was somewhat ignoring them. All of the sudden I recognized a face - Abby. Some of the church people had come to see me off - dressed like this with a sign that said, "Amy's Friends"!

People were staring and moving away from us. It was hysterical and slightly embarrassing! Check out their close ups, and you will understand why!

Yes, he walked around the airport with the umbrella OPEN!!

Joshua the golfing business man - he was even carrying a briefcase!

Petra was very dressed up - makeup and jewelry. Brigitta was a spy?? Her coat went to the floor!

Rachel has her braid end pulled over to make her fringe (bangs) while wearing very different colored STRIPED socks!

Lydia had on quite the outfit and hat while Hannah was a cowgirl riding a stick zebra!

Abby had on a full jester outfit - don't you just love the hat!

Caren was an "old" lady while JP was wearing a Liverpool (soccer team) jersey (shorts over his long pants!!)

And Cedric, Azura, Micah, Ben, and Katie were normal (or as normal as they could be!!) Katie was taking pictures.

Wellington and Andrew Murray

2008-11-13T19:59:00.016+02:00

Tuesday morning before my flight left I went with Cathy Payne to the city of Wellington where Andrew Murray pastored for many years. He is buried in front of the church with a statue of him seated while preaching. This is how he finished out his last years of preaching.

There is a huge cemetery behind the church as well as several plots in the front.

This monument is dedicated to Andrew Murray.

There was a funeral so we quickly climbed up into the belfry. We didn't end up going all the way up because it was VERY dirty. The stairs to this area were quite steep and coming down was a little scary!

We then headed to the Wellington Museum which had some of his belongings as well as this picture of him.

This is a "family" tree beginning with Adam and Eve. I wish my picture had turned out a little better as this was absolutely amazing!

Sunday School

2008-11-13T19:52:00.007+02:00

Sunday morning I taught on Josiah and finished the kings. I had 19 children and they were very good, though this could be due to my threat, or should I call it bribe. I had biscuits (cookies) and juice for them. I let them know that the quiet children would be enjoying the snack while the LOUD ones went home early. They were VERY quiet and listened well . . . hmm, I wonder why???

Lipizzaner Stallions

2008-11-13T19:40:00.008+02:00

Saturday night the van Besouw family and I went to see the South African Lipizzaner stallions. I love Disney's movie - The Miracle of the White Stallions. It is always fun to see the horses in person. The pictures are a little blurry due to the lighting and of course the motion! It was a lot of fun and I enjoyed our time out!

Well I Tried . . .

2008-11-13T19:11:00.025+02:00

I attempted to take the following pictures and use my Fun Effects cartooning on them. Sadly it didn't look right when I uploaded them - so, I decided to make them coloring pages.

Most of the family pets are also included: On Joshua's shoulder is Buddy, Brigitta is holding one of her three guinea pigs (I think it is Peaches but might be Rosebud and she also has Timmy Willy!), Petra is holding her bunny whose name is Snowball or Snowflake or something along those lines, and of course there is Popelka the GREAT DANE! Enjoy the before and after!

It's ME!!

2008-11-06T18:35:00.006+02:00

I was playing with my camera and thought I would share some pictures that I took of myself. It was kind of fun to see how they would turn out! The zoomed in one was by accident (my finger was on the zoom and I didn't realize!) but I kind of like it. It was something to do . . .

The V&A with Rachel

2008-11-06T18:10:00.012+02:00

Tuesday I went to the V&A Waterfront to spend a few hours with Rachel. She needed to kill time between two orchestra practices. Since I love this mall how could I refuse?? The day was beautiful and the water gorgeous!

The Volvo Ocean Race is a race around the world and the first stop of the trip was here in Cape Town at the Waterfront. We saw several boats up and out of the water being checked over. This race will take them months to complete!

After eating a "picnic" dinner we were beginning another walk around the area. Then we saw this duck coming right toward us! I could see the evil gleam in his eye . . .

I quickly said, "She wants a hug" and dodged the duck. I had to get a picture! Smile Rachel!!!!

After Rachel headed to her car to head off to her 2nd practice, I headed back toward a store I wanted to visit. We had passed these performers on our walk but I have never seen them here at the Waterfront - and you all know how often I am here!

Then I realized what I was seeing. A couple ran up and put on a pair of overalls and boots and then began to attempt to match the "dance" of these performers. The finished and passed a hat around the crowd for tips. After they had enough tips they were handed a yellow envelope with a clue inside . . . yep I saw the filming for the Amazing Race! This Amazing Race is being done by Israel and they were here in Cape Town and I saw them - FUN!! I also was able to watch a second couple come in shortly after the first couple and they also "earned" their envelope. Wow!

