I got a call.

So I got the call today that my visa was APPROVED.  

I was called because I didn't include a per-postaged envelope with the application to get my passport back.

The visa was my last major thing besides packing before I leave. So I have a month to relax a bit. Enjoy friends and family. To go spend time with my sister for some quality sister time. To enjoy all the American privileges before I become African again.

I was asked today if I'm excited. I am. But its really a mix of feelings. I am excited to be back where I have left so much of my heart. But I know that it will be totally different than before. For that comes many other varied emotions.

Journal paintings

If you have ever been on a trip with me you know that I like to personalize my journals.  Each one is different.  I have made some our of cereal boxes (thanks Kristy), others are covered in magazine pictures. This time I have taken an idea from Sama, a past student of mine.  Last fall I picked up a old book from the book sale at our public library.  I have since then painted over the text so that I can write in it.  

Well I started with white paint. Then I ran out but had over half of the book was left. So I went and picked up come colored paint. Which resulted the second half being better looking. So my solution was to paint some color into the front pages. Well then those looked better. So I may have gotten carried away. As my sister reminded me "You are only going to write in it"  but now I will have some surprises as I journal each day.  Im excited to get it finished and start writing.  Here is a look at some of the pages. Still figuring out what the front will look like. 

Support Letter

Friends and Family,

I’m going back to South Africa.  I will be moving over there for a year. I leave September 6th and will return next September. I will be volunteering at an orphanage in Johannesburg. The orphanage, The Love of Christ Children’s Home (TLC), takes in abandoned and unwanted babies. Here is how TLC explains what they do and who they are:

"In a country where more than half the population lived in appalling conditions, with very little income, in families torn apart by urbanisation and legal restrictions, The Love of Christ Ministries was established by the Jarvis family to rescue the tiniest victims of a society in turmoil.
Since we rescued our first two little ones in April 1993, we have continued to play a part in changing the destiny of more than 780 babies who have been abandoned or orphaned, as our nation continues to be plagued by HIV-AIDS, unemployment and high crime levels.
That in itself has been a great challenge for us, but we are dedicated to more than just saving babies. Our primary ethos at TLC is that "every child has the right to a loving and responsible family", this requires us to do more.
Every baby at TLC is a part of our family, we hold each little one dear, we fight for the rights of every one, we seek the best for each individual, always.
Being committed to this belief has meant that over time we have had to grow. Our family has grown from five children to almost thirty; Our nursery accommodates another thirty little babies between birth and three years; We are assisted by a fantastic international team of 16 - 24 volunteer caregivers. We employ a number of staff members to assist with administrative and domestic duties. And we now report to a board, who assist us in ensuring we keep sailing in the right direction."

I am excited to get back to South Africa and love on those who have no one to love them. Africa stole my heart over 5 years ago and just the thought of going back makes it beat a bit louder.

Because this is a volunteer job I will need to raise support. My goal is $5,500 for the year. This includes housing, food, plane tickets, visa, insurance and the other small needs of living in and getting to South Africa.  If you would like to or feel called to support me, you can send support to my home address.

I ask you for your prayers this next year. Prayers for energy, strength, Trust in God, and a sense of belonging.  I know that this next year will have hard days, but it will have really good days too. It will be a year of learning, growth and challenges.  For those days of challenge, I would love to have a letter from home that I can pull out and read to encourage me and remind me that I can do it. If you would like to send me a letter you can send it to my home address as well. On the envelope put “For Africa” so that I know not to open it.

I thank you for your support over the years.  I thank you for your prayers and support this year. What I do is not possible without you and your prayers and support.



Following Him,
Rebecca Arnold




If you wish to have my address to send support or letters please email, comment with your email so I can email you.

It's in the mail.

Mailed out my passport and a ton of paperwork for my visa yesterday. 

It's all starting to come together.  Once I get it back basically all that will be left is packing.  Which isn't a small feat. You see all the other years my sister has been there to help.  She would tell me to keep certain things home, if I didn't really need them.

In the end she actually did the final packing.  Now its just me.  

But I'm not too worried. She has taught me well. 

A summer day.

So, what to do?  Why not watch three crazy, energetic, powerful dogs.  At least two of them are.  Mine just tries to keep up with the pups.

Location--Joburg

Medical Insurance has been found and purchased.  Luckily, I was able to find paperwork from past year as to what I used. Now I just need to do some paper work then I can send my passport in for the visa. 

Many have asked me where I will be this time. On the Map to the left you can see that Johannesburg is in the upper middle of the country. A ways from my old homes of Jeffery's Bay and Port Elisabeth and the bottom.

A little info about Joburg.

• Johannesburg has a population of 3.2 million people (South African 2001 census), half of which live in Soweto and adjacent suburbs.
• Although estimates vary, about 10% of sub-Saharan Africa's GDP is generated in Johannesburg. Yet the city's wealth is unequally distributed among its inhabitants causing the city to have, within its own borders, living conditions varying from first world standards to third world conditions. 
• With around 6 million trees, Johannesburg is most likely the world's largest man-made urban forest. The city is certainly one of the greenest in the world, considering that the natural landscape is savannah. 

TLC is situated on 23 Acres of land so I suspect that I will be outside of the city. I wont truly know till I arrive, till then only speculation.

