Today is my father's 65th birthday. It's neat to be able to be here with them to celebrate this day. I landed yesterday morning just after 6. Visited with my family (I'm at my sister Liesl's house, my parents also flew up here for a few days) and then, in the early afternoon we left for a local stone chapel where we had a beautiful service for Anja's christening. I'll post a photo later today since I'm on a slow dial-up connection... Went to bed early. Clara, my 5-year-old niece and goddaughter, came to sleep with me. Not the best way to fight jetlag, but I don't mind. It's a rare chance I get to visit.
It's summer in South Africa and I couldn't have wished for better weather. We've been having almost all our meals outside on the patio. It's good to be home.
Monday, November 21, 2005
Saturday, November 19, 2005
Singapore Layover
It's just before 10pm on this side of the world. I just landed in Singapore after a flight of just more than 4 hours from Taipei.
Highlights of my flight:
I'm going to walk around the airport for a while. This airport has received the award several times as the best airport in the world. It feels more like you're in a mall with beautiful orchids, palm trees etc (real ones) growing all over. It's VERY humid here, even inside the airport. Can only imagine how it's feeling outside right now...
Keep in touch,
Adele
Highlights of my flight:
- Seeing the Taiwanese mountains sticking out above the clouds. It was a really beautiful sight.
- Flying in over Malaysia and seeing the city/nation of Singapore. It is a VERY crowded area, and all I could think was how very, very different it is from where I'll be in a week...
- Knowing that I'm one flight closer to seeing my family. I depart from Singapore in 5 hours again, at 2-something a.m. and land in Jo'burg at 6 a.m. (It's a 10-hour flight and I look forward to sleeping!) After arriving and visiting a bit, it's my new niece/goddaughter Anja's baptism.
I'm going to walk around the airport for a while. This airport has received the award several times as the best airport in the world. It feels more like you're in a mall with beautiful orchids, palm trees etc (real ones) growing all over. It's VERY humid here, even inside the airport. Can only imagine how it's feeling outside right now...
Keep in touch,
Adele
Friday, November 18, 2005
Life at ORTV
As an editor at ORTV, I worked very closely with the art department. Here we're being goofy taking a group shot. They're a really neat group of very talented artists. Today, I had to laugh when they were grilling me about my new life in Africa. They finally got what a hut is and then were blown away that my hut wouldn't have air conditioning!
Back at work
I stopped by ORTV today to visit with friends and colleagues. Needing new photos for my official ELI prayer cards, I was able to take advantage of the fact that ORTV has a photo studio. Had fun taking these photos as well as group shots with my friends in the art department.
A common sight in Taiwan
Yesterday was some or other auspicious day in Taiwan with more than the usual offering to ancestor spirits. It's nothing unusual to see people out on the streets going through the rituals to try and appease the spirits. They burn "ghost money" and put out offers of rice, fruit etc.
Chinese hairwash
One of the biggest treats for me in Taiwan is getting a hair wash. You sit in your chair while it's being done and get a massage in the process, too. Diane (in the picture with me) usually does the wash/massage, and then it's over to Daisy to try and tame my hair.
Second stop: Taipei
I'm sitting in my friend Nina's living room with Xiao Bai, her Java rice sparrow, poised on my forearm as I'm typing. It's good to be back in Taipei. I've been up since about 5 a.m. thanks to jet lag. Not too bad, considering the 14-hour time difference.
I had a truly blessed time yesterday, connecting with friends. Had lunch with the ORTV art department right after getting back from the airport, then spent the rest of the afternoon with Debryn and Barbara, two of my dearest friends on this side of the world. After spending much time at Starbucks, we went to the hair salon we used to frequent when we all lived in Taipei for a good massage. Ah!
After stopping by to see the Platells, (Aussie friends from church), I headed to Gateway, our church office, to do a presentation to a small group of friends. I was a bit tired, but it wasn't too bad. It was a joy to share about the journey, show photos of where I'll be heading, and have my friends pray with me. And it was pure bliss to head home to Nina's apartment to sleeeeeep.
Today, I'll be going to ORTV to visit and have lunch with staff from the English Department. I also have appointments to see a couple of other friends, after which Nina and I will go out for dinner. (Food/dining is of major importance in Chinese culture! There are far more restaurants here than in any average American town.)
Tomorrow's it's back to the airport and off to Johannesburg.