Sunday School

2008-11-06T18:02:00.003+02:00

On Sunday I had 15 in my class and they listened a little better than last week. Eric came in and talked to them before class started and I think that may have helped. Benjamin was my little helper again - he is such a cutie!

Sunsets

2008-11-01T22:21:00.004+02:00

Tonight and another night this week I noticed a beautiful color spreading across the walls of my living room. I rushed for the camera and got some amazing shots of a sunset! Spectacular!!!

Fun Class

2008-11-01T22:13:00.003+02:00

Friday I had Fun Class with about 25 children. That was the average as some left and others came in. We were able to go into the hallway and measure out how tall Goliath might have been. It was so fun to watch their eyes grow very large when they saw his height! Each of them came and stood next to the measured area and just looked WAY up! They all listened very well and even did very good in the review game.

PINK??????

2008-11-01T22:07:00.004+02:00

The other day I chose to wash a load of towels and decided to throw in my maroon sweatshirt jacket. I washed it in COLD water and this is what happened to my towels. One of these towels was lime green!

This is the color change of my teal towel - almost purple!

And the jacket??? It still has plenty of color and is still very maroon! Who knew????

Bible Club

2008-11-01T22:03:00.001+02:00

Wednesday I had 28 kids at Bible club. They all listened extremely well during the story on Saul chasing David and how David did not kill Saul though given the opportunity. After the story I tried to play a game of dodge ball but the Everite children didn't seem to grasp the concept of the game. So, after sending them home with their candy I played a game with the rest of the kids. What a joy to teach these sweet children!

Riding the Red Bus

2008-11-01T21:08:00.020+02:00

Last week I decided to ride the red City Sightseeing buses that I have seen so many times. The current exchange rate along with the beautiful weather has made this a great time to try this "tour" out. I enjoyed learning about the city of Cape Town and the scenery was gorgeous.

One thing you find regularly while driving is circles - you learn how to yield to the traffic from the right - which is opposite of course to circles in America. There is a HUGE circle in Cape Town that has MANY entrances and even has lights to direct the flow of traffic. I would end up sitting in my spot all day if they didn't have these lights!

I was able to find these maps of the city and have added a red line to show where Strand Street is. The first is a closer view and shows Strand Street - strand means "beach". This is where the old water line used to be in Cape Town. The land beyond this point was reclaimed from the ocean by the Dutch. The second map gives you an idea of how much land that really is. Truly amazing!

The tour took us through the city streets of Cape Town. I have always been impressed with skyscrapers. They are just so high!

We also drove past the Castle. This is a star-shaped fort in the heart of Cape Town and it used to be right on the water. This castle/fort has never seen military action though several wars were fought in this area.

The tour took us through the District Six area and by the Museum. Rachel and I visited this museum a few months ago. Most of the land has never had anything done with it and still sits empty. These colorful houses are in the area known as District Six.

We then drove up to the Cable Station on Table Mountain - the views during this drive were beautiful - especially from the top level of a double-decker bus! In this picture you can actually see the two cable cars. One is near the bottom and has begun to ascend while one near the top has begun its descent.

From here we drove down to Camp's Bay and the views of the ocean were breath-taking! This is one of the most beautiful beaches in the area. As we were driving you could feel the winds of a "south-easter" blowing down the mountains. Above this beach are the 12 Apostles (the reason for the name has been lost in history and stranger still is that there are actually 17 of these points sticking out the back of Table Mountain!) This "south-easter" is called the Cape Doctor as it blows the smog out to sea. It also makes the water colder in summer than it is in winter. The winds blow the warmer surface water out to sea and this allows cold water to replace it. Interesting facts!!

We then drove through Seapoint and saw this lighthouse. It is quite old and all the residents in the area know when the fog has arrived - this lighthouse has a VERY loud foghorn!

Notice how these trees are quite bent. I didn't get a picture but the trees on the opposite side of the road were actually bent the opposite direction. This area is often called "wind-free" but as you can see the trees don't realize that! They say these trees are bent this direction because the wind bounces off of the building! Strange!

From here we headed to Green Point where they are building this stadium for the 2010 Soccer World Cup hosted in South Africa.

