I have been bit by the bug - or should I say a tick

Well I have been a little (ok a lot) under the weather the past few days. Lots of headaches, chills, and very achy. I was thinking I was coming down with a bug or something. But I noticed a bite on me that was not normal (location of bite not available). It is about the size of a quarter with a black spot in the middle. I was not to concerned until my soreness and swollen glands got worse. It pain started in my upper thigh to lower back. Today I woke up and soreness spread to my ribs, stomach and the back of my arms and I also started getting a rash. My headaches have been so severe that I have been sleeping a lot. I have been moving slow and not much use around the house.

I have been diagnosed as having African Tick Fever! I have been given some antibiotics and hopefully in a few days I will be feeling better. Scott has two tick bites, but not as severe. Of course the tick that bit me had more bacteria to transfer - YEH ME! Scott is also sore, but please pray that he does not get the full effects. The antibiotic will mess up his blood sugar levels so it is not recommended that he take it. I hope if his gets severe they will prescribe something!

You may be wondering how did I get bit by a tick? Well, when we were hunting we walked through the bush with lots of ticks. We would do a tick check at night to make sure we got them off. Oops we missed a few. I keep thinking that this is my punishment for killing a zebra! Not funny. After you are bit by a tick it takes 5 - 7 days to show signs of the bacterial infection.

Please pray for me to feel better soon! I have an issue with headaches anyway, but these feel like I have a 50lb weight on my head. Please pray that the kids will have patience with me as I do not have much energy. Also, please pray that Scott's does not get worse.

Alex and Neo

Alex and Neo
Originally uploaded by lialeenstra

Alex has found a new friend! Grandma sent Alex his very own Webkinz. I knew it was coming in the mail, but I never imagined how much excitement it was going to bring Alex.

We have to drive to the Post Office to get mail out of our PO Box. We go there almost every day! Alex and Maddie take turns in opening the box. On this day it was Alex's turn. Inside the box was a slip of paper saying that we have a PACKAGE to pick up! This already gets both kids lit up!! They pretty much drop all the other mail (which I have to pick up) and then they run into the mall to the Post Office. We wait in the LONG line. Waiting in line patiently with 2 very excited kids does not work to well. I am always apologizing to the people in front or in back (if they understand English) of us because the kids keep jumping into them.

Well we finally got the package in our hands - and off to the car we go. (You do not want to open your package there in the mall, due to someone maybe watching and interested in stealing it). As we head to the car, I can read what is in the package - book, candy/gum, and stuffed animal. Oh today it the day Alex has been waiting for.

You see in our house - we are all addicted to Webkinz. Maddie received one for Christmas. He is a golden retriever named, Riley (named after our dog we left behind). On the website of Webkinz you can feed the animal, create rooms for it to live in, play games to win webkinz money, buy it clothes to wear on the web. Maddie has a 10 room area going on. Garden that she tends to with Riley, and a beach room, pool, bathroom etc. Now when I say we are all addicted - I am saying that because in order to buy rooms, things to go in the room, food, and clothes you need to get money. You play games to win money. So at night one day, I thought wouldn't it be nice if I played games and surprise Maddie with a bunch of money in the morning. Well I haven't been able to stop. So anyway - Alex has been wishing for his own Webkinz since christmas.

Back to the story - We are in the car and we open the package - there is a green tissue paper gift right on top for Alex. He tears it open - and I was not sure if he was going to pass out or what. He was literally shaking. He is staring at his new Leopard Lizard and he screams - "MY VERY OWN WEBKINZ!!" Now he was shaking to begin with so his voice trembled!! I have NEVER seen a kid so excited!! He made me smile - I wish I could have video taped it. After the shock of his discovery, he then proceeded to talk about how much he missed Grandma and America! SO SAD (I get emotional when they talk about how much they miss home). The whole trip home, Alex could not stop talking - SO EXCITED.

He now has his very own WEBKINZ and we are already accumulating the webkinz dollars! This picture is what I saw at night when I checked on him before I went to bed. He is in love - and has a new friend named NEO!!

Maddies First Shot

Hunting 099
Originally uploaded by lialeenstra

Maddie shot her first gun on our hunting trip. As you can tell, she was a little unsure what happened. She was proud when she realized she hit the target!! Way to go Maddie!

ALEX'S FIRST SHOT

Hunting 093
Originally uploaded by lialeenstra

Just a short video of Alex taking his first shot with a real gun.

