Hmm… not a whole lot is new since I last wrote. I went to church at Ridgecrest on Sunday and helped with the worship. Well, I don’t know that I personally helped anyone worship, but I did help with the singing. hehe Sunday afternoon I felt horrible! Probably as a result of not enough sleep the past couple of days. So I slept a lot and then went to the team prayer meeting that night. I took the team my extra pumpkin pie (so that I wouldn’t eat the whole thing myself!), and they said it was good! It’s one thing to have guests who say it’s good, but when fellow Americans say pumpkin pie is good, I know they’re not lying to me. Yesterday was a great day. I spent the latter half of it chillin’ with the Lechners! I haven’t done that in way too long. I absolutely love this family! You know when you meet people and you think, "I hope to be like them someday"? Well, that’s how I am with this family. Charlie and Angie are a great couple, and I can only pray to have a marriage like theirs someday! They also have 4 really cool kids and they’re always fun to hang around. I got to help Angie bake some peanut butter cookies last night too. I’m getting more domestic all the time!! So, hooray for time with the Lechners!
Have a great Tuesday!
Cheers,
Bonnie

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

I forgot to say in my last blog... I've added TWO new albums on my webshots page. One is of my kittens and the other is from tonight's Thanksgiving dinner. Check it out!!
enjoy!

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

Wow… I am exhausted! Last night (Friday night) I met up with Daniel, the journeyman staying at BIMS, and Ronnie and Kiley, who are also staying at BIMS. Two permanent BIMS people, Charlotte and Sarah, also joined us. We went to Monetcasino (no, we didn’t gamble). We had dinner and then went to see a movie (well, Charlotte and Sarah went home, but the rest of us went to the movies!). The boys saw National Treasure, and Kiley and I saw "Little Black Book." Well, I got back t BIMS at about 1:30am, then had to drive back to the West side of Joburg. For some reason I decided to go ahead and make my pumpkin pies… at 2 O’CLOCK in the morning!! I was so excited about today that I couldn’t sleep. So, I made pies. I finally tried to go to sleep around 5am, but wasn’t all to successful. Today I cooked ALL day. I made rolls from scratch, green bean casserole, stuffing, butternut squash, and mashed potatoes. Wow… I’ll be honest, I impressed myself! I’ve never done that much by myself at one time before! It’s very rewarding to look at a great meal, and say, "I made this!" I learned a lot today! A lot of what I made was a first for me. I’ve seen the stuff being made, just never done it on my own before. Well… I finally learned! My friends finally started coming at about 6:30 (I love SA, but I hate SA time). A couple of the girls (Kerryn and Heather) helped me reheat everything and make it look presentable. Well… soon after that we ate! And unless people lied, it turned out very well. I’m quite satisfied. J I am so lucky to have friends here in SA to do this for! I think most of them were thankful… most anyway, which is good enough for me. Now I know I CAN cook! Yay! But wow… I need to go to bed now. It’s been a LONG day!!
Cheers!
Bonnie

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

Happy Thanksgiving! I had an amazing Thanksgiving day. :) As I mentioned before, today I went to BIMS to go a Thanksgiving dinner, pot-luck style. Well, there were a lot of missionaries at BIMS (it's like the head quarters and people come in for all kinds of reasons)! A lot more people than I expected, one of whom is a fellow journeyman in Mozambique (that'd be Daniel). There was also a young couple in from Namibia. So the four of us had a grand time hanging out at BIMS during and after dinner. I love South Africa, and South Africans (well, most of them... hehehe) but I AM American, and sometimes it's just nice to hear people speak the way I do and about the things I know and understand. The missionary "family" is definitely one of the biggest perks of the IMB!!! I'm meeting back up with the 3 of them tomorrow to go out on the town - yippee! Oh, one more good thing... I made a brocolli/rice casserole to take to the dinner, and it turned out ok! I must say, I'm shocked AND proud! hehe The recipe called for "condensed cram of chicken soup" but somehow accidently got just cream of chicken soup... oops. Well, there's nothing worse than a runny casserole, so I quickly whipped out my "Cooking in Africa" cookbook and looked up a condensed soup recipe. Turns out all I had to do was add some flour. Oh yeah... go me. :) And people ate it so I know its not just me who liked it! Ok, it's way past my bedtime. Happy Thanksgiving!!
Bonnie B.
Link to pictures:
http://community.webshots.com/user/bonnieb81

