tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38004115893322830522024-03-14T07:19:27.104+02:00Life in Africa!Fun stories about living and working as missionaries in Southern Africa.Janell's bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13861922116656863972noreply@blogger.comBlogger80125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3800411589332283052.post-88698624955101145752011-05-10T15:36:00.009+02:002011-05-10T15:54:30.512+02:00Our April...Before I jump into all the incredible things God has done in the last three weeks, I need to interject a few business things first in case a few of you don’t read to the end of this note.<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HVaVACerxZA/TclCIWeyEQI/AAAAAAAAAlY/m0h4QIu7zvw/s1600/dollar%2Bsign.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 116px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 160px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5605083922480369922" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HVaVACerxZA/TclCIWeyEQI/AAAAAAAAAlY/m0h4QIu7zvw/s200/dollar%2Bsign.jpg" /></a>This month (May) is the last month for you all to give to our ministry needs through One Challenge Int (OC). As of next month (June 1st) please <em><strong>stop</strong></em> giving through OC and <em><strong>begin</strong></em> giving to us through donations to Overland Missions.<br /><br />As you continue to support us financially or if you would like to begin investing into our ministry with Overland, would you please direct your financial support with the designation “3074” (our new account number) in the memo line, payable to:<br /><br />Overland Missions<br />P.O. Box 566<br />Cape Canaveral, FL 32920<br /><a href="https://www.overlandmissions.com/donate/secure.php">https://www.overlandmissions.com/donate/secure.php</a><br /><br />USA Office: <a href="mailto:office@overlandmissions.com">office@overlandmissions.com</a><br />Phone: 1-321-452-9696<br /><br />We expect our overhead costs to decrease moving forward, but in the next few months we have some significant expenses ahead with regards to our big international move. Even if you are not a regular contributor, will you please consider giving a one-time gift to help with our moving costs? It would be a tremendous blessing for us – thank you!! (if you have any questions about the process, please email us at <a href="mailto:danielhartley@oci.org">danielhartley@oci.org</a>)<br /><br /><strong>Easter Conference in Bloemfontein </strong><br />We had an amazing week away at our church’s Easter Conference (aka The Kings Feast). Dan had been working on administrative pieces for this for around 6 months and it was incredible to see how everything came together. We hosted two international worship leaders and once again were blessed by a former Shiite Muslim’s words of encouragement and exhortation as the main speaker. On Easter Sunday, we had a time of unbroken worship that lasted from 7am-9pm with various worship teams taking turns leading. It was a fantastic time of encouragement and refreshment with other believers! There was some beautiful worshipful art paintings done and several people were healed by prayer. Amazing! <br /><div><br /><div><br /><br /><div></div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 266px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5605083237524072338" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kY1HRfc3NK8/TclBge0eZ5I/AAAAAAAAAlI/R30g3ICKgw4/s400/boy%2Bworshipping.JPG" /> <strong>A Sister in Town<br /></strong>A few hours after getting home from the conference, I drove to the airport to pick up my sister Julie. Some of you may be thinking, “wait, didn’t she just visit you in Oct last year??” I am delighted to announce that my sister Julie has also joined Overland Missions and is going through their Advanced Missions Training for the May – July class. (We will be in the Sept – Nov class) She flew in a week early to spend some time with our family before flying up to Zambia. I can’t tell you how amazing it will be to be able to do ministry with my sister in the future – I can’t wait!<br /></div><br /><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 225px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5605083241999040882" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9Vljp99MwE0/TclBgvfZAXI/AAAAAAAAAlQ/dh6wBnRNaOs/s400/sister%2Bpic.JPG" /> We have been slowly phasing out of formal ministry as we prepare for the BIG CHANGE. (Moving to Zambia) We have a few more things Dan is helping with at the church, but the month of May is largely for us to focus on our big <em>To Do List</em>. We gave notice for our rental house and our home has to be completely packed up by the end of this month. We also have a few other big things on our list like updating our will, researching and signing up for a new insurance company, setting a new missionary budget, updating our address database…all of which are rather time consuming. We have some incredible friends who have offered to come and help us pack or to play with our kids so we can pack uninterrupted. This will be a life-saver! However, PLEASE PRAY FOR US, especially in the next 3 weeks. I know we can do it, but it looks a little overwhelming right now. Here is a picture of my two cute moving assistants.</div><br /><div><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 332px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5605084829784877362" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nIXPoMyMsBs/TclC9KdCKTI/AAAAAAAAAlg/yfE0SuPNAQU/s400/kids%2Bon%2Ba%2Blog.jpg" />Then, after that…we are still working out the details. The month of June we expect to be bouncing around a little bit. Our goal is to spend some quality time with ministry partners at each of the construction projects Dan has helped with. We hope to do more work in Swaziland for a couple days with the Chomba family at Hope House, spend time in Nelspruit with the Mongwes at Impilo Orphan Village, and then up in Temba at House of Hope with Bill Rapier. For one week, some people we barely know at church have given us a week’s vacation all paid at their time share in Mpumalanga. We also have been invited to go hunting at some friend’s game farm in the Eastern Cape for a week. Those two weeks are going to be incredibly needed by then I think! It will be great to have some quality family time as we prepare to transition.<br /><br />Although this may be subject to change, based on what we know now, we <em>think</em> that we will drive up to Zambia sometime the second week of July. We are so excited that you are with us on this journey!<br /><br />Thank you for all your prayers.<br /><br />Janell for our family </div></div>Janell's bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13861922116656863972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3800411589332283052.post-85405625829432000362011-04-17T19:56:00.002+02:002011-04-17T20:03:04.899+02:00Easter Camp<span xmlns=""><span style="color:#0070c0;">Thanks for your prayers for us this week. Our week was full of unexciting things like updating our database, researching insurance companies and errand running. Sometimes even missionaries have boring weeks! We are preparing for our church's Easter Conference (April 21-27), we also participated in part of a worship conference, and hosted a Zambian missionary at our home for a couple nights this week, so we had a few fun things interspersed in there. </span></span><span xmlns=""><span style="color:#0070c0;"></span></span><span xmlns="">
<br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-H99l4Fjphfg/Tasqs0Nd-wI/AAAAAAAAAk4/lsPT0yqAnio/s1600/m%2Bbunny.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 180px; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596613911355718402" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-H99l4Fjphfg/Tasqs0Nd-wI/AAAAAAAAAk4/lsPT0yqAnio/s320/m%2Bbunny.JPG" /></a> <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jOIQEx-8CuQ/TasqtRkJN9I/AAAAAAAAAlA/p0X9mriuYI8/s1600/t%2Bbunny.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 180px; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596613919235454930" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jOIQEx-8CuQ/TasqtRkJN9I/AAAAAAAAAlA/p0X9mriuYI8/s320/t%2Bbunny.JPG" /></a>
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<br /><p><span style="color:#0070c0;">Easter Conference (also known as The King's Feast) is a special time where anyone who is a member of the churches belonging to our network can come and hear some international speakers and have some incredible times of worship. They will come from Zambia, Zimbabwe, and all over South Africa. It has always been a super special time. In the past month, it seems like God has been showing His goodness in some pretty tangible ways to people at our church – it will be amazing to celebrate all together! </span></p>
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<br /><p><span style="color:#0070c0;">Dan has been on the planning committee again this year and has a pretty long "to-do" list to punch out before Wednesday. Please pray that things would come together smoothly and easily. </span></p>
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<br /><p><span style="color:#0070c0;">This coming week, we would love prayer for: </span></p>
<br /><ul>
<br /><li><span style="color:#0070c0;">Safety as we travel south 4 hours to Bloemfontein with multiple trailers full of equipment. </span></li>
<br /><li><span style="color:#0070c0;">Health – the weather is changing here (it is officially COLD) and that usually brings out the sniffles in our family </span></li>
<br /><li><span style="color:#0070c0;">That we, and those attending, would learn from the Word and have an incredible time in the Lord's presence. </span></li></ul>
<br /><p><span style="color:#0070c0;"></span></p>
<br /><p><span style="color:#0070c0;">Also, we will pick up my sister Julie from the airport as we are driving back into town on the 27<sup>th</sup>. She is participating in the AMT training in Zambia with Overland Missions and will be up there on base from May-July. We are really looking forward to time with her! She is about 70% supported last I heard. If you would like to give her a one time gift to help cover her training fees – please send her an email at <a href="mailto:jfengeman@gmail.com">jfengeman@gmail.com</a> </span></p>
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<br /><p><span style="color:#0070c0;">You probably won't hear from us next weekend because we'll have limited (or no) internet service while in Bloemfontein. We are excited to tell stories and show pictures when we return. </span></p>
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<br /><p><span style="color:#0070c0;">And then in May…we start packing! Wahoo! </span></p>
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<br /><p><span style="color:#0070c0;">Dan's birthday is tomorrow (18<sup>th</sup>). Please feel free to congratulate him on aging or send him cheesy e-cards to <a href="mailto:danielhartley@oci.org">danielhartley@oci.org</a> </span></p>
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<br /><p><span style="color:#0070c0;">Smiles, </span></p>
<br /><p><span style="color:#0070c0;">Janell for our family </span></p></span></div></span>Janell's bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13861922116656863972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3800411589332283052.post-61819102327461278262011-03-25T20:49:00.010+02:002011-03-27T15:01:28.744+02:00Hartleys – BIG NEWS!<span xmlns="">For awhile now we have had a sense that God has been cultivating some plans that would completely change the direction we are currently moving in. <br /><div><br /><div><br /><div><br /><div><br /><p style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify" align="justify">We have been praying about this change for many months and have wrestled with two different options to consider for our next season of ministry. We have invested a great deal of prayer, investigation, and research into this decision and had many spiritual mentors speak into our lives as well. We have felt God's guidance and confirmation in this process and we are excited about what is ahead for our family. </p><br /><p style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify" align="justify"><span style="color:#0070c0;"><strong>We will be moving </strong></span><span style="color:#0070c0;"><strong>to Livingstone, Zambia! </p></strong></span><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-n7QB8PZZu1g/TYz2wy3AmiI/AAAAAAAAAjY/vBEOicezTh0/s1600/best%2Bafrica-Zambia-map.png"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 227px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588112555806595618" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-n7QB8PZZu1g/TYz2wy3AmiI/AAAAAAAAAjY/vBEOicezTh0/s400/best%2Bafrica-Zambia-map.png" /></a> <br /><p style="TEXT-ALIGN: center" align="justify">After 8 years of being missionaries with OC International (5 years in Africa) we feel God nudging us into something new and different. We are so thankful for all the amazing people God has brought into our lives through OC to shape us, grow us, and prepare us for this next season of ministry. Our OC teammates have walked this exploration journey with us and even though they are sad to see us go, they are incredibly supportive of our transition. We will really miss these wonderful families as well as many dear African friends. </p><br /><p style="TEXT-ALIGN: center" align="justify"></p><br /><p style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify" align="justify"></p><br /><p style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify" align="justify">We have been accepted as missionaries to <strong>Overland Missions</strong>, and have resigned from OC, effective May 31, 2011. </p><br /><p style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify" align="justify">Things in our life will be pretty different. We will be saying a lot of "goodbyes", packing up our house, selling/buying a different vehicle, and moving from the really big city with several 6 lane freeways to live in a pretty rustic environment where you light a fire under the water tank if you want a hot shower. We have intense peace about our choice and although we'll probably go through a bit of culture shock again <span style="font-family:Wingdings;">J</span> we are confident this is where God is leading us. </p><br /><p style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify" align="justify"></p><br /><p style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify" align="justify">If you have any questions about any of this, please feel free to contact us directly at <a href="mailto:danielhartley@oci.org">danielhartley@oci.org</a> or <a href="mailto:janellhartley@oci.org">janellhartley@oci.org</a> </p><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1XUKLlg_57o/TYz39JH_bfI/AAAAAAAAAjo/N0v2gMm7a78/s1600/livingstone%252C%2Bzambia.