Hunting Trip

Last weekend we were able to do what a lot of American Hunters hope to do sometime in their life. We went on a Game Hunt here in South Africa. What an amazing experience.
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Most hunters in America are happy to get a few nice Whitetail Buck to hang on their walls. A few lucky ones will get to hunt for a Moose or a Bear or something else that is a bit less common. But here in South Africa there is such a wide variety of Trophy animals that you can pick from. You can choose from a number of different Bucks (Nyala, Sable, Waterbuck, Impala, Bushbuck, Kudu, Wildebeast, and a lot more), Lion, Leopard, Elephant, Zebra, Rhino, Warthog, Giraffe, and a number of other "exotic" animals.

The Adults (Wimpy & Louis (hunting guides), Etienne and Elsabe (our neighbors), and us)

The Kids

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The place we went to was about 2500 acres in size and had approximately 800 animals. They had Impala, Waterbuck, Zebra, Giraffe, Blou Wildebeast, Nyala, Kudu, Bushbuck, and a few others. We went with the intentions of shooting a Zebra and some sort of buck. I really wanted to shoot a Kudu but they only had a couple of trophy size Kudu on the farm and were not allowing anyone to shoot them. So it was decided that we would go for a Wildebeast, Impala, Waterbuck, or Bushbuck. It really depended upon what we could get a decent shot at.

Our first day was spent sighting in the rifles (.338 and a .243) to make sure we were comfortable shooting them and that the scopes were still on target.

The kids were on top of the safari truck plugging their ears

We then drove around the farm hoping to get a shot at something but mainly to see the farm. They had some really cool areas on the farm including some monster rocks that we climbed on right before dark.

About the time it got dark that night, we finally saw our first Zebra and we were excited to get going the next morning.

Maddie having fun with Scott on the Safari truck.

Day 2 started @ 6:30 am and was a bit chilly. Alex was ready to go and waited in the truck with one of the dogs.

Cutest picture ever!

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We basically spent the first 8 hours (minus about an hour for brunch) driving around, stalking, and tracking animals. Most of our time was spend looking for Zebra and Wildebeast as they were the only animals we were seeing. We would spend 1/2 hour to 45 minutes at times walking through the bush trying to track the animals and stay upwind of them. It was all very exciting! By 2 pm we decided to take a break. We headed out again @ 3:00 to look for some Zebra and ended up seeing a really nice Waterbuck. I got a good shot at it from about 110 Meters with it looking straight at me. I got a good lung shot and it only went about 10 Meter and slowly fell. The Horns measure 27 1/2 inches, 1/2 and inch short of a "Trophy" buck.

Scott observing his buck with Wimpy (pronounced Vimpy)

because it weighed over 500 lbs they used a winch to pull it up on the truck

Alex so proud of Scott (and that he got to hold the gun).
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After spending some time taking pictures and watching them skin it, we headed out to find a Zebra. We found a heard and had a shot, but one of the hunting dogs got impatient and decided it would be more fun to chase some Wildebeast that were close buy than to let Lia get a shot. After we were able to take care of the dog, we went back to look for the Zebra again. We were able to find them and Lia stalked them a bit with the guide. After about 15 minutes of waiting for a good shot, she was able to make an almost perfect shot. The Zebra just turned and fell right where it was hit. Lia still can't believe that she was able to pull the trigger.

Lia's "perfect shot" - inside the triangle markings (the guide told her to aim a little left)

The last day we spent with our neighbors looking for a Wildebeast. They were so jumpy after 4 weeks of heavy hunting on the farm that they were not able to get a good shot at one. They ended up shooting a Kudu cow and an Impala cow so they could have some meat.

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We also spent some more time shooting a wide variety of rifles. The kids had fun shooting their first guns, a .22 rifle. Maddie was able to hit the target @ 50 meters. She was so excited.

Maddie in front of her target
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Alex was so excited to shoot a gun. After his 3 shoots - he wanted to keep his 3 bullet casings. He held on to those bullets the rest of the day (checking every five minutes to make sure he still had them).

notice what eye Alex is using

So proud

Just had to throw this picture in

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Scott was inducted into the 1/2 moon club when he put hit forehead a little to close to the scope, OOPS!

It was a great experience and we both now understand the addiction that may people have with hunting. What a rush. We now have more Waterbuck sausage and Jerky than we know what to do with. Lia donated the Zebra meat. It will go to a butchery where they will use it to feed the locals. Scott is getting a shoulder mount of the Waterbuck and the skin from the Zebra is going to be made into a rug. If we have the time and money, we plan on doing another trip later.

Zambia

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.


