A few changes

Well here I am sitting in my new place. My lease expires in the middle of this month and I told the guy who stays in a smaller room in the complex where I was staying that he could move in by the end of last month.
Are you asking why I would tell him to move in without me having a place to go? Well here's the story.

For a little over a month now I have been going back to Ruth's (Sinakekele) twice a week. She has started a play group for orphans. They come from a community that is up the hill from Ruths. As of now there are four. Melokuhle (Melo), Rose, Sibu and Gcinwa (I still can't pronounce it right!). They speak NO word of English.
The first day I noticed the kids were going outside to the toilet. It dawned on me that most, if not all, the houses where they stay don't have their own bathrooms, therefore they go outside or use the outhouses provided. So I tried to show them how to use the toilet. It still didn't work. I asked this zulu women the word for toilet which is emboshi (not spelled right). So I went to the kids and tried to explain the best I could that they must go to the toilet inside. I would point outside and say, "emboshi ta (toilet no) and then point towards the toilet inside and say, "emboshi yebo (toilet yes). They just laughed at me and made fun of me. Some of the boys still go outside. But they are slowly getting it.







I have been going to Ruth's now for over a month and she's got the volunteer cottage up, the nursery up, and she has a baby!! I thought it would be a great idea to move out to the farm.
Problem... I don't have a car to get in and out 5 days of the week. I have to be in Umhlanga between 8:30/10 pm therefore I would have to stay at someones place those nights because I wouldn't have transport to get back to Ruth's.
I was in deniel about having everything sorted. I had a meeting with a lady from the committee of Sinakekele and after the meeting reality hit. I had no place to go! Unless God provided a vehicle for me and petrol(gas) money, I wouldn't be able to get in and out. So I had 4 days to find a place and with my funds from Canada gone and the salary I make, I couldn't afford anything in the area.



Panic sunk in.

The day that I had the meeting I went to work after and I told my boss that moving out to the farm wasn't going to work. She mentioned something about me staying in the little suite connected to the house and I said I would feel like I would be intruding. She said she would talk to her husband anyways. I was thinking not, but she told me to think about it.
The next day when I came she asked how I was and I started to cry and she said it would be okay if I stayed. She said we could try it out for a month or two and see how it works for free! I said yes. I will still be looking for my own place though...
So here I am in my nice cozy place and loving it! I feel out of place because it's so beautiful! But I'm going take it and enjoy it, because I have a feeling that I will be living in some pretty crazy place, eating some pretty crazy food, doing some pretty crazy things for God one day.
I'm excited about the future! God is good:o) And the plus side. I will still be able to go to Ruth's Monday to Friday to help out! Praise God! So things worked out in the end. I'm still floored by His faithfulness!
Since being here everything has been falling ino place. I got my nice little place which my funds sustained me until now. Got a great job and a scooter. Got a new place for free and I get to do what I enjoy. Can't tell me this is all coincidence. Everything is perfect in His timing! Wow!
That's about it for now.. I will be staying out at Ruth's for Holiday because I can:o)
Love to you all!

Scooter of Death....

Hi...
I have some time to kill so I'm gonna catch you up to what's going on.
Things are going really good here. God is good! I've started working and it's not waitressing! Praise God! I got a job tutoring a kid here in Umhlanga Rocks(pronounced Umshlanga). It's perfect. It far exceed the amount I was hoping for and it's just right around the corner from me. The kids name I tutor is Ross, AKA, Ross Boss. He's thirteen and is your typical teenage boy! Full of energy! He's great as is his whole family. They are absolutely wonderful. I have been sooooo blessed to have found this job!
When I first started they gave me a bike to get back and forth, which was wonderful. Then they decided to buy me a scooter! Even more wonderful!
If you see this Ross Boss... Sorry about the one picture, but I like!!!!

I got a story, actually three stories...


Story #1
The day I got my scooter my friend that lives above me had to fetch it for me because I've never rode on a scooter before. We were on our way home and he just about made it until he took the last turn to our place. Well he took the corner a wee bit fast and he panicked and opened up the throttle instead of breaking. He ran into the curb. Me and his roomate/friend, Anthony, were following behind him in Anthony's car and Anthony was checking the other way for cars and I said, "What's Andrew doing!?" and Anthony had no clue what I was talking about until he saw Andrew (the guy taking my scooter home) on the grass. But before he saw him on the grass he asked where Andrew was. I was concerned at first but then I had a good laugh. It looked so stupid! He looked like a rag doll on the grass. Besides some scratches and sore muscles he's okay.


