Well, it's been a few days since I last updated this weblog, so I'd better bring everyone up to date! On New Year's Day the team went to Sonderwater (a township) to do the holiday Bible club. It went very well! Titus, a man in one of Charlie's theological education by extention (TEE) classes hosted the group and organized translators and other helpers, so that was great! We met out in a open soccer field, and everyone seemed to have a great time. While we were there, we got to witness some sort of "right of passage" ceremony for young men and women in the township. I wish I could tell you more about it, but honestly, I don't really know yet what was going on! I didn't get any good pictures either... sad day, but oh well! :) Saturday night the girls who were staying with me and I met up with the journeymen who are in town for a prayer retreat. We all went to visit the MK camp to see the journeymen helping out there, so it was like a journeyman reunion! It was really nice to get to see all of them again. Sunday morning was a typical morning, except that Cal Reynolds (one of the volunteers here) preached. After church we went to BIMS to pick up Rachel. Rachel went to the missionary learning center with me, and she needed a place to stay for the night, so she stayed with me! All the people from MK camp were at BIMS and some of the people from the prayer retreat were there too, so we got to see people and hang out again! We (all the girls staying with me and I) actually stayed at BIMS all day and then at night we went to Monte Casino (yeah, I've been there way too many times lately) for dinner and a movie. I had Thai food for the first time, and I must admit that it was really good! We went to see Oceans 12 at the cinema, and due to some technical difficulties, we ended up getting our money back for the movie... even though we'd already seen the whole thing. Life is good when you get things for free! :)

Today, Monday, Heathe, Megan and Emily left my flat to continue on in their vacation. It's pretty sad for me think about the fact that in all honesty, I don't know when I'll see them again. They are leaving SA around the same time as me, so I do have a better chance of seeing them than of seeing others, so that's nice. But it is still strange to think about. After they left, I went to pick up some of the volunteers and took them to Diepsloot for the HBC. I wish I could say I helped, but I really didn't! They had even more people (volunteers) join them today, so I wasn't needed for much - just transportation. :) But hey, I'm not complaining! Today was a small crowd. Dokotela (the man who's property the church is on) said that many of the people from that area go away on holiday (vacation) during this time of the year, and wow! It was so much quieter than I have EVER heard it be in Diepsloot! But the kids were great and I know they were listening and having a great time. We're going back to the same place tomorrow, so pray that the kids who came today will bring their friends with them tomorrow!

After the club today, Rachel (who had been chillin' at my house) and I went to meet a couple journeyguys for lunch. They're leaving to go back to Mozambique tomorrow, so we wanted to hang out with them while we still could. Like I said before, we're all at the point now where we don't know when/if we'll see each other again. I am one of the more likely to see people again since I live in Jo'burg and most people fly through Jo'burg when they go home. So that's nice! I then took Rachel to a hotel near the airport. I'll be honest, I was sad getting back in my car after dropping her off. It's so quiet now, and I haven't been around quietness in over a week! I've been surrounded by females in my home, and hanging out with all sorts of people outside my home! And now everyone has gone their separate ways again and it's way too quiet around here. I think I am just going to go to bed and hope to feel a bit more cheery in the morning! Oh, I also didn't get much sleep last night b/c we got back kinda late... then right before I was going to bed, I found a DEAD BIRD in the corner of my room!! I'm sure Meisie is the blame for that, and last night, for the first time in my life, I did NOT feel like a "cat person." So... I gathered up the courage to clean up a dead bird. but then I was way too grossed out to fall asleep. So I read for a while... all the while thinking, "what if there's another one here too..." It was no fun at all. I finally fell asleep somewhere between 3:3o and 4am and then got up at about 6:45 am. I think I need sleep!

goodnight friends!
Bonnie

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