Most of you who know me well know that I am indeed, already in love! It’s ok, Michael both knows about, and approves of, the latest reciever[s] of my affections!
They are the local children!

They are just so lovely and sweet. The pre school children are adorable! But the older ones are so genuine and friendly. This afternoon for example, I met up with a 10 year old girl who I’ve seen for the last couple of weeks. She always wants to walk with me and is just so eager to help me. And she is always so excited to see me! I met 2 other little girls this afternoon who were so lovely as well. I persuaded them to play cricket and made sure the boys didn’t stop them!
All the kids at the pre schools want to hold our hands and dance with us, or sit on our laps and have a hug. It’s so sweet!
There are some children who live near us who always run out to say hi to us and walk with us asking how are you? They are all just so adorble!

Just in case you are wondering, this is indeed Nicola writing and not some randomer who has high jacked my site!

You know people say that this sort of adventure means you find yourself, and discover things you never knew you had inside you? Wel it’s true!

Last Saturday morning, we had some free time. Picture the scene. Sun is shining, music playing. Chris, Hattie and Bethan are outside and Beth is writing an E mail. So what was I doing, I hear you ask…
Was I relaxing in the sun?
Or maybe I was filling in my journal?
Reading my bible?
Sleeping?

In fact, none of the above! On this gloriously sunny morning, I choose to spend my free time…
Cleaning the kitchen!
I kid you not! This is my recreational activity of choice!
I’m getting a strange sense of satisfaction from cleaning and tidying up! It’s not good! What’s wrong with me?

Hi!
I thought you might all like to know about the children here. There are at least 3 primary schools in this area that we know about, each with lots more students than in England. School starts at 7 AM and finishes by 1.30. After school, all the children stay around playing games and don’t go straight home. On Thursday afternoons we run some after school clubs, like football, cricket, drama and dance for the students. They don’t have many resources and still use blackboards in the classroom s. There are some posters on the classroom walls, but no displays of work. The teachers are still allowed to hit the students on the hand with wooden or metal sticks if they get something wrong or misbehave. Some of the time, there isn’t even a teacher in the class, so the students can’t learn.
There are no lovely green areas for the children to play on, just concrete or dusty spaces.
In SA, you start school at 6 years old. Before that, you go to pre school. You stay in school until 18, when you take your matric exam.

Wow! Well guess what? I find myself sat at a working computer for the second time today! How exciing!
Jut thought I’d try and fill you in a bit on what’s happening here in the sun! [Lol, sorry no more sunshine jokes, promise!]
Anyway you’ll be pleased to know that dressing up as a catapillar does mean I get to be abeautiful butterfly at the end of the story!
Yesterday we visited another pre school and the kids were cute. Sadly, though, we didn’t have to resort to old party songs to entertain the children. Sorry guys!
So I’m sat here in a vest top and 3 quarter length trousers thinking it’s hot! Oh yeah, I promised no more sunshine jokes, didn’t I? *sigh!
The very very important question for today is…
What type of chocolate should Beth and I get next time we’re shopping? The chocolate here is nowhere near as good as in England, so make sure you eat lots for us all! Haven’t found any new shoes to replace my tragically injured ones either!
Tomorrow we have the soup kitchen which I’m really looking forward to. The people there are so lovely! Then in the afternoon we have the sports club at a school in Cosmo City! We’re running it on our own tomorrow!
Bethan’s tin of tuna still hasn’t appeared by the way!
Hope you’re all ok and have had a fun snowball fight!
Love you all! xxx

Just a quick hi from sunny South Africa! We had an awesome weekend. Steve Chalke is such an amazing and inspirational speaker! I urge you o travel across the country to hear him speak! We went to a church in Dipsloot, which is a township outside Cosmo City. The church is a tent in the middle of thousands of shacks. The people were so lovely and God was just so obviously present. I’ve never experienced such joy in a place before! It’s amazing what God can do in the places most of us choose to forget about!
Hope you are all enjoying the snow at home, while I’m enjoying 28 degrees at the moment!
Have to go as I have training for a children’s project which starts on Friday. Apparently I might have to dress up in a catipillar costume!

