Today was a wonderful day for many reasons... I am off of work today for school holidays. I got to cook dinner for my Mom and Dad and I did a farely good job. My brother and his wife and baby came over and I got to play with the beautiful Lauryn. But most of all... I got to talk to my friend Casey on the phone this morning!!! She's 
probably the best South African friend I had when I was there. I guess it's hard to narrow it to one person because I had various "groups" of friends at different times during my term, but all in all, Casey knew/knows me the best and understands me the most. You see, Casey was a missionary for over 2 years before I met her. She served on the Doulos, a missions ship that goes all over the world. I met her only a couple months after she'd come home, so I was there to see some of what she went through in coming back "home" to a place she'd been away from for 2 years. She knows what I'm feeling now, and can somewhat prepare me for what is probably still to come. She has been and is a God-send to my life. I only wish I could be the same for her!! It was awesome to talk to her today and hear her sweet voice. She and I decided to plan a 1 person mission trip for me over my school holidays in the summer. I'm definitely keen! I'd give anything to be back there now. Being home has been and is great, but my heart longs to be back in South Africa. If only my whole family would move with me so I wouldn't have to miss them! :) Oh well, I can't have the best of all worlds I guess. Right now I will enjoy where God has placed me for this time. He has a reason for me to be here now. I am loving being there for my family again and being able to be Aunt Bonnie (and not just the far away Aunt Bonnie). And speaking of being Aunt Bonnie, my sister in law is bringing baby Lauryn here bright and early at 6:15 tomorrow morning! I'd better get my beauty sleep!
Goodnight!
Bonnie B.
Link to pictures:
http://community.webshots.com/user/bonnieb81
Wow, I really should have updated before now! I'm as bad now as I was when I first got to South Africa. I guess it takes me a while to get adjusted and into a routine... eventually blogging becomes part of that routine, but it takes me a while to get back into it!
I hope everyone out there had a great Christmas. I know it was nice to be home this year with my family. We actually celebrated together on Christmas Eve so that my brothers could go to their inlaws houses. It's sad that family events always center around the married kids and their plans. Us single ones have the joy of going along with what everyone else decides is best. That's ok. One of these days I'll be married too and they'll finally ask me(us) what I(we) want to do!! mwahaha :) Of course, I'll probably be the one to throw a monkey wrench into everything and be in another country or something... but oh well, they managed without me last year. ;) I actually missed the Saner family this year on Christmas. They kinda took me in last Christmas and let me celebrate with them. Their Gran even bought me a present and I hadn't even met her before. That was fun. :) But really, being with my family this year was absolutely wonderful, and though I joke, we had a great time. The nephews and nieces all had fun opening and playing with lots of presents and they all looked adorable. I'll try to post a few pictures a little later but right now I'm not using my computer... so that'll come later!
My job continues to go very well. Last week I got a new student, so now I have 17 students and 9 of them are Spanish speakers!! A couple of the Spanish speaking parents have agreed to help me learn more conversational Spanish, so when they come in in the mornings they only speak Spanish to me even though they can speak English! They're so sweet. I've even written a couple class notes and sent them home in both English AND Spanish. I'm so surprised at how quickly it's coming back to me.
I'm finding myself really missing South Africa (and South Africans) a lot lately. I think about 2 months into being in SA I really missed people from here, so I guess the timing is about right, but that doesn't make it much easier. When I left SA, my friend Casey gave me a bracelet... she left SA to be a missionary and returned to Joburg about halfway through my term, which is about when I met her. Anyway... she said that her Mom had given her this bracelet to wear and remember South Africa. And then she gave it to me to remember South Africa by!! I've been wearing it a lot lately!!! At my farewell party in SA, a video of lots of my friends recording messages to me was made, and I've watched it a late lately too. It's hard to miss people! But like I said when I was missing my American friends, "at least I know I have friends who are worth missing."
Well, I am quite sleepy now and am looking forward to dreamland! I have off of work all this week - and I'm being paid for it! That's a first for me, and I'm loving it. :) goodnight!!
Cheers,
Bonnie B.
Link to pictures:
http://community.webshots.com/user/bonnieb81
Here are a few picures from the kids Christmas program at church tonight. Brian (the guy on the left in the first picture) had a solo and he was great! Now, I know I'm biased, but for real... he was the only one who was on pitch the entire time he sang his solo. He's such a Boisvert. ;) Santa always comes to see the kids after the program. It was funny because I remembed singing and then going and seeing Santa when I was little... same fellowship hall and all. Ah - the memories. :) Brian and Zachary were cool with Santa, but their little sister Eliza Jane was not so thrilled!! Poor thing. The next pictures are ones where we were playing with the camera. Fun times. The first one is Mom and I, the second, Dad and I, the third, JR (my nephews cousin, but like a nephew too) and the last one is Jennifer in the front (JR's sister), Kelly (their Mom), and Jacob (the other brother). Fun times all around.
On a different note, I started a new "job" at church today! I am at the welcome table before and after the 2nd service. Hooray - I have a place! I also get to work the table with Susan Baker (aka my "Summit Mom"). She's the coolest. :) It's good to be getting plugged back in. I still really miss Northcliff Union Church though. Oh well... the Summit's awesome, so I canNOT complain.
Well, it's time for me to go to bed so I can face the kiddo's tomorrow! G'night!
Bonnie B.
Link to pictures:
http://community.webshots.com/user/bonnieb81
I don't have a lot of time right now since I need to be leaving for school soon, but I just wanted to update real quick and let you know how my new job is going. I absoluely love it! I have 16 kids on roll (there hasn't been a day yet when they're all there though) and 8 of them are Spanish speakers! A couple of them are fluently bilingual, some are ok, and a couple of them don't speak or understand much English at all! It's a challenge, but a challenge that I was looking for when I applied for jobs. It's surprising me how much of my Spanish is coming back to me. The kids love it when I start speaking Spanish. Yesterday during center time, I read some of my Spanish books with a couple kids in the reading center. One of the little guys who knows very little English cuddled up right beside me and was captivated by the book. It's sad that that may have been the first time he actually understood a story, but it also reminds me that I am right where I am supposed to be. I also have some great co-workers, which really helps me get back into teacher-mode. I knew I was back into being a preschool teacher when I got really excited about the fact that a madnet wand will attract jingle bells even through plastic and splenda (I put splenda "snow" in clear bottle with some jingle bells to see if the magnet could still get them and it did!) I ... I mean ... the KIDS loved it! haha :) Ok, time to go to school. Oh, on another no so nice note, my car died on Tuesday on my way to work. I was late on my 2nd day on the job! I was thinking of buying a new car... guess I'd better start doing more than thinking! Thank goodness I have a brother who's willing to let me drive his extra car. :)
Cheers,
Bonnie
Link to pictures:
http://community.webshots.com/user/bonnieb81
