Mrs. Liz and a Band of Four Year Old Robbers!

I am sorry to report that we have been robbed! We returned home on Saturday afternoon to discover that our door was unlocked and our living room light was on. We had turned this light off before we left that morning. Something was wrong. Someone had been in our house! As we were trying to decide if we should go in or not, a few of the young girls met us at our door to tell of the crime that had been committed in our absence. A few of the four year old boys in our complex had managed to squeeze in through our window. Once they had decided we were not home, they made it into our fridge and ate our grapes and taste tested a few other items including my cheese which they left half eaten after deciding they were apparently not up to par for their likes. On their way out, they left a trail of grapes and a small crowd of witnesses to tell of their deed! They are currently serving probation of indefinite length which bans them from entering our home at any point in time even if we are here. They are, however, welcome on our steps anytime they like.

“So where we were on Saturday?” you ask. Well, we were at another braai! Mrs. Liz and Mr. Kenny are a couple who live in our complex along with their son Gary. We have invited people over two weeks in a row now for prayer and Bible study, and Mrs. Liz is the only who has shown up both times. She and her husband love to cook and used to cater for a large company, but now they just cook for people who order individual meals. Our first meal, however, was free, and for those of you who know that I do not really care for Chinese food will be surprised to know that I had the most amazing chicken chow mien a few weeks ago. They are supposed to teach us how to cook like they do before we leave. Mrs. Liz is Coloured, and Mr. Kenny is Chinese. They had a very difficult time during Apartheid because they were not allowed to live in the same areas, but they persevered. Mr. Kenny and Gary care nothing for God, but Mrs. Liz professes to be a believer in Christ; however, she is not currently attending church anywhere and cooks for a woman on Sunday mornings. She has been worried lately about money since the large company they worked for had to down size, but she told us after the braai on Saturday that she was thankful she no longer had a job because if she was still working, she would not be able to spend time with us. It was a very humbling experience. It is difficult to imagine someone being happy about being unemployed because it means that they can spend time with you.

Prayer requests:
Mrs. Liz: that we will be able to encourage her in her faith.
Mr. Kenny and Gary: that they will desire to know Christ.
My roommates and me: that we will have patience and love for the children.
Our Thursday night Bible study: that God will use it as a time of encouragement and teaching for those who do come, and that He will bring people to it.

Side notes:
We have an old geezer living in our attic, but he is very quiet and well behaved. I like him a lot. He makes life very pleasant and cannot be found in Tanzania.
A geyser (pronounced “geezer”) is a hot water heater. Our geyser produces water hot enough to cook chicken straight out of the faucet, and I don’t have to heat water for my tea.
If someone asks you if you have anything in the boot, they want to know if you have anything in the trunk of the car.
If someone is talking about a bonnet, they are talking about the hood of the car. The hood is that part of the convertible cars that folds back.
Tad was taking us home one night and Teddy (the Tadlock’s teacup poodle) was riding in his lap. Teddy accidentally honked the horn. Tad exclaimed, “Teddy! Keep your feet off the hooter!”
To hoot means to honk the horn.