Easter Sunday found a small group of us gathered on the banks of the Chobe River watching the sun rise as we praised and glorified the risen Son.   Keith shared his thoughts on Peter’s words and actions before the crucifixion and later after Peter’s encounter with Jesus on the shore of Galilee as they ate breakfast together.  So much had happened between Friday night and Sunday morning!  

I am thankful for Peter and his willingness to admit fault and yet pick himself up and go on.  He is a true example of what it means to be a disciple of Christ.
After our time of praise, we shared tea, coffee, hot cross buns (a traditional English Easter treat), and chocolate marshmallow eggs (thanks to American culture) as we fellowshipped on the banks of the river.  A lone hippo appeared and added his voice to ours as did the water birds flying and alighting around us.

We spent the day with family and friends sharing our love for each other and Him.  In the evening, we said goodbye to a friend who has been here for about 6 months working as a volunteer with a nature conservation program.  But all through the day, I wondered at the joy and excitement the believers had when they realized it was true, He had risen and lives forever.  How I pray I have that joy in my heart daily.  I serve a risen savior; He is in the world today!  Amen!

Tuesday, February 14th was a special day. I made heart shaped cookies that Elise took to school for her class and also for the teachers. It seemed a lot of people were wearing pink and red. At the local hotels, the tables were being set for a romantic evening with candles, flowers, and red table cloths or centerpieces. The stores boasted clothes, dishes, and sweets "for the one you love.” Yes, Valentine’s Day is alive and well here in Botswana.

In the late afternoon, after work, Keith took his two valentines, Elise and me for tea at a local hotel to celebrate and to enjoy the beautiful river view. While drinking tea, we watched the mischievous monkeys as they leaped closer and closer trying to steal our tea, waffles and cake. The waitress asked if we would allow her to remove the sugar packets as they are an enticement
to the monkeys. They love sugar.

So, ended a productive day, enjoying a peaceful or rather fairly peaceful tea fending off the
monkeys and visiting on the banks of the Chobe River. We hope you had as delightful a day!

On January 13th, we said goodbye to Keifer and Lisa Honey as they boarded Air Botswana for their journey back home to the US. As we stood at the fence waving our final goodbyes, I was struck by how bitter-sweet this moment was. Lord willing, we will be in the US for Christmas 2012 and yet it seems a long time away!

Keifer and Lisa arrived on Tuesday, December 27th! We had a huge Christmas dinner at the house that evening and enjoyed exchanging Christmas gifts. However, their bags got lost in the US and only arrived the next day on the 28th, so that evening we had Christmas again! Thank you to all who sent gifts our way!

While Keifer and Lisa were here, we traveled far and wide. On Friday the 30th, we set out on our first journey. We visited Shakawe where our old house is still standing and being used as a private residence, as well as Ngarange where our old house is being used as a church building. In Xaxao, we attended Sunday morning service and were happy to see some familiar faces. The churches across the river have struggled because of death due mainly to AIDS and people, especially the young, moving away to find jobs.

Traveling to Shakawe took us through Namibia, where we were able to see and spend a night with old friends, Johnny and Elizabeth Miranda. In the old days, we would travel from Shakawe to Divundu and buy fuel and food from their garage and shop there. They were so surprised to see us and kindly invited us to stay the night in their guest room. As it was threatening rain, and we did not want to camp in the rain, we welcomed the invitation gladly!

Another favorite site we visited was Tsodilo Hills, the sacred hills of the Bushmen filled with ancient rock paintings. We spent a wonderful day there climbing, exploring, and reliving past visits to this enchanting place.
Once back in Kazungula, we took two days to wash clothes, rest and recover from our long
journey and begin preparations for a shorter one to Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. There the fearless three Keith, Keifer, and Elise rafted the mighty Zambezi River and jumped off a 77 story high cliff on the gorge swing, the highest of its kind in the world! Lisa and I choose more sedate activities such as an elephant ride into the wild and shopping till we dropped!

We ended their trip with getting some important tasks done around the house that Keith needed Keifer to help with. They installed metal blinds above my stove to block out the harsh sunlight and put in a ceiling fan in our living room. There were several more projects but we decided to just rest and enjoy Keifer and Lisa’s visit which included a day in the Chobe National Park where we saw numerous animals and birds. Our day ended with an unusual sighting of three lionesses on the hunt and the big male lying in full view of our cameras watching! WOW!

Keifer brought a video camera with him and filmed their trip! Anyone who is interested in the video of their trip can contact him for a viewing.

On Friday night, December 16th, the fellowship that we are helping with participated in an outreach to the community. “Carols by Candlelight” has been held for 17 years here in Kasane, and Keith, Elise, Carrie and I were privileged to be asked to take part in this activity. There were 13 of us that sang carols as a choir in the parking lot of a local business complex. Included in the service were readings of scripture, after which Keith presented a short gospel message.

Our hearts were encouraged to see about 150 men, women, and children of various cultures meet to sing praise to God. This was the largest attendance of “Carols by Candlelight” ever! Praise God that His Word does not return void! Many who attended are not believers and we pray that the seed planted will take root and grow.

After the carols, cake, drink and candy were handed out to about 80 children who very patiently stood in line to receive these goodies.

Since this is the rainy season and we have rain almost every day, we had all been in prayer that the Lord would allow us to have this service in dry weather. He was gracious and held off the rain until the end of “Carols by Candlelight”!

The rains have begun and we are so excited about the cooler weather and much needed moisture. The land is dry and brown and the elephants, impala, warthog and other creatures are skin and bones as they wait for the rains to bring new vegetation to life.

After days of triple digit heat, the cooler weather of 66 to 70 degrees finds me wearing a sweater. Yes, my blood is beginning to thin and I find it chilly to sit on the verandah while it is raining and the wind is blowing.

The local farmers are also rejoicing as the rain has softened the ground and added moisture for
their plowing and planting season. We pray it will be a good rainy season and that the crops will be plentiful this year.

Our yard is looking so refreshed after the heat. It is wonderful to wake to the sound of falling rain and see the grass and plants drinking in the water. In Botswana, a desert country, rain is highly prized. The currency is called “Pula” the word for rain. When one wants to call out a blessing, one shouts “Pula”! Yes, it truly is the life of this country and we thank God that we are having “pula” fall on our dry, dusty village.

Our daily prayers are that God’s mercy may be seen in His rain falling on the just and the unjust. We pray that we can be His people of blessing here in our village and bring the much needed love and mercy of God to these people whose spirits are dry and dusty from the lack of “living water”.