Story #2
When I work I usually work anywhere between 3:30 and 5 for a couple hours. This particular day I started around 4:30, but I had to be at my church around 6. As soon as I got off work I had to rush home and get ready.On my way to the church, I was in such a rush that as soon as I turned the corner to get out of my drive way I did the same thing Andrew did. I opened up instead of pulling the break and there I went. I hit the curb. The first thing I did was look around to see if anyone saw me. No one saw, thank God!! I was so embarrassed! Poor Andrew, he had a few people see him fall. So I got up and quick, recomposed myself and drove a little bit more carefully up to church.

Story #3
Every Friday we have youth with Destiny (my church). We have been recording skits during the week to show on Friday nights. While we were filming in a parking lot, my friend Lloyd decided to go on my scooter and ride around a bit. During some filming, I was watching him riding around and next thing you know, my scooter took victim number 3. I don't know what he was doing because he wasn't going to fast, but he bailed. I went there to see if he was okay and he kept on saying, "I'm okay, I'm okay," and then immediately after that he said, "don't tell my wife." He too just had a few scrapes.
I'm not letting anyone drive my scooter (which I'm thinking of calling satans trap) unless they are wearing a helmet.... Maybe...




So things are going really good here. I'm becoming more involved with the church and youth, I gots me a good job, and I gots me scooter. God has been so good and how can I question His plans for me. He's provided from day one. From the place that I'm living to the food I eat. And it's only going to get better! "Seek and you will find, ask and it will be given to you, knock and the door will be opened."

He is Faithful and True:o)

Back in SA

Hello. I am here. Excellent:o)

I arrived here after a thrilling 43 hour journey. Connections and such went nice a smooth. I watched lots of movies (The Curious Case of Benji Button is not good! I actually didn't watch it on the plane, but I would still like to know why it's got such great reviews????)
The movies I did watch were all depressing movies:o( Two people fall in love, and one of them dies... Umm... The wrestler... and.. I can't remember what else I watched). The book I was reading had a sad ending. But I'm here now which makes everything all better:o)

Oh, let me say. Getting through SA customs is a breeze! I didn't have to take any electronics, toothpaste, phones, etc. out of my purse/carry on. When I walked through the buzzy thing (you know what I'm talking about) no one was on the other side. When my carry ons went through the X-ray, the lady behind it wasn't even looking at the screen because she was busy talking to someone else. Much better than Regina!!! But maybe they're a wee bit lax.

I'm looking forward to getting into a routine. I've started catching up on my lectures and I'm waiting for a friend to get back to me about a waitress job. I would like to do that ASAP and I think in my spare time I will help out with the church where ever they need me and if that doesn't fill enough time, I will look to volunteer somewhere else. Problem is with that is I don't have transport and there isn't any places to volunteer around here.

That is it for now. I'm thinking my life will get much more exciting and interesting by the end of the year.
I have told myself I will do a better job at updating my blog. I will try, even if it's about eating food because that is where I'm a viking:o)

Pictures of my family on our Capetown/garden route trip

Kelvin and Heather (My brother and his wife) on Table Mountain in front of Capetown.

Our Christmas dinner of yummy pies... Mmmm.

Me and Kelvin on top of Table Mountain.

On the way to Cape Point. Except for the lion. That was later on on the trip.

Kelvin would make pull over, what seemed to be every 5 min. to take pictures!!

Kelvin decided to go for a walk with his boiled eggs while Heather, my mom and I decided to stop at an Irish pub in Capetown to have a Guinness and some Irish stew.

Some random animals.

My mom, Heather and Kelvin doing some fine modeling in front of a very large tree.

Kelvin, Heather and I at the Southern most point of Africa.

Having a relaxing evening after some hiking. Or was it from driving for hours???



Kelvin and I being Tarzan at Storm Rivers Mouth. I must add, it is one of the most beautiful places I've seen! I will be back!





Otters Trial. I will do the whole thing one day. Absolutely gorgeous!!!!

A waterfall on Otters Trial.

On our way home from an exhausting, but awesome 10 day trip.

Finally I get to go back!!!!

