Adventures in the Life of Jenny Maass

"...and death passed to all men, for all have sinned." Romans 5:12

2010-07-24T21:17:00.000-07:00

I landed in the United States on Friday, March 5th. When I arrived home my dad handed me a three-ring binder. In it was pages full of print outs of this blog. "Here's your first book," he said proudly. Happy reuions with family and friends ensued as many didn't know of my return. I was leaving a speaking engagement with Idlewild's women's staff later that week when I picked up my mom's worried voicemail that they were headed to the ER. Re-routing towards UCH, I thought I had just canceled my plans for the rest of the day; I didn't realize I was in the process of canceling the current plans I had for my life. That moment feels like years ago...
[[now just pretend like the DVD player got stuck on FastForward, cause it's all a blur to me.]]

Dad was in the hospital for the end of the week and missed his own birthday party. Two weeks later they confirmed his diagnosis as liver cancer. March and April were long, painful, and emotional; wrought with difficult decison-making to stay. (unintentionally move back to US) How could I make this decision? My heart was breaking on two continents and it was impossible to be in both places at once. Living back at home and watching my dad suffer and struggle every day and my mom bear the burden alone weighed on me; the time seemed endless and infinite. I'm sure emotional stress and depression began then. May marked the start of hospice involvement at my lone and urgent request. Dad failed the 3 question exam, getting his name right, but mistating the date and our address. (We told him the answer in Spanish even, it was Cinco de Mayo; oddly enough the date he said it was turned out to be his funeral date. very weird.) Saturday that week was our last normal day home with him - thankfully it was a happy early celebration of Mother's Day. I cooked a humongus breakfast for my whole family (7 adults, 3 kids); dad had a surprising appetite and said it was "superb." We separated afterward for an afternoon of rest. That was the last rest we had prior to what became a month of family trauma and endless decision making.

It started when I awoke to my mother's voice frantically yelling for me to help; I roused sleepily and ran to her to find dad falling and I threw my arms around his chest as a last ditch effort to delay his fall. I couldn't save him. His body weight strained a muscle in my back/lower neck and tears stung my eyes in pain. Dad crumpled to floor and began vomiting. Mother sent me out waiting on her command to call the "Non-emergency" fire department number to have them come help pick him up; but not until she cleaned him up. Those final moments stretched on while I heard my father sick on the bathroom floor and my trembling hands clutched the keys on my phone to dial help. The firemen troop arrived quickly and went to action; had him up and in his motor chair in no time flat. He drove himself 5 feet down the hall and back into my view in time to see him vomit bright red blood; repeatedly, all over himself and the floor. The nearest fireman to me turned and asked if he had just had lots of red cool-aid. (All I could think of was, "You're an EMT for crying out loud, this is not an appropriate time for a joke.") The ER trip was inevitable at this point, so I quickly readied a "hospital bag" of necessities and donned comfy shoes, jeans, and a sweatshirt - it gets cold waiting around in hospitals.

My mother still seemed relatively unconcerned at this point; too many trips by ambulance to the ER had numbed her to the severity of it all. I was very aware when they wheeled my father out of the house for what I knew could be the last time. I rode in the front seat of the ambulance, mostly becase I could, and I wanted to be close to my dad and his condition during transport. Mother was still a bit glazed and giggly from the driveway as she nodded towards the attractive fireman getting in the driver's seat next to me. I rolled my eyes and extended my left hand to point to the imaginary wedding band. ("He's married.")
The night unfolded quickly with ups and downs of blood pressure and extractions from his intubated stomach. Things took a serious step when we were not allowed to see him but asked to stay in the hallway and await the ER doctor's words for us. He certainly was being committed overnight, and to ICU at that. I risked a quick trip home for essential documents and items for mother, and while gone missed another sudden eruption of blood in the ER. By the time I'd returned he was in serious condition in the ICU bleeding internally at a rate much faster than they could stop or control. GI doctor was sent in to our 'family huddle' in the ICU waiting room and he carefully delivered the news in about 20 long minutes. We paired up to go in and say our last words and goodbyes. Tears amongst my family were seen then for the first time and phone calls made to close friends and extended family in the area to come in if they could. We pulled together like a team honoring their captain as the ship goes down... and for whatever reason, God saw fit to grant my dad not just a few more days, but almost a full week of slow declines...first through 2 days of on the edge non-stop visits and monitoring of his vital signs...then the release to a hospital room by Tuesday, day 3, since there was not more they could do for him.
Dad was at his best, last good consciousness, that Tuesday, May 11th. I sat by his bedside in wonderment at his health and the events that had transpired. It had been four days since it all began. We were all exhausted emotional wrecks. No one had had a normal eating or sleeping routine since, and though we were all weak and tired, we couldn't give up now. Mother was nodding off in the corner chair as she was literally unable to muster the strength to even hold her head up. Dad then suddenly spoke up, "I just want to take a moment to say how proud I am of the three of you." He was shaky, but smiling at my brothers and I in the room. He took my left hand, held it up to his mouth and kissed it. Then he seemed to stare off, almost through the bland hospital walls of his tiny room. But he would not stay there for long.
Some family deliberations took place with the hospice counselor and we determined to transport dad to the local Lifepath Hospice to rest and still have necessary medical care on hand. He was brought in that evening, was able to see and enjoy the nice room and bed and all his family standing around. That evening we gave our now standard loving goodbyes and good night wishes, not knowing it was the last time he would be awake enough to talk with us.
Mother stayed the night with him and before morning, he lapsed into a deep sleep that extended through Wednesday and Thursday. We received the 4 am call that his blood pressure had significantly dropped and he was likely to go certainly that day if not during the hour. We all rushed in; I drove the short distance straining through tears while listening to Matthew West's "Save a Place for Me" on the radio for the first time. Dad decided to spite the nurse and hang on to this life for one more day. We stood near listening to his heavy breathing all day, all of us catching our own when too many seconds passed between his gasps. I risked stepping away for 30 minutes to hurry home, shower and tend to the cats. We celebrated around him that evening with family and close friends sharing favorite stories of our time with him, laughing and carrying on hoping he heard our love and joy. My best friend went home with me that night and was standing by my side when I received the call early the next morning that he had breathed his last: Friday, May 14th, around 7:14 a.m.

The following hours were confusing and surreal. My emotions got the better of me and I was not the exemplary pillar of strength that it seemed each member of my immediate family were. Suddenly there was no reason to visit that room anymore. The pillow dad had begged for and requested while in ICU was carefully removed from under his head and packed up. I mindlessly fidgited with the ring that I carefully removed the previous morning; a ring I had made for myself that my dad liked and asked if he could have. I knew he was only borrowing it for a little while. We removed his jewelry early before his body had a chance to swell in those final hours of his systems shutting down. The morning shadows from the window danced on his chest and throat; often giving the illusion that he was still breathing shallowly. I stared at his sallowed face. A face that death had claimed. The result of sin. Death is cold and hard. I reached to touch his shoulder lovingly and discovered a cool hardness under the thin gown. It was a bizarre moment of experiencing the transition from "this is my dad" to "that is his body." It was hard to say and grasp the concept that he was gone. He had left. He was no longer there. All in one instant we would walk out of that room to never return and to never find my father again. I couldn't do it. I turned around. I had to go back. Go back for the last moments that I ever could.
Alone with him and a handful of wadded up tissue paper I burst into tears and burst out everything; all of my feelings, apologies, regrets and blames. Why did he leave me? What would I do now? Who would look out for me? Take care of me, guide me and cheer me on like he did? There is no one to replace my dad. He is my hero. I felt as if my life had accumlated and accelerated all up to this one climactic moment - and then all completely shattered and fell apart. I cried these things out to my dad; but he didn't respond. He just lay there, lifeless, and helpless to answer my questions or take me just one more step of the way. Guilt attacked me from out of nowhere: he'd waited as long as he could, but I just couldn't get married in time. In 30 years, I just couldn't do it. The realizations all came crashing down...he would never see me married; or give me away; or know and be proud of my husband, or children. That was it; his end had come.
What I can't summarize for you from that moment on was a series of grief stricken weeks of emotional roller coasters; fighting nightmares and haunting memories of my dad's final days. Additionally my dad's departure marked the end of life as I knew it, having been in Africa the previous year. Suddenly left without him and starting all over at age 30 in my childhood bedroom was too much to digest, it seems in even a few months. My mother and I had a month of shock recovery time until receiving closure at dad's burial in Arlington National Cemetary. What I even did in that month I couldn't tell you; I guess survive may be the best word. Following the burial I stayed up north and visited with extended family in NY. Some therapeutic family time with my aunt and uncle and reminiscing with my sister as she shed light on dad's early days in and around Long Island were helpful. I've returned to the remnants of my life in Tampa as of July. Since then, I've started a fresh chapter of life, and the rest is, as they say, unwritten.

"He gives and takes away..."

2010-07-15T04:52:00.000-07:00

Yesterday marked the two month anniversary of my dad's passing away. I suppose it's obvious I've been on a 'hiatus' - life just has been one unexpected whirlwind this year. Laying my head down last night I realized it's time. It's time to write again.
My return to the US was mostly unexpected as well. Conversations with family and concern over my father's decreasing health mounted as we entered 2010. I can say that the month of January was one of much burden and prayer. Increasing entries in my journal and heart cries before the Lord were frequent and revisited. By February a sort of "hold on dad" step of faith was taken to remain in the bush for this end of rainy season and hope to return home for a visit by early March; dad's 90th birthday. I contacted mother and she made arrangements for a big birthday celebration the weekend following my return; dad never made it to his own party.
Time flew by and before I knew it we were packed up for the US and attempting to beat it out of the bush in the rain. We knew the roads were getting worse, and the non-stop showers for a few days were beginning to add up. The riverbeds we drive through to arrive at paved roads were flowing at their highest I've seen yet. The river would literally wash over the hood of the engine as we were forced to risk the chance of getting stuck or the vehicle washing downstream. Leaving town behind us we were notified by local missionary friends that roads were washing out and bridges closing behind us as we fled. We were fortunate to stay the night just outside of Livingstone with a local South African missionary family, also off the beaten path;
their warm welcome and invitation to a hot home-cooked meal was to be relished by a car of water-logged weary worn travlers. It felt very "good Samaritan-esque"; sort of like the loving hospitality straight out of the good old days in the Bible. I enjoyed snuggling up in my fifth kids bedroom twin in 3 months. (It makes me laugh, so I started counting when I realized because I'm single, I am usually housed in a child's bedroom, kicking out the child to the parent's bed. I've cuddled up with all kinds of army toys, princess dolls, camoflauge sheets, and Toy Story prints. It's amusing really.) But I thank the Lord for a bed because I've known many nights with only my sleeping bag and a pad. I whispered "happy birthday" to my dad, "I'm coming home soon!" And closed my eyes in anticipation of the great adventure I could not even imagine to begin the next day.
That was the last night I slept in Africa.

...to be continued...

Rain rain, go away, Rain Rain come our way...

2010-02-01T07:51:00.000-08:00

[Announcer's voice] We're back to our regularly scheduled programming and iiiiiiiiiitttttttttttttt's RAINY SEASON! ((yay!!)) [applause] That's right folks, we're back here in Zambia with one additional baby and one additional mom. Jakob travled exceptionally well, while the truck was moving that is. He was so used to our rocky road bumpy rides that it actually calms him to sleep. But, the minute you stop...he'll be awake and telling you about it in no time. But what a blessing he is! All the locals have come out to see the 'white baby.' They are amazed.
We returned to camp to find that our much grown puppies acquired a fine taste for baby chickens and guinea fowl. ((oh no!!)) Sadly, we had been breeding so well, our birthed population of 46 guinea fowl was more than cut in half by hungry little hunter pups and is now down to a mere four. So that's why the puppies were locked up...
Prayers were well spent on the camp, the property and our security guard. There have been attempts to penetrate our camp and the orphanage house, but our security guards were "johnny on the spot" and chased them away. It must be burglar season as one of my missionary friends in town was robbed in the middle of the day; when she turned and saw them in her house, she yelled out and started chasing THEM! She is quite a brave girl and the next day the police were able to recover all of her things!
Jill and I had the privilege of moving into the raw construction of the house; bare plastered walls and cement floors, but doors and windows - yay! I quickly got to the task of putting in all the glass window pieces and puddying the seal; now the bugs and noise are trapped outside. So I have a real room. (Praise the Lord!) With a mattress and mosquito net and simple tuperware drawer set. We are moving right along!
Bible Study has picked up again on Tuesdays and Thursdays and Sunday School with the children. I have also started an Adult ESl class, mainly focusing on reading, as I have a good beginner's curriculum on reading. We're starting small, with 2 adults and the 3 children of our security guard who live on the property. They have been great "test" students so I can work out the bugs of teaching English to Zambians and getting a handle on how the children respond to proper education.
This weekend we had to make a trip up to the capital of Zambia, Lusaka. Some friends of ours kindly received boxes of donated books, school supplies, and even some baby things for Jakob! We have retrieved and packed all 57 boxes and cannot wait to organize them in our library (with some shelves soon too!) and get this useful information out to some eager learners.
Well, I just wanted to post a quick update; no pictures yet this time. Thank you all again so much for your prayers and support; especially those who have supported through my website (www.missionofloveschoolhouse.org) there is a thank you on the way!! :)

Bush bound "Baby on Board!"

2010-01-12T00:23:00.000-08:00

We are leaving for Zambia! South Africa has been good to us, and I have set up a new email address to connect with you. jennymariemaass@hotmail.com I have also downloaded Windows Live Mail which works better with this hotmail account, instead of yahoo, so I can read and reply to emails offline. (very bush friendly!) Please keep in touch!

Before I go,I wanted to post an animal picture or two, if I have time! Enjoy what I can load, they all live just outside Johannesburg in the "Rhino & Lion Park." What a great place to see every African animal you ever wanted to see...lions eating, cheetah's running, petting cubs, ostrich, hippopotamus, pythons, Black Mamba (most deadly African snake), rhinocerous, impala, springbok, hyena, pigmy hippo, zebra, panthers, black leopards, tigers, even white lions!

Enjoy the photos! This update is dedicated to my 'non-reading' friends. ;)

Botswana elephants video

2010-01-07T03:08:00.000-08:00

The view is outside my backseat window while driving through Botswana to South Africa, December 3rd, 2009. That is the 'snorkel' of the Toyota Hilux on the driver's side. Sorry for any cheesy narration, but watch for the first big male elephant throw a fit at us as we drive past him.

Petting Cheetah video

2010-01-07T02:33:00.000-08:00

The family I am staying with took me to the "Rhino and Lion Park" last week. Here is a video clip of us petting the cheetah. Cindy and I actually got picked to "run with the cheetah"! They released him to chase a meat chunk dragging on a rope, and we tried to keep up with him! Although I really didn't want to get in his eyesight and have him mistake my leg for raw chicken! Ha ha. You can see the big kitty was nice at first, then got a bit irritated at all the people lined up to pet him. We were the last people able to pet him; he made it clear he was done visiting with fans. As I am jumping back you can hear me yelling his name, "Eddie!Eddie!" (Then the park guy didn't stop the video, sorry it's shaky.) In the post petting interview I am saying, "We almost died!" "Bad cheetah!"

Outreach Highlight

2010-01-07T01:50:00.000-08:00

Outreach Highlights...

We arrived and set up camp in Kwafambila. Returning to “camp lifestyle” in the bush and drawing water from the well was all too familiar for me, and it was a joy (and good exercise of the muscles) to assist anyone in pumping their well water. I even got to wash my clothes by hand with a bar of soap at the well and drape them on a bush to dry in the hot sun. The long skirts we wear are often quite practical and preferred when you understand the elements of the environment. They are much cooler to your legs instead of the constricting waistline of pants and the enclosed pant legs limiting airflow all the way down to the ankles. If you walked around in blue jeans, the women may think you’re strange preferring a hot stiff heavy dark denim encasement of your entire lower body. It just wouldn’t make sense. But don’t take my word on it, come and see for yourself!

