Hope you are well!
It’s a cold stormy rainy day in Cape Town, and this morning I realised
that my wardrobe is not equipped for winter…trying to decide what to wear
earlier made me wonder what on earth I wore last winter!! Need to do some clothes shopping…wish I could
pop to Hunstanton in Norfolk with its 100 second-hand shops right now!!
What is amusing is how South Africa seems to be on the exact end of the see-saw to the UK in terms of weather. When they are having extreme cold weather, we have extreme hot, and this past week as I’ve seen contented comments from the Brits about the sun coming out, it is well and truly on its way into hibernation here! I guess I shouldn’t be surprised at God’s amazing design…
So as I was saying, it’s one of those days today where you wish you were tucked up in bed with a good movie…not sitting at the back of a noisy classroom earwigging on the conversations of the various teenagers that are in the room. I am grateful that there are many refugee/foreign national learners in this school that force the other learners to socialise in English…sadly this isn’t the case with the teachers who all but one speak Xhosa, (the language with the clicks). Despite missing out on much of the staffroom gossip (for the language reasons…oh and for the fact that we don’t have a staffroom), I am loving teaching here. Every day I get a better grasp of the names of all the 170 young people that I teach…. There’s Ketumetsi, Thandolwenkosi, Axolile (A-click-col-ee-lay), Qaqamba (click –a-click –amba), Cikizwa (tut –ikizwa), Prince, Princess, Courage, Knowledge, Immaculate and Goodwill, and then there’s Khanye, Khanyisa, Khanyisile, Lukhanyo (all in one class) – by the way Khanya means light…so a very bright class that is :) …..Oh and did I forget to mention Adam Adam??? Anyway as I said I’m getting there, and as their different personalities and characteristics start to emerge, I enjoy the job all the more! …for the most part ;) I am still looking praying about where I can fit in on a ministry level at school, and for the time being do what I feel I am more gifted at and that is coming alongside individuals on a one-on-one basis and assisting with school work, encouraging them and also future planning, looking for colleges, bursaries and jobs for them, as well as being there for some of them to talk to about personal issues, and praying for them. As with any high school there is so much going on in the lives of some of these learners, heart breaking stuff, and too much for one school counsellor to deal with alone.
This morning I met with an immigration lawyer who is going to work on a work permit application for me. If this is successful I will be SO happy, what with being mostly visa-less over the past 4 years (not entirely my own fault…Home Affairs did deny one application and lose the other)….but keep that to yourselves! Please pray that this goes smoothly, a work permit will launch me back into the world of the salaried…for the first time in 10 years. I am very much looking forward to getting this sorted out!
So, home life…. Lindo is now 13 and growing up so much! She is a fully fledged teenager, who looks more like a 16 year old than a 13 year old at times. She seems to be fitting in well to her new High School, an all-girls school. She is so adorable, sassy, yet amazingly scatty and forgetful (anyone would think we were biologically related!!). This does however have implications at school and so I’ve already been pulling out my hair when I get bad reports from teachers. The naughtiest thing she does is…. Wait for it….. sneaks out her novels in lessons and reads when the teachers are not looking!! Can you imagine punishing a child for reading too much!! I guess I can’t complain!
A big change for us was when my friend Sara Cheese from Birmingham moved out here for a year at the end of January. We almost immediately started looking for a bigger place, and found somewhere much closer to our church, where Sara is volunteering in their clinic. Its central, in the hub of a trendy lively community and we love it! As with everywhere else the rent these days is high, so we’re renting out one of the rooms to help. Our first lodger was not really suitable so we’re praying for God to bring a nice Christian role-model for Lindo type person so would also appreciate your prayers for that.
I am still a little involved with the refugee project (Adonis Musati Project), although mainly from a distance now. We have learnt so much over the years with this venture, and have constantly been striving to be an NPO which really does address the needs of those we’re reaching. It’s great to see some of the Zimbabwean teenage guys who were living on the streets back in 2009 actually completing school and moving on to bigger and better things. As I have experienced with my girls it’s not an easy task balancing doing something for someone to lift them up, and doing it all for them so that they don’t learn to be independent…. These young guys have all had their blips over the past few years but it seems AMP has really provided them with a good foundation with which to rebuild their lives and it’s exciting to follow their progress.
