We’re up at 6:00 to have some prayer and study time and then at 7:15 Paul drives Peter to preschool. At 7:40, our nanny, Winnie arrives at our house to care for John David and I walk to the office so that I can get rolling before Peter P. comes in at 8:00.
In the office, I sit at a desk with two windows behind me, which I can look out of and see the same hills that I was so fond of as a teenager when my family lived and worked here 20 years ago. Some days I work with my windows open and enjoy the breeze and the sounds of the birds. But what’s happening inside the office is not so tranquil! Things are fast paced as I scurry around trying to juggle the constant inflow of information and requests for the CEO of this continually growing organization. Joint Aid Management has 700+ employees world-wide, operations in seven African nations and support offices in six countries in North America and Europe. Peter is also president of the gospel ministry, Jesus Alive Ministries, whose offices are housed adjacent to our property. All of the activity associated with all this plus the many requests for speaking engagements around the world and the boards that Peter serves on for other ministries and organizations and other non-profits he is assisting to get off the ground are constantly vying for Peter’s attention… and it all flows to me before making it to him! But this is what I signed up for and I love it. I love it because I love the work of God’s hands that we’re accomplishing. I love the privilege to be around and serve this man everyday whose heart beats with so much compassion and passion.
In the studio, Paul has just been part of the launch of our new website: http://www.jamint.com/ and is learning so much about web administration. He still has another month of training before he begins to function on his own and begins developing projects in conjunction with the website. Even the avenue of Facebook is being employed to generate interest and ultimately partnership in our programs.
Paul picks Peter up from school at 12:30 and brings him back to our house where they eat together and then I come home for an hour (1:00-2:00) while Winnie takes a break. I so enjoy that hour with the boys in the middle of the day. Then I’m back to work at 2:00 (the South Africans eat lunch at 1:00 so the afternoon part of the work day really goes quickly!).
In the office, I sit at a desk with two windows behind me, which I can look out of and see the same hills that I was so fond of as a teenager when my family lived and worked here 20 years ago. Some days I work with my windows open and enjoy the breeze and the sounds of the birds. But what’s happening inside the office is not so tranquil! Things are fast paced as I scurry around trying to juggle the constant inflow of information and requests for the CEO of this continually growing organization. Joint Aid Management has 700+ employees world-wide, operations in seven African nations and support offices in six countries in North America and Europe. Peter is also president of the gospel ministry, Jesus Alive Ministries, whose offices are housed adjacent to our property. All of the activity associated with all this plus the many requests for speaking engagements around the world and the boards that Peter serves on for other ministries and organizations and other non-profits he is assisting to get off the ground are constantly vying for Peter’s attention… and it all flows to me before making it to him! But this is what I signed up for and I love it. I love it because I love the work of God’s hands that we’re accomplishing. I love the privilege to be around and serve this man everyday whose heart beats with so much compassion and passion.
In the studio, Paul has just been part of the launch of our new website: http://www.jamint.com/ and is learning so much about web administration. He still has another month of training before he begins to function on his own and begins developing projects in conjunction with the website. Even the avenue of Facebook is being employed to generate interest and ultimately partnership in our programs.
Paul picks Peter up from school at 12:30 and brings him back to our house where they eat together and then I come home for an hour (1:00-2:00) while Winnie takes a break. I so enjoy that hour with the boys in the middle of the day. Then I’m back to work at 2:00 (the South Africans eat lunch at 1:00 so the afternoon part of the work day really goes quickly!).
Winnie lives adjacent to the mission base as her husband is one of the construction workers employed on base. She is such a blessing and a big part of the Lord’s provision for us here in South Africa. It is part of the culture here to have full-time help in your home. She was a must in order for us to be able to do what we came to do. In addition to being a gentle and loving care-giver to the boys, she assists me with taking care of our home. She’s always done with the chores by midday so that she can play all afternoon with the boys. The work that Winnie does affords us wonderful quality family time together once our working hours are completed.
The boys and Winnie visit with the other children and nannies on the base. There are quite a few families with children. Three other families have children the same ages as ours; one of those families is American. The boys have lots of friends!
At 5:00 we’re home – no commute! – and we enjoy the outdoors a bit with the boys and I make dinner, etc. We keep the front and back doors open. The fresh air here is so wonderful. The first thing I do each morning is open the bathroom and kitchen windows. There is no central air conditioning or heat, but it is amazing how comfortable we are with the natural air flow. We often eat dinner on our veranda where we have a table and enjoy the absolutely breathtaking sunsets. At 7:00 we bathe our thoroughly dirty boys, scrubbing black knees and feet and then we all sit on Peter’s bed together for “book-in-the-bed” and family prayer as we each take turns praying about whatever is on our hearts. We tuck them into their beds in their rooms and then Paul and I make a pot of African Rooibos herbal tea to enjoy together as we talk. We’ll catch up on emails, read, etc. and then we usually go to bed pretty early (for us)… 10:00 or so.
I still can’t believe we’re back in my beloved South Africa. I just want to pinch myself sometimes. We are so at peace. We’re at peace in our home, on this property, in our jobs, in our family. We’re experiencing such a stillness to just “be”. There is no sense of striving or reaching for something “out there”. We’re really enjoying just being “here”. I know this is a feeling that God will soon want to stir and enlarge as we come into the reasons why we are here. But it is so good to feel the confidence that we feel in where God has brought us to today.
The boys and Winnie visit with the other children and nannies on the base. There are quite a few families with children. Three other families have children the same ages as ours; one of those families is American. The boys have lots of friends!
At 5:00 we’re home – no commute! – and we enjoy the outdoors a bit with the boys and I make dinner, etc. We keep the front and back doors open. The fresh air here is so wonderful. The first thing I do each morning is open the bathroom and kitchen windows. There is no central air conditioning or heat, but it is amazing how comfortable we are with the natural air flow. We often eat dinner on our veranda where we have a table and enjoy the absolutely breathtaking sunsets. At 7:00 we bathe our thoroughly dirty boys, scrubbing black knees and feet and then we all sit on Peter’s bed together for “book-in-the-bed” and family prayer as we each take turns praying about whatever is on our hearts. We tuck them into their beds in their rooms and then Paul and I make a pot of African Rooibos herbal tea to enjoy together as we talk. We’ll catch up on emails, read, etc. and then we usually go to bed pretty early (for us)… 10:00 or so.
I still can’t believe we’re back in my beloved South Africa. I just want to pinch myself sometimes. We are so at peace. We’re at peace in our home, on this property, in our jobs, in our family. We’re experiencing such a stillness to just “be”. There is no sense of striving or reaching for something “out there”. We’re really enjoying just being “here”. I know this is a feeling that God will soon want to stir and enlarge as we come into the reasons why we are here. But it is so good to feel the confidence that we feel in where God has brought us to today.
