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| Sorry, until I get a new camera, no picts of Salt Lake City. The adventure started with flight delays and other travail (root word of travel). I arrived at my hotel room at 2:45 AM EST. It was 12:45 AM Utah time. I got to sleep in, then a luch at a local barbecue with the board members other workers. I spent the afternoon preparing my talks, then on to the vendor hall to meet people.
Three ladies met me in the hall who have been using MathUSee. They were excited to meet their "math teacher". I saw them several times and learned on Saturday that their kiddos were crying because I was in town and they didn't get to see me. More on this later.
The UTAH folks were great. Friday night I addressed a room full of teens. All of my public school teaching training kicked in the first 10 minutes when I emptied the back row and picked out a potential problem and had him do 10 pushups. After that we had no problems (Would you like to have been a fly on the wall?).
I spoke for 1.5 hours and it went really well.
Saturday began with a Keynote at 8:45 and workshops at 10 and 2. After the conference I drove north to Layton to meet the cryng kiddos. We had 45 minutes to hug, take pictures, tell jokes, and meet the Dads (military pilots). Bob Doman, a long time friend who has overseen Johnny's therapy since he was 1, picked me up for dinner, then took me to a Utah Jazz basketball game. We had a really good time catching up and enjoying the game.
Sunday was a long day of flying, making connections, and enduring delays. I left the hotel at 6:00 AM and arived home 11 and a half hours later.
But while I was enduring the "travailing", Ethan and friends moved the majority of our stuff to our new home at 518 Wheatfield Dr., Lititz, PA 17543. After Tuesday, our numbers will be 717 560 0330 for the main house and 717 560 2992 for my office. Here are just a few picts from the front and rear views.
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| Our last three days in Africa were near the southern tip in Cape Town. Ethan and I were met at the airport by our friends Teresa, Chantel, Bradley, and Kirsten. We had met Teresa and her daughter Chantel at the retreat near Howick. But now we had the privilege of getting to know Bradley and little sister Kirsten. Because it was a nice day and Saturday and Sunday were supposed to be rainy we headed straight for Tabletop Mountain which overlooks Cape Town. We took the cable cars to the top and spent the next few hours hiking and gazing at the blue blue water and the 360° view that was wonderful.
Ethan showing the wind blown effect with the harbor in the background.
Because we were high, and in the middle of summer, and in the bright sun, I needed a hat. I left my safari hat in a Nairobi restaurant and Chantel graciously loaned me a shirt!!
Here are our hosts! From left to right Bradley, Ethan, Kirsten, and Chantel.
After some hiking we took a break while Ethan ran to the end of the trail!
More Scenery.
On the way down, the whole town had a power failure so the cable cars were being powered by diesel generators and moving at half speed. So we had a leisurely descent. But while waiting in line I had a chance to get to know my new friend Kirsten better (and keep her occupied) while waiting in line.
Upon returning to the car, we had a sparkling drive to their home. There was a lovely shot of the coast around every curve. While driving through town we passed the hospital where the first open heart surgery was performed. On the other side of the mountain we passed the prison where Nelson Mandela had spent many years of his life. This beach is very near their home.
On Saturday morning I stayed behind and rested while Ethan and Russell (Mr Dennis) saw some local sights.
That afternoon we went to the conference which was held at a church in the city. There were about 200 folks. As soon as we got there we joined a prayer meeting in progress for the event. God answered their prayers and we had a blessed day. One of my favorite experiences is asking the children and husbands to stand and bless their mothers and wives as in Proverbs 31:28 Her children rise up, and call her blessed; Her husband also, and he praiseth her, saying: 29 Many daughters have done worthily, But thou excellest them all.
After the first session, Ethan addressed the group.
Then we both fielded questions from the audience.
And then the opportunity during breaks, or Tea, or dinner to share with individuals. If you can't tell, it is a blessing to see your son blossom and bless people right before your eyes  .
Sunday we drove to Houts Bay for fish and chips, visit new friends made at the conference, and take a boat ride to Seal Island.
Regardless of what you see here, I am still a wee bit taller than Ethan. I must be standing in a hole.
A fascinating island, but smelly too. We got on the boat to the right of the picture in the bay. Seal Island is off to the left at 9 o'clock. It is the little island with the white edges.
Playing Titanic
And getting wet, la-la-la.
That evening we left our new comrades in Cape Town and flew all night to London. To be continued at Big Ben ....
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| On Saturday the 14th of Jan, we flew from Nairobi to JoBurg, barely made a connection, then on to Durban. We were picked up at 10:30 PM then made it to the Woods' home around midnight. On Sunday morning this is the sight that greeted me as I walked out on the back stoop (deck).
 
