When the little things become big things.

Last week I wrote about “the little things” that I needed to stop and give thanks for. Today I am writing about when the little things become big things.

Today my husband is happier than I have ever seen him. Well, maybe not ever, but he is skipping with joy around the house.  Why? BECAUSE TODAY WE GOT HIGH SPEED INTERNET AT OUR HOUSE.  AND, it is wireless. And it is unlimited for $130/month. 

When we first came to Swaziland the internet was DIAL up and it groaned trying to connect.  When we moved here 5.5 years ago the internet was so slow that we couldn't have a video Skype call with Chloe and Spencer because our screens would just freeze.  We have spent 5.5 years trying to get a land phone line brought to Project Canaan, but that has not been successful. 

For 5.5 years we have had to buy very expensive data packages from the sole cellular mobile carrier in the country and there have been many months that we go over our data plan (sometimes up to $500 USD - yikes!!!).  We are on the internet a lot communicating around the world. 

But today is a new day.  There is a new cellular mobile carrier in the country and last week we went to town to sign up!  Alas, nothing is easy here.  When we arrived at the store we learned that they had run out of routers that are needed to put the SIM card in, and wouldn’t have any in-stock for a few more weeks.  We went to another store, and it was the same thing – the country was out of the required router.  But Ian was not going to be defeated. The longer we are in Africa, the more determined we become to not give up and think creatively for a solution.  (Interestingly, our marketing company’s motto was once “Creative Thinking”).

Ian got on line and found the distributor for the routers in Johannesburg, a mere 6-hour drive from us.  Off we went.  Yep, we drove 12 hours to buy a $120 router.  Then we got back and went directly to the mobile store.  And again, they couldn’t get us set up until Monday. I thought I saw a tear in Ian’s eye, but maybe I was wrong. 

It was really really hot in the store so I went and sat in the air-conditioned car and waited.  He finally came out (having spent a full hour in the store) and we headed home.  He plugged in the router, and guess what?  It worked!  We were live and online! 

Today he is skipping around the house.  He is setting up Spotify and Netflix – two online solutions that we could never even consider. We can now watch Youtube videos, which we never do here. We can download books to ALL our devices!  WHAT?  Yep, it’s true. I don’t have to read a book on my phone because it will cost too much to download it to my computer and iPad.   Sometimes we laugh at ourselves being the “country mice”, but today these country mice became like city mice (living in the country).  

AND one more perk - now we can set up security cameras around the property to help with our ongoing security problems and finally see and catch who is breaking in to our buildings!  WE WILL NOT BE DEFEATED!

Speaking of Youtube – you have to check out this really awesome video of our really awesome son Spencer. He was asked to do a “Student Talks”, which is like a “TED Talks” at Queen’s University where he is doing his Master degree in International Business. It’s titled “When to run off and join the circus – Spencer Maxwell”.   I hope you will enjoy it as much as we do (and now we can watch it over and over again with our unlimited internet access!!!) Here is the link:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hiIwC2_D7Ew&feature=share

Live from Swaziland … I love it when little things become big things.

Janine