From Maggie's Mom

I received an e-mail from Maggie - my first - so I know that today is going to be a great day!

I need to contact Minnehaha and set up a time for her to speak in chapel. It sounds like she wants to do this before Christmas break. I will contact them today and would like to know how long this presentation is. Five minutes? 10? Please advise. Am I correct in assuming that Maggie is implying that it needs to be done pretty quickly after she gets back?

I cut and pasted from Maggie's e-mail. In her defense she did tell me that she did not have time to edit. My daughter is enthralled in things that I never could have imagined. From the zillionth time - thanks for your vision and program. The Burgesons are ever thankful to TTS and all of you!

Take Care,
Marsha



FROM MAGGIE:I sleep outside every opportunity i get. The night sky is something that will forever hold my interest, i love it. If you go outside and look up it's fun to pretend all the stars are rain drops frozen in time .It's hard to do but it's fun if you can concentrate on it. I also love to think about how far away that all is.. We have star maps so I'm figuring out all the constellations. Also i have located some dust masses and galaxies and it's all very enthralling to me.

(talking about Namibia) Dawn is so cute, she loooves rocks so she was in heaven.

River Life

Dawn sends word from the Orange River on the border of South Africa and Namibia.  The kayaking trip was a complete success.  The timing of this four-day kayaking and camping trip was perfect.  Coming off of the group's first real separation during home-stays and then its frenzied reunion and activities in Cape Town, the river excursion gave the ladies an opportunity to reconnect, enjoy each other and relax a little.  

As some of you know, living the river life can't be beat.  There is something magical about floating along in your own craft, watching the birds and scenery pass and being a part of a team to set up camp, make dinner, fetch water, tell tales, and sleep and wake with the sun.  

The stretch was well suited to the group's skills, with a nice mix of lazy, flat stretches and more technical rapids.   This was an important bonding experience for the group and as Dawn put it yesterday, "The teachers are falling that much more in love with these girls -- learning about each other's lives, hopes and dreams for the future."  I know this group will only continue to grow as they experience more of southern Africa together and can't wait for new river stories and maybe even pictures.