African safaris and sunsets

At the beginning of the week, it seemed the notorious Cleveland weather would not loosen its grips on it newest residents! The maximum temperatures at the beginning of the week here in Botswana, would not even crack the 20C mark (68F). Weather this cool is very unusual as it should be in the mid to upper 30's (95F)! But the past 3 days, the African sun fought back and raised the temperature back into the 30's (90F).

The cooler days were mostly spent doing last minute Christmas shopping and stuff to stock up the fridge. Once the weather had warmed up a bit, Nathan and I took advantage of the swimming pool. Yesterday, we all climbed into the Nissan 4x4 and drove to Mokolodi. This is a private game reserve on the outskirts of Gaborone. The beauty of this park, is that only members are allowed to drive themselves in the park, otherwise you would need to climb aboard a game vehicle. Liesel's parents are members so we could enjoy the reserve from the comfort of the air-conditioned Nissan. Another reason we used the Nissan, was that some roads required the use of the 4x4 power delivery! It was a great drive, and the reserve was so lush and green after some good rainfalls a few weeks back. It was difficult to spot the game, since the food and water supply was plentiful, there was no need for them to venture closer to the road or any of the water holes. We did however see a marvellous variety of buck. Kudu and impala were right next to the road as we drove by, and waterbuck and red hartebeests were grazing in the veld nearby! We also spotted the odd ostrich here and there! After the game drive, we sat down at their restaurant for a decent lunch before hitting the tar roads again to get Nathan back home in time for his afternoon nap!



Today we went to Church in the morning. Again the temperature was climbing and the ceiling fans were all rotating furiously, much to Nathan's delight! After the service we came home and had a fantastic lunch, consisting of a roast lamb, potatoes, butternut, salad for those who eat leaves, and then chocolate mousse for dessert. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, it doesn't get much better than that!

I, again, took advantage of the swimming pool, before dousing myself and family in mosquito repellent. We were heading off to the church's carols by candlelight service. It was held outside on the lawn in front of the church's large cross. Once the sun set, a full moon rose behind the congregation, and the sight was stunning! Nathan seemed to love the service and was singing along with some of the carol's. I guess this is something that you could never do in Cleveland, since a few days ago the temperature was -10C!!


On Wednesday, Nathan and I travel back to Johannesburg for one night, as Liesel and her parents start their 2 day trek down to George! Nathan and I get the privilege of flying down to George, where we will spend 9 more days, hopefully playing on the beaches and swimming in the ocean, so that I get a good African tan to take back home to Cleveland!

Tomorrow evening is when we open our Christmas gifts, but before we do that, I want to wish all my readers a joyous and peaceful Christmas. To those of you in the USA, I hope you get a white Christmas, but Cleveland's weather forecast does not look promising. May God grant you the desires of your heart, as we remember His Son's birth, the reason for the season! Merry Christmas everyone!

Fraternizing with friends and family

What a good week we had! This past week was all about getting together with friends and family and catching up on the past 21 months! On Wednesday, my oldest (in terms of friendship) friend, Alexeii, dropped by and we had some good laughs over a lunch. He is just the same as I remembered him and is doing well! During that week, we met up with other friends for dinner on Wednesday evening, and for mid morning snacks on Friday. Everyone's food is delicious, and I am now certain that I will be weighing more on my return trip than what I was on my arrival in South Africa!

This week, Nathan and his cousins also got to know each other better, and loved riding their plastic motorbikes in the basement or jumping on the trampoline! We also went to various playgrounds with them and watched in amazement at how much energy each one of them has!

Our best friends, Tammy and Ryan, took us out to a very fancy restaurant on Thursday night. It was great to be able to leave our children with other people, so that we could go and catch up, and renew the long distance friendship! The six course meal served at this restaurant was phenomenal, and so beautifully presented!


On Saturday, our small circle of friends got together for a braai (BBQ) at one of their houses. Again, we were fed very well, and it was great to touch bases with our friends after 21 months abroad! It was especially good to see our American missionary friends, the Holidays!

On Sunday, after church and a lunch at my mom's place, we headed back down to my sister's place for a mini family reunion of uncles, aunts and cousins. The last time we were all together in one place, was for our farewell, approximately 2 years ago! If it wasn't for us, I doubt they would ever see each other :P

Our first stay in Johannesburg came, to an end as we drove north west to Gaborone (Botswana) on Monday morning. Liesel and Nathan had already spent 3 weeks with her parents in Gaborone, but this would be the first time I would have seen them in a long time. Her parents treated Liesel and myself to a night in the Gaborone Sun, Nathan-free, as a thank you gift to us! Nathan didn't mind staying alone with his grandparents, and we didn't mind eating a fabulous dinner (more calories!!) and a hearty breakfast!

