NEW BLOG ALERT

It's time for a revamp on my blog so I'm setting up a new one.

From now on my blog will be posted on :

http://carolinesadventuresinsouthafrica.blogspot.com

So, check in there from now on for what's happening!

bye!

Hectic

'Hectic' seems to be my word of the moment.

Everything seems to be hectic.
Last week was hectic with busy workshops and meetings.
I had a horrible journey back as I felt so ill, tried to sleep on the plane but sleep eluded me so I just moped around instead, thankfully only a 2 hour flight!
But a good dose of sleep and strong antibiotics, plus the most disgusting sour-tasting cough mixture I've ever experienced is slowly working to heal my long-standing cough so I hope I'll be completely fine soon (after about 6 weeks of feeling rough I'm starting to forget what that feels like)

And spiritually things are hectic as well this week. It's like a never-ending rollercoaster of great times with God and then WHAMM! Massive spiritual attack in various forms, some subtle, some not so subtle. I'm rapidly approaching, or may have even hit, the end of my strength and then it's just God coming in to sustain me... which He does, thankfully :-)

HJ & Michael and I have changed churches and now go to an Anglican church in Kloof, which happens to be the S.African base for New Wine Networks, which is really cool. Lots of young people, very vibrant and lively church with lots of Holy Spirit ministry. Have joined a Young Adults Small group too which was very powerful, deep and refreshing...

This weekend is going to be a significant one, there's a prominent Christian Songwriter - Lenny LeBlanc - leading a live worship evening on Friday, followed by a Quiet Day in the hills with church on Saturday (good for regaining perspective...), and all of that BEFORE the Sunday services! Pray that God moves powerfully in me this weekend and for some guidance as I'm trudging through a sludgy path towards being fed up and depressed at the moment and it would be good to get some renewed vision and energy for living a victorious life out here. I hope I'll have lots of amazing stuff to write up next week!

Rain needed...

Some provinces in this country are reporting drought conditions and maize crop failures.

Not good.

It has been incredibly hot here in the vineyards this week, with no sign of rain.

It's amazing how relieved you feel when it actually does rain, some relief from the blue skies and never-ending sunshine. It's too hot to sunbathe!

Not that I have time for sunbathing... I may have been staying in a pleasant guest house with inviting swimming pool (as most places here boast) but this week I've been working really hard, from 9-5 at least EVERY DAY!

It's been a fascinating ride looking at a concept called 'Intervention Mapping' for planning Life-skills programmes. As someone who has not been through a development degree, this is all very useful stuff and practical and I'm looking forward to seeing how to implement this for projects as GGA.

I am looking forward to getting back 'home' to GGA on the weekend though, I miss the kids..

... and I've run out of cough medecine with no sign of an improvement in my cough, sore throat situation. It might have to be yet another dose of antibiotics on Monday... one thing I really dislike are these South African bugs who don't like Brits! One day my body will be acclimatised to this country (probably the day before I move back to the UK!)