A mother's pride - 4 Aug 2009 (The mother)

Tinus and Charlie have completed their first ever half marathon! They did it in 1 hour 50 minutes and this mother (and father and younger brother) were and are extremely proud!!

They run regularly, but the farthest ever was 10 km. Then Tinus decided that they are ready for 21 km and there is no better place to do this breakthrough run than in Chicago, along Lake Michigan.

They entered in the "Fourie-Chicago half marathon", the only 2 entrants in the race, although they shared the road with hundreds of other runners, roller-bladers and cyclists.

Dawie J gave them both a number on the arm, and we went to the lake. They stretched and Dawie J was the one to say :"Ready, steady, go!" and they were off. That was 19h00.

They ran along the lake in a southern direction, with the lake on the left side and the Chicago skyline on their right. They went past Navy Pier and Millenium Park, through parks and past many beautiful places. When they turned at the halfway mark, the sun was setting behind the tall buildings of downtown Chicago. As they ran, the city lights started to go on building by building.

While they were busy, we were walking on the same route for 1 hour, then the 2 Dawies played ball on the beach, and then we waited.

They crossed the finish line at 20h50 while the crowd of 3 applauded and cheered!

They did it! They were not out of breath, but their legs were like jelly - the only one who was breathing fast, was me...

I was so proud! They are so special and focused and diciplined. And now they did their first half marathon! And each of them is running their race of life with excellence. I am so proud!

Or did I say it already?

Unplanned holiday - 3 Aug 2009 (Chrisna)

Lying with my family on the grass in Millenium Park, looking at the Chicago skyscrapers hugging us from above, listening to a symphony orchestra and mass choir (all free of charge), I had one thought the entire time: How blessed, lucky and fortunate we are! This is sooooooo special!

But before I go all watery eyes and hyperventilating about Chicago, let me take a few steps back to the week before Chicago...

Since our Chicago home exchange was canceled, we spent many many hours searching for other accommodation. We ended up staying in Atlanta for an extra week (which I say one last time was a real blessing). Then we managed to secure an apartment in Lincoln Park, Chicago for the period 26 July - 6 Aug, and a hotel near Willow Creek for the time of the Leadership Summit, 6-11 August. That left us without accommodation for the time between 21 and 26 July. So, we decided to go on a road trip!

Although we wanted to get a RV and tour and camp that way, it worked out way to expensive. We settled for a car and planned to do hotel hopping for the 5 nights. That sounded easy, exciting and like a good solution. That also meant that we would have to take a mid term brake at school, because traveling and working does not go together. None of the pupils or teachers argued on this point .

On 21 July we had our projector experience that Dawie wrote about, we greeted my mother at the security check point and flew from Atlanta to Chicago.

Avis upgraded our car rental and we drove south, away from Chicago in a Cadilac DTS. We crossed the Illinois/Indiana border and found a hotel as the sun went down. That evening we ate (for the first time that day since morning cereal) at a country style restaurant - with money that Ouma gave as a goodbye gift with instructions to use it for eating.

The morning of 22 July we went to a visitors center and then had to plan our trip. This was a first for us. Not once in the 7 months before, did we not have an address to go to. Not once in the previous 7 months was it necessary to decide where we will go and how far we will go. We always had a place to stay and if there was not a specific suggestion as to where to go or what to see, we would just stay home. Not this time. But, how hard could it be, right? - Wrong!

While sitting in the car, ready to go, we did not have any consensus on what to do at all! We knew that we had to sleep close to Willow Creek (north of Chicago) on the 25th of Aug as we wanted to go to church there on Sunday, but that was about it. Some wanted to drive for miles, others had only a few kilometers in mind. Some craved a lake experience, while others saught the less densely populated plains to the south. Every individual in our family had a different idea as to what to do with these 4 days.

We had a passionate (which is a holy word for almost ugly) discussion and did not win any ground. I then realized how important the whole and complete planning of the world tour prior to our departure has been and was thankful that God gave us the wisdom to go into it with so much structure . There is no way that a few months of traveling could go without planning (teamwork and planning are 2 essential ingredients for success in any situation). But I also realized how good these 4 days of unplanned holiday are for us as a family. It is an opportunity for teamwork and spontaneous planning together. I also realised that I was the biggest culprit in this passionate discussion - my suggestions sounded like commands. That was not the right way. I had to say I am sorry, and give a few steps back, giving everyone opportunity to share their needs and suggestions. That change in my approach created the atmosphere for the breakthroughs in our following discussions.

