Swiss Alps , 20 January 2009 (Chrisna)

After days of sunshine, it snowed for 2 days. It is still an absolute blessing here in Switzerland, here in this wonderful chalet. It’s not only well equipped, well situated with the view(if it’s not snowing) but also cosy and warm and nice.(that’s a good Namibian word for just right, lekker) We really appreciate all that our host family provided for us and we look forward to bless them as well when they visit Namibia in 2010.

Another work week started yesterday, this time a 5 day week!! Dawie J and Charlie is working hard and disciplined. I’m proud of them. I still make food, trying a different menu each time. I know of many ways already to make potatoes and carrots.(that’s our main ingredients) Any recipes are welcome.(please remember my abilities and keep it simple?)

We had a wonderful weekend. Went to explore a bit on Saturday and bought enough food to last us more than a week, in case the weather stays bad.( God is faithfull to have warned us, now we are all fixed and prepared.) We also went for a walk to a mountain peak. What we did most , was to idle around the house, read, play Siedler von Catan and: Build a Puzzle.

The puzzle building was more than doing something together which we NEVER get time for back home, it was also a life lesson. We’ve built a 1000 piece puzzle and found that the only way to build and complete this puzzle, was to refer to the picture on the puzzle- box often. To know what piece you are looking for next and to know where a certain piece will fit, you have to look at the picture. We realized that a 30 piece puzzle can still be built without a picture, but a 1000 pieces not. If we did not have the picture, we would still be struggling, or more likely, have given up. With the picture at hand, it took us 1,5 days to finish the puzzle. The LESSON?: Life is a lot like building a puzzle. We seldom see the big picture, only a “piece of the puzzle” at a time. The most effective way to know what to do next, what is the right thing to do or what to do under certain circumstances( what to do with the puzzle piece) is to look at the picture on the box. In life ,that picture is the Bible. We have to look there often to know what to do, where to go and keep the big picture in mind. Building the puzzle of life without the picture to refer to, will be hard, frustrating and perhaps cause you to give up, or look at other pictures to try to figure out what to do!! Looking at a wrong picture, will not help you finish the puzzle victoriously.

So after our exercise, we have decided and recommitted and agreed: the BEST way to build the “life puzzle” is to look at the picture of “life” , the picture we find in the Bible. We must do that often, as individuals, also as a family and we will get the guidelines. God will continue to show the way. (Is 30:21 confirms that)

When you have time again, go build a 1000 piece or bigger puzzle as a family, and see if you can do it with out the picture. We sure couldn’t and wouldn’t.

That’s enough from me, Perhaps if I leave the computer open, Tinus just might put his fingers to the keyboard. Perhaps…