Christmas at the bottom of Africa

So much has happened in the past month that I don't even know where to begin!  I guess I will start by explaining why I am not posting pictures of my holiday.  The reason is simple: my phone, which had every single picture I've taken since I got to South Africa in August, was stolen.  So sorry, blog readers, you're stuck with my bad writing and no lovely photos until I figure out a new plan.

Now for some happier talk.  I had a wonderful Christmas and New Years.  I took a whole two weeks off from work at the Care Centre and spent the time with my husband Jacob.  I can't even find words to tell you how awesome it was to see Jacob after spending four months apart!  The best part of it was that I got to show him all the parts of South Africa that I've fallen in love with, and I introduced him to some of my friends here.  When Jacob first got here, we spent four nights in Cape Town and did all the touristy stuff, like the Company Gardens, District Six museum, and a Table Mountain hike.  My favorite part of his whole trip was the night we hiked up Lion's Head, the steep spire of rock just to the northwest of Table Mountain.  Apparently it's a Cape Town tradition to do this hike at sunset when there is a full moon.  Jacob and I were joined by my friend Hananja, and the three of us had a fun hike that culminated in a spectacular sunset and moonrise, complete with wine, craft beer, and snacks (note: bring a dietician hiking with you, and the quality of your snackage will improve significantly.)

After our time in Cape Town, Jacob and I headed to Hawston.  We spent a week at my house, just enjoying each others company and exploring the area around me.  Jacob also ran his first race on another continent, since the athletic club I've been running with hosted a 10 km run the weekend before Christmas.  We went to midnight mass on Christmas Eve at the church I've been attending in Hermanus, St. Peters.  We spent Christmas day on the beach.  I have to say, there is something to this Southern hemisphere thing!  It feels a little weird to wear a swimsuit on Christmas, but I like it!

After the holiday, we headed to the wine country for a few days.  I can't believe it took me so long to make it to Franschhoek and Stellenbosch!  These towns are really quite close to where I'm living in Hawston, and they are gorgeous!  There are a ton of wine farms around this area.  Like literally dozens and dozens.  I think you could spend a month there and still not visit all the wine farms.  But besides for great wine, these two towns are also just really nice places to visit.  There is good hiking close by, and the town centers are quaint and historic.

Jacob left to head home just before New Years.  Good thing I had Paul and Maurice, otherwise known as Team Grahamstown, to keep me company for the holiday!  It was really fun to be reunited with two fellow YASCers and hear about all the good they're doing in their placements.  If you haven't ever read the blogs of the other YASCers, you really should.  If these two are any indication of the rest of the YASC team, then it's clear that God is doing some amazing work through my friends!

Now that the holidays are over, I'm back at work at the care centre.  I have to admit, by January 2, I was actually excited to be back at work!  Don't get me wrong, I obviously loved my holiday, and I think I did need a break, but by the end I was missing work!  I mean, the whole reason I'm over here at all is to work at the care centre!  So it's kinda nice to get back to that.  

What is in store for me in 2014?  A lot!  Besides my normal patient care work, I'm going to continue to develop the multi-lingual multi-continent morning prayer service that I started with Laura, the rector of St John's Richmond, during advent.  I am going to enjoy the summer weather that is gracing us in the Cape right now.  (Side note:  apparently the entire United States is having something called a polar vortex.  That really sucks.  I mean even the name sounds terrible.  I don't think I want to be in a vortex of any kind, especially not a polar one.  I'm awfully glad I'm not you guys!)  In my free time, I need to start checking off some of the fun stuff I want to do while I'm here, like take a surfing lesson and go shark cage diving.  And of course, I'll keep developing the friendships I've made.  So keep reading, even if I don't have any more photos to entice you.  And please drop me a line and let me know how your holiday was, and if you're surviving the sub zero temperatures.