Praise
I had a truly blessed time yesterday, connecting with friends. Had lunch with the ORTV art department right after getting back from the airport, then spent the rest of the afternoon with Debryn and Barbara, two of my dearest friends on this side of the world. After spending much time at Starbucks, we went to the hair salon we used to frequent when we all lived in Taipei for a good massage. Ah!
After stopping by to see the Platells, (Aussie friends from church), I headed to Gateway, our church office, to do a presentation to a small group of friends. I was a bit tired, but it wasn't too bad. It was a joy to share about the journey, show photos of where I'll be heading, and have my friends pray with me. And it was pure bliss to head home to Nina's apartment to sleeeeeep.
Today, I'll be going to ORTV to visit and have lunch with staff from the English Department. I also have appointments to see a couple of other friends, after which Nina and I will go out for dinner. (Food/dining is of major importance in Chinese culture! There are far more restaurants here than in any average American town.)
Tomorrow's it's back to the airport and off to Johannesburg.
Praise
- I'm not having much jet lag at all
- Meaningful times with friends
- The hut is now FULLY FUNDED!
- The funding for a vehicle is growing...
- Safe travels and the blessing of even having the only open seat in economy class next to me on the long flight from LA to Taipei, allowing me to sleep better
- Continued safety and health in traveling
- God connections with individuals along the way and an open ear to sense God's heart
- The rest of the funding for a vehicle
Monday, November 14, 2005
I have one more wall!
It's late. My eyes are burning from a long day of travel and of many tears. Having moved many a time in my life, I tend to switch off emotionally when saying good-bye. Yet I get to these points when reality hits and the tears won't stay away. That was me, last night, after packing...
Nan picked Danette and I up from home and took us to the airport. (I had asked that no-one come to the airport because that just makes leaving really hard!) We had an uneventful flight to Chicago, then to LAX. Took some fu shots of the Rockies and of the Grand Canyon. God is SO creative!
It was fun pointing out the different LA sights to Sean, a little Malaysian Chinese boy who sat next to me, by the window, as well as to Danette. "See that hill over there, beyond the LA skyline? Look closely. It's the Hollywood sign." After getting our luggage, we picked up a rental car and had to nix any plans to take a detour. We were running late and even on a Sunday afternoon, there was bumper-to-bumper traffice on I-405N (to Santa Monica.) We headed south instead, to the hotel where Danette's meeting is this week. After a brief detour through Long Beach and a stop at Baja Fresh (yum! Authentic Californian Mexican food!) we drove straight to Dana Point, where I dropped Danette off and headed north on I-5, then 57 to Glendora. (This road takes you past Disneyland and the Angels Stadium. It was fun to drive on these too familiar roads again.)
It was wonderful to see the Clarks--the family with whom I stayed for 2 years while doing graduate studies. They're like family to me, and they had invited a bunch of my friends to come see me--mostly students who had been on my Mozambique teams ('03 and '04) and some other friends. It was an incredible treat to visit with everyone and catch up!
From this group of friends came commitments to cover one entire wall in my hut! I praise God for that and am so very thankful for every single person who is part of this journey...
Now it's late. It's only 11:13 LA time, but we're two hours behind Iowa. It's time for me to sleep. Tomorrow is another full day.
Praise: For safe flights & connections
For funding for one more wall!
For a chance to see friends and especially to see how some of these students are growing spiritually!
Pray: For continued travel safety
For my meeting on Monday morning with ELI directors
For meaningful connections with others
For an openness to what God is doing!
Much love,
a tired me
Nan picked Danette and I up from home and took us to the airport. (I had asked that no-one come to the airport because that just makes leaving really hard!) We had an uneventful flight to Chicago, then to LAX. Took some fu shots of the Rockies and of the Grand Canyon. God is SO creative!
It was fun pointing out the different LA sights to Sean, a little Malaysian Chinese boy who sat next to me, by the window, as well as to Danette. "See that hill over there, beyond the LA skyline? Look closely. It's the Hollywood sign." After getting our luggage, we picked up a rental car and had to nix any plans to take a detour. We were running late and even on a Sunday afternoon, there was bumper-to-bumper traffice on I-405N (to Santa Monica.) We headed south instead, to the hotel where Danette's meeting is this week. After a brief detour through Long Beach and a stop at Baja Fresh (yum! Authentic Californian Mexican food!) we drove straight to Dana Point, where I dropped Danette off and headed north on I-5, then 57 to Glendora. (This road takes you past Disneyland and the Angels Stadium. It was fun to drive on these too familiar roads again.)
