Zimbabwe is a life-altering, God glorifying, fantastic country!

Hello everyone!

I just got back to South Africa on Thursday after a 26-hour train ride and am just letting you all know that I made it OK. As soon as we arrived back at the base the two other American girls and I went out for a Thanksgiving lunch although mostly we were going for the coffee that we missed so much (if my Grandma and my Dad read this I blame my coffee addiction on your side of the family). This morning I left the base and got on a train again to come to Cape Town and hang out with the girls in my school. Starting this Monday we have some more health teachings to do at a school here in SA for a week. I am praying that God will give me the energy for this last bit of outreach...

Thank you to everyone for my birthday wishes. It was wonderful! To celebrate my 23rd year I got to give massages to about 50 old Zimbabwean women who have been working incredibly hard their whole life and now have back and joint pains. I loved it!

I will be graduating on the 10th and will leave to return to NH on the 13th. See you all later!

Isimbi Johanna

Happy Birthday, Johanna!

Since the clock has passed midnight on the African continent we will pause to wish Johanna a wonderful day of reflection and blessing.  Johanna was a Sunday child (5:00 AM on the dot!) so even though the date is one day early, we will recall the blessing of her arrival in triumph and accomplishment (her older brother was born via C-section but Johanna was 'all natural' in her arrival!).  In the end the doctor essentially missed all but the final details since even then Johanna traveled on a schedule that she and her Creator arranged together.

Her mid-wife (a faithful Catholic) expressed that it was such a spiritually transcendent experience that all she felt the need to do was to go to church on her way home.  God was indeed gracious to grant us (and the world) this good gift of life.  Happy birthday, dear daughter child!