We finally decided on what to do that first day, and decided to plan as we go on.

We drove along Lake Michigan, through the Indiana dunes and spent our first night in Michigan City. There were so many things to do there and Dawie had some urgent e-mails and other work to do, that we ended up spening a 2nd night there. At this point everyone finally had peace as to what the rest of the trip should basically look like. The 3 boys and I went (for the first time since we've been in America) to a mall to give Dawie time to work. More presisely (hold on to your chairs), we went to a Premium Outlet to go shopping for clothes and we all enjoyed it!

We went to the beach later that afternoon, played cricket (which made the Americans stare) and swam in the lake.

We pointed our car in a northern direction the morning of the 24th, crossed the stateline between Indiana and Michigan and drove all the way up to St Joseph, stopping along the way for a swim in the lake. That was the turning point of our journey. We traveled south east, away from the lake and entered Amish Country, back in Indiana, where we called it a day.

The Amish people are exactly like you see on pictures. They look like they looked 300 years ago, with long dresses and lace bonnets. It's almost like stepping back in time in modern surroundings. They are the quilt people, farmers and put high value on families. They live good lives.

Our target for the 25th was St John's, via Elkhardt and Nappanee in Amish country. The brochures told us that St John's is home of a pathway portraying the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ, and we wanted to see it.

We reached The Shrine of Christ's Passion just before 17h00. There is a shop right next to the highway, from which you enter into the park. When we started to walk on the cemented path and went around the first corner, we completely forget about the highway, and did not even hear the cars anymore.

There, at a long table, with open chairs, Jesus is sitting with wine and bread in His Hands, inviting us to have communion with Him. We follow the pathway through Gethsemane, with the sleeping disciples and Jesus praying. Then we were at the palace of Pontius Pilate, Jesus standing there, not defending himself, not saying a word - all because of me. We follow the Via Dolorosa, we see Jesus struggling with the cross. We listen to the facts and the challenge or questions that is given over the speaker at every station. Still going higher up the mountain, seeing the hammer in the hands of the Roman soldier, slamming down on the nails through the Hands and Feet of our King. As you walk there, you hear and see and know: He did this for me...

And then, on the hilltop, the 3 crosses, with my Savior hanging there, paying for my sins.

All I could do and wanted to do, was to go on my knees and say: "Thank you Lord, Thank you for the price you've paid!"

Then, still deep under the impression about what you saw, the road starts to go downhill again. On the way seeing Mary with the dead body of her son on her lap - not knowing what I know as I walk past her. Around the next corner is the grave where he was buried. Then you enter the grave, and it is empty, except for a few linen cloths lying there. THE GRAVE IS EMPTY! He has risen, He has conquered death. The road does not end at the cross, but goes through the empty grave. Because of the cross and the empty grave, I am free, I can live victoriously! Can I get a "Halleluja!"

Still the road does not end there, it goes right to the place where Jesus is ascending into heaven, saying: "Go to the people of all nations and make them my disciples. Baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and teach them to do everything I have told you. I will be with you always, even until the end of the world. " Mat 28:19,20 The voice over the speaker challenges: "Go! and go make the difference that He is asking you to make. Go!"

And I say:"Yes Lord, here I am, use me"

We drove north towards Chicago, our home for the next 2,5 weeks, full of excitement and with thankful hearts. Not only did our unplanned holiday end on a high note, but it was a true success, an exciting spontaneous family midterm break. Charlie remarked that for a holiday that started with a small war, it ended as a victorious occasion, and all agreed.

And quietly I prayed and said thank you to God for showing me my mistakes and giving me the courage to say I am sorry and to get out of the way. Obedience and a soft heart God asked from me. Once we offer that to Him, miracles can happen.

