Submitted by Fielden and Janet on Sat, 04/17/2010 - 19:30
Greetings to you all,
Grin and Bear it!
ONE LINERS
Borrow money from a pessimist—they don’t expect it back.
Always remember that you are unique; just like everyone else.
There are three types of people: Those who can count and those who
can’t.
I started out with nothing and I still have most of it.
You can’t have everything; where would you put it?
On the other hand, you have different fingers.
I don’t find it hard to meet expenses. They’re everywhere.
National Atheist’s Day: April 1st.
I used to think I was indecisive but now I’m not too sure.
No matter where you go, you’re there.
The early bird gets the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.
Corduroy pillows: They’re making headlines!
I intend to live forever. So far so good.
__________________________________________________
Cooler weather is here! As most of you are springing into longer and
warmer days we are falling into shorter and cooler days. We've never
lived in this part of Africa before and we find it quite different. In
East Africa we had long and short rains and some months with little
rain and basically 12 hours of light and 12 hours of dark every day.
Here, we understand, there is a general 6 month dry cooler weather
pattern. The temperature may dip down into the 40s during June and
July and our days are definitely getting shorter.
We finished our first half semester at ACC. Once we got our house in
order and into the routine of school we did okay. Remember, we've
never lived on a mission compound in Africa before this. We look
outside our side window and usually we can see people or hear voices.
We look out our front window and guess what? the same phenomenon.
Janet was used to teaching in a school setting everyday on Mt. Elgon
but not me. Here we have exact hours to keep, appointments for various
staff meetings (curriculum, syllabus, evangelism, leader's retreat and
more), classes to prepare for, tests to create and grade, papers to
grade, counseling situations and the occasional problem to solve. In
all my years in Africa I've been used to driving or walking to my
church appointment and giving my prepared lesson, dealing with local
issues and returning home. There was the occasional leadership course
which I taught for a week. We are finding now that the new routines
are good and challenging. We are happy we are at ACC. We believe our
presence is making a good difference on campus.
Off campus I am still involved with evangelism. I work with the
students two Saturdays a month to coordinate plans for going to 3
different locations to teach. Janet is teaching a women's class in the
capital city of Mbabane. Both of us have been asked to teach classes
at the Fairview congregation each Sunday morning which we are beginning
this month.
Easter break was one week long. We had made arrangements with our
daughter, Martha (Jeremy) Smith and their 3 sons, to go to a timeshare
in Durban, South Africa. They flew into Muputo, Mozambique (a 3 hr.
drive from ACC) and we met them there and brought them to our home.
After 3 days we drove on down to Durban. We enjoyed many things
there--the Indian Ocean, the biggest mall in the southern hemisphere
(so we heard), but probably the most fun was at the uShaka Marine
World. We did the water slides of every type imaginable over and over.
The boys had a blast! I tried to wear my glasses but they got knocked
off. So, I put them in the pocket on my swimming suit, (you know, the
one with the velcro fastener?) but the giant water slide ripped open
the velcro pocket, flung my glasses to who knows where and picked my
pocket of $32. :( Later when I missed my glasses someone had found
them and put them into a lost and found but one lens was smashed. :( :(
For the next 9 days I had to wear the broken glasses. I could just
see over the broken place to drive and under it to read. :) Lesson
learned: listen to Janet, take my glasses off, put them in the locker,
save pride and glasses!
Janet and I had been invited to speak at the Good News for Africa
mission retreat, which is the team that Martha and Jeremy are part of.
We drove from Durban, South Africa to Inhasorro, Mozambique (approx.
700 miles) for the retreat. This further north the weather was hot.
We enjoyed playing with the kids in the pool, swimming in the ocean and
taking long walks on the beach. We taught the team about Internet
Etiquette with an emphasis on pornography; burn out; balancing work and
family on the mission field and caring for their marriages. We enjoyed
getting to see old friends and making many new ones. The day the
retreat ended we got up at 4 a.m. and drove 16 hours to our home in
Swaziland. We were pooped but glad to be home. This past Wednesday we
drove the Smiths to Johannesburg, South Africa to catch their plane.
We ate lunch with them and got them to their check-in and said our
goodbyes. On the way home we stopped into McDonalds in Ermelo for
supper, yum! Now its just us again. The house seems empty and quiet
because it is! dah! Never mind, we have so much to do we probably
won't catch up till next year!
We love you,
Fielden
