Hello to those of you who are still reading this blog, wich I believe probably nobody is.
Now that most of you know that I am back in Canada. !!
Well. To summarize the last 7 months in Africa:
1. Amazing.
2. Life-Changing.
3. Just the right amount of time. Even though there is still so much to see, it was time for me to go home. I'll be back another year. Maybe next year.
So. HOME. That 4 letter word. Where is home? Is it your house? Where you grew up? Where your family is? Where your heart is? Well, I can't tell you. lol. I felt at home in Jeffreys Baai, South Africa and I feel at home here at my house in 108 or Kamloops, wherever. At the moment my home is 108.
As for culture shock, I dind't experince it as much as I thought I was going to. Perhaps it was because I freaked myself out so much about going home, I thought it was going to be the worst thing, that when I acctaully did get home, it wasn't as bad as a siked myself out about. I adjusted well back into so called 'life' in this western void. I'm not back so much as to the point of conformity, but so that I am not so much freaked out, just accepting. The problems here are too big for me to tackle on my own, I have other things to do first. Changing a peoples mindset probably will never happen.
Materialisic, money-loving (even if you don't think you are), comfort-minded people. Many people agree with that statement, and beleive they are like that, yet what are they going to do to change? nothing. And thats the thing. Where is the motivation? Why do you even need something to motivate you? Well, .... selfishness, ignorance, and denial are all things of this western world. And those are the things that get me the most when I come back.
The fact that a child tragically drowning in BC gets more news coverage and sympathy than the 1000's of motherless, starving and homeless children that die every day is beyond me.
Its the world we live in.
And it sucks.
But other than that, Canada is a beautiful country, and we are very blessed to live here. Very blessed. Please take advanatage of and don't complain about the health care. Explore the beauty of this country.
I missed bagles, the lake, and snow the most. haha. other than my friends and family. Sometimes. :P
So, it is nice to be back!! It is ... as I look forward to my next journey.
Thanks for tuning in every once and a while, I enjoyed writing these and and as I bring a close to this chapter of my life and start another one I just have to say.....
"just do it.
listen to God.
and learn about this world, its HUGE!
oh yes, and love your country of Canada ... well, the good things anyways, which we do have alot of. And don't take it for granted.
THats my rant.
thanks for listening.
God Bless and keep you
Tierney.
!!!!!!
Monday, August 25, 2008
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
JBAY
Hello.
SO was in Tzaneen for a bit, guess what, while it is 25degrees in the summer back home in lovely Canada, its 9degrees here in winter. 9-11 dregrees in Tzaneen!!! Crazy!! but it was beautiful....very tarzan jungle-like, with lots of monkeys and tea plantations, and i saw the biggest tree IN THE WORLD. its a huge boabab tree with a bar inside of it (people are werid). So iwent inside the tree it was pretty sweet. Very nice to see myra and her family and it was nice.
THEN went on a crazy 16 or so hour BUS RIDE from johanesburg to PE. left at 5:45PM and arrived at 9:30AM the next day. All my luggage had to go at my feet because there was no room underneath or uptop, so it was very squashed and uncomfortable. but i sat beside a cute little 13year old girl. and she bought me a chocolate bar because i lent her my pillow and jacket. long ride.
Now i am back in Jeffreys Bay where I have lived the 1st 3 months here in SA, and is pretty much my home. It felt soooo nice to be back and to go to the beach again. :)
I am staying in a room all by myself, witch is kind of weird...
And all the staff are bugging me to stay on here as a staff member, and you have no idea how much i would love to do just that. but i know that i have to go home first. ...
so it is very nice to be here home in jefrreys bay :)
I"ll be making a road trip with friend Steve to Cape Town sometime soon here for 5 days or so, then hoping to be back for my birthday on the 25th.
however, i will see you in Augest !
SO was in Tzaneen for a bit, guess what, while it is 25degrees in the summer back home in lovely Canada, its 9degrees here in winter. 9-11 dregrees in Tzaneen!!! Crazy!! but it was beautiful....very tarzan jungle-like, with lots of monkeys and tea plantations, and i saw the biggest tree IN THE WORLD. its a huge boabab tree with a bar inside of it (people are werid). So iwent inside the tree it was pretty sweet. Very nice to see myra and her family and it was nice.
