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...
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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!