Planes, Trains, Automobiles....and a Boat

We can't believe it's April.  Does time go faster south of the equator?!

Since we last posted...

Kate had sports day at school.  She has also started a new diet that is gluten-, dairy-, and egg-free.  She feels great and enjoys having her own private stash of food she CAN eat.

(That's Kate with the big "M" on her cheek)

John is doing very well in his BYU advanced high school classes.  He is enjoying having more flexibility with his time to train Emma and hone his baking skills.  He got braces recently!

John taught a class about family history at church.

And he occasionally goes to dances!

Michele has been busier than usual substitute teaching several consecutive weeks of early morning seminary (which she's LOVED, especially since John is in the class).  She has also worked a lot with the leadership team at Kate's school to implement several new offerings (a OT/PT-based Ready to Learn program to start each day, healthy lunch program, extended days for foundations, and lots of fun new extramurals).  Some day, she hopes she and the amazing people who are passionate about education she has met in every city can create the "Ultimate School."  It all started with the Dodge Nature Preschool in St Paul...

We celebrated Jenny's birthday.

Michele went with the Berichons (US friends) to the Voortrekker Monument and Union Buildings in Pretoria.

In previous blogs, you may have noticed a beautiful piece of art in our home entry called "The Turquoise Scarf" painted by Gary Stephens.  It's acrylic paint on Nigerian fabric.  Gary had a show at Everard Read Gallery here in Joburg recently entitled "The Scarf."  All the women were crowned with a scarf upon arrival.

Michele and Kresta

Kresta's Mom (visiting from Colorado), Gary's Model/Scarf Artist, Kresta, Michele

A piece I loved (pastels with colored yarns)

Veronica, the model for The Turquoise Scarf.  It was so fun to meet her!

Gary and Daniel (who works at GE)

A friend sent me this cartoon.  Rolling blackouts have become a way of life.

Jeff and Michele went to see Michael Buble at the Coca Cola Dome!

Michele and Kate had a fun outing to Irene Farm with the Call family

Michele hosted a farewell lunch (introduced all the South Africans to Cafe Rio sweet pork salad and they loved it!) for Baili Chazen will serve a mission at Temple Square in SLC.  She is like a big sister to both our kids, and we love her a lot! 

Jeff gathered with part of his team in Luanda, Angola (that's his boss Bruce, 2nd from right) ...

With Haile Gebrselassie, a famous Marathoner in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

With more of the team in Nairobi, Kenya

Seeing Mount Kilimanjaro from the airplane

And in Koodesport, South Africa looking at some of the locomotives GE is building

Jeff led the organization of the first ever self-reliance fair in held in downtown Joburg for our church.  There were exhibits and classes on immediate job opportunities, addiction recovery, educational loans, etc.   About 250 people attended and it was a great success!  Yay!! 

We introduced the kids to tapas.  That was a hit!!

Emma:  Still the best dog ever!

Kate's best friends from school:  Mosa and Chantal

We've had some exciting weather.  One late afternoon, lightning struck the phone line right behind our house.  Everyone on our street lost phone coverage, but also lots of electronics.  Somehow the power surge came through the phone line directly into our computer.  We no longer have internet on our computer because the electricity blew out the internet connection.  Thank goodness for the laptop--and Telkom who eventually patched the phone line.

Then later that week, we had the longest hailstorm any of us have ever witnessed!  Lots of flooding in the neighborhood.  Our only damage was water coming in under the roof door as the hail melted--and the plants in our garden being decimated.

Kate sweeping hail off the roof after the storm

The gardeners cleared 5 such bags of yard waste from the storm

It took 3 hours and lots of chemicals to revive the pool

Last weekend, to celebrate our 17th anniversary, we flew to Cape Town for a couple of days.

We stayed in Bruce and Annabell's cottage and were grateful they let us borrow their car.  Their dog Barry (foreground) was always nearby waiting for us to throw a ball for him.

"Tablecloth" covering Table Mountain

A former political prisoner named Jama was our guide at Robben Island

Group cell

Mr Mandela's cell (leaders were isolated)

From Cape Town, we took Rovos Rail home to Pretoria (2 nights and 2 days of relaxation and delicious food!)

Dining Car

Lounge with Viewing Car

Our cabin

The Big Hole in Kimberley (largest hand-dug diamond mine in the world) - the size of the water is 5 soccer fields

An estimated 23,000 flamingos call this place home

Klein Karoo

Our train manager Joe who purchases old train cars and leads Rovos Rail staff in completely refurbishing them.  He gave us an interesting tour when we arrived in Pretoria.  (My dad would've loved it!).

VISA update as of 5 April 2015:  

Jeff:  Work VISA through October 2019
Katherine:  Student VISA through October 2019
John:  Visitor VISA through October 2019 (however in 2nd appeal because typed incorrectly by Home Affairs)
Michele:  Visitor VISA expired 31 Dec 2014.  Renewal refused because separated from Jeff's by Home Affairs.  Appeal filed in December 2014.  With Director of Home Affairs and still not processed.

Bottom Line:  Michele won't be leaving South Africa any time soon (by plane, train or automobile); because she won't be able to get back into the country!