CHEETAHS and CHEATERS
just back to a computer after 6 hardcore days of safaari, it was in short amazing, we saw just about every animal God made in this land from lions to zebras, eagles, cheetas, rhinos, giraffee, elephant the complete works, which was class. I obviously took a ridculous amount of photos averaging about 36 a day!
also been quite a chalenging time, been reading George Alagia's book a passage to africa hes the old africa corespondant for the BBC from Sri Lanka, youd know him if you saw him, anyway alot of the book is about how fucked up africa is. I very rarely use that word but this definately warrants it, and the rich west i.e. us have a lot to answer, in pursuit of our own political advances and money we have stuck our hands in where its not wanted and then turned our back when genocide (being committed at a FASTER rate than even Hitler managed with gas chambers) was being carried out in Rwanda.

also been reading acts, James and Thessolosians 1+2 which is really cool the way Paul completely bit the bullet for Jesus, he actually got stoned (no) until they left him for dead then got up again and decided it was time to leave the jails. but most interestingly are his comments about being "out of his mind for God" and not to ignore prophecy....

today visited a Massai village, who are undoubtledly the hardest people on earth they can kill lions, they have spears and knives and big sticks and clubs, and they can walk for miles and miles and it doesnt matter. Anyway the village we visited the men had gone to look for water with the cows(their livelyhood) about 3 months ago and the women were in the wee village, so you drive in, in a fancy land cruiser and pay $40 and they do a dance to welcome you and then show you round there houses (mud huts litterally, held together with cow dung) and its all good till the teenagers start asking for pens and money for photos... funy how it took our safarri driver Peter (a complete legend) to explain all the stuff about traditions, cause they dont speak english but then they know how to ask for the money. but i dont blame then about a 1000 ppl b4 probably gave them it and when most people in the country earn less than $1 a day and massi generally have no income the prospect of getting a couple of dollars off people who have paid $75 for their hotel room is probably too much.
which is all and bit mad and all this stuff is running round my head .. a lot
on the plus side got a guinness tonight, it was wierd foregin export stuff thats pretty strong but good for me nonetheless.
night world

SUNDAY IS JESUS DAY

as i mentioned last post feeling a bit spitually frustrated, and had the squirts. Well the squirts got worse and last night was not good for sleepin, but it was excellent for thinking. About lots of stuff but particularly the Flowers estate and how to try do something done so that the uni puts back into the community and the pikeys dont hate students. Thought about getting the glen residents involved early, dara and joe and gordy and tom and i spent 3hrs good revising time talkin about this so we have to make it happen.
Also today just chilled in hotel room and sang a few songs nice and loud then got some top quailty bible, sermon on the mount and then Ester, ester is a classic story. I also prayed with my sisters this morning cause their guts had been dodgy, and praise the Lord, they both ate lunch and i had a cheese toastie and plan on a big dinner soon as. I also just watched Chelsea beat liverpool on Tv(now staying in a nice hotel in aurssha left zanizbar this morning) great match, Jimmy Floyd Hasslebank scored a amazing goal to win it.

TURTLE CHASER

alright, just got back from a days diving, which was class, am in Zanzibar which is a very good effort at paradise, palm trees, calm sea big red sunsets, lobster for tea etc. The highlight of today was definately seeing a turtle, and then swimming off after it so the instructor had to chase me down and remind me i was nearly out of air :) the day started with a lengthy toilet session its seems after 5 weeks the dreded squirts have caught up with me. Had a nice massage on the beech yesterday, and leaving to meet up with catherine(my big sis) and then 5days safaari, which should be class. Kind of frustrating time spiritually, but God has been showing me some fine grace. cant get enough
until the next time....
enjoy the mango

LEGEND COUNTRY

tanzania is legend, it is really chilled out, with a ridculously perfect colour of sea and sand, and thats in the capital city. i cant wait to see the rest, had a really good day chillin out with God and market shoping with americans, they having a big chat with a kenyian capitalist and a development facilitator about the state and future of africa, heavy but excellent vote 3rddan

ON THE RUN WITH A DRUM

im in jo'burg airport paying lots of money for a nice and fast internet connection...

just flew in from cape town, i stayed there for the last week doing crew leader for another habitat team, which was a bit of a joke seeing i had 7days building expereince and was then made kind of in charge of these 7 people on a big programme thing but sure it was sunny and we built a house so thats all good, it was actually very fast. We arrived on monday with just the foudations poured (a big muddy trench filled with concrete for those who dont speak builder) and when i left on thursday, we had only to tile the roof and put up a few internal walls, which would have happened on friday while i went to Uni of Cape Town with my new flatmates...
let me rewind a little, i got to know a couple of the students at one of the churhes and managed to get to sleep in the louge of a flat owned by emma and amy, to cool girls. so from there i could get a lift to the township and generally have a good time. I was quite bizzar to be living with ppl i had just met but then i was also a good adventure, a another amazing bit of God's providence cause i didnt have the money to say in a backpacker all week and thanks to some good training from catherine (lasagne), chitra (tomato and roast pepper soup), dad (scrambled eggs) and mary hughes (massage) we all got along well. they even give a lift to the airport at 4:30am this morning with a couple of their other mates jules and ang. so i have had quite a rounded cape town experience from Township community spirit to white middle class high fences and pepper spray carrying, welcome and love.
its been cool, they dont drink very much here, like there is NO bar on the campus of the uni or in the halls of res!! they also seem to be quite introverted and discuss everything that everyone did or said at length, but they were very cool welcoming people, i would def go back in summer (it was proper raining yesterday) for beaches and chillin
gotta fly remeber vote 3rddan ( www.3rddan.co.uk )