Safe and Sound and Stretching in SA

Thank you for your prayers over my safe travel- it was a long flight (about 20 hours in the air) but overall a lovely trip.

Being up above the earth and looking down through the clouds was such a reminder of how huge and incredible our God is.  He's got the whole world in His hands and yet He knows every hair on our heads and loves us each more than we can comprehend.  

“Your love, O Lord, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness stretches to the sky.” Psalm 36:5

The first part of my time in SA I'm getting to spend wonderful time with Arno's Afrikaans family.  On the right is a picture of my first South African 'braai' - barbecue (all kinds of grilled meat) and my first taste of 'pap' -pronounced 'pop' (similar to grits). Gunther and Tania have joked that the South African dish: sheep's head is in my future- I sure hope it's only a joke haha.  In the picture on the right is Arno in the middle and his brother Marcel on the left.  I have gotten to enjoy many wonderful family meals and cultural dishes.  Many things are similar here, but it is always with their own unique flavor and perspective.

   

South Africa has been quite a grand adventure: Waking up to sounds that I’ve never heard before with a fresh breeze blowing through the windows, learning day by day new Afrikaans words/phrases with much encouragement,  enjoying lively conversations with Arno’s family and much laughter over dinner and our many daily coffee/tea times.  I have found the South African culture and people as warm and welcoming as its lovely summer weather has been.

One thing that is very different in SA is driving.  You drive on the right side of the road, on the right side of the car, some signs are in different languages, and most cars are manuals (‘stick cars’ as they call them)- ahh.  SO let the adventure begin.  Arno patiently gave me a stick car lesson today and then took some video footage of my first solo attempt.

At moments I feel like I've found myself in the land of giants haha, but I know God is using all of these things to stretch me and grow me into who He's made me to be.

Tomorrow we're off to the western part of SA to visit Petra and help harvest grapes and figs (see post 2).  Not sure what all this leg of the journey will hold - but we know who holds the future ! 

Shalom to you ! Thank you for your prayers!