Sun, Sand, and Sea!

In our last entry that Dan wrote from the back of the "bakkie", our holiday weekend was not looking too promising.  We arrived at the coast in the pouring rain.  But, when we woke up on Saturday morning, the sun was shining brightly and the beach was calling our names!  We grabbed the boogie boards and hit the waves.  The 30+ temperature stayed until evening, when it began to drizzle again.  This is common here at the coast...hot days and misty evenings.

We are staying at a "backpacker" which is sort of one step up from a hostel.  It is the common method of "travelling on a budget" here in SA, and offers a lovely local experience.  There are "backpackers" every few kilometers in every direction, so I have a feeling we'll become experts at finding them.  This one is right on the beach, has beautiful gardens (complete with hammock and monkeys in the trees), and super friendly owners.  The kids have loved all the geckos and our first monkey sightings!

Last night we went for supper at a local pub just up the road.  We definitely felt like foreigners since everyone there seemed to know each other.  The food took a long time to arrive (typical South African style!), but was excellent once it did.  Dan had the fish "catch of the day", and the girls and I had pizza and Greek salad.  Refreshingly normal!   The four of us took time to chat about the past 2 weeks and share our ups and downs.  There is definitely a depth and maturity that comes with these new experiences, and we find that our family discussions are at a different level now.  Then we laughed as the biggest beetle that we've ever seen (a good inch and a half long!) crawled into the pub and made it's way across the floor to the bar.  Apparently Jessica's compassionate heart extends even to large bugs, so she help the beetle back outside so that it would not get stepped on!

Today was another beach day, but it's almost time to head back "home" to GGA.  This weekend was just what we needed.  We were able to rest, nap, relax, eat good food, and recover from all the new adventures of the last 2 weeks.  On our way home we will stop at the big mall in Durban to stock up on groceries and a few other necessities.  So, for all of you that have been feeling sorry for us, remember that we will have weekends like this one where we wouldn't want to be anywhere else on earth! 

Driving, SA style

It's Friday afternoon, 4:00, and we are on our way to our first weekend off!  We are heading to Port Shepstone, a beach town on the "south coast", which is the name for the coastal area south of Durban (go figure!).  Before you get too jealous of us, let me add a couple of details: first, it is pouring rain, as it has been for 2 days straight, and 3 of the last 4.  January & February are the rainy season here, and they get buckets of it.  I was out in a thunderstorm last night building a dam so that the water coming down the hill towards us would go around instead of through our accomodations. 

 

The second reason to not be jealous is that we are traveling in true SA (South African) style, riding in the back of a "bekkie" (or could be "backie", or something like that...hard to tell with all the accents around here).  Anyway, a "bekkie" is a small truck with a canopy on the back.  Typically, the driver and one passenger fit in the cab, and everyone and everything else rides in the bed under the canopy.  It wouldn't be legal in Canada, but it is standard fare here, and since no one wears seat belts in this country anyway, it isn't much less safe than being in the cab.  It is; however, quite a lot dirtier, and of course less comfortable!

 

We are traveling with Tom & Rebecca, who have graciously allowed us to tag along on one of their rare weekends off.  Tom is the Outreach Sponsorship Coordinator for GGA (& former Volunteer Coordinator), and Rebecca is the General Manager of GGA.  Rebecca is also currently about 8 months pregnant!  They are a wonderfully kind couple, and play key roles at GGA, likely because they have been at GGA for quite some time.  They were, in fact, supposed to be back in England by now, but have agreed to stay on for a few more months as Heather will be away for much of the spring & early summer.

 

As Cathy mentioned in her last entry, I've had my first experiences this week at being behind the wheel here.  Of course, driving on the left side of the road is bit of an adjustment, but probably the more difficult adjustment is having the driver's seat on the right side of the vehicle, because it means that many controls are on the "wrong" side.  More than once, I've wanted to gear down and, reaching for the stick shift, I've found the door handle!  I haven't hit anyone or anything yet, though!  A good thing, too, as today I was driving a "bekkie" with one passenger beside me in the cab, and 8 more in the back!

