Happy New Year!

A very Happy and Blessed 2011 to All!! 

Another year is dawning,

Dear Lord, let it be,

In working, or in waiting,

Another year with Thee.

Another year of mercies,

Of faithfulness and grace;

Another year of gladness

In the shining of Thy face.

Another year of progress,

Another year of praise,

Another year of proving

Thy presence all the days.

Another year of service,

Of witness of Thy love,

Another year of training

For holier work above.

Another year is dawning,

Dear Lord, let it be

On earth, or else in heaven

Another year for Thee.

--Francis Ridley Havergal (1874)

December In South Africa

December in S.A. is unlike any other month in the year - it’s major holiday time. It’s the end of the school year and the longest holiday for the schools – they are closed from about the first week in the month till about the second week in January. Most of the factories and many businesses also close for about three weeks over this time.

Although it’s holiday time, December is an extra-busy month somehow! Of course, Christmas and New Year also fall during this period so it’s really a festive month and the shops are packed with people buying Christmas and end-of-the-year gifts. Just don’t expect much service over this time because even though some businesses don’t close except over the public holidays, everyone is in this “relaxed mood” and not much work gets done, or else it gets done very slowly! The shops are usually short-staffed as well and long queues are just something you have to put up.

Fairs pop up all over and it’s a season for parties, parties and more parties all together with excessive eating and drinking. It’s also a time for loads of baking, mainly for Christmas but also for all the extra visitors – it’s a major visiting time!
Lots people go away on holiday, especially to the coast and every place is jam-packed! Unfortunately the bad crime in the country gets even worse over this month.

December is also mid-Summer here so it’s usually very hot. Many people still celebrate Christmas the European way and in the heat, all the preperations for the traditional meal, all the hours spent over hot stoves and the heavy food makes it quite a trial for the cooks! :P

Our family, well at least, my parents, Rachel and I and our one uncle and aunt and their children don’t celebrate Christmas. The busy-ness and chaos makes December our least favourite month but there are some things we enjoy over this time. Dad usually gets to take some leave and it’s lovely having him home with us. Our church usually has a convention over the Christmas week as then most people are able to attend the special service. The meetings are always a blessing and we also have wonderful fellowship! Another nice thing is that we get to visit with family and friends a lot more than usual. :)

In Christ We Have....

    Life that can never die.
       Rest that can never be disturbed.
          Joy that can never be diminished.
             Love that can never be fathomed.
                Peace that can never be understood.
                   Beauty that can never be marred.
                      Glory that can never be clouded.
                          Light that can never be darkened.
                             Happiness that can never be defiled.
                                Wisdom that can never be baffled.
                                    Strength that can never be enfeebled.
                                       Hope that can never be disappointed.
                                          Resources that can never be exhausted.
                                             Righteousness that can never be tarnished.
                                                   ...HOW BLESSED WE ARE!

Hippo To The Rescue

Hippos kill more people in Africa than any other large animal.

They are very dangerous and can be extremely aggressive; yet they sometimes display an amazing gentle side to their nature...There have been a number of accounts of them rescuing other animals that are in distress!

The latest incredible drama happened recently in Tanzania. The rescue was witnessed and video taped by Tom Yule, a South African working in Tanzania as manager for Grumeti Expeditions. He and a tour group were watching the Wildebeest and Zebra migration across the Mara River.

At a certain time every year there is a great migration of wildebeest and zebra across certain areas  - it is one of the greatest spectacles in the natural world. One of the big obstacles in the migrating animals' way is the Mara River. In October this year the river was flowing very strongly as there had been recent heavy rains.

While Tom Yule and the other people in the group were watching the animals crossing the river, they saw a wildebeest calf swept downstream by the strong current. A hippopotamus in the river immediately went after the little wildebeest and placing itself on the downstream side of the calf, nudged it with it's snout and kept it above the water until it could get to the other side and join the rest of the herd. :)

That wasn't the end of the incredible "drama" - a few minutes later a zebra foal was swept away by the water and straight away the hippo went after it and helped it to the opposite side like it had done before. The foal managed to get onto a little rock island very close to the bank but the poor little thing was so exhausted by this time that it just stood there panting.

The hippo then got out of the water and nudged the foal from behind, even gently giving it a little bite at the back to get it moving. The foal moved off the rock across the channel to the opposite bank and then ran off to join the rest of the herd again. :)

Here is the YouTube video:


Isn't God's creation wonderful!!!