new neighbourhood

Back in the neighborhood where pattern and colour abide .

Okay so just for today.

 The view from this rooftop. Our hostel is fine.... well, rather, our hostel is fair enough and clean... very important!

 Breakfast room

 Just around the corner

 The bazaar nearby

 Like I said - PATTERNS

 Around the corner

 Our home for a day. Very graciously, we have been permitted to leave our bags under the stairs as we have checked out and now need to hang around till we can take our bus then train into Bulgaria at 10:38 tonight. A long day ahead. But at least we have enjoyed hot showers and a decent bed to rest. 

Not like yesterday in Doha... hanging around with nowhere to go and nothing to do. Jean-Pierre even shaved while we waited.... 

Air is cool, Beanies out and being much appreciated. Glove? Can't find it yet....

preparations begin

It looks as though we have a team!
A very different group of people to say the least. Creative,
Let the good things/times roll...
We are excited about what the possibilities are for the next trip to our very special village of Gostilitsa. Who can say what is in store for each one of us? We are in a good place and just know that we have so much to learn from each other and so much to give to one another.
From now till May when the rest of the guys/girls join us we have time to prepare.

Meanwhile Jean-Pierre and I are starting to think about things to take, leave behind and all the rest of things that accompany leaving one place for another for an extended period of time. Last time we went to Bulgaria, it was for six weeks... in my opinion far too short. Just as one gets settled its almost time to leave again. Three months is more like it...

.

Annnndd... did you see our amazing sunset last night?

New Team?

So Today at church there was an appeal...
Who is going to be joining us in Bulgaria in May?
Now just counting the responses... erm
Next week will ALL get together to ask and answer questions
Encourage/discourage prospective candidates
And... start getting excited!

moving moving moving

Tickets are in hand.... now to do the visa thing !!

WOOOO HOOO!

Moving right along

Okay, so things seem to be on track to make another very welcome trip Home to Bulgaria again. 

So, so, so  looking forward to spending quality time with friends and family there. Now just need to do a little shopping for some "essentials" that I cannot do without! Not true, I could probably do without them, but prefer not to have to try at this stage. One is rudely aware of one's foreign-ness when one cannot make do with local fare in ALL things. Not that the local fare is bad, it just isn't at all. Or... interesting thought...it might just be spelled differently and one is unable to recognise it ---YET!

An aerial view of where we will be  for three months again this year.... YAY!

Coffee in the park...

watching children play...

Hearing a new language all around us...

Not able to read  menus....

BRING IT ON!!

It is another season and another year.

In Review:

So much has happened and yet so much has remained the same. During this last year we have done things in places never before thought of or imagined. Bulgaria has played a huge role in our last year as a family and as a ministry. We remain excited to see God’s hand in all we do. His guidance in directions we have taken have proved to be of a nature we could only have dreamed of. And yet all in all we are so at peace with what is happening. Passage to Purpose seems to have run its course for the moment (no pun intended), and concentration on cross cultural exposure trips has taken up the fore for the time being.

Right Now:

We as a family have grown in this  time, taking time out during the holiday season to regroup and just get on with things around the house that always seem to end up on the back burner. Forever pushed aside to make way for more ‘important’ things. Well, The office spring clean is going well… the repair of garden furniture doing great, the lawns mowed and ironing kept up to date, not to mention a few books read during this time too. So see we are not all work and no play! Dorianne has spent much of her time in Cape Town working with her team of game designers. She is seriously looking to move to the Cape as that is where the “Creative set” live and work.  Jordan has finally established himself as a freelance Game Ranger. This last month saw him at a very busy and hot Marathaba Lodge earning some much desired experience and pocket money to boot. He has it in his heart to establish himself a little more in Bulgaria in and among the youth there. So yes, earning money doing what he loves to be able to afford him his dreams, what’s not to like?

Coming Up:

 Bulgaria is on the cards again and we hope to be able to go there sometime during the first half of the year.  Our visa situation could be changing, making it easier to come and go. This is due to Jean-Pierre being as of 29^th Dec, a man with “pensioner” status. We will work on the details and see what can be done.  We are planning to run courses if and when the need arises, and from that will be organising more exposure trips for those having done the courses. So all in all things are still so on track and yet so different.

emotions

There are always emotions involved....
That's just who we are
traveling, meeting people and new friends,
What we can do, what we have done, all comes in to play.

Joy at meeting old friends again,
Sadness to know time will come to an end.
Thrilling to be heading back home,
overshadowed by the loss of leaving.

When differences are welcomed ,
similarities enjoyed and compared,
Sometimes even found lacking
Surprises accepted even expected.

Two weeks is not enough time
to say goodbye.

 A beautiful setting

 With wonderful friends...

 Note the quick spontaneous shot here...

An incredible surprise to....

 An amazing event!

Thank you thank you thank you!!!

Birthday madness

Friends and neighbours certainly know how to make a special occasion out of a birthday

 They brought Banitsa, Rice Pudding, Pita  laughter and flares.... I supplied cake. The flares were supposed to be sparklers...erm, they behaved as flares would given half a chance in Deshka's capable hands...

Then we took a road trip...

No really... the party went to the road....

 And landed up down in the local shop....

Then it ended with a quiet cuppa back at home... what a great time!

Just another day?

So ... the ladder made it to the end of the Buttress

 Now...we are able to look at the space without fearing the imminent collapse!

And when he has some "spare" time... he climbs onto roofs again!

another day another victory

A room with a view... it would seem as if some gypsies have moved into the second floor of the three story building for the winter... who can blame them? It gets a little too cool to camp!

The next job needed to be done before snow comes and breaks down more pieces of this roofing onto the car...

The brave man to do the job!

Well... the only man actually.

 And now... just for a little something to do...

Dig a hole, then fill it with concrete...and start building a stone buttress to support a collapsing wall...

Ever grateful to our neighbours who lightened the load considerably by letting 

Jean-Pierre make use of their mixer.

Stone the crows but these rocks are really heavy!

Barney pants!!!.... yeah he was tired when these days were done.

Wouldya lookit that!?

And and and.... the water meter got read..... now to wait and see if we ever receive a bill.