The Moment (What the Tour has taught me: Switzerland) Tinus

Finally, the next post on what this tour has taught me. Now is the time for Switzerland:

Allow me to start this post, which was written in stages at various locations, over numerous gallons of coffee and at a host of separate times, by stating my dilemma: I am on a world tour and realize how special it is. Therefore, I want to make each and every moment count. Often though, I catch myself focusing so much on ensuring the moment carries value in the future that I forget to enjoy it in the present. Or, I feel bad about time that has past that seems to have been wasted and therefore spend a lot of time trying to attach worth to it: trying to prove to myself that it was not a waste. In the process, the current moment is wasted. Or, so desperately do I try to learn from the past and plan for the future…that I miss the now.

And, alas, this problem is not new to me. Long before the start of this tour I have been having trouble in making each moment count: both now and for eternity.

I know, this seems incredibly stupid and I might be the only person with this problem. But, allow me still to share what I have learned regarding this point, even if it is just for my own benefit…

In 1 Corinthians 15:52 Paul writes the word moment; or the Greek word atomos, to be more precise. Atomos literally means an indivisible slice of time…a moment! I quote Paul, starting midway verse 51 as he is referring to the day at the end of the ages when heaven comes in all its fullness and glory: "Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed— in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed."

Now, I do encourage all to go and read the entire 1 Corinthians 15. The chapter escalates in suspense (if suspense is the right word) from the beginning up to this point and with this verse just explodes. It's kind o' like a piece of classical music (and I must admit, if it hasn't been deduced already, that I am no authority on such music…I probably even muffed the name. But, stick with me.) You know, when the music start slow and gradually it increases in speed and impact and at some point you realize you are no longer just being soothed. Something is busy happening. And then suddenly, nearly every instrument in the orchestra breaks loose in a glorious anthem. I was told that a Russian composer (please forgive me for not being able to quote either the name of the composer or of his work…I would appreciate it if someone could tell me) once reached this stage in one of his works and no instrument could be found to accurately portray the height of joy, exuberance and total victory he wished convey. His final solution was to fire a multitude of military canons at this point!

Anyway, this is the idea I get when Paul speaks of the resurrection (and transformation into the incorruptible) at the end of the age, dealing with several misconceptions and false beliefs and then suddenly when he mentions the actual moment of it happening, he looses composure and burst forth in song! Oh, how wonderful will that resurrection and the eternity thereafter be!!!

Back to the moment Paul referred to. Here God, in a moment, transforms every human being, living and already dead that belongs to Him, into beings fit to enter eternity. If you ask me, that is a pretty mighty work to accomplish in but a single moment!

Five truths do I wish to highlight concerning the moment and eventually come to one simple, apply-able conclusion.

Firstly, it is of worth to note that this is the only place in Scripture where the word atomos is used. I believe this indicates that God and God alone is capable of fully utilizing every single moment. For me to ponder the correct usage of each and every moment for a human is thus utterly upsurd!

This realization, bears tremendous liberation. No longer do I have to strive to make each moment count. No longer have I to ensure I am enjoying each moment to the full (a concept which, in itself is dull, since in no way can the full measure of joy available to a mortal man be reached this side of The Moment, the one Paul referred to).

Can I therefore abandon all attempts to make my moments carry value, if any such attempt seems Biblically futile? By all means no!

I continue with truth number two: the fact that God does use moments. In fact, the entire fabric of time is woven with atomos. By raising up one person here or dropping a single truth there, He changes the entire course of History. You see, He simultaneously exists yesterday, today and forever. He knows exactly what was, is and will be. By introducing small, seemingly insignificant pebbles at the exact precise points, He can change the course of flow of the river of time. By drilling tiny holes at the correct places in a solid concrete wall, the wall can be brought down. (And yes, both these illustrations do come from television.) A wonderful example of His use of moments can be seen in a video created for Hillsong's Easter Film and Art festival (which we had the privilege of attending!!!) Check it out at http://vimeo.com/4353484. I'll get back to this point when I write on what I learned on the Alaskan Cruise.

Truth number three I already alluded to: all of History and all our lives are composed of moments. Our timeline is built with atomos. Now, some of these moments are better that others. Some you wish will never end and some just don't want to end. I know my life thus far has had high- and low-lights and everything in between. And, I know that is how it will be in the future.

Before I continue, a quick story: On Saturday the 11th of July my brothers and I undertook the pilgrimage to the AMC Imax a fair distance south of our home in Atlanta. The entire family (including our sponsor, my grandmother) squeezed into the car and we headed off. Our goal: Transformers...the Imax experience. The outcome: !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Words exist not to describe it!

