Saying Goodbye PART 1: an update on Nov-Dec 2010

Wow, it's been just about 3 months since my last blog post... The problem is, it takes AGES to upload all the photos, so blogging ends up taking like 5 hours. and let's be honest, who has 5 hours to spare!? But, I haven't blogged in 3 months. The guilt is eating me up, so I decided to fill you all in on my life before Kayleigh or Lisa start sending me hate mail again :)

IT'S 2011!!! And it's already half way through January, wow. A lot has happened since last time I wrote, too much to actually fill you all in on, so I thought I'd just put on a few photos with captions, and that will pretty much sum up the end of 2010:


1) BULUNGULA WEEKEND AWAY

So, a group of us from the hospital decided to go away for the weekend to a backpackers about 90min down the coast, called Bulungula. It is a great place! Beautifully situated right on the beach, and very environmentally friendly. The toilets are all compost toilets (no flushing, just put sand in the loo after you are finished), the showers are run on gas (you light your own shower and get 7 minutes of warm water), and all kitchen waste gets put in various bins for compost or recycling. We ended off the weekend with a 5 hour hike back to the hospital :)


SPOONS: In the evening we all played a card game called "Spoons"... This is the common room, sitting area. A very chilled, friendly atmosphere with couches, books to read, and a help-yourself-but-put-it-on-the-tab bar and snacks counter.


Me, Gillian, Katy, Uncle Tony and student Karl decided to go canoeing.


After canoeing we had to hike up to the "town" for lunch... The locals have business initiatives in connection with the backpackers, and in this instance, a lady made pancakes in her hut and we then sat outside on mats eating after the long canoe trip!


BULUNGULA BACKPACKERS... student Karl and Project Trust volunteer Katy are racing outside to pick up a spoon and be crowned "King" of the card game.


2) MDUMBI WEEKEND AWAY WITH THE CHURCH SINGLES

The singles and students from church went up the coast for a weekend away at another backpackers called Mdumbi. This backpackers was also right on the beach, and we had a great time playing volleyball and soccer, swimming, eating together, having a church service and relaxing! Angela, Gillian, Katy and Asanda came with, and we had a lot of fun exploring and trying to make Zithulele famous :)


The beach :)


Gillian, Angela, Me and Katy outside our chalet


Katy, Angela, Me and Thabs on our way to the beach


Cooking in the kitchen...


Fun and games on the beach...


3) WORK

I took and few wheelchair guys to play a basketball game against Madwaleni Hospital. It was a very wet trip, and we got stuck in the mud more than once, but it was super fun and the guys enjoyed it loads... Mute even got his first imprompto driving lesson so he could reverse the car out of the mud (with one foot and one crutch) while me and a few locals helped push!


Phew, just after we got out of the second mud pool! Note my incredible wheelchair stacking abilities in the back :)


Some of the basketball guys.


4) LINDS AND THE AIMERS CAME TO THE TRANSKEI

Towards the end of December Shoni, Linds and the AIM team (Baron, Trev, Ariel, Moriah, Kalen, Schwenn, Susan) came to Hole in the Wall for a few days holiday. It was so great to show them my playground and I'm glad to say that a couple of them left with a new-found love for my little South African Eden and it's residents :)


Of course, me and Linds took them on our favourite nearby hiking route to coffee bay...


The team, just outside Coffee Bay


Pizza at Pappazellas in Coffee Bay


The long walk back...


5) CHRISTMAS, NEW YEARS, AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN

Me and the AIMer crew went to the Lambert's for Christmas. Jean was kind enough to invite us despite our big crazy presence and it was a really great weekend. This year was my first Christmas away from home, and I was quite sad to be spending it away from my family, but The Lambert's Christmas made me forget all about that and I was so grateful to be included in their celebrations. It was a fun evening with amazing food, about 10 different desserts, great conversation and an incredible Christmas vibe :) JEAN LAMBERT DID IT AGAIN!!!
The next weekend me and Linds went to the Lambert's holiday house for new years. Getting there was interesting because it had been raining a lot... we drove through about 5 rivers and slipped and slid all over the place - high 5 for new adventures! It was an exciting trip, and that pretty much set the tone for the weekend... good food, good company! We celebrated the new year by playing poker, 30 seconds and darts, and just really enjoyed meeting new faces (there were loads of people there), exploring new beaches, and eating a lot of gooooood home-made pot bread!


HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!


The couch potatoes, struggling to make it to midnight!


The serious poker players... I chose to leave the game - I couldn't handle the heat!


Random people marching and singing down the road!


Hmmm, too deep to cross? I think not! Although, coming back, the nose of my car did take a dive, literally.


6) OTHER RANDOM STUFF AT WORK
The last few months of work went buy so quickly. The department was busy, and when I had a few minutes to spare I was on my computer writing reports for my projects so that they could be continued in 2011. As always, God worked through the chaos! I was able to really invest in some patients, particularly a man in the wards who I spent a lot of time with, speaking about his family, himself, praying etc... It always amazes me how God is able to work and make Himself known.


Oh, and, we ate fried Chicken feet!

Well, that's all I have time to blog about now, all in all, it was, as usual, an incredible last few months... God is so good. I'll blog a "Part 2" soon, about my trip back to PE and life back here (for those of you who do not know, I am going to be working in PE for the next 6 months). I am starting my new job tomorrow, please pray that that goes well :)