Well my planned three months in Canada has now turned into 4 and a half months instead of 3. Why you ask? My VISA. Wow, what a hectic time from getting my radiological report to the South African Embassy having my passport for close to two months.
I got back mid January to -50! Eish! One of the coldest winters in years! Here we are in mid May and it's still a wee bit chilly, 8 above. Looking forward to the plus 20 weather next week!!! Yeah.
My time here has been good. I just stayed under the radar and didn't socialize too much. It's just easier for me to do that when I'm here for a short time. I filled in most my time with work and yes I went back to Joey's Only:o)
Mid March came around and I started to work on getting the proper documents for my VISA. Everything was going fine until my radiological report. To get a VISA from South Africa you have to get an X-ray of your chest to prove that you don't have TB. I don't have TB, but the problem was getting back the form that the radiologist had to sign. What usually takes a week took a month.
I finally got all my documents collected for my VISA by the end of April. Now just to send it in. Before I sent in all my documents I called the embassy and asked them how long it takes. They said it would take 7-10 business days.
Just a note. I've had problems with the embassy before. The very first time I went to South Africa I had to change my ticket because I didn't get my passport back in time, so this time I wanted to make sure they had enough time before I booked my ticket. Also, I wrote them a note to contact me as soon as possible if there was problems.
I gave them a month. Bad plan!
3 weeks after I sent in my documents and a week before I was supposed to leave, they called. There was a problem with my acceptance letter for college. I got a new acceptance letter and sent it to them via e-mail 3 days before I was supposed to leave. They called me the day before I was supposed to leave and said they just received my e-mail. I had to change my ticket. I asked them before I changed my ticket if two weeks would be enough time for them to process my VISA and the embassy told me yes. So I gave them another two weeks. Bad plan again!
A week after I got a call from the embassy to tell me there was another problem with the acceptance letter. I got a new letter done and sent it to them right away. This accpetance letter was fine but there was a problem with my itinerary. They needed an updated one. I sent it four times by e-mail and they said they didn't receive it. My goodness!!!
I didn't get my passport in time so I had to change my ticket.. Again! As soon as I got my new itinerary I faxed it, e-mailed it from both my accounts and my travel agent sent it, so they had no excuses!!!
Just to add onto the stress I couldn't get in touch with them. All I wanted to know what was going on. I called several times, as did my travel agent. And they NEVER call back. They only call when they need to get a hold of you.
Well they called back last week and to tell me my passport is on it's way and today I opened up my mail box and there it is! My precious passport!

I'm going/coming back to SA baby and I couldn't be more stoked!!!

Whoo hoo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Home

Hi, I'm home in Canada. But only for 3 months
I had problems with my VISA so here I am sorting it out!

Never give up, never give up, never give up!!!!

Ok, my first question for all you mac users... Why can't I post any pictures on here?? Or my profile picture!!!???

I'm feeling feisty.. I'm feeling restless.. I'm feeling like I will not let the circumstances/hits of life get me down. I think I'm at a point where I have realized that I cannot make it on my own. I have tried too long and too hard to make things happen on my own when there is God that will fight for you, that will lift you up, that will make things happen for you. And how do you do that??? Just trust!!!

This year nothing went my way!! I came here to South Africa thinking that I was going to get all super spiritual. You know a halo hanging over my head and angels singing all around me. Why not, I was going to be working with AIDS babies and I was going to bible college. I'm a saint, right??!! Not!
Also I thought that I would be working full-time with pay as the volunteer coordinator/nursery manager for Sinakekele children. Well as you know if you have been keeping track, that went terribly wrong!!
God took me down.

So I'm still sitting at my nice comfy flat in Westbrook. I have attempted to volunteer at other places, but transport and finances have kept me from doing pretty much anything. I tried that baby house (read previous posts), and that didn't work out.. I checked other baby houses, but the volunteers basically just sit there and hold the children. The domestic helpers do everything.

And then I tried Missions Ablaze. I enjoyed it the most. It was like an adrenaline rush everyday!!

Missions Ablaze is located very close to me here in Westbrook. They get food donated to them and then they go to the streets and feed the poor. The places that I would go to with the feedings were in Durban and the majority of the people that they fed there are big scary men. I have not doubt that I have looked in the eyes of many criminals.

This is how my day would go...

