The Ngwatle Pan is a natural depression in the land which fills with water in the rainy season to a level of a couple feet, but it's dry the rest of the year. It is one kilometer across and is so beautiful in its wild way. We wait in expectation every day as we see trees greening. Many different kinds of birds occupy the area. Everyone waits patiently each day for the possibility of rain. It has rained once or twice this season and sprinkled a couple of times. With each rain or sprinkle, new sprouts emerge hoping for more rain. The ostrich chicks have begun to hatch. But the weak and old are dying, unable to hold out until the rains bring water to the pan.

Amidst the extraordinary and unique beauty of the land of the San people lies the !Xòõ settlement of Ngwatle. Everyone is related somehow to each other. There is a general dissatisfaction with life among the people today. Their traditional lives are rapidly fading. They are no longer allowed to carry on their traditional hunting activities. Because their settlement sits astride the main animal migration route between the Central Kalahari Game Reserve and the Transfrontier National Park, they cannot have a borehole (well). A well would bring unwanted competition for limited grazing between cattle and wild animals.

This morning I sat under the shade cloth watching the people crowd around a dead hartebeest antelope. Perhaps he smelled water in our camp but died before he got there. He was old. Tonight the brown hyenas will come and finish the carcass.

The people asked us to explain the Bible to them, so Jim began the Firm Foundations course on Sundays, a chronological telling of the Bible message. Truly, the gospel is the only thing that will make a difference in their lives. Not everything is easy to explain. Caves, clay, and pottery are unfamiliar objects to these people. The future of the language is uncertain. We are planning a socio-linguistic survey as soon as we determine what is permitted under government guidelines.

Home-schooling our high schoolers subjects such as chemistry and advanced algebra has stretched me. We both study the manuals and try to make sense of it all. All of the kids are disciplined in their course work amidst lots of distractions.

Many days are filled with maintenance of the camp. Our solar system is up and running, fueling our solar fridge, lights, computers, and water pump. We have a very nice latrine, complete with a lighthouse picture on the wall. We have an outdoor shower as well. Jim and I share a tent, Joshua and Daniel share one, and we have a tent for the living area. William and Kristen share a small trailer (caravan), which is nestled close to our tent. A solar electric cattle fence keeps the hyenas, leopards, donkeys, and other animals attracted by the smell of water away from the tents at night. Fox, our 100 lb. ridgeback dog, does not like the fence, but I'm sure his tail wags every time a hyena hits the wire.

Travelers stop in at times needing assistance in repairs or directions. Local people visit to discuss their concerns. Every ten days or so, we drive the 100-mile round trip to Hukuntsi to haul back two tons of water. I (Jill) am finding the isolation quite hard. We go 350 miles once a month to the capital Gaborone for a couple of days for William's orthodontic appointment. While we are there, we buy groceries and wash our clothes for the month. Our friends have made room for us with them when we need it. We are grateful for their wonderful hospitality!

Please pray

• That the people will come each Sunday and understand God's message.
• That we may be a good testimony of God's love and grace living here in Ngwatle.
• That we make the right decisions concerning our children, taking into account each of their needs.
• For continued safety here in the desert with snakes, scorpions, and other dangerous creatures.