Yesterday we organised a big prayer day in our office. Each room was for something different. We had a silent prayer room, creative area with paints, music, communion, verses and news stories on the walls. The main time was between 12 and 1.30 yesterday lunchtime. All the Oasis staff, community health workers and various other volunteers who could come were there. For most of the time I stayed in the garage, where people could pray out loud and together. The community health workers took it upon themselves to worship and glorify God with the most amazing singing I have ever heard. It truly is inspiring to hear around twenty-five people singing with all their hearts and souls, praising and worshiping our awesome God.

But for me the most amazing part of this is the fact that it is the community wellness project which is in most need of funding, and is therefore in most danger of closing down. This would mean that none of the community health workers would have a job and would lose the income they get from Oasis. Yet despite this threat, they choose to really put into practice the phrase in Romans 12.
“Be Joyful in hope… Patient in prayer.”

Wow! I’m sitting back in our office on Friday morning, while it’s grey, cool and cloudy outside trying to find words to express just how amazing Capetown is…

We stayed in a small town just outside of Capetown called Fishhoek! It is a beautiful little seaside town. Our house was so beautiful. We were on a mountain and could see so much from there over the sea.

On Sunday, as it was clear, we decided to go to Table Mountain. Instead of choosing the cable car to reach the top, which would have taken about five minutes, we decided to walk up. And believe me, it was no easy stroll! Most of the uneven rocky step type things were at least knee high! But, with the amazing help of my team, we made it! Just in time to hear the sirens for the last cabel car down as it was so windy up at the top. So we ran across the top of the mountain, not stopping for photos and thankfully managed to get the cable car! I definitely discovered muscles I thought I’d forgotten about!

On Monday we had a well earned relaxing time on the beach. Imagine a gorgeous beach, with palm trees, powdery white sand and crystal clear blue-green water. Well this is exactly where I was!
Tuesday found us at Cape Point, where the Atlantic and Indian oceans meet. It is also the most southern point in Africa. It is stunning there. We also went to a beach where there is a huge colony of penguines. Yes, actual penguines chilling out on the rocks and lazing in the sun! Pretty amazing and strangly out of place don’t you think?
On Wednesday we spent the day at the water front in Capetown. We went for a speed boat ride and in the afternoon took the ferry across to Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was held in prison for eighteen years. We were taken round the prison by an X prisoner. It was incredible to hear him say how all of the inmates who were held because of fighting against the apparthied weren’t bitter and were so proud of what they did! He told us ow the prison wardens tried to separate the prisoners acording to their colour. The indian and coloured men were given more and better food than the black men. However, they all shared, thus making the bonds of unity across the racial divides even stronger and more pronounced.The water front is so beautiful, wih lots of shops, restaurants and boats to keep you amused.

Some thoughts about Capetown…
It really is such a beautiful part of South Africa, with such a range of things to see and do, from fantastic beaches to mountains, vinyards, shark diving, and amazing scenery. Robben Island was truly inspirational. There are actual people whose job it is to sit on top of a hill and keep a look out for sharks approaching!

So Capetown, along with Swaziland are 2 places which I have fallen totally in love with. I really hope to come back and spend longer in this amazing corner of Africa!

Dear Reader,

I regret to inform you that Nicola will be absent from any computer over the next few days as she is going on holiday tomorrow and won’t be back until Thursday.

Kind Regards.

Yep, it’s true! We’re off to Capetown tomorrow until Thursday! Sunshine, Sea, Sand, , Table Mountain, penguines and 2 oceans here I come!!

I hope you all have a good few days. Hopefully I can write next Friday telling about our conquering Table Mountain, swimming with penguines, chilling on the beach and exploring a little bit more of this amazing country! Have fun!

I am so blessed and lucky to have the most supportive friends and family in the world! And at the moment, Oasis SA needs your help…

At the start of the week we had a big team meeting to discuss funding. We applied for money from various companies and the government but because of the current financial situation, all decisions were either declined or postponed. With the money we have all projects could run until May this year, when they would have to start closing. The first to go would be the work with children in the local schools. To give you an example, we recently did a project where we had the honour of telling around two hundred eight year olds who live in an informal settlement that they are special and that God loves them. From May work such as this will not be able to happen. Other projects like the community health work will also stop by July. It’s heartbreaking. Oasis as a global family do such inspiring work, serving our amazing God and his people with love, compassion and humility.

We desperately need your prayers over the next few weeks to ask for funding, peace for the staff and the hope and ability to continue doing God’s work. Please take this prayer request to anyone you know and let’s get an international prayer army fighting for God’s people!

On Wednesday we saw how loving God is, and how awesome his provision is. We recieved one of five sets of funding we asked for. Praise God!

But we still need more. If any of you feel you can help in any small way please please let me know.
Together we can help God in doing an amazing miracle, and helping his glorious kingdom here on earth.

I’m sitting in our office thinking about Valentine’s day tomorrow. So I have decided to share with you all the things I love about being here in South Africa!…

1. I love waking up at 5 AM and the sun already shining!
2. I love propper South African braais! [Barbecues but way better!]
3. I love getting e mails! It’s so exciting!
4. I love traditional African singing. It always makes me smile!
5. I love hearing the crickets chirping in the evening.
7. I love getting excited about talking to my family, friends and especially Michael!
8. I love the following conversation that almost takes place as a greeting.
Me: [to a local] Hi.
Local: I’m fine thanks and you?
9. I love being able to do so many new things I wouldn’t normally do in the UK.
10. I really love making you all jealous at our beautiful sunshine!!

