Home!!!

Hey everyone! As of Wednesday afternoon, I am safely back home! All my flights went well, with only a short delay for several hours in Atlanta. My luggage also made it back with me along with everything inside, which is another praise.

While in Botswana, several girls from the church wanted to braid my hair to make me look "African," so I've included a picture of the result of hours and hours of having to hold still. They braided in extentions too, which is why it might look a little darker, they really didn't have any other color than black and green or purple!

Profile

Can I please just state that I just read my blog profile for the first time since I wrote it like back in September, and I think I must have been officially crazy when I wrote some of those things( Yes - I know you're all thinking "you didn't have to tell us that you're kinda crazy," but now it's official!). I'm talking about the moose fur boots thingy!!! If you haven't read my profile, this probably doesn't make any sense, but that's okay:) I really need get to sleep though right now before I say anything else crazy!!!

P.S. To get to my profile just click on my name at the right hand side of the blog where I tell a little bit about why I'm in Africa.

Fun and Games

     How many times as a child have you played "duck, duck - goose" or something similar to that? Tonight, before the evening Bible study was ready to start, the kids asked me to teach them some games out in the yard. We played "mother, may I?," "red light, green light," and the before mentioned "duck, duck - goose" - for the very first time for the kids!!!! We had so much fun - everyone got in on it, whether they were out in the yard playing with us, or just laughing as they watched from the patio.

     I love the way they sing the hymns as if they're really thinking about what the words mean. It causes me to stop singing the songs from memory and start singing them from my heart.

    Can I say it again? I love Botswana and the people here - I really wish I could stay longer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Oh well. That just means I'll have to come back soon:)

Lessons

What have I learned here in Africa? From life lessons, hard and painful lessons, to small tips and tricks, and rules of the culture… Way too much to put into a blog post – it would have to be more like a whole book, which is actually not a bad idea. Maybe someday you’ll see My African Adventure by Lydia Wilhite on a shelf in a bookstore. For now though I’ll just share a few things that I’ve learned that stand out in my mind at this moment.

~When you’re going to make a cup of coffee in Africa make sure and check for ants in the coffee tin, coffee maker, the spoon you use for the sugar, the sugar bowl, the creamer, and MOST importantly – check in the coffee mug!!! Ants are not very good swimmers, however they do tend to float to the top of your coffee as I learned the hard way;) I really believe that the whole continent Africa is just one giant anthill!

~ If you happen to hear gunshots outside the window, wait until you’re off the phone with your mom to go and check it out – it saves her a few white hairs and a small heart attack!

~ Look before you step – snakes, lizards, spiders, and especially if there are eight dogs on the property (personally, this is the worst next to a snake).

~ Don’t leave your make up bag in sight of your twelve year old cousin when you fall asleep if you don’t want tic-tac-toe or a mustache drawn on your face.

Seriously, now…

~Learn to be comfortable being uncomfortable. This one takes a lot of time to learn, but getting out of my comfort zone was one of the best parts of the trip.

~Sometimes the best source of encouragement is to just listen and pray.

~The culture shock is not in what you can see, but in the things you can’t see. Not in the surroundings or the actions of a people, but in the why behind the actions and way of life.

~ Letters, phone calls, and emails became so much more precious to you when you are far away.

~ Hey, life does continue to go on back home – babies are born, birthdays and anniversaries pass, weddings are celebrated, and deaths are mourned. I had to learn that I couldn’t be in two places at once, and to rejoice in where God has lead me, and to “rejoice with those who do rejoice and weep with those who weep” from this side of the ocean.

~ Our God is an awesome creator, and Africa is one of His greatest masterpieces. From the smallest anthill to the most magnificent mountain, or from the Lion to the lizard, He designed them all.

~ LIONS AND ELEPHANTS DO NOT ROAM THE STREETS HERE – THEY ARE ONLY IN THE GAME PARKS, LOL!!!

There are so many more things that I could have included, but as I said, they are too numerous for this post. Our God is a great God!