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 246px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588113867453459954" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1XUKLlg_57o/TYz39JH_bfI/AAAAAAAAAjo/N0v2gMm7a78/s320/livingstone%252C%2Bzambia.jpg" /></a> <br /><p align="justify">Here is a bit more background to our story: </p><br /><p style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify" align="justify">You might recall that three years ago on our way up to a conference in Lusaka, Zambia, our trailer was quite literally "eaten" by a pothole in Botswana, leaving the axle and trailer separated from one another. We were able to drag it a few more hours up the road and then left it with some friends on a missions base in Livingstone. We then continued another 8 hours up the road to Lusaka where we met up with the rest of our church's ministry team. After our time of ministry we headed back to retrieve what was left of our trailer. </p><br /><p style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify" align="justify">This missions base where we left the trailer was operated by Overland Missions. Our close friends also lived on base and we were going to spend some time with them as well. Much to our surprise, when we arrived on base the trailer was flipped on it's head, and pieces were in place making it look once again like a trailer. With a few more welds, it actually seemed like it would make the 20 hour pot-hole filled journey back to South Africa. </p><br /><p style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify" align="justify">The next few days were spent on base relaxing, exploring the base operations, and discovering how God was using Overland to make huge impact into the lives of Zambians who might not otherwise be reached if not for the massive 4X4 trucks they use to get into the deep bush. I (Dan) almost immediately felt as if I had found my perfect fit for ministry… not Janell. It was a little too rugged for her! </p><br /><p style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify" align="justify">Now, fast forward 2 ½ years, and I believe that the feelings I had then, are now God's intention for our family this year. We had a 6 hr meeting in January with the director of base operations/ministry and the answers he gave to our difficult questions resonated like a C Major chord within our hearts. As well, just as a bonus, the base-life is much more family friendly then it used to be (they now have electricity and houses on the base for the missionary families to live in rather than safari tents!) and Janell's spirit is in union with mine as we pursue Overland. </p><br /><p style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify" align="justify">I have been given a gift of teaching others not just with my mind, but also with my hands. I believe that I am a capacity builder for others. I am passionate about finding the potential in others and then exploring it so that their heart and mind understand who, and what God has created them for. Overland has invited me to teach their AMT course and it is a dream job for me! AMT stands for <strong><em>advanced mission training</em></strong> and is designed to train and equip someone who is interested in becoming a missionary with skills to help them minister effectively in challenging rural situations. It is a 3 month course, run 2x a year, which will teach missions theology, preaching, cross cultural communication, medical wilderness training, 3rd world country diseases, GPS navigation, expedition training, 4x4 driving course, welding, bush cooking and much more. What an amazing opportunity to impact world missions right from the starting line! </p><br /><p style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify" align="justify">You can find out more by watching the course promotion video here: <a href="http://www.overlandmissions.com/index.php?/amt/article/amt-description-new/">http://www.overlandmissions.com/index.php?/amt/article/amt-description-new/</a> </p><br /><p style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify" align="justify">During the months that the course is not running I will have the amazing opportunity to participate on evangelistic expeditions into the unreached and neglected regions of Zambia and Southern Africa. Western Zambia is an extraordinary landscape because the Zambezi River is in flood 3-6 months of the year. This isolates a huge number of people groups that settle within and west of the River. Because it is so difficult to reach by modern transportation they often receive minimal priority. These hard to reach places are where Overland wants to explore with the vision to evangelize, train pastors, teach Biblical principles and assist with social/health education. I first set foot in Zambia in 1994 and always had a portion of my heart set aside for this opportunity. I never imagined it might be so much fun experiencing the fulfillment to this dream. <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588742038517637474" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iJsizuN2z80/TY8zRgsi4WI/AAAAAAAAAkY/n8p-4o9SAqM/s320/floodplains.bmp" /></p><br /><p style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify" align="justify">(the picture above is the Zambezi flood plains at sunset from our Zambia trip in 2010) </p><br /><p style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify" align="justify">We are not sure exactly what Janell will end up doing, but her first priority will be our children and then there will always opportunities to assist with projects around the base. There will also be times of mentoring / coaching needed for the gals who will be going through AMT and that is her favorite thing! She will have these opportunities and more to have great loving influence into the lives of women as well as into the "life" of Overland. She is an amazing mother and the model she will live, out of her love for God and others will speak much louder than any seminar could ever accomplish. <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 343px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 297px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588742040678481826" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EXNa1qEXxnw/TY8zRovuv6I/AAAAAAAAAkQ/SmhdjJNDmxQ/s320/base%2Band%2B4x4.jpg" /></p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588117829267951538" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pkA5WNKkjXw/TYz7jwCLD7I/AAAAAAAAAjw/eGITNdOslZM/s320/8th%2Bannv%2Bat%2Bgorge%2BOM.bmp" /> <br /><p style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify" align="justify">We know that we are only seeing a partial glimpse into our future but we are very excited about what is ahead for our family! Above are a few pictures of the base and view. </p><br /><p style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify" align="justify"><strong>We will continue to stay in touch with you about how to transfer your support of us to a new account with Overland in upcoming communications. Until the end of May, please continue to send in your financial support to OC International. Thank you so much!! </p></strong><br /><p style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify" align="justify">To learn more about the other amazing holistic ministries of Overland Missions go to <a href="http://www.overlandmissions.com/">http://www.overlandmissions.com/</a> and check out Expeditions (short term teams), LIFE (caring for orphans), sector management (evangelism and discipleship in a target area), SAM (helping develop agricultural projects and microenterprise), RPN (Rural pastors network – pastoral training), and more. </p><br /><p style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify" align="justify">With hearts full of thanks to God for all He has done and for you all, </p><br /><p style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify" align="justify">Dan, Janell, Miesha and Titus Hartley </p><br /><p style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify" align="justify">PS. We are in process of updating our communications database – if you have moved in the last 5 years, will you please send us your updated residential address? Also, if you want our emails to go to a different email address (or not come at all! <span style="font-family:Wingdings;">J</span>) will you please drop Janell a quick email at <a href="mailto:janellhartley@oci.org">janellhartley@oci.org</a> Many thanks!</p></span></div></div></div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div>Janell's bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13861922116656863972noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3800411589332283052.post-51805830217932804532011-02-27T19:28:00.004+02:002011-02-27T19:44:46.475+02:00TransitionsMany of you have popped over here to our blog hoping for more news about our upcoming transition. Well, we are close to an announcement, but you won't find it today!<br /><br />Stay tuned!!!<br /><br />Lots of love to you all,<br />Janell for us 4 <div><br /><br /><div>Here are a couple cute pictures of our kids from this week. Miesha was given a bike with training wheels and she is just now getting the hang of pedaling. Dan attached an old mop handle onto the bike so we could help her keep moving as she was learning. Now, Titus loves to "help".</div><br /><br /><div></div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 225px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578426059830251714" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5XxdU2KKXPA/TWqM8hX20MI/AAAAAAAAAjI/PI0egQcQzPI/s400/kids%2Bbike%2Bbest.jpg" /><br /><div></div><div>The best place to eat a chocolate pudding popsicle is...</div><div></div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 225px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578426221604007506" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RTZtzOrFVeA/TWqNF8BublI/AAAAAAAAAjQ/zEs5smGDfKk/s400/chocolate%2Bface%2Btub.jpg" /> <div></div><div></div></div>Janell's bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13861922116656863972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3800411589332283052.post-5527598987233548122011-01-26T16:32:00.004+02:002011-01-26T23:12:57.643+02:00Soweto Sewing Center<div align="justify">God is doing some amazing things through the missionaries with work with. At our team prayer meeting recently, my teammate Sarah shared some incredible news about how God is working in a small community called Braamfischerville and I thought I’d pass it on to you.<br /><br />First, a little background…<br />Sarah and her husband Jay have been working with OC Africa for around 12 years with a focus on community development and uplifting area called Braamfischerville for the last 7 years. “Uplifting” basically means doing everything they can to help the people get out of poverty and walk in the abundant life Christ intended for them. They have created sustainable income generating projects, they sponsor an orphan boy to be able to keep him in school, they assist with health needs, they assisted with a starting a church, they do Bible studies, help with funerals, they plant gardens, expand people’s houses so that they can care for more orphans and foster children, showed the Passion movie at Easter time, and helped build a pre-school so the little kids could have a safe place to play and learn. If you knew all their challenges over the years, you too would be wildly impressed with their tenacity and the incredible things God has done in this small community.<br /><br />Last Friday, Sarah was sharing about her sewing center project. The sewing center was birthed through the assistance of a short term team from the USA who came over with some sewing machines and patterns. Fast forward 2.5 years and now the sewing center has 5 ladies and 1 man on staff and although they are still struggling to see steady revenue come through, they are all making beautiful things and making money! Sarah proudly said, “They can make ANY kind of bag from generator covers to purses and there are several who are making their own patterns. They are extremely gifted individuals!”<br /><br /><br /></div><p align="justify"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5566506905798915410" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Dn4UifUllEY/TUA0icfnNVI/AAAAAAAAAi8/huRsjY4pLk8/s400/gals%2Bwith%2Bbags.JPG" /><br />Sarah has been going in weekly to do a Bible Study with them as a part of “leadership development” and has been taking them through the gospel of Mark. Recently, they talked through chapter 8 and what it means to be a disciple of Jesus. Sarah gave an invitation and she believes that all genuinely gave their lives to Jesus that day!! Isn’t that incredible?!!!!! </p><p align="justify"><br /></p><p align="justify"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5566503684077016114" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Dn4UifUllEY/TUAxm6pQVDI/AAAAAAAAAi0/UE7VUskC1-w/s400/sew%2Bjudith%2Band%2Bsarah.JPG" /> </p><p align="justify">(Sarah with Judith)</p><p align="justify"><br />Recently, Sarah was doing her personal Bible study and there was a theme about living generously and investing in eternal things coming through. She made a note to herself that someone was probably was going to request money from them soon. Sure enough, a couple hours later, the leader of the sewing center, Judith, phoned and through tears told Sarah this story:<br /><br />Her daughter Palesa was the only student (out of 6-7 kids) in their community who passed her matric exams. (which are like really hard tests before you’d be granted your HS diploma in the US). She did it! She beat some incredible odds to stay in school, to learn, and to apply herself to get good grades! She was accepted into the Forensic Science program at the University of Johannesburg and would qualify for grants and loans to cover the cost. The only problem was that this family still owed the High School R500 ($70) for outstanding school fees. The school would not release her diploma/matric certificate until they paid the fees. Without the certificate, she would be unable to complete the paperwork to apply for financial aid (the financial aid deadline was a few days later). Without the financial aid there would be no University education, without the education, no career… You can see where this is going. Her future was hinging on $70/R500. </p><p align="justify"><br />Sarah and Jay were able to give from what God has blessed them with to help this bright young lady have the chance to get a good education and create a life for herself.<br /><br />They are impacting the nation of South Africa, one life at a time.