October 8, 2011

We have over two months of catching up to do in this blog and the reason is that we have been extremely busy. To start with, as a follow up to all the flooding in the last blog which included an article about the crocs that escaped, there has been an attempt to cull some of the crocs a few weeks later. See the photo and article below.
August is the most active for tourists visiting Botswana, so of course the flying was busy for Colin. Julie was finishing her last month as a volunteer in the office and on the few days a week she could get free, she was going through materials and preparing the classroom for the teaching position she committed to for the next 3 months. Here are some before and after picture.

A concept wall before is pictured next....

And after is pictured below.

Next is the Art area before.....

And after, with an addition of a block center which were gathered in all the sorting out of materials left in the classroom.

The next photo is of the reading area before....

And after with the addition of a carpet and a few throw pillows. In the foreground of the photo is the Math center.

The class consists of children from the ages of five to eight in a combination class of Standards 1 and 2. Below is a real graph photo of the students in the Math center. There are more boys than girls in the group of 18.


Not only did Julie return to teaching the beginning of September, but she also had her 55th birthday. To celebrate, we spent a late afternoon and evening at Island Safari Lodge with the Kowalski family.



We are still very active with our church and the children's ministry there. There is still an average of over sixty children that come weekly. After over the last three years, we have gotten to know many of the local children who walk to church each week.
One such child we have mentioned before is Ontiretse. Through the years we have been watching her grow older and taller. Colin decided we needed to get her some new clothes one day after church because everything she had been coming to church in for months, was way too small. After meeting her mother and asking permission to take her shopping, we headed off to shop with Bobby as translator and Auntie Edith who rides with us to church weekly. Also, her younger sister tagged along and after getting the girls a few things, we all ended up getting some ice cream to cool us down in the growing heat of the day. Pictured below is Bobby, Ontiretse, and Colin.
The next photo includes the rest of the shopping gang.
When we returned the girls back home, we had also purchased a warm sweeter for their mother and everyone was quite pleased with the new clothing.
As September was coming to an end, we were able to get away for one night to join our friend's at their game farm to celebrate Wendy's birthday. The new property we have explored with them in previous months, now has a road cut into the location picked out for a new camp. We were able to follow Wendy in her Pajero and drive our own vehicle into the spot. In other blogs we have tried to capture the drive through thick brush in Sampie's big 4x4 cruiser. Now, as you can see in the next picture, it was a fairly easy drive on the new road.
The farm helpers met us there and we all worked at setting up a new camp. It was the first
overnight visit at the location.

It is always so nice to just relax out in the solitude of the Botswana bush and spend time visiting with good friends.
Colin also enjoys spoiling the dogs with rubs and doggy treats.
Little Hurricane spent the next morning cleaning off the braii after we had cooked a delicious meal the night before.
With the heavy flight load, Colin has spent many nights away at Jack's camp the last few months.
Elephants have been mingling around the new pool area going in at Camp Kalahari. The fence pictured below shows the mud rubbed off the animals as they step over the logs.

The next photo shows where they have been rubbing against a Palm tree.
The overnight stays are not the most comfortable for Colin, and now that the Christmas beetles have returned there have been battles to keep and clear them out of the tent at night so he can get some sleep.






After the nights sleeping on a cot at camp, Colin is in need of a day off and some needed rest. Our neighbor's dog, Hercules, continues to make himself at home here and is seen catching a nap with Colin one Sunday afternoon.



The last weekend of September was Botswana Day, when the country celebrates their independence. This year marked 45 years. Each class at the school Julie is now teaching, did something special to share at the Friday Chapel. Julie's class read a poem that explained their love for the country.
The school raises funds to help a young handicapped boy, as there are no government agencies to provide services in place, and he attends many of the special functions at the school. The next photo was taken of Julie's students after Chapel with our special friend.

To celebrate Botswana Day, traditional dancers could be found around town performing for local people and tourists traveling through Maun.



Most recently, the church welcomed a family back that had gone to their homeland of India to have twins. Because there are so many neighborhood children that attend Sunday school, a special meal was arranged for them outside the church.
The rest of the membership celebrated with a buffet meal inside the church.
Pastor Alex's wife, Ems, made one her rich chocolate cakes to finish the afternoon event.
In closing, we are always thankful for your interest, prayers, and encouragement. "The Lord has done great things for us and our hearts are filled with joy." Psalm 126:3