One step closer.

Trip Prep update.

I got my police clearance for my visa.  

Now to find some insurance. 

Prep was on hold for a bit while dealing with my Grandma dying.  But Im back on track.  

I will be mailing out some support letters and prayer cards soon. If you don't get one and want one let me know or if you want one let me know in the next week or so and I will but you on the list.

Grandma Arnold

 On Tuesday we laid our grandma to rest.  She was an amazing person. My sister and I stood up and said the following at her funeral. KT was orange and I was green. It was hard to do but really glad I did it. 

Today we are Thankful to God for giving us a wonderful, one of a kind, hardworking, Godly, caring lady that we were able to call  “GRANDMA” for over 20 years. Some people only get to see their grandma’s on the holidays but I guess we could say everyday was a holiday, because growing up till college, we saw and ate with our Grandma daily.

Today I look at my simple everyday life and say wow! This really can’t be possible without the influence of my amazing Grandma. She was the one to teach me many things from a very young age. These include the ability to be confident enough to whip up anything in the kitchen. This might be due to the fact that I started cooking along side my grandma at age 2 or the fact that I helped with almost every meal she made including family dinner, Wednesday Night Suppers, Funeral dinners and many other get togethers. I tried to learn her tricks of cooking because she did not always use a recipe card or write the whole recipe down but she is sure known for many dishes. Of course everyone has a favorite dish, Kt- Hamburger pie, Me- Grandmas concoction of cheese, ham, peas and boiled eggs, Bruce, Rex and Ben- ham loaf and peas and potatoes Deb- Nutty Noodles. And all of us can remember meals consisting of a pot of Velveeta mac and cheese, or potato salad.  Always a favorite for all. I believe out of all of grandma’s desserts we all share the love and enjoy of HOMEMADE Ice Cream. I credit her to my love of cooking and ultimately my graduating culinary school

It wasn’t just her kitchen that she cooked at. The kitchen in the church was like her own for many years. We remember growing up here learning her secrets -- how to hold your mouth just right for the dish to come out perfect. That was her trick.  It had to be. So many meals made like no one else could. I (Becca)just recently walked back into the kitchen here and was surprised at how small everything felt. As a kid in the kitchen it always seemed huge. But not to big for Grandma to conquer.

She taught me how to pick fruit of all kinds including, raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, peaches, but both of our favorites are Red Raspberries.  She could be seen picking these fruits until a few years ago; I still remember the last time we picked peaches together like it was just yesterday. And so many times in the peach orchard with peach juice rolling down our arms from a ripe peach shared with Grandma. We learned to always pack a few wet washcloths to clean up with. It made me smile when my sister told me that just last Sunday she and my parents took her fresh blueberries and strawberries to Grandma to eat. On the phone all I could do was smile too. She also taught me how to make the delicious dishes with these given fruits including shortcake, fresh fruit pies, jams and jellies. but we always had to can or freeze some so in the winter we could still have these fruits.

Grandma gave me the love of games of all kind. Even though Grandma was a hard worker she knew that there was always time to sit down and have fun. We played Memory, Candyland just to name a few when I was younger. She had a great game closet, which I can still find all my childhood favorites in. When I got a little older, I was taught cribbage, Mexican train and the family game of Bid Euchre. With any family get together a table of one of these games could begin and grandma was always participating too. Just a year ago tomorrow (4th of July) grandma was out in her backyard playing crocket with the whole family and she might have just beaten us too.

She retired but didn’t stop working. She went back to work at Emily Andrus where she again was in the kitchen. Cooking meals for the ladies and even did the weekly grocery shopping. During the summers we helped her with that task.  Not every middle school aged kid can say that when they went grocery shopping with their grandma they filled four shopping carts, and then put it all away after lifting it all over a railing of a porch above their heads. Grandma always insisted she do that part. A strong lady.

GRANDMA was a strong fighting lady.  She didn’t get thru life easily.  Three times she beat cancer. It’s hard enough to beat once but our GRANDMA did it Three times. That is proof that she was very close to indestructible.

She lost grandpa almost 26 years ago. Even though she could have given up on life then she kept going knowing that her family needed her. Family was always important to her.

A few other reasons and memories to show that Grandma was a lady we want to be.

• She was always up for an adventure, Grandma canoed on the pond last summer
• She owed and ran a restaurant TWICE.
• Knew how to relax and her swing out back—I would consider that one of her favorite places.
• Lost a husband and two children but didn’t lose her fight for life.
• Has three grandkids but showed a grandmas love to 7 exchange siblings of ours.
• She had a fake knee but was never slowed down.
• She was always prepared she would start Cooking dinner at 430
• She traveled to Germany at age 54 and 61 Israel age 65, Thailand age 71, walked the Mackinaw bridge at age 69 and traveled to many more places.
• She loved her gardens. I always can remember every august Cutting buckets of corn off the cob with the whole family.
• She always helped us with our homework right afterschool.

 
Thanks for all the AMAZING tricks, talents, traits, and traditions you taught us, GRANDMA. Maybe one day, we can be as strong of any influence in someone else life as have been in ours. We will make you proud everyday of our life GRANDMA!!