 

Today, I picked up 4 kids for pre-school who wouldn't have otherwise been able to make it in the rain.  Their homes are perched on the side of a steep valley wall, so the road to get there was quite the adventure: steep, muddy, rutted, and extremely narrow.  They are some of the poorer children at the pre-school, so we are glad to help them out.  Two of them are part of a "family" of 13 children being raised by their Gogo (grandmother).  From what I've been told, all seven of her children have died, and she is left with the task of raising her grandchildren.  As I waited for the children to get dressed for school, I wished I had my video camera to record both the poverty & the beauty of their neighbourhood.

 

Well, I've got lots more to write, but I'm out of time, so that's all for now. 

Dan

 

 

"Bites of Unknown Origin"

It’s late Wednesday night, and even the frogs and birds have gone to bed.  Our days are full, so “blogging” doesn’t happen as often as I had intended.  I thought I’d talk a bit about my job tonight, to give you a glimpse into our days.

Our schedules are still fairly unpredictable, since we are still not living at the “home base” intended for us.  This means that each day has a fair bit of commuting, as Dan and I both work off the main GGA site.  Dan leaves here at about 7:15am to catch a ride to Nansindlela (our future home) to pick up a car and drive the rest of the way to the pre-school site.  He’s doing a good job of driving on the “wrong” side of the road, something I haven’t tried yet.  On the way he often picks up several children.  He is done at the preschool be about 12:30, and drives back to Nansindlela to try to catch a ride back to GGA.  This often takes an hour or two!  The car he uses must stay at Nansindlela because the other couple who is already living there must have a vehicle on site in case of emergencies.  Dan’s afternoon is then spent with administrative tasks pertaining to the preschool.

 I am currently working about 5 hours per day, so that I can devote some time to home schooling the girls.  However, I am also dependent on transportation to Nansindlela, and never know if that will be first thing in the morning, or perhaps later in the day.  So, I simply drag the kids to work with me if Dan’s not around, and they do their school work in the board room of the small office building where I work.

Earlier this week, I spent my working hours phoning suppliers to locate school uniforms for about 50 of the community children who are privately sponsored.  They live in the surrounding valleys, and their families receive a food parcel monthly, as well as paid school fees and uniforms.  In South Africa, no child can attend school without a uniform.  This seems crazy to me, because this simply promotes illiteracy among the very poorest families who cannot afford uniforms.  Providing uniforms (which GGA does for over 1000 children!) means going out to the valley communities and trying to determine the ages and sizes (clothing and shoes) of all the children of school age.  To make matters even more complicated, each school has different uniforms, so many suppliers must be contacted to find which company sells which uniforms.  Over the next weeks, we will be going out to over a dozen schools to distribute the uniforms, try them on the children, and try to exchange the ones that don’t actually fit…and we all know how fast kids outgrow their clothes!

For me, this was a crash course in the South African ways of getting things done (or not!).  Very few people actually have voice mail, and most people have very thick accents, so reaching the right person is a comedy of misunderstandings and call-backs which require endless patience!

Today I began my main job of fundraising for ongoing and future initiatives of GGA.  I am supposed to go through lists of South African Corporations, determine how to contact their head offices, and try to speak to their “social development” rep.  All companies in SA are mandated to set aside funding for social development, poverty reduction, and HIV/AIDS intervention.  My job will be to put together funding proposals that outline the needs of GGA, in order to request corporate sponsorship.  Each company seems to have it’s own criteria, and most are already dedicated to other projects, so this is not as easy as it sounds.

This past weekend, Dan and I worked with the kids here at GGA.  Dan supervised the older kids, and I was with the babies and toddlers.  It was a bit of a grueling weekend for both of us, as the kids demand all of your time and attention!  For me, it was a bit like being stuck in the church nursery for 6 hours in 35 degree heat!  Many of the little ones are somewhat ill (we are not told the medical details of the kids here), so let’s just say that there’s a fair bit of diarrhea and medication involved as well!  Bet you all wish you were here!  Jessica was a big help, and single-handedly bathed 3 babies in a row, as well as spent hours carrying and cuddling the little ones.  She’ll be an amazing babysitter by the time we get home!  It’s hard work, but so rewarding when the kids melt into our snuggles.  Although they cannot bond exclusively to one person, they really do get a lot of love here.  Little Amanda (in one of the previous pictures) took her first steps this weekend at the age of 2 and a half, with an enormous grin on her face!