It was wonderful to see the Clarks--the family with whom I stayed for 2 years while doing graduate studies. They're like family to me, and they had invited a bunch of my friends to come see me--mostly students who had been on my Mozambique teams ('03 and '04) and some other friends. It was an incredible treat to visit with everyone and catch up!
From this group of friends came commitments to cover one entire wall in my hut! I praise God for that and am so very thankful for every single person who is part of this journey...
Now it's late. It's only 11:13 LA time, but we're two hours behind Iowa. It's time for me to sleep. Tomorrow is another full day.
Praise: For safe flights & connections
For funding for one more wall!
For a chance to see friends and especially to see how some of these students are growing spiritually!
Pray: For continued travel safety
For my meeting on Monday morning with ELI directors
For meaningful connections with others
For an openness to what God is doing!
Much love,
a tired me
Sunday, November 06, 2005
Crazy times
"How much stuff do I really need?" This is a question I had to pose myself many times today. Do I really need so much stuff? It's a challenge, wanting to live a simple life, yet knowing that I don't want to be stuck wearing the same few things over and over and over.
The packing is moving along. Seeing that I'm stopping in LA for meetings, then in Taipei, then in Johannesburg, it makes it a bit more challenging. But it's all good. And it's almost done. I only have office stuff left, and books. But those will be put in an ActionPacker and brought by the New Covenant team that's coming in December. What a blessing.
Tomorrow I have to say good-bye to friends at church. And then, it's a matter of wrapping up details all week long. Backing up computer files. Finishing and printing off a missions manual I've been working on. Final house projects (help clean gutters etc.). And then it's my birthday on Saturday. Some friends are having a little gathering on Friday night to celebrate and say good-bye. I refuse to do any packing/work on Saturday. I'll go see a movie or something. Fun stuff.
Sunday, my flight leaves early in the morning. Our good friend Nan is taking Danette and I to the airport. Danette has a national sales meeting in LA that week, so we're blessed to be able to fly out together. I'll go show her Santa Monica, then take her to her hotel, after which I'll head to Azusa, California.
Sunday night, there's a gathering of friends at the Clarks' house in Glendora. (This is the family I stayed with while studying/working at Azusa Pacific.) I'm looking forward to seeing some friends and doing a presentation on Africa.
On Monday I'm having a meeting with old friends from the missions office and getting materials from them that I can use in Kenya, then off to a meeting with people from ELI.
Tuesday's packed, from breakfast to late. Then it's off to the airport for my flight to Taipei.
I will have no Wednesday, November 2005, thanks to crossing the International date line. I land in Taipei on Thursday, November 17 and will be met by friends. Then it's lunch w/ colleagues, followed by coffee with friends, and finally a dessert event that evening at Taipei International Church, where I'll be doing another presentation. This is a bit crazy, considering that I'm giving myself NO time to adjust from jetlag. And Taiwan's 14 hours ahead, so essentially when I'm doing my presentation, my body will want to sleep...
Friday I'm going to my old office, seeing friends at ORTV and having lunch with former colleagues. And then it's NO MORE BUSINESS. Just an afternoon of enjoying a bit of down time with friends who go way back.
Saturday I'll want good Chinese breakfast and head up the mountain on the back of my friend Nina's scooter to see the city for one last time. Then it's off to the airport again...
My flight to South Africa takes me through Singapore for a short stopover. I'll be eager to get on the plane and sleep! I land in Johannesburg around 6 am Sunday morning, South Africa time and will spend the morning with my family, relaxing and enjoying SUMMER. That afternoon, my new niece/goddaughter Anja is being baptized, so it's a big event with friends and famiily.
Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday is FAMILY TIME, with only one meeting with a local church. Then it's off to Nairobi on Thursday.
I get in too late for the flight to Eldoret, so I'll spend Thursday evening in Nairobi and fly out Friday morning, November 25 to Eldoret.
I'll be at my new home 12 days after leaving Cedar Rapids. I think I'll be MORE THAN ready to unpack and not live out of my bags for a few weeks. And I'll be eager to get to know my new neighbors and coworkers.
I hope to keep you up to date as I travel, but I won't always be assured of an Internet connection, hence the detailed schedule.
Would you pray for me during these crazy few weeks, that I'll remain in good health with my eyes fixed on Christ. I don't want to be so busy that I miss opportunities to simply respond to whatever He wants me to do/say.
