Tala Game Reserve

Mxolisi Ngwane is the most magnificent artist in the world.  He draws wild life.  He is so good that he sells his drawings.  He lives in South AFrica.  He has never seen a real animal ... until today.  Jessica Harrison treated us all to a very special afternoon at Tala Game Reserve

Me, Mxolisi, Loney, Jessica with Ginger taking the picture. 

kudu

Ostrich

Blue Wildebeest

Mxolisi using Gogo Ginger's camera.

Warthog at the outdoor restaurant 

Giraffe

We could have drove around ourselves but were treated to a game drive. So wonderful, because I would have been the driver, plus being up so high in the vehicle makes all the difference.

A whole flock of giraffe

Interesting coloring

This is my sixth safari and my first that was on unpaved roads - so much more fun bouncing around on the dirt roads without a vehicle in sight.

This was a herd of females with their young.

Look Mom... 

I think this is mother and baby Eland

Hadeda Ibis. These birds come in our garden, very loud but I love them.

Blesbok

The blesbok or blesbuck is an antelope endemic to South Africa. It has a distinctive white face and forehead which inspired the name, because bles is the Afrikaans word for a blaze such as one might see on the forehead of a horse.

Zebra's are one of my favorites.

Three white Rhino's

I've seen rhino's many times but NEVER this close.

Now that is a horn!  Don't mess this this guy.

Sweet, sweet, sweet

Gets ya kinda dizzy looking at so many zebra's

These guys were huge.

Their necks can contort in so many ways.

Swan and ducks

I asked our driver to stop - these reeds were beautiful

So lovely

Family of warthogs trotting down the trail

Duh

We also saw a mongoose, impala, nyala

waterbuck and had the most wonderful time standing in awe of our creator God and the animal kingdom He created for us.

Ginger & Loney, me, Mxolisi 

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Did Jesus Paint Houses?

 In my November 2012 blog posts titled HOW TO BUILD A HOUSE 101, I took my readers day-by-day as I joined the short term mission team from Christ Lutheran Church, Phoenix as we built a 3 bedroom house for Gogo (Grandmother) Shabalala and the 12 orphans she is raising.

Today, I along with Pastor Thwala, my ministry partner Ginger and Jessica Harrison went to paint the exterior of the house.

First thing we found was our 9th grade friend "Ike", who was home from school today because yesterday he was caught in the rain and his pants were wet.  One pair of school uniform pants + no dryer = having to miss school.  shame.

Here's the house.  Door is the entry to the kitchen / lounge (living room) area.  Two bedroom windows.

I completed the west side and as the others were working on the south side I began with the north side.

Z   pronounced 'Zed' in South Africa

Z E

Z E A

Z E A L   I should never be left alone ...

All the Gogo's came to peek as well as Jessica

To peek and to laugh at me!

Fun and games are over... time to get this primer on the cider block

All done... one coat on and time for lunch

Ginger 'cutting' around the windows

Jessica cutting in too

Time for the 'Lutheran Yellow'.  By the grace and love of God we have built and painted many houses here in Ntshongweni... all painted this shade of yellow.  

My north side of house done... yes Jessica will come around and finish the tippy top.

Ginger high above it all.

Looks so good and I know Gogo Shabalala is so happy.  Wish we could have stayed until the children came from school to see the look of surprise on their sweet, precious faces.  No one knew we were going to paint today.  No one knew that they would be blessed with the tangible evidence of a loving, living God who as Emmanuel comes to His people with paint.  

I just know that Jesus painted around His stomping grounds, I know it!

I always wanted to go here

There is a sleepy little spot in Ntshongweni that sits empty 29 days of the month; but one day, one golden day a month the place is hopping.  What magical day you ask.  The first Monday of the month.  The day after the pensioners get their government checks.

I've asked Pastor many, many times to take us there but today while we were driving the car I hired (rented) looking for a woman who Pastor needed, we drove past this instant bazaar.

They sell the most random and interesting items.  I asked before I took pictures, of course, and this seller did not want her picture taken but said it was OK if I captured the fish she offered for sale.  Some had little burners that they were cooking on. Some had raw meat sitting out in the open for sale. We saw uniform school shoes in boxes - just off the wall merchandise.

We ran into our friend and her daughter, I've watched this angel baby grow up over the pass 17 months.  

What I like best about these pictures are the 'security' guards in the background.  I thought the military was on hand in case this street vendors got wild.

Notice their weapons?  They followed us around and when we got back into the car and Ginger and Jessica Harrison were talking about them walking behind us, I asked why did they think we would steal food.  They laughed and said they were protecting US.

Need a fat, white chicken?  They were offered for sale at two different prices: 56 Rand ~ $6.00 and slightly more. 

You pay more money for a chicken that had all their feathers. Nothing worst than a bald chicken!

Whatever they had to sell was laid out on the grass on this gray, gloomy day.

This was so much fun.

Pastor Thwala rested as we walked around.

I bought my apples from this lady who didn't mind her picture taken.  We bought banana's, tomato's, onion's from another woman.

Instant commerce and a great social gathering spot.

The goat wasn't for sale but tied up near by.

This was the funnest 10 minutes of a very, very, very long and frustrating day.  I don't have many miserable days as a missionary but today was one of them.  I really enjoyed this little bit shopping and so very happy to final have had the chance to go to this little sweet market.