<br /><br />These are the stories that make my heart smile, and I think God’s heart smiles too! </p>Janell's bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13861922116656863972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3800411589332283052.post-32996038845528640652011-01-03T18:39:00.004+02:002011-01-03T18:58:50.602+02:00Happy 2011!We can all see that I neglected this blog <strong>the</strong> <strong>entire</strong> <strong>year</strong> of 2010. (sorry!) Rather than giving you all my lame reasons why, I am hoping to redeem myself through sharing our family's adventures in 2010 through this awesome Smilebox. Enjoy! <br /><br />May God bless you in 2011. - Janell<br /><br /><br /><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" bgcolor="#ffffff"><tbody><tr><td><a href="http://smilebox.com/play/4d6a45354e6a49774d7a413d0d0a&blogview=true&campaign=blog_playback_link" target="_blank"><img style="BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; BORDER-TOP: medium none; BORDER-RIGHT: medium none" alt="Click to play this Smilebox slideshow" src="http://smilebox.com/snap/4d6a45354e6a49774d7a413d0d0a.jpg" width="386" height="303" /></a></td></tr><tr><td><a href="http://www.smilebox.com/?partner=google&campaign=blog_snapshot" target="_blank"><img style="BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; BORDER-TOP: medium none; BORDER-RIGHT: medium none" alt="Create your own slideshow - Powered by Smilebox" src="http://www.smilebox.com/globalImages/blogInstructions/blogLogoSmileboxSmall.gif" width="386" height="46" /></a></td></tr><tr><td align="middle">Create a <a href="http://www.smilebox.com/" target="_blank">free slideshow</a></td></tr></tbody></table>Janell's bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13861922116656863972noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3800411589332283052.post-28387824649169010712009-12-11T13:47:00.031+02:002009-12-13T16:36:27.709+02:00Summarizing...<div align="justify">Okay, if there is such an award...I think I would win the category for Most Absent Blogger of 2009. I think I have posted some 4 or 5 blogs this whole year. Yikes! </div><div align="justify"><br /> </div><div align="justify"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Dn4UifUllEY/SyI0VOsHEeI/AAAAAAAAAe0/xU_2iFxCSVo/s1600-h/funny+sister.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 176px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 209px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5413947241377763810" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Dn4UifUllEY/SyI0VOsHEeI/AAAAAAAAAe0/xU_2iFxCSVo/s320/funny+sister.JPG" /></a>Everyone knows that transitioning from one kid to two brings a lot of changes. I was using this reasoning as my excuse for not blogging more. However, we were blessed with a relatively easy transition and Miesha really loves her little brother. She is always trying to help me by giving me his pacifier/dummy or patting his back when he is crying.<br /><br />I told myself that I would get back into the habit of blogging once baby Titus started sleeping through the night. He started sleeping through the night around 1.5 months which is SO AWESOME! Now, I use another excuse for not getting my blogging current. I go back and forth between these excuses: a month ago we transitioned from the USA back to Africa and we are tired from the LONG (40 hr) journey and still have jet lag...or we are having yet another lightening storm and I am going to turn off my computer so it doesn't get fried by lightening...or we are still living out of suitcases (8 months now!) while housesitting for friends and I'll become a better blogger once we are settled into our own space again in early January.<br /><br />Anyway - lots has been going on, so I thought I would catch you all up in one fell swoop again. </div><p align="right"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Dn4UifUllEY/SyI9ECWlcFI/AAAAAAAAAfE/oGn1LR_b_Xo/s1600-h/DSC08663.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 214px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 288px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5413956841613127762" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Dn4UifUllEY/SyI9ECWlcFI/AAAAAAAAAfE/oGn1LR_b_Xo/s320/DSC08663.JPG" /></a></p><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><br />Since I blogged last - the very most important event was the arrival of our new baby boy - Titus Glen. He was born via c-section on August 24th and is the sweetest little boy ever. He was average weight (7 lbs) at birth, but proceeded to quickly grow into his strong name by almost doubling in weight his first month. He was 12 lbs at month one and 14 lbs month 2. He is a very happy little eater. As I mentioned before, he is a fantastic sleeper and already sleeps 8-9 hrs a night for me which is SO WONDERFUL! He is good natured, laughs hysterically at his parents when they make funny faces at him, tolerates his sister, has a bit of a snore, and sometimes even laughs in his sleep.<br /><br />We had some wonderful memory making with family and friends in the States during our final two months after Titus was born. Here are a few picures: </div><p align="center"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Dn4UifUllEY/SyTt7eV-4JI/AAAAAAAAAgU/cgEcJtfOQ2c/s1600-h/DSC08770.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 200px; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5414714258019508370" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Dn4UifUllEY/SyTt7eV-4JI/AAAAAAAAAgU/cgEcJtfOQ2c/s200/DSC08770.JPG" /></a></p><div align="justify"></div><p align="center"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Dn4UifUllEY/SyTt7JBR1tI/AAAAAAAAAgM/Me2phYHnGh8/s1600-h/jamie+and+T.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 150px; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5414714252295526098" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Dn4UifUllEY/SyTt7JBR1tI/AAAAAAAAAgM/Me2phYHnGh8/s200/jamie+and+T.JPG" /></a></p><div align="justify"><br /><br />When we arrived, we spent some quality time looking for a rental house. Through friend connections, we found an amazing house, for an amazing price and we will be moving in in early January. We are praising God for his provision. Also, the place we are housesitting for is available to us to use until January 9, so the timing is perfect!<br /><br />On November 29th, we participated in the church service for World AIDS Day in Ennerdale with a very special group of friends. Pastor Wessie and his Compassion Team gave a heart wrenching overview of AIDS statistics in South Africa, complete with personal testimonies from the congregation and a powerpoint presentation showing all the projects where people are being served a helped by their church and ministry partners. OC Africa was recognized as a ministry partner as there are 3 missionary families from our team who all contribute to serving in Ennerdale and Finetown. (Finetown is the impoverished community next to Ennerdale where there is 80% HIV infection rate and where the majority of the Compassionate Care Team’s efforts are focused) In 2008 we took our short term team to Finetown for a week of service doing work in a pre-school, assisting at an orphanage, doing house visits to encourage and give food parcels, doing grief conferences, teaching first aid, and more. It was a blessing to participate! The few pictures we took turned out blurry, sorry.<br /><br />On Friday we sponsored a Christmas party for the AIDS group I have been involved with in the past. This group is our “test group” fo<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Dn4UifUllEY/SyT1EH91L0I/AAAAAAAAAhE/kdWWBQwgoQ4/s1600-h/compressed+bottom+awards.jpg"></a>r the Bible study lessons I have been writing. I haven’t seen the group since last year’s party since early last year we were preparing for furlough, packing up our rental house, my pregnancy with Titus made me exhausted, and we were in the states for 6+ months. I was so excited to see everyone again! In the past the party was at the church, but this year the venue changed since Pastor Bhembe left the senior pastor position at the church to attend Bible School full time. We arrived at the party destination an hour in advance to set everything up and then waited and waited and WAITED. Dan went with Pastor B to pick up a few people who needed a ride and then we waited and WAITED some more. About four hours later the party finally started, but the 25 people that I had planned the party for still had not arrived. Then we were told the lady who is in charge of the program, who I have worked very closely with in the past, was in the hospital. The van who went to pick up all my sick friends from the church didn’t come while we were there. After about an hour of singing with the local kids and a few grandmothers, Dan and I had to leave to pick up Miesha and Titus from a friend’s house who was babysitting them. The food packets that we made and the feast of a lunch we prepared were still on the agenda, but we were not able to stay any longer. We got a text message later the next day saying my friends from the HIV support group finally did arrive after we left and that everything was a big blessing to them. I have to be honest and say I was a bit disappointed since I wanted to see everyone and to celebrate with them, but obviously God knows best. I hope to get to see them in the New Year. Please pray for THELMA who is my friend who is in the hospital. They don’t know what is wrong with her yet, but she has been unable to keep food down for a week now.<br /></div><p align="center"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Dn4UifUllEY/SyT1EH91L0I/AAAAAAAAAhE/kdWWBQwgoQ4/s1600-h/compressed+bottom+awards.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 200px; HEIGHT: 134px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5414722103212846914" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Dn4UifUllEY/SyT1EH91L0I/AAAAAAAAAhE/kdWWBQwgoQ4/s200/compressed+bottom+awards.jpg" /></a></p><div align="justify"></div><p align="center"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Dn4UifUllEY/SyT1D6D5RRI/AAAAAAAAAg8/GQdOGhKNjMw/s1600-h/compressed+bottom+party.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 200px; HEIGHT: 134px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5414722099480184082" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Dn4UifUllEY/SyT1D6D5RRI/AAAAAAAAAg8/GQdOGhKNjMw/s200/compressed+bottom+party.jpg" /></a></p><div align="justify"></div><p align="center"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Dn4UifUllEY/SyT1Eex4_AI/AAAAAAAAAhM/HViUcwyNzXw/s1600-h/compressed+bottom+gogos.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 232px; HEIGHT: 131px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5414722109336779778" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Dn4UifUllEY/SyT1Eex4_AI/AAAAAAAAAhM/HViUcwyNzXw/s200/compressed+bottom+gogos.jpg" /></a></p><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><br />Last Saturday was our Thanksgiving Feast/End of Year Party with our church. We celebrated how God has worked in our church, the growth of our members (we have gone from 80 people to over 300 in the two years Dan and I have been attending!) and there was a beautiful presence of thankfulness. We took a picture of the “small" group that we co-led the six months we were here and I have attached the photo here. About a third of the group wasn’t there for the photo, so you’ll only see about 30 of the 50 of us.<br /></div><p align="center"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Dn4UifUllEY/SyT5ken81XI/AAAAAAAAAhc/7XQN7J9RFTs/s1600-h/compressed+community+gp.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 200px; HEIGHT: 134px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5414727057097414002" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Dn4UifUllEY/SyT5ken81XI/AAAAAAAAAhc/7XQN7J9RFTs/s200/compressed+community+gp.jpg" /></a></p><div align="justify">Tomorrow is Miesha's 2nd birthday! She is an amazing little girl and we love her so much. We are grateful to God for the gift of her presence in our family. Here are a few of the many faces of Miesha: </div><div align="justify"><br /></div><p align="center"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Dn4UifUllEY/SyT5_-sDUYI/AAAAAAAAAhk/rIoImqDqj6g/s1600-h/comp+m+oh+dear.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 134px; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5414727529561018754" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Dn4UifUllEY/SyT5_-sDUYI/AAAAAAAAAhk/rIoImqDqj6g/s200/comp+m+oh+dear.jpg" /></a></p><div align="justify"></div><p align="center"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Dn4UifUllEY/SyT6AKw2VGI/AAAAAAAAAhs/KaRzLrGQBEw/s1600-h/comp+m+swinging.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 134px; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5414727532802364514" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Dn4UifUllEY/SyT6AKw2VGI/AAAAAAAAAhs/KaRzLrGQBEw/s200/comp+m+swinging.jpg" /></a></p><div align="justify"><br />Thank you for your love and prayers for our family.<br /><br />I hope to be blogging more in the New Year...I'll make it my New Year's Resolution!<br /><br />Smiles,<br />Janell </div>Janell's bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13861922116656863972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3800411589332283052.post-80601512134303240152009-08-21T23:25:00.007+02:002009-08-21T23:58:38.430+02:00my version of nesting<div align="justify">Our baby boy is due to arrive in 3 days and I am doing my version of nesting...catching up on Facebook, blogging, missionary correspondence, emails, scheduling stuff, etc. Nesting is very different when you are living in other people's spaces!</div><div align="justify"><br />We had a GREAT time at the beach and for those of you who are my FB friends, pop over there to see some super pics. Here are some highlights:<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Dn4UifUllEY/So8SRXZS4jI/AAAAAAAAAd0/orcnl5OaEyQ/s1600-h/DSC08372.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 213px; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372532970023477810" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Dn4UifUllEY/So8SRXZS4jI/AAAAAAAAAd0/orcnl5OaEyQ/s320/DSC08372.JPG" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Dn4UifUllEY/So8SRthCXLI/AAAAAAAAAd8/__-zpniNeaU/s1600-h/DSC08382.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 213px; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372532975961529522" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Dn4UifUllEY/So8SRthCXLI/AAAAAAAAAd8/__-zpniNeaU/s320/DSC08382.JPG" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Dn4UifUllEY/So8SQ1E_A3I/AAAAAAAAAds/jJLbIM-0J64/s1600-h/DSC08357.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 240px; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372532960811484018" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Dn4UifUllEY/So8SQ1E_A3I/AAAAAAAAAds/jJLbIM-0J64/s320/DSC08357.JPG" /></a><br /><br />This is Miesha seeing the Pacific Ocean for the first time and sticking her feet in the frigid water. Such a cutie!<br /><br /><div><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Dn4UifUllEY/So8SSKEEA6I/AAAAAAAAAeE/bfuM3OoY-vc/s1600-h/DSC08386.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372532983624631202" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Dn4UifUllEY/So8SSKEEA6I/AAAAAAAAAeE/bfuM3OoY-vc/s320/DSC08386.JPG" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Dn4UifUllEY/So8WBtrfGmI/AAAAAAAAAeU/wmklfWsDB48/s1600-h/DSC08471.JPG"></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Dn4UifUllEY/So8WrkJhfNI/AAAAAAAAAek/7AshZJJH9_E/s1600-h/DSC08474.