just some stuff

 This is a shot of JP at the dodgey 'Mickey Mouse" shaped pool in Chiang Mai... we really don't care - the water is wonderful! This is a timeout space for us and we are enjoying the breather.

 Breakfast...this is likely to top the Dodgey list! Somehow these hostels insist on 'western fare' when they have little or no clue... why they don't serve rice porridge or noodles is anyones guess... alas, we brave breakfast each day!

A view of Bangkok housing on the Klong, let's face it, we live differently!

Chiang Mai chill

This was what our move looked like as we deicided one of the hostels was not a good place to stay.
You live - you learn!
What a refreshing breath of cool air! this weather.... so far.... early in the day yet- but it truly suits me better.
It's saying quite a lot when one finds that the most comfortable bed one has slept on in 5 days just happens to be the bunk in the over night train.....
You live - you learn some more!

Hot here in Bangkok!

Another sweltering day here in sunny hot Bangkok. Yesterday spent the afternoon with Deon and Corne', enjoyed a great South African Braai with them and other Friends, if it weren't for the mutant mozzies trying to carry me out of their house, I would have felt right at home! Today spent the day traversing and negotiating Bangkok traffic madness, went to the 'feather butt bird' market.... got slightly lost there (too) and eventually made it home to a welcoming cool shower and aircon room. You just gotta love technology! Andre' and Tiaan were true stars as they played non-stop while in the car.

 

When the river rises, who needs a kitchen sink?

So, the river did not rise enough here and hence the need for the use of a kitchen sink!

Pictures to follow shortly

Long flight.... managed to sleep some - we each had a row of three seats in the final leg, so caught some zzzzzz's.... Staying at rather a .... an....... interesting place! off to inflate mattresses... beds are really hard, uhm... never mind!

 Llew was misbehaving-again-
 Now just battling to get pictures in that are not turned over on their sides....

time are running few!!

A few hours before we need to get all these stubborn elephants onto the plane... meanwhile am looking for the matchbox!!! argh

interesting times

Well the countdown has started, though not sure when exactly it started as we seem to be running out of time... This whole thing of trying to not just fit an elephnt into a matchbox, but FIVE elephants. Somehow whenever we are due to go away for any length of time, we always need to get some major job/s completed before going off! Argh!

One week to go... so many people to meet with. So many meals to share, even more items on our 'TO DO' list. Cars need licensing- bills need paying- friends to visit-deals to strike - board meetings handled and minuted -Granny's pension to be reviewed, which entails taking 85 years worth of body to the police station to show them she lives!Library books for Granny (cuz thats wht she does!) And a few more things....

What is good is that we managed to get few days away at Dikhololo and then shot up to friend's farm just past Thabazimbi, then Saturday the 5th celebrated a 70th with friends, and now we just have six scheduled appointments with seven days to go and still one big elephant needscoercingintothematchboxandtheregoesmyspacebaragain.....

what's for dinner?

May God bless all the Slow Cookers of this world! 

We seem to have better meals when I don't have the time to cook.

That is probably revealing FAR too much!

Aug Sep data

In house:

• Well what an eventful time it has been! Things went a little pear shaped in a few different fields. The best would be to put them in point form 
• After booking to go to Bulgaria, discovered Rita’s passport had expired. And due to a mass action strike-her ‘fast tracked’ passport application was fulfilled in seven weeks! Thereby leaving no time to get visas... so- cancelled trip!
• Combi was stolen while teaching a Passage to Purpose class in Pretoria 
• Jordan had an accident with a truck while on his motorbike – writing it off - broken elbow, cannot work as he is a handyman without the use of his strong hand! 
• Jordan and his friends were returning from church and were hijacked outside the gate. He was pistol whipped and received four stitches on his head. 

All things happen for the good to those who please Him

•  We had time to help with Jordan’s company’s bookkeeping and jobs. Things are good. 
• Have New Old Combi! God is so good. With insurance payout, and various gifts to add to the needed mount, we have a replacement Combi- one year older but in much better condition. It would have cost at least R20 000 to repair our old Combi...and thanks to the Special Needs we put out, we personally only had to come up with R5000.00 to get the new one-Insurance paid out R48000, the new one cost R68000. God is good
• Jordan has had a lot of time, spending it with God, trying to find out exactly what it is God wants for his life- YWAM seems to be one of the sure options and there re a few more thoughts on the horizon. God is really good. 
• We now have lights up/down our driveway – the motion detector sort.. JP and Jordan are good too! 

  

In Ministry: 

• Sunday 3rd October sees another phase of the Passage to Purpose teachings. Implementation Point offered for all who have completed Mapping Point. 
• There is another Output Fellowship starting in the Pretoria area to accommodate the new group of students. We are so grateful for the people that have pulled in along side us and have bravely taken on the administration and communication side of the courses. 
• The Saturday evening fellowship is running well, albeit sometimes thin... which is not a bad thing as it gives room for wonderful discussions and questions and personal ministry time.

 

In Prayer:

• We thank God that we are able to be His servants in this journey. (even though there have been so many “potholes”) 
• We praise Him for continued health.  
• Please pray with us that we might fine tune our ears to His voice and be prepared to heed it.  
• We pray too that as we seek to serve God in all we do, we might continue to touch the lives of many, that others might turn their hearts towards God’s Kingdom purpose.

 In Parting:
Know that in all things, God is in control. When things seem to be going badly, or simply in our opinion askew, know deep down that God knows all and has a plan. Learn to trust Him in ALL things.

This that and a few more weeks

Rather an interesting place to be --- suddenly having a few more weeks 'added' to my time.Sometimes we wonder why things happen, or not , depending on the situation, and other times, we just go with the flow. This is certainly one of those 'go with the flow' times.
Time to do things at home.
Time to get year end bookkeeping completed.
Time to breathe before the next encounter.
Time to invest in family.
Time... just time.

......breathe in....breathe out..... breathe in.... breathe out.... and

Smell the coffee.

no passport = not going anywhere

Interesting turn of events... while filling out visa applications, I discovered that my  passport was about to expire. When making application for a new one, some inconvenient strike started up the same day ith goverment workers. What was supposed to be a 'fast tracked' passport application, wasn't. Our days are getting very few with regarding getting visa applications in in time to still be able to travel... it looks as though we wil have to cancel flights... ho hum

Awesome Africa

sometimes I just have to accept there are some things bigger than me

colour me!

early morning on the Sabie River

Sabie River just outside of Hazy View

A treat awaits

loved this time

sweet

Two Wrongs

This has to be living proof that 'Two Wrongs DON'T  make a Right'