The South African Reunion (...just)

Imagine my joy (dripping with sarcasm) when I phoned my airline on Thursday to confirm my flights for the next day, and they tell me my name is not listed on ANY of the flights!!! This news sent in an immediate and dramatic tailspin, as there were less than 24 hours for me to be on the flight that was planned 8 months ahead of schedule! The airline couldn't assist me further, since the tickets were arranged through a travel agent(CheapOair.com) and I had to work through them. After an unsuccessful hour on the phone to them, I miraculously found an e-mail address of a lady who seemed to be in charge of customer satisfaction. After a desperate e-mail to her, she responded and said she would investigate immediately. She came back to me a few hours later, saying that through a comedy of errors, my flights were all cancelled, but the good news is that she got me on 3 of my original 4 flights, including the two outbound flights! The bad news is that my original return flight from Johannesburg to Washington DC was fully booked as were the all the other flights for next 3 days at least. So right now, as this is typed, I am still not 100% sure when I will be returning to my home in the USA! But praise the Lord, I got on my original flights, had smooth flights, and landed at Oliver Tambo (Johannesburg) International Airport at 4:12pm on Friday!

It was wonderful to have my son run under the security barriers in the arrivals hall straight into my arms. Also to see my lovely wife was a awesome sight for my weary, jet-lagged eyes! My mother was also at the airport as well as Liesel
s brother and one uncle, who were there to pick up her other uncle and his family, as they were on the same flight as me.

Last night I had a good sleep and so far am not experiencing any signs of jet-lag. We are staying with my sister, and it is wonderful to simply "kuier" (visit) with them and catch up on news, as our sons all run around the garden, jump on the trampoline and ride their mini motorbikes as if they were South African taxi-drivers in the basement. We also went to Church and saw some old friends, and this afternoon, we feasted at a truly South African braai with bloubul steaks! Divine!
Early in the evening, we also made a pitstop at our best friends, and it was also special to be reunited with them! Now as it is past midnight, in the land of the sun, I am signing off, to go rest my weary, sun exposed head. Pictures to follow shortly!


Later that evening, the boys had a great deal of fun helping to decorate the Christmas tree!!

Peer Pressure........

After driving around North East Ohio at night time and seeing how wonderfully some of the houses are lit up for the Christmas, I felt ashamed that I had nothing of my own to show. So with the temperature outside below freezing, I dug out our Christmas decorations and headed outside with the lights. Admittedly, the job does look amateurish, but at least my house is now contributing the overall spirit of the Christmas season!

The weekend started on Thursday as one of my colleagues invited our team to his condo in Downtown Cleveland. It is a very upmarket building and his place offers spectacular views of the Cleveland Browns football stadium and Lake Erie. He provided some high class food for us including a lobster, mussel, shrimp Paella dish, and goat meat! HMmmmmmm!

Then Friday came along and threw a spanner in my weekend spokes! I had to work an 11 hour day, since my time in the USA for 2007 is quickly creeping upon us, and there is much to be done! Saturday, was just as productive as I managed to cross a number of things from my to-do list! I finalized my Christmas shopping and got some parcels sent. Back home, I pruned bushes and also removed a few, to neaten the garden a bit. Then while it was still light, I climbed on the garage roof and hung some Christmas lights. Later that evening after the sun had set, I went for a walk around the neighborhood to look at all the Christmas lights that my dedicated neighbors had put up. They put me to shame!

Today (Sunday), I attended my last church service on American soil until 2008! After church, I had a couple of things I need to buy for my trip, and then it was back home for lunch. Loads of laundry were calling my name, and I had to deal with that, before heading over to our friends, Brian and Robin, for Football and Pizza! I had a great time there, especially since their house was filled with the sound of young boys (Nathan's friends)! It was good to finally hear the boys having fun. Much better than having a TV on for company! Robin and Brian combined their super-powers and made a delicious homemade Pizza for us to share. Thanks for the fantastic time, guys.


*** INSERT DRAMATIC PAUSE HERE ***
I had to quickly throw on my jacket and race outside as Nathan's slide and picnic table were blown into our neighbors yard, as we get hammered with gale force winds and rain as the next storm front makes its presence known......
*****

On Friday, I leave the USA to be reunited with Liesel and Nathan and my South African family! Please pray that my flights go smoothly and are not affected by any weather. Please also pray that Liesel and Nathan can get their return flights changed to fly on the same day as me, and not have to spend an extra week in Southern Africa. We are planning to phone SAA and beg, plead with them to change their flight, so that we can fly back as a family! If anyone reading this has any contacts in SAA, please let me know, as we are desperate!!