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372537818170096850" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Dn4UifUllEY/So8WrkJhfNI/AAAAAAAAAek/7AshZJJH9_E/s320/DSC08474.JPG" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>At Long Beach...checking out the International Kite Festival. It was far less cheesy than I thought it would be. Some of those kites were AMAZING and HUGE. Miesha's kite was neither amazing, nor huge, but we made it and it cost $2 - who can beat that? BTW, the Nemo kite in the background behind them - we saw it for sale in a store for <strong>$600</strong> and in the air there, it is one of the "medium ish" ones. Yikes! </div><div><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Dn4UifUllEY/So8WsF9Wg2I/AAAAAAAAAes/osAgjXHfQ9o/s1600-h/DSC08414.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 213px; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372537827245851490" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Dn4UifUllEY/So8WsF9Wg2I/AAAAAAAAAes/osAgjXHfQ9o/s320/DSC08414.JPG" /></a></div><p align="left"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Dn4UifUllEY/So8WrEzXK8I/AAAAAAAAAec/AB9BUgi0VmY/s1600-h/DSC08441.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 240px; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372537809755646914" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Dn4UifUllEY/So8WrEzXK8I/AAAAAAAAAec/AB9BUgi0VmY/s320/DSC08441.JPG" /></a></p><div><br /></div><div>Miesha at the bubble booth</div><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Dn4UifUllEY/So8SSs2SmaI/AAAAAAAAAeM/gxqP30v2T3I/s1600-h/DSC08396.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 256px; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372532992962107810" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Dn4UifUllEY/So8SSs2SmaI/AAAAAAAAAeM/gxqP30v2T3I/s320/DSC08396.JPG" /></a> </div><div></div><div>Stay tuned for some super cute baby boy Hartley pics early next week! Yippee!!!</div><div></div><div>Janell<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div></div><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div></div></div><br /></div>Janell's bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13861922116656863972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3800411589332283052.post-53473021647039684862009-08-21T22:30:00.004+02:002009-08-21T23:25:33.032+02:00quick update<div>Hello all,<br />We are counting down the days and hours now until our baby boy appears! At dinner with some supporters Friday evening they asked how we knew exactly when he was coming and we were teasing them saying that we were so busy we told the Lord it would be helpful if He could fit him into our schedule on a Monday evening and God said that worked for Him too (smile) …the reality is we actually have a scheduled c-section on Aug 24th. So close now!!! This is the part of every pregnancy where the mom wants to fit a fast forward button to skip this uncomfortable final phase and get to the part where you can hold the baby. We have plans to take Miesha with us to the coast for a few days to celebrate our 9th anniversary this coming week and we are hoping he’ll wait to make his appearance until our scheduled date. Dan and I were chuckling as we realized tonight that in the three and a half months that we have been in the USA, we have constantly been living with people/family with the exception of one night when we arrived a day before our hosts came home. We are really looking forward to having just the 3 of us in a beach house for a couple days. We also think it is important to have some quality time with Miesha before baby #2 comes and turns her world upside down.<br /><br />Miesha has caught yet another flu bug and when I took her to the Dr to check things out, he said she has a combination of clogged tear ducts, a sinus infection, a nasty cough, and it seems her 2 year molars are coming in early…all of which are making her pretty miserable! Please pray that she’ll fight these bugs off soon and that she’ll be well by the time baby arrives. <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 75px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 75px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372531072409425698" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Dn4UifUllEY/So8Qi6O2VyI/AAAAAAAAAdk/YlZg8B0OkX4/s320/ill.jpg" /><br />Dan is enjoying a few days break from working on the house and is requesting prayer for his back. Now that he has slowed down a bit, he realizes that the project is causing an old back injury to throb a bit more than is comfortable.<br /><br />I am doing good generally, with only the usual aches and pains from the final weeks of pregnancy to complain about.<br /><br />Dan keeps telling us about the fun he had coaching at the kid’s evangelism soccer camp and he did a great job preaching last week (on a very challenging assigned passage – Gen 29-30!) – thanks for your prayers.<br /><br />Janell</div>Janell's bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13861922116656863972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3800411589332283052.post-35093173846371692192009-07-29T07:16:00.004+02:002009-07-29T07:32:59.569+02:00It has been a LONG.......time<div align="justify">I can't believe that it has been 4 months since I have written on my blog. I must confess that in the past, I have often copied and pasted other missionary letters I have written for the mission here since the news was practically the same. It seems that even that has been too much work!<br /><br />Here is the last 4 months in a nutshell:<br /><br /><strong>Africa to USA:</strong> we packed up our rental house and flew to the states the last week of April. It was a relatively uneventful flight and Miesha was a good little traveler.<br /><br /><strong>Pregnancy update:</strong> we now have one month left till baby boy Hartley arrives. We have mostly agreed on a name, but we are taking our top three choices to the hospital and we'll see what he looks like when he arrives. He will come via c-section and it will be at Providence Portland near my parent's home in Portland, OR. I am still TIRED a lot, but most days I can usually sneak in an afternoon nap. Thanks mom!<br /><br /><strong>Furlough travel:</strong> We have visited our WONDERFUL sponsoring churches and have put<strong> 14,000</strong> miles on the car that was so graciously loaned to us. I deliberately have not counted how many beds we've slept in, but most of them have been really comfortable. We are mostly traveling back and forth between Seattle and Portland now, although we have a trip to the coast, a trip to ID, and a trip to Canada on the schedule before we fly back to Africa. Miesha now gets fussy when she sees me pulling out the duffle bags. I totally understand how she feels!<br /><br /><strong>Building project:</strong> Part of the reason we chose to come back to the USA in summer was so that Dan could help his brother do a house remodel. They are working crazy hours and almost have the 3rd story framed.<br /><br /><strong>Things we love about USA:</strong> times with our families, family pictures, chatting IN PERSON with so many friends, connecting with friends at our churches here, helping with camps/VBS, summertime heat (except for this week; sheesh... 105F!!!), ice cream, Mexican food, root beer, and more.<br /><br /><strong>Things we miss about Africa:</strong> our church, our community group, my mom's group, our friends and missionary teammates, our pets, having our own space and privacy, cheap movies and meals out (date nights!), getting to do short term teams, our ministry partners, and more!<br /><br />Hard to believe that our time here is already half over!<br /><br />If you are lucky, I may add pictures in the next couple months. lol! </div>Janell's bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13861922116656863972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3800411589332283052.post-86602192741229650412009-04-19T13:54:00.004+02:002009-04-19T14:01:47.573+02:00April update<div align="justify">We are still recovering from the 7 days that we invested into our church’s youth conference and family camp. On Monday, it took about 6 hours of driving to get there since all of us in our convoy were pulling ridiculously heavy trailers with sound equipment, freezers, camp stoves, portable showers and more. The place is actually a farm that God told a family in our denomination to purchase and convert into a conference center. Last year for the youth camp, it was in the middle of construction and kids slept on cement floors in the converted stable. (not ideal!) This year, it was much improved, but they weren’t quite ready to handle the 600 people that descended on them for Easter weekend. We had to bring in loads and loads of supplies to make the venue workable.<br /><br />On Tuesday, they put Dan in charge and by the end of the day, the open field on the farm did resemble a proper campsite complete with the portable showers and makeshift toilets, electrical outlets, lights on poles, and generators to service the 230 campers. (We stayed at a nearby B&B since we vividly remembered how challenging it was the year before and frankly, at 5 months pregnant, anything that isn’t my own bed feels like roughing it!)<br /><br />Dan worked approximately 14 hr days all week to get the campsites ready, the sound system up and running (in two different places), playing drums on the worship team, and then trouble shooting all the problems that cropped up all week. J He was highly commended for his contribution and our pastor told me that there was no way they could’ve pulled off this high level of an event without Dan’s help. Our assistant pastor said that all the men are happy Dan is going home to the states for six months so that their wives will stop placing such unrealistic expectations on them based on what they saw Dan doing!<br /><br />At the youth camp, there were approximately 150 students ranging in age from 13-30 and they met with the Lord in a powerful way! Many committed their lives to Christian service and all were challenged to live out their faith in a way that would practically impact their communities for Christ. This is an applicable message for people all over the world, but especially here in Africa.<br /><br />At the family camp 450 more people joined the students till we had 597 people walking around the property! We didn’t fit into the gorgeous conference hall where the students had met, so the church hired a tent that could seat 500 people underneath and we all enjoyed the Lord’s presence outside! There were two sessions a day and most lasted somewhere between 3-4 hours. The worship would last for 1.5-2 hrs and then the teaching was after that! We are used to this length of service now, having been here over 3 years, but I am telling you – the time seemed to fly by! It is incredibly liberating not to have to worry about time and just enjoy God’s presence together. We were challenged and encouraged and loved the extra time with church friends as we are transitioning out for a season.<br /><br />I am SO sorry that I don’t have pictures to show you in this letter, but Dan is out of town and took the camera with my camp pics with him. I’ll post some on facebook when I get a chance.<br /><br />Dan is in the Eastern Cape this weekend with his friend Rob on a hunting trip. Rob’s relative is a professional hunter and was happy to let Dan come for a couple days to go exploring and hunting with them for free. It was Dan’s birthday on the 18th and he is having a fabulous time. He text messaged me around 9am on his birthday and he had already shot a springbok. (see pic)</div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5326370787273108994" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 125px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 108px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Dn4UifUllEY/SesSAr1ubgI/AAAAAAAAAdQ/ennLb_VfsbM/s400/springbok.jpg" border="0" /> <p align="justify"> Talk about incredible birthday memories! (it isn’t too late to send him birthday wishes – <a href="mailto:danielhartley@oci.org">danielhartley@oci.org</a> ) Although as he was leaving he was stressing about all the things we still need to finish here around the house, this trip away will be restful and rejuvenating and just what he needs!<br /><br />We get on a plane soon and we have been very blessed by all the friends surrounding us to help us pack and move things out of the house we have been renting. We can’t wait to rest with our families and to see all our friends!<br /><br />Please pray for Miesha – our poor girl has been pretty sick since we’ve been home from camp. She was running a slight fever for two days, but I thought it was because she is in process of cutting 4 more teeth. On Thursday, about halfway through the day she broke out into a horrible rash on her torso and face. I took her to the Dr and they confirmed it was an unknown viral infection and that I should just try to make her comfortable until the virus runs its course. She was up lots of times during the night and this morning she vomited after her breakfast. I am hoping the Dr knows what she is talking about and it isn’t anything more serious. Please pray with us that Miesha will be restored to complete health again right away. It is challenging to pack with a sick little gal who needs to be held all the time.<br /><br />Please pray that we’ll be able to find a family who will be willing to take care of our cats while we are gone.<br /><br />We are in Swaziland Monday and Tuesday this week with Jasmine and with the Chomba family. Please pray we have an incredible time encouraging them.<br /><br />Lastly and of most importance – please pray for South Africa this WEDNESDAY during the presidential elections. There is a ton of tension and there is always the potential for violence. Please pray for PEACE throughout the whole process.<br /><br />Thank you! We can’t wait to see you all again soon.<br /><br />Smiles,<br />Janell for us 3.5<br /><br />PS. We had another ultrasound this last week and our baby is still a boy! </p>Janell's bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13861922116656863972noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3800411589332283052.post-82859184421575807352009-03-13T20:42:00.002+02:002009-03-13T20:50:46.095+02:00cat updateOkay, I haven't killed the cat yet...I gave him "grace" which was basically a one night extension before we held his execution trial. Last night after new flea powder and the familiar (more expensive) food, he actually was quiet all night long. No scratching on the door endlessly. No yowling.<br /><br />Today I actually remembered why I used to like him so much. It is amazing what a good night's sleep will do for your perspective on life.<br /><br />A good night's sleep...what a great idea. Even though it is only 8:46pm I think I am going to go to bed. It has already felt like a long day and I can always clean the house tomorrow. (except I say that every day...) lol.Janell's bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13861922116656863972noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3800411589332283052.post-88378428831520911942009-03-12T21:29:00.002+02:002009-03-12T21:35:12.439+02:00I am famous...sorta<span style="font-size:100%;">The other day I realized that a picture of me is on the home page of our mission agency's webpage.