Great day!

From Katherine

Today I was invited to speak at Mdatya Primary School’s prize giving (end of the year awards day). Mdatya is the school where I assist the Grade 3’s with literacy by reading in English each week.It is a very exciting time with lots of important people making long speeches. Lots of grade R (kindergarten) learners were asleep in their chairs. 

When it was time for prize giving the assistant principle started with academic excellence for grade R. a name was called and a little boy came forward followed by his great grandmother and grandmother. Greatgran walked almost completely bent over and using a walking stick (literally a stick). When the threesome made it to the front the child received his framed certificate and posed for a family photo. As soon as the picture was taken Greatgran stood perfectly erect and began to sing and dance. This went on for several minutes with the whole crowd singing and swaying, then Greatgran dances back to her seat standing tall.

The next prize for academic excellence was for a tiny girl in grade 1. Her grandfather walked with her to the front and after their photo was taken granddad smiling from ear to ear planted a big kiss on her cheek. So sweet!

The reason for the story… I rarely see African men show affection to their children or grans. It was a real treat for me to see this elder in the community forget about who was watching and let his girl know how proud he is of her.

Many of the older adults in the Mzamba community (and throughout Africa) were either unable to attend formal schooling or had a leave school at an early age. They are incredibly proud of their children and grandchildren for working hard at school. I am proud of them too. They learn in crowded classrooms with no electricity and very few supplies, and many of them speak 2 languages. Something I am still working on!   

An Uninvited Guest

from Katherine
Elliott and I were at home having lunch when an adult vervit monkey jumped on top of the lower section of our dutch door and ‘invited himself to lunch.’

Our neighbor Phil had brought a bunch of bananas to us just the other day. I was saving some to make banana bread so they were sitting on the counter about 3 meters from the door and out of sight. We have had lots of people tell us about their monkey encounters. Even though I think they are adorable, I don’t want them in my kitchen. Having been warned we were being careful, or so I thought. He leapt from the door to the sink then to the counter where he grabbed the bunch of bananas anf then made a run for it!

Cason and I have seen monkeys in the yard, but just passing through. Not this fellow, I guess he could smell the bananas and wanted them ALL! So glad he did not come after the bread was made then I would have been upset. Now I am just amused.

Walky Talky

from Elliott
I guess I have been somewhat of a 'chicken snob.' I think I found where all those chicken parts that Chik-fil-a doesn't use - my market in South Africa! It has been quite an education...

Most people buy their chicken either live (they actually fit nicely in a shoulder bag for the walk home) and whole or frozen in bulk.with a variety of parts included. I was looking at a 5kg bag today trying to determine what the parts were and the only thing that looked familiar was the drumsticks.

Then there was a different bag that upon close inspection was something that I recognized. The bag had the name of the farm and then in big letters - 'WALKY TALKY."  No it was not referring to the radios we used as children to mimic soldiers or police. It was a bag of chicken feet and heads. Just in case you are not following, the WALKY refers to chicken feet and the TALKY refers to the head. YUMMM!!!! Unfortunately, the bag did not offer any handy serving suggestions!

How did lunch measure up?

from Katherine
I arrived a little early to Sirhashini last week for our enrichment time. The children were still having their lunch. Two neighbor ladies prepare the rice and broth and deliver lunch to the school in the biggest pots you can imagine; on their heads of course!

The school does have plastic plates for the children but no forks or spoons. No water either so no hand washing. A few of the children bring a spoon, most eat with their fingers. One boy used his ruler! I was surprised that he had a ruler that kind of school supply is a luxury in this part of the world. It worked great as a shovel for rice. He got every bite and then cleaned his ruler very well!

Entrepreneurs: Africa Style

from Elliott
I read a brief article in the local paper the other day. At first my reaction was one of frustration over the rampant vandalism and theft we have in this country.  But on second pass, I found myself excited about the evidence of the entrepreneurial spirit I see in many folks around here. Here is the article –

”The Municipality is taking immediate steps to rectify the situation at the Port Shepstone taxi rank where the toilets have been closed due because of vandalism. As reported last week, this resulted in commuters relieving themselves in buckets provided by an entrepreneur at R1 a time."

 -from The South Coast Fever

Not Quite 100%

I have written about a colloquialism here where someone might say as a matter of agreeing with a request you might make - "100%" Well, the corollary to that here ought to be "Not quite 100%" Many times, a significant effort is made but it just doesn't quite get to 100%. Not bad, but often it is the remaining 1% or so that makes all the difference in the world.

