Gosh, twenty-one days

Seems so weird to think I've already been out here for twenty-one days, The days have flown by!

My knee has started playing up again for some reason:-( maybe I have been pumping the acceleration pedal too fast! I am getting more and more comfortable driving out here all the time, especially at night, which can be quite an experience! In the places where there is a stream crossing the road, they don't install a culvert, they just make a deep dip in the road, and it is pretty deep! so you have to crawl into it and up out again, crazy! One thing I like about Botswana is you don't know where to go by the road names, you know the way by turning at the 'tree with the hut under it' or the 'second construction site' or the 'gap in the fence where that lady just went'! It is all about looking out for landmarks and associating them with where you need to go.

It is a national two day holiday here on Tuesday and Wednesday, so we are going to an all day conference about two hours away on Tuesday, then we are going to a wildlife park about an hour and a half away on Wednesday, unfortunately they won't let me drive either the long distance or round the park! Hopefully I can get some good pictures on Wednesday, but the thing with these places is so many people have been there is never usually any unphotographed opportunities!

We went on a nice walk around a dam on Saturday morning, we got out of the car with the dogs at a certain point, then decided to get back in and drive further on because a donkey cart came round the corner, it is lucky we did because a herd of cows came cantering round the corner just after we got in! I got some pretty nice pictures of the dam, we saw some nice birds and looooads of cows and goats!

I found out the minimum wage out here is about 3pula 50tebe, which is about 27p... an hour, But the price of a normal carton of milk has gone up to about 12pula. 27p an hour... We moan at £7 an hour. That is like us paying £25 for a carton of milk, it is so sad. I asked Tefo if he would say people round here are happy in general, and he said no he thought they weren't, because it was such a struggle getting good money. Pretty abysmal isn't it?

One of the Believers in the meeting is staying here at the moment, maybe I have written about him before, his name is maloudi. He is studying to do his final school exams, and they don't have electricity, so he has to use candles all the time. His eyesight has gone downhill because of this, please pray for him, he needs to do well in his exams to go any further.

There are two guys who take a lot of the meetings, more so now that Uncle Colin isn't here, one is younger than me and the other one is just a bit older. I've never taken a meeting yet! Just shows you the difference over here doesn't it.

One of the things that makes me laugh is the fact that some of the girls changed 3 times today! shows you girls don't change anywhere:-P

Sorry this isn't a Micheal Palin style diary, full of amazing experiences.. I haven't had many of that type yet! But it has been really good out here, if a bit of a struggle with different things.

Love to you all, Josh

Installment no. 5

CRAZY talk! I thought I would up my output of 'blogs' to 3 a week, just to keep you hungry lot happy!

I am feeling a lot better now, though I am still ready to drop into bed at 6 oclock every night. The weather out here is so nice, it is such a nice feeling to feel the warmth from the sand against my bare legs... (just rubbing it in a bit!) but it does make me more tired.

On sunday I read from 2 peter to Genisis 9, reading to revelation and the starting again, not reading backwards from 2 peter! I found it quite solemning to read all of revelation, the apparent victory of man, then the final victory of the Lord, and then to start in Genisis and look at the perfect beginning. To look at the beginning and end of this world, it is such a contrast. I found it scary to look at what will actually happen to people in those end times, not only the suffering they will go through, but the fact that everyone refuses to believe in a God and walk stubbornly to their destruction.

Yesterday we finished off some of the doors at the hall that needed hard board backing, and started off cutting skirting board for the class rooms. Some guys came round to deliever the roof trusses we need to finish off the new hall aswell. I managed to reverse my 140cm wide backie into an isle that is about 180cm wide... I would like to see some of you do that! Was really chuffed, I will put some pictures up soon. Then today we finished off the skirting boards and did some other bits and bobs.

This afternoon Beth took Andy, Dimpho and I to her school to swim in the pool, it was good but it was pretty cold unless you kept moving! She works at the 'posh' school, so they have swimming competitions and so on. The kids here have to start school around 0630 and don't finish until 1600! Then they have to go home and do all the housework, cos that's what all kids have to do isn't it? That's what I had to do! Mum tells you it is my fault I haven't got qualies:-P

Anyway, I better clock out, getting to 2130, nearly my bedtime

Pass this blog address round please, the more the merrier! Btw mum, could you tell the Richards about it?

