Changes and challenges

Our new home

We are so excited to have moved into a house in Jeffreys Bay with a view to buying it from our American friend, Jan. We had dinner with her one evening, loved the house and had the idea to turn two of the four bedrooms into a flatlet for her to stay in. Ian worked his magic, and now we have a home with a spacious living area, a large kitchen, and a study in addition to the remaining two bedrooms. It is on the edge of the kloof (a valley with natural forest) and it also has a sea view. It is a sturdy house, with a peaceful and welcoming feel to it. 

 

Family news flash

David has accepted a job offer with EDF, a French owned renewable energy company based in ... Port Elizabeth!! So he and Robynne will be close by, which is lovely.

Heather and family are still doing well in Middelburg, and arrive in JBay for a 1-week visit on the 3rd of September.

Amy completed her Divemaster Scuba diving qualification. She and Will have just had a week in Madagaskar, and have kindly offered to host the whole gang in their home between Christmas and New Year. 

Tranbaviaans

Ian and three friends (all half his age) stepped up to the proverbial plate and completed the Transbaviaans, a cycling race from Willowmore, through the Baviaanskloof Reserve to Jeffrey's Bay. It is a gruelling 230 km, with a 24-hour cut-off time. They completed it in 16 hours 44 min. It was tough, but a thoroughly enjoyable challenge. 

Before

After

Amy had come down for a few days, and she, Judy and Christine, the girlfriend of one of the other members of the team, had their own adventure. First lunch and watching rugby in the Royal Hotel in the little town of Steytlerville, and then a 4 x 4 trip around the other side of the Baviaanskloof. Judy impressed the girls with her 4 x 4 skills. It was a blast!

Judy's health

We had been noticing through this year that my (Judy's) speech was becoming slower and slurred, and eventually I went to the doctor, and was referred to a neurologist. After several tests and scans, I was diagnosed on the 30th of July with early stages of motor neuron disease. This was completely unexpected, obviously, and since then we have been through a range of emotions and processing. It is bulbar onset, which means it started with the degeneration of the nerves connecting the brain stem to the tongue and throat muscles. Symptoms so far have been slower and slurred speech, more difficulty with eating,since my tongue muscle is partially atrophied, and slight difficulty swallowing. I am also getting a bit more tired than usual. 

MND exhibits a progressive degeneration of the nervous system. It is very different with different people, so we have no idea how fast it will progress, or to what extent through my body.  We fully trust in God's goodness and sovereignty and we know that He can heal me. Yet we cannot demand it. This life seems so real and permanent, but it is a shadow of the life to come. Just a week before, I had read 2 Corinthians 4; I had no idea how real those words were about to become. 

"16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."

We think through our lives with so much joy and gratitude, making sure to enjoy every moment, as if with heightened senses. We have a whole 'army' of long-standing friends behind us and two amazing extended families. We are also stunned at God's goodness in bringing us to Jeffrey's Bay. We came, sensing our calling was to be parents in the community, and it happened so deeply and so fast. Now we have a beautiful new family in a slow, small town in gorgeous surroundings, to go into the difficult time ahead. 

On leaving teaching

This was a really hard decision, followed by what can only be called a grieving process. The school has been compassionate and generous, giving me the choice to do only what I felt I could. I was finding teaching increasingly difficult, with my difficulty speaking, and also dealing with the deep emotions and thought processes I was going through. Without any hesitation, my teaching load was taken on by the deputy head, and I have had nothing but support and love from the staff. I will help mark my classes' exams at the end of term, and at the end of the year, and also give some one-on-one lessons. 

I still felt I had a lot of passion and energy for teaching Science, and felt I could go on for at least another five years. It was a shock to have to drop that within a few days. I am deeply grateful to have had a profession that I love, and that is so in demand. In recent years, to have been able to do it part time in quality institutions, has been a privilege. I feel I have left a legacy of loving firmness, creative fun, and detailed excellence. Perhaps I can still do editing and moderation, which don't require me to speak.