THEN went on a crazy 16 or so hour BUS RIDE from johanesburg to PE. left at 5:45PM and arrived at 9:30AM the next day. All my luggage had to go at my feet because there was no room underneath or uptop, so it was very squashed and uncomfortable. but i sat beside a cute little 13year old girl. and she bought me a chocolate bar because i lent her my pillow and jacket. long ride.
Now i am back in Jeffreys Bay where I have lived the 1st 3 months here in SA, and is pretty much my home. It felt soooo nice to be back and to go to the beach again. :)
I am staying in a room all by myself, witch is kind of weird...
And all the staff are bugging me to stay on here as a staff member, and you have no idea how much i would love to do just that. but i know that i have to go home first. ...
so it is very nice to be here home in jefrreys bay :)
I"ll be making a road trip with friend Steve to Cape Town sometime soon here for 5 days or so, then hoping to be back for my birthday on the 25th.
however, i will see you in Augest !
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Mom Trip
so! last time i left off i belive was with graduation and mom coming here. well today is the day she left, so its been 2 weeks, and i can try to put those weeks into a nutshell here: okay. and (ps the shift button dosn't work, so no capitals, its not my fault. i usually do have good grammar haha)
so after chinsta and the durban fiasco...
st lucia.....beautiful place. Stayed on the outskirts of town, in the jungle pretty much. youcan litlerally walk out of your door and into a hippo!! (we talk from experience!) soo.....did some shopping, went on a sweet cultural tour the sencond day.
now this was interesting.....my mom and i had our own personal tour guide, bringing us through traditional Zulu culture. so....we started at the orphange (at our request) it was a bonus gift from God, because my mom so badly wanted to go to one. we had alot of fun with the kids. then she took us to a 'sangoma' - a traditional 'healer'. we went to his hut house, wich had dead leapord skin on the wall, spears and things, and weird herbs, and he told us about healing things...it was acctaully kinda sketchy. but interesting.
then we went to a sweet zulu village and she taught us things, and then the fun part. my mom and i got dressed in traditional Zulu clothes, and then after that got a performance from some awesome zulu dancers and singers. then the funny part. we got to dance with them. and it was embarrasing haha. iM sure they all laugh at us after, but it was fun. i'll put up pictures later. my mom hurt her leg for a while after that hardcore zulu dancing lol.
we also went on a night tour and saw crocs and hippos and bush babys and chameleons. it was exciting seeing a hippo walk. right infront of us too. and into our backpacker area. its quite normal for them to walk in the town.
then our next nice stop was Sabi. a small town. very fun though! we went caving the first night, by cadellight, it was very very cool. again, pictures coming.
we also did a day in kruger park, and saw all the animals ever, except for leapord and hyena and rhino. there were lions sitting right in the road, and baboons just like, pretty much jumping on your car, it was very very amaizng. excecpt for mycamera battery died on my first pic, so i was very angry. but got over it, and enjoyed the day thourouly.
then......yeah......bus to j-berg, mom flies out after what feels like 5 or 6 days, and here i am all alone now, besides my fellow backapckers. i am staying in a ..... nice.......no its acctaully creepy....part of johanesburg. for 3 days, till i catch a bus to tzaneen to visit my friend myra.
overall, its been a great time, being a tourist for real this time haha. wow....it was fun though, learned alot and got to see the other side of the country. very cool. and warmer. :) beautiful.
yaw....so....happy times, can't wait to see you all face to face!
God bless eh....
Romans 8;28-onwards i belive:
we know that in all things God works forthe good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. those God forknew, he also predestined to be conformed into the likness of his son, Jesus Christ.
those God predestined, he also called, those he called, he also JUSTIFIED, and those he justified, he also glorified. what can we say in response to this? if God is for us, who can be against us???
so after chinsta and the durban fiasco...
st lucia.....beautiful place. Stayed on the outskirts of town, in the jungle pretty much. youcan litlerally walk out of your door and into a hippo!! (we talk from experience!) soo.....did some shopping, went on a sweet cultural tour the sencond day.
now this was interesting.....my mom and i had our own personal tour guide, bringing us through traditional Zulu culture. so....we started at the orphange (at our request) it was a bonus gift from God, because my mom so badly wanted to go to one. we had alot of fun with the kids. then she took us to a 'sangoma' - a traditional 'healer'. we went to his hut house, wich had dead leapord skin on the wall, spears and things, and weird herbs, and he told us about healing things...it was acctaully kinda sketchy. but interesting.
