An Ode To Projects Completed

Guys, we finally finished painting our headboard, and by we, I mean Matt. I am so happy with how it turned out. Below is a photo of the finished product, which will only be hung once we move (as I don't want to have to re-paint an entire wall at this stage).

He did such a great job - thanks Matt!

I did eventually take a photo of that yummy chocolate pudding, which I enjoyed with a glass of red wine (thanks Amanda)

My sister-in-law Shekinah's music video was released on South African television and it is being played at least once an hour on 5FM and East Coast Radio. She has such an amazing voice and we are so incredibly proud of her!

To watch the video go here:
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=7xhaN_CPriw

Matt and I are joining Christoff and Marguerite (a couple from church) at their house once a week for Story Sessions.  It's been interesting so far, learning about each person's life story and their journey with Christ.  Plus the bacon and cheese muffins which Christoff made were delish!

Matt and I finally hiked the blue trail at Krantzkloof, which was about 2 hours long and relatively flat, so a great option for families with younger children.  It also ends with a waterfall (in the rainy season) which is an added bonus.

For anyone looking for free group exercise sessions in Durban, there's the Park Run (or walk) on the North Beach promenade on Saturdays at 8AM (but you have to register online first), as well as Club 117 which offers group training sessions in Bulwer park on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons and Saturday mornings. If you want more information visit their Facebook site.

And just because it's funny and I forgot to tell you all, the day my mom arrived from Taiwan was a doosy. We got home from the airport (a good 30-40 minute drive away) only to realise my mom had collected somebody else's suitcase. She called the airport helpdesk and they let her know that her suitcase was there and she could come to collect it. She was advised to contact the person whose luggage she had taken, and arrange directly with them to meet and hand their luggage over.

So my mom got back into the car to drive to the airport. When she got there she was told she couldn't collect her luggage until she handed over the other person's luggage (which was safely tucked away at my sister's house). After some negotiation, my mom was finally allowed to take her luggage home. My mom can be persuasive when she wants to be.

In the meantime, my sister and I managed to find a business card in one of the bag pockets which had a web address on it, which in turn lead to a mobile number. When we eventually managed to get hold of him, it turned out Mr Uwe Schmolke had already travelled to Margate (a good hour and a half away) and needed his diving equipment and wetsuit (which was in his suitcase) before sunrise the next morning, which was the first dive of his underwater photography trip. So off my mom went again, this time to the central bus terminal to buy a 'seat' for the suitcase to travel to Margate, where Mr Schmolke would eventually collect it.

It is never a dull day with my mom around!

So what I learnt from this experience is:
1) Always check that your luggage is indeed YOUR luggage
2) I think it's pretty amazing when people use their vacation time/travels and combine it with their passions, whether it's through a working holiday or volunteering
3) Mr Schmolke has some pretty cool underwater photographs which you can view here: http://www.underwaterphotography.com/photo-contest/default.aspx?MID=38368

Whatever you get up to this weekend, I hope you have an amazing time with your loved ones.

I'm Back!!!

Hi all, I'm back.  Sorry for the long absence. I started my new job this Monday gone past and have been in bed early every night this week. What is it about a new job that completely fries your brain? I suppose somewhere between learning everybody's name (and trying to remember it); figuring out where the bathroom and paper shredder is located as well as coming to grips with your new position and tasks, there isn't much room or energy left for very much else. But nevermind, because next week will be better!

A word on my new job (which I will blog about another time) - Matthew and I are firm believers in the power of prayer. When this job opportunity came up, although I really wanted it, our prayer wasn't "please Lord let Jenn get this job" it was "Lord if this job is the right one for Jenn, then please let her get it". It was a subtle difference but an important one. It was having faith that if something was meant to be, it would be, instead of having a heart full of fear and following our own desires based on that fear. And then once it was confirmed that I'd be appointed there was a whole lotta "thank you, thank you, thank you" prayers, because let's be honest there was no way I'd be getting this job so soon if it wasn't for Him.

So what did we get up to this weekend? On Friday night my sister and I explored the Musgrave Centre Rooftop Night Market. I was pleasantly surprised! Many of the I Heart Market vendors were there, which meant that my favourite homemade kiddies' clothes, second-hand refurbished clothes, one of a kind designer clothing, jewellery, wooden boards with quirky sayings and yummy eats were on display. Do yourself a favour and skip making dinner on this particular Friday night and instead indulge in some yummy Colombo coffee/smoothies/homemade lemonade followed by a stirfry/wrap/prego roll/Greek delicacy and then finish off the evening with a Wicked Donut (these were sold out by the time we left!).  Think of flavours such as peanut butter blast or nutella filled doughnut holes. Yum!

Local musical talent performs in turn. There was a Matthew Mole-esque guitarist performing earlier in the evening.

The market packed to capacity already.

People with awesome hair like this hang out there. They really do.

We were lucky to get there early enough, and you should to, because it does tend to get manic later on in the evening, and you'll be fighting it out for a spot to sit.

The market is held the first Friday of every month. You should be there!

The next day I attended the "Women of Worth 2015" ladies tea at LIV Village with Natz. We were spoilt with cappuccinos and sweet treats made by the ladies trained at the culinary school, lovely handmade gifts, four amazing guest speakers, some worship, and a fashion show put on by the female teenagers who live at the village.  They were displaying the accessories which are made by local ladies in the factory and sold in the little shop (both located on-site). Just for your information if you are looking for gorgeous one of a kind gifts please look here. They stock beautiful baby onesies, baby booties, bags, cushions, shirts, keyring etc.  100% of the profit goes to the children who stay in the village.

The story of how LIV Village came to be is an amazing one, which you can read about here: http://www.liv-village.com
That story alone moved me to tears (which if you know me, you'll know it's not hard to do) but what really touched me was Kimberly's story: of how she fell in love with her husband (I'm a major sucker for romance), their five little ones and their missionary work. She spoke of how the greatest praise/worship which we can offer to God is not in our moments of fame or glory, but rather in our most desperate moments. She started singing then and I don't think there was a dry eye in the house!  I am so glad I had the opportunity to attend this event.
To read Kimberly's story go here: http://www.bobandkimberly.com

They are also starting an outreach programme called "Extreme Love" within the next two months, so I can't wait to see what that's about.

Enjoy some pics from the day below:

Have a good week all of you. I hope to be back again this week, but won't make any promises.  I will be back to my old self and blog from next week for sure.