A good week, yes.

Wow, what a great week it's been! It has gone so fast, and now I'm in CAPE TOWN for 10 days, good times :) So, it's that time of the week again... reflection time. Here are a few kewl things that have stood out this week, again, I left it a bit late, so despite my efforts to remember, I may still have forgotten what has happened in the last week and a bit. I'll break it down day by day as best as I can though, just because!

LAST WEEKEND (haha, ok so I'm grouping the first few days) - I was in Mthatha again. On Saturday I met with 5 other comm service Physios who are working in the "Greater Mthatha Area". We had lunch and then went out for some drinks (for free), and it was so good to see fellow Physios! I actually knew 4 of them already, which was a super bonus! Oh, and did I mention I didn't have to pay for anything, hehe.

All us "Physio Comm Serves" from Mthatha, Zithulele, Canzibe... And Eugine (a senior Physio from Mthatha) rocking Mthatha Spur baby!

MONDAY: This was a kewl day, I spent it running around adjusting Wheelchairs and Crutches etc. I LOVE being able to "fix" things, I nearly studied engineering you know ;)

TUESDAY: It rained. So, that means we didn't have many patients because it is miserable and sometimes impossible to get to the hospital when the roads are wet and flooded! It was an awsome day though, I ended up designing and building Push-Up blocks for the department, to use with our patients... It was great fun; sawing and nailing and painting and all that, I love challenges! Here's a photo, ja, I might be boasting a bit...

These are my awsome-amazing-incredible blocks! Pretty impressive - Physio friends, APPRECIATE.

This is OT Shannon, she tried out my blocks... it's not that easy to "lift and hold" for a photo, it's true, especially when you are holding sheer awsomeness in your own two hands.

WEDNESDAY: I did home visits! Me, Lisa, and our rehab assistant Sandi went to 2 huts. And then me and Sandi trekked my poor bakkie over terrible terrain to a 3rd hut at the end of the day. Wow, what a eye-opener! The homes we visited were not on the side of the road, so we had to park our car and hike. It was so great to walk over those hills, so beautiful and green. That day I learnt a very important lesson... If you make effort to get to know the locals culture, they accept you and love you! By the time we left the first hut, they were asking us to come back and visit :) At the 3rd home visit, one of the girls was grinding mielies while I was doing my assessment of her grandmother who had a stroke... I asked if they would teach me how to do it, so there i was, on my knees, trying to grind mielies. It was priceless, the more I tried the more they laughed! And at one stage while I was grinding those rock/granite/steel-hard kernels, I looked up, to see about 15 little black faces crowded around and looking down at me laughing away! I must say, it may be my best memory and most embarrassing moment there so far :) We also managed to get our usual ultimate frisbee in after work (and it was all the "extremists" playing, so it was really fun) and Cell group that evening, which was incredibly encouraging!

One of the homes we visited... note token chicken in the hut. It jumped up onto and pooped on EVERYTHING!

THURSDAY: So me and OT Jess are taking 4 guys using wheelchairs to a disabled-persons race in George next month, to participate (google OCC if you want more info, it is a great initiative)... In order to go though we needed funding. SOOOO, that's where me and Mute came in (Mute is, like, team captain for the basketball and the racing team). We spent a few hours in the afternoon driving around asking "businesses" for sponsorship. It wasn't going very well, until the last stop. It was waaaay over the hills in an area I had never been to (Tafelehashe), and Mute said that there was a "white man" there who had a huge warehouse type outlet who was very generous to everyone, and Mute was sure he would help us. Sure enough, Peter gave us a donation of R1000, my goodness, enough to cover all our expenses... a great success of a day yes, thank you Peter!

Mute, the man! He got us the funding to make their trip to George possible, whoo hoo, Outenique Challenge here we come!!!

FRIDAY: This was a busy day; a prayer run with Karen before work, a Grand ward round and tea with the doctors, a meeting, and DGs (disability Grant assessment day)... So it was hard work. We had a meeting with 2 other therapy departments, from Madweleni (1 hour away) and Canzibe (about 2 hours away)... it was so great to touch base and build friendships with the hospital staff around us! We have some exciting possible group projects planned :)

So now I am in Cape Town for 10 days, attending a Wheelchair Seating Course and a friends' (Michele) wedding next weekend, but that's next weeks blog :) Oh, I let it slide with my Xhosa this week, I can't think of any new phrases off the top of my head now, I feel so ashamEd, i will do better next week!

I have really, REALLY been trying to meditate on this scripture this week... it has been a huge source of encouragement to me, helping me daily to try and live a life of godliness and righteousness.. A life that is "worthy of the calling" we as Christians have received, and what an incredible Calling it is, to love and serve God WHEREVER we are!

"1As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope when you were called— 5one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all."

Ephesians 4:1-6