Retreat

So, we drove to Shakawe (via Ghanzi) at the end of August. The trip was a little crazier than usual; we drove through a bush fire (which I got video footage of) and Rob saw someone get knocked out (by a girl!) in a bar fight outside our hotel in Ghanzi. The trip was worth the risk just to leave Gaborone's air quality just then, though. It's fire season and the air above Gaborone was so polluted that the sun cast an orange glow on everything (a la sunset) all day long. Not healthy. We arrived in Shakawe already rundown from the bad air. No surprise then when I came down with a fever Monday night (102.7) and Rob soon followed on Wednesday night (104.1). Rob went to a local clinic for his fever. Mine broke; his kept coming back.

Even with the weird illnesses (18 of the 20 attendees at the LBT retreat became ill during or shortly thereafter), it was a success. Plans were made, issues discussed and there was even time for fun stuff. Rob went with a bunch of folks to Tsodilo Hills (rock paintings) and we both joined a 2 hour boat tour on the Delta. Pictures will come - I haven't even seen Rob's Tsodilo Hills pictures yet. Too crazy, the last couple of weeks. I can't wait to relax on Thursday, when all our meetings are done.

After the retreat, a bunch of us went to Rundu, Namibia to meet with a group who had expressed interest in having Scripture in their language. Right before the first meeting, I promptly lost my voice. It remained gone through the meetings of the next day and only came back (in spurts) when there was no one important left to meet. Murphy's Law of important meetings, anyone? Still, I got to be there and listen. Maybe this was God's way of getting me to shut up and listen...

Returned to Shakawe after that (September 8) and then went on to Francistown (September 9). Stopped at Planet Baobob on the way to meet with Jim about future plans. Had more meetings with him and others the next day. Drove back to Gabane on September 11 - marking one full year for Rob and I in Botswana. Wow. Has it been that long?

Rested Saturday as we were both still feeling sick from our sicknesses. Sunday, drove to Pretoria, South Africa to pick up Rob's fixed computer. Today, we drove back. We're pretty wiped. Looking forward to crashing when we finally get home, which is a few hours away yet. We have choir practice tonight.

Tomorrow, we have meetings with local partner organizations and Jim (our LBT boss). Wednesday, we finalize our career trajectory (a.k.a. plan, assignment) for the next bunch of years. More news to come...