then we went to a sweet zulu village and she taught us things, and then the fun part. my mom and i got dressed in traditional Zulu clothes, and then after that got a performance from some awesome zulu dancers and singers. then the funny part. we got to dance with them. and it was embarrasing haha. iM sure they all laugh at us after, but it was fun. i'll put up pictures later. my mom hurt her leg for a while after that hardcore zulu dancing lol.
we also went on a night tour and saw crocs and hippos and bush babys and chameleons. it was exciting seeing a hippo walk. right infront of us too. and into our backpacker area. its quite normal for them to walk in the town.
then our next nice stop was Sabi. a small town. very fun though! we went caving the first night, by cadellight, it was very very cool. again, pictures coming.
we also did a day in kruger park, and saw all the animals ever, except for leapord and hyena and rhino. there were lions sitting right in the road, and baboons just like, pretty much jumping on your car, it was very very amaizng. excecpt for mycamera battery died on my first pic, so i was very angry. but got over it, and enjoyed the day thourouly.
then......yeah......bus to j-berg, mom flies out after what feels like 5 or 6 days, and here i am all alone now, besides my fellow backapckers. i am staying in a ..... nice.......no its acctaully creepy....part of johanesburg. for 3 days, till i catch a bus to tzaneen to visit my friend myra.
overall, its been a great time, being a tourist for real this time haha. wow....it was fun though, learned alot and got to see the other side of the country. very cool. and warmer. :) beautiful.
yaw....so....happy times, can't wait to see you all face to face!
God bless eh....
Romans 8;28-onwards i belive:
we know that in all things God works forthe good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. those God forknew, he also predestined to be conformed into the likness of his son, Jesus Christ.
those God predestined, he also called, those he called, he also JUSTIFIED, and those he justified, he also glorified. what can we say in response to this? if God is for us, who can be against us???
Thursday, July 3, 2008
LONG TIME NO BLOG
Hello everyone who is faithfully reading my blog.
it is harder for me to type after no computer for 6 months, except for randomly, so this is going to take a while, also, its been a month since writing anything,and alot has happend!
I shall spare you the nitty gritty details......
So after Cape Town we went and did some farm ministry in Ashton and Worchester (Pronnounced "Vusta") haha. Yes. It was great, annd its acctaully all a blur to me, i only will share a few highlights....
Ashton - Amazing prayer-time in a old building that is used for drugs/sex/toilet/who knows what else. We decided it is going to be either a YWAM base or YWAM hospitality house, or an orphanage. :) Powerful stuff.
Fun going out to the farms and the farmschools....makes me want to teach out there! SO so beautiful, as well as in need of teachers.
Mossel Bay we did a sweet drug protset thing with the youth and got sweet neon green shirts. That was my hightlight haha. Oh and we saw a whale in the bay.
In Worchester we worked with the crech, and all the little children..they were crazy, i got attacked by 4 year olds and needed someone to pull them off me more than once. I got some battle wounds that week, those crazy kids. I bought them a soccer ball.
THEN!!! We had a week of debreifing, in which we did NO ministry, we were in Vlesse Baai, (dunno how to spell). And we were stuck inside all week, (well 3 days) Becuase it was SO windy, i thought there was a hurricane. We were staying at a friends place rigtht on the beach, and the sea was like, .... so angry and scary and it was windy, so we stayed cooped up inside. So that was a week of de-berifing the last 3 months of outreach! It went very well, our team loves eachother, thanks to Gods grace. :)
THEN GRADUATION!!!!!
Back into Jeffreys Bay, got to connect with the Swazilan/Mozamique team, did some much needded catching up and started to plan for our grad in 4 days.
My MOTHER showed up day of graduation, yes, all the way from CAnada!!! YAY! Praise the Lord, He answered prayer.....:) so it was lovely having her there, and we hung out on the base for a few days. ...
Grad was awseome, we all dressed up, graduated, i shared a testimony of my life and Gods goodness, it was so so good. I love everyone so much.
THEN!! Everyone Peace's out and my mom and I take off up the East Coast.
Its been so good so far. First stop in Chintsa...a nice place on the beach, the second night we were woken up by monkeys on the roof. It is beautiful there.