The packing is moving along. Seeing that I'm stopping in LA for meetings, then in Taipei, then in Johannesburg, it makes it a bit more challenging. But it's all good. And it's almost done. I only have office stuff left, and books. But those will be put in an ActionPacker and brought by the New Covenant team that's coming in December. What a blessing.
Tomorrow I have to say good-bye to friends at church. And then, it's a matter of wrapping up details all week long. Backing up computer files. Finishing and printing off a missions manual I've been working on. Final house projects (help clean gutters etc.). And then it's my birthday on Saturday. Some friends are having a little gathering on Friday night to celebrate and say good-bye. I refuse to do any packing/work on Saturday. I'll go see a movie or something. Fun stuff.
Sunday, my flight leaves early in the morning. Our good friend Nan is taking Danette and I to the airport. Danette has a national sales meeting in LA that week, so we're blessed to be able to fly out together. I'll go show her Santa Monica, then take her to her hotel, after which I'll head to Azusa, California.
Sunday night, there's a gathering of friends at the Clarks' house in Glendora. (This is the family I stayed with while studying/working at Azusa Pacific.) I'm looking forward to seeing some friends and doing a presentation on Africa.
On Monday I'm having a meeting with old friends from the missions office and getting materials from them that I can use in Kenya, then off to a meeting with people from ELI.
Tuesday's packed, from breakfast to late. Then it's off to the airport for my flight to Taipei.
I will have no Wednesday, November 2005, thanks to crossing the International date line. I land in Taipei on Thursday, November 17 and will be met by friends. Then it's lunch w/ colleagues, followed by coffee with friends, and finally a dessert event that evening at Taipei International Church, where I'll be doing another presentation. This is a bit crazy, considering that I'm giving myself NO time to adjust from jetlag. And Taiwan's 14 hours ahead, so essentially when I'm doing my presentation, my body will want to sleep...
Friday I'm going to my old office, seeing friends at ORTV and having lunch with former colleagues. And then it's NO MORE BUSINESS. Just an afternoon of enjoying a bit of down time with friends who go way back.
Saturday I'll want good Chinese breakfast and head up the mountain on the back of my friend Nina's scooter to see the city for one last time. Then it's off to the airport again...
My flight to South Africa takes me through Singapore for a short stopover. I'll be eager to get on the plane and sleep! I land in Johannesburg around 6 am Sunday morning, South Africa time and will spend the morning with my family, relaxing and enjoying SUMMER. That afternoon, my new niece/goddaughter Anja is being baptized, so it's a big event with friends and famiily.
Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday is FAMILY TIME, with only one meeting with a local church. Then it's off to Nairobi on Thursday.
I get in too late for the flight to Eldoret, so I'll spend Thursday evening in Nairobi and fly out Friday morning, November 25 to Eldoret.
I'll be at my new home 12 days after leaving Cedar Rapids. I think I'll be MORE THAN ready to unpack and not live out of my bags for a few weeks. And I'll be eager to get to know my new neighbors and coworkers.
I hope to keep you up to date as I travel, but I won't always be assured of an Internet connection, hence the detailed schedule.
Would you pray for me during these crazy few weeks, that I'll remain in good health with my eyes fixed on Christ. I don't want to be so busy that I miss opportunities to simply respond to whatever He wants me to do/say.
Thursday, November 03, 2005
The Hut and more
It's just more than a week until I move to Eldoret, Kenya. Many of you have been asking what specific needs I still have, and I'm happy to share.
Today, I have a huge part of my hut expenses covered, which I praise God for!
I still need
* one window ($121)
* a roof ($1,700)
* about 3/4 of the structure ($2630)
That's it for the hut! Amazing, eh?
My work visa fee has been provided for. I have the first $500 towards a vehicle.
Yeah God, and yeah to every person who has been a part of this process, and to every person who will continue to be a part of this journey.
What an amazing blessing to run this race with so many friends.
Today, I have a huge part of my hut expenses covered, which I praise God for!
I still need
* one window ($121)
* a roof ($1,700)
* about 3/4 of the structure ($2630)
That's it for the hut! Amazing, eh?
My work visa fee has been provided for. I have the first $500 towards a vehicle.
Yeah God, and yeah to every person who has been a part of this process, and to every person who will continue to be a part of this journey.
What an amazing blessing to run this race with so many friends.
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