It’s been too long since I last posted an entry on our blog but I did not expect the difficulty we have been experiencing in getting reliable internet. My apologies to all of you that have been faithfully checking for updates and finding the same old post from weeks ago.  A special thank you, though to my son Lee for filling in for me on at least one occasion to update all of you. Enough now with my excuses…… Let’s get on to the latest news with the Shaver’s in Botswana!
I hope you all have been checking out our picture blog. You can find it at http://www.Flickr.com/photos/jeffandelsa
Well we are just over halfway done with training. In just a few weeks on June 12th, Elsa and I will be sworn in as official Peace Corps Volunteers. On the 13th we take off for Mahalapye to begin our 2 years of service. While we have not seen the place we will be living, we have heard about it. It does have indoor plumbing and electricity – both of which are greater than the Peace Corps minimum requirements – in that respect we are blessed. Mahalapye has a population of around 45,000 and with that number it is considered a large town. It is located halfway between Gaborone the capital and Francistown in the Northeast. In Mahalapye, Elsa will be working in a local clinic called “Xhosa 1 Clinic” and I will be working in the local government office and with an NGO (Non-Government Organization) called “Vision Support Group”.  All of our work is involved with HIV/AIDS which is a huge issue in Southern Africa. After we settle in and develop a routine, we will spend some time acquainting you with the details of our work. Actually we have no idea yet what we will be facing when we arrive – God does and we look for His help as we serve the people of Botswana.
Pray for us as we complete of final 3 weeks of training. Both Elsa and I are struggling with the language. We really want to be more proficient in speaking and understanding Setswana – the language of Botswana. Knowing or at least attempting to communicate in the local language really helps in developing relationships with the people – something Elsa and I really want to do!