THEN wow, long story here.....sho, well, we didndt get on our bus out of there, so we had to pay a crazy amount to get a personal taxi to the next big town 45 minutes away ,East London, and then catch like a Greyhound type bus to Durban - our next desination. (Where we needed to be to continue our trip) SO. Luckey for us this bus going to Durban is 5 hours late! So we hop on this bus just in time. Thank the Lord the bus was 5 hours late haha. Then i think it was just a slow driver, cuz it then took is more then 8 hours to get to Durban, and we arrived at 2:15 in the morrning. So here we are at this bus stop at 200 AM. Alll alone pretty much. Waiting for our taxi for 1 hour. Get into the backpackers at 3:30AM. Get up 3.5 hours later at 7:30Am to get the bus out of there to our next stop. Hectic,, but fun.
Okay, i'm in my last 5 minutes on the comp, so i'll go now, and write more later!!
Back in Augest.
Love. God Bless. Love.
Tierney. :)
it is harder for me to type after no computer for 6 months, except for randomly, so this is going to take a while, also, its been a month since writing anything,and alot has happend!
I shall spare you the nitty gritty details......
So after Cape Town we went and did some farm ministry in Ashton and Worchester (Pronnounced "Vusta") haha. Yes. It was great, annd its acctaully all a blur to me, i only will share a few highlights....
Ashton - Amazing prayer-time in a old building that is used for drugs/sex/toilet/who knows what else. We decided it is going to be either a YWAM base or YWAM hospitality house, or an orphanage. :) Powerful stuff.
Fun going out to the farms and the farmschools....makes me want to teach out there! SO so beautiful, as well as in need of teachers.
Mossel Bay we did a sweet drug protset thing with the youth and got sweet neon green shirts. That was my hightlight haha. Oh and we saw a whale in the bay.
In Worchester we worked with the crech, and all the little children..they were crazy, i got attacked by 4 year olds and needed someone to pull them off me more than once. I got some battle wounds that week, those crazy kids. I bought them a soccer ball.
THEN!!! We had a week of debreifing, in which we did NO ministry, we were in Vlesse Baai, (dunno how to spell). And we were stuck inside all week, (well 3 days) Becuase it was SO windy, i thought there was a hurricane. We were staying at a friends place rigtht on the beach, and the sea was like, .... so angry and scary and it was windy, so we stayed cooped up inside. So that was a week of de-berifing the last 3 months of outreach! It went very well, our team loves eachother, thanks to Gods grace. :)
THEN GRADUATION!!!!!
Back into Jeffreys Bay, got to connect with the Swazilan/Mozamique team, did some much needded catching up and started to plan for our grad in 4 days.
My MOTHER showed up day of graduation, yes, all the way from CAnada!!! YAY! Praise the Lord, He answered prayer.....:) so it was lovely having her there, and we hung out on the base for a few days. ...
Grad was awseome, we all dressed up, graduated, i shared a testimony of my life and Gods goodness, it was so so good. I love everyone so much.
THEN!! Everyone Peace's out and my mom and I take off up the East Coast.
Its been so good so far. First stop in Chintsa...a nice place on the beach, the second night we were woken up by monkeys on the roof. It is beautiful there.
THEN wow, long story here.....sho, well, we didndt get on our bus out of there, so we had to pay a crazy amount to get a personal taxi to the next big town 45 minutes away ,East London, and then catch like a Greyhound type bus to Durban - our next desination. (Where we needed to be to continue our trip) SO. Luckey for us this bus going to Durban is 5 hours late! So we hop on this bus just in time. Thank the Lord the bus was 5 hours late haha. Then i think it was just a slow driver, cuz it then took is more then 8 hours to get to Durban, and we arrived at 2:15 in the morrning. So here we are at this bus stop at 200 AM. Alll alone pretty much. Waiting for our taxi for 1 hour. Get into the backpackers at 3:30AM. Get up 3.5 hours later at 7:30Am to get the bus out of there to our next stop. Hectic,, but fun.
Okay, i'm in my last 5 minutes on the comp, so i'll go now, and write more later!!
Back in Augest.
Love. God Bless. Love.
Tierney. :)
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
uhh....wow.
