Traveling Tales!

Yesterday I made a 10 1/2 hour trip to and from the airport in order to pick up visitors who were coming to do construction at the Bongolo hospital. Traveling in Africa is not always easy. The bridge to the left is an example of how some of the bridges are built. Logs are put across the stream and then running boards are attached to the logs. This bridge (not one that I crossed yesterday) seems to be collapsing. Fortunately, it has been fixed.

The alternative to building bridges is the use of the ferry. For the first 17 or so years of my life in Africa (I've lived here over 30 years) I had to cross a ferry each time I wanted to go from my side of town to the side of town that had the grocery stores and post office! Fortunately there now is a nice, well built, steel bridge that crosses "our" river. I am so thankful for the bridge over the Louetsi River (see below)!

NEW YEAR- 2009

I had a lovely Christmas 2008 leading into a New Year's Eve party.

Dec.20- Christmas Cookie making party .

Dec. 21- Christmas church service at Memba Chapel. There were 13 people who made decisions for Christ during the service.

Dec. 24- Christmas Eve dinner with five friends.
Dec. 25- am.. Breakfast and opening gifts with friends.

Dec. 25- 1 pm Christmas dinner with the whole missionary family. We played games and had fun all day, stayed for supper leftovers and did not get home til about 8pm.

Dec. 29- 2nd Annual White Elephant gift party followed by a three hour game of Mexican Dominoes.

Happy New Year 2009!

Sinterklaas Day!

Today, December 5th, the Dutch celebrate Sinterklaas Day (Santa Claus Day). I am half Swedish and was raised with Swedish traditions but my next door neighbors here in Africa are Dutch. This is their first Christmas season in Africa. I dressed with a "Mrs. Sinterklaas" hat and delivered a little Christmas Bear gift to their 16 month old daughter, Rebecca. It was fun to see Rebecca's reaction to me. She just stared and stared.

For a history of Sinterklaas Day, look at the following Wikipedia link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Nicholas

Christmas is NOT about Santa Claus. It's about CHRIST.

"The historic record of the birth of Christ can be found in Matthew 1:18-25 and Luke 2:1-20. Unlike any other baby, the one born that night in Bethlehem was unique in all of history. He was not created by a human father and mother. He had a heavenly pre-existence (John 1:1-3, 14). He is God, the Son—Creator of the universe (Philippians 2:5-11). This is why Christmas is called the incarnation, a word which means “in the flesh.” In the birth of Jesus, the eternal, all-powerful and all-knowing Creator came to earth in the flesh."
The above description of the birth of Christ can be found in the link:

http://www.christiananswers.net/christmas/home.html

Picture from: http://download-free-pictures.com/

Videos of Gabon

(photo taken on Bongolo Mission Station)
I have had fun today posting YouTube videos on this sight. Go to the bottom of my blog and you will find several videos about Mission trips to Gabon or other ministries here at the Bongolo Hospital. Check back again I will try to keep my blog video list updated as they are produced. Please comment here if you enjoyed the videos.

Thanksgiving Celebration!

I celebrated Thanksgiving Day on Friday. There were 14 of us, 9 adults and 3 children. We had a delicious meal, with more than enough leftovers to eat again in the evening!

During the afternoon most watched a football game and then most played Mexican Train Dominoes. It was relaxing, spending the day with my Missionary family.

Why am I Thankful ?

Photo by http://download-free-pictures.com/

Why am I Thankful?
1. I am thankful for Eternal Life in Jesus and that I know that "My Redeemer Lives"
2. I am thankful for physical life and health. I am a 4 1/2 year ovarian cancer survivor.
3. I am thankful for family. I have four married brothers, 8 nieces and nephews, a loving StepMother, 2 living step siblings with 8 step nieces and nephews and lots of grand nieces and nephews and of course an Aunt, Uncles and lots and lots of cousins!
4. I am thankful that I am a missionary in Africa. I've been here over thirty years and love what I do.
5. I am thankful for my missionary family. All my colleagues and also their children who call me, "Aunt Carolyn".
6. I am thankful for all my friends, prayer supporters, those who write me emails, those who gave to my new car, those who support me financially.
7. I am thankful for a new Nissan Patrol and that the title for the vehicle was finally issued!
8. I am thankful for cell phones in the jungle.
9. I am thankful for electricity in the jungle.
10. I am thankful for satellite TV in the jungle.
11. I am thankful for satellite internet in the jungle.
12. I am thankful for a Vonage internet phone in the jungle and that I have unlimited phone calls to the USA and Canada! WooHoo. I have a US phone number.
13. I am thankful for a bridge over our river. From 1977 to 1994 I had to cross my car from one side of town to the other on a glorified raft!
14. I am thankful that my cousin sent me an invitation to SparkPeople and that I opened it rather deleted it!
15. I am thankful that SparkPeople is FREE!
16. I am thankful that with SparkPeople I have been able to lose 20 pounds , rather than gain 20 pounds!!! WooHoo.

My list could go on and on..........