<br /><br />http://www.onechallenge.org/<br /><br />Check it out! I am labeled "long term missions". <br /><br />I couldn't possibly be wearing a more "missionary" outfit in that photo! We didn't want to offend the local chief that we were visiting for the first time, so I went ultra conservative. <br /><br />I realize that I may be a bit behind the times fashion wise living over here for 3 years now, but I promise that isn't a true representation of my current closet. hee hee!<br /><br /></span>Janell's bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13861922116656863972noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3800411589332283052.post-19353457001620794362009-03-12T20:46:00.008+02:002009-03-12T21:21:33.797+02:00I hate my cat<div style="text-align: justify;">I must preface this posting by saying I really do enjoy felines. With the exception of the years I was in college, I have always had a cat/cats in my life and I really do like them. I like their soft fur, playing games with them, having them sleep on me while I am watching movies or having a quiet time. They bring lots of joy into my life...until recently.<br /><br />We own two cats here in Africa and their names are Pepsi and Cheeto. We named them after food we miss from the states, but lucky for us Pepsi (the soft drink) is now really easy to find. We still miss cheetos, esp the crunchy ones. They have the puffy cheetos here, but I swear to you when you open a bag, the smell is way too similar to a litter box smell. I promise, it is true. It isn't just my pregnancy nose. Dan totally agrees. GROSS.<br /><br />All day today I have been comforting myself with all the different ways I could creatively kill my cat, Pepsi. Until this week, he has been my favorite cat I have ever owned in my life, but not anymore. He picked the wrong week to pick on me.<br /><br />As most of you know, this pregnancy has been rough on me. I have been sick off and on and REALLY REALLY tired. Dan mentioned that he doesn't understand how someone can sleep so much and still be tired. Even though I am solidly in my 2nd trimester now, it still hasn't eased up much and I have to have at least one (if not two!) naps or serious caffine in order to make it through the day. I also sleep anywhere between 10-11 hrs a night. Making this little grapefruit sized person is wearing me out. I think part of it is my interrupted sleep: Miesha still gets up once a night for a bottle. (we are working on that going away soon!) Because of that, I still have "mommy ears" and wake up pretty easily with little noises, especially if it is her.<br /><br />This week, the cats officially have fleas. It is bad, but we Frontlined them and they aren't scratching as much. We know they are uncomfortable, but we seriously have done all we can to help them there and they just have to tough it out now. Also, they have made it abundantly clear that they don't like the current (cheaper) food we have been buying for them by barely eating it and by taking every opportunity to regurgitate hairballs on my bath mats.<br /><br />The icing on the cake is that Pepsi has started yowling and scratching on our bathroom door off and on throughout the night all week. Last night that blasted cat's scratching woke me up <span style="font-size:180%;">7x</span>. When my alarm went off this morning, I felt already that I was overdue for a nap.<br /><br />If he is lucky, I won't kill him, but I might lock him outside for a few weeks or I might drop him off 6 weeks early to the family's house who is watching him while we are in the states. I might give him a swimming lesson in the deep end of our bath tub. I might drug him. hee!<br /><br />Any other ideas?? (we don't have any guns here...)<br /><br />Here is a photo of the two flea transporters sleeping (where they shouldn't be) on Miesha's changing table.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Dn4UifUllEY/SblfQSDrrhI/AAAAAAAAAdA/r8ZQafeSmko/s1600-h/cats+on+changing+table.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Dn4UifUllEY/SblfQSDrrhI/AAAAAAAAAdA/r8ZQafeSmko/s400/cats+on+changing+table.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5312381968790040082" border="0" /></a><br />And here is a pic of the little cutie who I don't mind waking up at night for.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Dn4UifUllEY/SblfQqvZQNI/AAAAAAAAAdI/pKK2IwPxFdI/s1600-h/miesha.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 295px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Dn4UifUllEY/SblfQqvZQNI/AAAAAAAAAdI/pKK2IwPxFdI/s400/miesha.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5312381975415832786" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></div>Janell's bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13861922116656863972noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3800411589332283052.post-7532207513260180062009-02-24T19:22:00.003+02:002009-02-24T19:40:51.325+02:00SO TiredI think that if you looked up the definition of "Exhausted" in the dictionary today, you'd find my name under the definition. I seriously have never been this tired in my entire life. My first trimester is totally kicking my butt. Dan said that he has never seen someone sleep so much and still be so tired! That is why I have been ignoring my blog and only posting stuff that I wrote already for something else. Hee!<br /><br />Poor guy. He has really stepped up to help around the house, with Miesha, basically with everything I usually do. He might actually write the prayer letter for me this month! Lol.<br /><br />I have a Dr's appointment tomorrow. It is too soon yet to tell the sex, but we definitely will want to know as soon as we can. I am betting this one is a boy! Only a boy could wear me down this much and just be the size of a lime.<br /><br />We will probably have another ultrasound tomorrow and I love seeing the little person grow and hearing the heartbeat.<br /><br />If you are a praying friend of mine, please ask the Lord to give me an extra dose of energy in these next couple days. I <span style="font-weight: bold;">really </span>need it. There are a zillion things we need to do before we fly back to the states in less than 2 months.<br /><br />I read somewhere that lions sleep 20 hours a day...that sounds pretty good right now!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Dn4UifUllEY/SaQw74ybr5I/AAAAAAAAAcw/NZ-KuqBYTRw/s1600-h/lion.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 390px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Dn4UifUllEY/SaQw74ybr5I/AAAAAAAAAcw/NZ-KuqBYTRw/s400/lion.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306420066363617170" border="0" /></a>Janell's bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13861922116656863972noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3800411589332283052.post-84025762578388794022009-02-23T17:10:00.003+02:002009-02-23T17:20:31.153+02:00a normal week...<p style="text-align: justify; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:arial;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size:10;">Hey everyone, hope you are all well. I have made this week a quick easy read for you! </span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size:10;"></span><span style="font-size:10;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></span></p><div style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> </div><p style="text-align: justify; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:arial;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size:10;">Dan was gone traveling 4 days this past week and Miesha and I are happy to have him back with us now. He was in Bloemfountein all day Mon helping to prepare for a youth conference we are assisting with in another month. Then, he was in <st1:place st="on"><st1:country-region st="on">Swaziland</st1:country-region></st1:place> at Hope House Orphanage from Thursday-Saturday laying carpet and installing tile. The boys are SO pleased! I’ll have some pictures up here someday.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><div style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> </div><p style="text-align: justify; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:arial;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size:10;"><o:p></o:p>This week we anticipate things being a little slower and will catch up with some office things and pack a few more boxes. </span><span style=";font-size:10;" ><o:p><br /></o:p></span></span></p><div style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> </div><p style="text-align: justify; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:arial;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size:10;">For our teammates – John and Jay are once again heading up to Zimbabwe to provide some much needed water purification tablets and food to the pastors we partner with and to do some planning for the year. Please pray for safety for their travels and that they will be a blessing and encouragement to the people they meet with up there. Most of all, they’d really like an easy, straightforward border crossing. The last couple times at the border it has taken them 3-5 hours to get through and the customs officials keep changing the laws and trying to get bribes. It is always a really frustrating experience. (One time John was in line for 4 hours in 106F temp and had to stand so close to other people that they were actually dripping sweat onto his feet! And, if you think the dripping sweat is bad, imagine the smell! </span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size:10;">How is that for a cultural experience??) Please also remember their families as they are often hit with unexpected challenges while the husbands/dads are away. The border crossing will be our Tuesday morning, your Monday night if you’d like to pray at the exact time they’ll be at the Beitbridge Border.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><div style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> </div><p style="text-align: justify; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:arial;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size:10;"><o:p></o:p>The best news of this week:<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><div style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> </div><p style="text-align: justify; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:arial;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size:10;">Miesha officially started walking! Before now she would take up to 5 steps if we forced her, but now it is her own idea and she is all over the place. It will be a fun new season for us!<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><div style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> </div><p style="text-align: justify; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Dn4UifUllEY/SaK9IQFm-yI/AAAAAAAAAcg/59xjoEpLYs8/s1600-h/DSC07542.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Dn4UifUllEY/SaK9IQFm-yI/AAAAAAAAAcg/59xjoEpLYs8/s400/DSC07542.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306011260450962210" border="0" /></a></p>Janell's bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13861922116656863972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3800411589332283052.post-29383975033131246702009-02-08T22:27:00.006+02:002009-02-08T22:48:13.570+02:00this week's adventuresThis week we had fun being missionaries and for those of you who read our weekly prayer updates, you are aware that a week away was just what we needed! Our time traveling with the Canadian short term team this week was certainly full of adventure.<br /><br />Our power kept going out as we were preparing to leave our house to begin the journey so we left a little later than we wanted to. Dan actually had to start our generator to get the garage doors to close securely! Then we traveled approx 5 hours to the Bulembu border crossing. The last hour of the drive was an extremely rugged dirt road with a lot of cows, hairpin turns, and sharp shale on it. It is one of the prettiest roads in South Africa with incredible views of the mountains and waterfalls. Our trailer was full of tiles and carpet for the orphan home and Dan estimated we were pulling around 2,000 lbs at a pretty fast clip since we were trying to get to the border before they closed. Our truck can handle it, but apparently our tires couldn’t and we popped two tires 2 minutes before we reached the border post. One had 3 small holes in it, and the other had a slash and almost came completely off the rim by the time we made it to the border. Also, Miesha’s little tummy had trouble with the bumps and turns and we had some eruptive vomit about 10 minutes before the border. We couldn’t stop because we were so pressed for time. Poor little girl - she was pretty miserable. We made it fine through the South African side, but we were two minutes late reaching the Swaziland side and Dan and Craig actually had to wander around the buildings looking for someone to help us. At first they told us we’d have to sleep in no man’s land, but then finally agreed to help us when a beautiful Canadian calendar, a first aid kit, and some stickers appeared. We hate bribing, but I feel much more comfortable bribing with stickers than with money! We were quite the sorry group of travelers: Miesha and Heather were covered in vomit (pink vomit no less!) and Dan had donated his shirt to help clean up the mess in the back seat so he was wearing Heather’s sweatshirt rather than go shirtless to customs… We finally made it through the Swazi border and then changed the destroyed tire by the side of the road.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Dn4UifUllEY/SY9CA5j7jlI/AAAAAAAAAbo/gANitYEs8vU/s1600-h/DSC07421.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Dn4UifUllEY/SY9CA5j7jlI/AAAAAAAAAbo/gANitYEs8vU/s400/DSC07421.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5300527869657321042" border="0" /></a><br />We limped down the hill into Bulembu around supper time, happy to have finally arrived! We spent the evening with Jasmine (the American teacher we took up to Bulembu in early January) and had a lot of fun catching up with her and encouraging her. What a day!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Dn4UifUllEY/SY9CAzobx-I/AAAAAAAAAbw/L3stI0620YY/s1600-h/DSC07431.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Dn4UifUllEY/SY9CAzobx-I/AAAAAAAAAbw/L3stI0620YY/s400/DSC07431.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5300527868065597410" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Dn4UifUllEY/SY9CBAkQwII/AAAAAAAAAb4/xMhPlQOI0rk/s1600-h/DSC07436.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Dn4UifUllEY/SY9CBAkQwII/AAAAAAAAAb4/xMhPlQOI0rk/s400/DSC07436.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5300527871537758338" border="0" /></a><br />The next morning we patched up the other tire then visited Jasmine’s school, met the kids she is teaching, and Principle Skinner showed us around. It is amazing! The school where she is teaching is the same school our short term team cleaned out 18 months ago. At that time the school had been abandoned for quite some time and everywhere you went there was approx 2 feet of paper, books, sawdust, or cow poop.