HELLO fellow friends;
so, this past weeks.....we have been in cape town. Stayed at this wonderful place on the hill overlooking the ocean, it was so beautiful. We really acctaully didn't do too too much, we rested and caught up on quite times and sleep haha. mm....the hightlight ministry time was when we did random evengelism in this guy we are staying with, his butchery shop. We played guitar and sang and prayed and talked, and it was quite fun.
We also went to a few orphanages and thigns and we just helped clean up and stuff, didn't do much with the kids acctaully.
The church we went to the 2 weeks in Cape Town was hectic, like, powerful. Its acctaully called, "Power Ministires" and this pastor it like, wow haha, just really in tune with God. Our team got to witness like, miraculous healings and crazy moving of the spirit, and casting out of demons, and it was hectic cool. Like nothing i've ever thought possible even today, or ever thought i could see or experience, and it was a real growing and learning time for all of us, and we were really blessed those weeks acctaully. More details to come when i come back home. :)
Speaking of home, went to Home Affairs today, here in Worcester, (Pronounced; "Voo-Sta") ((Yes wierd, i know)), and got my visa extention!! YES! So I am now offically leaving Africa on the 1st of Augest, 2008. Up for more adventures......but do look forward to the coming home part. :)
So anyhoo, here we are in Worcester, (Vusta, how i want to spell it, haha). We are with this like, African amish type thing, its quite cool haha. Like the whole communitee works for the good of the community thing.
We are working with this boys club, and it really is sad. Like.....these are all young boys....age 8-15 i'd say. Some of them have been involved in gangs, and this phase they recently had with killing cats. And the boys would go around killing animals, they were just violent and angry because of the broken and abusive homes they come from. They are all so ... young...but look so grown up because of what they have been through.
We walk through this town and the little kids are playing with bare feet in broken glass and stuff, and just running looose and crazy, and ... .yaw its sad, but.....ya.
I have been helping out at a pimary school, and the other day we were chatting with the principle about things, and he asked us to make an important phone call for him. He needed to talk to this importatnt guy, but he wanted us to call because we were white, and had an english accent. He went on to tell us how the last time he had white people with him, the people listened to him straight away, where as when he was by himeself, they totally disregarded him. I was so horrified, like what?!?! how can people be so blind and stupid like that??? That colour is still such an issue like that!?! Its horrible.
Oh yes, and this town, Worcester/Vusta, is very segregated. There is a road that divides the town, and the whites are on one side and the colours and blacks on the other, and even the churches find it hard to cross the line. Very sad fact. So another thing is that it is such an important thing, even us white people here just walking in the streets here in the township, (cuz we are staying on the 'non-white' side). It makes a difference, just showing the kids that there is no colour barrier and that we are just the same as them. It makes more of a difference than we know. Esspecially in our team, as our team is a white/black mix, they see us interacting normally and HUGGING even wow, haha, and its just a good small thing that makes a difference, so its good. :)
Well, Its late and bed time, i am tired and sore. Back in Cape Town me and a few girls decided to climb Table Mountain, and me and Tash decided to run down. Run down this like, straight cliff side pretty much...dangerous, but...whatever! haha..so now my legs are like, killing me and i can only sit for so long before i seize up.
Well, miss ya'll, and see you soon enough.
Tierney.
"The Lord works all things together for the good of those who love Him."
-Romans something.
so, this past weeks.....we have been in cape town. Stayed at this wonderful place on the hill overlooking the ocean, it was so beautiful. We really acctaully didn't do too too much, we rested and caught up on quite times and sleep haha. mm....the hightlight ministry time was when we did random evengelism in this guy we are staying with, his butchery shop. We played guitar and sang and prayed and talked, and it was quite fun.
We also went to a few orphanages and thigns and we just helped clean up and stuff, didn't do much with the kids acctaully.
The church we went to the 2 weeks in Cape Town was hectic, like, powerful. Its acctaully called, "Power Ministires" and this pastor it like, wow haha, just really in tune with God. Our team got to witness like, miraculous healings and crazy moving of the spirit, and casting out of demons, and it was hectic cool. Like nothing i've ever thought possible even today, or ever thought i could see or experience, and it was a real growing and learning time for all of us, and we were really blessed those weeks acctaully. More details to come when i come back home. :)
Speaking of home, went to Home Affairs today, here in Worcester, (Pronounced; "Voo-Sta") ((Yes wierd, i know)), and got my visa extention!! YES! So I am now offically leaving Africa on the 1st of Augest, 2008. Up for more adventures......but do look forward to the coming home part. :)
So anyhoo, here we are in Worcester, (Vusta, how i want to spell it, haha). We are with this like, African amish type thing, its quite cool haha. Like the whole communitee works for the good of the community thing.
