Here

The sinking South African sun painted the sky all orange and pink as I returned from a run this evening. It’s beautiful here! 

I arrived safely in Pretoria on Sunday and this week has been filled with training and preparations. Siyabonga for your prayers. If you didn’t guess, siyabonga, is one of the ways of saying “thank you” in Zulu. It’s one of the few words I can now say.  I still haven’t had much time for language learning, but I head to my site tomorrow and will be searching for a tutor there who is willing to teach a slow, but dedicated learner.

My home for this next year is in the foothills of the Drakensberg Mountains. Did you know that it snows in those mountains?! And that it snowed last week! Winter is just ending here, yes, that’s right winter...but the end of winter means spring!

How thankful I am that God made seasons, in weather and in life, and that “there is a time for everything under the sun” (Ecc. 3). I’m grateful for this opportunity to be back in Africa and am excited for what this year will hold. I want to make the most of the time, to run with endurance the race set before me, to fix my eyes on Christ, to love with His love, to share the good news and to always follow where He leads.