It was that morning, before we hit the road, that I started working on this post. By then, I must admit, I had little to write. After the movie (which, have I mentioned, was absolutely awesome!?) we cooled down in the Barnes and Noble Bookstore closeby. Walking through the millions of books, I was just struck by the immensity of human knowledge and history. I wanted to matter in the greater scheme of it all and realised there was only one way to be sure of that. I simply needed to be obedient to the One that knows every single story of every single human being and every single other creature that roamed this planet in every single moment of its existence! The Lord really blessed me in that bookstore and spoke to me in clarity unmatched for a long time in my life. That was a highlight in my life.

In the store's Starbucks coffee shop, a number of coffee mugs were for sale. Being a fan of coffee (I don't know if you have noticed) I went to check it out. One series of mugs each was adorned with some welknown quotes. One of them struck me: "A life is not measured by the number of breaths it contains, but by the number of moments that take your breath away!"

Right then and there my perspective on the whole concept of the moment changed.

Which brings me to truth number three. The value of my life –both the degree to which I enjoy it and the eternal value it carries- is determined by the sum of the moments it contains. A greater amount of Great moments, or moments that take your breath away, will elevate the overall value of my life.

Truth number four expands on this idea. Not only does a Great Moment increase the overall value of a life, but also the value of the lesser moments around it. The opposite is also true: the lesser moments affect the magnitude of the Great Moments.

Thinking about life in this way has helped me. For now, increasing the value of my life is simplified. I can either increase the average value of the sea of lesser moments, or increase the frequency of the Great moments. According to truth number one (and the personal experience from which it was partially derived) I cannot ensure that every single moment is of Great value, but I can to some degree increase the number of Great Moments. I know, for example that sitting on the lakeshore gazing at the Chicago skyline with a bible in my hand and the Lord by my side is more likely to be a Great moment than watching television. But, even this I cannot really control. In my life, a large number of moments in front of movies that ripped my heart have been far Greater than many other moment with Bible in hand and the best scenery imaginable abounding. And besides, by merely trying to increase the frequency of Great Moments, I'm doing nothing to increase the average value of lesser moments.

Truth number five and my conclusion: Though I can to some degree control the occurrence of Great moments, they very often happen at times when I did not expect. There are, however, certain paths of life that hold a greater number of Great moments. The path on which I find myself, will also affect the average magnitude of all my lesser moments. Bottom line: Instead of concentrating on the current moment and making it count, make sure that you are on the right path and the moment will take care of itself!

Since this realisation hit me, I have applied this concept and have enjoyed the fruit. To me this has been liberating. Thank you Jesus!

Now, concerning the correct path to take several things can be said, but say it now I shan't.The topic of another post it might be.

This then...to make the moment count by ensuring you are on the right path is what this tour had begun teaching me in Switzerland.

Living on the Atlanta side of life! (28 June – 12 July 2009) Charlie

I think I am finally getting the hang of blogging. Currently I have the least amount of blogs in the family, but I have a two month handicap. Hopefully I will be able to work my self up in the rankings. So, here goes Charlie's Atlanta version. It is easy to write about a place that was great , but then again at the same time very difficult because there was so much that was enjoyable. For the first time in a long while I actually have the time to write a few blogs. The Mountain cabin is great by the way, but I'll try to write a blog on it too. I'm on a roll here!

The first thing you realize when you land in Atlanta is not the heat(Only because you haven't been outside yet!) but the large, I mean huge amount of Delta planes! I nearly got scared to death. Left, right, all around there is one Delta plane right behind another. Small planes, large planes and weird planes, but they all have something in common... Delta. That made me a little bit nervous, being in an American Airlines plane!

We docked at a gate on the far end of the airport, after going by hundreds of Delta gates. Okay, that's enough about Delta. We got off the plane and found a taxi. It cost us just shy of 50 dollars to get from the airport to our lovely home away from home. Our home in Atlanta is situated near down town in a very nice neighborhood. We fell in love with the pretty houses the first time we saw them. Come to think of it. The houses in that neighborhood looks just like the houses in the American Christmas movies. Now I know why Santa chooses the lovely brick chimney. Its like a front door, everyone has one.