Short bursts of insanity keep us sane! [Spike Milligan]
Today there is a very important question which I want to put to you all… Does anyone know where Bethan’s opened, or unopened tin of tuna is? Unfortunately she seems to have mislayed it somewhere between the fridge and her sandwich!
Anyway, I cant’ believe it’s Thursday already. Surely Monday was only yesterday? But what with entertainig kids, feeding lots of homeless men this morning, and experiencing the South African pulling power, life’s been pretty busy really! Yes you heard me right. I and Beth were left with 30 3 to 6 year old kids on Tuesday in a very small room. We even had to resort to singing the Hokey Cokey! It was fun though. They all climbed on us saying we love you teacher. And I have to admit, there are all very cute and I’m really looking to going back there!
Today we helped in the soup kitchen. The helpers there are the most lovely and friendly group of people I have ever met.
And the pulling power… Only joking guys!!

A sad event has occured today though. My favouritist and most comfortable sandals have tragically broken *sniff! I guess that just means a good excuse to buy a new pair!
The weekend will be busy, as Steve Chalke, founder of Oasis UK is coming here tomorrow for a visit. We have a barbecue tomorrow evening, party Saturday, for which we are decorating and cooking snacks, Church on Sunday where he will be speaking, as well as one of his assistants staying with us! Heading home to clean now… And hopefully finish a game of South African monopoly!

It’s been very busy the last couple of days. Friday morning we spent in the clinic, helping with patients, pregnancy and immunisations! Eek!! Saturday and Sunday were really chilled. We had coffee and the hugest slice of cake ever on Saturday then went to church yesterday and went for an explore. This morning I got up at 5 Aam [my time, which is 4 your time] to travel to the Aids hospice in the centre of Joburg. We chatted to the patients and played cards. They make some beautiful jewellery there which I’m hoping to learn.
We had a massive thunder storm here on Saturday night, it lasted about 4 hours. Seriously, any storm in England, times it by 5 and add a whole lot of lightning and rain! We
‘re just about to have another one now as well!
Joburg is such an amazing city. We already feel so at home and everyone is just so friendly! Again thanks for your support and prayers. Miss you all!
Lots of love!

Hey Guys!
Ok I failed in my mission to post this on Wednesday, it’s Thursday now… So a quick update…
The lion park was amazing on Tuesday. We stroked baby lion cubs and fed a giraffe which was awesome! Started our projects yesterday so busy meeting lots of new and amazing people.
Feeling a bit home sick at the moment… Missing you guys lots! But South Africa is a fantastic country and I’m having the best time… Don’t worry though, I’ll definitely be back in England… For a bit!!
Hope you are all ok and thanks for all your coments and messages. Keep them coming – I love getting them even if I’m useless at replying to you all! Feel free to text me anytime. If you don’t have my number, ask someone else and they might!
Lots of love! xxxx

Wow! I can’t believe it’s over a week since I arrived here. Sorry I haven’t been able to write sooner but I haven’t had access to the internet until now – a bit of a shock for me!

So yes, I’m actually here, in South Africa, enjoying 32 degree heat, fantastic accents and generally lovely people! I’m currently sat in our living room on Monday evening writing this to add to the blog hopefully Wednesday. Our house is so amazing – it’s like a holiday apartment with a big living/dining room and kitchen, 3 bedrooms and a lovely garden. At the moment all four girls are sharing one room [we have en suite!] and we have a spare room!

We’ve spent our first week meeting the Oasis SA team, visiting all the projects we will be involved with and getting to know the area. We live in Cosmo City, thee first development in South Africa where people from all races, as well as rich and poor people, live together in the same community. It’s a pioneering project, which the SA government hope will be the first of many similar developments. We’ve visited the Appartied Museum, Johannesburg Zoo, beautiful Botanical Gardens and tomorrow [Tuesday] we are going to the Lion Park, where you can pet baby lion cubs and feed giraffes! Yay!!

I’m so looking forward to starting the projects. The preschool kids are so amazingly cute! We visited them last Thursday and they all sang to us and kept saying “we love you.” Can’t wait to start doing activities in the HIV hospice. All the older children are so lovely too, very interested to talk to us and teach us their languages! [I love all the languages so much! It’s so interesting!]

Sorry I can’t write more – I hope to soon and maybe I’ll just add loads of posts when I’m online! I just want to say a huge thanks to you guys for texting me and supporting me so much. It’s such an inspiration and encouragement to me over here. Please keep checking the prayer corner and adding your own and praying for what’s there already! I want to see how God is working for all of us despite the distance!