At the camp we were able to meet again with the local Pastor Patson and village people where deeper and long term relationships have been established and nurtured over recent years through faithful outreach trips. We were then able to come along side the local village believers in the church and reach further out to two needy areas near their village. One by the lake, and the other a drive up quite a rocky hill. We were able to canvas, separate in groups and go ‘village to village’ (each set of huts represents one family group living there, we would look at the huts and think it a small ‘village‘), to introduce the person and works of Jesus Christ and invite them to the Jesus Film that we would show later that evening. (After sunset of course; we have to wait for God to turn out the lights).
I had the unique and rare joy one day to be a part of a team that walked to 4 family villages. By the third village, we had walked for some time, up rocky steeps, down lush valleys, and across hard clay farmland. The sun was beating down as normal for a mid-summer December day in the southern hemisphere. We had all nearly emptied the water bottle we each carried as we trudged on in single file line. No one carried a watch (who needs one in Africa?) so we had completely lost track of time and had walked who knows how far. Our group of 3 ladies and 1 man, our fearless leader and spokesman, pressed on without complaint or concern. I was quite impressed at the group’s endurance and even committed to giving my own discomforts of heat, thirst, weariness, and sore feet to the Lord. I had not showered for a day and we were anticipating a quick turn around that evening from canvassing to driving right back up the mountain for the setup and showing of the film again that night.
Side note on the Jesus Film - Because of the amount of people who show up, the length of the film, and the follow up time afterward, a film night often easily stretches into 11pm-midnight. Then we still have to pack up and drive back to camp. One night we returned so late we had “dinner” at 1 in the morning! (I was a bit confused, but the south Africans didn’t seem to think it strange at all engaging in a full meal at that hour when I would just rather collapse on my sleeping bag.)
So the strength and perseverance I felt while canvassing was slowly diminishing by the thought of the film later on that night. Would this day ever end? I even wondered if I would be able to go; I am quite prone to migraines and a long day walking in the hot sun and some minor dehydration could bring on a killer migraine. But I chose to not dwell on the idea and carry on with the strength and resolve I saw in my team.
By the third village we met with an elderly man; a rare age for the country’s average lifespan. It seemed he lived alone; in a grass hut atop a hill with a gorgeous 360 degree view. He greeted us warmly and we sat down with him. (on either the ground or a very small 6 inch high round wooden ‘stool’ that serves as their common style chair.)
After our team leader had laid out the passions and purpose of Christ, the translator spoke with the old man briefly and finally turned to us and responded plainly, “I need Jesus.”
Time stood still. Eternity paused with bated breath. A rush of feelings and thoughts overflowed in my soul. I was staring through the old man at the endless raw beauty of the African horizon stretching beyond him.

It was one of those moments that will be etched on my heart forever. I can still see the glint in the old man’s eye, the trembling smile revealing a few remaining teeth; and for a moment I saw the place in eternity when I would see and speak with him next; in the same joyous language.
I couldn’t believe it. All my life I have heard the question, “But what about the African village man who has never even heard of Jesus?” Wow. It was like God answered me then and there, “Don’t worry. You’re going to go tell him.” How did I get here? How did I end up sitting on this tiny wooden stump, a front row seat to the incredible saving grace of Jesus Christ unfolding right before my eyes?! Jesus met us there. Jesus found Him there. Jesus poured out healing and salvation on the top of that mountain that He made. When I stood up to leave I had the energy of a four year old. I had to restrain myself from bounding down the mountain as we excitedly exchanged what we each just experienced. The fatigue and weariness had fled as if they were Satan himself. I gripped my empty water bottle to help contain my excitement and the only thirst on my mind was to taste that unique salvation experience one more time.
Lost in a world of awe in His power, we carried along and soon encountered two boys leading oxen. They led us up a steep path to their hilltop huts, invited us to sit down, and disappeared inside their hut with our bottles. They returned to us full bottles of water, said they would come to the Jesus Film that night, and sent us back on the right way. We were full alright; overflowing even.
The time was so late, all the other groups had returned to camp. Only our outreach leader Johan awaited us and was maybe surprised to see four beaming faces hurrying up the hill. What an experience and blessing that I would not trade for the world!

There is a man I will see in heaven whose name I do not know
He looked so poor but beneath those rags his heart of gold does show

An ancient man, a village farmer of humble means, you see,
A lowly hut, a simple life, beneath that African tree.

I know his eyes, I’ll see that smile, the face transformed by love
We’ll speak no words, but say all things to praise our God above;

A life was changed that day we met, looking into eyes so kind,
But all this time, the life that changed, no one knew was mine.

2009 in review...

2010-01-05T12:25:00.000-08:00

Welcome to a brief highlight photo review of the last months of 2009! I am taking advantage of fast internet speed and posting every picture I can for you to see. I don't have a separate "photo website" as Amber and Jako do, but you can certainly visit theirs and see a whole lot more of what's going on from their camera lens! (www.missionoflovezambia.blogspot.com)

Here you can see the original well that we use. After 3 dry boar holes were drilled, Jako came up with a contingency plan for our water system. On the left you can see the place where you stand to pump the water; it used to just flow out of the spigot there. Now the water travels through an attached piping (inside a small brick wall) and into the 1,000 litre tank. Once this tank is full there is higher water pressure out the top of the tank for the community to draw, and pressure sending the overflow water through pipes underground to our camp where we can route it to the orphanage. The plan is working great so far, and I sure don't mind hauling around the 20 litre water jugs as much!

I may have neglected to tell you one of our three dogs had puppies! Six to be exact! They were born Thursday morning, November 5th. 5 girls and 1 lucky boy. The father was a random visitor to our camp a few weeks after I arrived back. He is responsible for the cute white and black colored puppies!

This was a memorable photo taken the morning of my 30th birthday. I had to capture my face in time, should old age descend upon me too quickly. (I've been told, "It's all downhill from here! ha ha) Did I mention for my birthday I could pick one any of the puppies from the litter! I've got my eye on one, but we'll have to see who survived when we get back to the bush!

Here is a photo of the final outside work on the house. We've all poured our efforts into it and it has really come a long way! Baby Jakob has a nice home waiting for him, and I'm sure Amber and Jako may be quite eager to stretch their legs from the safari tent they've occupied the last few years. (Then I get a bigger tent too!)

You may remember a photo of our cute grass hut kitchen. Well, due to the hungry wood beetles, that roof was coming down. (Care for a dash of sawdust in your tea today?) We successfully raised a new tin roof over the kitchen really expanding the feel and coverage from rain. We managed to get it all up in one day, on my birthday even, but did not have time to get the screen up before nightfall. It was quite a buggy night, as our candles and headlamps draw bugs like kids to an icecream truck. Amber insisted on making one of my favorite dinners (tacos!) and looked like she was dancing the "Macerana" swatting all the bugs off her and the food! (I just pretended the ones on my plate were bits of browned burger meat fallen out of my taco. What?! It all tastes the same anyway with taco seasoning!!

Amber's younger brother Josh sacrificed a month of work and pay to come help us 'sprint to the finish' on getting the roof up before rainy season. He's also preparing to bring a team of Idlewild Young Professionls out the bush this May. Thanks for all your help Josh!

My "Sunday School" kids and translator, Obee. (I think he spells it 'Obey', but it's a long E sound like how I typed it. Our class had a spike in growth there at the end, and we've read and storyed up through Abraham's test of faith with Isaac. The kids are great and even answerd review questions correctly from weeks past! (Pretty good with no felt board Bible characters to display! :) We just use the tree we sit under for our 'univeral story prop.' I told the kids if they invited all the friends they had from everywhere, our class would be bigger than the adults in the church building (long grass hut), and we could go sit in there for class and make all the adults sit outside under the tree. :) They really liked that idea! Keep praying for these young lives! Recognize any faces from your prayer photo card?

This haphazard looking shed is actually our 'dog house.' We let them sleep in there during the day so they don't see people and get used to the locals coming to and from camp. Then at evening they are let out and are much more agressive and protective of us in the camp at night. Quite a good alarm system for the bush!

Our new security guard/property manager Charles knows all the tricks on raising chickens. He built these new chicken homes (nests?) and our chick population is exploding. It's fun to watch the hens pick a house, then count the eggs they lay, and subtract the days until she's running around with a little carpet of chick fur at her feet. They're really entertaining (in addition to tasting good!)

We left for South Africa on December 3rd; little did we know Jakob was coming exactly a week later, about 2 weeks earlier than expected. So this was the beginning of our long "drive to the hospital, the baby's coming!" I'm sure you fathers never had to plan for a ferry trip en route to the delivery room! (Ferry crossing from Zambia to Botswana border)

Botswana is thriving with elephants! The best part of driving ALOT of hours through flat, seemingly empty Botswana, is looking for elephants. Sometimes it's "look out - elephant!" They like to get in the road just before your car is about to zoom by. It's actually really dangerous at night - it's not like they have bike reflectors or anything!

The joyous gift of the year: Jakob. God arranged that I arrived at the clinic to see him the minute he was born. After his 30 min or so clean up and introduction to the world, I got to be the first non-family to see and hold him! (Ok, besides the midwives too!)

That's all for now! Wish I could have posted more..I'm just glad these posted so quickly and smoothly. The fastest I've ever seen photos post since I started this blog!

JLY Project Part 2

2010-01-05T11:30:00.000-08:00

Here is the view down the main road through the mountaintop village we passed through. The 360 degree view is staggering and these people really live in the Lord's beauty of creation!

Instead of crossing from Botswana border into Zambia by ferry, we drove a small length through Zimbabwe (Americans, look out, $50 single entry VISA required upon arrival) and entered Zambia by crossing a high bridge over the mighty Zambezi river just downriver of Victoria Falls. If you ever want to bungee jump in your life, this is the spot!

We of course drove through Kalomo on our way to the other side of Zambia for the outreach. It was like passing home on vacation! The South Africans are quite the coffee drinkers (even the kids!) and stop their day for coffee and rusks at least 2-3 times if they can. They relax and chat and enjoy one another and it's very routine in their culture. We made such a stop at the common corner in Kalomo. In this picture, the orange building in the background is "El Pantano," the main and only cafe/bus stop/pay toilet/ meeting center. This is where I can find lunch on any routine 'trip to town' when living out in the bush. When we stopped, I made a quick jog through the town to some missionary friends to invite them to come meet the South African outreach team. Pictured with me is Abby Morehead from Pennsylvania; God allowed us to meet shortly after we each arrived last spring, and He has used our friendship there to encourage each other and share memories of home. (We even joined each other's families for Thanksgiving dinner over skype!) On the left is Johann Beukmann, the outreach leader and organizer for JLY; he is talking with our friend Rob Murphy, the missionary from Michigan whose wife and five children all share a home with Abby just on the outskirts of Kalomo. I was honored to introduce two mighty warriors of the Lord reaching the people of Zamiba.

"Jesus Loves You" Project

2010-01-05T10:56:00.000-08:00

25/12/2009
JLY (Jesus Loves You) Project
Thank you all for your prayers during my outreach with the Jesus Loves You Project to Lake Kariba, Zambia. I was able to meet and fellowship with an entire new group of people and see God continue to work, no matter where I was! The language contrast was one barrier I worked through and saw God breakdown for me. 15 Afrikaans speakers and 1 American made it interesting. (Ever feel like a foreign exchange student on a field trip?) However, the Lord allowed me to connect with them through guitar playing, praise music, song, and group games during activity time.
We drove out early (EARLY) Saturday morning December 12th. We had two 4x4’s, Toyota Condor and Nissan Patrol, both pulled full (FULL) trailers with luggage, tents and camping gear. The drive out of South Africa is beautiful with rolling plains and mountainous horizons and then levels out as you get to Botswana.

Of course as we arrived in Zambia, the tables turned and I was more familiar with the people and language of Tonga and the kids on the trip were able to ask me for a few pointers. When we drove through a village on the crest of a hill, the local children mobbed the cars, pressing up against the windows and doors.

The team members inside couldn’t get out or get fresh air through an open window. They asked me to help, so I called the children over for a photo. (Well, it worked for a few minutes at least!)

The trek driving up and through the mountains of Zambia was quite a new thrill, especially tugging the trailers! You can see where the road would just fall away and can be quite treacherous if it’s raining or if the roads were slick, sticky, or muddy.

Don’t worry, we just stopped for a team photo overlooking the beautiful valley behind us. (At which point my camera battery died therefore I have no more photos from the outreach! I decided the Lord would rather me focus on Him and His purpose for me. (Sometimes not carrying the camera around is liberating!)

I am going to post this now to get the pics up, and detail the highlights in the next update. Thank you for staying tuned! Sorry all the updates come streaming at once! (When the connection is good, get everything up you can!)

Happy New Year from South Africa!

2010-01-05T10:44:00.000-08:00

5 January 2010

Happy New Year from South Africa! As a recap of the end of 2009, Jako, Amber and I traveled to South Africa for Jakob’s (early) arrival December 10th. He and new mommy and daddy are all doing great, as are both grandmothers (Jill arrived from the US one day after he was born!). Jakob John Joubert was 2.9 kg and born at 3:03 December 10th in Johannesburg, South Africa. We are currently waiting for his official paperwork and documents to come through for his return to Zambia!

The mission outreach I joined in December was quite an experience, and I will be posting an update about the trip next. The Lord has showed me new and unexpected things in my time here. I have also been blessed to enjoy special quiet times with our Lord and recommit to spending more time with Him for this new year. I desire to increase my faith and cannot forget the words, “Attempt great things for God, expect great things from God.” Isn’t that what faith is all about? Doesn’t a child leap off the ledge in faith, not knowing how he’ll land, but trusting in the good character of the father to catch him? I’ve challenged my prayer life the same way. Talking to the Lord and asking Him things expecting His character to come through and prove true every time. This pleases the Lord! “For without faith, it is impossible to please Him.” May we resolve to please Him this year!