When we arrived, our host gave us a royal Georgian welcome! He showed us all the ropes and made me love Atlanta before an hour had past since we landed. It's always the friendly people that make me love a place. The other stuff are nice, but good people reflect God's character and make you feel loved by Him! As soon as the completed tour of the house ended, we just loved it. Tinus had his own private suite on the upper story with a bathroom the TV and everything! We were amazed at the amount of books, CD's and DVD's they have. He has the whole Lord of the rings and Narnia series and I think he has all books by Clive Cussler and Robert Ludlum.

Ultimately it is a great house and we knew from the moment we walked in that we would enjoy it.

On the 30^th of June, as you all ready know, I got baptized and we had a wonderful day with Dr. Bruce.

After that memorable day we were working full steam again. The great thing was that this time we did not need to work on the dinning table. All of us had our own desk and own personal space. The time in Atlanta was very fruitful, everyone of us learned a lot from alot of different things. Although we all had our own desk, we didn't nearly finish all our working goals in Atlanta because of all the interesting things to see. Luckily the mountain cabin proved to have more solitude, thus we finished up everything there.

The first week and a half were still the normal five, waiting for my granny to arrive. We decided to do the Coke museum and Martin Luther King Jr exhibit during that time.

The next thing to write about is obviously the World of Coke and the wonders it had in store for us. My mother and father decide to bail beforehand because it cost a lot of money. Personnally I don't think that was the reason, I think they planned a little alone time... ; )

Forgetting about those that stayed behind, we went straight in and immediately looked up with mouths wide open looking at all Coke had to offer, or so we thought. You see we were waiting in the welcome hall and haven't even gone in ! When we were finally taken in we were first greeted by a wonderful 5 minute cokelicious movie and then we got to go explore the World of Coke!

We were again amazed by all the different manufacturing history and interesting facts. Did you know that 6 billion Cokes are consumed every day?! My eyes were wide open everytime I saw something new, and that was the whole time! I felt like such a tourist but I didn't care. We got grave respect for the businessman who bought Coke at a very early stage. He wasn't the man who invented Coke, but saw potential in the product and took it global. Needless to say, he is a millionaire. It taught me that we should be able to spot potential even though the surface or cover has no indication.

Next in line we saw Coke advertisments from all around the globe! They were all very funny and entertainning. We came to the conclusion that the South African Brrrrrrr advertisment still holds the funny crown. Another success factor of Coke is that they apeal to the common man across any boundries set by civilisation and thus reap the reward.

After that, our time was drawing to a close. We then headed to my favourite part of the world of Coke, the free tasting room. Think about it, if you go to a Coke museum, it's not about what you see but what you have tasted. The tasting room had 60 different Coke products from all around the World! Needless to say we tasted all of them and felt pretty sick afterwards.

After the Coke museum, we still visited some amazing things. We went to the CNN building(world headquarters) and got new respect for news braodcasting. On the way there we walked throught the centenial Olympic park which was also very beautiful. When we went home I felt full with excitement and amazement. During the next few days we went to several Best Buys (Electronic shop) in order to fill Tinus' tech budget. When he was busy looking at merchandise, I played the trial video games. From Playstation 3 right through to Wii. I didn't even feel threatened of being kicked out, because we visited a different Best Buy every day. I saw myself as a professional Best Buy hopper! Enjoying all the free perks without buying anything!

During the week before my Granny came we also visited the Martin Luther King Jr exhibit. This was not only amazing and awesome, but it was inspiring and challenging as well. Walking through the exhibit and reading all the famous quotes, I realised a few important things. We can accomplish any thing through God who gives us strength. Violence can never solve anything and leads to pain and suffering. Segregation takes away our ability to work together which is our most valuable strength. When I saw that the children were secretly crossing segregation boundaries, I understood once more what it is to believe as a child. I could also relate this to my own life. I live, laugh and interact with many friends that are from other cultures and races and we never let that come between us. Take my Rugby team for example. We are a perfect mix, but we are successful because we are able to work together and respect each other even though we have differences. We even joke about our differences and hold nothing against each other based on Skin colour.

