Our trip to Cape Town

This past week we had a meeting with the other leaders from Sub-Saharan Africa in Cape Town. This was the first time for us to travel to this place.  It was one of the most beautiful cities I have ever been in.  The pictures we have taken do not even come close to seeing this place in person.  Our meeting went very well but unfortunately I did not take any pics of us in the meeting. Ha!  We did however take some pics from a few of the things we got to do late in the afternoons or evenings in our free time.

 

 We went to this botanical garden that was beautiful.  We were able to walk around and enjoy it's beauty for about one hour before eating dinner.

 This was the top of a mountain that overlooked Table Mountain.

It was a beautiful view.

 

 We loved that where ever we went in this city we could always see Table Mountain!

This was a lot of the women who were at our meeting but not everyone.  It's hard to get everyone together at the same time for a picture sometimes.  Ha!

 The men

You are supposed to be able to see Table Mountain in the backround but they are filling up the whole frame.

 this is the view from the other side of the mountain

This is Robben Island where former President of South Africa Nelson Mandela was impissoned for for 18 years before the fall of apartheid. We did not get to go to this island but definitely a place we would like to go in the future.

 A sunset walk on the beach

 

 

 One afternoon we went to go to the top of Table Mountain.

 Once you get to this point you take a cable car/trolley up to the top.  When we got to this point we were told that it was too windy so we could not go up.  That was quite disappointing but that will be something we look forward to doing in the future as well.

 This was the view from the mountain.

 

 One of the restaurants we ate at one night did face painting.  Why not?

The sun set much later in Cape Town than it does in Nairobi.  So on this evening as we went to dinner we stopped at this point on the coast and watched people kite surfing.  

It was beautiful to see hundreds of kites in the air and people whipping through the waves.

 

Cultural Orientation

 For 20 days we had a cultural orientation for new people who came to live in East Africa.  While Kevin ran the program for the adults I got to watch the kids.  This time there were just two and they were 3 and under.  There are two phases to this program.  There is an urban portion and then a rural portion.  So while in Nairobi we (me and  a friend) took the kids to the elephant orphange and the giraffe park.  It was lots of fun!

 We were very close to the giraffe.  We could touch and feed them.

 I had a pellet of their food between my lips and they came and got it!

 Pretty gross, I know!  But pretty cool too!

 The second portion of the training was on the coast.  It was very hot but thankfully, we were just a few blocks from the ocean.  Several afternoons after the program was over Kevin and I would walk to the beach.  There always was a breeze which we enjoyed!

We would get a drink and enjoy the view for a few min!

 

 Here are a couple of pics that a friend of mine took as they were out doing their cultural learning.

Sometimes you just draw things out in the sand because you can. ha!

 A friend of mine learning to weave a mat.

 

 One night while we were out to eat this dog had climbed up on the car and just sat on top for a long time.  I had never seen such a thing!

 At the end of the program Kevin took me out to a restaurant which was in a cave.  It was so cool!

It even had an opening in it where you could look up and see the stars.

 The food was excellent!

Each day, I would take a tuktuk to watch the kids at their house.  This was a different mode of transportation for me.  

 

Me and Kevin in a tuktuk.  At least it was breezy for a few min.

 Love these eyes looking across at me especially when it involves a milkshake!

Yum!

Moving back in

 At the end of every term, Hannah has to pack up her whole dorm room into suitcases or trunks and store for the month. Then when she comes back it all has to be unpacked.  She usually arrives late in the day but then has to start school the next day so it doesn't always get unpacked right away.  This term I was able to go and help her unpack and decorate her room the weekend after she got back to school. It was fun hanging out with her and helping.

This term she got a room to herself which she is enjoying!

 

2017!!

Happy New Year!  Thanks so much for visiting this blog.  I hope that you will continue to check it out in this new year of 2017.  

I love how at the beginning of each year we can start afresh.  It's like the past year has been washed away and now we are starting a brand new year.  There is so much hope for the future!  

Lamentations 3:22 says,

²² The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
    his mercies never come to an end;
²³ they are new every morning;
    great is your faithfulness.

You can can count on the promise this year that God is faithful. Man may fail you but God never will.

I read this quote on fb today which I liked and it says:
Tomorrow is the first blank page of a 365-page book. Write a good one. 

What will your 2017 look like?  Make good choices in your life, your speech, your friends, etc.  Follow after God's Will for your life and be obedient to whatever He calls you to do.  Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'"   Do these things and it will be a great year!

Christmas 2016

 Here are some pictures of our Christmas 2016.  

We were thankful for time together with our family.

 I made peppermint ice cream which we enjoyed during our warm Christmas!

 Merry Christmas from our family to yours!

 Kevin made the Turkey and I did all the other fixings...