Howzit my friends? Well, it’s been another quiet Monday night for me. I’m getting used to those! The cats keep things pretty lively around here. Right now they do a lot of fighting… Well, actually it’s more like staring and hissing. Last Wednesday I inherited a cat, Meisie ("Macy") from Laura, a journeyman who just went home today. They kittens seem to be ok with her, but she definitely does NOT like the kittens (Wallace and Oreo). It’s pretty entertaining to watch them though… they’re slowly adjusting to one another. So yeah, I have THREE cats now. According to Melissa’s theory, this means I will never get married (women with more than one cat don’t get married…). I’m sure hoping her theory is wrong! Anyway, I also made some amazingly delicious (yeah, I’m braggin’) chocolate chip cookies for tomorrow night. My friends and I are getting together for dinner and the 3 hour finale of Survivor : Allstars (yeah, we’re behind). So that should be fun! Tomorrow’s also my last day of teaching this year!! What a crazy thought…after tomorrow I will have officially survived a whole year of teaching in South Africa. Hooray! Alrighty, I have some chatting to do and some emails to write…. My how I have missed the internet!! :)
Cheers!
Bonnie B.

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

What a wonderful feeling... to be updating my web-log from the splendid comforts of my own home! God is so good. Just when I thought I was going crazy (and broke) having to check my email and update you all from internet cafes (and sometimes at missionary houses), I finally have the ability to be on the internet at home! My lap-top is still in the shop, and is gonna be ridiculously expensive to fix, so I'm not getting it fixed. So much for that old friend! Someone has so graciously lent me the lap-top I am currently using for the next 5 months. I'll figure out what to do later further on down the line. Right now I am just thrilled to have something, ANYTHING to use!! I also just got a phone line on Monday... I love it when all the pieces come together oh so nicely. :)Well, not much has changed to update you all about. Schools are still the same. This coming week might be my last week for this year... I'll have to talk to the principle when I go on Monday. Last week it was all but insane at school. The students had finished writing (taking) their exams on Monday, so when I went on Tuesday, they all thought they were on holiday (vacation)! It was crazy. I don't know how I didn't lose all patience and go crazy! Like I said, God is good. :) This coming Monday and Tuesday WILL be the last days of girls club for this year. What a great ministry that has been. I've loved getting to know my girls, and they seem to have really enjoyed it as well. We'll be having a party for the grade 7 girls since they're going to high school next year! They're growing up! Please pray that they'll be able to go into that high school with a strong faith that NO ONE can destroy!!Socially, life has been slow, but nice. :) Last night I met some friends for dinner and a movie (take away and a dvd... fun times). Today I spent A LOT of time online, catching up on lost time, and chatting with friends I've lost touch with. I rented a movie tonight and had dinner in during a decent sized storm. Nice... stormy weather, and a movie in my pjs... doesn't get much better. :) Tomorrow after church I'm going to my friend Jason's flat for a braai. Ah... South Africa... you gotta love it.Well, Thanksgiving is coming up. How crazy is that? Last year at this time I was at the MLC (missionary learning center) busily planning the Thanksgiving worship service. Man, I miss that... there was just something really cool about having a full out worship service on Thanksgiving. Sure beats over eating and watching football (although I DID watch some football last year... it's gonna be weird not watching it this year!). But in case you're wondering if I'm doing anything, of course I am. I AM still American you know. ;) On the actual day I am going to BIMS to celebrate with fellow missionaries. Then the following Saturday (a week from today) Melissa and I are cooking a Thanksgiving meal for our South African friends. We even have some essential American ingredients from the States. :) Hooray for Thanksgiving! Please be in prayer for me this week, and as the Christmas season approaches. It's so weird not being home for it all (it's also weird talking about Christmas when it's HOT). But I know God has put me here now, and I want to live life to the fullest while I am here!! Being sad about not being with familiar things is not my definition of life to the fullest. I plan to enjoy every minute of South Africa while I can! (Watch... a year from now I'll be saying "pray for me... I miss South Africa" hehe)Alrighty, thanks for checking in on me my friends! God bless! And Happy Thanksgiving!!