"Insert witty title here"

Since various people seem to think this blog is in some ways a success... I thought I had better do another post!

Not been feeling too well since friday, I got ma stomach cramps on friday night, and I've been pretty tired, So I guess I am just getting used to being out here. Didn't go to the sunday school or bible class this afternoon, it is all in setswana, So I spent my valuable time reading the broons instead! I went to the breaking of bread, gospel meeting and bible study, But because I don't understand, I usually just sit and read my Bible.

Didn't manage to finish off the porches on friday, but I didn't mind because we did quite well on the other things we have to do, and we arn't in a rush. We have got a lot more carpentry to do over at the hall this week, so that should be good.

I picked people up this morning for the first time on my own, but I'm afraid to say it all went ok! I travelled in the back of the backie while Andy took everyone home tonight, which was a nice change as you cannot come to Africa without travelling in an open backie every now and then! The stars were all out, there are certainly a lot more to be seen out here! Though you can tell how much more electricity has been installed out here since we were first out here in 1997, the stars are nowhere near as bright as they were... but maybe that is just global warming or something!

We are hoping to go over to the Kharma rhino sanctuary wednesday week, maybe to camp out, which should be a really good trip. It should just be getting hot by then! the temperature has been around 30-35 most of the time, which I find is a really nice temperature, but it is certainly getting hotter at night.

Anyway, sorry I cannot think of anything more interesting to write about, I am still feeling quite tired, so will get to bed soon. It is only 2135, I must be getting old!

Titles make me so uncomfortable!

Do you write to a blog the same way you're supposed to write to a diary? If so, do I start this "Dear blog"?!?

Today Tefo (unless already mentioned, Tefo is the guy I am working with. If it already has been mentioned.... He is still the guy I am working with!) and I finished off one of the porches on the front of the Gospel hall. We ' tongue and grooved' the front and built up the sides with hardboard, I will have to get a picture of 'before and after' on here as I think it is pretty impressive!! Since starting work on monday I have built a exterior window ledge to a new side porch, prepared some sunday school blackboards for repainting ( yes, you paint blackboards!) and a couple of other odd jobs. Tefo and I went to Nando's here in Palapye yesterday, though it wasn't as good as Nando's in UK! We then went to a hardware store and the local spar, so I got to do some more driving. The drivers round here are mad! but it is a lot more fun driving out here, you just crawl along on the dirt roads (slow is much more fun!) and touch the steering wheel every now and then, the car does most of the rest! Last night I had to take one of the guys home at about 2230, even though it was pretty much straight all the way, I still got a bit confused! Since I don't have a local sim, I would be a bit stuck if I got lost! I have got my... second cousin? my cousin's little boy sat on the bed next to me trying to destroy my laptop! He is currently teething, so any advice from experianced eldest home schoolers would be much appriciated! One of the christian's from the meeting came round friday night saying she had wood work project that had to be handed in by today that she hadn't been provided the right materials for, and that the idea was all wrong for the theme. So we started again on saturday morning, instead of making a mirror that hinged out at the top, we made a shaving mirror instead. Then on saturday afternoon we went to the children's meeting my Uncle was holding out in one of the extensions, there were only 29 kids there, which is a big difference to the 500 approx that were at the sunday school on sunday! On sunday we have the breaking of bread at 0845, a gospel meeting at 1030, sunday school at 1500, bible class at 1600 and the bible discussion meeting at 1745, so it is a pretty hectic day! Anyway, tea has been called, so I will say "gosiame" which is pronounced "husimi"!! Thank you all for reading:-)