Gabi update: Gabi seems to be getting over the bug that Nathan passed on to her, and is up and about again. She still tires very easily, and needs to rest a lot. She still has a bad cough, which is obviously putting unnecessary strain on her heart. Please continue to pray for her recovery.

The next blog, should be coming to you from South Africa (DV). Until then!

DV comes from the Latin saying : "Deo Volente" which simply means, God-willing :-)

T minus 12 days and counting......

As you can tell by reading this, I obviously survived my first week without my wife and son. I did not die from starvation, nor did I fall down the stairs and injure myself (again). I must say that the Work days are a lot easier to get through, since I wake up at 6am and only get back in the evening, and then it's time to think about and make myself some dinner, and finally I can collapse on the couch and watch TV before heading to bed. But on the weekend's and public holidays, it is different. The house is dead quiet, except for the faint sound of warm air emanating from the ducts. I am not used to that! I have become accustomed to hearing Little Einsteins, Barney or Teletubbies polluting my lounge, or Nathan, taking after his grandfather and setting the sound to the maximum so that his computer games can drown out every other thing that can fit inside a house. I am used to climbing into a warm bed at night, and having Liesel snuggle up to me automatically, whether she is awake or not. I have all that and more (think South African chocolates) to look forward to in just 12 days time. That's only 2 more work weeks (the easy part) and 1 weekend to get through...........

The good news from Botswana is that Gabi is getting stronger every day and is sounding much better than she was even a week ago! The bad news is Nathan has come down with a bad cough and sore throat and is quite miserable. Please pray that he gets better and for Liesel as she looks after him in Botswana.

This week we celebrated Thanksgiving Day on Thursday. During the day, I kept myself busy by doing some DIY jobs around the house. The temperature outside was dropping, and after doing what I needed to do, I came inside and watched a DVD. The DVD was pretty depressing (Reign over Me with Adam Sandler), and really did not help that I was alone. Fortunately, I had an invite from my bible study leader to join his family for a Thanksgiving dinner that evening. I headed over to his place at around 4:30 and then we drove over to his mother-in-law in Lakewood. She lives in a beautiful house that is literally perched on a cliff overlooking the Rocky River. It was amazing to see the swollen Rocky River flowing about 50 feet below us. And it was also nice to see some snow flakes falling that evening! I shared a wonderful meal with Tom and his extended family, and had a good helping of Turkey, mashed potatoes and stuffing, and then had some delicious pumpkin pie and whipped cream for dessert. Afterwards we played some games together around the table, and Tom and I beat the ladies in a game of Taboo. Unfortunately, when we played scrabble, I lost to Tom's wife, Lynn, because her first word, using all her letters, was CANOEING! Who does that???? That gave her 72 points and I just couldn't catch up... CANOEING... sheesh!

On Friday morning, I awoke to see my lawn was covered in a dusting of snow! It was our first real snowfall of the season, and was quite sad that Liesel and Nathan weren't around to experience it. As I looked at the snow, I thought of them sitting in Botswana in the 100F (34C) weather, and did not envy them! Give me snow any day!


On Friday and Saturday, I hit the shops a few times in my quest for Christmas gifts. I am happy to report that I have 4 less people on my list that I need to buy for now! On Saturday evening, my manager hosted a holiday party for everyone in his department. The best thing about it is that he literally stays less than five minutes away from me! It was a really fun party and the gift exchange was rather entertaining! Also, it was somewhat interesting to meet their cat, Quincy. He is a hypo-allergenic cat (is that an oxymoron?) that doesn't shed. Who knew that such cats existed?? Well, that night my allergies didn't bother me one bit, so it must be true!


On Sunday, I played at church again, for the last time until January! It was a really good service today, since there was no message, but 4 people were asked to give their testimonies! These personal accounts of how God worked in their lives was really inspiring!
After Church i came home, and had a chat to Liesel, my mom and my sister, and then braved the 40F (5C) weather to go and clear the leaves from the lawn. Hopefully that will be the last time I need to use the lawnmower until next year April (I am sure that's what i said last week!) Theoretically, I did not use my lawn mower to cut the grass, but instead, raised it slightly and put the grass catcher on, so that it would suck up all the leaves, which it did beautifully!

Now it is time to climb into a cold bed and ride out the next couple of weeks! Than you to all of you who have been worried about me and called me, or e-mailed me. I really appreciate it!