Monday, January 29, 2007.....This morning, we got early, joined Danny and Martha on the observation platform and had our coffee. After coffee, we loaded up all our suitcases and headed back to the main camp. We will now be staying exclusively at the main camp now. After we arrived, we went into the small quaint town of Mokopena to get groceries for the team. Mishael, Becky Young, Barbara and I went. It took awhile for us to buy a week's worth of food for about 20 people. We returned around 2:30pm and Danny, Martha and Josiah went back to Rustenburg so Josiah could go to school this week. Today is Mishael's 36th birthday. The team went out at 4pm in the safari truck to view the farm and see some animals. Barbara and Mishael prepared the dinner for tonight of zucchini casserole. It was yummy. After dinner, everyone went into the lodge and each one of the leaders gave their testimony. There were some interesting things and very uplifting testimonies.
Tuesday, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, TONY, we called and left a message and our yearly song......Up early for breakfast and devotions and while the team went about their classes, I got with Johann and discussed putting in a double sink in the kitchen. They had a sink to use but it was too large. So, he will sell what he has and buy one that will fit. Later in the morning, Johann, Joe, Barbara and I went to a piece of property close by to view a paintball field. Joe is thinking of taking the team out for a game of paintball. After lunch, the team started working on the skits and dramas and we helped with the Walk of Life skit. Around 5pm, Joe, Mishael. Barbara and I went out
on the Quads and took a look at the farm. This was the first time on quad bike for both Barbara and I. We were out about an hour going over a lot of the property. It was a lot of fun. We got to see just a few of the animals....blue wildebeests, blesboks, and zebras. We came back dirty but had a good time. Dinner was home-made pizza and breadsticks......yummy. After dinner, we sat outside, under the stars and we heard the testimonies of the NOMADS. It was neat to hear what they have been through and what brought these young people to South Africa and what they want to accomplish in their lives. Good Stuff! We had a birthday celebration for one of the NOMADS...Dustin. Then, bedtime.
Wednesday....This morning, we slept in until 7am. We had breakfast, had our devotions and ready to start the day. I decided I need to walk (I've been getting lazy). So, I started walking around a few of the roads close to the base camp. I walked about 5K. Then I had a bright idea. I talked Barbara into going on a nature hike to a “hide” (what the South Africans call a hunting blind). I thought it was about ¼ mile away. Barbara said OK. We started out and it was probably a
good mile! Anyway, she stayed with me and we arrived at the hide. We disturbed a herd of blue wildebeests drinking at the pond. We went into the hide and waited for them to come back. But they didn't. We started back and saw some elans and some warthogs in the distance. After returning, we went into the class where Joe was teaching about HIV/AIDS in Africa. It is phenomenal how fast the epidemic is growing in this part of the world. Next, lunch and then we watched the NOMADS (Interns) practicing their skits and dramas. We enjoyed watching them as they worked hard. Dinner was good, a chicken and rice casserole. The meals have been great. Becky Young is a great cook. After dinner was a free night so there were several games going on including Canasta which, of course, Barbara jumped right in. The evening was fun. A little later to bed. O yeah...tonight started our 24-hour fasting period.....from sundown to sundown tomorrow.
Thursday....Up early again. Johann asked if Barbara and I could help with some things and so we started. All of the game park books (in binders) needed to have game-design covers put on them. They are trying to get the park and office spruced up a little before new people come in. They are also going to have annual board meeting this weekend. Johann wanted me to install a dropped ceiling in the office. The ceiling is open to the corrugated metal roofing and the office stays hot. I had to wait until Johann returned with some of the framing wood so he asked me to go up to Shikwaru camp and switch out some of the sprinklers to water the lawn. He had started it and you have to physically change the sprinkler heads. Of course, I had to ride the quad bikes. It is about a fifteen minute drive and you can see the animals along the way. On the way up, I saw some impalas and elans. This was during the heat of the day, so most of the animals were bank in the bushes staying cool. After I spent an hour or so watering, I headed back and saw the impalas along with some warthogs, with babies. After I returned, Johann had gotten the framing wood and he and I started. We got all of the frame up and he had to leave. I finished leveling the frame as the beams are not square or level. I had to insert a lot of shims to get it level. I got tired easy as we didn't eat anything today....just drinking water. After sundown, we broke the fast with a pulled pork sandwich and salad. Tonight is movie night and we watched “The End Of The Spear”. Late to bed again tonight.
Friday......Barbara was given more binders and material to complete the book covers. I started installing the ceiling tile. It is quite different than what is used back in the States. The first row is the hardest since everything goes off it. If that row is bad then the rest will be bad. It took us awhile and we finally got it. It takes three people to put up each row because of the length (the tiles are approximately 2 feet wide my 12 feet long).I even had Barbara in with helping put up the tiles. Of course, they don't have the tools and everything is measure in metric. After the second tile, I had to take down the florescent light fixture before we could hang the third row. I hung it and then Rheanna (Johann's wife) brought a ceiling fan and wanted to see if I could install it. I said sure so I had to remove the third row and beef up the area where the fan would hang. It was a long process because they didn't have the right electrical box. Danny and Martha arrived and Danny pitched right in and helped me or we were helping each other. We made do and finally got the fan put together and hung. Once we re-routed the electrical and switched it on....it didn't work. Dinner time, so we stopped and had our dinner. We went back to the job and started tracing the wires and, after an hour, we found a loose connection. The fan is now working, with lights, and three rows of tile is completed. We ran out of tile material so Johann will go into town tomorrow to pick up the rest of the materials. Tonight is another free night. The interns are working hard with the classes and training so they throw in a few free nights as not to burn them out. So, Barbara is playing some card game with the kids and I am doing a lot of catching up on this blog. Sorry that it taken so long to update. Good night!