Cheers,
Bonnie B.

Link to pictures:

http://community.webshots.com/user/bonnieb81

Happy Sunday. Wow, I don't know where to begin. Friday afternoon I was with Heather, and through a few random happenings, we ended up saying "let's go to Durban!" After laughing for a few seconds, we both realized we really DID want to go to Durban, and well, neither of us had any weekend plans... I just recently got vacation time (Nov.4th) and have been dying to get out of Jo'burg. So... we got out of Jo'burg. A couple hours later we were on our way to Durban, South Africa. Wow, it's amazing. It's gorgeous, peaceful, and an amazing piece of artwork on our Father's behalf. He did pretty good when he designed Durban!! On Friday Heather and I drove down and stayed with a friend of hers in Petermaritzburg that she had been on Team with (a year long mission thing). We stayed in her 21st story flat and hung out with some of her friends that night. Saturday we drove down to Durban. Though we got lost once, we finally ended up going to the mall to meet some friends. I ate lunch at Pizza Hut!! hehe I hadn't been to one of those since the US! We had lunch with Heather's friend Thyra, the PR lady for MIC, a Christian music group in South Africa (they're apparently pretty big). Then Heath and I went to the beach. We walked out onto the beach (hooray the beach!) and had ice cream on the pier. Then after a little while we went back to the pavilion (the big mall) and saw the movie Jersey Girl. After that we had dinner and then went BACK to the beach to have coffee on the pier! That was my favorite part. It was so peaceful. The wind and waves were massive, but it still seemed quiet (how, I'm not so sure, but I don't really care). Heather and I had some deep conversations over coffee as we stood on the pier. Memories... that's all I can say. It started to rain, so then Heather and I went back to Thyra's house to spend the night. After staying up late to chat with people, we went to sleep. We went to church at Kloof Harvest this morning. MIC was playing there, so I got to meet the band. They're pretty cool... just normal people who happen to be in a cool Christian band. :) Soon after that Heather and I headed back to Jo'burg (sigh). We stopped to have coffee with Goose, a friend of Heather's. We just got back a couple hours ago, and I'll be honest... i want to go back to Durbs. It was so nice, but I wasn't there long enough!! I am thankful that I got to go at all though. It was such a great chance to get away! Praise the Lord for good friends and memories!
Cheers,
Bonnie

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

My attempt to try new things just keeps on going! Tonight I went to a Tae Chi class. Wow, I really stink at Tae Chi! :) But am I going to the next class on Saturday? *sigh* Yeah... I can't give up that easily! I met a couple who have been going to the class for about 3 months, and honestly, I think I can do almost as much as them. (ok, so what if they were almost 60 years old?) A few more classes and I'll get better! I'm really enjoying this new-found freedom to experiment with new things. I don't really have much interesting news to share with you guys. I've been a little bored the past few days. And to be honest, I've been really lonely. It's all part of "being a missionary" so I expect it and deal with it, but that doesn't make loneliness any cooler. I'm really thankful for my kittens right about now... Yesterday if it hadn't been for them, I wouldn't have spoken to anybody at all. Yeah... I know... It's sad. I have a few friends here, but I'm nowhere near comfortable with any of them to be able to call 'em up and say "hey, I'm lonely, let's do something." I wish I was, but I'm not. Guess no one else does that around here, so I'd be the weird one if I did it!! :) The missionaries are cool but they have their families to deal with. Ugh. Anyway, no more complaining Bonnie!! I still don't have a phone line, by the way, and my computer is still dead. I have a bad feeling it's going to stay that way. I miss my lap-top, I really do. Alright... it's time to say goodnight from Jo'burg. Goodnight my friends! I miss you guys more than you know...
Cheers,
Bonnie