Around the corner and we are back at our starting point - the V&A Waterfront! It was a gorgeous day and I really enjoyed the tour and all that I learned. I gave you the highlights as this tour lasted two hours. Hope you enjoyed the sights!

Sunday School

2008-10-26T21:55:00.007+02:00

Today I had 19 children in my Sunday school class - and they were a bit WILD! Four of the children were in my SS class for the first time. Two of the girls who came to Bible club came and a boy from Bible club also came today. Nicole, JP's friend, came with her mom today. It was wonderful to see them come! Today we met in the entry way so that I could send the kids home if they were too wild.

I taught on Hezekiah and then played a review game. (As much as one can review when most of the children don't seem to understand you very much!) The game was to throw ping pong balls in the buckets. The number on the bucket tells how many pieces of candy you win. Only two children actually won candy! Benjamin was my helper again this week, chasing the balls and handing them to the next player. (Or contemplating whether or not to let go!)

Tea at the van Besouws

2008-10-26T21:51:00.004+02:00

Saturday afternoon Theresa and Rachel hosted a ladies' tea at their home. Rachel did a wonderful job of making delicious cupcakes, quiches, and more! There were 14 ladies there and Katie gave a short devotional. I took pictures after the party was over, as the last of the ladies were leaving. Didn't they do a wonderful job with the food? (I would show you the picture of the tables but they only have dirty napkins left on them - I wasn't thinking when I got there!)

Aquarium Again

2008-10-26T21:42:00.005+02:00

When I first arrived at the V&A I was planning to visit the aquarium, but then I saw the HUGE school group waiting to go indoors and changed my plans. I was looking forward to seeing their new frog exhibit. It wasn't all it was "croaked" up to be but the frogs were interesting.

Of course I had to go and watch the fish swim and the kelp sway. It is so relaxing!

Just to let you know that Friday's Fun Class was cancelled due to a half day of school. I arrived to find out that all of the children were leaving shortly. Oh well - looking forward to next week!

Another View of the V&A

2008-10-26T21:24:00.011+02:00

Thursday I headed out to the V&A and tried to find something new to take pictures of this time. I have taken so many pictures of this mall and wanted to see if there was something you hadn't seen yet. First off I heard and then saw this man playing this rather strange instrument. It sounded a bit like an Australian dijoridoo.

Then I headed to the Clock Tower Shopping Center - haven't taken you there yet. Then I realized that the clock tower is not actually attached so I got a separate picture of the clock tower. (I think I did know this but was a little confused that day or something!!)

Here are some of the shops in this shopping area. Wonder if my dad would wear one of the shirts that Mandela wears? (I can most assuredly say, "NO!!")

Bible Club

2008-10-22T16:12:00.007+02:00

Today I blew my new record set last week out of the water!! Last week I had 24 children and this week there were 34! My group picture is of 29 children. Five more arrived after the picture was taken!

These three girls came in near the end. They had never come before.

Some of the kids brought first time visitors this week. Exciting! Thanks for praying for this ministry! Here are some of the new children who came today. (I don't have a picture of one of the new boys.)

Paddagang

2008-10-21T12:51:00.010+02:00

After touring the town we headed to the restaurant for lunch. Paddagang means "frog crossing" and years ago the frogs used to cross this area to get to the river.

The food was DELICIOUS. I had bobotie, chicken, waterblommetjiebredie (water flower stew), yellow rice, mixed vegetables, and sweet potato! WOW it was so good and I loved it.

Rachel had the waterblommetjiebredie with rice and the veggies. I didn't get a picture of the other girls food. We all enjoyed our food. (The waterblommetjiebredie was the water lily flower with mutton.)

There are turkeys and peacocks on the grounds. Thankfully they didn't get too close to me. (Me and my fear of birds!!)

Tulbagh - Seeing the Town

2008-10-21T12:21:00.015+02:00

Yesterday we walked down Church Street and saw this area which has been renovated to look similar to what it would have looked like years ago. Two of the homes are now museums which you are able to walk through. The houses are mostly typical Cape Dutch homes.

The two houses had some interesting artifacts in them. Wow, I am so thankful for our modern conveniences!

This is a butter churner.

Here is a typical Cape Dutch home ceiling. This is mud and bamboo which helps keep the rooms cool in summer!

This picture is made with different types of wood and plant life.

The flowers in the yards were beautiful. I wish I had taken even more pictures of the different plants that I saw.

This church is what the town was built around. They were rethatching the roof so we were unable to go inside!

