HAPPY NEW YEAR

Please do not die of shock that I am actually adding a new post, but I have a nice teenage fellow to HELP his computer-challenged missionary "aunty" find this blog again. HA

Mike, Alex and I have just finished a few days of rest in the beautiful mountains near Pilgrim's Rest here in South Africa. Despite terrible car trouble on Monday (VW van blew a head gasket on our trip. Pastor Emmanuel came to our rescue and towed us back to Rustenburg. We changed to my car and pulled the trailer and got to our destination at 11:15 pm.), it has been wonderful. We met three different couples in ministry:

An older Baptist pastor and wife who have recently adopted a little black boy.
The couple who owns RADIO PULPIT, the Christian radio in this country. (My dear Portuguese friend, Maria, got saved through that ministry 20 years ago.)
And a Baptist pastor and his family from Krugersdorp. He is acutally a missionary from Ireland who has been here for 20 years. They have three daughters.
We had great fellowship.

On Friday we left to travel to be with other missionary friends in White River, the Badgett's, from North Carolina. They have a special VISION SUNDAY service tomorrow, so I am getting to help prepare foods. You know me, I love that.

But alas, we must travel back home, finish packing away all the Christmas decorations and start school once again.

EXCITING NEWS FROM 2009:

We are now the adopted grandparents for three little African girls.
Pastor Emmanuel and Ida NZOLO had their second daughter on 14th of Dec. Her XHOSA name is SANALESIWE, which means, "We are satisfied." Big sister, SONWABILE, is adjusting well. Her name means "We are blessed."
So So is the nickname for the oldest, so I think the baby's nickname should be Sa Sa.
Pastor Alec and Cecelia BONI were blessed with a baby girl on the day after my birthday: 21 OCT. Her name is UNATI.

As many of you know, I greatly longed for a daughter of my own. I realized several weeks ago that God has given me so many African "daughters" with my Sunday School children and the daughers of dear missionary friends whom I can "borrow".

SON #1 - TIMOTHY IN USA

Tim is doing well at Pensacola and is maintaining a 3.8 GPA, thank the Lord. He is now a Junior with his Pastoral Studies Major.
This Christmas we were greatly blessed by Mike's family in Michigan. Two of his uncles paid for his plane ticket to go up there for the break, and he has fallen in love with one of our small supporting churches in that area and desires to do his internship with them.

SON #2 - ALEX THE SKATEBOARDER

You can guess what Alex's # 1 love is!!!!! God has given him some new friends, and we are thankful there have been no more major injuries since the infection in subcutanerous layer of upper leg several months ago.

He will still be attending Rustenburg Orbit College for his guitar lessons. He enjoys that.

Watch out thief!

Several weeks ago I went to the taxi rank area to pick up a woman after work from the Phokeng church as I have done "hundreds" of times before. It was so very HOT, that I had the window down a "little" bit, or so I thought. I was tired and not as attentive as I should have been. My cell phone rang. I took it out from under the seat (did not want to be a victim of snatch and grab) and answered' BUT no one spoke. I placed the cell in the middle console with a cover. The next thing I knew, two long skinny arms were reaching with all their might to get that phone. I was so shocked, I did not even scream. He finally got the phone in his hand, but I got it back. By then he had forced the top of his head into the car. I stared banging him with the phone until I broke off the aerial. He flipped the lock, grabbed my cooler bag and ran. I was so shocked I just sat there. There were many folks around, but they just looked at me and shook their heads. So much for helping! One thing about it, the thief got a headache but a nice cold soda too. Thank God for His protection. It could have been so much worse.

50th Birthday Celebration

WOW! What a wonderful 50th birthday celebration I had for the 20th OCT. I actually recieved over 50 cards, and they are on the wall with the 6 posters one of the little girls in the village made for me.

The 2 weeks of prior preparation for the big day were tough, for we had no water, except during the night and through the early a.m. It was a lot of "fun" to get up at 4 to wash dishes from the day before, especially when baking 7 batches of banana bread muffins for coffee time and 8 cakes for the special service. Ugh.

The Friday before the big event, a half dozen of the teen girls helped to decorate the church. The florist at the mall donated a bucket of flowers for us to use on Sunday, which made 7 vases with some left to decorate the windows too. How nice!

The ladies of our church did all the cooking and serving. The people from Pastor Emmanuel's church, Phokeng Bible Baptist came, and I had several friends from town to come. Debbie read the funny reading about "Reaching 50", and Wendy played the guitar for me to sing Julie Andrew's funny old age words to "My Favorite Things" . I dressed up and did a funny skit before I sang it. It all went well. My friend Rita brought crutches and other props to go along with the song.

Then I got a big surprise from the ladies of Grace Baptist Chruch. They had collected money and got me a gorgeous brown African outfit with gold trim and matching sandals and bangle. (See photo.) Wow! It really suited me so well. They had me change in the Sunday School room, so the children could march me into the church with a special song and holding balloons. Then 3 of the little girls did a special song and poem, and 2 of the teen boys wrote a wonderful poem (Words are at end by my photo.) The choir from Phokeng sang several specials, and friends said kind things. Then Mike preached a very ncie message on birthdays. It was precious.

Some missionary friends from NY came to spend a few days with us, and JulieMom wrote a hilarious song to the tune of "From This Moment." We had a great laugh. Here are a few of the words:

On this birthday, a half century's past. Now you're 50; how long will you last?

Hope this birthday's truly a blast. Happy 50th birthday today!

When you're fifty, you've crested the hill. But don't worry. We'll all love you still.

And we'll gladly, feed you your pills. Happy 50th birthday today!

MOTHER

From seeds you watered us.

As we sprouted You helped us grow

With the warmth of your radiant love.

Along the way you trimmed us

To keep us safe from harm.

When we grew out of our little pods

You replanted us

Where you gave us hope and showed us faith

That we may be able

To do for others as you did for us.

We thank you, nad we thank God for a Mother like you!

Many thanks!

Many thanks to my dear friend Julie for setting up this blog for me. I love the music note border, as well as the creative use of my favorite game.

The big news for this week was playing Scrabble with a friend and earning my highest score ever: 508 (Thanks to two seven-lettered words.)

We had our youth sports time and meeting before the Wednesday evening service to help save petrol. The trip to the village is 45 minutes one way.

I have a guest speaker for my next ladies' Bible study in the village on the 19th. One of the women in my tennis club is going to share her testimony of how the Lord has healed her after double mastectomies several years ago.