FORECAST: Rainy with a chance of roaring

2009-12-08T20:05:00.000-08:00

Camping overnight in Botswana has proved to be some of the scariest nights of my life! Wildlife roams free, so no matter where you camp, you're sure to meet new carnivorous friends.
This trip down to South Africa was no less disappointing. We left the bush quite early and drove until sunset, setting up camp around 8pm. We pitched my tent safely next to the truck and a large tree, with the door unzipping toward the tree. Just before heading to bed, Jako was kind enough to point out the pairs (plural) of Jackal eyes watching us from the darkness. He was quite fascinated with them; I laughed it off nervously, "Ha ha, that's cute. Now I'm leaving so they don't have to decide who to eat."
I was also warned before going to bed that the hyenas do like to come and rub themselves on the side of your tent during the night. Ha ha. Not funny.
With that note in mind, I strategically angled my sleeping bag diagonally from one corner near the door to the opposite corner, therefore avoiding any contact with my tent walls. Rain showers were on and off that day, so we expected some through the night.
The loud drops ker-plunking off the tree leaves onto my tent canvas made a nice loud rhythm to keep my mind off of peripheral sounds that I just might imagine are scary predators stalking about. So I drifted off to sleep...until...a strange, cold, wet sensation brought me back. The entire center of the inside my fleece thermal sleeping bag was wet. Yep. I actually had to consider for a moment if I had lost bladder control, but this wet was way too cold for that! My center floor tent seam some how was leaking water in, and enough that it had soaked through the entire thickness of the bottom of my sleeping bag! Bummer!
As I took my flashlight around I realized another problem was pending (besides my cold soaked sleep shorts) My tent door zip was leaking. There is an outside flap that double zips over the door screen which I had left open for ventilation. Just as I peeked my little fingers through the open zip, I remembered the hyenas. Did I just hear a low growl? My heart started racing. It's 1:45 am, my sleeping bag is wet, I'm cold soaked to the bone, quickly trying to rescue the last dry items of my pack from the increasing flood on the floor, which by now had found its way 'downhill' making my tent floor a small riverbed, and the best solution to slowing the leak was zipping the outside flap shut and maybe losing my fingers to the jaws of a hyena in the process. Oh, I wasn't getting much sleep this night. And so, Botswana camp nights maintain an almost flawless record of the worst night sleeps of my life.
The next few hours were spent mopping up puddles in my tent with some of the few clothes I had left, and leaving the pile under the door flap to collect the slow but steady dripping. I put on the last long pant and sleeve I had dry to try to stay warm sleeping on top of my sleeping bag, since it would do no good to huddle for warmth inside the wet bag.
I may have passed out for an hour, hour and a half at most. The wind had picked up, so my tent was bobbing like a bobble-head doll and the cold had come with it. Somewhere around nearing 5 am, I was slowly roused from bad sleep by a continuous yelping noise. Think of the predator call of the velociraptors in Jurrasic Park. Almost exactly the same. Fully awake now, the animal(s)' call evolved from the high yelp exploding into a climatic roar. I haven't communicated much with lions, so I was really hoping that wasn't a "get off my territory or I'll eat you" kind of roar.
Those are the awe-inspiring moments that pretty much paralyze you. You lay still, powerless to change your fate. A billion little thoughts and warnings race through your mind - "Don't move. He won't see you." "Play dead. He'll leave." Movies you absolutely DO NOT think about would be the "Ghost and the Darkness." (!) At least I had zipped up every door and window opening in my tent to conserve warmth, so I was sure he wouldn't smell me right away. My last consoling thought, I was sure the sound was coming from the far side of Amber and Jako's tent, so at least the lions would eat them first.
Moral of the story: Pray for me this weekend! I have to camp in Botswana again! :)

An Afrikaans Christmas!

2009-12-08T06:48:00.000-08:00

That's right, baby Jakob John Joubert is on his way shortly as we ready to celebrate the birth of another baby boy; our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amber, Jako, and I traveled to South Africa this past weekend to prepare to expand our ministry (from within!) We will return to Zambia's heavy rainy season just as soon as we have passport and documents on baby Jakob in January.

While here we are able to visit with Mission of Love supporters and churches out of South Africa. (We are an international ministry!) Many long time friends and supporters of Amber and Jako know their friend and ministry partner, Johan. Johan was an integral part in Jako's salvation years ago through the Jesus Loves You Project trips up into rural Zambia. This weekend (Dec 12-22) I have the opportunity to join Johan on a team of 12 to use the Jesus Film on a project outreach trip! I am very excited as I have heard a lot about these trips. I know I will learn a lot and do ask for your special prayers of protection! The traveling and conditions are quite rough even compared to what I am used to in the bush. And it's back to tents and sleeping bags for me; I've been spoiled this week with a bed! Ha ha.

It is a joy to meet and get to know our Christian South African brothers and sisters. We must remember that God's church expands far beyond American shores or denominational lines. Pray God continues to help me learn the languages, both Tonga and Afrikaans so that I can be a better witness and light to those God places in my path along this journey. Just yesterday I was able to share again the story of, "How did you get to Zambia?" My testimony of God's faithfulness to me will be a much repeated witness to many who have and will ask while I am here.

So may I share, joy to the world and all the peoples in it. Somebody near you needs you to be their Christmas miracle this year. Look outside yourself and your comforts, and bring the light of the birth of Christ into someone's life this season.

Working Woman

2009-12-08T05:16:00.000-08:00

WHAT'S BEEN HAPPENING!!
I apologize as November escaped me; much work was done and even some projects completed! For a more detailed update on the camp projects, please also follow Amber & Jako's blog www.missionoflovezambia.blogspot.com

Since my last update I have taken on the job titles and working skills of a minor construction worker specializing in wood treatment, window glass installment, window puddy sealing, and door varnishing. Imagine every small and large timber of wood and roof support beams, branding strips have to be painted with a very thin black sealant. I was paintng our supply wood on the ground, beams nailed up in the 'attic' and even some trusses going up mid-air! (Jako and Josh were kind enough to hold them an extra minute so I could finish!) A lot of this painting was in between on and off rains. Frustrating because the rain would wash off any recent treatment and soak new wood so it could not be treated. But I managed to finish it all! For 3 separate roof projects! (I even managed to wood stain some of my clothes in the process!)

The photos may not be so flattering, but I'll include some snapshots of my working days!

Habakkuk 3:17-19

2009-10-31T01:21:00.000-07:00

Oct 31, 2009
Habakkuk 3:17-19
“Though the fig tree should not blossom and there be no fruit on the vines, though the yield of the olive should fail and the fields produce no food, though the flock should be cut off from the fold and there be no cattle in the stalls, yet I will exalt in the LORD, I will rejoice in the God of my salvation. The LORD GOD is my strength, and He has made my feet like hinds feet, and makes me walk on my high places.” (NASB)
I cannot say that October was a failure. The optimism we hold is in the mighty sovereign plan of God! We rejoice and claim victory in God’s will for us whether it seem to us as good or bad. Our paraphrased version of this scripture in Habakkuk would go something like this…”Though the fire burned our land, and the drilled wells were dry, and the fuel shortage continues; though our hard drive crashed, and our security person resigned, and we have little hope for good rains – we are still rejoicing in the Lord!” That about sums up the trials that God has carried us through in October; carried on the wings of your prayers.
We count our blessings and praise God for the good gifts He has given! Two calves were born last week and baby chicks are hatching and surviving. Josh (Amber’s brother) has arrived safely and in addition to his help of physical labor, he also brought a new laptop! (so I am able to update you once again!) The Joubert’s house proudly shows off one month of construction, standing tall with all external walls built to roof height and 10 A-frame rafters secured uniformly in line. (Imagine Noah’s excitement when he finally got to the roof rafters of the Ark!) And most importantly, we are all healthy; Amber and baby Jakob included!
Prayers for our health do not go unappreciated – a few weekends ago, I experienced a “mini-Job-in-the -Bible” episode. It seemed that God allowed Satan to touch my body, but not take my life! I awoke quite early (4 am) one Saturday morning to serious stomach pains. Along with the disturbed night sleep, I had to make a small adventure running around camp with my flashlight to the toilet outhouse we have, then to the kitchen hut for medicine, and back to my tent and secure sleeping bag to try to catch up on lost sleep before a big work day.
By morning I was up cutting vegetables and managed to slice the tip skin of my thumb fairly deep. I was surprised at how much it bled and began to have a bad feeling about the day. I don’t take lightly God’s protection or provision of strength through adversity; and we take seriously the attacks of Satan on the work and ministry of Mission of Love to the people out here. Your prayers battle with us on the front lines!
By now the water drilling company had arrived, secured their large air compressor unit and drilling machine, and had begun the day long task of drilling up to 60 meters deep to find water. (We are drilling a well for water for the orphans to use at the orphanage house.) Just then a man ran into camp yelling, “Come! Come quick!” A bush fire had been set and gusty winds had swept it out of control through the orphanage property and it was quickly surrounding the drilling equipment. We grabbed shovels and ran to the drilling site where the equipment stood with a wall of fire raging behind it. The fire was 10 feet from the huge air compressor and drilling rig, and distance was closing fast. I wondered what would happen if the fire reached the heavy diesel machines. I didn’t wait to find out.
The heat seared into my skin and ashy smoke burned my eyes and lungs. I shoveled harder and faster to dig a fire break. When the wind dropped, my blackened sandaled feet ran to the front line stamping out the smaller flames; throwing as big a shovel of smothering dirt as I could manage. Then, in the blink of an eye, the wind gust swept down exploding the fire into a monster, pushing our fireline back with shouts of sudden retreat. The monster eagerly consumed another few feet of dry elephant grass. We were forced to separate. The flames had jumped the road, wind shaping them into “fire twisters” licking the air and swallowing trees whole. Like cornered prey, the fire had strategically encircled the drilling site.
Then, above the pounding of the drill and the roar of the flames, I heard Jako’s voice praying out loud, “Lord, don’t let the fire jump. Don’t let the fire jump the road. Turn the wind.” The dirt road alongside the drilling site was our only hope; a natural fire break. The flames were eagerly sweeping through the grass on the other side and one mis-directed gust would shoot the fire straight at the equipment like a blow-torch. We watched helplessly as the fire reached across the road like an arm, almost teasing us, threatening to ignite the other side in a moment’s time. Our only hope was in God. For those next few minutes, the flames licked at what seemed to be an invisible wall. Fire twisted out and appeared to burn nothing in mid-air. The dry grass and trees on our side of the road did not catch one flame or ember; as if they were immune. The fire continued burning down the roadside, seeking a vulnerable, dry place to penetrate and jump; it failed. Ultimately, the flames paralleled the already burned side of the road; it had made a complete circle and nothing remained that could ignite. The bush fire was stopped dead in its tracks.
The fire had burned the wide area surrounding our entire camp. A row of our young banana trees along the orchard took quite a beating as well; their leaves, now crusty and orange, defy gravity standing out sideways from their stem as the intensity of the heat blew them and burned them almost instantaneously. But as Rahab’s house stood alone amidst the destruction of Jericho, so today you can see a single patch of unharmed elephant grass; enveloped by black smoldering ashes on all sides. A testimony to God’s protection and faithfulness to remember each time we drive by.
Now joining the bandage around my sliced thumb, are two more bandages covering the blisters and raw, tender skin from the hour of shoveling against the fire. The soreness and muscle aches set in as well, and later the next day a sharp stiff blade pierced through the sole of my shoe and punctured my foot nicely. As I watched the blood gush into the dirt, all I could think of was the verse when God says,”The blood of your brother Abel calls out to me from the ground.” Ha ha. That night after showering with one “good foot” and one “good hand,” I woke up suddenly to a sting in my neck. My headlamp revealed that my pillow was covered in ants! “Lord, please help me!” I prayed. Thankfully, I was only tormented through that weekend.
By then, we knew that the well that was drilled during the fire was dry. Over the course of the next week, two more painfully long days of labor and waiting and about 175 meters of drilling combined, had produced three dry wells. The third well was our last chance. When Jako returned to announce that the drilling company was giving up, I braced myself for the news and the utter despair that would follow. Instead, I watched peace and confidence in God’s plan exude from his face as he stated, “Boy, wasn’t God good when He gave us that strong well of water four years ago.”

October's Optimism

2009-10-02T09:39:00.000-07:00

I have been gone to Africa almost one month now. Our schedule has varied so much, I’ve only recently settled into a working routine. For the past two weeks I have been driving a team of four local men to different locations to fetch construction materials (rocks, bricks, sand, and water) by driving our old ’64 Land Rover. They arrive by 6:30 am, so my mornings are quite rushed if I’m not up and getting ready by 6. (The days are getting longer so the sun has helped the roosters kick start the day by rising earlier.) Jako gave me many driving demonstrations and lessons to start. This made the beginning quite difficult as I was also unfamiliar with reversing a trailer load (1 ton) of weight. Reversing an old stick shift with no power steering didn’t exactly come naturally to me. The “roads” out here are also just two ruts in the dirt and there is certainly no convenient turn-arounds to pull through, unless I blaze them in the bush myself! I drive out and back and we load and unload as many tons as we can, sometimes up to 8 or 9 a day. Thus far I have only been stranded out once when the trailer tire went flat. This week also has slowed since my return with a bent trailer axel. It has taken us two whole working days to repair it! I will begin the 40 min – 1 hr drive to the river bed to fetch sand loads again tomorrow (Saturday). The men are eager to finish these loads and have agreed to begin at 5 am and shoot for 9 loads until the day is finished. Boy, I have a big day ahead for me! But not to worry, the Lord’s day of “rest” is coming soon! We are off-loading these materials here at our camp where the Joubert’s home is being built and also at the schoolhouse construction site.

Along with being a bus driver, I spent two working days painting the interior of the library. Today I touched up the edges, and painted the window and door frames. We have laid a laminate on the floor and even moved boxes of books in there! (Finally freeing up some much needed space in the Joubert’s tent!) Now the library only awaits the building of shelves and a table to sort and store the books nicely. These tasks can be done inside, so we are moving this priority to after the rainy season has come.

After my rest from bus driving and minor construction, I continue to prepare materials and lessons for the three times I teach during the week. Tuesday and Thursday Adult Bible studies at 14:00 – 16:00hrs and the children’s Sunday School hour from 10:30-12. This is the really best part of being out here! Thank you for remembering these days and times and these three groups of people. I tell them that you all back in America are praying for them and their growing in their faith in God.

Sunday is an exciting walk through the Old Testament stories at a very practical and animated level for the kids. They sit attentively under the tree shade and my translator is very good with them as well. These week were are beginning to learn about Abraham! If you have my prayer card, you are staring in the faces of these precious ones that God wants to raise up to serve Him with their lives. Pray for these young, this next Zambian generation!

Tuesday Bible study is held at the cattle farm, 40 min drive away. This past week I had to drive the 4 wheeler there! It sounds fun, but I was actually quite terrified most of the time. The tire ruts get very deep at times and the sand threatens to throw you off into a tree at any turn. But like everything else out here, I’m sure I’ll get better with time. My faithful brothers and sisters attend this Tuesday study. We had 12 this week, and have committed to pray for each other and strive to “pray continuously.” Tuesdays are sweet fellowship with the stronger believers and we are moving through the New Tribes Mission “Firm Foundations” really establishing the truth in God’s Word from the beginning. I know God will use this group; He already has, and we are growing. What a blessing to be back; I also shared with them my time in the States and those who are praying for them and God’s work here. My heart sometimes just breaks with His joy and refreshing with these believers that I have to pray that God keeps enough of my tears back that I can continue speaking and finish teaching the lesson. How Great is Our God!

Thursday Bible Study began again. We had a rocky time this past Spring as the locals that live nearest our camp seem to be the farthest from God. We announced it again in faith and God also brought 12 to this study as well! I am very encouraged by this showing and poured out my heart and prayers for them and this dark area that badly needs the Light from our Father. I shared my testimony of how God led me here and that He would not do that for no reason. That God has them in mind when He changed my life this past year. Please pray especially for the needs and struggles of this group. Some of these members represent families that are torn apart by sin – bondage to the witch doctor, stealing, lying, deceiving family and friends, allowing their fear of Satan to be greater than fearing our Almighty Creator God. Satan will battle for these people, so please fight with me with your prayers that God guard, protect and lead these lives to Him.

I apologize again for the lack of updates or if I have not yet replied to your email. We’ve had to depend on God to maintain our laptop and internet capabilities! Much love and prayer for you all – I keep you in my heart! Jenny

What do you do in Africa when...