I am recovering from my first “bites of unknown origin”.  I woke up several mornings ago with seven bites on my ankle, and knew quite quickly that they were not mosquito bites.  They have been quite painful, and involved the swelling of my whole lower leg, but I am on the mend and thankful that no infection set in.  We think they are spider bites, so I made Dan crawl around our room with a flashlight to look for suspicious creatures.  He claims that none were found, so I try not to think about what might be lurking! 

I’d better get some sleep…our love to you all!

Cathy

Settling in

Just a quick update this morning…. We continue to have connection issues, largely due to sharing a single phone line (and dialup connection) with 30+ other volunteers, so if we are slow to respond to emails, it’s not because we are purposely ignoring you!

It is Wednesday morning, January 24, another misty morning, as most are here this time of year. We still haven’t heard the results of Canada’s federal election, but hopefully will when I connect to send this. But we did hear the more important news that our good friends Mike & Debbie had a baby girl! This baby is truly a Godsend, and we wish we were there to see & hold her. I was somewhat surprised at the strength of my own emotions when I heard the news, probably because our journey and the Wiebe’s journey have been closely linked over the past year.

Speaking of strong emotions, the volunteer team here has been on edge recently because of an armed robbery of one of the staff members. There have been security issues in the past, but many feel like this one dialed it up a notch…certainly it dialed up the level of concern as volunteers are taking extra precautions. Please pray for the staff & volunteers, for all the children, and for us too. I’m reminded today that our struggle is not against flesh & blood…

Our lives are busy with our volunteer tasks and family responsibilities. Preschool startup has taken more of my energy & time that I would have wished, but hopefully it will get better. And Cathy’s community outreach tasks have been quite a challenge as well…I’ll let her describe her “job” in a subsequent blog. Transportation is never easy, as vehicles must be booked in advance, and are often in short supply. But we are slowly acclimatizing to our situation here, and learning to take such minor problems in stride.

Dan

One week at GGA!

Today is a hot and humid day again after 2 days of cool rain. Yesterday it got quite cool, and we even had to dig out our jeans and sweatshirts. My first batch of laundry since we left home is hanging out in the sun (it’s a big one!) to “dry” although the high humidity causes everything to feel a bit damp at all times.
It’s Saturday afternoon, so the routine around here is different and more relaxed than weekdays. Right now all is quiet because all the children (including ours) are in the big theater for a dance workshop. These kids LOVE to sing and dance, and will spontaneously break into song (anything from Silent Night to pop songs) often throughout the day. Even the little 2 and 3 year olds can sing in tune, and the older ones sing in awesome harmony. Some really talented Zulu musicians come here several times a week to work with all the kids on drumming, dance, and singing. Last night Dan and I sat in the theater for a while to watch the “Young Zulu Warriors” practice. This is a group of about 25 of the most talented of the kids here from ages 9 to 20 that do drama, dance, and sing accapella in amazing harmony. They are practicing for their Germany tour which begins in March. Last year they toured the States and even recorded a CD which raised quite a bit of money for GGA.
Some of you have asked about the food here. We have only eaten one meal with the kids in the dining hall and usually cook for ourselves. On Wednesday and Sunday evenings, chicken and rice is served (we joined in on Wed for that), but every other day the kids get “semp and beans”. I haven’t been brave enough to try that yet, but Dan (who eats anything!) tells me its brown beans in a sauce on top of a gluey starch much like hardened Cream of Wheat. This is served almost every day because it is traditional in the Zulu culture, and if the kids are fed western food here, they will not integrate back into Zulu culture when they become adults. We do have to supervise at meal time though, and I find it the saddest thing about being here. The portions are never big enough, so the kids scrounge from each other or eat any morsel that falls. Let’s just say that our kids have not complained about any of our food since we got here!
Mealtime for us is more simple, but not unlike home. Many edible things can be found at the grocery store, and the fruit is great! Mangos, pineapple, bananas and peaches are cheap and taste delicious. We have eaten good sausages (without too many questions of what was in them!), fairly decent spaghetti, omlettes, grilled cheese sandwhiches and other normal things. But, there are questionable foods…when I was looking for stir fry sauce the other day, I came across “monkey membrane sauce”. Hmmmmm.
Yesterday at the mall in Durban, we found KFC, Pizza Hut, Payless Shoes, Tommy Hilfinger, Bata Shoes, and several other familiar chain stores. We chose to eat at a place called “Mac Rib” which appears similar to a Tony Roma’s. The steak and ribs were disappointing though.
Other than alcohol, which is nice and cheap, everything here is comparable in price to Canada. This was a surprise to us, since we expected food and clothing to be cheaper. Apparently vehicles are very expensive here, as is gas.
This morning I was on the 7:30 to 1:30 shift with the babies again, so I am enjoying putting my feet up for a few minutes. In addition to our weekday jobs, we well be working every other weekend, and then off on the alternate weekends. We are looking forward to our first days off next weekend, and will head out on the road to explore the area.