First Few Days

Hey all, Sorry I have been a few days writing in here, it has been hectic! After the last post I managed to curl up in my corner of Dubai airport and get an hours kip! The plane left an hour and a half late, we had all got on then they told us there were 'minor technical difficulties', which was very reassuring! It was really cool coming down in to Johannesburg airport, beneath me I could see pockets of houses and lights, then there would be single lights travelling through the darkness between. I was lucky enough to have my pick of half the plane, so I chose a window seat at this point! After landing I had to wait to get through customs, at one point I heard a ruckus going on in one corner, looking over I saw a man being arrested by the police. I don't know what he had done, but he was kicking and head butting for all he was worth, so that provided a bit of amusement! We slept at a lodge near to the airport on the first night, I was just happy to collapse into bed and get some sleep, I really enjoyed my journey but it was very tiring. The next morning we travelled up to Pretoria which was only 55km away, it was an eye openner to see all the guys sat in the back of open pick up trucks travelling at 75mph down the moterway! The drivers out here are crazy, they cut up the hard shoulder to get to lights, overtake in CRAZY situations and pile as many people in as possible! It was sobering to see all the people who stand at junctions and try and sell you things, it might be quite annoying, but it jus shows how hard a lot of people out here have to work to make a simple living. We travelled back up on wenesday night, getting in at about 2215, it was a good journey, though quite long. We saw an Aardwolf crossing the road, which is a very rare sighting! we also so a lot of steenbok, as well as the usual cattle and donkeys! On thursday I just relaxed, unpacked my bag and wondered around looking at some of the jobs that need doing. I got to drive my cousin Beth around in the backie I will be using, so that was really good fun! After tea I then drove around picking people up for the meeting, it was a novel exprience stopping on a dirt track and seeing people pile into the bed of my backie in the rear view mirror! I have always been in the back myself, which is good fun! I find out here, because it is warmer, and the sun is out all the time, things seem happier, I am happier. Today I walked round with U/ Colin to look at the myriad jobs he has for me to do, I don't think I will be bored at any point in my stay! the weather was cold and windy this morning, which was a real let down! A/ Christine said it was because someone, somewhere had had rain. Whether that was Newton Stewart or London, I wasn't sure! I can be certain it was at least one of the two:-P Please pray for the people out here, for a lot of people life is such a struggle, we don't realise how easy we actually have it in the U.K, even if we are in a recession, we still have cars to moan about, and dependable food and clothing to whinge over. I know I don't need to say this, but prayer one of the most powerful things we have, what we can't do to help this world, the God that made the world can, so please pray for the people. Pray also that I will continue to live and grow for the Lord, I have been realising that the way to live my life as I should is to never give up, however hard it is, because we never achieve our full potential if we do, and never to compromise myself, or my position as Christ's ambassador. So please pray for me, and the work I am doing out here.

First Leg Of Journey

Let me first introduce myself to those who do not know me, My name is Josh Williams, I am 19 and I believe in Christ as my personal saviour. I am on my way out to Botswana to do two months volentary work with my uncle out there. One of my more mature friends (Steve!) suggested I fill out a blog of my travels, so here goes! My ultimate intention is to get this published and make a fortune... get married and learn to surf, o and embarrass everyone I know! Left Manchester airport at 20.50 last night, I was a bit gutted to find that the brand new mp3 player I bought on saterday for the trip was £15 cheaper in the airport! I had my 'oriental' meal, wasn't as good as a slap up fry, but it wasn't bad! the flight was only about half full, so I had plenty of space. around 1am(BST) I was watching a film on my 'ICE' system, when a black bug just under an inch long ran down the chair in front! so I was a bit worried about sleeping! especially because I couldn't find it after that. I got talking to the owner of an italian resturant(?) called olive(the resturant was called olive, not the owner!) in manchester on the flight, so hopefully I can get a free meal out of that!! I was reading in Matthew, about the Lord's prayerful preparation for the cross, which was really encouraging at the start of a, hopefully life changing two months. Just to reconsider the fact that pray is my preparation for life, and the disciples all forsook him and fled because they had been sleeping. I was thinking about the big differance between that Peter and the Apostle Peter, what a life change!! Dubai is quite strange, it was pretty humid as I got off the plane, I cannot see much of the city from the airport, but it's all skyscrapers and all. I've been here for over an hour, and its currently 0514 in ma head, so I'm pretty tired!! It is a big airport, but it is quite lonely, especially since I am still feeling a bit ill. The duty free is a bit of a let down! I'm sat on the floor somewhere connected to an unsecure network, dunno if I'm mean't to be doing this!! Anyway I think I will go waste some time on ma free meal, ciao ciao! Ps, Love to you all