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Dn4UifUllEY/SY9EaBYTvLI/AAAAAAAAAcY/LMkyBYn___Y/s1600-h/100_1343.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Dn4UifUllEY/SY9EaBYTvLI/AAAAAAAAAcY/LMkyBYn___Y/s400/100_1343.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5300530500276042930" border="0" /></a><br />Now it is sparkling white, they have carpet and desks, and it actually looks like a proper school.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Dn4UifUllEY/SY9DR2wzFZI/AAAAAAAAAcA/H7uGUUM9eS0/s1600-h/DSC07452.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Dn4UifUllEY/SY9DR2wzFZI/AAAAAAAAAcA/H7uGUUM9eS0/s400/DSC07452.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5300529260475389330" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Dn4UifUllEY/SY9DSMH79zI/AAAAAAAAAcI/KFapfpBE-1E/s1600-h/DSC07473.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 363px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Dn4UifUllEY/SY9DSMH79zI/AAAAAAAAAcI/KFapfpBE-1E/s400/DSC07473.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5300529266209584946" border="0" /></a><br />The transformation is absolutely unbelievable! About half the 150 children at the school are orphaned children who are in Christian foster homes in Bulembu, and the others are Bulembu Ministry Staff kids or from the community. Jasmine has 12 kids in her class and they range from age 6-11. Her goal is to teach them all to read in the next six months. Since some of the kids have never been to school and some struggle with English, this is going to be a challenge for her. She does have an assistant who is fluent in SiSwati which will help her a great deal in communicating early on.<br /><br />We then went down the mountain into Motjane, Swaziland and had tea with the Chomba family. It was wonderful to see them again and we enjoyed meeting the newest member to the family – Takazane. He is approximately 15 years old and is now the 35th child this family supports!<br /><br />We also spent time with Pastor Solomon and Grace Fasamati who run Christian school in the same area. Our visit was timely since their son is in the hospital in extreme pain and Grace hadn’t slept in 2 days trying to care for him. (Based on the symptoms, it sure sounded like a kidney stone to us. Hopefully the Drs will be able to sort it out soon and help him.) It was good to spend time with them and encourage them. There are so few people building into the lives of those who are in leadership here.<br /><br />The next day, the Canadian guys taught on coaching, transitions, and church health to the Swazi pastors at a conference and several enjoyed it so much that they are now coming to the longer conference this coming week in Johannesburg to learn more. Dan wanted to try to finish the rooms in the orphan house while the other guys were training, but it just didn’t work out. The weather was rainy and it was super muddy. We are also going to have to do something about the ants before the carpet is laid. He decided to leave the supplies and head up again in a week or two to finish everything.<br /><br />We then took the guys to Kruger Park for a day and a half, saw some incredible wildlife up close, then headed back to Johannesburg last night.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Dn4UifUllEY/SY9DSE0h6QI/AAAAAAAAAcQ/3usRMkP6WZA/s1600-h/DSC07495.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Dn4UifUllEY/SY9DSE0h6QI/AAAAAAAAAcQ/3usRMkP6WZA/s400/DSC07495.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5300529264249137410" border="0" /></a><br />So finally, after 35 hours of driving, 2 flat tires, pink baby vomit, cranky border guards, fun with Jasmine, encouraging Chombas, Fasamatis, and 40 Swazi pastors, seeing animals in their natural habitat and way more meals on the road then we wanted (imagine ground beef with mushroom pancakes - blech!) we are now VERY happily at home!<br /><br />For those of you who were praying for my morning sickness – it worked!! I didn’t feel sick the whole week and this morning (Sunday) it is back. I certainly don’t mind battling this in my home, but having a reprieve on the road was wonderful. Thank you for all your prayers for us.<br /><br />This coming week, Dan and I will begin co-leading a new Community Group for our local church. We are looking forward to impacting the lives of more Africans on a weekly basis. This starts Wed. The Canadian team is doing another conference from Tues – Friday this week. Please pray for great attendance, open hearts, clear communication and for the info to be relevant to impact African churches for eternity!<br /><br />JanellJanell's bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13861922116656863972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3800411589332283052.post-25947592580755135982009-01-31T18:35:00.003+02:002009-01-31T18:44:49.210+02:00A Challenging Season<meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5CJanell%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="country-region"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="place"></o:smarttagtype><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><object classid="clsid:38481807-CA0E-42D2-BF39-B33AF135CC4D" id="ieooui"></object> <style> st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } </style> <![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Wingdings; panose-1:5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:2; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:0 268435456 0 0 -2147483648 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} span.EmailStyle15 {mso-style-type:personal; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt; font-family:Arial; mso-ascii-font-family:Arial; mso-hansi-font-family:Arial; mso-bidi-font-family:Arial; color:windowtext;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} /* List Definitions */ @list l0 {mso-list-id:1680230671; mso-list-type:hybrid; mso-list-template-ids:-917608874 -1867880598 67698691 67698693 67698689 67698691 67698693 67698689 67698691 67698693;} @list l0:level1 {mso-level-start-at:0; mso-level-number-format:bullet; mso-level-text:-; mso-level-tab-stop:.5in; mso-level-number-position:left; text-indent:-.25in; font-family:Arial; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} ol {margin-bottom:0in;} ul {margin-bottom:0in;} --> </style> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Dan had a conversation with a friend the other day just after his house had been robbed.<span style=""> </span>He was saying that it was so hard to be sold out for God because it immediately makes you a target and he was getting tired of all these hard things that kept happening to him and his family.<span style=""> </span>He thought it would be easier to live a mediocre life because there was still a bit of blessing, but then you were left alone because you were not a threat to the enemy.<span style=""> </span>It got me thinking…he certainly has a point.<span style=""> </span>These last couple months and weeks have been super challenging for us Hartleys and our missionary teammates.<span style=""> </span>We feel like we are living with targets on our backs currently!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" ><span style="">
<br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" ><span style=""> </span><span style=""> </span>We are in need of prayer support more than ever.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal">
<br /><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" ><span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Here are a few of the things that have happened recently:<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >As you know, we Hartleys took a couple of health hits a couple months ago with chicken pox, a kidney stone, an infected appendix getting cut out, and recently I had a severe allergic reaction to 2 shrimp I ate and was itchy and had a unsightly rash for 2 days.<span style=""> </span>Currently my “morning/afternoon/all day” sickness from the pregnancy is making life really challenging right now.<span style=""> </span>The nausea is awful and so far the prescription I have isn’t helping much.<span style=""> </span>I know it is just for a season, but ugh!<span style=""> </span>One of my sisters had a miscarriage a couple weeks ago and as you can imagine, there is nothing that makes you want to jump on a plane more than family who is hurting.<span style=""> </span>I wish we were able to be there in person to support them.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal">
<br /><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Our teammates, the Siakis, have been planting a church and they have had some really challenging issues because their worship leader is sleeping with his girlfriend and his parents (who are in leadership at the church also) didn’t have any issues with it and invited her to live in their home.<span style=""> </span>She moved right into the worship leader’s bedroom!<span style=""> </span>The whole church found out about it and took sides – pastor vs. worship leader.<span style=""> </span>(In <st1:place st="on">Africa</st1:place>, it is common in many cultures for the future wife to prove she is fertile by getting pregnant before they get engaged.<span style=""> </span>NOT good for believers!)<span style=""> </span>Obviously this has been super stressful for the Siakis!<span style=""> </span>Then, shortly after this came to light, the assistant pastor dropped dead with no warning.<span style=""> </span>It was a huge loss for their church as well as personally as Pastor Keith had helped with counseling the wayward couple and the family as well as firmly supported Paul Siaki in his stance against sex before marriage.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal">
<br /><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >The Witherow family had a really close call last weekend. They were invited to the Allen’s house (another American missionary family – she is in my Beth Moore study) for lunch and while they were ringing the gate bell to be let in, the Allens were actually in process of being robbed at gunpoint.<span style=""> </span>The robbers had jumped the fence, came in through the sliding glass doors, tied the family up, beat the dad on the head and took a bunch of their stuff. <span style=""> </span>The Witherows were still in the driveway trying to figure out what was going on when the Joe Allan ran out of the house all bloody and asked them to call the cops.<span style=""> </span>John Witherow sent his wife and kids home and stayed to help.<span style=""> </span>The Allens ended up moving in with the Witherows this week until they can sort out increased security and/or a new place to live.<span style=""> </span>Then after listening and listening and listening to the Allen family process their trauma, on Thursday night, Witherows took another hit.<span style=""> </span>Heather’s mom called to say that her sister (Heather’s Aunt) had been found dead and the initial reports indicate that it may have been suicide.<span style=""> </span>Talk about a tough week!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal">
<br /><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Two close friends from church were also robbed recently.<span style=""> </span>One family was robbed while on a mission trip and the other family was robbed during the day when the house was locked.<span style=""> </span>They broke through a window and locked the nanny in the closet while they took things.<span style=""> </span>Their 18mo old daughter was standing in her crib watching the robbers run through the house.<span style=""> </span>Wow.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal">
<br /><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >A good friend of mine had her purse stolen at knife point and it happened just a few weeks after she miscarried.<span style=""> </span>I had the privilege of processing the events with her.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal">
<br /><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >I don’t write these things to scare you or to glamorize what we face over here, but it has been a challenging, stressful, difficult season for us and people close to us and we really need your prayers.<span style=""> </span>More than ever, we need God’s protection over our homes and families; we need peace and trust in God so that we won’t live in fear.<span style=""> </span>God has been doing some amazing things and we obviously are threats for the enemy!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal">
<br /><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >On Sunday evening, a small short term team from <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Canada</st1:place></st1:country-region> is arriving to do some training at some conferences here for two weeks.<span style=""> </span>This team is lead by our former teammates Craig and Heather Kraft who moved back to <st1:place st="on"><st1:country-region st="on">Canada</st1:country-region></st1:place> last May. Dan and I aren’t in charge of this one, but we will be assisting on multiple levels. <span style=""> </span>Craig and Heather will be staying at our house for two weeks and we are really looking forward to time with them.<span style=""> </span>We’ll be driving to <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Swaziland</st1:place></st1:country-region> with the team from Tues – Friday to help them with a conference and Dan will install carpet and tile at the Chomba’s Hope House Orphanage.<span style=""> </span>This will be the final touch on the room and the orphan guys will be able to begin using it!<span style=""> </span>This is a major milestone and we are really excited about it!<span style=""> </span>I’ll send pictures next week.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal">