Finally some pics from GGA

We're at a mall in Durban (Friday evening run), about 45 minutes from GGA. It's like stepping into a time machine to drive here, because the mall is so close, and yet it is like another world. The mall is as large, or possibly larger than Chinook Centre in Calgary, and every bit as modern. So while the girls get their fix, I'm using the internet cafe, and can finally post some pictures.


The one above on the left is Micayla holding Mbali, which is one of Micayla's favourite passtimes. On her right is Gogo Regina, the wonderful woman who helps to clean our building, and who lives at Nansindlele, the farm that we will be moving to in a week or two.

On the right is the courtyard outside our front door.

The one on the right is of Jessica and Mandla, one of the children in creche (nursery).

Below is baby Amanda. Although she doesn't look so well when hooked up to a nebulizer, she is one of the miracle children here.




Bye for now!

It was a dark and stormy night....

As most of you have probably realized, communication via email is tough for us right now.  We’re having some issues downloading email to our laptop, and can only view it.  Internet time here at GGA costs us big bucks, and time slots are not readily available since all of the 30+ volunteers share 1 computer.  So, keep sending us messages because they really are our lifeline with home, but don’t expect quick responses!

Today I thought I’d tell you a little about the kids here at the residential care site of GGA.  For the most part, they are happy, independent little people.  They play with absolutely anything, including sticks, sharp metal objects they might find, old tires, and plastic bags.  They do seem to have some toys, as I’ve seen the occasional Barbie or toy car, but everything is basically communal property, so it gets broken and wrecked very quickly.  They are very much like normal children in large groups…they fight at times, and are disobedient often.  We have had to be very firm with them at times to establish our authority.  They have so many transient care-givers, that  they push the boundaries with everyone new.  We are finding that learning their names is a big challenge!  A few have easy names like Amanda or Cindy, but 90% of the kids have unpronounceable Zulu names that will take months to learn.  Today the school aged children started school, so they are bussed out to 5 different schools at about 7:30 in the morning.  This made for a quieter day around here.

Today  I spent most of the day working in the “crèche” with the littlest residents of GGA.  There are about 7 little ones between 7 months and 3 yrs.  They are so very sweet!  We got them out of bed at 7:30, changed and dressed them, fed them breakfast, brushed their teeth, and then played with them.  Micayla and Jess loved helping along and are very capable with the kids.  Eleven month old Mbali has bonded with Micayla, and when Cayla is around, she won’t go to anyone else.  So, Micayla carries her around all over.  Mbali is a chubby little thing, so Micaya has had to build up some muscle!  These little ones either sleep with a Zulu “auntie” here at GGA, or else in a crib in a large room containing 5 cribs and several cots.  I have fallen love with a little girl named Amanda who is two, but cannot yet walk.  She has been very sick for all of her life (I think she has aids, but we are not told specifically), but is recently gaining weight and learning to walk.  I know what you’re all thinking, but NO I won’t be bringing her home with me ;)

Another interesting experience here in the last few days has been the various methods of transportation.  I have not worn a seatbelt since we arrived in SA, and consider it fortunate when there is an actual seat to sit on!  Today I went along with the “combi” (12 seat mini van) that picks up kids from school.  First we picked up 4 large boxes of bread from the grocery store, and then we jammed 18 children (plus the driver and I) into the van!  We have also driven in the back of pickup trucks, and moving vans with no doors.  All the GGA vehicles are old and rickety and driven at substantial speeds.  Like the UK, they drive on the left side of the road here.  Dan and I are supposed to “practice” over the next few days so that we too can drive kids around.

