Soccer, chocolate eggs, and family

After some technical troubles, my blog is back up and running.

I wanted to start out this post by thanking you all for your support and prayers. Your impact is greater than you know. I've definitely felt the void these past few weeks while I haven't been able to keep you updated. Please keep praying. You are making an eternal difference.

The past few days have been holiday for our kids, and have ironically felt like more work than our time in the schools. Much of our time has been focused on fundraising.

I spent most of the first week working on a promo video with Dillion. Little did Nikki and Reagan realize, but technology and I do not get along. It ended up being quite the task. But we ended with a stellar project.

We also had a meeting with an organization called ABZ. They will be helping with the coming Legends workshop by teaching the Legends about music. I'm pretty excited! It sounded like they were going to have an insturment petting zoo, along with clartons that each Legend can purchase and take with them. They are figuring out other ways to partner with Cynergy as well. It's exciting to hear their ideas. The Kobe foundation will also be at the coming workshop teaching the 7 habits of suceesful teens. It should be pretty sweet!

Much of this past week has been spent preparing for and participating in the Easter tournament (the pictures in this post are from the tournament). The Easter tournament is a huge soccer tournament that occurs each year in Reigerpark. Cynergy used this as a fundraising opportunity. In addition to passing out pamphlets explaining Cynergy and the cell phone competion, we had a gazebo set up in which we displayed shirts, painted faces, and had coloring contests. We shared the gazebo with Laura's "I Choose" campaign, which foces on HIV/AIDS awareness and education. The tournament was a blast! It was fun hanging outside all day, enjoying the games (or at least the few glimpses that we caught of them). I also played soccer with a few of the kids. So much fun! Lenin, Nikki and Reagan's neighbor, attached himself to Laura and I for most of the weekend. He was a cutie!

I also got to spend a lot of time with Nikki's family this weekend. Good Friday is a big deal here. We got to experience a proper South African dinner with Nikki's extended family. It was fun hanging out with them and seeing how similiar they were to mine. Her brother teased me like my brother does, and her grandmother kept telling me to eat more, just like my gran does. tehe. Felt like home. :-) I got to spend a lot of time with Nikki and Reagan's kids this weekend as well. I felt honored when Kaylin (her daughter) invited me to sleep at their house. I really feel like we've become family. :-)

Yesterday added to this experience. Because of the circumstances, I didn't rock up at Nikki and Reagan's house until 10am, when they were suppoused to be back from the school. I planned on helping them at the schools at noon and 1pm. They didn't end up rocking up until right before I had to leave for an appointment. Haha! I ended up spending most of the day playing with Kaylin and Jachin (their youngest two children; Kaylin is in grade 4 and Jachin is in grade 2). Too fun. We played an interesting version of pictionary (which was more like a combination of pictionary/charades/give me a clue so I can answer), followed by two cames of chutes and ladders, playing the first the regular way and the second where you go down the ladders and up the chutes. We finished with an entertaining game that Kaylin created: one person was the director, the other two acted out the director's scene. Those kids are crazy creative!

Today we were back in the schools, which makes me glad. I missed my kids! I'm so proud of how they've grown over the term! What a difference between their first class of this term and the first class of last term. Not only have they improved academically, but we've really begun to build relationship with one another. I love them so much! Secretly, the class that I had today is my favorite. Tehe.

Praise the Lord!:
-For today
-For milk
-For sunshine
-For health
-For Nikki. She has really taken me under her wing. She is willing to do whatever it takes to ensure that I am taken care of. She amazes me! And is constantly teaching me.
-For Reagan. He too has taken me under his wing. He has taught me that I can do anything, that I can no longer use the excuse that I can't. He is wise beyond his years. I could literally sit and listen to his wisdom for hours. Already he has taught me so many life lessons.
-For progress
-For Nikki and Reagan's family, both nuclear and extended
-For humor
-For incredible friends
-For opportunity
-For knowledge
-For being teachable

Please pray
-For understanding
-For a postive attitude
-For honesty
-For health. I've been crazy sick this past week. My head is being fatra again, as is my stomache. I'm not really sure what's going on.
-For community
-For more friendships here in SA
-For guidance in my future. Please pray that God will open doors that need to be opened and close doors that need to be closed
-For resolve
-For peace
-For continued safety
-For an attitude that is the same as Christ's
-For wisdom
-For discipline in my devotions. Being sick and stressed out has thrown me out of this habit. Already I've felt the effect.
-For Vox
That God's will is done in all that we do
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