Well
that is enough for now..... please keep us in your prayers and if you
want a more personal update please feel free to email or skype or
facebook me!!
What is amusing is how South Africa seems to be on the exact end of the see-saw to the UK in terms of weather. When they are having extreme cold weather, we have extreme hot, and this past week as I’ve seen contented comments from the Brits about the sun coming out, it is well and truly on its way into hibernation here! I guess I shouldn’t be surprised at God’s amazing design…
So as I was saying, it’s one of those days today where you wish you were tucked up in bed with a good movie…not sitting at the back of a noisy classroom earwigging on the conversations of the various teenagers that are in the room. I am grateful that there are many refugee/foreign national learners in this school that force the other learners to socialise in English…sadly this isn’t the case with the teachers who all but one speak Xhosa, (the language with the clicks). Despite missing out on much of the staffroom gossip (for the language reasons…oh and for the fact that we don’t have a staffroom), I am loving teaching here. Every day I get a better grasp of the names of all the 170 young people that I teach…. There’s Ketumetsi, Thandolwenkosi, Axolile (A-click-col-ee-lay), Qaqamba (click –a-click –amba), Cikizwa (tut –ikizwa), Prince, Princess, Courage, Knowledge, Immaculate and Goodwill, and then there’s Khanye, Khanyisa, Khanyisile, Lukhanyo (all in one class) – by the way Khanya means light…so a very bright class that is :) …..Oh and did I forget to mention Adam Adam??? Anyway as I said I’m getting there, and as their different personalities and characteristics start to emerge, I enjoy the job all the more! …for the most part ;) I am still looking praying about where I can fit in on a ministry level at school, and for the time being do what I feel I am more gifted at and that is coming alongside individuals on a one-on-one basis and assisting with school work, encouraging them and also future planning, looking for colleges, bursaries and jobs for them, as well as being there for some of them to talk to about personal issues, and praying for them. As with any high school there is so much going on in the lives of some of these learners, heart breaking stuff, and too much for one school counsellor to deal with alone.
This morning I met with an immigration lawyer who is going to work on a work permit application for me. If this is successful I will be SO happy, what with being mostly visa-less over the past 4 years (not entirely my own fault…Home Affairs did deny one application and lose the other)….but keep that to yourselves! Please pray that this goes smoothly, a work permit will launch me back into the world of the salaried…for the first time in 10 years. I am very much looking forward to getting this sorted out!
So, home life…. Lindo is now 13 and growing up so much! She is a fully fledged teenager, who looks more like a 16 year old than a 13 year old at times. She seems to be fitting in well to her new High School, an all-girls school. She is so adorable, sassy, yet amazingly scatty and forgetful (anyone would think we were biologically related!!). This does however have implications at school and so I’ve already been pulling out my hair when I get bad reports from teachers. The naughtiest thing she does is…. Wait for it….. sneaks out her novels in lessons and reads when the teachers are not looking!! Can you imagine punishing a child for reading too much!! I guess I can’t complain!
A big change for us was when my friend Sara Cheese from Birmingham moved out here for a year at the end of January. We almost immediately started looking for a bigger place, and found somewhere much closer to our church, where Sara is volunteering in their clinic. Its central, in the hub of a trendy lively community and we love it! As with everywhere else the rent these days is high, so we’re renting out one of the rooms to help. Our first lodger was not really suitable so we’re praying for God to bring a nice Christian role-model for Lindo type person so would also appreciate your prayers for that.
 |
| Sara after Lindo had administered a chocolate smelling face mask ;) |
I am still a little involved with the refugee project (Adonis Musati Project), although mainly from a distance now. We have learnt so much over the years with this venture, and have constantly been striving to be an NPO which really does address the needs of those we’re reaching. It’s great to see some of the Zimbabwean teenage guys who were living on the streets back in 2009 actually completing school and moving on to bigger and better things. As I have experienced with my girls it’s not an easy task balancing doing something for someone to lift them up, and doing it all for them so that they don’t learn to be independent…. These young guys have all had their blips over the past few years but it seems AMP has really provided them with a good foundation with which to rebuild their lives and it’s exciting to follow their progress.