2009-10-02T09:20:00.000-07:00

Africa Quiz
Here’s a fun way to understand the complexity of daily decisions when living in the bush…(this is similar to Pastor Reno’s “Top Ten” )

What do you do in Africa when…

When a cockroach is found on your towel, do you…
A. Smile and thank God that you found him before you were drying off with him
B. Flick him onto your friend’s neighboring towel
C. Squish him immediately into your towel
D. Jump into the shower and be glad he’s not on you

When you find a hornet and his nest while painting, do you…
A. Swing at them immediately destroying his nest and angering the hornet
B. Knock him to the wall unconscious and paint him and his nest to the wall as a permanent warning to his friends
C. Walk away slowly never turning your back on him and return with pest spray
D. Locate a sharp piece of wood, pierce him to death and scrape away his nest

When something large and dark scurries away from your tent, do you…
A. Locate a headlamp and track it down to make sure you know what it was
B. Brush it off and go to bed thinking ‘Well at least it’s not in here anymore’
C. Empty out your shoes to find more of them
D. Check your insect chart to discover what new species is taking residence in your home

Now for a different twist. Shoes. Not alot of Africans wear them, but the real question here is, comfort or practical? This question is usually answered by the tasks I need to accomplish that day. First let’s start with the options. Well, there’s the sandal, the closed Crocs, and the worn in tennis shoes. (which the ventilation mesh is getting holier by the day!) I was also pleased before arriving out here to discover the Croc sandal. A much thicker soled comfort sandal, but practical as well.

For daily chores and life around camp, the open sandal is your best bet. It’s an easy on, easy off footwear, but prepare yourself for the dirt. Feet are blackened with dirt by the end of this wear.

The Croc sandals are also a dirty foot choice, but they provide more contoured comfort for endurance wear and a little height for some of those taller tasks. The comfort grip allows for more stability in and stays in place, but on the other hand are less easy on, easy off for continuous in and out of the tent.

Finally, your comfy, worn in tennis shoe. Everyone has a pair of these. They’ve already served you a lifetime, and now your demands on their performance may include one last fatal task too tough and gross and icky to ever recover from. Kind of like totalling your car. Something could happen to them that makes the clean up and recovery job more hassle than just starting again with a fresh new pair. That’s why they’re dependable; there’s nothing you wouldn’t risk in these shoes. These shoes are pushed to the extreme, always knowing it could be their last wear, ready to sacrifice sole and shoestring to perform to the end. They almost make you invincible; like having the protection and fit of a quality Athletic shoe, but the recklessness of a disposable. These are the shoes you want in a sticky situation; should an emergency arise, you’d better be wearing these. Traveling out to an unknown destination? Treading new unchartered ground? Walking an unsure footpath today? Choose the comfy shoe; the one you know and trust. We’ve all seen the crisis before; the cast away, stranded on an island without good shoes. That kind of loss could be devastating! You’ll be tying new palm fronds to your feet every day! Flying over a great body of water? Those flimsy sandals may be nice going through airport security, but come plane crash time, you’re going to want those sneakers tied to your feet as much as you want to be seat-belted to chair A37!

Let’s try to tie this up now. I’ve walked you from toe to heel on the shoe situation out in the bush. There are some big shoes to fill out here, so don’t let your edges get frayed. Just remember to double knot for the day, and tie them first the right way! And don’t forget, at the end of it all, it’s your sole that counts!

September's Survival

2009-10-02T09:06:00.001-07:00

Week 1

Wednesday, 16 September 2009. We have returned to camp 1 week ago now. (I apologize as I was able to write this update as the events occurred, but our laptop out here crashed and I was not able to get online to post it in September! Sorry! These will be like a series of mini-updates.)

Water Crisis – A leak in water pipes drained our 1,000 liter water tower; we returned to a dusty dry waterless camp; no flush, no sinks, no showers, no drinking water or dishwashing. (Priority Problem!)

Solution –We set to work right away Thursday morning. The Lord sent local help (friends and fellow believers over the years of the Joubert’s ministry here) and they helped pull out and clean another tank we have, load it onto the trailer, and drive it out to the well. These men spent the morning pumping water and filling this tank for us. We attached the tank to new pipes and pumped it up to the water tower. Thank you Lord for water!

Returning to camp after being away takes some time to get working again. As you can imagine, all things valuable must be packed up and locked away lest they walk away. The entire interior kitchen must be torn down and carefully secured in our lockable pantry; gas tanks turned off and secured; and we secure a wood plank in the doorway to prevent any easy walk ins. (Or they could just slash the screening around the kitchen.) The same is true for the Joubert’s home and all equipment stored in an accessible place or outside.

In addition to opening up camp, we had about a dozen new bags, boxes and duffels to unload; many were donated clothes, linens, and baby needs that were donated by friends and church members in South Africa. Amber has taken on the endless task of unpacking each item, sorting, folding, and repacking into a more secure (dust-proof) bin or suitcase to be housed in our store room until they are needed for use, donation, or permanent storage in a ‘donations closet facility.’ (Which needs to be built; one day!) But before we stock the storage room, we had to gut it out of the leftover and donated supplies, clothes and tents that the last visiting church team donated to Mission of Love. Amber took on a sunrise to way past sunset mega laundry day on Saturday. The water supply was vital for undertaking this huge project and mounds and mounds of clothes were unstuffed, sorted, and shuffled through wash, rinse, and wring out cycles. The generator was running the lone washing machine all day and the clothespins got a good workout as we pinned up and took down repeated lines of wash. Great job Amber! She finally completed around 11pm having used 500 liters of water!

Walkie Talkies!
We were blessed to return with a simple short wave radio system to set up at “base” and have a hand-held to take on the road either to the orphanage or the cattle farm, both between 5-40 minutes drive away. We have had no ability to contact camp unless we reach cell phone service in town, 2 hrs drive away. This new system will be very helpful for Jako and Amber staying in touch throughout the work day, especially now as Amber is 6 months pregnant. Also if Jenny needs to drive to Bible Study alone (40 min by Land Rover), she can call for help if there is vehicle breakdown or some other emergency.

While Jako has been busy fixing and building all things– installing a new drum with pipe for our daily water; building out the wires and new electrics needed for the short wave radio, including another very tall metal tower with radio antenna secured to the tent; welding additional sections to our solar panel to increase power supply; attaching the old generator (broke in July during the VA team visit) to repairing the tractor engine to run better and consume less fuel; the list goes on and on…

Getting Settled
Jenny has embraced work gloves and rake this first week for general yard work around the camp. As winter has ended and we are full swing into the hot season, dead leaves and grass lay thick on the ground. This is a danger not only for bush fire but a hiding place for snakes. With that information, Jenny set out right away raking up piles of leaves starting from her tent out. Amber helped her set up her “temporary tent” home, a smaller 7’x 7’ dome canvas ground tent until we are able to secure the permanent tent to the cement slab foundation that was poured in July. Jenny lives out of her 2 suitcases and a nice new 6 drawer plastic dresser tower to keep smaller items. She sleeps in a new donated sleeping bag on a mattress on the ground and keeps all your encouraging cards up around her to read at night! If you're a writer, please write me! I will write you back and look forward to any mail I might receive. (Jenny Maass P.O. Box 620170 Kalomo, Zambia) Thank you!! :)

H2O
She is also doing her best to keep up with the water pumping to free Jako and Amber for the many tasks pressing on their every day. Rising early and getting to the well before dawn has been a much preferred and cooler experience than having to pump during the heat of the day around 100 degrees. A full trip to the well fills 11 jugs that are 20 liters of water each. You can see it would take more than 4 trips to fill the 1,000 liter tank in our water tower; that water does not include the water we separate out for drinking, cooking, doing dishes, and filling our hand-washing basin. (or for massive water use on laundry days!) We are consuming much more water during the day as well to stay hydrated and avoid heat exhaustion and fatigue.

Nose Piercing?!
Saturday included a trip out to the cattle farm to test the success and distance of the short wave radios and to solve another problem – the mighty rebellious bull, Sadaam. Ironically, this was his name when he was bought some years ago to breed with the then small herd of cows. He is quite successful in that he covers every cow we have that is in heat and God has multiplied the cattle. However, Sadaam is quite restless and likes to run around going his own way and refusing to be controlled. So last Saturday I was quite entertained to watch 4 Zambian men struggle to lasso and hold down this large beast so that Jako could pierce his nostrils with a nose ring. It was the event of the week and the daily news of “What is Sadaam doing now?!” After tying him to a fence post, which he broke free from jumped a fence and ran away; he was hunted down hiding in a bush on Sunday, retied to a middle post, and then managed to wrap himself all around it. He has pulled and tugged and yanked and tripped all over his rope so that now his tender nostrils have begun to pain him greatly. We are happy to say he is much more manageable now and knows who is boss.

“Going to town!”
Monday involved a full day of “trip to town” activities. Jenny has 30 days to apply and file her paperwork for permanent visa or immigration dept will have something to say. We were able to locate the new Immigration office, as they have moved, but the official could not provide us the paperwork then as it was all still packed away. Also the photo ID (two new passport photos required to submit) building was “closed” when we stopped by. African working hours are sometimes mostly a guessing game. The visa will cost 500,000 kwacha and will probably be good for 2 years. (approx $100) Unfortunately, the global economic crisis effects are beginning to be felt even out here, as our USD to K rate is getting quite low.

While in town we visited another local missionary family with 5 kids. The wife and mom is a doctor, and she and her husband have the vision of starting and building a hospital/medical clinic out in the bush. Kalomo (where they live) residents have access to medical help, but villages out our way in the bush must travel a great distance to get help, and by the time they go they are 90% dead anyway. Transport to town is costly, overloaded (30 people strapped to the back of 1 pickup???), inconvenient for medically needy people, and it only goes on certain days once out in the morning and returning back in the evening. Please pray about this medical need and God overseeing our ability to help each other reach the villages with medical help.

God brought us by the family at a timely moment, as Jako was able to help their Land Cruiser which had a special broken piece in need of repair. Jako seems to be a magnet for auto repair; we saw the hood up on their car as we pulled in! Amber has also enjoyed visiting with this family as Christa, the doctor, has been able to provide advice and light checkups for her during her first pregnancy.

Building Bunk Beds!
Tuesday felt like back to the grind. We hit the dusty road with the quad, generator and tools in the trailer behind and set to work back out at the orphanage. More locals showed up to help and were able to assist Jako in building the framing for all 10 bunk beds by the end of the day. (sleeping 20 orphans!) It was quite thrilling to see the orphanage house so complete with painted floors, walls, and ceilings; with even a few Bible cartoon mural surprises awaiting you in the kitchen and shower rooms. (Great job VA team!) The locals were amazed to see Jako use a newly donated battery powered drill to screw the beams together quickly and with ease. They “Ooohed” and “Awwed” and even said “Ah! A new hammer!” How fun to introduce this technology to these African locals. They are used to helping carry the generator out to the site, power up that big loud machine and run the old dirty power cord into the house. They were amazed when they saw it could reverse directions and pull the screw back out and when it died, Jako could just replace a newly charged battery pack. Such technology!

“Only you, can prevent a fire.”
Today Jenny got to be a volunteer fire-fighter! The fire was starting to rage high and wide, and as winds can pick up suddenly it can jump fast. It was moving close to the road surrounding our camp, so she helped two other locals beat out the flames with a freshly cut small tree of green leaves. (fresh enough to not catch fire itself)You have to be sure to smother the small smoking pieces into the dirt as they have the tendency to suddenly re-light behind you and catch you by surprise! The dry weather and this heat (It is 4:30 pm and it’s 93 degrees INSIDE the Joubert’s tent! Today reached a high of 104 degrees! ) make random bush fires appear much more frequently!

We were also happy to meet with the locals who have building experience to contract work with them in the building of the Joubert home and the schoolhouse building! (both of which are a dirt foundation right now) Our local ‘builder’ will be able to advance these projects by brick from the foundation up to the ceiling level. The supplies alone for the schoolhouse will cost around $7,000 total and the builder fee will be an additional $1,000. We are thankful for his experience and help as we need to have the schoolhouse built high enough before the rains come. Please pray and ask God if He would have you be a financial partner in the building of the schoolhouse for the orphans and adult English learning.

In addition to the “Prayer Projects” listed on the website (www.missionofloveschoolhouse.org) we are in great need of rebuilding the kitchen roof before the rainy season as we now have a long skylight running along the peak of the A-frame. And much farther down the road we are hoping to build a “drip irrigation” system from our well into the orchard of 160 trees. We know God will provide the finances in the right time to purchase much length of piping, and a new tank. The plan is to make use of the run-off water from the well pump. Currently that drains off into the ground making a nasty little pool of unusable ground water. Jako has made a plan in his mind to dig a sizeable hole, build a cement tank (like our ground septic tanks), extend the well run-off into this tank, and pull water up through a series of rubber stoppers all tied to a rope that pull through two pipes into the tank. This will be turned by a hand crank carrying the water up into the 1k liter storage tank that will feed a series of pipes extending down into the orchard and branching off to each row of trees. They will then easily be watered from the well with the turn of a crank; as opposed to ½ day of carrying water containers to and from the well by wheelbarrow and pouring 2 liters on each of the 160 trees. (This is quite an exhausting undertaking, and it takes its toll on your back!)

Breakdown in Botswana!

2009-09-12T22:51:00.001-07:00

It is 8 pm Zambian time Wednesday, Sept 9th. We have arrived this evening and are cleaning from a month's vacancy (dusty dusty dusty!) and unpacking and moving back in. The journey back was long and not without difficulties - we left Pretoria, South Africa (near Johannesburg) Sunday at 4pm and drove into Botswana, making a smooth border crossing at almost 10 pm and camped out just inside Botswana. Monday we drove through the whole of the country and halfway through discovered that the gear shift/ gear box on the Toyota Hilux was broken because suddenly we could not shift into first or second gears. But God is good and kept the truck going without needing to stop until we arrived at a very safe good camping area. (To breakdown in the middle of the bush of Botswana is quite dangerous with all the wild animals; you can imagine them waiting for you to wander around by yourself looking to become lunch.) So we camped out again in Botswana near the northern border Monday night. As soon as we pulled in we set up camp and then we all stayed up quite late helping disassemble the gear shifts and gear box insides, discovering pieces of shattered metal and rubber. Obviously the destroyed piece was the key to our being able to shift successfully. We were all a dirty mess and it was quite late with little nuts and bolts and tools everywhere as we were working by headlamp;

I fell asleep against the truck door shining the light onto the work area; and finally was glad to find that we could stop working because we did not have the part to replace and we would have to try to find the part the next day before we could reassemble the whole gear box.

I passed out quickly that night not caring about the groaning hippos, stalking lions, hyenas, and baboons around us. That area is quite populated with wildlife and people stay there for the thrill of it. The baboons were kind enough to leave their foot and hand prints on the truck windshield.

Early the next morning Jako began walking back towards the town to see if he could go store to store until he was able to purchase the right part, right size, for Toyota Hilux. Amber and I were quite surprised with his speedy and successful journey as he was back later that morning and we began the process of fitting and repairing the gear box. A three part effort was committed to the task until we put it all back together and joyously discovered that the gear shift was working again. Now we can pack up camp!

We headed out and arrived quickly at the Botswana border of Choma river which dumps into the mighty Zambezi River. This border crossing (as do all of them) requires parking and visiting many small offices with your passport and being subjected to light questioning and the potential to be searched and charged tax on anything they feel like. Or they can just demand to confiscate your items. You never know how it will go and we held our breath and prayed through each one.

As we cleared this border to exit Botswana, we were faced with options of crossing into Zambia. Thankfully the "ferry" was working and we crossed the river directly with our vehicle into Zambia. The Jouberts have waited for this ferry for seven hours before, and sometimes the ferry is not working. This 'ferry' is really a rough barge with little to no safety standards! Oversized semi's and freight trucks drive on and off every day, sometimes flipping over and sinking them, and people were lost once when trapped underwater by this kind of large truck. We could have taken a longer route to drive out of our way through Namibia or through Zimbabwe, but that would have set us back even further in our journey.

Finally, we crossed over, I paid my fifty dollar visa and we cleared another crossing into Zambia - yay! Almost home; so we thought. We drove the next few hours to Livingstone were there is a large mission compound called "Overland Mission" where the Jouberts had to leave their broken down '64 Land Rover. So it seems we always arrive at our rest for the evening only to find auto repair demanding on our time. We pulled into their big garage and were blessed to use their tools to replace the leaf springs under the '64 Landy.

