A Much Needed Update

Oh Me Oh My....I don't even know where to start!! So much has happened in the past 2 weeks. I will backtrack to church...

The Luanda International Christian Church

We found an English-speaking service that is interdenominational so we decided to give it a go. It was very moving.....to say the least. The tile floor was dirty, the stained glass windows broken, but the echo of the people singing familiar songs was emotionally overwhelming. During the service the kids have "Sunday school" which is held on the top of the building. It is an open air space with concrete floors and it is divided into areas for different ages. The kids sing songs with a person playing guitar....and Sam loves it. She was so excited that people in Africa knew "Amazing Grace", her favorite song!

Chevron BBQ

We went to our first BBQ a few weeks back and had a blast. Especially the kids. It is a monthly event for all Chevron families. Food, dessert and drinks are provided and there are 2 pools for the children to swim in. You are able to bring your own beer or wine if you so choose. Anyhoo..the kids basically are free to run and play with all of the other kids. TONS of fun for them!! As a matter of fact, Miles had soooo much fun that he left with a tummy ache (we later calculated that he must have eaten 7 donuts and drank 2 cokes) and in the middle of the night he did come into our room and vomit!! FUN times for the kids...next time we will keep a closer watch on him and the dessert table.

Moving

We are settled in our new home....AMEN! Everything is unpacked and things are going smoothly. I love that it is so close to the school and all of the other families. I'm glad the Internet wasn't up and running the first week because it gave me time to get situated. The house is smaller than what we are use to, so I worry about where I'm going to put our 8,000 pounds of "stuff" when it arrives in a few months!

Busy

I am SO busy! I can't believe we've been here a month already. There really is so much going on all the time. Just in the past 2 weeks I've gone to a TICA meeting (The International Community of Angola), I've gone to "Spouse's coffee" which is a monthly get together for Chevron spouses, Sam started Tennis lessons, and today I joined AWAA which is the American Women of Angola Association. Whew!! And that's not to mention all of the little things going on....oh....and we had our first trip to the clinic! And NO, it wasn't for Carter! Sam came home one day with fever so I had to make the trip with her to the clinic one night. A Malaria blood test was administered and luckily that was not the problem but her blood count did show an infection so for like the first time in 7 years we actually left a clinic with a real diagnosis and a bag of medicines. For once I didn't hear those dreaded words, "Alternate Tylenol and Motrin every 4 hours". It was nice and mama was happy.

October R&R

We have booked our first trip! I can't believe it is a month away! We are going to spend October break in Cape Town, South Africa. I'm sooooo excited about this trip. Many other families are going at the same time so it will be great. I can SHOP and EAT and get my hair done!!!

Guards

We have, or at least I thought we had 3 guards on duty 24/7 but today I noticed a new one. This has taken some time getting used to. The guards come and go and are in and out of the backyard 24/7. They have 12 hour shifts and they guard us and the house. It really is quite nice because the kids can play out front and I don't have to be right there. They have a room and a restroom with shower in the back of the house so they are constantly around. They've become part of the family. I feed them and give them snacks and they help with other things like taking out the trash and washing down the patio. If someone comes into the house to install Internet for example, they come in and keep a close eye on things. It was weird at first but now it's great because I don't have to be here when things are being done to the house and I know they are protecting my things! Even when the gardeners are watering in the back or cutting the grass, they are watching! It's comforting! Not that we are in physical danger, but because theft is a high crime.

Best for Last: Empregada!!!!!!!!!!

I hired a maid! One of the many perks of being an expat in this country is hired help. Just about everyone has full time maids. Actually, the locals have them too. Every house I've seen is built with a room and bathroom for an Empredagada. She started on Saturday and my driver found her for me. I really trust my driver Silva. I think he is an honest and hard working man and I knew that the person he found for me would be good. He showed up with her on Saturday and I was totally not expecting that. I was in the kitchen making Cinnamon Rolls (from scratch) when he knocked on my backdoor. He had the biggest smile on his face and he translated our "interview" with her. She is older than I originally had hoped for but her children are close to my age and she has grandchildren so I think she will be great to have around. She even started that day! She speaks NO English but she works hard. Her hours are 8:30 to 4:30 but today she was here from 7 to 6. Saturday she only works half a day. I know that sounds crazy and mean...trust me I do....but that is just how it is here. I promise I am taking care of her! I provide lunch for her and uniforms and shoes and just about anything else I can. Her name is Beatrice but we call her Bea and the kids call her Abuella which is Portuguese (and Spanish) for grandma. I always wonder what she thinks of all that we have and how we live. When I was showing her the washing machine and how to use it, she showed me the scars on her wrists from years of washing by hand. We are so fortunate! Same with the dishwasher. She has no clue. She is still washing my dishes by hand. She is great and so happy to have this job. We are more than happy to have her......ESPECIALLY me!! This will be one of the things that may just keep me overseas longer than a few years ;-)

I promise to post pics tonight or tomorrow!! Craig is off tomorrow and the kids are out of school for a national holiday so that will give me plenty of time to get them downloaded!

Tchau!