Operation : HIV Workshop!

This was the first ever Operation : HIV workshop where all the missionaries and nationals in two different countries came together to share ideas and get to know each other so that we can be a more unified front. HIV for us stands for He Is Victorious, and that is exactly the hope that we want to give to our students and other people that we minister to in our communities. I had a great time hanging out with all my friends that work in Franicstown and get to know some of the workers in other villages better, and make new friends from Zimbabwe. I just can't say enough about how much i really enjoyed myself. I think this has been one of the best workshops that i've attended so far!

Here's the front of my cabin.

This is inside the cabin, we used candles and lanterns for our light at night. So what's behind door number 1? you ask.....well.....

Surpise, it's the bathroom!! The tree makes for a lovely hand towl rack....hahaha

This is the view of the entire cabin. As you can see the water barrels are behind the wall and in the morning the ladies would come and make a fire underneath and we would have hot or warm water!!

Paul and Sally Cline our fearless leaders. Paul is my work supervisor. They are the greatest!!

Paul starts our day off with a devotion then gives us the run down on what all is going on.

Um, can you make your neck do that? I think the ostrich slept on the wrong side of the bed!! hahahahaha

Team Building!!

Basically this was the whole point of our workshop. Although i didn't know we where going to take this particular path to accomplish the goal. It was actually a lot of fun, you really got to learn a lot about your team members and your self.

Our two guides for all of the team building activities.

This is an up-close and personal way to break the ice!!! hahahaha.....

Our team had to take this tire from the ground to the top and back again without dropping it.

Come on just a little more!

Ta-da!!! We did It!!!!

Ropes Course!

This took a lot of work, by everyone involved to get through. I had actually been looking at it all week with somewhat fear and excitement. It turned out that both where felt as i went through the course. It was actually a blast, even the whole falling thing!!!!

Gwen is doing a great job of balancing while....

Brandy is all laughs.

Crystal takes this time to perpare for her up coming role in the next karate kid movie!

Hey, it's a lot harder then it looks!

Tarzan I'm NOT !!

What can i say, except i totally bit the dust?! Although i will have to say that I thought Paul, my supervisor, was going to have a heart attack!! Folks not only did i fall but i totally did a flip!! Yes, i flew through the air, without the rope, hit the ground bounced back up and flipped over then hit again!! It was actually pretty funny, especially the look on Paul's face to bad we don't have a picture of that. So what else could i do except get up and take a bow and finish the course?!

I'm getting ready to do my Tarzan impression.

Whoa that wasn't suppose to happen!!!

So much for moving to the jungle and swinging with the monkeys!!!!!! hahahahaha

Here is Smile showing me how it is "suppose" to be done!

Lecture Time!

What would a workshop be without lectures? In between all the team building and devotions where our lectures. They where quiet good in helping us understand the AIDS problem and what all is being done about it through the government, and how we can help and how to improve our teaching skills. We also talked about Home Based Care which is a part of Operation : HIV that i really like.

Sherri and Juda doing a little dance before they start talking about Home Based Care.

Smile and Boshie posing in between speakers. Smile on the left is my co-teacher.

Splish Splash!!

So after a long day of physcially demanding "games" and lectures we decided to head on down to the water for some fun of our own!!

Row, row, row your boat.....

I don't think the ladies trusted these fine sailors, hence the bucket and Sherri pulling the boat to safty. hahahaha

I don't think Mercy was quiet impressed with her boat road.

A kudo arcoss the pound drinking some water not wanting to be noticed. To bad buddy, i got your picture anyway! hahaha

School Time Fun!!

This term my classes are learing more about different kinds of relationships and how to relate to one another and have a postive future. So in order to make these topics more interresting and so the students will remember what we talked about i decided to mix in a little acting / drama and games to the class. It's pretty fun and i think the kids really like it. I mean come on just think if they had to sit there listening to me talk for the entire class period!!! ugh, what a terrible thought, i'm sure they would agree this is much better!!

This is the first group doing a family skit on a "good" family.

This is the second group showing a non- supportive family. This boy could really act.

Fun and games. They where playing a game to see if they truly got the meaning behind what is a true or fake friend.

Everyone had a blast playing our little game!

Working Hard!

Oh my gosh, this is what i walked in on when i went to Gungwe for one of my Bible studies out there. I got out of my car and i looked and there was this woman patching up or sewing up the roof on her neighbor's roof!! I mean duh, i know that if there's a hole or something that you need to fix it, but i guess i thought a man would be up there. I found out that it was the woman's work to build the rondovel (hut), well just about all it. The man puts up the 4 or 5 wood post to support it and the wood to support the roof (which isn't much), but the woman is in charge of making the floor, walls and going out to the fields and cutting the staw and coming back and putting it together to make the roof. Wow, i've got to give it up to these women if i where in charge it would take longer then the usual two weeks and wouldn't like anywhere nice as these!!

I couldn't hardly believe my eyes when i first walked in the yard!

Now this truly is a Do It Yourself - DIY project!

Average Day!

Just thought i would give you a view into my very exciting life out here in Masunga. Although some days more goes on then usual, but on most days it's a little slow expect for the occasional dog fight or Brandy, myself, and our dog chasing donkey's out of our yard. Today has pretty much topped them off though. Have you ever had a day when the day before your dog decides to take on the entire neighborhood and wakes up the next morning looking like she had just survived World War III, then there is no petrol or gas in your entire village ,or when there is no water at all, and then your phone gets cut off?! Yeah, this is the first time it has ALL happened in ONE DAY to me too. I found out though, that making a smoothie seems to help!!

Sophie thinks this is her other water bowl. In reality this is our rock garden, because as you can see we have dirt and more dirt so little else will grow here! hahaha.....

And i thought i wouldn't have wild life in my front yard in here in Botswana. Do donkey's count?!

Nope, the little tan one isn't a donkey, but an avenging guard dog running the intruders out of our backyard!

When Sophie isn't chasing donkeys or goats away from our yard she likes to relax by going after lizards!! She puts her big fat nose inbetween the bricks and yours truly has to rebuild the flower beds. Although we don't have flowers so i don't know why we even have them?!

When you can't take your car to the petrol station you bring the petrol to your car. Brandy is looking into a second career as a gas station attendent! hahaha....

Smoothie King's got nothing on me! Well maybe a little, but i'm trying!!