Two auto repairs in one day! Again a three man effort was spent from the afternoon arrival until a short break for dinner then back to the garage; we worked until very, very late into the night; this time I fell asleep on the mechanic's rolling board (so that you can slide in and out from under the car easy, not sure the name) We had trouble with one spring as the u-bolts were too short on one side so we did not have enough thread to secure the large nuts onto it. We then had to reverse the process and remove it all over again to remove two spacer plates out from the spring, and after much time realigning it to the chassis, we found that now the u bolts were too long on the other side and the nut ran out of thread to be secured up to the spring plates. How discouraging so late at night with many repairs and changes when we thought we were almost done. Suddenly I thought of using washers to slide up the bolt on that side - it was my only stroke of genius this whole trip! They were glad God gave that wisdom to me - I simply blamed my tired and numb mind more easily receives logical thoughts, since I can't come up with these solutions if I tried hard when I'm alert! So we fixed it and barely got showers before passing out late again.

We rose early this morning and thanked the mission for putting us up and were on our way into town (Livingstone) to make our big grocery stop, two carts overflowing with food to restock the pantry for a while. Jako ran errands with the other vehicle and we were ready to go by noon, for the 3-4 hr drive to Kalomo for more stops there. I then had my first manual drive 4x4 Toyota Hilux lesson in traffic on highways. What a change from the old Landy going slow and steady on the dirt roads out in the bush. So the rest of today I mentally exhausted myself trying not to get Amber and I killed while concentrating on what gear to shift into when, keeping up behind Jako, and not burning his clutch or e-brake. Tough stuff, and the concentration is quite draining.

We had quick stops at Kalomo (our local and nearest 'town' of 2 hrs drive away) - no mail for me today - and no immigration people at the office to meet with for my permanent paperwork, so we hit the road and I got the 2 hr drive back into the bush; all familiar fun drive to home. We did arrive with daylight thanks to the extending days of the spring season here. It would be nice to pull into home and just grab food out of the fridge and hit the hay, but there is no cold fridge or hay to hit here!

So after this tiresome journey, now the work begins. We were also discouraged to discover there was leak in our water pipe out of the 1,000 liter tank which then emptied all of its contents. No water at camp! We returned to a dry and dusty abandoned place, so I knew immediately I would be pumping lots of water!! I got right to it so I did not have to go out to the well when it was totally dark and I did get seven jugs pumped by evening light.

Well, that is just the beginning my friends. Thank you for staying tuned. I will share as much as I can when I can. I do appreciate reading your comments! Much love from Africa - jenny

PROJECT: Mission of Love School House

2009-08-17T09:30:00.001-07:00

Mission of Love Directors, Jako and Amber Joubert, have asked me to return to Zambia to help start the school for the orphans. Here is the vision we have laid before the Lord, and we ask for your prayer and support in getting His work accomplished!

More information about how to support Mission of Love School House is provided on the new website: http://www.missionofloveschoolhouse.org/ where you can give online to support the building project and supplies or the orphans and their schooling needs! Below gives you an idea of what a building project out in the bush of Zambia is like...

Thank you for being sensitive to the Lord's leading and prompting you to pray and give. We trust in a big and faithful God!

"And my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in Christ Jesus"

God's leading to Africa

2009-08-17T09:15:00.000-07:00

I want to tell you the story of God's leading me to Africa! This chapter of my journey really began a year ago when I began praying everyday for a special purpose and bigger plan that God would have for me. Matthew 7:7 "Ask, and it will be given you; Seek, and you will find; Knock, and it will be opened for you." This was God's promise to me and I would not give up asking, seeking, and knocking until He had showed me His plan.

At Idlewild’s 2009 Missions Conference seven months later, I spoke with a missionary who shared the mission and work going on in the bush of Zambia. "Why don't you come and see what God is doing?" The Word of God resonated in my mind, "and it will be opened for you." Trusting the Lord, I said I would go.
I then began praying for very specific mountains that God needed to move; mainly my job and my apartment.

Two weeks later at work, my boss called me into his office and informed me that it was my last day. I then had a chance to share with each one of my coworkers about the work that God was leading me to do down in Africa. That afternoon a friend and coworker of mine pulled me aside and offered to move into my apartment, live there, and cover my bills for three months so that I could go to Africa. What a praise and blessing from the Lord!

God filled my heart to overflowing with His peace when I began the work out in the bush of Zambia. The missionaries asked me to pray and consider coming back full time. "We would like you to come back and start the school. We've been praying for the teacher for a few years now." How humbling is it to find that God has made you and prepared a special place for you to work for Him. God promises, "Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart." Packed in my suitcase was an old journal that I read through in my tent. Out of the heart of a young girl, this prayer was written in the summer of 1996:

One day...I'll teach a class of my own, whose schoolhouse merely a shack on the wilderness plain; Yes, the kids are dirty, shoeless, yet able-minded and eager; simple lifestyles on the mission plain…

Esther 4:14 "For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise from another place...and who knows but that you have come to this position for such a time as this?"

Thank you for being a part of my life. Pray about supporting me in this ministry by learning more at www.missionofloveschoolhouse.org

"Moving to Africa" Final Sale!

2009-07-30T05:54:00.000-07:00

Thank you for following how God has led me on this incredible journey! As you know I am planning and preparing to move to Africa to teach the orphans and build their schoolhouse!
You can help them by browsing through my home items and buying something you might need. I will list the item and it's value; please contact me with your best offer at jennymariemaass@yahoo.com
Thanks for taking a look, and I hope you find something you like!

Target Lamp / Shade - $29.99 value
***SOLD***

Target cloth-lined basket - $14.99 value

Target wood end tables (2) - $14.99 value/ea.
(they also double as short stools - 18" height)
***SOLD***

Home Goods
Decorative Kitchen/Bath rug
35" x 20"
$19.99 value

YAMAHA Electronic Piano P-90
88 weighted key, 12 sound variations, recording capable, pedal, music stand, stool
BEHRINGER KX 1200 Amplifier
4 input channels, Bass/Low/High equalizers, headphone jack, power cords
(GATOR hard keyboard case with wheels not pictured, also keyboard stand not pictured)
$1700 total package value

Framed Rainy Paris couple picture
26" x 26"
$29.99 value
***SOLD***
Thanks Reina! :)

Framed Paris memories picture
31" x 15"
$24.99 value
***SOLD***
Enjoy Erin! :)

Decorative mirror framed clock
23" diameter
$29.99 value
***SOLD***
Enjoy Juls! :)

Home Goods solid wood, white distressed chest with black iron rod rings;
7 storage drawers
29" high
(perfect entertainment stand for 32" TV)
(or cute "baby's first dresser" & changing table)
$149.99 value

Target round clock
10" diameter
$14.99 value

Target 3 fade touch lamps with multicolored shade, shows white when OFF
(2 available)
$14.99 value/each

Heimer solid carved handmade violin & case good condition
$80 value
***SOLD***

IKEA Decor - no longer available
Fancy mirror 22" x 22"
$19.99 value
White glass 17.5" vase & orchids
$29.99 value
Curvy purple 8.5" vase & Gerber daisies
$9.99 value
Party Lite 3 wick scented candle
$14.99 value (6" diameter)

Home Goods Framed wall art
French & Italian kitchens
12.5" x 10.5"
$9.99 value each/ $14.99 both
***SOLD***

Solid cherry wood backless stools
29" high
$29.99 value/each
(2 available)
***SOLD***

Framed Paris Oil Painting
4.5' x 3.5'
$180 value

Z-Gallery Framed French woman Art
4' x 26"
$199 value
***SOLD***

Thank you for contributing to my being able to go. Please list the item in your subject line when you email an offer - jennymariemaass@yahoo.com

Westchase YARD SALE this Saturday, August 1st!
(selling smaller household items not pictured here)
9709 Fredericksburg Rd
Tampa, FL 33635
http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&tab=wl
Hope to see you there!

~ COMING SOON!! ~
Donate to Jenny directly online at http://www.missionofloveschoolhouse.org/
God Bless!

THANK YOU!... from Mission of Love Community Orphanage

2009-07-20T18:03:00.000-07:00

My visit stateside has been blessed! Thank you thank you thank you to friends and family who have already supported financially, through physical donation, and prayer!
Back to School! I am planning and preparing to teach the orphans when I return this fall. Target currently has school supplies in the dollar section, so we got a jump start on flashcards, re-writable posters, and educational puzzles. They're all very thin and lightweight, so it shouldn't be a problem to pack for my return trip.
Even though the orphans have not arrived yet, thank you to some special women out there who have committed their time and sewing skills! We are expecting 20 orphans this September and have some bunk beds to build in the mean time. Handmade sheets have already arrived, and fleece material has already been purchased for their hand sewn blankets. Check out the fun patterns below; the baby blankets are the far left row; the center and right rows are kid sized blankets. Thank you for your stitches of love!

Disposable diaper donations! This will be a desperate and dirty need for any infant orphans we receive. Any diaper donation is welcome, especially cloth diapers so they can be used repeatedly. Also the missionaries, Amber and Jako, are expecting their first little one this December! "Baby Joubert" will enjoy any special donations as well.

Extra special thanks to our supporters who have donated funds for the orphanage well to be drilled and purchasing of the submersible pump (so we won't have to hand pump the water! Thank you so much!)
Also thanks to those who have committed their time to come out to the bush and work with us; giving up their comforts for a time and contributing their energy and sweat to God's work. Thanks Nate, Barnes family, Corey & Crete, Travis, Cindy & Budgie, Carla, Mark & Ethan, and the church team from Virginia!

Visiting US...and interview with a 3 yr old

2009-07-12T12:34:00.000-07:00

My family welcomed my safe return from Africa. Back at the house, my brother urgently called for me, "Jen! Jen! We have a problem here! A problem only you can handle." He stood in front of the dishwasher and when I opened it, there was a stuffed rat inside. ha ha. (Those of you who have read my earlier blogs know that I pulled a dead mouse out of the dirty dishwater.) John had bought the rat at the new IKEA and been waiting 2 weeks to play this joke. It's nice to be home with family.

Our farewells at Livingstone Backpackers were sweet; we captured the moment with this group photo. Meet my newest South African friends (back row, left to right) Carla, (me), Budgie and Cindy. I'm so glad they joined us to help work for my last week. We made a great team and whipped those painting trims in no time! We traded different recipes and candies from our homes and enjoyed great fellowship. I hope to visit them on my return trip through Joberg!
Tender goodbyes until my return to my family in Africa: Jako, Amber, and Travis. Living and working together brings you close quite fast, and I miss them all terribly now, but look forward to God's timing on my return to continue to build with Mission of Love.

Love & prayers to our strong Bible study group (back to front, left to right): Pastor Pietrous, Obu, Francis, Obe; me, Harriot, Trecious, little Amber. To those whom God has called me to teach and share His Word; those with tearful goodbyes asking God to send me back to them; those whose faith, with mine, received His fresh word and encouragement. We hardly cracked open the book of Genesis. May we all remain faithful until I can continue to share in our studies together.

Whose lives changed the most while I was gone? my nephews and niece of course; these precious little treasures: Olivia Rose, William and Jonathan. How beautiful, big and strong they've all grown. William gave me a brief interview, "Why are you going back to Africa?" To help little boys and girls just like you who have no mommy or daddy. Will you come visit me? "Yeah. Sometime. But what about bad guys?" God protects us from bad guys, so we don't need to worry or fear. "What about the lions?" They've moved away because of the people. "What about the tigers?" They're with the lions too. "What about the bears?" Well, bears are usually in mountains, and we don't have mountains. "Sometimes they're in the forest." Well, we cut down the trees to use as firewood, so I haven't seen any in the forest. "Sometimes they're in caves." Well, we don't have any caves. "What about the giraffes?" You'll see the giraffes, they're nice and won't hurt you. "What about wearing clean clothes? How do you wash clothes?" We have one of these washing machines. "How do you dry them?" We hang the clothes out on a string called a clothesline and they dry. "What about when it rains?" Oh dear. I don't know how we dry clothes during rainy season. I'll have to get back to you on that one. Good question! "What if you have dirty socks?" Yes, we often have dirty socks. But I'll make sure you have clean ones when you come. "Dirty socks are smelly." Yeah, sometimes our socks get dirty and smell. But it's not so bad. "Are there flowers to pick?" Yes, some people grow whole fields of sunflowers! They're big and tall and very pretty. "How can you call, do you have a cell phone? Is it big or small?"
William and his family had to leave then. But I'm excited about how interested he is in Africa and visiting me at the mission out there in the bush one day!

Busy in the Bush!

2009-07-03T12:30:00.000-07:00

My experience in the bush was a busy one! There were plenty of opportunities for automotive repair; as you can see to the right, it's a dirty job! Here we were changing the brake pads and the brake shoes in Livingstone. Didn't see me as a car repair girl? It's actually quite interesting and fun! I'll certainly be more prepared for a breakdown and ready to assist if needed.

It's not hard to burn the fat when chopping wood. We make fires every day to heat the water for showers, so there's always a need to chop wood in your spare time!

I had the chance to teach Bible study twice a week to any villagers willing to come. We began a New Tribes Missions study from Creation to Christ to build a foundation for these local Tonga people. The Tuesday Bible study attendance was very strong andI left them with encouraging words!

Finally, most of the work during my day was spent on the orphanage building! Here I am completing the ceiling paint by painting the ceiling trim strips. How do you like the African scaffolding? As of the 4th of July, the orphanage building is all finished except for scrubbing and painting the floors. Go to http://www.missionoflovezambia.blogspot.com/ for updated pictures on its progress!

Kitchens in the chicken!

2009-06-20T12:39:00.000-07:00

Yes! We have a problem with chickens in the kitchen! There are many hens, roosters, and chicks all around camp. They are funny to watch, especially when the big roosters run and it looks like they’re wearing pants! They step so heavy it often sounds like people walking. Just the other day, a hen hatched 8 eggs, but one of them was born late, just that morning. He had not learned how to walk yet and was still very small. This hen, apparently a new mother, started walking off and continuously left the last one behind. Some of our local friends who come to help watched her and would say “fast fast; too fast; the mother is too fast.” They knew she was a bad mother and kept running off without her chicks. I began to look out for the little one; they would call him “the last one.” He was so tiny and innocent, how could he fend for himself without the protection of mother hen?
Many others guessed he would get picked off by an eagle or a falcon. But I kept him safe in a bucket until his mother showed up again and would then return him to his family. She always took him back, but did not take extra time to keep him with her. By the second day, he did his best to keep up with her field trips out and about scavenging for bugs, but would get lost and left alone again and again. Sometimes we would just hear this lone peeping cry and look up to see the little abandoned chick all alone in the field crying for help. Soon the hawks would hear that too, and I wasn’t about to let a bird swoop down and have him as an afternoon snack; so we at least put him closer to the kitchen so we could look out for him. There he would stand, alone and confused, not sure how or what to eat. I watched and suddenly other bigger chickens started bullying him; they’d prance around, eye him there alone, crying out, and then start pecking his head! Oh no! They wanted to kill and eat one of their own! Once a big rooster tripped over him and stepped on him three times! Another time he wandered over to our neighbor’s hut to get warm and almost fell into the fire! You could see the singe marks on his head.

We walked a tight line between protection and feeding him and keeping him in tune with his mother hoping he’d develop the skills and strength to protect himself on his own in nature. Everyone started to keep an eye out; shooing away the older chickens and fetching him when he was lost. We tried to feed him; ironically, the best he ate was when he was standing on a plate of broken egg yolk!

