Visit to Truckee, CA

We visited Rob, Kerry, Jessie and Ryan Kautz in Truckee. Wow, what a beautiful place in the summer time!

First stop: Ryan's new MERC (Mobile Emergency Response Center) - a super cool container with everything that's needed to respond to an emergency (including office, equipment, beds, and the satellite you see on the front of the truck). Ryan has done an incredible job with his business and it was such a joy to spend time with him (especially for John who got to spend 2+ hours talking with him about the biz). We were so impressed with the work Ryan is doing - and his business acumen and hard work. We are so proud of you, Ryan!

Some of Ryan's equipment

We took a great hike up near Rob's ski area.

Miniature golf with Jessie!! This was a great course and naturally, the Kautz competetiveness was out in all its glory.

This was a hilarious position that Kerry got into - she had to hit the ball with a bear nuzzling her bosom!

Very fun, short hike down the street from Rob and Kerry's.

Rafting on the Truckee River - with about 75 other boats. We tried with all our might to get Rob pushed into the river...and only when ALL of us put our effort into it, did we finally get the old man out of the boat and into the river!

These very Harry Potter-ish clouds were so cool over Lake Tahoe.

Our last funny shot: the dandelions were HUGE...couldn't help but do something creative with them!

Back to Tacoma!!

It was wonderful to plop back down in the U.S. for almost 6 weeks after two years away. Our first stop: Tacoma. So great to be with family and friends!

Summer is the most beatiful time to be in the NW and we were blessed to enjoy the best the NW has to offer: long sunny days, fantastic fresh fruit - especially berries, melons and cherries and all kinds of great food!

Of course, what we've missed most are relationships -so it was fantastic to be with friends and family... Here's some photos from our first few weeks in Tacoma.

I spent most of the first two weeks working - but had a great time connecting with work friends, and the kids connected with their school buddies. I'm so sad that I didn't take more photos of our time with friends (like our time on Vashon!).

We stayed with Mimi - and bless her for letting us invade her world! It was great to be in the neighborhood and fun to look out her kitchen window at our house (which looks great!).

Best of buddies: Kent and Kelsey Silver with the kids

So fun to catch the weekly Seattle regatta.

Dinner on the Seattle waterfront with Auntie Mimi - it was a beautiful (albeit windy) evening.

Loved getting together with our Tacoma church buddies! Harlan, Lori Bekker, Teresa Enslin

Harlan, Max (the host together with Edwina), John and John Bekker


Our small group reunion - it was so great to hang with these guys again after two years. We miss the fellowship, laughter and meaningful conversation (what little there is of it!!).

We did a triathlon!!

We did another first: a (super) mini triathlon!! Miyon did an individual one and joined a team with John and Peter; and Sophie was also on a team with her friends.

When I say mini, I mean mini... 800meter swim, 6 km bike, 2km run.

On our team - the "Furious Three" (I was going for "Two Oldsters and Kid"...) finished in 35:40. Sophie's team (she was the biker with her friends Ava and Tino) called "The Macaroonies" finished in 36:32. And I finished my individual in 36:20 which put me in fourth place overall, and 2nd place women (the first place woman was a 14 year old!). We had so much fun and we're definitely in to better our times next year!

With our medals. I got a trophy for finishing first in the women's 40+ category!

After finishing the race - tired but really excited to know I finished - and kept ahead of the other ladies in my heat!! Ironically, we were on vacation at Lake Malawi the week prior to the race and I broke/strained my big toe and was afraid I wouldn't be able to do the race.

My friend, Jamo, who was the one who convinced me to do the race. This was also her first time to do the individual race.

Peter waiting for the hand off from John (who is riding up the driveway).

John running the last few feet with Peter.

You may be wondering where the photos are of Sophie...because the heats are leaving and returning at all different times, we weren't able to capture her, but next year she'll be featured!

Bathrooms - which one to choose?

For some reason this struck me as funny... I was at a government school and needed to use the pit latrine. I found there were three choices:

- Girls Lower

- Girls Upper

- Ladies

I chose "Ladies" because I figured it had the least use!

John's Workshop

John took the camera to his work one day so we can show you some of the guys he's working with - and what they're making.

Organizing a new shipment of rosewood.

Our most skilled worker Sylvester

Emanuel straightening a piece of teak on the jointer

Banda preparing a board for gluing.

Simon and Harrison assembling a kitchen cabinet.

John Dindy installing hardware for a set of kitchen drawwers.

Sylvester, Banda, and John.

Sylvester installing pullout shelves.

Sylvester and Emanuel cleaning up. They sell the wood shavings to horse owners who use it to put in the bottoms of their horse stalls - recyling at work.

At a recent show (the Diplomatic Spouses Luncheon), John gets surrounded by a group of chefs admirinig their rosewood butcher block table.

The First Lady of Zambia stopped by the booth to admire the handiwork. Scott, John's partner and Peter are in the front.

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Everyday life!

It's almost getting too cold to get into the pool - but Sophie is enjoying one of the last few warm days. Winter here generally starts in June-ish, but the mornings and evenings are getting chilly (which means we have to throw on a jacket or sweatshirt!).

Peter and the brothers find ways to entertain themselves on a regular basis. It's amazing what a little creativity - and plants - can make! Here Peter is with Billy (11) and Mutale (14).

It's getting cold enough that our mutantly large poinsettias are in full bloom - beautiful.

Peter's Class Project -

Every Grade 5 class at the school participates in an Exhibition - I think of it as a thesis before they graduate from primary school! This year's topic was: Find The Balance: together we can find the balance between earth and man and make the world a better place today, tomorrow and forever.

The purpose of the Exhibition is to gain skills, knowledge and attitudes to prepare for this transdicisiplinary unit. Kids invite guest speakers to talk about local issues that connect to world issues; write their central idea; choose topics based on personal interest; gather research; summarize the research, make conclusions and prepare for their presentations; share their learnings with others; reflect and take action!

Peter worked with two other classmates - Jurgen and Nick - on recycling and efforts that are being done in Lusaka to use recycled materials.

One day, as part of their research, they went to Mercy Ministries - the school and ministry of our friends the Phiris where they are making glass beads out of recycled glass bottles.

The bottles are collected, cleaned and sorted.

Widows from the community clean the bottles.

Bottles are sorted by color and broken into small pieces (to make it easier to melt).

People in the community were trained by a Ghanian glass maker.

He built this kiln for them to use.

The re-hot kiln baking the beads

The glass pieces are put into the molds.


After the beads are fired - they have to smooth out the rough spots - which they do by rubbing the beads with mud on a flat stone...the finished product is in front.

Jurgen, Nick and Peter made their own beads.


Finished beads.

DURING THE EXHIBITION

The evening of the exhibition display, the grade 5 kids had an amazing performance before people walked around to see the exhibits. There was singing and dancing and speeches. We all walked away amazed and impressed with what 10 and 11 year olds can do.

Peter (standing on the box) - had a dancing part! Imagine our surprise when we saw him dancing! He was great!

Peter showing his materials for some parents.

Some of the displays on the stage...most kids worked in groups of 2-3 and both the displays and their knowledge of their subject was impressive. Some of the other topics kids picked:

- Animal Conservation

- Deforestation

- Poaching and Illegal Fishing

- Water Shortage and Water Pollution

- Energy

- Import and Export vs. Local Business

- Illegal Charcoaling