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

Hello world! Where do I begin? Well, about a week ago a tragedy occurred on the Western Gauteng. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I am sad to say, my computer has died. Bit the dust, kicked the bucket, whatever else you want to say... it did it. Yeah, I'm pretty devastated. That thing holds my life! A friend of mine is looking at it right now, and I'm praying he has some magic touch or something. If not, then I'd better find some spare money somewhere (yeah, THAT'S no problem...) to either get it fixed or buy a new computer. Eish! Easier said than done! But oh well, it's just a computer... a physical piece of matter that was given to me for a time. I refuse to let electronics get me down! I DO pray it gets fixed though!! :) So what's been happening since I last wrote? Not too much... I'm finished in two of my schools, so once I finish on Tuesdays, I have the rest of the week off. Crazy... I'm enjoying time to myself, and time alone in my flat! I've hung out with friends whenever possible, and I'm being more diligent about going to the gym! I've been to see some movies (Luther, the Bourne Supremacy and The Village), had some friends over for a braai, and went to my first Anglican church service. No, I'm not becoming Anglican so don't go calling the IMB on me. I was just visiting. Let's just say, "it ain't Baptist!" (And that's probably a good thing... hehe) I also did something new last night! I went to a Power Boxing class at the gym. If you know me at ALL, you should know that I do not handle new things very well. I'm very much a comfort zone gal. Well, things are a-changin'! I worked up enough nerve to go to the class, and told myself that I didn't care if I looked like a fool! Well, God blessed me! I went in a few minutes early, and there was a lady there (LizAnne) who also had never been to a class before, and she was also like me in the fact that well... she needed to be there as much as I did (get my drift?). I dare say I did a rather nice job in the class. Having done Tae Bo really helped, since that's mostly what the class was. Only thing is, the Tae Bo tape I have is 30 minutes long and the class was 60!! Wow, I think I sweat more in 60 minutes than I have the rest of my life. You know what was cool though? I ENJOYED myself!! It's amazing what the power of a group can do. We would do some things that when I did the advanced Taw Bo tape, I would take a water break during because they were "too hard" for me to do. But being surrounded by lots of people who weren't giving up, and some who were obviously struggling with me, made me keep going! I was surprised to find myself almost laughing at times because I literally was having that much fun. No, I can't believe it myself. Bonnie Boisvert enjoyed exercise! Hooray!!!!! Now, there were a few times there that I thought I was about to die. I mean, I wanted to kick the instructor in the head every time he'd say "just one more set!" Eish! Crazy man, he is. But I'll be going to the next class, that's for sure. I left there feeling amazing. I can't wait to do it again. I can't believe what I'm saying, but I'm so glad and grateful that I'm saying it! LizAnne promised to go to the next class with me, so that'll be cool. I'll have a work-out buddy. Some guy talked to us afterwards about a kick-boxing class somewhere else... but I think it was a plug to get us to pay more money. I'd love to do it. The guy said if you could do the moves from the class, you could do kick-boxing. I think it'd be more than cool, but I can't be spending MORE money! Oh well, I'll enjoy power-boxing while I can. :)
Well, my kids at Lilydale have been writing exams today, so I have free time, and the office said I could use their internet. I didn't even know that HAD internet until a couple weeks ago. What a blessing! I think that's all I have to say for now. If anyone wants to buy me a lap-top, do let me know. ;) I can dream, right? Thanks for checking in on me. :)
Cheers,
Bonnie
Link to pictures:
http://community.webshots.com/user/bonnieb81