<br /><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" ><span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Will you take a moment to pray for us as you read this?<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" ><span style="">-<span style=";font-family:";font-size:7;" > </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Pray for PEACE and COMFORT for the Allen family who are all pretty traumatized by the armed robbery<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" ><span style="">-<span style=";font-family:";font-size:7;" > </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Pray for Heather Witherow for REST and for COMFORT for her, her parents, her Aunt’s son, and that they will be able to connect with family through the time zones to encourage and support each other.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" ><span style="">-<span style=";font-family:";font-size:7;" > </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Pray for the Siakis, that God will soften their worship leader’s heart to receive correction and to be turned back to the Lord. Pray that God will bring a wonderful, godly man to come alongside them to support them to replace their asst pastor.<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" ><span style="">-<span style=";font-family:";font-size:7;" > </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Pray for the Days, Janse Van Vuurens, and the Robberts who were burglarized recently – for PEACE and the ability to SLEEP WITHOUT FEAR.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" ><span style="">-<span style=";font-family:";font-size:7;" > </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >It seems almost silly for me to ask you to pray about my nausea after the severity of the above requests, but our upcoming week is filled with company and travel and it would be wonderful to have a respite from feeling so sick in order to do ministry.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" ><span style="">-<span style=";font-family:";font-size:7;" > </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Pray for the Canadians as they do ministry in <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Swaziland</st1:place></st1:country-region> this week for a successful conference and be an encouragement and blessing to the Swazis.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<br /><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >We couldn’t do all God has called us to do here without your prayers and support of us.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" ><span style="">
<br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" ><span style=""> </span>THANK YOU!<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >
<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Janell for us 4<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >
<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >PS.<span style=""> </span>Just for fun, I have attached a picture of the security measures of a house that is right across the street from our church.<span style=""> </span>They have the highest level of security we have seen here so far!<span style=""> </span>They have 28 electrified wires, spotlight sensors, video monitoring, and razor wire fencing on their fence and gate.<span style=""> </span>While most houses aren’t quite that extreme, the majority in our neighborhood have electric wire and/or razor wire around their property.<span style=""> </span>As far as we know, it isn’t anybody famous.<span style=""> </span>This is just part of life here.<span style=""> </span>I bet these owners added another layer of electric fencing after they saw me taking a bunch of pictures of their fence!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >
<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Dn4UifUllEY/SYR-khnGsDI/AAAAAAAAAbg/tOxykI965rc/s1600-h/DSC03766.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Dn4UifUllEY/SYR-khnGsDI/AAAAAAAAAbg/tOxykI965rc/s400/DSC03766.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5297498227657322546" border="0" /></a>
<br /><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" ><span style=""> </span></span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> Janell's bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13861922116656863972noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3800411589332283052.post-83371860041191785792009-01-27T22:10:00.005+02:002009-01-27T22:25:41.577+02:00Inappropriate New Years Resolutions<span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">For all you ladies whose New Years Resolutions had something to do with decreasing your weight this picture is for you!<br /></span></span><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">You know how all the diet plans have you cutting this out and adding that in to try to get skinny...well this one is a no brainer to cut out:<br /><br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Dn4UifUllEY/SX9seK6kQ7I/AAAAAAAAAbI/jOuuFzDpByw/s1600-h/fat+for+sale.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 352px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Dn4UifUllEY/SX9seK6kQ7I/AAAAAAAAAbI/jOuuFzDpByw/s400/fat+for+sale.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296070952392868786" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><br />Yup, right there between the sausages and hot dogs, here in Africa for the low, low price of R5.02 ($.50) you too can own your own bag of FAT. No thanks!<br /><br />Since I think that selling fat is inappropriate, I thought I might as well add another photo which is slightly inappropriate, but oh SO funny!<br /><br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Dn4UifUllEY/SX9rnaVCO3I/AAAAAAAAAbA/f4K6YLNVHAk/s1600-h/erection+pic.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Dn4UifUllEY/SX9rnaVCO3I/AAAAAAAAAbA/f4K6YLNVHAk/s400/erection+pic.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296070011637611378" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family: arial;">Sometimes when English is your second language...</span>Janell's bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13861922116656863972noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3800411589332283052.post-45660932309911304462009-01-27T21:48:00.004+02:002009-01-27T22:10:15.387+02:00Pregnant Again!<div style="text-align: left; font-family: arial;">Thank you for your prayers for us last week. We are all doing well and Miesha’s spots disappeared before we went to the Dr which is a huge praise. We still don’t know what it was, but are thankful it passed so quickly.<br /><br />We have a fun announcement this week – we are PREGNANT again! Baby Hartley #2 is due in early September. The kids will be 21 months apart. We are approx 8 weeks along and only have 225 days left till our due date. We are excited that this one will be born in the States and we’ll be near family for this delivery. We had our first Dr appt a week ago Thursday and everything seems to be going great. We already have our first picture of this little one who is currently the size of a small kidney bean!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Dn4UifUllEY/SX9oSTGIGbI/AAAAAAAAAao/TWt3MVOPIRk/s1600-h/NRA+big+sis.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Dn4UifUllEY/SX9oSTGIGbI/AAAAAAAAAao/TWt3MVOPIRk/s400/NRA+big+sis.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296066350383897010" border="0" /></a><br /></div></div><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">The fact that Miesha is holding her Daddy's NRA (National Rifle Assoc) junkmail article has NOTHING to do with how she feels about being a big sister...I hope!</span>Janell's bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13861922116656863972noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3800411589332283052.post-62582251391000619032009-01-11T10:34:00.006+02:002009-01-11T10:48:52.317+02:00Hartley happenings in the New Year<meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5CJanell%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><link rel="Edit-Time-Data" href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5CJanell%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_editdata.mso"><!--[if !mso]> <style> v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} o\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} w\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} .shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);} </style> <![endif]--><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="City"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="country-region"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="place"></o:smarttagtype></span><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><object classid="clsid:38481807-CA0E-42D2-BF39-B33AF135CC4D" id="ieooui"></object> <style> st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } </style> <![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Wingdings; 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mso-level-number-format:bullet; mso-level-text:-; mso-level-tab-stop:.5in; mso-level-number-position:left; text-indent:-.25in; font-family:Arial; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} ol {margin-bottom:0in;} ul {margin-bottom:0in;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:shapedefaults ext="edit" spidmax="1029"> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:shapelayout ext="edit"> <o:idmap ext="edit" data="1"> </o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" >Hello everyone – hope the New Year is treating you well!<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" >I am sitting in front of my computer on Sunday morning with a steaming cup of American coffee (thanks Hartleys for the Christmas box!!) and I am trying to think of what to write about.<span style=""> </span>The last couple weeks have been a bit of a blur!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:85%;">
<br /></span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><span style=""> </span><span style=""> </span></span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" >Here is a short summary:<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" >We had a lot of fun helping Jasmine acclimate back to life in Africa, we threw her a big party and then we drove her to <st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">Bulembu</st1:city>, <st1:country-region st="on">Swaziland</st1:country-region></st1:place> <span style=""> </span>where she started her teacher training. <span style=""> </span>(it was only supposed to be a 5 hr drive, but Dan and I realized we forgot our passports an hour into the trip and that added 2 more hours…sigh!) <span style=""> </span>From Bulembu, we headed back to <st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">Motjane</st1:city>, <st1:country-region st="on">Swaziland</st1:country-region></st1:place> and stayed with our dear friends the Chombas for a couple days.<span style=""> </span>Dan did more work on the building for the orphan boys and then we gave Maggie Chomba’s sister Edna a ride back to <st1:city st="on">Johannesburg</st1:city> so that she could catch the bus from here to go back to <st1:place st="on"><st1:country-region st="on">Zambia</st1:country-region></st1:place>.<span style=""> </span>Dan and Edna woke up at 4:30 am and they drove to the bus station to try to book a ticket for a bus leaving that day.<span style=""> </span>It certainly was an adventure trying to sort out what bus, what time, waiting on standby, and then finally her making it aboard 4 hours later.<span style=""> </span>Whew!<span style=""> </span>The next possible bus was three days later, so she got really lucky.<span style=""> </span>That same afternoon, we also did an airport run to welcome back our team leader’s wife Jenny Teichert and their daughter Ann from furlough.<span style=""> </span>(Karl and their sons are returning in another week)<span style=""> </span>We’ve had several big rain storms and a neighbor’s tree fell onto the Teichert’s electric fence, so Dan also sorted that out for them before they came home.<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shapetype id="_x0000_t75" coordsize="21600,21600" spt="75" preferrelative="t" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" filled="f" stroked="f"> <v:stroke joinstyle="miter"> <v:formulas> <v:f eqn="if lineDrawn pixelLineWidth 0"> <v:f eqn="sum @0 1 0"> <v:f eqn="sum 0 0 @1"> <v:f eqn="prod @2 1 2"> <v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelWidth"> <v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelHeight"> <v:f eqn="sum @0 0 1"> <v:f eqn="prod @6 1 2"> <v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelWidth"> <v:f eqn="sum @8 21600 0"> <v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelHeight"> <v:f eqn="sum @10 21600 0"> </v:formulas> <v:path extrusionok="f" gradientshapeok="t" connecttype="rect"> <o:lock ext="edit" aspectratio="t"> </v:shapetype><v:shape id="_x0000_s1028" type="#_x0000_t75" style="'position:absolute;" wrapcoords="-86 0 -86 21494 21600 21494 21600 0 -86 0"> <v:imagedata src="file:///C:\Users\Janell\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtml1\01\clip_image001.jpg" title="fixing water heater"> <w:wrap type="tight"> </v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><span style="font-size:85%;">
<br /></span><!--[endif]--><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" >
<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" >So…airport runs, shopping for teaching supplies, throwing parties, repairing electric fences, giving rides, fixing the floor on the building for the orphan boys, fixing laptops, helping a teammate build a coffee table, writing articles for ministry, fixing a water heater, bus station runs, chauffeuring Jasmine to Swaziland, international border crossings, beginning to pack up our house (we are not keeping this rental house while we are in the states), having ministry partners over for meals and more are all in a week’s work for these missionaries.<span style=""> </span>There certainly isn’t much of a routine these days which works fine for us.<span style=""> </span>Dan thinks that working normal office hours is boring!<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" >(Dan is fixing the water heater in the Chomba’s roof!)</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" >
<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Dn4UifUllEY/SWmwbnsytWI/AAAAAAAAAZQ/gvbHU9XanDY/s1600-h/fixing+water+heater.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Dn4UifUllEY/SWmwbnsytWI/AAAAAAAAAZQ/gvbHU9XanDY/s320/fixing+water+heater.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5289953225883170146" border="0" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;">
<br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" >In the upcoming weeks, Dan may go up to Zimbabwe to help deliver water purification supplies (the cholera epidemic there is steadily worsening – you can find more info online on news websites) and we are likely to return to Swaziland for a few days so Dan can lay tile and carpet in the orphan boy’s living room and kitchen area.<span style=""> </span>Once that is finished, they can officially move in and start using the completely renovated space.<span style=""> </span>Dan made a table for them and some missionary friends who moved back to <st1:place st="on"><st1:country-region st="on">Canada</st1:country-region></st1:place> gave us some chairs that we will take up to them to use. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shape id="_x0000_s1027" type="#_x0000_t75" style="'position:absolute;margin-left:3in;margin-top:5.55pt;width:207pt;" wrapcoords="-90 0 -90 21474 21600 21474 21600 0 -90 0"> <v:imagedata src="file:///C:\Users\Janell\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtml1\01\clip_image003.jpg" title="view 3"> <w:wrap type="tight"> </v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><span style="font-size:85%;">
