MERRY CHRISTMAS...

Below is the txt I sent w/ my C'mas e-card (or will send, when our connection is fixed..)to my friends in Nigeria...but the wish goes out to all of you just the same..:

Wishing you a relaxing & invigorating Christmas season & a thrilling New Year w/ Jesus..

My prayers are with you that this year will be a combination of your hopes & heart’s desires come true, as well as your destiny realized.

I’ll be praying for your health, safety & prosperity (those practical things that we all need) as well as for those of your family.

God willing, I’ll be seeing many of you sometime soon. Even though I haven’t been there w/ all of you over the last several months, I wanted to also say thank you again for your help & support to Family Care Eduvision’s missionary & humanitarian projects over the course of this year. May God continue to bless you & repay you for your generosity & kindness.

Merry Christmas,

Brian

Today's infostore quote..

The humble are not afraid because they’ve already accepted that they are nothing, that they know nothing, and can do nothing without Me and without the love and help of others.
--Jesus

Euro pics!

Had a great time w/ my fam in Europe..1 week in the UK, 1 week in Belgium..

My sister Lisa came down from Iceland & Phebe & her son, Dorian (who I met for the 1st time), came across the ocean from Atlanta(GA)..

Some photographical evidence follows:

Looking further..

while out on my trip (just the 24 hour travel from S.A. to UK), apart from enjoyable flights & silly musings at the Cairo airport, I had a good look at a lot of people & noticed a few things..

--a lot of them looked very sad..many looked downright miserable..

--saw at least 3 people crying at different airports that day (I'm not talking about goodbyes)..I prayed for each of them that God would touch their lives & give them lasting happiness..

--saw a blind girl busking at the train station when I got off in West Dulwich..It was freezing cold that day, but there she was singing a rather pretty sounding opera & even smiling, although she couldn't see (or make a decent living)..

As I myself was exhausted (virtually sleepless night that first Jo'berg/Cairo flight), lugging around large suitcase up flights of stairs, juggling change, calls, tickets, oyster, etc. I didn't really stop for people that day, but more committed them to the Lord in prayer..

The conclusion is that it was yet another confirmation of the sad state of so many in the world today. It's all I can do to keep plodding along & try to encourage those I come across every day..(as I did only thru prayer that day)..it's no wonder I've chosen the life I have..

Random lounge thots conjured at Cairo airport...

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(Tues morning, 17th of November)

After landing in Cairo (en route to London--don't ask) at 5:00 a.m., while having my breakfast at one of the airport cafeterias, I came up w/ the following:

--It’s roughly 5.20 Egyptian pounds to the dollar, if you wanted to know..

--On the back of the cafeteria crew’s t-shirts: “I’m here for you!” That just cracked me up. Why not something more tame like “I can help” (I guess Wal-Mart took that one)?..

--Was tempted to have “Egyptian sweets” but due to the fact that I’d sampled most of the same “varieties” at Small World (Lagos) earlier this year & felt like “food-food”, I Settled on Fresh strawberry juice & Ham & cheese Bagel (mouthwatering?)..Plus, how I could hurry to “dive” into the culture, when I hadn’t even left the airport?

--Is it too much to ask for a view of the pyramids while one dines on Egyptian goodies? Apparently. No such fortune for me. They’re probably not even visible from the airport at all, but I wouldn’t know, as, because I’m in transit, I’m only allowed in terminal 2.

--Irony: The internet (which is free) isn’t working in terminal 2 today. Only terminal’s 1 & 3. We have repairs & Murphy to thank for that.

--I noticed in the airport staff interactings that Egyptians are quite lively people. Similar to Italians, or Lebanese. I guess Egypt also sits on the Mediterranean.

--I shall have to return one day to see the many sites of my possible fore-fore-fore ("Are you through?" "Great-great Aunt!"--Tell me you got that..) fathers..

P.S. Egyptian music videos remind me of “Bollywood love songs”.

P.P.S. I hesitate to say Egyptian yet again, lest I turn it myself..

Drakensburg, oh Drakensburg..

A small part of the gorgeous grounds we stayed on..

breathtaking Drakensburg area...




The hike:

No joke!--better sign!

myself, Tiago & Samuel...

Feeling the power of the mountain..
Feeling accomplished after our climb we "pause to pose" at the summit (well, near summit anyway)..


How to successfully become a horsewhisperer in 4 easy steps:

Step 1: Approach horse slowly--whispering!

Step 2: Stroke horse gently while whispering (even if only to yourself quietly--you MUST whisper).

Step 3: After having successfully befriended said whisperee, give it some grass to solidify the friendship (whispering at this point is optional..)


Step 4: If man/horse bond doesn't prove permanant, simply switch horses & start the "whisper" process from scratch.

Happy Whispering!

Finally..

Leilani & myself..we were in the same group..

A casual photo shoot (is that one word?) by the "willow"..

w/ the PMA/CGO team getting my certificate...

Steve films while we enjoy the near sunset..


"Yaaaaaayyy!!!"...it's just the beginning, really..

Back online!

Well, after almost 2 weeks of the phone line being down after being struck by lightning (long story), Telkom finally got in gear & restored the line..

So that means I can finally post those pics..but the connection's still a little slow & my computer's acting up slightly, so let's see how things go..

So much going on here in the last couple days. A lot of the ones usually around here travelled, so I'm the only driver right now, so if it's not pick-ups, then it's "drop-offs", or OR or FR or some other r..

Anyways, thus my abscence..(or former abscence rather..)..

Welcome back (he said to himself)!

PMA grad.

The PMA (Professional Missionary Academy) 2009 semester came to a close by the last week of September..

The Africa students (of which I was proud to be one of) were treated to a week-long retreat & excursion/activity time..it was pretty far-out...

Pics coming soon..

Crash!

You'll never know when your life can just end..

We lost dear Jacob & Gansan (our 2 faithful house-help, who were more like brothers in the Lord) after they were hit by a car the Saturday before last (9 days back)..

The suddenness of the event was such a shock to us all..

I'm telling you, your life & spirit will change when you lose someone. Now I'm contemplating life again & everything comes to focus, as far as what's worth living for & what's not. It makes you want to treat every day as a gift. You look at everything & everyone so differently.

Sorrow so has it's uses, I'm starting to see. You lean on Jesus & you appreciate your bretheren like never before.

Please pray for the families of these 2 (they both have a young wife & 2 small children each), that they'll be comforted & look to Heaven during this time.