So there you are! I’m feeling so full of love right now. I just read a quote about you can’t really love without giving part of yourself. And that’s so true! Africa will certainly be keeping a part of me here. And I will definitely be bringing part of Africa back to England! Hmmm… Maybe I will need a new suitcase afterall…

I realised I haven’t talked much about all the children recently who visit us most afternoons after school. And, as the title suggests, it is indeed Madness!

There are so many local children who generally play in the streets after school. Some have small bikes, skipping ropes or balls, but mostly they just play together in groups which is lovely. Normally about 2 minutes after we arrive home we hear a familiar tap tapping on our gate and the war cry,
“Chris… Hattie… Open the gate!”
This cry is repeated for as long as it takes someone to decide to go and let them in! Alternatively, if the gate is open, we will find a group of children at our door, or windows saying,
“Knock Knock… Hi… Knock knock!”

Usual persuits of entertainment are singing, dancing, drawing, sticking, face painting, playing football, asking for balloons, and once a giant water fight organised with military planning on our part! All the children love taking photos and seeing themselves on digital cameras. Invariably, if we start off with one or two children, after about 5 minutes we will have most of the kids from the area appearing over the wall, at the gate or running from whatever they were doing at break neck pace to be in on the fun at our house! And as well they all have such amazing names. Blessings, Mpo, Happiness etc.

It will be so strange back in England to not have any little wood pecker type tappings on the gate, little voices in English or otherwise calling us, or demands to open the gate, do face painting, or requests for juice!

Kids, I might sometimes complain and want peace, but really I’ll miss you all loads! Who wants to come to England with me? I’m sure you all want to adopt an adorable African child or 2… or 10… or 20…! Oh and a dog!

It’s official. The sun is Back!! And how warmly we do welcome it back as well!!

I can’t believe it’s Monday again. And so much to update you on…

First a bit of home news. My sister is now, as of Sunday, in Shrelanka for 2 weeks teaching english! So hopefully she’s enjoying the sun too!

Secondly a touch of irony to keep you all amused! We drove to a town about 1.5 hours from Joburg on Saturday and we decided that our little car wouldn’t make it. Bless it, it’s old, rattly, small and just about goes if you ask it very nicely! Also there were 6 of us travelling so we hired a very nice 7 seater car. It was luxury. Air conditioning, leg room, good cd player… Everything that our own lovely car isn’t! Tragically however, as we were about to set out for home having driven to this town, our Taz replacement wouldn’t start! I reckon there’s a lot to be said for loyalty, even among cars! We got home fine though in the end!

We had the most relaxing and wonderful day yesterday. We went to a man made beach and spent the day sunbathing and swimming. It was bliss. I’ve realised that that’s the longest time I have actually relaxed since we got here! And guess what?…

I didn’t get sunburnt!!

Hi and welcome to a fairly warm day here in South Africa. In contrast to you guys back in England with all your snow.

It’s funny how you always want what you don’t have. I love the sunshine here, the fact that you can get up at 6 Aam and already the sun is high. I love how the days are warm with blue sky and fluffy bunny-tail clouds that float lazily about. But despite all this, I find myself seriously wishing I was in the snow, sledging, snowballing, snowman building and generally, to use a phrase from Michael, behaving like overgrown children. I find myself longing for home, the beauty of a white world outside, he weak February sun reflecting off the snow… It just better snow when I get home!

You know what, though?

Despite my moaning, I wouldn’t swap where I am right now for anything. God is doing such an amazing job of blessing and encouraging me at the moment. I had a fantastic time in the pre school this morning and yesterday afternoon we had so much fun with some children round our house. I’m learning how to serve without having to do one thousand other things to feel like I’m achieving it. I’m learning to really see God in every situation, particularly when I am feeling vulnerable. I’m finding out so much of the things I am good at, as well as trying to accept that there are things I struggle with. Yes, superwoman is realising she is, sadly, only human!!

Final thought for now…

I’m so incredibly lucky to be sharing this amazing experience with some of the most inspirational people in the world, as well as the most supportive team I could ever wish to have. However, my biggest blessing is that God is walking right with me, guiding and teaching me to be more like the person he wants me to be.

Last Sunday morning, we had a brand new adition to the Oasis SA team. The couple who head up Oasis ZA, Arnie and Chantel, had a baby girl. Her name is Moya which means spirit or breath. She was 3.1 kilos and is just the most beautiful girly baby in the world. Mum and baby are doing well!

Just now I asked Arnie if it was ok to mention about Moya on my blog, and, with the biggest smile ever, he said “of course!” He is the proudest Dad in the world. It’s amazing!

Praise God for such a beautiful gift!

Hi everyone! Sorry it’s been so long since I last updated you. Everything and nothing has been happening in Nicolaland really…
I’ve been up to all my usual antics, hospice, soup kitchen, pre schools etc, not much new to report there. Vicki, hey! Welcome to the land of my blog!! Anna, congratulations on achieving the unheard of and e mailing me!!

You know I have been blessed to experience God in so many ways since I last wrote. First of all, a guy at the hospice, who isn’t a patient, but comes every day to visit a lady who is. They are planning to get married and he is so lovely. Also, as is now my usual tendancy, all the children at the pre school were cute and I may pack a few of them in my suitcase as souvenirs from South Africa!

I think the most amazing thing is that we had a big team prayer meeting on Wednesday where we got to pray for each other. We didn’t discuss beforehand what the person needed prayer for. But it was awesome. I got definite God mail! I got the message so strongly to just trust God completely, as he is walking one step in front of me making a path for me. Amazing!

I can’t believe January is over. Where did it go? And tomorrow is 6 weeks til I leave this inspiring amazing fantastic place I call home! EEK! That’s scary. But watch out, South Africa… I’ll be back!!!