The house is also stone and beautiful. And it is more than a house, it is a Christian God honoring home. This is where Greg, Sonja, Missi, and Jamie live. Pictures of them are forthcoming. Because it was summer, we ate most of our meals on the front porch.
 
There were 14 Oikos pillar moms finishing up a retreat which had begun Wednesday of the preious week. Ethan and I's first thought was it was like a sleepover that Sandi often hosts, but usually when I am away .
 
But after going to some of their towns (will be covering Pietermaritzburg, Joburg, and Cape Town in succeeding blogs) I developed a tremendous respect for their vision and ministry to families in their country. They hold regular days of encouragement for the home educating families in their areas. In addition to raising their own children they are on call to assist and bless many other moms and dads. On Sunday I spoke in the late morning and early afternoon. Then I headed for a nap while Ethan spoke for over an hour.
They even pursuaded me to learn Zulu dance and worship, alas.
 
Monday we said goodbye to the Pillar Moms and had the Woods Family all to ourselves. Besides leading the Pillar Moms, encouraging families across their vast and beautiful country, they also supply many wonderful educational resources to the HSing community. Their home, phone, and computer, are continually being employed in the service of the Kingdom. This in addition to incredible health issues in their own family. It was a privilege to get to know them, and their outreach, better. It was also relaxing and refreshing staying at their abode.
That evening Ethan and I hiked up a mountain across the lake. The views were breathtaking, as was the climb!!
 
 
Saw some of their neighbors enroute. They do run wild in their neighborhood, along with monkeys and other wildlife.
 
On Tuesday we travelled to the closest town, Howick, enroute to our meetings that evening in Pietermaritzburg which was one of the three meetings organized and hosted by Oikos ministries and their Pillar Moms. In Howick we viewed the 315 foot falls.
 
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| EACH stands for East Africa Chrisitan Homeschoolers. This was the second annual convention, the first being in 2005. Ethan and I were there from January 8 to the 14th. We were hosted by Walt and Monica Middleton. After we landed in Nairobi, we spent 2 nights at their home which is a part of the Africa Inland Mission Tech Center.
The Middleton's home. A haven in Nairobi.
This is their hallway. That giraffe surprised me last year!!
Eth and I stayed in this building with some single guys on the team.
On Tuesday we traveled to Brackenhurst Retreat Center where families in ministry from Uganda, Ethiopia, Tanzania, and Kenya were present. There were also several native Kenyan homeschoolers present.
This the building where we stayed. The rooms were VERY nice.
Here is a pict of some of the hard working conference coordinators who also wear hats as wives, moms, and teachers.
The audience and auditorium.
While the parents were attending workshops, there were activities for the children.
Ethan did one seminar for the adults and several for the teens.
Most of his free time was with the young folks. His seminar on worldviews bore unexpected fruit. Maggie went home and was sharing with a man who they had been praying for. Some info from Ethan's talk struck a chord and the man turned to Christ. PTL!
After the conference we drove through Nairobi, a city of contrasts. Some of the scenery around the outskirts is beautiful. Then there is the squalor of the city and the poverty seen in shacks and masses of people. But this day we were headed for the Rift Valley (which runs from Lebanon to Mozambique) to visit some friends of the Middletons. The valley is behind Ethan.
We drove over the rim of the valley which stretched out before us for miles, down a winding road overlooking the expanse, and turned off on a dirt road before we reached the flat valley. After a few minutes bumping along (I am not even going to try and describe the roads of Kenya) we emerged into what I can only describe as enchanting and edenic.
There is a fresh water spring that emerges at the base of the mountain and produces pure drinking water.
This is one of the only places in the area where you can swim without fear of a acquiring a deadly parasite.
The pond is surrounded by huge leafy fig trees.
However one doesn't get a chance to eat the fruit since the treats are feeding the monkeys which fill the trees.
I lounged along the shore and used my new binoculars to do some bird watching.
 
After a few hours in a piece of heaven on earth we left for the airport. On the way we visited one of the best homeschool resource rooms I have ever seen. Debbie S runs this room which is a huge boon to families in that region who don't have access to well stocked libraries. She does a tremendous job, and ... I even saw some MathUSee on the shelves. 
That afternoon we left from Nairobi, changed planes in Johannesburg (or Joburg) and barely made a connection to Durban. In the next day or two I hope to do another installment of our trip in South Africa. If you want to see more pictures of Kenya, in no particular order unfortunately, click on this link Kenya Picts
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