We are working with this boys club, and it really is sad. Like.....these are all young boys....age 8-15 i'd say. Some of them have been involved in gangs, and this phase they recently had with killing cats. And the boys would go around killing animals, they were just violent and angry because of the broken and abusive homes they come from. They are all so ... young...but look so grown up because of what they have been through.
We walk through this town and the little kids are playing with bare feet in broken glass and stuff, and just running looose and crazy, and ... .yaw its sad, but.....ya.
I have been helping out at a pimary school, and the other day we were chatting with the principle about things, and he asked us to make an important phone call for him. He needed to talk to this importatnt guy, but he wanted us to call because we were white, and had an english accent. He went on to tell us how the last time he had white people with him, the people listened to him straight away, where as when he was by himeself, they totally disregarded him. I was so horrified, like what?!?! how can people be so blind and stupid like that??? That colour is still such an issue like that!?! Its horrible.
Oh yes, and this town, Worcester/Vusta, is very segregated. There is a road that divides the town, and the whites are on one side and the colours and blacks on the other, and even the churches find it hard to cross the line. Very sad fact. So another thing is that it is such an important thing, even us white people here just walking in the streets here in the township, (cuz we are staying on the 'non-white' side). It makes a difference, just showing the kids that there is no colour barrier and that we are just the same as them. It makes more of a difference than we know. Esspecially in our team, as our team is a white/black mix, they see us interacting normally and HUGGING even wow, haha, and its just a good small thing that makes a difference, so its good. :)
Well, Its late and bed time, i am tired and sore. Back in Cape Town me and a few girls decided to climb Table Mountain, and me and Tash decided to run down. Run down this like, straight cliff side pretty much...dangerous, but...whatever! haha..so now my legs are like, killing me and i can only sit for so long before i seize up.
Well, miss ya'll, and see you soon enough.
Tierney.
"The Lord works all things together for the good of those who love Him."
-Romans something.
Friday, May 16, 2008
Back into South Africa
Hellloo,
So Swakopmend was a really great time, we wern't rushed or anything and had alot of free time. We stayed with this amazing lovely missionary family with their 5 kids. It was really nice, and we learned ALOT from them!! Something we weren't excpeting, but it was so very nice. The hostel was a very scary place....very run-down and like, scary....water dripping from the roof and stuff. The kids were coming on monday, so we had the weekend to do as much as we could. We painted and cleaned and things. But there were some rooms, specifically down in the basement, where there was such a spirit of oppression and just a heavyness. You just walk into the room and its almos tangible...very weird and not happy feeling. We also did alot of praying in that place.
Another highlight from Swakopmend was the dunes!! We went sandboarding and we climbed all the way up Dune 7....the highest around or something like that...it was really quite a challenge, i loved it so much. Sandboarding was just like sledding, just on sand, so it wasn't allll thaaat exciting...i rather would have went REAL sandboarding..like snowbaording where you stand up. BUt it costed alot of money. It was just soo beautiful though...the dunes are amazing, im sorry i can't put up pictures again, i am trying.
On our way back to South Africa we were driving in the dark almost at the Border and this HUGE Kudu jumped infrot of us, and just stood there. These things are like the equivelent to a moose in Canada...huge and dangerous to hit. So anyways, it was RIGHT infront of us, Natasha put on the breaks as much as she could, but there was nothing we could do, we were going to hit it, it was nuts!!! Natahsa just threw her hands off the weel and screamed bloody murder "JESUS HELP US!!!" and the next thing we know the kudu is jumping off the road to the side and the tip of its huge long hornd brushed the side of the vehicle. WOW. THANK YOU LORD. It was quite an amazing experience. We should have hit it, but thanks to God, people were praying.
So we arrived in Cape Town a few days ago, and we have a few days off again. However, I am looking forward to the work we are going to be doing. Yesterday we went to the beach, and the person we are staying with took pictures of us posing as surfers for her website, because she is a surfer teacher. It was so much fun, i loved it.
