Apologies to all for the lack of updates. I’ve been extremely busy with work, and quite honestly, there hasn’t been anything particularly exciting to write about. That being said, I will now describe some of the mildly interesting things that have happened the past few weeks.

Some friends and I visited a nature reserve close to my house which contains the largest waterfall in the country. It wasn’t huge, but it had a great swimming area and some fun cliff ledges to jump off. Also, I have been playing tennis as much as possible. There is a ghetto-fabulous court near my office, so I’m hoping to get into a routine where I play a few times a week. The only work-related news that might be of interest is that my organization’s website has been thoroughly updated. You can check it out at www.cheshire.org.sz

After a long break, my office at Cheshire Homes opened again for the new year. Although I did work some over the time we were closed, there was only so much I could do without the rest of the staff. This was all the more clear upon return when it became obvious that I would need to accept more administration responsibilities and hopefully more therapy duties. Just to give you an idea of what my work looks like at present, here is a partial list of my job tasks:

1) Writing proposals, newspaper articles, and patient testimonials
2) In charge of money, vehicle use, and maintenance
3) Responsible for all computer-related work (databases, powerpoints, spreadsheets, websites, vocational training)
4) Secretarial duties such as answering phones, typing meeting notes, and coordinating donations
5) Assisting with occupational and physical therapy for adults and children

So as you can see, I’m sort of all over the place. It seems appropriate, though, seeing how I have always felt like a “jack of all trades, master of none.”

I’m sure many of you are wondering what has been happening with my church involvement here in Swaziland. Two particular houses of worship that I have enjoyed are Bedside Baptist and/or Pillow Presbyterian. They both really support the commandment to rest on the Sabbath, which I particularly enjoy! But all joking aside, I have been attending a local Anglican congregation and I plan to stick with it for the rest of my time here. They offer an English service in which I am still the only white person, and every third Sunday of the month they have a combined English/SiSwati gathering. There is a female pastor who has been very kind in making me feel welcome. I doubt I will become involved in anything more than their weekly services, but so far it has been refreshing to simply participate in familiar hymns and liturgy.

As for my own personal study, it is moving along quite well. I have an audio version of the entire Bible which I am gradually making my way through (or “listening through” as the case may be). Added to that is a steady diet of theological books and thought-provoking articles. Although these materials have helped me grow in certain aspects, I still sorely miss the conversations I used to frequently have with older and wiser Christians. Unfortunately, no Swazi Desmond Tutu has taken me under his wing yet. Furthermore, my prayer life is struggling as much as ever. Maybe this is why God persuaded my mother to mail me a copy of Philip Yancey’s new book entitled Prayer. How does that saying go: mother knows best? Well it certainly applies here.

So that’s a small glimpse of my spiritual journey thus far, or at least pertaining to the things commonly considered spiritual. Part of me actually thinks that just being here in this place, drastically out of my comfort-zone, is where God is most speaking to me. Now all I have to do is figure out what He is trying to say. And that’s no easy job.

I spent New Years Eve and Day with one of my coworkers and his family. His name is Sicelo, and he’s one of the nicest guys alive. Sometimes I wonder, though, if he is a bit too agreeable. For instance, practically any comment I make he will respond by saying yes and then repeating my claim. Maybe this is because his English is not the best. Or maybe it's because I'm always right . Ha-ha, just kidding!

Sicelo's family was equally kind to me, although I did find it odd that they never offered me food until midnight (seeing how Swazis don’t eat dinner until right before bed). Therefore, this holiday was the first that I almost completely fasted from morning until night. Once 2008 officially came around, it was time for dangerous fireworks. You know, the Chinese brands that are illegal in most of the States. Well, I can honestly say the most eventful point in the night was when a rocket barely missed my face. It took quite a bit of self-awareness on my part in order to refrain from yelling out an expletive in the presence of that nice Christian family. In hindsight, I'm especially glad I controlled my tongue since they had a number of guard dogs that already had it out for me.

The next morning I went with the family to a local soccer tournament. That was good fun. What was more fun, though, was that later in the day I was able to play tennis with a Swazi guy I met in town. We had a great match and he is very talented. After he experienced my Federer-like skills on the court, he asked me to join his team. I'll let you know how that turns out.

if you can't figure it out, I'm on the left and Sicelo is on the right

futbol tournament (aka soccer tournament for those of you who are internationally challenged)