<br /></span><!--[endif]--><!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shape id="_x0000_s1026" type="#_x0000_t75" style="'position:absolute;margin-left:0;" wrapcoords="-90 0 -90 21473 21600 21473 21600 0 -90 0"> <v:imagedata src="file:///C:\Users\Janell\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtml1\01\clip_image005.jpg" title="view 1"> <w:wrap type="tight"> </v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]--><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" >We hope to find a tremendous deal on international tickets this week.<span style=""> </span>We are home for furlough from approx late April to late Oct in 09.<span style=""> </span>Yeah!!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:85%;">
<br /></span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" >And lastly, Miesha and I are “bunking” from church this morning. (“bunking” is what they call playing hookie here)<span style=""> </span>As I was dressing her for church I noticed that both of her legs are <b style="">covered</b> in red bumps.<span style=""> </span>It is possible that a tribe of mosquitoes snacked on her legs all night, but it is likely to be something more interesting for us to deal with.<span style=""> </span>We will take her into the Dr tomorrow morning to get it checked out.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:85%;">
<br /></span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" >Prayer points:<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><span style="">-<span style=";font-family:";" > </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" >wisdom for Dan as he sorts out the dates for the international trips<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><span style="">-<span style=";font-family:";" > </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" >LOW LOW price on <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">USA</st1:place></st1:country-region> tickets for us<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><span style="">-<span style=";font-family:";" > </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" >that Miesha’s spots will be accurately diagnosed, she won’t be too uncomfortable and that whatever it is will go away quickly!!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size:85%;">
<br /></span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" >Thank you for your love and prayers for us!<span style=""> </span>My coffee is finished now and I am off to cuddle with a spotty little girl.<span style=""> </span></span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" >Janell for us 3<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shape id="_x0000_i1025" type="#_x0000_t75" style="'width:207pt;height:156.75pt'"> <v:imagedata src="file:///C:\Users\Janell\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtml1\01\clip_image007.jpg" title="jc mh good"> </v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><span style="font-size:85%;">
<br /></span><!--[endif]--><!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shape id="_x0000_i1026" type="#_x0000_t75" style="'width:207pt;height:155.25pt'"> <v:imagedata src="file:///C:\Users\Janell\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtml1\01\clip_image009.jpg" title="mh nc"> </v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]--></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p style="text-align: left;" class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" >Here are Miesha and Joshua Chomba – they were born on the same day, 15 minutes apart from each other.</span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><span style=""> </span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Dn4UifUllEY/SWmwb6WAuRI/AAAAAAAAAZY/c9TEZDiCT0Q/s1600-h/jc+mh+good.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Dn4UifUllEY/SWmwb6WAuRI/AAAAAAAAAZY/c9TEZDiCT0Q/s320/jc+mh+good.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5289953230887893266" border="0" /></a></span></p><p style="text-align: left;" class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" >
<br /></span></p><p style="text-align: left;" class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" >Nokwanda is holding Miesha.<span style=""> </span>She is one of the orphans that the Chomba</span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" >s hav</span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" >e </span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" >adopted.<span style=""> </span>She is such a sweetie and has the best "morning hair" ever!!</span></p><p style="text-align: left;" class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" >
<br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Dn4UifUllEY/SWmwcKwsa6I/AAAAAAAAAZg/AvwhAYl-Gfc/s1600-h/mh+nc.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Dn4UifUllEY/SWmwcKwsa6I/AAAAAAAAAZg/AvwhAYl-Gfc/s320/mh+nc.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5289953235294776226" border="0" /></a></span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> Janell's bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13861922116656863972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3800411589332283052.post-3833320485572261632008-12-30T16:04:00.004+02:002008-12-30T16:12:31.896+02:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Dn4UifUllEY/SVorm3zd-SI/AAAAAAAAAZI/ZJpQpNmmtbs/s1600-h/DSC07337.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Dn4UifUllEY/SVorm3zd-SI/AAAAAAAAAZI/ZJpQpNmmtbs/s320/DSC07337.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285585059487545634" border="0" /></a><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >We hope that you all had a wonderful Christmas celebration and a Happy New Year to you also!<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >We enjoyed a laid back Christmas brunch with two other missionary families and then had a quiet evening at home playing games with a gal from church. We also had our annual Boxing Day BBQ with the missionaries we work with. Dan had a horrible sore throat for a couple days (including Christmas!) but we are thankful it cleared up in time since the two of us led worship this morning for our teammate Paul’s church plant. It is an Anglican church so it was a little more reserved than we are used to, but it was an interesting change of pace. </span></span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><span style=";font-family:Wingdings;font-size:10;" ></span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" ><o:p><br /></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Our church is sending approximately 20 young people on a mission trip this week to a small little town on the ocean called Kenton on Sea. Kenton is a party town and during the week between Christmas and New Year, approximately 8,000 young people pitch tents on the beach, listen to their favorite live rock bands, they drink WAY too much, they sleep around, and do drugs. Our church has a free coffee bar that is open all night to help kids sober up, there is a medic who helps with the obvious side effects of drinking too much, they watch out for the gals who might get taken advantage of and they have a lot of fun trying to engage people in conversations about God. They were a huge blessing to the community last year and saw a lot of people give their lives to Christ. Please pray that God will work powerfully in and through the lives of those who go, that they will have many opportunities to share the love of Christ and that many people will respond and give their lives to Christ.<o:p><br /></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >One of the gals who came on our first short term team is returning to Africa to teach school in <st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">Bulembu</st1:city>, <st1:country-region st="on">Swaziland</st1:country-region></st1:place> for 1 year. We love Jasmine and are excited she is coming back! It just proves to us the value of short term teams since many who come for a short time end up coming back to commit for longer seasons! She lands on the 2<sup>nd</sup>, we are hosting a “welcome back” BBQ for her on the 3<sup>rd</sup> and then we are driving her to the Swazi school on the 4<sup>th</sup>. We will likely end up back at the Chomba’s home for an extra day or two and Dan can do a little more work on the building we are finishing for the orphan guys who live with Lewis and Maggie. We are looking forward to more time with this wonderful family!</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Sorry it has been so long since I've written here. To resolve the picture issue I had to ditch internet explorer and start all over with a new search engine. Switching things around on my technology isn't my favorite, but at least now you can see pictures again. yeah! I haven't been paying much attention to my blog since I have been enjoying facebook so much! I'll post pictures of Miesha's birthday party soon. Smiles, Janell<br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" ></span></span></p>Janell's bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13861922116656863972noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3800411589332283052.post-67451539036257679262008-12-17T11:39:00.000+02:002008-12-17T11:42:41.325+02:00Help!All you really experienced and consistent bloggers out there - this rookie needs some help!<br /><br />I no longer have the ability to upload pics into my blogs. The actual feature is gone from my "create" posting page. Any suggestions?Janell's bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13861922116656863972noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3800411589332283052.post-9264823975217369262008-11-30T07:39:00.001+02:002008-12-01T12:21:36.518+02:00Thanksgiving in Africa!We ended up with 100+ people for the Thanksgiving Feast at our church that we helped to coordinate. It was amazing to be able to share such a special holiday with so many people who we are becoming friends with. Dan carved 10 turkeys in an hour (with an electric knife!) and did a fantastic speech to give everyone a history lesson for the reason for thanksgiving. I went shopping for food for 6 hrs on Tues and then cooked for 3 days with Janet (who is a catering expert and should really count for 5 people) and the Bible students at the church. (these students also were on the Swaziland and Zambian mission trips with us earlier this year) It was really amazing – everyone loved it and has asked us if we can do it again next year. We are up for it!!<br /><br />Dec 1st is World AIDS Day. It is a time to remember those who are suffering from AIDS and to raise awareness about the disease. Three families from our missionary team will be participating in a special service at Ennerdale Uniting Reformed Church with Pastor Wessie. We partnered with this church’s compassion ministry with our short term team in June and did AIDS visitation to homes and to Village of Hope Hospice Center. After church tomorrow, we will be returning to Village of Hope and I am excited to see everyone and to reconnect with some of the patients. <br /><br />Then, this coming Thursday we will be hosting a Christmas Party for the AIDS ministry at Moroka Church of the Nazarene. I have worked with this group for almost 2 years and this will be our 2nd Christmas Party. Last year, this was my favorite ministry event of the year and I am looking forward to it very much. This is also a very handy way to utilize the thanksgiving leftovers from the church party - bring on the turkey!! The Bible students from our church will be helping at this event also. For some of them, it will be their first exposure to people who are sick with AIDS.<br /><br />Thanks again for praying for my recovery from the operation. I think it is truly a miracle that I am doing so well and credit it to all the prayers on my behalf. I haven’t had pain in days (even with all the long hours of prep for Thanksgiving) and even the scar is really faint. God is good. <br /><br />I’ll write a long newsy posting with pictures once we have completed the Christmas party on Thursday.<br /><br />Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving!<br /><br />Love,<br />JanellJanell's bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13861922116656863972noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3800411589332283052.post-41363331768239203672008-11-21T12:48:00.002+02:002008-11-21T13:19:28.373+02:00PartiesWhile I haven't gone out much - this recovery has given me some good "deep thinking" time, I have read some books, have watched a couple chick flicks (thank you Barb!) and have decided to enjoy all the people who are giving to our family here. Sometimes it takes getting some of your guts cut out in a foreign country for me to slow down enough to realize how many people love us!!<br /><br />For the many phone calls, e-mails, encouraging notes, flowers, CHOCOLATES, visits and meals - we are SO GRATEFUL. I was even given a very-hard-to-find-in-Africa Dr. Pepper! (thanks Michelle) Funny how much Dr. Pepper is speeding up my recovery!<br /><br />I get the fantastic priviledge of planning two holiday parties and at this point I can do a lot of planning from my computer or while sitting down which is working well. <br /><br />I am having fun searching for Thanksgiving recipes, checking out what Martha Stewart's website recommends for centerpieces, and trying to figure out where I can find autumn colored stuff when it is spring here in Africa. The Thanksgiving Feast is for a group of about 120 at our church. This morning in my Beth Moore study I was reading about Thanksgiving in the Old Testament. Well, actually it is when the Israelites were preparing to build the sanctuary in the desert so that the presence of God would dwell with them. Their songs of thanks and their outpouring of gifts - so many that Moses had to tell them to stop giving. It is one of the few times where the Israelites did things right!<br /><br />I am trying to brainstorm creatve ways (besides an open mic to share what you are thankful for) that will cause my friends here to reflect deeply and meaningfully on how God has blessed them and to say thank you in a new way. If you have any ideas...please let me know!!<br /><br />The week after our big Thanksgiving Feast at our church, on Dec. 4th we will be throwing a huge party in Soweto for my friends who are sick with AIDS. As usual, the party is already growing from "only around 25" to closer to 50. I think I am going to mentally prepare for 80 so I don't get surprised later on! This was one of my favorite events last year and I know I am going to love it again this year. We are going to do a Christmas program with a devotional by yours truly, some Christmas games, have a choir sing, eat together and have a special gift giving time. For many, this will be their only Christmas gift. When I asked my friends Mafika and Dumi what they wanted for their gift this year, their answers broke my heart. They asked for a toothbrush, laundry soap, and body soap. They need the basics this year. Since times are hard everywhere, those who are the recipients of charity feel the lack most keenly.<br /><br />It will be so rewarding to be able to bless them all. Thank you to Fairfield Community Church for sponsoring this event!Janell's bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13861922116656863972noreply@blogger.com1