I would wait at a traffic circle and then the Missions Ablaze bakkie (truck for all you North Americans) would fetch me and I would go to three different locations and help pass out bread and pour soup. The workers with Missions Ablaze would ask me to say the blessing, but I got too intimidated. There would be quite a bit of eyes on me and it was scary!! But that is something that I will get over. God did not give me the spirit of timidity, but of power, of love and of self-discipline.
So the guys will queue up and the very few ladies that would come will queue up separately, and yes they got to go first. They come and get their loaf of bread and their soup. You see they don't have bowls for soup so what most of them do is find a 2 litre pop/fizzy drink bottle and cut it in half and use that as their bowl.
Missions Ablaze feed from Monday to Friday's. So Monday's the boys are very hungry and can be quite hard to tame.
This last Monday this one guy wanted seconds, but there wasn't enough to give so he decides to "curse" and give choice words to the guy that is ahead of the operation that day and then I had some words to say to him and then we all started arguing. He still didn't get his food so he went to the nearest garbage bin and had a little fit and started throwing the rubbish out of it. I found it quite humorous.
The last stop is Point Place. It's well known for prostitution and drugs. When we drove up to the spot where we give the food, there were more people than food. The old man (guy in charge) was trying to get the guys to queue up and they weren't so he told them if they are not going to queue up then they won't get fed. Most were listening, but some weren't. So old man jumped in the bakkie and took off. I was in the back of the bakkie and the hungry men were grabbing at the bread and I was praying the whole time!! So we parked around the corner and organized everything and then attempted to feed them again. This time they were queued up.
Everything was going well and then they realized that the food was getting low. Before I go on, a guy with Down syndrome came and he was trying to help with the queue. Okay... So the food was getting low and the guys saw this and they started mobbing the bakkie so old man hopped into the bakkie and took off again leaving the guy with Down syndrome behind with the mob!!
Three guys hopped in the back of the bakkie with me. One of them already had a loaf and the other two didn't get any. So the one guy with the bread was trying to get the two loaves that was left. I gave them to the other guys and he tried to take if from them. Some of these guys will get extra bread and then sell it on the streets. Crazy! So after we got the guys off we sorted the crates and went back to get the guy with Downs. He came running and gave old man a HUGE hug and then gave me a huge hug. Poor guy!! He was so startled and scared!!!

So I attempted Missions Ablaze, but it's not working out. I love it, but transport is a problem. And I will only be able to volunteer 2 more weeks because I will be going to a camp in Joburg Dec. 7th for a week and then after that my family comes (JOY JOY!!!) and then I will hopefully be moving near or in Umhlanga. It's closer to the college and the church. Also it is near shops, so if I need groceries I can go whenever I want. There is nothing in Westbrook. The closest thing is Ballito. It's about a 5 min. drive. It will be soo nice to be near everything and people!!

I know some of you will be upset with me, but I was waiting for my ride with Missions Ablaze one day and they didn't pitch. I didn't feel like going back to Westbrook because it can get sooo boring. I have no reception for my tv. or the radio, and I don't have a dvd player, so instead of coming back home, I decided to walk to Umhlanga. It would have taken me about 5 hours. It was funny cause I sms'd/txt my "good" friend Rudi and told him I was walking there and he called me back and said not get get murdered, or something like that. It's good to know that I have friends that think and have a weird sense of humour like me!! If it was anybody else they would say I'm bloody mad!! hehehe...

I walked for about 2 hours until someone picked me up. The first guy rolled down his window a wee bit and asked if I needed a lift and I asked him how I know I could trust him and he told me that he was in the company car and just to get in. So I did. Didn't take too much to convince me;o) Nice man he was. He dropped me off and the guy that was behind him when I got picked up picked me up. He followed him. He said I shouldn't be doing what I was doing. Too dangerous. But I was getting cabin fever!! And I'm alive and safe... So no worries, right!!??

But you know I haven't felt that free in such a looonggg time!!! Just being able to get out and not having to depend on someone else and just going with the flow was amazing!!! You know that feeling when you go up into the mountains, or when you're in the middle of the woods and you just stop, close your eyes and you smell that fresh cool air?? Or that feeling and smell of spring after a long winter? That's what I felt like. Like I could do anything. Like nothing could stop me. Rejuvenated...

I have been wrestling with the thought of coming back to Canada for a year next year. I will have financial freedom, physical freedom (in the sense of getting to places), freedom to do what I want. Makes sense, right? Well I've decided I'm not normal and I will fight to stay here. A friend told me when she came here (she's from France or Reunion?? It's french anyways) that she did not want to stay here, but she said that her spirit was excited to be here. She stayed and she has no regrets. That's exactly where I am. I have come alive here and I don't want to risk what I have learned by coming back there where things seem stagnate in the Spirit. I still have so much to learn, so much to do!! My spirit is alive once again.

The favourite quote of my pastor here is "Never give up, Never give up, Never give up"...Sir Winston Churchill.