And life goes on...

We don't have too much to report from our little home lately.

This week has finally given us something exciting to share! We went to Johannesburg for 3 days for the Shepherds Conference. It was awesome!! Jerry Wragg and Ken Ramey were speakers, they both went to The Master's Seminary in LA where Lyle is planning to study. It was so encouraging for me to see Lyle's excitement as he heard these men talk. I was able to catch up with my friend Michelle who was an RA for me about 12 years ago when I was at college! It was a sweet time of fellowship with old friends and new and we are so thankful that we had the opportunity to go. As far as Jo'burg goes, I do not understand how anyone lives there! it's SO cold. Like, SO cold. I'm sure it was all of 14 degrees...then the sun went behind the clouds!!

Monday week (the 9th) we're going to be flying to LA to head to Palm Springs for the Resolved conference. We're going to hear Piper, MacArthur, CJ Mahaney, Rick Holland, Steve Lawson and Randy Alcorn (I think that's all). Lyle was telling the foundation kids this evening (the teenagers) that we are going and said "We'll be hearing some of the best preachers in the world, I mean it, the BEST preachers in the world". Needless to say we are very excited.

After June we'll have the short term missions team come over from the USA (Grace Community) and we will go on retreat with them. Then in August we have church camp...
I love retreats and camps. It's so great to get out of the typical routine of our weeks, enjoy round the clock fellowship, hear awesome teaching and be generally encouraged by the renewed sense of God's powerful work in His world. I'm seeing already the blessings of being in ministry. These retreats and camps are a particular highlight of that. :)

Birthday Weekend

Last weekend we went away for four days for our birthdays! It was my 30th on the 3rd and Lyle will be 26 on the 12th. We went to Ithala (pronounced ee-taa-lah), a game reserve that is about 5 hours north and inland a little. It was truly awesome to see God’s amazing creation.

Now, game reserves are great…

BUTT…

All the animals seem to want to run away from you! However, we did end up getting some great photos as the days went on. Action shots of animals are difficult when they’re eating and cleaning themselves, but I did my best and these are some “action shots”

an Impala cleaning itself

I was loving the borrowed lens from a mate of Lyle’s too. It was amazing to see some animals just wandering up the road towards you, almost knowing their job was to pose for the tourists!

A little rock dassie
(pronounced dussie - it's an Afrikaans thing)

Kudu
(they make 'biltong'/jerky out of these guys!)

Warthog!! this is the real life Pumba!
Ugly as anything, but still weirdly cute.
When they run their tails stick straight up in the air!






FINALLY on the last day we saw some Rhino,
I was VERY excited!

Cricket...

This one's for you Tash!

The Friday before last (April, 25 - ANZAC day), we took the Foundations group (teenagers from HBC) to the final of the national league. It was between Durban (Dolphins- who were green) and a team north of Pretoria (Titans - who were blue). Unfortuately we lost but the we had sooooo much fun! Frankly I think its because the Dolphins have a silly name for a cricket team...and they're green. Which just doesn't even make sense!

Mitch, Tim, Dane's hand, Sarah, Dane, my eye.

Lyle and I got a little silly...

An action shot, I think Shane took this one...nice
Me with Dane...I thought he'd at least pull a silly face with me,
then again, maybe he knew his mother would see this...

My dear friend Boitumelo came to visit Lyle and I for a week as well, so she was able to join us. She had never seen cricket played, even on TV, so we did our best to explain without confusing her thoroughly!! I was refreshed to have her company while she stayed. B2 - THANKS for the visit! xoxo

B2 in our garden - B2 is easier to say than Boitumelo :)