Doumas Down South: December 2012

Hello Again!

I know we haven`t posted an update in a while, but we have not had internet in 3 weeks, even as I type this I am sitting in a coffee shop with free wifi! A massive thunderstorm rolled through a few weeks back and the lightning fried all the routers, 2 computers, a few tvs, and even a dvd player. Luckily we were unaffected, but it looks like it may be a while before we will be back online.

We have been having a great (but quite hectic) December. It is hard to believe it is already Christmas season, it just doesn’t seem quite right hearing “Let It Snow” in the grocery store when its 30 degrees outside! It is amazing how different, our December has looked thus far. Several organizations have made donations for Christmas, so the younger children were able to go to a petting zoo and receive a small gift while the older children had the chance to go ice skating at a local mall, and then to the beach. Another couple and ourselves have basically been put in charge of the rest of Christmas, including a pool party Christmas Eve, and a full braai, including a pig on a spit for Christmas day, like I said, not your typical Christmas!!! Courtney has been helping out and just trying to entertain kids on their break, doing crafts, and decorating with them, and I have been continuing with my kitchens, and have even become the new pool boy. It can be a pain working with all the kids around, but at least I have lots of helpers! Late November the teenage boys also went on a 2 night camp we named, "Camp Deprivation". It was meant to be a "manly" camp where the boys only received the very basics such as a few meters of rope, a couple tarps, unlabeled cans, putu (terrible tasting very basic corn based food) and water. As adults we had to stand back and let them learn by their mistakes, but that also meant living with their mistakes! Also in the beginning of the month I participated in a week long soccer coaching course put on by Ambassadors in Sport. It was a very helpful course and I will be able to bring a lot back home with me. I learned how much influence sports can have on people’s lives and how we can use that to minister, and glorify God.

We hope all is well back home, and that everyone has a very blessed Christmas season!

Merry Christmas from the Douma's!