So, most of you are probably wondering how I’m really coping out here with no shopping or Starbucks close by.  Well, some parts of our life here are completely indescribable, and I know that my blogging only gives you a little glimpse.  I have no oven or microwave, laundry must be done by hand (the one available washing machine leaves the clothes dirtier than when they went in), everything is always dirty, and the bugs are quite a bit larger than in Canada!  But, other than one or two brief moments of despair each day, I am feeling amazingly positive about this adventure.  My standards of hygiene, safety, and gourmet cuisine have gone way down!  On one hand it’s actually a relief to live a life of such simplicity.  We are busy, but not stressed, and we feel closer as a family.  It seems like we’ve been away much longer than 10 days, and right now 6 months seems like a long time!

--Cathy--

A quick update from me (Dan) tonight as well.  As usual, my day started early, at about 5:45 when some combination of sun, heat, mosquitoes, and noise woke me. I enjoy waking up before my family and before my work, taking the time to read, walk, or pray in the quiet.  GGA is a noisy & chaotic place, so mornings are a welcome break; however, I’ve learned that in Africa, they are far from quiet.  I sit under one of the many HUGE trees at GGA, and the sound of birds & crickets is unbelievable.

Today (Wednesday, January 18) was the first day of school for most children in South Africa, so GGA was abuzz with excitement by 6:45, and the kids were unrecognizable as they had traded their usual clothing for sharp, crisp school uniforms.  It was also registration day for the Preschool that I am helping to run at Kwa Ximba.  At 8:00 this morning, I piled into the “combi” with 8 pre-schoolers (from GGA), 3 other volunteers, 1 Zulu worker, the driver, a pot of rice and a pot of stew for lunch.  We picked up 3 more Zulu workers and 4 more kids on the way, and by the time we arrived at the school, many parents and children were waiting in -the sun to register their kids.  There is no pre-registration process, so we had no way of knowing how many children from last year would be returning, and how many new children would be showing up.  I helped with the difficult task of registration…difficult only because my ears still are not tuned to Zulu.  Believe me, when I ask a parent for their child’s name, and they answer “Qndile Mmenhle Xaba”, I ask them to spell it for me!  Fortunately, I had help from Khanisehle, Petronella, and Goodness, our Zulu volunteer teachers from the community:  three women who co-taught last year, and are paid only a small stipend while they learn on the job, and attend monthly training courses.

We immediately realized that we had more kids coming than we could possibly handle (well over 60), so we had to send most of the children home, with a request that they return next week when we have a better idea how many we can accept.  Now we try to figure out how we can fit a few more kids into this already crowded school (which is really just an old farm house that someone donated to the community).  But these are great problems to have.  Preschool has been identified (by community leaders and NGO’s) as an area of great importance in the struggle to rebuild the community in this area that has been highly affected by AIDS.  Often, these young children (3-7 years) don’t receive normal stimulation and development, because caregivers place more emphasis on family survival.  The preschool can be an opportunity to develop language, emotional, social and physical skills, and start kids off on a successful educational footing. For many of these children, the meal provided will be their best, or even their only, meal for the day.   By the way, the school is next door to a massive slaughterhouse, so we always hope the wind is not blowing our way!  But they provide significant funding to keep the school operational, and many of the employees’ children attend.   

Anyway, after returning home this afternoon, I spent time catching up with my family, helping with the girls’ homeschool work, making phone calls, and organizing lists for tomorrow’s preschool.

This evening, we experienced the first of the dramatic South African thunderstorms that we’ve heard about.   GGA is on the top of a hill, so it felt like we were right in the middle of this incredible pounding…the rain coming down like a solid wall for about an hour, and sheet lightning that completely brightens the sky at least every SECOND!  Once or twice a minute, the lightning hits the ground, and we have had some near misses based on the time difference before the earth literally shakes with thunder.  Power in our building flickered on & off several times, and recently went out for good, so Cathy & I are sitting here in the dark until the battery of this laptop dies.  Mike, as you know, I don’t have long!!! So I’ll call it a night.  Peace.