And not much else that I can write now, sooo i God bless!!
TIERNEY
So Swakopmend was a really great time, we wern't rushed or anything and had alot of free time. We stayed with this amazing lovely missionary family with their 5 kids. It was really nice, and we learned ALOT from them!! Something we weren't excpeting, but it was so very nice. The hostel was a very scary place....very run-down and like, scary....water dripping from the roof and stuff. The kids were coming on monday, so we had the weekend to do as much as we could. We painted and cleaned and things. But there were some rooms, specifically down in the basement, where there was such a spirit of oppression and just a heavyness. You just walk into the room and its almos tangible...very weird and not happy feeling. We also did alot of praying in that place.
Another highlight from Swakopmend was the dunes!! We went sandboarding and we climbed all the way up Dune 7....the highest around or something like that...it was really quite a challenge, i loved it so much. Sandboarding was just like sledding, just on sand, so it wasn't allll thaaat exciting...i rather would have went REAL sandboarding..like snowbaording where you stand up. BUt it costed alot of money. It was just soo beautiful though...the dunes are amazing, im sorry i can't put up pictures again, i am trying.
On our way back to South Africa we were driving in the dark almost at the Border and this HUGE Kudu jumped infrot of us, and just stood there. These things are like the equivelent to a moose in Canada...huge and dangerous to hit. So anyways, it was RIGHT infront of us, Natasha put on the breaks as much as she could, but there was nothing we could do, we were going to hit it, it was nuts!!! Natahsa just threw her hands off the weel and screamed bloody murder "JESUS HELP US!!!" and the next thing we know the kudu is jumping off the road to the side and the tip of its huge long hornd brushed the side of the vehicle. WOW. THANK YOU LORD. It was quite an amazing experience. We should have hit it, but thanks to God, people were praying.
So we arrived in Cape Town a few days ago, and we have a few days off again. However, I am looking forward to the work we are going to be doing. Yesterday we went to the beach, and the person we are staying with took pictures of us posing as surfers for her website, because she is a surfer teacher. It was so much fun, i loved it.
And not much else that I can write now, sooo i God bless!!
TIERNEY
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
dust and no internet for a long time
Hello!!
Wow, so i guess its been like 2 weeks or somethng since we have had internet access, and it has been an amazing 2 weeks.
Were in Ongwadiva way up in the very north of Namibia for a week and this past week has been spent in Okondjatu. They are both very remote villages with limited electricity and no running hot water. Oh ya...it was very fun having my first shower in 2 weeks last night!! Felt very nice...my legs are no longer green. no joke. haha.
so where do i start???
In Ongwadiva we tented in a church-yard - a baby church which was a tent. We had kids programms and door-to-door visits. All our stuff was in this one room and 3 boys got into our stuff on day and stole a cell phone and a camera. We talked to them and told them it was wrong and about sowing good seeds and reaping good things and about Jesus and stuff, and then they participated in our programm and gave back the stuff. They are so cute, and yet it was so sad because when we went to the police and to their house, their parents were so mad and yelling and this one woman was just beating her son infront of us, it was horrible. It is a common problem in these villages.
Ongwadiva is very hot and we stayed inside as much as we could.
I fell in love with Okandjatu. We were there from mon-fri and everyday we did devotions with people from the community and we worked in the church garden weeding and planting. I enjoyed it alot. But my favorite part were the afternoon house visits. We take a translator with us and go to houses and pray and tell them about Jesus and stuff, and it is always a rewarding time. It is not like in North America where when people come to your door you tell them you don't have time, or shut the door in their face or get all skeptical and stuff. No, here hospitality is of high value, and they will take out the chairs right away and sit down to listen to us. They are always open to prayer even if they arn't christian because they are aware of the Spiritual, and aware of a higher power. Whether it be God or not.
At this one ladys house, man, well these houses are just like a shed to us, thrown together with a mattress or something if they are luckey. Anyways, in this house she had like, 8 kids from the age of 2-10, all orphans, and she just chose to look after them cuz no one else would. And she was also sick, but what else could she do?? I gave her some money and i was just so touched by her. In this one room home with everything she owns in it - 8 kids, a dirty matress, a cat, some food, a lamp....