(Like he was eating his unhatched cousin! That is messed up on so many levels! Lol) But as I returned from working the third day, the bullies had gotten in one too many pecks on the head. He stood quite disoriented, wobbling back and forth with the wind. Sometimes his head would start to drop slowly, as if he were falling asleep. He looked in real bad shape; it was sad and quite pitiful. We cradled him warm that night, it wouldn’t be much longer.

He still barely peeped, but his efforts were getting more and more lethargic. I wrapped him in a fleece hat to keep him and warm to see if he would survive the night. By 00:46 hours I checked in on his slow breathing. He stretched out suddenly with eyes wide at me. Then he slowly lowered his head while his eye began shutting. By the time he put his head down he gave one last open beaked effort to say good night, and then I knew he began his eternal sleep. I lay, still, alone in my dark tent. Suddenly my light came on…as if he had passed on to a better place. I twisted my flashlight firmly off, and went back to sleep.

By morning the ants had sent out a crew to confirm his death, so after a morning viewing with family here, I gave him the funeral march out to ‘the pit.’ He could not receive a proper burial, as the dogs would certainly dig him up and discover the wonderful taste that is chicken; those feathered annoyances that flaunt themselves all around those canines everyday. So there he lay upon a cardboard bed of trash. Some lucky bird could have enjoyed him or perhaps the insects would parade down the sandy slopes and conquer the ragged terrain of rubbish.

And that is the story of my May chick; who birthed and passed in the final days of May.

Animal Encounters!

2009-06-19T08:20:00.000-07:00

On the local front, I have had a few interesting animal encounters. One day during my first week I was doing dishes. I had come to the end of the large metal bin of dirty dishes that had been soaking in old cold water. I saw the last item floating in the water and reached in to pull it out. I was a bit startled to find this item to be softer to the touch than what I’d expected. I looked harder at it and convinced myself that it must be a piece of rotten banana with a blackened banana peel. “Come on, Jen, don’t be a wimp. Just pick it up.” So I confidently reached in again and firmly held up a drowned mouse. “Ahgh!!” I cried out and instinctively my hand opened like the claw releasing an unwanted prize from the machine. I had seen our unfortunate friend scamper around the ceiling beams the night before; turns out he got too greedy and this dirty dishwater was his demise!

Perhaps word of my mouse drowning spread quickly, as I was called to action again shortly. There is a 6’ hole dug for additional toilets at the camp and a large rat was found at the bottom of it. Soon I found myself deep in the hole searching for a remedy to eradicate the vermin! (It felt like some bizarre challenge off of ‘Survivor’) Children, don’t do this at home, and I would recommend using something a little more effective than a blunt stick! Guaranteed that rat died a slow painful death after my blunt force trauma wounds.

Finally, my best sighting was out at another family’s village, where they had found an African Python! This juvenile python could grow to be much bigger in size (up to 15 feet and 132 lbs!), but this one was almost 6’ long! Of course I would only pose next to a dead snake, Mom!

A typical day in the bush…

2009-05-27T10:46:00.000-07:00

The day starts with the 5:30 am alarm. This is similar to the very loud phone ring from the Joubert’s tent. (YES – you can call here, and the ring volume is loud enough to hear you call!) Then the sunrises between 6 and 6:30. You are most certainly awake by then because of the “soundtrack” of nature and animals, and you definitely want to use the toilet now, as you do your best to not have to rise from your sleeping bag in the middle of the night, (wrap your ankle-length skirt ladies ), locate a light and carefully unzip yourself from your “bug-free” tent home in order to make your way over to the ‘bathroom’ building. This short journey in the dark could introduce you to a snake, spider, or another variety of farm animal to startle you.

Then shortly we all convene around 7 am in the kitchen, which is the grass thatched hut with open screen all the way around. The walls are clay brick that rise up only about 3 feet. This gives a great open air feeling, and you can hear and see all around which is useful as locals arrive on camp and call out to you. And everyone likes to look out a window when they do dishes! We spend a lot of time here because it provides cool shade inside, no flies, and refreshing filtered water for our thirst. (as well as every happy meal time!)

Jako bricked up a small room in the back corner of the kitchen and hung a solid wooden door to enter a small stand-in pantry, like the size of a walk in closet. The food is stored and organized to stay cool and safe from most critters in there. Along with the pantry is a long wooden table that Jako measured just for Amber’s height to ease her cooking and preparation time in the kitchen. A correctly leveled counter height makes hand-kneading bread dough from scratch much more convenient! The other wood table that we sit around and eat on is lower and about the size and height of an American coffee table. There is limited space in the kitchen so we sit around this table on small circular heavy wooden backless stools. It is a convenient height to eat at that table.

The other visitor here is Nate from Iowa, and he is much taller than Jako and Amber, so the doorframes are a bit of a challenge to him. There is a wood frame entry to the kitchen with two panels of heavy screen hanging that you separate to enter. You must watch your head as you enter and exit or you will beat it on the heavy grass thatch hanging low on the outside! Also we formerly used to lean back against the low brick wall from the wood stools…but Nate leaned back the other day and not only cracked his back, but cracked the brick wall too! One more lean back and you’ll be reclining outside on the dirt!

For breakfast, hot beverages are available as we put water on the kettle right away for coffee, tea, and the quickly running out hot chocolate! L (Please send more?) Then we eat based on what is available – if we have enough fresh bread from the last trip to town, or enough eggs in the carton (We don’t quite yet have enough hens laying to begin to eat out of their nest! Pray for more chicks to hatch and mature safely! We do have plenty of loud, cocky and excitable roosters whose favorite sport is hen chasing, so there is plenty of that going on around!) Or often we will have hot cereal (oats), either instant flavored oats from packets or if Amber has cooked a fresh pot. Although I have not much preferred oatmeal in my life, I have really come to enjoy it here; nice, hot and filling in the morning before a demanding work day. We also enjoy cold cereal and milk as the milk cartons and boxed portions allow – corn flakes and such. We have granulated sugar that we tend to add to almost anything, as flavor sometimes needs a little help.

After breakfast it’s off to work – usually at the orphanage which is about an eighth of a mile away. Work dress consists of strong work boots or socks/sneakers, a work tee shirt, and an African “che-tanga”, bright patterned material wrapped around your waist that goes down to your ankles. That particular piece of clothing is half the battle for your work day, climbing ladders, balancing on scaffolding, and ascending the tin sheeted roof.

Jako, Nate and I usually ride out to the orphanage after they load the petrol powered generator onto the trailer that we pull with the quad.

The orphanage building is really a construction site in its final stages. Since I have been here we have installed and puttied almost all the glass window pieces; measured, cut , and nailed up the ceiling boards in every room, and they guys are finishing the facial boards around the outside. It’s time for interior paint and very soon the plan to build the furniture for the orphans. (Bunk beds, desks, and chairs)

Many names have been submitted from the local villages of children that have one or no parents. From the names submitted the twenty neediest orphans will be chosen and brought into the building as soon as it is complete; Lord willing by the end of June! To hear more about the orphanage work project, visit www.missionoflovezambia.blogspot.com

We work the whole morning until we get to a good stopping point anytime between 11:30-1pm to return to camp for lunch. If some of the locals have joined us to help work (usually in exchange for welding services or rides to town), then they join us for lunch as well. On those days, I sometimes return early to help Amber prepare a bigger lunch for the additional mouths – sometimes up to 9 people! We prepare a traditional African lunch called “Shima,” it is basically boiled and cooked corn meal (corn kernels smashed into a powder). There is a special art to making it, as you have to boil half the powder portion first, and then slowly add the second half as it thickens enough to be balled up and eaten by hand. Along with the Shima is served any consistency of “relish.” This is a portion of cooked vegetables in sauce, usually cabbage, tomatoes, and onions. So when there are many workers, I am usually back at the kitchen chopping cabbage, tomatoes and onions between 11-12.

The workers then gather around outside the kitchen in some lawn chairs, and Jako asks them “et tu pie lay” (phonetic sounds for Tonga: “now let’s pray”) We enjoy resting during lunch and return to work after some time. In Africa it seems you have plenty of time, there really is no need to rush to do anything, although there is always plenty of work to do. We return to work for the afternoon and come back again to camp by either sunset, dinner time, or when we have finished enough work for the day. (anytime between 5-7) The sun has set by 6, so if we get back early enough, sometimes we go for an evening run – great sunset views!! – for about 5k out into the bush and back. Just now we have started some sunrise runs as well to see which is better. (“Just now” is another African concept; if a person says they are going to do something ‘just now’, it means they will do it anytime between when they said it, and when it actually is done. LOL)

Dinner is a wonderful time of resting again and winding down from the day with family (the four of us here for now J) We are all in the kitchen again, because that’s where the chairs and refreshments are! It is in everyone’s best interest to chip in on dinner preparations and other chores (making sure we have enough water pumped to cook and clean with, and that the donkey is started right away so it’s hot for showers soon!)

Amber is a very good cook and researches many good old recipes that are still published from scratch. We have enjoyed wonderful dinner meals like chicken pot pie, beef stroganoff, steak & baked potatoes, and other staple favorites like Vienna dogs, burgers, and chicken burgers all with homemade French fries! We have also baked white bread, banana bread and cookies from scratch too! Depending on how many mixes we have in stock, we might have jello or pudding on a special occasion. Sometimes we buy too much meat in town and don’t have enough freezer space, so we have to eat steak that night – I hate when that happens!

It is always pitch black outside by the time we are eating, especially now that the moon is chasing the sun and rising during the day. There is about a week of evenings that are more brilliantly lit closer to the full moon. It is very interesting watching the cycle of the moon and picking out new constellations every night. As we relax after dinner, we start taking turns to the shower, making sure to place your empty 20 liter jug under the drain pipe. That is the max amount of water you are allowed. I’ve learned to cut the spigot and spare the water as I lather with soap or shampoo; I’d rather enjoy a longer hot rinse than let the water frivolously spray out while soaping up. You can see it's like showering in the jungle! Thanks to the mission teams and friends who came and painted the wall mural and donated the fun shower curtain!

It’s getting really chilly at night, so by the time you get out of the shower, you’re ready to bundle up and head to bed. Jako starts the generator so Amber and I can blow dry our hair, and someone may also be receiving a phone call or Skype call after 8pm when the connection is good. My mother once asked me over the phone, “What do you do at night?” “We sleep!” really, we do. This lifestyle is a lot like living on the farm, up with the sun and the animals!
So ends a typical day in the bush at Mission of Love camp. You can certainly enjoy some reading or quiet time in your tent by battery light as you wind down. Usually it’s relaxing enough to stretch out and rest your weary bones on your soft sleeping bag. Better to fall sleep now in hopes of sleeping through the nightly dog howling! Good night! J

Welcome to “Mission of Love” Camp!

2009-05-16T03:44:00.000-07:00

My first arrival to “camp” was later at night, so most things were left in the car (as I did not have my temporarily lost luggage piece to unload or unpack) and I bundled into a sleeping bag on the floor of the Joubert safari tent (see above). The ‘soundtrack’ of the bush played itself out all night, including but certainly not limited to…dogs howling together in song, chickens scratching and clucking, roosters alarming 3-4x an hour, the locals singing exuberantly from far away and even the deep rushing of wind through the high trees. (Which I continue to sometimes mistake as rainfall!) Perhaps a bit unsettling the first few nights, but once I realized all these sounds were normal I hardly notice them anymore.

Our “camp” is composed of the life and dwelling built and maintained by Jako and Amber. God has supplied and sustained them since they came out to the bush (2003) and decided to make their living out here closer to the site of the orphanage building construction, than to stay in town where there would be too many long drives and the potential for more crime. You will have to consult with Jako and Amber of the days/years they spent starting from scratch – literally surviving on $100 / month support.

“Camp” now exists of their two-room stand-in safari tent on a cement foundation. Visitors / helpers (i.e me, church groups) stay in pitched tents. They pitched a nice multi-door/space stand-up tent for my 3 month stay. (My sleeping bag is in the lower left corner of this tent view.) Although only the thin tent fabric separates you from the elements outside, it feels very safe, dry and will warm up toasty by day and cool down much at night. (It’s getting much cooler as winter is upon us!) My sleeping bag is quite warm and well-suited for deeper temperatures, so at the beginning my trouble was getting too warm during the night. Now I can sleep easily wrapped like a tortilla in a warm blanket, inside my sleeping bag, also wearing sweatshirt and sweatpants and sometimes a beanie cap.

The other parts of camp include 4 other buildings – all are bricked, 4 walled, on cement slab usually with a sturdy tin sheet roof; except for the kitchen roof, which is a thatched roof with grass (see right photo - there are 3 of those dogs, sleeping outside the kitchen sometimes affords its benefits). These 4 buildings are the kitchen, bathroom and two store rooms for supplies, etc…(garage type items). The bathroom building (see left photo) addition was quite a step up into luxury for the Jouberts. Jako designed the small building with two rooms, a door to each, one for the toilet the other for the tub/shower and sink. The outside of the bathroom building has a fireplace built into the side wall with a barrel-shaped water tank on its side held over the fire. We call this the “donkey.” (Some tradition from Jako’s upbringing in South Africa? I don’t know why…) Everyday we “stoke the donkey” – this means firewood has hopefully been chopped, dried and used to make a fire; sort of boy scout style, we start with our used dried teabags that are soaked in a flammable fluid (I don’t recall the name), so those ignite easily by match. We stoke the donkey as soon as 4pm every day to give the fire time to heat the water in the tank so that showers by 7-9pm have hot water.

Oh yes, the water; it doesn’t just come out of the spigot by itself  wouldn’t that be nice. There was a well drilled about 100 yards away that operates by manual hand pump. Yes, stand there and work your arms and throw your back into this heavy pump and fill a 20 liter jug. Or fill all 12 of our 20 liter jugs (some pictured right).  Don’t forget they’re a bit heavier when filled with water to haul back those 100 yards. Often we load the jugs onto a trailer which is hitched to the 4x4 quad and drive the water jugs back into camp. These heavy 20 liter jugs are then lifted, held and hand poured into a tall 4’ tank on the ground. This is where I’ve been building my arms and ab muscles, because my arms are not yet strong enough to throw the full jugs around, so I have to support the pouring process with my back and stomach muscles. To fail at this task is to just clumsily pour the water all over the ground. (yes, it happens still!) and then guess who gets to go back the 100 yards and stand at the pump yet again. (Stoopid!) OK, so we learn after a few times! Once this ground tank is full, thankfully they have a generator we can switch on that pumps the water through a tube up to another tank, same size only about 20-25 feet above your head, resting on steel beams that Jako welded together to make a water tank stand. (below left)

Oh the generator. Wouldn’t it be nice if they just turned on and off? Ha ha. Living in America, you’d think electricity grows in the walls. We have a diesel fuel and a petrol generator. We use the diesel fuel to run the engine that generates enough power for Jako’s welding tools, the washing machine, and a small pump for water to the high tank.

We also have an iron pole that holds up a large square solar panel. This wiring travels down under the ground into the store room that holds four battery packs. (The big heavy square ones with the positive and negative coils on top.) The sun charges these batteries everyday. Oh, but the sun moves. So halfway through the day, someone remembers to go over and pivot the round pole to turn the solar panel directly at the sun for the afternoon rays. The battery packs are charged and then converted from 12 volt into 220 volts through an inverter, which gives power to our laptop, phone, and florescent lights hanging in the tent; also to charge small electronics like your ipod, cell phone, and cameras. Jako has also hung a florescent light in the bathrooms and my tent, wired from a battery cell sitting on the ground that has a switch in the cord. As my mom always said, “Turn off the juice when not in use!” or you will be in the dark while your battery is being charged again.