--Dan--

Settling in...

Today was a day of orientation for Dan in his volunteer role. Starting tomorrow, he will be coordinating and managing the preschool team at the “Kwa Ximba” site about 10 min. from GGA. He will do some teaching, but will mostly administrate and oversee the team of teachers. There are between 45 and 50 students (depending on who shows up!) between the ages of 3 and 6. There is no Kindergarten here in SA, so children must be ready for grade one upon completion of preschool. Wednesday is the first day of a new school year here, and the children are just finishing their “summer holidays”. The preschool is comprised both of kids from GGA and also kids from the surrounding valleys. Since there is no way to communicate with the children in the valleys, no one really knows how many will show up on the first day of school! It will take several days for word to get out that school has started. The entire preschool had to be packed up and stored here at GGA for the summer holidays, since leaving it unattended at Kwa Ximba would result in theft and vandalism. So, the first days will be spent setting everything up again.
It was not a work day for me yet, so I caught a ride into Pietermaritzburg this morning to buy some supplies that we desperately needed to function. I purchased a fan, mosquito netting, basic kitchen supplies which are nonexistent at GGA (wash cloths, a basin, knives ect.), and some groceries. I was thrilled to find that the mall there is very similar to our malls at home (thank God for small miracles!), and even has some of the same chain stores. But, I was proud of myself for finding what I needed, paying for it, and making it back on time to catch my ride home. Several noticeable differences: when you enter any store, any bags from previous purchases get taped up by the guard at the door. There are often 20 people “working” in a store, but only one till open! (sort of like Superstore!)
Tomorrow I will be meeting with the team that I will be working with out at “Nansindela”, which is where we will eventually be living. I will be the assistant to the “Outreach coordinator” and am told that I will work a lot with the Zulu people in the valleys. Should be interesting!
Jess spent the day with Dan and the preschool staff helping to set up the school. She continues to be a real trooper! Micayla spent the day playing with the kids outside again. She has so many mosquito bites that she looks like she has the chicken pox. Tonight should be better, with the netting hung over the bed and the fan on.
The highlight of the day was a late afternoon swim in the pool to cool off. It was a scorcher today! The pool is rather greenish brown and doesn’t look all that great, but it beats the heat!
Funny story…one of the Gogos (grammas who all look like Aunt Jamima) here was mad at me today, and explained in broken English and flailing arms that she needs daily access to our kitchen, which we have been told to keep locked. She said she keeps cleaning supplies there and was angry that we have taken over the kitchen. I did not want to get off on the wrong foot with her, so I had the inspiration to offer her a glass of ice cold Coke from our fridge. A huge smile spread across her face, and she became my instant friend. She not only moved her cleaning supplies to a different location, but also mopped the kitchen floor for me! These Gogos are amazingly hard workers and walk around with buckets, basins and baskets balanced on their heads.

