Little did she know...

So I have now been in South Africa for a week and 4 days, and at Lambano Sanctuary for a week and 2 days  :) The good news: I am sleeping at nights now. The bad news: Sometimes I go to bed before 9:30 pm. ( blink, blink ) When in Rome, neh? (that's my excuse, anyways) Me and L trying to keep warm at the soccer match. I am loving words like, clever, brilliant, boot (for the trunk), robot (for the traffic light), see you now now (which means, see you any time from now til tomorrow), pram, plaster (band-aid), rubbish bin, howzit? (my new favorite lazy greeting), cheers!, neh? (which is basically thrown at the end of any questioning sentence, or commanding sentence, or whatever sentence), this one! (when scolding, tattling, whining, teasing) and the list could go on. It's a fun game to remember and use my new vocabulary.  I am not so much loving walls and gates and locks and alarms and being stuck inside as soon as the sun sets. I am not so much loving speed bumps and in...

Here's a little tour of mi casa.   me and the unsuspecting roommate :) Sarah is a peach! [and stuff] A couple of themes have been running through my head and my heart ever since I was preparing to come to Joburg and I just wanted to share!  First: Colossians 3:12-17 have been my theme verses that I keep going back to. " Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassion, kindness, humility, meeknss, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts...

Orientation: usually that word makes me cringe a little. and also fill my heart with a little bit of dread. it usually means an Attitude Adjustment.  So as I spent hours being distracted from packing and saying goodbye to people and somehow miraculously ending up with packed bags, I had a little nagging dread about the 3 days of orientation I was to spend in Charlotte. silly me.   I could not have been more encouraged and challenged and blessed. While most of the topics that we covered were pretty basic,  it was the time with  the staff at SIM  where they shared their hearts and passion and experiences with us that challenged me the most. SIM's motto is "by prayer," and I was able to witness first hand how they lived it out. I ended with a lot of things to think about and evaluate in my life and for the future. It was time well spent. Our (as  me and the other STA, Jenny ) second night at orientation, our splendid coordinators took ...

People? I am not a detail-oriented person. SO. apologies (sort of) for the holes and missed updates. Maybe this will help. Maybe?  Details: prep.  I have had to do things like sign papers and a lot of emailing and waiting and phone calls and immunizations and waiting and writing and pictures and ordering and making lists and buying and waiting waiting waiting.   Packing list: immunization record, international driving permit, passport, yellow book, driver's license.  Details: travel On Monday: depart from beloved Hot Town and go to the Homestead with The Parents and Sister On Tuesday: drive to Denver and fly from DEN to Charlotte, NC.  On Wednesday (through Friday): attend Orientation and meet The People I've been Emailing On Saturday: Who Knows. Conquer Charlotte, maybe.  On Sunday: To Infinity! and beyond! (ok, so actually this is just the day that I will be leaving the States and going to Johannesburg, South Africa)  On Monday: arrive i...