Hello there from Joburg!! I feel awful for not updating this weblog more often. I have made it my goal now to update it at least once a week! So keep me accountable… if I don’t update it, let me know! Well… what to say!?

I arrived here last Wednesday, 14 January 2004. So I’ve been here a little over a week. God has been so good to me, as I don’t feel homesick or have any culture shock (yet!). I absolutely love it here. Things are not so rushed (except on the road!!) and I’m learning to take one day at a time. I have learned how to drive on the left hand side of the road, and I have my own car! It is a VW Jetta… but sad day, it has no radio! What is a musically driven person like myself to do with no radio? I guess I’ll have to sing more!

Melissa (the other Journeygirl here, and the sister I never had!) and I got to go teach this past Tuesday. At this particular school, Lilydale, we have students ranging from grade 5 to grade 7. Some of these grade 5s look like they belong in kindergarten!! They’re so tiny and quiet (though Mel assures me that will change soon!). We teach life skills there once a week. Life skills is basically teaching them Christian morals from the Bible. This year our theme is “Be an Example.” We are basing it off of 1 Timothy 4:12, “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.” Please pray that God will speak to the hearts of these children and that they will learn to be Godly examples to everyone around them!!We are working on getting into other schools, so please pray that God will open the doors to schools HE wants us in!

I’m having a blast here… learning all the places to shop and what to do for fun. I’m searching for a church to call home, so pray that I will soon find a church where God wants me to grow but also to serve. I love Melissa’s church, and very well could end up there, but I have to check out other churches before I make that choice.

So many of you are emailing me – THANK YOU! It makes my night to check my email and see people from home thinking about me. I need you and your prayers more than anything. Keep in touch!!

Link to pictures:
http://community.webshots.com/user/bonnieb81