It was an enjoyable day and I think we all had a great time!

Driving in the Country

2008-10-21T12:02:00.009+02:00

Yesterday Rachel, Brigitta, Petra, and I drove to Tulbagh. We had gone to this little city once before but they were just closing up as it was still the winter hours. This time we made a reservation for lunch at the Paddagang Restaurant. The drive was absolutely beautiful and the day was cool and not too hot! We drove with the windows down and my hair was looking mighty interesting!

The scenery was absolutely beautiful and we went by a different route than our last trip. There were LOTS of cows and that is why I called it "Driving in the Country". One word for it - breathtaking!!

The trip home was also windy but so much fun! What a wonderful day out.

Joshua's Boat

2008-10-20T00:03:00.008+02:00

I don't remember the official name for this Roman boat but I will try to remember to ask what it is. Joshua is part of a boat club and he built this boat himself - absolutely amazing! He has a battery in this which makes the oars move and thus propels the boat. He can also turn the two rudders to direct his boat. The gears to make the oars move were handmade by Joshua - to fit this boat! (He even made each of the oars, the rudders, well, everything on this boat!) I enjoyed watching it move across the pool!

Sunday School

2008-10-19T23:54:00.005+02:00

Today I had 13 children in Sunday school which was a blessing. After I taught on the life of Isaiah, we played a review game. I decided to let Benjamin get out of his stroller and he became my helper. He would get the bean bags for me (No, I didn't let him climb all the way up - I would put them on the edge so he could reach them!!) He would then hand the bean bag to the next child. Such a cutie!!

Picnic at Spier

2008-10-19T23:08:00.022+02:00

Friday Rachel, Brigitta, and I headed to Spier for a picnic on the grounds. Before getting our food we went to the craft market. Here is a sculpture completely made from wire. (This is rather normal here - they like to make things out of wire! If you look at the middle top of this picture behind the white thing - there is a wire sculpture of Mandela's head.)

Here are pictures of houses and even a town area which are made from bits of medal - often pop cans and such. Amazing the likeness in these!

We purchased our ingredients at the deli and then made our own sandwiches. The weather was absolutely beautiful and a perfect day to eat outside.

After eating and being attacked by ducks - see this one trying to eat Brigitta's fingers. Oh, what is she holding? Well it was a bit of something - but the duck was definitely after her fingers - I am sure of it!!! Ha ha! There were so many ducks wanting food!

Back to what I was writing - after we ate and were attacked by the ducks, we went for a walk. Spier has a cheetah conservation area as well as birds area. (Thankfully we avoided the birds - they are so NOT my favorite things!) Here are some random pictures from the day!

Preaching Online

2008-10-16T22:23:00.006+02:00

I am so thankful for the blessing of technology! Tonight I was able to listen to a sermon preached Wednesday night at Wayside Baptist in Maryland. It was an encouragement and truly a blessing. The internet is truly a wonderful tool - that can be used for the Lord!
If you are looking for good sermons please check out the link on the right hand side of my blog, "My Church Families - Wayside Baptist Church". Trust you will be encouraged as well!

Bible Club

2008-10-16T14:07:00.003+02:00

Yesterday I had 24 children at Bible club - YIPEE! This is a new high for Bible club. I had two new children from Everite, and 12 of the children this week were from Everite. The lesson was on David being annointed and defeating Goliath and I brought my tape measure to show how tall he may have been - wow, he was TALL!!

We played a game where you threw a frisbee and tried to land it either on two x's or in the hula-hoop. It was great to have Andiswa there to help this week.

Another Sunset

2008-10-12T19:08:00.002+02:00

As I was driving home from church I noticed some amazing colors in the sky. I quickly got home, into my apartment, and out on the balcony to get this picture. Some of the colors had already begun to fade and you can't see all of this sunset - but what you can see is gorgeous. The sky was beautiful - too bad I was driving or I would have tried for more pictures! Notice the dark clouds - I think our nice warm spring weather may have gone away for a little while - hopefully only a day or two!

Sunday School

2008-10-12T19:05:00.002+02:00

This morning I had 14 children in Sunday school, and eight of those were from Everite. It is exciting to see these children coming faithfully each week. We are continuing on through the kings and I think they are learning something - who knows?? Please keep praying for these children to understand their need for salvation.