Hello from Planet GGA

It's early Monday morning here at GGA, and I managed to get an internet connection to post a blog update. However, we're having computer problems, so exchanging emails may be difficult at this time, and pictures will need to wait. Anyway, below is a post that Cathy drafted last night...
--
Well, we have been at God’s Golden Acre for 24 hours now, so it’s high time we try to communicate our first impressions to all of you at home. Our night flight from Frankfurt to Johannesburg was long (10.5 hours) and sleepless, but comfortable. We flew South African airlines and had a state-of-the-art aircraft, with personal TV’s on every seat that played music, movies, games and documentaries. The girls loved that! Let’s just say that it was the last luxury that we will see for a while! We had a 2-hour stop-over in Jo-burg, which was just enough time to collect our baggage, clear customs with all our junk, re-check our baggage, and find our departure gate. On the 50 min. flight to Durban, we enjoyed the aerial views of beautiful South Africa – especially the incredible ocean coastline.
We were met at the airport (thank goodness!) by two young men, and were taken to GGA by van. Our arrival here was overwhelming!! We were exhausted & roasting hot (about 33 degrees Celsius in the shade, and we were still wearing some winter clothing), and it was like arriving on another planet! We were told that although we will be living at the farm about 5 min. away, our accommodations there are not ready yet (?) so we will be staying on the main sight for a few days…or weeks. Everything is extremely primitive, and let’s just say that hygiene is NOT a priority!
Our temporary accommodation is one room (well, technically two rooms, but there is no door between them) for sleeping, one bathroom the size of a closet, and a kitchen down the hall. Our rooms are part of a building along with the medical clinic, the homework room and the children’s library. We are within a few feet of where the GGA kids live, and face a dirt common area and playground where the kids play during spare time. So, you can imagine the noise and activity level around us! The GGA kids are very curious about us and love looking in the windows to say Hi!
We spent the morning today cleaning the first layer of grime off the kitchen counters, table, and bathroom. We have a two burner hot plate and a small fridge, and were supplied with basic dishes and pots. Dan was able to catch a ride to a small grocery store yesterday (not much is open on weekends) and buy the basics for a few meals. We have met many of the volunteers and staff here, and everyone has been incredibly friendly. Many have expressed that their first days here were overwhelming, but every one of them love it here. That’s encouraging!
Last night we were invited to dinner at Heather’s house (she’s the founder of GGA). This is apparently very unusual, since she is rarely home, and very busy. We found her to be just as we imagined her…warm, friendly, passionate, opinionated, and full of ideas of what she wants us to do! We ate supper on her beautiful deck overlooking the valleys. She has at least 5 dogs, 2 cats, and a baby with her at all times, and has so many stories to tell! Two sheep (Sunday and Monday) wander freely, and a horse grazes a few feet from the deck. We are invited back for dinner tonight along with a group of Americans that are here for two weeks to build some houses in the Valley.
Our girls have done so well, and we are so proud of them. There were certainly times of grumpiness for all of us along the way, and the sleep deprivation has been hard, but for the most part we have really pulled together as a team. Micayla has been out playing with kids of all sizes since the moment we got here. Other than being bugged by the mosquitoes during the night, she is thrilled to be here and quite in her element! Right now she is surrounded by a group of dark, curly heads, and it dirty from head to toe. Jessica was a little resistant right up until we got to GGA. But once we got here, she has made a real effort to be positive, friendly, and accepting of our new life. She has enjoyed playing with the toddlers and younger children, but the kids her own age are still keeping their distance. I think it will be harder for her to form friendships with the older kids, because they are less open to outsiders. Jess has also enjoyed having lots of animals around. An exciting find this morning was a baby chameleon! It brought tears to my eyes when I looked out the window this morning (while scrubbing the sink!) and saw Jess sitting with a group of kids and letting them touch her pale skin and red hair. She has lots of love to give!
The weather today is much cooler than yesterday and somewhat overcast. The kids here must consider this a cold day, because many are wearing long pant and sweaters today! We are thrilled to be in our summer clothes, but thankful that it’s not super hot today. Tomorrow we will try to buy a fan to make sleeping more comfortable.
So, all this is much like extreme camping (glad we have experience with that!), and good training for “Survivor”! Last night our future looked rather bleak, but today after cleaning, settling in, and meeting some dear people (kids and adults), things are looking up!
Please pray that we and the girls will settle in quickly, have the energy to meet new people and face new experiences, and will be able to cope with the challenges that come at us. We are thankful to be here!

Goodbye Germany!

Our 4 days in Germany have gone too fast, and we are on our way to the airport for the last leg of the journey. I was a bit sceptical about staying at the convent, but it has been just what we needed. The last days and weeks of our time at home were so hectic and stressful, but life at "Kanaan" is just the opposite. Time here moves slowly, quietly, and with purpose. We have been "loved up" by the "sisters" here. They love to chat (in broken English, or in rapid German!), love to make hot chocolate and treats for the kids, and love to smile! It's so amazing that they live such a simple life, and yet seem so joyful. The older nuns are so sweet that we want to take them with us!
Yesterday we took the train to Heidelberg to visit one of the oldest cities in Germany. The castle there was built in the 13th century, and made us feel so connected with the past. We roamed around the "old city" in hundreds of neat shops, and then ate an amazing meal at the oldest "Gasthaus" in Heidelberg. The kids really wanted to eat some real German food, so we ordered "Schpatzle und Rindbraten" (home made noodles and roast beef) and it was amazing! We've had fun navigating the buses and trains here and have struck up some interesting conversations with fellow commuters.
Now it's off to the airport and another night on the plane. It has taken us most of these 4 days to get over the jetlag. Dan was up at 4:30 again this morning, but thankfully the girls slept right through. It has been just below zero during our days here, but the dampness makes it feel colder. Those of you who know me can appreciate that I am excited to be off to Africa where I will no longer be cold!

