Life in South Africa

I haven’t really shared a lot about how life has changed for Brett and I, so I thought I would take this blog to share a few things with you. Brett and I started out life living with his mom for the first two years of our marriage and then moved right next door into a 900 sq foot trailer. For years and years my prayer was that God would help us build a house with more than 900 sq feet. Where every word you said wasn't heard and the rooms were big enough to hold more than a double bed. He gave me the desire of my heart and our home was built. Our home was 2100 sq feet, two and half baths, plenty of kitchen space and you could not hear every single word that was spoken.

Fast forward to now…we are living in the back of, what is affectionately known as, the big house. We are in a room that holds a double bed, a bookshelf, and a kitchen shelf that Brett built. The bathroom has a shower big enough for one, a toilet, right beside the shower, and a tiny sink. A TINY SINK! In this room, I cook, wash the dishes, take my shower, go to the bathroom, sleep, hang my clothes is they get rained on, and try to talk without either waking someone up or someone hearing every word I say. I won’t even go there when it comes to talking about “other” things. I’m learning to hang out laundry and watch to be sure it doesn’t get rained on. I’m learning to be sure I don’t drink the water from the tap, this could be VERY bad. We are learning how to get up at 5:15 if we want to get a hot shower or have enough water to ever get a shower!

In the states we had a car. Here we have no car, yet! Having no car can be extremely difficult. Think back to the time when you first got your license and your parents made you drive their car, when they didn't need it, and you had to be back in an hour because your big brother needed it. This is our current situation where a car is concerned. Hopefully in the next few weeks this will change and we will buy one. The other thing is, unless we get lots of financial support, we will have to buy a used car. Used cars here go for the price of a new car so you can imagine how much a new car is.

Now, you may think I’m complaining but I’M NOT! I am so excited to finally be here. Things are just different. We are learning how to live in community and the learning process can be full of mistakes, culturally, personality wise, and well just…mistakes. We are learning how to be without a car and depend on others for our mode of transportation. We are learning how to be with each other 24-7 and not get on each other’s nerves. We are learning! We are learning that change is eminent. Our DTS starts on Monday and things will change again. There will be lots of reading and, Brett and I will readily agree, we are both a little slow at reading. So please pray!

My faith is being stretched to a place it’s never been. God is showing me things about myself that I need to work on and in the same moment things about me that He placed within me that He is going to release. Life here is different but it is good!