So…..we keep diesel fuel stocked to run the engine to generate electricity to pump the water to fill the tank to heat the water so that at the end of a long dirty working day in the bush, you can step into the tub, turn one pipe knob and hot water should come spraying out of the shower head affixed above you.  It’s that simple!

But don’t count your chickens before the hatch (or after! I’ve stopped counting because one day you have 9 the next day you have 7 because 2 got picked off by eagles!)…Just remember the water you’re showering with (and flushing! Please only flush when necessary!) is limited and you pay the price if you mindlessly enjoy your bath – you’ll have to pump that much more the next day! Also water is used and reused as many times as possible. The tub drains out a pipe out the back of the building where we rotate empty jugs marked to hold used water.(You don’t want to drink out of these!) We collect the shower run off water and then use those full jugs to water the plants. We haul out by wheelbarrow to the orchard of fruit trees they are growing for the orphanage. The trees are quite young yet and require 4-6 liters each of water every day. The key factor in this process is REMEMBERING to place an empty jug under the shower pipe BEFORE you shower, or you may be draining over a full one and waste it on the ground. This is still a challenge for me – I forgot again last night – because it’s quite dark and late when I shower and now it’s getting colder, so the last thing on my mind is wandering around to the back of the bush, jumping in dirt holes to move water jugs.

So now I’ve explained to you the beauty of the wonderful bathroom that Jako built! It really is an ingenious system, and quite wonderful to embrace and enjoy out here. I do get the joy of blow drying my hair after a late shower because it is cold and Amber and I don’t want to catch cold with wet hair going to bed. We simply fire up the ole generator again (it’s quite loud) draw out the longest extension cord you’ve ever seen, and I’ve had the unique pleasure of blow drying my hair under the stars…I’ve stopped trying to wonder what animal or creature is watching me from the darkness, waiting and ready to pounce…so just don’t watch that movie “Ghost and the Darkness” and you’ll be ok.

Now you have a small idea of the basic chores needed to survive everyday…chop wood, start fires, pump water…we use some of the 20 liter jugs for the kitchen also. Some to filter into drinking water and other to pour into the kettles to heat on the gas stove. We are always heating water in the kettles, in the morning for hot beverages, then after each meal to pour hot steamy water into metal tubs to wash our dishes. So there is much to do to maintain the camp!

Journey into the bush…

2009-05-16T03:24:00.000-07:00

In order to shed a little more light on my whereabouts and daily circumstances, I’m going to try to paint a picture for you of what the lifestyle is like out here. Imagine you drove out to the country to a small town (perhaps Brooksville for my Florida readers) then continue driving 2 hours in whatever direction there is absolutely nothing. Now we can get started.

This drive is actually 5-6 hours from the airport, so saddle up for the ride which I might add is far from “smooth.” There is one stretch of real pavement for 1/16th of the time you’re in the car, I managed to fall asleep for that brief time of my journey in, and the rest is off road onto a red/orange muddy clay, partially eroding dirt path the width of your car, with the occasional overgrowth leaning into the path (i.e. don’t stick your head out too far looking for wild animals, you might just get a branch whip across your face…not that that happened to me or anything….I’m just saying

Since the drive is difficult and ultimately quite costly (fuel being $9 USD / gallon and the wear and tear on a vehicle is immeasurable as it is only repaired by…you guessed it, YOU. Thankfully Jako has a God-given ability to disassemble pretty much anything, repair it, and build it back together again. How critically useful out here in the field!!) So you can see trips in and out of camp are taken as few as needed, but somehow pop up more than once a week at times. These rides usually tend to fill the car up with people, as the friends and locals near the camp also need trips to and from town every now and again. (The locals can and do mostly use ‘town rides’ on large open backed hauling trucks – a quite common brand that I saw made and used everywhere in China – and we try to pass this overstuffed pickups with 15-30 people and bikes and sacks of maize hanging off of them. And there’s the expectation when these locals drive, they’ll get stuck and need a good tow out, this happened the other day, and they enjoyed waving for my photo while the guys rigged the tow rope!)

Any ride in the car you must be prepared for many things – being packed in with a few people, or a few groceries, or other building/ car supplies, be ready for a very windy or rainy ride with windows down (no air con), and certainly for a bright ride home facing directly into the sun. Just imagine packing up for a small 2 hour road trip, without your handy 7-11 to stop for a bathroom or cold drinks and snacks.

LVI out to the Zambian bush

2009-04-29T11:41:00.000-07:00

Hallo again! Ok, we last left off with a missing luggage piece (apparently residing at the LVI office or in the care of a friend named Joann who is kind enough to fetch it back with her to the nearest town of only 2 hrs away - we may have possession of it by week's end; thank you for your prayers! Many full skirts and tootsie pops await...it will be as exciting as Christmas, or like receiving my first care package...you can send those! :)

You can see the photo of the bag that did arrive...yes a blob of BA tape vomited on it. But the meager contents have sufficed for this short time.

I was kindly and immediately greeted at the airport by my new "Zambian family" made of Jako & Amber & Nate. Read more about them and what they've been up to before me at http://www.missionoflovezambia.blogspot.com/

I was priviledged to visit Victoria Falls right away - photo posted is off the roadside up river from the falls. The river is very full now so you can see the mist flowing back up so high it looks like a wall of white smoke. This is quite visible and fantastic from the plane and even more overwhelming at the edge. As you walk down there, you become entirely soaked because the water rises up so high it falls back down like pouring rain! Quite ironic, as soon as learning my bag of clothes was lost we hurried right over to the falls to completely soak the one set I was wearing! :) ha ha ha We paid a small fee to park and enter while small monkeys jumped all over the Land Rover. They look cute but apparently they bite. (like most creatures out here I'm learning; even the pet dog bit my bum earlier today; but I'll take that over my neighbor snake or my roommate spider who was sharing my accomdations last night; speaking of accomodations, a photo of my lovely duplex condo tent is posted; quite spacious and satisfactory! Thank you to my amazing hosts! :)

I'll have to share more later about 'A Day in the life of Mission of Love camp base' and what your lifestyle grows into here. Quite fascinating and similar to Little House on the Praire or early colonial times culture. But I wanted to let you know what I'm doing...you can see a work photo posted. We are nearing completion of the orphanage building (expecting to get the children in by June, Lord willing!) and I have taken over the elite task of puddy-ing the window panes. I select the appropriately sized glass panel, install it into the framing, knead the puddy so it is workable and spread it evenly with my tools precisely around each four sides and corners. The trick is making it all even - obviously the parts and pieces are not of standard sizes and lengths so each frame and glass panel is slightly different than the next. Our camp base is not on the actual grounds of the orphanage facility, so a short walk or ride on the 4 wheeler is necessary for morning and afternoon work shifts. Those are the main working hours, to get the orphanage up to speed and on schedule, of course there is plenty of work, chores and tasks necessary to live this far out here with only the resources the Jouberts have been able to build themselves. Quite amazing! I know few people who have the ability to create a living of nothing in the middle of nowhere, pull it off every day successfully and turn around at the same time and create that for someone else; not just someone, for the 300 named orphans of the area.

Please look up their blog and begin to read and pray for them as well. It is quite a work God is doing with them out here, and how fortunate am I that God led me to be a part of it. Maybe He can lead you to help here too for a short time or as a permanent resouce to His work with these people!

I'm brushing too many bugs off the keyboard and the snake should have passed by now so it's safe to return to my tent. :) also Thank you for your comments! I like to read your thoughts in return, please leave as many as you like!

Livingstone (LVI)

2009-04-24T22:51:00.001-07:00

Friday 5 am came early as I relished my final moments in my full soft comfy bed next to the "fireplace" heater. The lodge host, Alex, knocked on my door at 5:30, kindly waiting with a small bag of my cleaned laundry and a hot fresh breakfast sandwich wrapped and tied with a ribbon for the road. Sacred Mountain Lodge goes above and beyond with the personal service!

I enjoyed a cool ride navigating the night mountains roads from Noordhoek to Cape Town Int'l Airport; the night sky and the sleeping city lights were dazzling. It was a bit frustrating finding the local BP Petrol station at the airport (where I was to drop the rental car...?!) but somehow success would find me at the last minute. I weaved through the domestic terminals for my CPT to Joberg flight on BA (British Airways). I passed an interesting large machine were some foreigners were pushing their suitcases through and they came out seran-wrapped on the other side! I couldn't imagine what they were being charged to plastic wrap their bags; it seemed silly to me...until I landed in LVI. I made my flight just in time - apparently a 7:30 lift off requires a "Final Boarding Call to Joberg" at 7 am!! Sheesh...what they really mean is final boarding of the entire flight of passengers into a ground vehicle for 20 min. until they drive you out to board out on the tarmac. Naturally.

The fog/clouds were too low to see much of the mountain skyline on my eastbound SA flight, so I slept anyhow, until I heard a strange spraying noise behind me and turned my face just in time to the mandated cabin insecticide spray by the flight attendant. That's what I was looking forward to...cramming into a small plane with a bunch of people, breathing the same circulated air, now inhaling concentrated bug spray.

My bags WERE checked all the way through to LVI, and I made my Joberg connection easily and enjoyed a window seat for the beautifully sunlit African landscape. Unfortunately, I had the wrong window, because the pilot banked over Victoria Falls on the other side. (stoopid!) But I managed to snap some shots of the upstream river and the downstream river canyon out my window.

The one story flat roofed hallway of LVI airport seemed familiar as all other tiny foreign rural arrivals I've made; and the non-chalant locals wandering about the runway were no surprise, or the vested one heading out to meet our plane with a clipboard. (seriously?) Passport check and $50 for a 30 day VISA (that we will extend later) and a long wait at the baggage belt. I saw a bag come through the flaps that looked absolutely hideous, mangled with BA tap and its contents bursting forth..."wait, are those my personal things dragging along the belt?!" Yes...it lived a good life, my trusty Walmart zip up Wilson rolling sports bag...I'll post it's memorial photo later. Now I have a damaged bag file to complete for BA, that we picked up in the office while reporting my other bag missing. Well, .5 bags out of 2 isn't so bad. We'll see if my clothes arrive safely today, Jako was hesitant to wait around for the 1pm flight today, until I casually mentioned that my missing bag may be full of tootsie pops...(never hurts to bring a load of the missionary's favorite candy... :)

Well, I've got to pack up here at Fawlty Towers, a nice little backpackers lodge, bunk beds camp style. We did see Victoria Falls yesterday afternoon...pics and new post for that one! If my bag is not retrieved today, it will ride a bus by itself out to the village...probably well after I begin stitching together my grass skirt. :)

South African Horseback-riding

2009-04-23T11:17:00.000-07:00

Horse Backriding? Horse back riding? You know when a word doesn't look normal anymore? Strange phenomenon...horse. Huh. Ok, anyhow :)...so it's never like the movies, right? The gorgeous woman riding bare backed, her hair flowing, the horse's hair flowing, her scantily clad loin cloth pieces flowing off her perfect body (I think I'm picturing the mute cavewoman from Planet of the Apes). There she is gliding easily through the surf, effortlessly even.
Oh my dear, how that is not the case. (Lindsey Nelson, read this and know that I don't know how you do it! and now it's starting to make sense, after you ride Skyla "my quads are a little sore..." lol)
I fall into this category alot - Not Beginner, Not Experienced. People just don't know what to do with you then. Gee, what horse do we give her? It doesn't matter. Horses everywhere have made a pact; they've all conspired against me to make me look like an idiot no matter what I do. (yes, I paid for this experience) I could tell them I race horses, and this horse would still be the most difficult, stubborn and rebellious horse ever. That's just how it is, and I've learned to accept it. I'm sure the natives are still laughing.
The horse riding place "The Dunes" is actually a private home with stables. Makes a living; makes sense. It was challenging enough for me to find it, drive up and let myself in the gate, park and look for assistance while the waist high "puppy" ran over to eat me, I meant, greet me. Yeeeeah. That's it.
Although I had a secured ride, it must've slipped the gentleman's mind as I startled him reading his newspaper in the stables' office. (ah, third world professionalism) "Oh you're here for a ride, just sign your life away..." Uh huh...cool. Yes, um, can you just bill Sacred Mountain? Great. "Just pick out a helmet and lets get you a horse."
I stashed my camera in my jacket pocket - couldn't miss photo ops of THIS experience - shoved a helmet on my head (I was sure to fasten it tightly, as when renting scooters, JEN CRAFT, helmets tend to bob around your noggin eventually blocking vision and further impairing your ability to SURVIVE) I clipped the buckle and pulled the band tight. (I ain't nobody's fool!)
Walking past the stalls was eerie like holocaust holdings for horses (Lindsey cover your eyes here!) pitiful horses stared back at me with hollow aching eyes, one was even being buzz shaved down to the skin! :/ (I was told theses are not quite as well kept as the better horses which were full booked next door at Sleepy Hollow...oh dear...) You just can't find good help down here mucking the stables!
The guide had me mount from a steel rail, and he grossly underestimated my height. The stirrups felt like they were at chin length...not really, but you know when your knees hit the handle bars of your bike? Not good. And it really made the kicks pointless in steering my horse. But remember that bit about them all conspiring against me? My only instructions were..."Yah it's like the English ride? kick here, not here, and yank hard right or left. Alrighty then, off you go!"
My mangy solid chestnut colored animal seemed dragged from his nap as he automatically slumped in line after the guide horse. I think they do that on purpose - all you can see is the guide's beautiful horse, silky brushed hair, colorful tail and sleek shine. I could weave my fingers into the knots of my horse's mane...a misfortune I would be very thankful for later when attempting to hold on!
The rough saddle felt raw on my bottom almost immediately. I instantly began to dread the next 2 hours of rhythmic pain! For some reason I thought of Mary riding the donkey and pregnant; at least it wasn't that bad! The view seemed vast, empty and boring at first and I needed a distraction from the saddle sore, so I tried to strike up small talk. "So do you ride often?" I asked my severely mismatched and scrawny African guide. He didn't respond. (Duh! of course he does, it's his job. Stooopid!) Just then he asked if I wanted to trot...sure? Bad idea. Bang bang bang, up and down, the whole length of this sand stretch. Ow! I could see the guide had this sit-stand every other bounce, but with the too short stirrups, I just couldn't get it down. Praise God when it ended! I welcomed the steady walking after that!
Then we broke past the sand dunes and out to the beach. I was embarrassed to pass two lovely women astride their beautiful steeds...I clearly didn't have a clue what I was doing. I looked like a fool, and my pants were highwatered up to my shins from the saddle friction, exposing my over ankle-length socks. Nice! (oh you'll see in the photos don't worry)
My new goals focused on being in as little pain as possible and snapping some photos - tricky retrieving my camera from the pocket while holding the reigns and the saddle edge. (there was no horn) Especially my camera, which has a broken piece that slips off the side...I could just see that little silver piece hitting the sand and me never seeing it again...
The stroll up the back of the beach was highlighted by my horse constantly losing the path, wandering towards the dune weeds to eat, and coming to a dead halt. I couldn't quite understand all of the guide's commands, so mostly I was at the mercy of his prodding my horse along in the right direction. (so much for gliding gracefully through the surf!) Fun photos were taken halfway through the ride, while the guide attempted to hold his horse and get pics of me from about a foot away. I had little confidence in his camera skills!
Riding back along the surf was more pleasant, with a view of the mountains. The serene late afternoon sun was interrupted by a sudden breaking into trot mostly out of my control! We finally harnessed that in and it was back to the dunes trail home.
As we got to the long sand stretch, guide asked me, "Do you want to gallop?" I had been weighing that thought all along...truly wondering if that indeed was something that I wanted to do. I committed to a "yes" and he followed up with a "Are you ready?" Now that is a loaded question...and I immediately knew there was little time to ask, ready for what exactly?! My default answer "sure" slipped out and in a lightning of a moment, the guide horse starlted forward and rear kicked my horse square in the chest "CRACK!" The next 120 seconds was an eternity of my life flashing before my eyes shrouded with prayers of "Please don't die, please don't die!" I have truly never been so scared for my life in these short almost 30 yrs. This was no gallop, this was reckless, violent racing for the hills with me barely attached. I was slinging over to the right then the left; I couldn't tell what would keep me on longer - standing in the stirrups or muscling what bits of strength I had left in my legs to just hold and pinch the horse's body as hard as I could. I dared not yank back to stop, surely this angry horse would pitch me forward and then trample me to death. How did Hugh Jackman pull it off so attractively in Austrailia?! This beast gave the guide quite a show tossing me around the whole sprint back. I really wasn't sure I'd live to see another day!
Thankfully, the horse stopped on its own at the end of the trail and quickly sauntered in towards it's post. (I felt like Whoopi Goldberg's charcter in Rat Race after the speed-breaking car ride!) I awkwardly dismounted and made a poor attempt at walking "normally" back into the stables. "Ok, thanks!" was all I could muster. I had certainly had enough. It had to be obvious, but the locals hanging around kindly did not laugh out loud!
I crawled back to my small rental car, bruised and beaten. The owner poppped out of his house to wave goodbye: "How was it?"....um...be honest Jen..."There's nothing quite like it!" I yelled confidently with a smile and attempting to straighten my walk. Well, good thing I was able to squeeze THAT in before my time in the bush! Sadly, I won't have enough time to recover before getting out to my tent-like conditions...I am STILL sore from mid-back down to my feet...I arched my back for so long to ease the trotting pain, and every muscle in my legs were over-utilized in saving my life...the tops of my feet and ankles are bruised and swollen from being jammed too far into the stirrups the whole time and straining against them to keep me locked into the saddle for the tumble on the way back in.
You'd almost think they'd invent clothes to make this activity a little easier on the body now I picture Lindsey in her quite smart riding clothes..snug pants, tucked into boots so they don't shift up, pants padded in just the right areas, boots that slide easily into stirrups but lock at the heel and firm enough to protect the leg....huh, cowboys don't look silly, they dress smart!
Alright friends, this sore-weary traveler is off to one last good night of sleep in a large multi-pillowed bed. Maybe even squeeze in a hot shower or bath...Annmarie, can I draw you a bath? :)
Good night, 'til next time!