The V&A on Saturday

2008-10-11T18:35:00.008+02:00

After enjoying Table Mountain and Signal Hill, I drove to the V&A for another visit. Have I told you that I love this mall??? Oh, maybe I did! My first stop was the Aquarium, yes again! I made it in time for the feeding of the fish which is always fun. I just sat and watched the fish for a while. I also enjoyed the Cafe and ended up getting my drink and snack for free. (I had to wait a long time and was not served - this happens way too much - I must be nearly invisible or something!)

I then headed over to the V&A and just walked around. I saw these different performers today. There were a lot more but I didn't take pictures of them all.

There was Bubble Ball for the kids and it looked like a LOT of fun. Why are these things only for the kids????

All in all it was a wonderful day out. Only one problem - I'm kind of BURNT! When will I learn that sunblock is my friend?? (So another self taken picture - when will this faze end??)

Signal Hill

2008-10-11T18:26:00.005+02:00

After I left Table Mountain I drove over to Signal Hill (also called Lion's Rump.) When I got there I saw this ice cream van sitting there and thought you all would like to see it. I have seen these before though I have never bought anything from them before.

Here is a close up picture of a guinea fowl - don't you just love the spots and the blue head!

The first picture is Lion's Head and the second is Table Mountain with Devil's Peak on the left. The views here were gorgeous as well. I didn't stay long but I enjoyed the scenic drive!

Table Mountain

2008-10-11T17:53:00.015+02:00

Today I headed to Table Mountain to see if it would be open. Obviously a lot of people thought that it was a great day to do this as well. I had to park quite a ways down the road, so I took a ride with this guy - it was fun!

The weather was absolutely beautiful! I took my jacket but it was gorgeous on top. The views were great and the clouds hanging lower over the mountains and bay were pretty.

I even took some pictures of the flora and fauna. There are some beautiful plants on the mountain.

Here are some pictures that I took of myself - and again someone offered to help me out.

Sunset at Sea Point

2008-10-11T17:43:00.006+02:00

I left the V&A as the sun was heading down, so I drove to Sea Point and attempted to get some pictures of it. I missed the really beautiful pinks but still it was pretty. I always enjoy seeing the water crashing on the rocks as well. I didn't stay until it was dark but what I saw was so relaxing.

The V&A on Friday

2008-10-11T17:34:00.005+02:00

Friday after I left Caren's, I ran home and changed shoes and then headed out the door to go to the V&A Waterfront. I made it there around 5 pm and headed to the Aquarium first. I really do love watching these fish swim! It is so relaxing and most of the time I was the only person watching them.

I also took some pictures of myself and this is one of the better ones - please ignore the very wide eyed stare. A lady asked if she could help me and I told her I was just having fun.

Then I walked around the V&A a little while and enjoyed the different performers. I took pictures of these guys as I always enjoy listening to them.

Visit with Caren

2008-10-11T17:27:00.004+02:00

After Fun Class I stopped at Caren's and enjoyed spending a couple hours with her. Cedric was already home when I got there but he and JP headed out to do Cedric's discipleship with Brandon and Marc-Ashley. When he was finished they headed out and I headed home and then out as well. The kids are still as cute as can be. Caren did Azura's hair in cute braids and she looks adorable! Of course Micah is always a cutie! JP was being silly of course! Such fun kids!

Fun Class

2008-10-11T17:22:00.002+02:00

Yesterday I had 26 children in my Fun Class. I only have two more before my trip home in November. I have started the life of David and covered two lessons. They really seemed to enjoy it and more of the kids could answer the review questions than normal - yipee! They were actually very good which is always a blessing!

Hermanus - Watching Whales

2008-10-09T16:07:00.026+02:00

Today I went with the Grahams to Hermanus and the weather was gorgeous - a bit windy but the sun was shining! It is about an hour and a half drive or so and most of the trip is extremely beautiful! Benjamin enjoyed holding Lydia's doll - Bitty Baby (to Eric's great consternation!)

We arrived and sat and watched the whales.

I saw one breach twice though my camera was off at the time. Others just came to the surface of the water. I am going to get the pictures that Eric took which may have turned out better than mine - we will see! (So look for that post to come later.) Hope you enjoy these pictures that I do have, though nothing is quite like seeing this in person. This first set is pictures of tails - oh how I wish I had an amazing camera!

Here are some pictures of the whales backs and/or fins! I probably saw 20 or more whales today. Katie had heard that there were over 100 whales in Hermanus. AMAZING!!

I took some pictures of myself - don't you just love the hair flying everywhere. It was windy today!