Fun with Friends

We all had such a fun time on Tuesday! These girls and I went shopping then came back to the Clark's house to practice our special song for this Sunday. When we were done practicing, we had a great time talking and laughing over some coffee and cokes.

Botswana Blessings

Yesterday morning I took the time to look through all the pictures I've taken while in Africa to select which ones would be best for a presentation when I arrive home. Each picture brought back so many wonderful memories from when the shot was taken, and I'd have to say that my camera is probably the single best item I brought with me (perhaps my toothbrush is a close second:)

Just eleven more days in Africa...it's hard to believe that this adventure is almost over, but the only thing that means is that when this one is over a new one can begin! Where should I go next? Peru? Japan? Greenland?

Well, I haven't said much about Botswana yet, so I guess I should while I'm here. Botswana has a much flatter and open landscape than where I was in South Africa. The people are all so very friendly and gracious to me, and it's been sp great getting to know them. Today I met a girl named Blessing, and I think that pretty well sums up what this trip has been - an awesome blessing! I will say the mosquitos are worse over here, but not unbearable.

During the week I helped Mrs. Clark get the things ready for a special Mother's Day lesson in her Sunday School class, which includes about thirty kids ages five to fourteen. In the Sunday morning service held in a preschool building, we sang some hymns and then I sang "In Christ Alone," a song none of them had ever heard before. That night at the Clark's house, we had a Bible study with a core group of Christians, and they begged me to sing the song again. So on Tuesday, some of the girls my age from the church came over and I taught them to sing the song, and we're going to sing it as a group this Sunday. After the Bible study, I served a special Italian style bread that my cousins taught me to make in SA and everyone absolutely loved it!

Tomorrow is Saturday, so I'm planning on just helping out around the house with whatever, and then I'm going to teach Mrs. Clark how to bake rusks. If you don't know what a rusk is - it's a type of crunchy treat that the Africans love to dip in tea or coffee( or melted chocolate is great too!). We're going to make a big batch for after Sunday evening Bible study.

The Clarks are really praying that God would send them someone to work with them here on the field. They desperately want someone who is good with leading music/ singing, and someone who could also work with the youth in this area. This mission would be an amazing experience, and the people are so open and needy. I really love it here, and will be sad when the time comes to say goodbye!

Botswana Border Crossing

A big thank you to all those of you who were praying that the
border crossing into Botswana would go well! Those prayers were
definitely needed and felt! My Uncle drove a Zambian friend and me up
to the border patrol office, and we took our passports up to the right
window along with my extension papers, where we were told that I
couldn’t leave the country because my papers didn’t have a seal on
them from the Polokwane home affairs office, even though it had the
official stamp. They told me if I wanted to cross I had to pay them
R1,000( about $300). This whole time I was praying inside thinking,
“Lord, I only have R20 with me that I was saving as a souvenir from
SA, and we don’t have the airtime on the phone to call my parents to
have them transfer money into my account, if they would even take a
debit card here…. But we can’t just turn around and go back to
Polokwane…”

So, we showed the woman at the desk the receipt for the money I’d
paid in the Polokwane office, and even that didn’t change her mind
(she said we needed to pay it at HER desk). She said the only other
thing we could do was to wait for her superior to arrive, so we went
back to the truck to wait – and pray! Less than fifteen minutes later,
the superior arrived and patiently listened to us explain that we did
exactly what the home affairs officer told us to do and had already
paid the extension money. He then stamped our passports and without a
word let us though. Praise God!

I am having a great time in Botswana, and am looking forward to
participating in their church’s music area, as well as their
children’s class. Mrs. Clark and I are going to be getting some
special things ready for Mother’s Day including a craft for the
children to make and give to their mom.

It was so tough to say goodbye to my family in SA – we’d become
close during the three and a half months I was staying with them, and
I’m going to miss them SO MUCH!!! Their family was such a huge
blessing to me, and the things that I learned and the experiences I
had there, I won’t soon forget.