Last Day in South Africa

2009-04-23T09:32:00.000-07:00

Leaving the city life of Cape Town was one pleasant trade off for the relaxing countryside of south Cape Town. I am staying at Sacred Mountain Lodge, a guest house in Noordhoek www.sacredmountain.co.za a village town along the shores of the west coast. This village is known for its long white sandy beach (I just can't stay away!) and the horseback riding on it. (pictures to come! and huge plug for Sacred Mountain Lodge excellent accomodations & personal service!)
I left the Holiday Inn Express with a recommended taxi service from the door security. But "Keith's Taxi" out of his cell phone sure made me think twice. The 450 Rand he asked for was another concern, but what is one taxi ripping me off vs another? Also it was South African holiday for voting (there's a novel concept, let them take the day off! we just decide to jam voting into our already too packed schedules... sheesh) which meant everything was closed, including my 5 Rand/hr internet cafe-hence no updates for you! :/
So I identified Keith's black BMW waiting outside, and off we went. There it was, that familiar, "boy I'm getting ripped off like the American tourist I am" feeling. Hmm, best to work on that fake muttled British accent. Hearing a hokey American voice over the phone rings dollar signs in their ears.
So there we were...zipping out of the city onto highway through the mountains south towards Cape Point (the actual tip of the continent-pictures to come!). Along with some random city facts, "Keith" also took a liking to telling animal stories..."oh yes, the baboons will come right up to your car, they know how to unlock them you know...oh the snakes, we've got lots of snakes, come right out in the road they will! black mamba, all kinds, poisonous, oh you're dead instantly. but the spiders, those you can't see in time, like the button spider, makes you lame (paralyzed) and you die..." I'm like..HUH. Is that right? (all I can picture are those 2 who died on LOST buried alive) I really think he was trying to get me so afraid to step out of the car I'd have to pay him to ride longer! (ok now that mom is worried sick..:)
Welcome to the countryside...Alex at Sacred Mountain Lodge was quite helpful on my arrival. I knew instantly just how much I'd been ripped off, and consequently dismissed Keith from his future service. They kindly arranged to hire me a car for the day (only 200 Rand ~ $20) which would be essential out here in the country with many places still to see. View the Sacred Mountain website and embrace my final taste of luxury here before heading to the bush tomorrow, and at half the cost of the Holiday Inn - But in the city you don't need a car, so perhaps it all balances out.
Alex played wonderful host & activities planner and secured my horse back ride (will post THAT story separately for juicy details :) for 4:oo that evening and suggested to take the drive out along the cost and Cape Point today (Thursday). Rain was in the forecast, so better to horse ride in nice weather and hope for the best for the drive.

Last evening was topped off with a GLORIOUS sunset over this famous beach 2 min drive from my lodge. (gorgeous photos to follow!) After watching all the couples snuggle for the view and then retreat together back to their cars, I slugged my way back through the sand to head home alone. One last glance down the beach reminded me of my earlier horse ride - not so romantic just me and the scrawly African guide lol - here I was in the perfect place and the enchanting TWILIGHT sky suddenly all swept up together into faint familir music...or was it in my head?...no, I was quite sure I heard BELLA's LULLABYE...sure enough, young European girls were playing the soundtrack out of their car to enjoy with the scenery. Excellent idea. I sat and enjoyed the final dance song of Edward & Bella (track #10 for all you fans out there! :) in its charming 6/8 rhythm while the evening slipped away.....
Late dinner, muffin lunch starving... I snagged quite a tasty thin crust ham pizza "to go" from local 'The Toad' eatery to enjoy while watching "Mama Mia!", a suggested movie from the guest house owner, and what a treat! The weather was really cooling so it was nice to bundle up inside (they have a fireplace), curl up on my private love seat, eat pizza, watch a movie, and draw a hot steamy bath afterward. (quite the American evening dream! yes, I will be suffering soon, so keep praying, it's doing wonders! ;) I will have to post the pics of my room... no 'studio', wait, apartment?! Because it was THAT amazing & big. My jaw dropped when he showed it to me..."is this alright?" I could utter no words...."oh, er, um would you like something else?" All I could think of was, 'Me? all of this? for me?' Guaranteed it's larger than my current 1/1 lease (contact Lindsey Nelson :) current resident) also a few other amenities, hard wood floors, etc... you'll see in the photos. It was blissful...and I don't feel bad for enjoying it, because it's going to be a long next few months on the ground in the tent!
The night passed without incident...except for the ones I made up in my mind. I decided the repeated 'plastic-barrel-scraping-on-pavement' sound must be baboons dragging trash bins around in the driveway. (I was too scared to peek out the window! Turns out the horses were feeding across the street) You can certainly feel that the animals run the country around here... a huge flock of loud squawking geese V flew over honking all the way home...and I sure wanted to let the guest house dog out this morning to go KILL THE ROOSTER who kindly indicated that it was 5 am about 300 times. This house dog, looks like a smaller boxer, I think he said 'American Staffordshire', is quite friendly, and her name is BELLA. (yeah, is it just cause I'm reading the books, or is TWILIGHT haunting me this whole trip!) She's friendly but plays rough, biting any part of you she can get to when ready to play! Her random attacks jumping up to bite my arm or sneakers or knee even, certainly inspired my dreaming last night of tigers chasing me all around to bite/eat me! But what a nice dog, quite soothing company and a welcome little 'person' around the house.
I was given a card to 'tick off' the items I ordered for breakfast and indicated the time and place in which to be served. (great idea Uncle Steve & Aunt Sandi for your B&B- I took a picture of the request card for you!) I could not even finish all of the warm yummy cheese omelette after my flapjacks, fruit and syrup. (yes i eat fruit! ok berries really, but still!) I read this morning while I waited for the food to settle so I could eat more (hold me through lunch and something about wanting to join the 'clean plate club' ?!?!mom....) I was quite captured in book 2, New Moon, as I arrived at the accelerating point last night...(Julie NOW I know why you couldn't put it down!!! ;) I'm trying so hard to get on SA time and keep an early bedtime and there it goes getting exciting on me...all of a sudden Alice shows up, next thing you know Dr. Carlisle calls...or did he?!! OH! I had to stop, so I slept during the 'plane flight' to Italy and met with dear Edward again over breakfast :p (sorry all you non-Twilight fans are just missing out! it's an international phenomenon, get on the train people! lol)
So I headed out for my drive all over this southern tip, down the Atlantic coast and up the Indian. Cape Point was striking! Many photos and short narrated videos for you. (yes, John, they're short this time! "We're still VIDEO-ing?!") And for a while the drive was kind of like a road trip in Nebraska (!), lots of flat nothing to see:). I snagged a greatest hits of SA pop which was fun company for the ride; the radio cut out alot through the mountains. Don't worry mum, I was just driving a rental car, on the wrong side of the road, under falling rock, next to a cliff edge, in the rain and fog, and almost ran over a baboon! Perhaps the weather was poor visibility so that I took care driving, and didn't sightsee too much at the wheel...keeps one from drifting over that center line right outside your right window!..."la la la...oh look at the pretty beach down...OH my!... look at the large cement truck barrelling around the corner! i sure hope he sees my little Hyundai Belleview!" ha ha ha...it made it fun. Don't worry I'm much safer there than on a horse apparently!
My ride back up the coast included cute towns like Simon's Point, Fish Hoek, and Kalk Bay, and another famous surfer's town that went something like Meizemberg?, close enough. Completed with Sunny Beach, during a pouring lightning storm. Quite ironic. The highlight of that short jaunt being the PENGUINS! Yes, I too was surprised. They must've skipped up here from Antartica, which apparently I was looking at from Cape Point, only my distance vision is really poor ;). Cute penguin pics. and signs like "Check under your car for penguins" LOL that one really got me going, esp. the sketch of a penguin lying under a car. STITCHES! "Oh! that's where the penguins have been this whole time, under my car!" (and yes, I do have to make these corny little jokes out loud to my invisible traveling buddy...helps me remember to share them with YOU! :) Ok, you'll laugh when you see the picture. Regardless, they are funny, waddling little tuxedo blubbers! I took a short video with hopes they'd break out into some type of cardiovascular jazzercise, but no. They just waddle.
Once I determined that I had accomplished everything fun & interesting to do, and that the weather was too poor to roam about a village or sit by the shore, I scooted home to devour the second half of my fabulous pizza. I took the mountain road, hoping for final views of my dear Cape Town, but those blasted clouds would not let go of the mountaintop. I pulled off at a "view point" (quite an accomplishment from the left hand side of the road and on interstate) and pointlessly stood at the edge of a rock, face to face with a fog wall. I could hear the whooshing wind through the valley and feel the depth of the edge before me, but I was blind to its steep cliffs. (Indiana Jones moment-Last Crusade- Elsa falling into the smoking earth crack disappearing forever...eek!) that thought and a small rustle in the bush (SNAKES!?!) freaked me out enough and I ran back to the safety of my little rental car!
I'll spend the evening warm and cozy inside, wrapping up some reading, and pack the car for the early (6am) drive to the airport. It will be another accomplishment, dropping the rental off at the "BP Petrol" (really?) and getting to my domestic flights. Jako & Amber are meeting with me in Livingstone where we'll stay tomorrow night so we can see Victoria Falls tomorrow after I land. (yay!) Then the 5 hr drive to the bush Saturday....stay tuned...not sure I'll have unlimited free access to my blogspot like Sacred Mountain has allowed me tonight :)>. It's been a pleasure sharing these stories with you. I'll post more fun random thoughts, rental car, horse riding, and some thank you's to pass out as I have time!
Much love, your friend/ cousin/ niece/ daughter/ sister,
jenny

Trip Commentary

2009-04-21T09:05:00.000-07:00

I would love to upload more of the 145 photos I took today running around Cape Town, but it seems to take too much time! My new travel stopwatch (better set in military time) has helped my internet visits stay on the mark. It's nice to come back from the day and sit down with my blog; it feels like coming back home and sharing my stories :).
OK - back to the beginning...
Despite the kind Delta desk lady assuring me my bags would be checked ALL the way to CPT (I flew Delta to Joburg "JNB", then British Airways "BA" to Cape Town "CPT"), she was wrong. Naturally my brief layover in JNB, rushed me back to baggage claim to retrieve bags, check through customs and then re-enter domestic flights to CPT. I was told I had 45 min. to recover this mistake, and multiple flights to CPT flashing either CLOSED or BOARDING were no comfort. Sprinting to a sweat was going to be necessary. Like winning my own amazing race, I victoriously dragged my 2 suitcases halfway around Joburg and safely returned them to the care of the BA staff. Next hurdle, security check. These guys were quite that on the ball - 2 small bags through, he saw the metal nail file image, and began searching the wrong bag. Silly him. I was already wearing the backpack it was stowed in, but after he rescanned my purse and couldn't find it, I was on my way. (South African airport security - oh dear!) It turns out I had plenty of time before the last flight and stumbled upon a new friend at my gate, Sue-ling, who had shared my flights since Atlanta AND was also reading Twilight. I happily pulled the sequel, New Moon, out of my bag, and our friendship began. A brief walk to the airport bookstore proved that book 3, Eclipse, is IN FACT out in paperback, at least here in SA and for only $13. HA. Time to jet - more thoughts later! Love to you all, and good night! ~ jenny

Table Mountain

2009-04-21T08:36:00.000-07:00

The most distinct feature of Cape Town, this rock face stands as a breathtaking backdrop to this cosmopolitian city. I first spied it with a gasp from my airplane window when I landed far away in Johannesburg airport last night. The joy of discovering your first recognizable landmark when arriving in a new place...similar to my first spotting of the Eiffel Tower or the 'you

-can't-miss-it' expansive city skyline of Beijing. Here you can see Table Mountain at sunrise from the city park, behind me during my run to the waterfront, and later on in the day during the "Big Red Bus" tour. You can see the later evening shot shows the deepening shadows in the rugged cliff edging. The foreground of one day shot shows 'the castle' and the other District 6 - once residential, still stands empty with weeds & empty promises after being bulldozed forcing families from their homes; the only buildings left were churches.

77 Days in Africa

2009-04-21T00:39:00.000-07:00

I praise the Lord for very good flights - much rest and quiet seat partners. The weather is pleasantly cool and I have already taken a morning run out to the docks and pictures of Table Mountain. How wonderful!
I am looking to rearrange my stay (for more inexpensive), but the Holiday Inn Express was a familiar enough home base to get transportation to after all my flights yesterday and arriving late. The people seem more honest and friendly than I anticipated, but better be skeptical than naive?
The currency exchange is simple enough; I exchanged early at Joburg airport, $100 for 878 Rand, but only 827 Rand after commission/fees.
I have 77 days in Africa...ironic, because 7 is my favorite number! I am committing to reading through the book of Isaiah (66 chapters) and am also going to digest a chapter of Psalms each day starting with Psalm 77 and going backwards until I read Psalm Ch. 1 on my last day here.
I wish to publish more random thoughts from my crazy, seems like 2 day journey, but time escapes me as Holiday Inn will express me right out at 11...I have some missionaries to contact and new hostel arrangements to make. But it is a glorious, clear cool, low 70's day in beautiful South Africa!
Alive and well from Cape Town ~ jenny