I had the amazing opportunity to go to Lusaka, Zambia to visit some of the GEMS clubs! I have come home completely amazed on how God is working in the lives of girls everywhere! The smiles of these girls is enough to make your heart melt! They are full of love and such hope! Words can hardly describe the experience I had. I have such a passion for the GEMS program and to be able to see how this program is affecting counselors and girls in Zambia has been eye opening experience.


We serve an awesome GOD!


I was so nervous to fly by myself to Zambia, but when I got off the plane and was waiting in line to enter the country - Barb Miedema popped her head around the corner to greet me. My nerves completely left and was so excited to see someone familiar.

We met up with the other women involved in GEMS that were from Canada and US. Our first stop was to the House that GEMS built. There is 7 kids and a mama in the house. We brought some gifts for them and letters from GEMS girls in North America. They were very excited, especially picking out a new pair of shoes. We then watched them play tether ball. We caused so much noise that the neighboring kids were trying to see what was going on. It was a great visit!

On Friday, I was able to see the training and equipping of the women in Zambia to be counselors and to start their own clubs. The women were so eager to learn. At the end of the training day we were presented with Kangas (cloth wrap skirts). They wanted to show their appreciation for all we had done during the week. We then ended the day with by praying over them. God was working there. Earlier in the day, I was able to help Tina DeKam in interviewing a few girls and counselors. They gave their faith stories and it was great to see how GEMS was a great part of them growing in their walk with God!

Then cams Saturday - the day I was looking forward to. We were able to walk the streets and visit 6 of the GEMS clubs that were meeting. WOW!! I have never been so moved. The girls recited verses, prayed, sang, and thanked us for being there. Some of the girls put on a little presentation. They were all excited to show us how far they had come in the past year. I had the awesome opportunity to talk and interact with the girls. I showed the girls some string games and just took the time to talk with them. They were so full of joy and smiles! Smiles that I will never forget!


Some of the stories of the girls were very moving. One girl talked about becoming a journalist. She wanted to write a story about herself and how her life was without having a father. Some girls shared their faith story using beads - black to represent the sin that was in their life before Christ, red - to show that Jesus' blood was shed for her, white - to show that God had made them clean, and green - to show that they were still growing in God's love. Then I heard the story of one girl, Lisa, that was at GEMS that day. The day before (Friday) she came home to find her mom hanging (she was 4 months pregnant). Her mom had committed suicide. I later found out that her father had tried to commit suicide too. He is in the hospital and not sure if he will come out. This girl is 9 years old. I can not even imagine what must be going through her mind. The sadness is so overwhelming to me. I just keep thinking that if GEMS was not there in Zambia - where would that girl be that morning? I hope she felt comfort within the GEMS club - a place she could be during a sad time in her life. A place to feel God's love for her! Every girl has a story and some you can just see in their eyes. My prayer for each girl is that they have a great place to feel the love of God - a place they belong - a place of fun - a place of loving arms waiting for them!! Please pray for these girls!

Among the stories of sadness, there were also stories of hope and happiness . One of the counselors, Catherine, was so full of joy it radiated off her. She walked with us to show us where all the clubs were meeting. I bet we walked a good 4 miles. Catherine showed us her home and shared lunch with us. She was so excited to show us the new water well that was just put next to her house. I was so blessed by her enthusiasm and excitement for the GEMS clubs and the girls. She was the type of person you just wanted to be by!! She has reminded me that each day is a new day - and you can choose what type of day it is going to be. A day to dwell on the bad - or a day to rejoice and let your light shine!


While walking to all the clubs, I was able to see and take in our surroundings. It is a different world there. A part of me will always be there. It made such an impact on me and it has really humbled me in realizing how much I have. I have also learned that God's love is for everyone - no matter what your story is.


Before the trip came to an end for me and a few others, we went to the local market. Of course we were all offered a "special price" What a hoot! I will have to post a picture of the gifts I brought home to the kids!

What an awesome, unforgettable weekend! Part of my heart is there with all the clubs. I hope I have an opportunity to go back and visit. I will never forget the impact their love, hope, and excitement had on me.

Please pray for these GEMS clubs - Pray for all the GEMS clubs throughout the world! I believe that God is working in these clubs - in the counselors and the each girl. GEMS is making an impact in girls lives everywhere. Pray that each girl will see that God has a plan for each of their lives. His hand is guiding them, his love is comforting them, and his arms are always around them. I have seen what an impact GEMS has on my life and I pray that these girls will see it in their own lives. God is there in both the joyous times and the saddest of times! He will never leave.

GIRLS EVERYWHERE MEETING THE SAVIOR - Helping girls grow in their relationship with Christ.