Hey! I must be quick tonight because I don't know how long the internet will let me stay connected... but things are going very well. I didn't have school this week... oh, Africa. :) But Melissa and I did get our keys to our flat on Monday, and we spent all week moving in. I love it! It's such a cool place. This weekend Laura (a journeyman in Nelspruit, SA) brought her youth council to Jo'burg for a retreat, so I'll be hanging out with them. We're going to Gold Reef City tomorrow, which is a South African amusement park... I'm a little nervous, but it'll be fun I'm sure! I have next week off of school as well since the kids are on break, but then we go back at the beginning of October for the last term of the year. I can't believe I've made it this far! ok, I'd better go... don't want to push my luck. :) Love you!!
Cheers,
Bonnie

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

Here are some Monday morning prayer requests!
*Pray that though the school schedule may be crazy (the teachers being on strike), I will not waste the time, and instead use it to plan ahead and get ready for the next school term.
*Pray that if I get to go to school on Tuesday, I will have a chance to speak with Meme (“may-may”) about a one on one discipleship.
*Pray for Melissa and I to finally get the chance to move! We’ve had the lease since the first of September, but the IMB people still have the keys and our furniture, so we’re just waiting on them.

Thanks for your prayers! I’ll keep you posted on the week!

Cheers,
Bonnie

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

Hey! I'm back from Zimbabwe. I had SUCH a great time!! It was so refreshing to be with other Christians who are serious about God and His mission. It was also nice to be with other Americans my age. It was so much fun to hang out with them for a week. The camp we were at was nice and quiet, and besides the big (I mean BIG) wall spiders in our rooms, all was well. (They're not dangerous spiders... they're actually beneficial because they eat mosquitoes, but for a Joburg girl, they're a bit freaky!) I can't really put into words very well what happened at the retreat... It was a chance for me to retreat from the business of Joburg and work and all the drama of my friends lately! It was nice to not be able to check email or receive calls on my cell phone. It amazed me to hear from other missionaries and learn that they go through the same things I do! God really used this time to refresh my spirit and reset my focus on the number one priority: Him. I put some pictures from the past week online, so check them out. :)

I was all ready to come back and really pour my heart out to my students this week, but when we got back to Joburg, Melissa and I found out that the teachers went on strike while we were gone, and when they're on strike, we can't go! Welcome to South Africa!

BIG NEWS!!! I got a new car!!!! Ok, so it's not new, but it's better than my last junker car. :) I now have a Toyota Corolla. It has air conditioning and a radio. I couldn't be happier! Melissa and I should be moving into our new home soon. I'm so excited. I have so much excitement in my life right now. Hooray!

Thanks for checking in on me!
Cheers,
Bonnie
Link to pictures:
http://community.webshots.com/user/bonnieb81

Well, it's morning here in Jo'burg, and I'm about to head to Zimbabwe for the whole week! I'm going to a journeyman retreat, and I'm very excited!! I'm really looking forward to getting away for 5 days and just relaxing. Please pray that God will grant us all rest and a fresh renewing spirit! I know that most of us journeymen are pretty tired, and are in dire need of this break! I'll write when I come home. Thanks for checking in on me!
Cheers,
Bonnie

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

Howzit! Well, I said last week that this past week looked like a fairly normal one. I think I was a bit wrong, but I'm glad I was! Monday night I got a random invite to go to a cooking course with a friend of mine. Very random, but very fun! My partner and I cooked smoked trout (we smoked it ourselves), smoked trout pate, and seed bread. mmm mmm good! It was a really cool set up... lots of different groups had things to make (all seafood) and then when everyone was finished, we all ate together. What a cool thing to do! So yeah, that was Tuesday. Both Monday and Wednesday night I spent the night at the Holiday's house, and got to hang out with them, which is always cool. Thursday evening and all day Friday I spent, for the majority of the time, relaxing and enjoying the house to myself. By Saturday I was ready to get out of the house, so I randomly (random things are quite common here!) went to a friend of a friend's 21st birthday party (21 is a big thing here... but not for the same reasons as in the States!!). It was a "barn dance" and everything was decorated like a farm. Talk about crazy! Heather and I laughed more Saturday night that in quite some time! They even had these people there to teach us line dances and some partner dances. Yes, I participated. For some strange reason, people here seem to think that all Americans like country music and line dancing. Whenever someone found out I was from the States, they'd almost always say, "oh, so you're used to this, eh?" Geez... But I did have fun. It was cheesy, but since we had to be there, we made the most of it. Then Saturday night I spent the night with Heather and we went to the Anglican church Sunday morning. Sean's band was playing in the youth service and Sean was preaching, so I went to hear them. I was also hoping to experience an Anglican church, but it seems the youth service is not your typical Anglican service, so I plan on going to a regular service sometime with my friend Roger, who actually goes to the church. Anyway, I came home after that and made some chocolate chip cookies for my friend, Faithlynn, who just turned 21 this past week. And after that it was time to go to Nancefield! Sean was preaching there as well, so I got a double-dose of Sean... Lucky me! haha And after that I went to have supper with some friends. Classic week if you ask me. I'm loving life lately! One more week of teaching, then it's off to Zimbabwe where there's no email, no cell-phones, and no drama of regular life! Hooray!! Have a great week!
Cheers,
Bonnie

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