Moving to New Blog...

for further updates, please go to my new blog site http://jennaindia.blogspot.com

Heidi's New Baby Girl!!!

My dear friend Heidi with her new baby:


Sadie Susan Cinader


Born May 26, 2007

Happy Birthday Jon!

Happy Birthday to my wonderful, older brother, Jon. Yesterday, May 7, was his 34th birthday and I meant to post this then, but ah, well. I wish I could have spent it with him. I am so blessed to have had this man in my life for 28 years. He has formed part of my strength and my character in his childhood and been a tremendously loving friend to me in his adulthood. I still believe, and I am pretty sure I am right in this, that I grew up with the coolest older brother on earth. Experts say that the oldest sibling takes on the responsibility of forging a path for his younger siblings. If you asked Jon about this, he would say he forged quite a dissolute one. I could agree with this. I would also add that he showed me how to be bad, how to be good, how to create a war with only toilet paper and water, how to pull off a mohawk in the sixth grade, how to express, style, courage, adventure, imagination, how get things done, how to get things done in the last hour, how to love and be firm with an annoying, nagging younger sister, how to be a great friend, how to be the coolest guy in school and still not have any enemies, EVERYTHING I know about humor, and of more recent, how to always give grace to one’s sibling.
The list goes on but I don't want to go on in writing about how great he is or how much I love him. I want to show him myself. I want to spend time with him, time showing him my love. But I can't. I am halfway across the world, a balmy, third-world. Jon may feel amiss. This place feels like a mess. I should be here for now, ah, but Jon and I know to never ‘should’ on ourselves. Ok, I need to be here for now. I want to be here for now. I still miss Jon.
Next year I turn 30 and Jon and my parents and I will be in the Tuscan countryside celebrating our parents’ 40th wedding anniversary (eh Dad?). Jon and I can sit under an olive tree, or something Italian, and reminisce about the good ole’ times, the times of Scrumptious and trips to Jackson Hole. That would be a nice way to celebrate a birthday, eh?

Lions and tigers and cheetahs, oh my!

4/28/07 - Gauteng, ZA

What a day. The drive through the Rhino and Lion Park proved to give us Americans that special thrill of seeing wild African animals up close and from inside the fence. We even got to drive right up next to a male lion, about two feet from our vehicle.

"Lions and tigers and cheetahs, oh my!" That's all that ran through my head as we entered the the cat creche. I couldn't wait to snuggle with those snuggly wugglies!! Yummy! They love to snuggle back, and bite - a lot. But no one got hurt, thankfully, even when a cheetah paw came across the side of my face hard enough to knock my sunglasses of my head.

At night we went to Carnivore's Restaraunt where I felt like a big cat, eating ELEVEN different land animals! Let me name them: Chicken, beef, lamb and pork, of course; venison, wildebeast, blessbock, kudu, impala, ostrich and crocodile! I kinda scared myself, actually, thinking all these different types of meat might form some mutant mix of dna in my stomach and become Mad Game Disease. Anyway, I'm still alive, and now I feel pretty powerful next to those cats.

South Africa

Oh fabulous venture! I finally get to listen to the “Graceland” album while walking the streets of South Africa. I have secretly wanted to do this since I was nine. I have since discovered that a childhood dream fulfilled doesn't compare to experiencing the people of an unfamiliar country. And how truly touched I am by the openness of the people of Johannesburg. It has been such a delight to be in this country once I got past the constant need for high security (the crime rate is extremely high). This is my third venture as a consultant for equip and I think I may be finally getting it right. It is my first time working with women, both as consultant and client. My client is absolutely delightful to work with - such honesty, such vulnerability and humility. I am excited to see how God transforms her life and uses her company.
On Sunday I had the privilege of visiting a prominent black community called Soweto, the launching place of Nelson Mandela and black empowerment in South Africa. In one of the poorer neighborhoods, we visited the home of Gogo, or Grandma, as many affectionately call her. A local ministry works closely with Gogo and her neighborhood's many impoverished children to provide food, education and basic sanitary needs such as outhouses. Her front yard has a large trampoline upon which several of the neighborhood children were jumping when we arrived. And what beautiful children! One girl, Wendy, befriended me and practiced her English. I placed a decorative comb in her hair to remind her of how beautiful she is.
It was such a blessing to see God’s heart for the people of Soweto through servants like Gogo. It was a heartbreaking yet hope-filled experience for all the consultants.

Below: Teju, Gogo and me in the "ugly shirt"; David, out of control!; Lina (my roommate), me and Teju; Me, my co-consultant, client and friend of client; smorgasbord of meat at Soweto restaurant; trampoline!; Wendy and me; view of shantytown in Soweto.

Holland

What a wonderful country! What it lacks in altitude, the people make up in height. Lots of water, lots of boats and tons of bikes. The people are so friendly, one can't help but love the "help yourself" culture. And the cheese... is so gouda. Hehehe.

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Below: Me driving the Dutch version of the soccer mom van; Pelle and me at the beach; Tower O' Smart Cars; Tulip field; Canal in Amsterdam; Windmill; Shutters; Wall decoration at Cafe 11; Sunset at beach

HEY FOLKS...

Thank you for your patience while I rebuild my Chennai blog. In the meantime, I am going to start a new blog for round 2 in India. That's right, I'm going back - via a few nights in Amsterdam, a few weeks in Johannesburg to consult on another equip venture and then off to Bombay in May to start work at a production company! Can't wait to start blogging again...

http://jennaindia.blogspot.com