First I want to say thank you to my family who has helped keep me updated on my step-mom. She is still in the hospital as of Friday but they are thinking she might go home today (Saturday). That's about all the details I know at this point. Dad tried to call me Thursday for my birthday but the call didn't go through (I can't wait to be finished with TIA!!!) so I haven't been able to actually talk to him about what's going on with her. Please continue to pray for full recovery.
My Birthday
Thank you to everyone who sent me cards, emails and notes on facebook for my birthday! I had a wonderful day! :-) The evening was definitely the best part. Monica and Hansie, the South African doctor/dentist-wife/husband duo, had us over for a braii (SA word for BBQ) and it was so nice! We even had fireworks! Ok, it wasn't really fireworks, but that's what I am choosing to believe! The menu was chicken and gem squash, which are these lovely little round squash that you cook then scoop out the middle and enjoy. It wasn't the first time that Monica and Hansie had cooked these and all other attempts had been normal and without incident. Until now. As we were sitting around the fire pit talking, Hansie was turning the chicken when suddenly there was an explosion! All of us just about jumped out of our skin, and Minnie had brought Ndahafa so she started crying (poor thing!). We all stood around in confusion for a moment until we figured out what had happened. One of the squash exploded! We don't know if there weren't enough holes poked in it or if the holes that had been made weren't deep enough..... We just know that I had fireworks for my birthday! :-) When we went inside we all had little yellow bits of squash covering our clothes and Minnie had it in her hair! Hansie suffered a minor burn on his neck where a piece of the hot squash landed and he didn't get it off fast enough! (He'll be fine and he was quite embarrassed that all of us girls were fussing over him to make sure he was ok) I thought it was great to have my last birthday bash end with a bang! Ha! Ha! Ha!
The New Girls
Nicole and Tricia are so wonderful! I did get fully packed before they came and I think they are settling into the house well. I am not saying that it wasn't a rush to get everything packed, but I am very glad that I did! The girls are both from Kentucky so it's fun to listen to them talk. I think I am going to pick up a southern accent again before I even make it home! Tricia is a NICU nurse so it's been really nice to connect with her on that level and talk to someone with the same nursing background. She's been very interested in how things are done at the hospital but I haven't been able to give her a tour yet. I hope this coming week we can get that done. Nicole has her Master's degree in conflict resolution. I believe that God's timing for bringing her here is perfect! What's the first thing we did with her? Throw her into the situation with Dophelia and her grandma/auntie! Yup, we sure did.... or rather... Sabrina did since I haven't been going out to project much. :-) That's right.... I am pointing the finger in anyone else's direction but mine! Though she'll only be able to work with them for a few months, please pray with us that Nicole can make some good progress with both Dophelia and the family.
Dophelia
Speaking of Dophelia, the situation is getting worse. The auntie that agreed to let us build the hut on her property has been getting drunk more often and beating both Dophelia and her brother Jacob more. There have been several meetings with the social worker and police in the last two weeks and the auntie hasn't even attended several of them because she has already been at the bar drunk. Rightfully so, the social worker made the decision that the auntie could no longer have custody of the kids. Of course that's a good thing because they need a better caregiver.... but it's also a bad thing because there really isn't any place for her and Jacob to go. Please continue to pray for Dophelia and for Sabrina, Nicole and the social worker as they try to find a good solution for where to put Dophelia and her brother.
Windhoek
My plans for when I travel to Windhoek have changed. The original plan was that I would travel with Daryl & Sabrina to Windhoek when they were going to South Africa. However, due to several circumstances (the timing of the arrival of the new girls, the change in flights that they had to make for leaving Namibia, etc) they are no longer going to South Africa right now. So, that means that I have to make my own way to Windhoek before I fly out. Since I really don't like the overnight bus ride, I will be going with the public combi (minivan packed with people and things) sometime next week. I think they'll have a fit when they see the size and amount of my luggage and I'll probably have to really pay for it... that's ok. It's worth it to get the box and that basket home!!! So, all of this to say that I don't know when I am actually headed to Windhoek. What I do know is that I have only 9 more days left! YIKES! It still doesn't feel real. I don't know if it will... it seems like I am living in a cloud.
I hope this finds you doing well and surviving the cold. I have looked at the weather several times this last week and think that I am going to die when I get there due to the cold!! :-)
I love you all and can't wait to see you!
kapande
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