This evening's update

The blog that appears below was written by Cathy this morning. We finally got an email connection this evening with the help of Bruder (Brother) Rick, a co-worker here at Kanaan who is from the U.S. We'll try to post some pictures tomorrow.

Hello from Darmstadt!

Hello from Darmstadt, Germany! It's 5am here, and I'm sitting under my
thick feather comforter in a small room at the convent. All 4 of us have slept only on and off all night, and have been feeling bright eyed now since about 3:30. Oh the joys of jetlag!

Our last day in Calgary was very busy with last-minute preparations and many phone calls to say good-bye. It was also Micayla's 9th birthday, so we had to fit in some celebrating as well! But, by 3pm we were off to the airport.
Amazingly, all 5 of our huge suitcases weighed in at within one pound of the 50 lb allowance! Our night flight was smooth and uneventful, although sleeping was difficult (standard crying baby and all-night movies playing). We arrived in Frankfurt 50 min ahead of schedule at around 10:30am (2:30am Calgary time), and quickly cleared customs, picked up our luggage, and met Sister Passionata. What a blessing to have someone there to meet us, and a ride straight to our accommodations. I can't imagine having had to negotiate the Frankfurt transportation system with 2 tired kids and 10 pieces of luggage!

The convent has been an interesting cultural experience! It's like stepping into a German movie about nuns that takes place in the 70's. The convent is on 25 acres of beautiful land in a suburb of Frankfurt, and about 120 Protestant "sisters" and a few protestant Franciscan monks have lived in community here for 50 years. They maintain the grounds, sew their own clothes, grow and cook their own food, care for their elderly colleagues, and run a retreat center and publishing house. The sisters have been wonderfully friendly and welcoming, the food delicious (good German
cuisine!), and our 2 rooms are simple, but warm and comfy.

The girls have done great in spite of losing a full night of sleep. They are enjoying the convent atmosphere, trying to learn some German phrases, and loving the food!

Today we plan to stick close to this area, since we'll all be totally exhausted by midday and a nap may be in order. Thanks to all of you for your well wishes, your prayers as we traveled, and your help with last-minute details. Thanks to Ed and Jami for letting us live in your home for our last week in Calgary, to Steph for living with us and putting up with the craziness, and to Erna for being our last-minute stand in ride to
the airport. We couldn't do this without all of you to support us in so
many ways.

Cathy

Evangelical Sisterhood of Mary

I forgot to mention that we are looking forward to a 3 day stopover in Frankfurt...a chance to see the "old country", and to get over our jetlag before we fly to South Africa.

Thanks to Grandpa, we will be staying at a Protestant Convent, just outside of Frankfurt! Another one of those mini miracles! You can check them out on the web at: Official Web Site of the Evangelical Sisterhood of Mary

Bye for now...the next update will likely be from the other side!

The day has come! Pinch me....I must be dreaming!

Today is D-Day...the day of our departure! We will be flying from Calgary to Frankfurt this evening.

We have all expressed a profound wonder as this day has approached...can it be real?!! But it is. We said goodbye to our home over a week ago, and have been living out of suitcases at Cathy's brother Ed's place.

Yesterday we said goodbye to the cats (again, they have been enjoying their new home since before Christmas already). We also said goodbye to many family & friends, first at SCCC in the morning, then as we celebrated Micayla's birthday with friends & family in the evening. Words cannot describe how blessed we have been by the outpouring of love, support, & prayer that we have received in these last few days & weeks. And we've experienced more "coincidences" than can be explained by any other way than God's miraculous grace. But I better write about those later...still lots to do before we go!