After watching the whales we headed to a beach not far away and had lunch. Katie and I talked while Eric and the kids walked down the beach. It was such a relaxing day! Before heading home Katie and I shopped at the curio stands. We had to walk through a little mall and when we did, I saw this sign and thought it was great! My dad would love to sit here!

The trip home was pleasant and again the scenery was gorgeous. Ben was so tired and he just crashed on the way home - what a cutie! Hope you enjoyed hearing about my day out!

Bible Club

2008-10-08T18:37:00.006+02:00

Today I had 22 children at Bible club which is WONDERFUL! It is exciting to see the children coming from Everite each week. I drove around Northpine and invited some kids to come this week and was glad to have them come. Some of the girls who were coming haven't been for a few weeks and I haven't been able to find their homes. Please pray that they would come again.

We played a variation of dodgeball which I think the kids enjoyed. One or two children were in the middle and if you hit them with the ball then you were in the middle. It was quite chaotic and I really don't know who should have been in the middle but it worked!

Sunset

2008-10-06T19:13:00.004+02:00

Tonight I opened my door to allow air in while I was running my dryer. I noticed that the sky was absolutely beautiful as the sun was setting. I quickly grabbed the camera so that I could share my view with you! Please enjoy!!

Katie's Garden

2008-10-05T19:47:00.011+02:00

I forgot to put this in "order" of events but I'm sure you all understand. I am not a gardener and really have no desire to become one. I do love looking at a beautiful and well taken care of garden. Katie has a beautiful backyard/garden. The flowers are blooming and are absolutely gorgeous. I just had to share them with you. And there are two guinea fowls that came for a visit. These birds are very South African and you aren't allowed to kill them.

Studying God's Word

2008-10-05T19:39:00.007+02:00

I started a new way of studying my Bible a few months back. I had done this previously but found it hard to lug a notebook around with everything else that I needed while on deputation. After reading a book by Mardi Collier, What do I know about my God?, I decided to start up my own notebook. What a blessing this has been.

I love finding verses and writing them out under the appropriate topic. It is a work in progress and I am learning more and more each day. My God truly loves me, cares for me, gives, directs my way, and so much more. So, what do you know about your God?

Last year I ordered a book for my friend and myself and had my mom send it to me a while ago. I found it on my desk under a pile of other books (don't ask!!) I decided to read it while I was babysitting at the Grahams and it is excellent. I have already read it a few times. It is When Trouble Comes by Jim Berg. The truths are wonderful and I have learned so much (and written so many verses in my notebook) through reading this book. Though not a very big book, it is filled with encouraging truths!

Bagels

2008-10-05T19:24:00.003+02:00

On my way home from town I stopped at the New York Bagels - the only place that I know of to buy bagels. These bagels are delicious! When you buy a dozen you get 13 - can't beat that! Even better is that they are less than $.20 each. Oh, and did I mention they are delicious! (I think I did!)

View from Lower Cable Station

2008-10-05T16:26:00.006+02:00

Today I decided to drive into the city since it was beautiful. I didn't know that the main highway would be closed (and I wonder if it will even be open tomorrow for rush hour!! It is supposed to be but they have a huge section dug completely up - who knows??) I finally made it and chose to go to Table Mountain, but I forgot to call first and see what it was like up there. It was too windy so the cable car was closed. I enjoyed the view anyway and thought I would share it with you.

The really huge ship in the water is actually the USS Roosevelt aircraft carrier which is here. (I found this out from a lady that works in one of the gift shops. Those on board haven't been allowed to come to land and I have no idea why that is. Just thought it was pretty neat to see an American ship while here! *UPDATE* - I heard that the over 5000 service men and women were allowed in Cape Town and that the CT Tourism loved having them! I suppose the lady I spoke to thought it was otherwise because they hadn't been to her shop - who knows!!??!! Ha ha!

Sunday School

2008-10-05T16:21:00.002+02:00

Today in Sunday school I had 9 children. Five children came from Everite and Azura has moved into my class. They learned about Jonah though how much the Everite kids actually understood, I really don't know.

Back Row: Aviwe, Abonga, Nosisi, Sandiso, Hannah

Front Row: Asasmkolo, Lydia, JP, Azura

Table Mountain at Sunset

2008-10-05T16:15:00.003+02:00

Saturday night I looked out the window and noticed a beautiful sunset with Table Mountain in it. The colors were amazing and these pictures do not capture it at all. But I thought they turned out pretty good anyway so here you go. Notice the table cloth is on the mountain (the cloud).