I loved the place. We cooked over the fire everynight, and the girls made us fresh chicken. it was very tough though....i was unfortunate enough to walk around the cornner just as they were killing it, and i pretty much puked and cried at the same time,. haha. We stayed at the pastors friends house for that week, 3 of us in one bed and another 3 in another room on the floor, and the 2 boys in the combie. Squished and dirty and no showering for me!! It was fun though, a beautiful land. Wish i could put up pictures, but can't yet.
So!! We are now in Swakopment, on the coast of Namibia, we are staying with some missionaries right on the ocean pretty much, and it is very nice!! We get meals that consist of meat, we all get our own bed, and hot water from the tap! It is a nice treat. :) we are enjoying ourseves. Working at a childrens hostel this week. Cleaning it up....painting...scrubbing...dusting...clearing...stuff like that. its fun.
Don't have much internet time, sorry for the fastly thrown-together thing here,
Hope it made sence.
To my Family, I really miss you alot, and it costs $15/minute for the phonme, so thats out of the question. Love you so much, talk when i get to South Africa in about a week.
God Bless!!!!
Can't wait to tell you all more, there is just so much.
:)
Wow, so i guess its been like 2 weeks or somethng since we have had internet access, and it has been an amazing 2 weeks.
Were in Ongwadiva way up in the very north of Namibia for a week and this past week has been spent in Okondjatu. They are both very remote villages with limited electricity and no running hot water. Oh ya...it was very fun having my first shower in 2 weeks last night!! Felt very nice...my legs are no longer green. no joke. haha.
so where do i start???
In Ongwadiva we tented in a church-yard - a baby church which was a tent. We had kids programms and door-to-door visits. All our stuff was in this one room and 3 boys got into our stuff on day and stole a cell phone and a camera. We talked to them and told them it was wrong and about sowing good seeds and reaping good things and about Jesus and stuff, and then they participated in our programm and gave back the stuff. They are so cute, and yet it was so sad because when we went to the police and to their house, their parents were so mad and yelling and this one woman was just beating her son infront of us, it was horrible. It is a common problem in these villages.
Ongwadiva is very hot and we stayed inside as much as we could.
I fell in love with Okandjatu. We were there from mon-fri and everyday we did devotions with people from the community and we worked in the church garden weeding and planting. I enjoyed it alot. But my favorite part were the afternoon house visits. We take a translator with us and go to houses and pray and tell them about Jesus and stuff, and it is always a rewarding time. It is not like in North America where when people come to your door you tell them you don't have time, or shut the door in their face or get all skeptical and stuff. No, here hospitality is of high value, and they will take out the chairs right away and sit down to listen to us. They are always open to prayer even if they arn't christian because they are aware of the Spiritual, and aware of a higher power. Whether it be God or not.
At this one ladys house, man, well these houses are just like a shed to us, thrown together with a mattress or something if they are luckey. Anyways, in this house she had like, 8 kids from the age of 2-10, all orphans, and she just chose to look after them cuz no one else would. And she was also sick, but what else could she do?? I gave her some money and i was just so touched by her. In this one room home with everything she owns in it - 8 kids, a dirty matress, a cat, some food, a lamp....
I loved the place. We cooked over the fire everynight, and the girls made us fresh chicken. it was very tough though....i was unfortunate enough to walk around the cornner just as they were killing it, and i pretty much puked and cried at the same time,. haha. We stayed at the pastors friends house for that week, 3 of us in one bed and another 3 in another room on the floor, and the 2 boys in the combie. Squished and dirty and no showering for me!! It was fun though, a beautiful land. Wish i could put up pictures, but can't yet.
So!! We are now in Swakopment, on the coast of Namibia, we are staying with some missionaries right on the ocean pretty much, and it is very nice!! We get meals that consist of meat, we all get our own bed, and hot water from the tap! It is a nice treat. :) we are enjoying ourseves. Working at a childrens hostel this week. Cleaning it up....painting...scrubbing...dusting...clearing...stuff like that. its fun.
Don't have much internet time, sorry for the fastly thrown-together thing here,
Hope it made sence.
To my Family, I really miss you alot, and it costs $15/minute for the phonme, so thats out of the question. Love you so much, talk when i get to South Africa in about a week.
God Bless!!!!
Can't wait to tell you all more, there is just so much.
:)
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