Love and Blessings,
DAD and MOM
Jerry and Barbara
Tuesday, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, TONY, we called and left a message and our yearly song......Up early for breakfast and devotions and while the team went about their classes, I got with Johann and discussed putting in a double sink in the kitchen. They had a sink to use but it was too large. So, he will sell what he has and buy one that will fit. Later in the morning, Johann, Joe, Barbara and I went to a piece of property close by to view a paintball field. Joe is thinking of taking the team out for a game of paintball. After lunch, the team started working on the skits and dramas and we helped with the Walk of Life skit. Around 5pm, Joe, Mishael. Barbara and I went out
on the Quads and took a look at the farm. This was the first time on quad bike for both Barbara and I. We were out about an hour going over a lot of the property. It was a lot of fun. We got to see just a few of the animals....blue wildebeests, blesboks, and zebras. We came back dirty but had a good time. Dinner was home-made pizza and breadsticks......yummy. After dinner, we sat outside, under the stars and we heard the testimonies of the NOMADS. It was neat to hear what they have been through and what brought these young people to South Africa and what they want to accomplish in their lives. Good Stuff! We had a birthday celebration for one of the NOMADS...Dustin. Then, bedtime.Wednesday....This morning, we slept in until 7am. We had breakfast, had our devotions and ready to start the day. I decided I need to walk (I've been getting lazy). So, I started walking around a few of the roads close to the base camp. I walked about 5K. Then I had a bright idea. I talked Barbara into going on a nature hike to a “hide” (what the South Africans call a hunting blind). I thought it was about ¼ mile away. Barbara said OK. We started out and it was probably a
good mile! Anyway, she stayed with me and we arrived at the hide. We disturbed a herd of blue wildebeests drinking at the pond. We went into the hide and waited for them to come back. But they didn't. We started back and saw some elans and some warthogs in the distance. After returning, we went into the class where Joe was teaching about HIV/AIDS in Africa. It is phenomenal how fast the epidemic is growing in this part of the world. Next, lunch and then we watched the NOMADS (Interns) practicing their skits and dramas. We enjoyed watching them as they worked hard. Dinner was good, a chicken and rice casserole. The meals have been great. Becky Young is a great cook. After dinner was a free night so there were several games going on including Canasta which, of course, Barbara jumped right in. The evening was fun. A little later to bed. O yeah...tonight started our 24-hour fasting period.....from sundown to sundown tomorrow.
Thursday....Up early again. Johann asked if Barbara and I could help with some things and so we started. All of the game park books (in binders) needed to have game-design covers put on them. They are trying to get the park and office spruced up a little before new people come in. They are also going to have annual board meeting this weekend. Johann wanted me to install a dropped ceiling in the office. The ceiling is open to the corrugated metal roofing and the office stays hot. I had to wait until Johann returned with some of the framing wood so he asked me to go up to Shikwaru camp and switch out some of the sprinklers to water the lawn. He had started it and you have to physically change the sprinkler heads. Of course, I had to ride the quad bikes. It is about a fifteen minute drive and you can see the animals along the way. On the way up, I saw some impalas and elans. This was during the heat of the day, so most of the animals were bank in the bushes staying cool. After I spent an hour or so watering, I headed back and saw the impalas along with some warthogs, with babies. After I returned, Johann had gotten the framing wood and he and I started. We got all of the frame up and he had to leave. I finished leveling the frame as the beams are not square or level. I had to insert a lot of shims to get it level. I got tired easy as we didn't eat anything today....just drinking water. After sundown, we broke the fast with a pulled pork sandwich and salad. Tonight is movie night and we watched “The End Of The Spear”. Late to bed again tonight.
Friday......Barbara was given more binders and material to complete the book covers. I started installing the ceiling tile. It is quite different than what is used back in the States. The first row is the hardest since everything goes off it. If that row is bad then the rest will be bad. It took us awhile and we finally got it. It takes three people to put up each row because of the length (the tiles are approximately 2 feet wide my 12 feet long).I even had Barbara in with helping put up the tiles. Of course, they don't have the tools and everything is measure in metric. After the second tile, I had to take down the florescent light fixture before we could hang the third row. I hung it and then Rheanna (Johann's wife) brought a ceiling fan and wanted to see if I could install it. I said sure so I had to remove the third row and beef up the area where the fan would hang. It was a long process because they didn't have the right electrical box. Danny and Martha arrived and Danny pitched right in and helped me or we were helping each other. We made do and finally got the fan put together and hung. Once we re-routed the electrical and switched it on....it didn't work. Dinner time, so we stopped and had our dinner. We went back to the job and started tracing the wires and, after an hour, we found a loose connection. The fan is now working, with lights, and three rows of tile is completed. We ran out of tile material so Johann will go into town tomorrow to pick up the rest of the materials. Tonight is another free night. The interns are working hard with the classes and training so they throw in a few free nights as not to burn them out. So, Barbara is playing some card game with the kids and I am doing a lot of catching up on this blog. Sorry that it taken so long to update. Good night!
Love and Blessings,
DAD and MOM
Jerry and Barbara
posted by Jerry Northcutt @ 12:17 PM
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