Believe me segregation is still a problem all over the world, not only in Namibia. I dare all the adults, with respect, to believe once more like children and look past all these boundaries that set us apart, because we are all God's beloved children. I pray that there would be unity among all people because out of unity there is strength.

After the day at the King Jr exhibit the days to our Granny's arival were few. We were growing more anxious with every day that goes by. Finally we went to the airport to greet our Grandmother whom we love so much. We waited, and waited, and waited. After an hour we sent my dad to the Delta office to report a missing person. They said that they begin searches only after three hours. So we waited and after 30 more minutes she walked through the door. We were so happy to see her and asked her what took her so long. She then told us that she was the first one to go through customs from her flight. US customs - a nightmare for tourists.

We then took her home and started an exciting second week in Atlanta. During this week my Granny treated us to a lot of things. First in line was the Georgia Aquarium, the biggest in the world. Only me and Dawie went and we had the priviledge to explore a whole new world!

I don't remember all the stats, but this Aquarium certainly fits the bill of biggest and most amazing. We could see everything from huge Whale sharks, Manta Ray, Beluga whale to the smallest reef fish and dragon fish(looks like a plant that wanted to be an animal). Out of everything in this huge place we loved the Manta ray the most. Her name is Nandi and she is beautiful. This wasn't our favourite because of it's size, but because of it's personality. It was a free spirit even though held in a tank. It did barrel rolls every two minutes and looked like it didn't have any worries. I think we all strive to that sence of peace. I know, this can only be aquired if we live inside God's will.

Every day in Atlanta we could expereince something totally new and beautiful! Next in line, the day before we went to the mountain cabin we got to see something we were looking forward to for six and a half months. The New Transformers movie! The best thing was that we went to see it on IMAX and my Granny paid for us. I didnt think it would be possible to improve on the first Transformers, but it was even better! All that action, suspense and heroism and Huge High Definition and ULTRA surround sound. We were literally blown away.

Atlanta was closed off with the best possible way. A buffet dinner just before leaving. Definitely one of my highlights!!

So, was it possible to write this blog without the words amazing, awesome, wonderful, inspiring, great, Coke, Manta ray, Delta, Transformers and buffet? No, no it wasn't!

Revealing some unknown facts - 2 Aug 2009 (Chrisna)

It is possible to love a person at a 100% level.

It is possible to love 3 people at a 100% level each - no one is loved less or more than the others.
It is the miracle of love.

It is possible that 1 mother and 1 father can have 3 sons and they are all different.
It is possible that 3 boys can grow up under the same circumstances and are all different.
It is the miracle of diversity and uniqueness.

Over the past 7 months, sharing each day's 24 hours with all my men, I just love them more, appreciate them more and value them more. It is possible that love that is on 100%, can grow more.
It happened to me. What is even more amazing to me, is that they still love me, although I make so many mistakes during every 24 hrs of every day. That is true forgiveness and true love...

Here is 3 pictures demonstrating their uniqueness and diversity and a reason why I love them so much. These are inside info, info that is not well known, info that is part of the being of our family, part of our story and part of our fun.

Dawie J has an ever increasing collection of soft friends (almost 1 for every place we visited). He named them, plays with them, sleeps with them (sometimes we each get 1 to sleep with for 1 night), and carries them around the world. This picture he took all by himself during 1 of their play sessions. This is my Dawie child, the small boy touring the world with 4 adults and making a big succes of it.

Charlie has developed into quite a cook during this trip. He has taken the BBQ responsibility over from his dad and is doing a great job (he was taught by an expert). We have decided that the men is responsible for the evening meals and most of the time, Charlie is in charge of what we eat for supper. This is my Charlie child, who is not just a boy anymore, who is fun to be around and also acts seriously responsible.

Tinus has so many responsibilities, so many things on his "to do" list, that I almost feel guilty. The thing is just that he, and he alone, can do so many things, that I put the guilt aside and pile up on his "to-do" list. The wonderful thing is that he does what is asked for and even more than what we ask for without moaning. He continues to serve us in a way that I do not think many 18yr olds serve their families. I appreciate him so much. But do not worry or feel we overload him. He, being very clever and creative, has developed a self protective device. This T-shirt explains it all:

So I want to inform you: Tinus is off-line for a while...

I am not writing about "the big man" now - this must be a short blog!