In this case, we visited a school that had a classroom block that had been completed about 3 months ago. Since most schools do not have piped water they will collect rainwater off the roof and store it in these 5000 liter tanks which have a tap on the bottom to draw water to drink or cook with. Great idea!

Only problem is that they are missing one section of pipe (about a meter)  that connects the gutter/downspot to the intake on the tank. Opportunity lost!

Unfortunately, this school is quite remote and will certainly wait a long time before the government contractor returns with the 'missing link'.

 

Are You a Pastor?

from Elliott

We have planted tomatoes in the garden this season so we needed to find staking material. We went to a Garden Center and asked for a variety of materials that would suffice but were unsuccessful finding what we needed. The person helping us apologized and then said as we were walking away, "Are You a Pastor?"

Well, realizing the word 'Pastor' has a variety of meanings in this culture, I clarified that we were missionaries. He said that he thought so. Strange! But it made me wonder what gave it away to this person and why he thought to mention it. What had we said or done that would have given it away? More concerning was what might we have done or said that would have created an impression - good or bad - about missionaries or the work of missionaries in that individual.

As Christ followers we must always be aware that the world is watching! And as a corollary to what St. Francis pointed out we must be aware even when we are not using words we are preaching the Gospel by our actions.

What's for Lunch

from Katherine

Recently I was at Sirhashini School and one of the teachers told me that sometimes the children will come to school when it is closed for a holiday just hoping that someone might be there with something to eat for lunch. Sadly, this is not uncommon around the world.

Last Friday was a school holiday and we had visitors from America. Our friend Carol Robinson and her daughter Linley were with us for a week. As we told them some of the stories we have heard like that one, we thought that maybe we could offer some activities and lunch on the holiday. I called the lead teacher and she was pleased and surprised and told us she would tell the children we were coming.

Linley Reads the 'Very Hungry Caterpillar

We had a great time with the 27 kids and 3 of the teachers that showed up. I have wanted a copy of the ‘Very Hungry Caterpillar’ and to my surprise Carol and Linley had brought one from America!! We read our new story to the children and they made ‘stained glass’ butterflies with tissue paper. Then we played American football with the UNC Tarheel football they brought. The boys caught on fast! And then everyone had lunch! Even Cason and his friend Kaylene got to join us because their school was on holiday too!!

Carol passes out oranges

Thank you Carol and Linley for a super special day for the children and teachers at Sirhashini School! And thanks to Cason and Kaylene for helping too!!

Famous American Style

from Elliott
A trip to the store is often an interesting experience. Many times it is because of the people we see there while other times it is what we find there. Some raise lots of questions and require more explanation than others. This one just caught my eye...

A package of cookies but not just any cookies. These proclaimed that they were "The Famous American Style." Well, being American I would certainly have to try these! They were cranberry and white chocolate. The cranberry certainly sounded 'New England'  but after tasting one I was not sure what made them 'American.' I think I was hoping for a 'Mrs. Fields' taste since I had been introduced to those while living in Chicago quite some time ago. I was disappointed.


The funny thing is that somehow if I took the advertising at its word I would draw the conclusion that if I did not like the cookie then I would have to doubt my own 'American - ness' How could this be the Famous American Style' if I did not really like them. Have I been gone from America too long? Perhaps I was not really a 'true American' to begin with.

Interestingly, there have been a number of instances where I did not find myself closely aligned with something that those from other countries considered 'American'. Some of that disconnect is due to Hollywood images that are generalized by other cultures but it also suggests that people from other countries tend to see America as monolithic and miss the basic truth America as a republic or a confederation of states and regions/cultures has never been monolithic. It certainly has those things that draw us together but our strength can be found more in our diversity.


btw -While the front of the package was in English the reverse had five different languages, none of which were English, which made it difficult for me to ascertain who had determined that these were 'The Famous American Style'  and where were they from!

Happy Birthday, Madiba!

from Katherine

July the 18^th was Nelson Mandela’s 94th birthday. He spent 67 years fighting for social justice here in South Africa. To represent the 67 years he asked his countrymen to spend 67 minutes of their day doing something nice for someone else.

Some friends and I decided to visit some of the schools in our ministry area. We told Mandela’s story, sang ‘Happy Birthday’ and passed out oranges, cookies, and candy to the children and teachers. It was a great day.

As we were driving along one of the many dirt roads in the community I came across a friend of mine. We have spoken about Mama Thandiwe before. She is OLD, has snow white hair (when it is not in a wrap), is legally blind, walks with crutches and has a great big heart! I stopped the car and told her who it was speaking since she cannot see and introduced her to my friends in the car.

We told her what we were doing and why and she shouted “Madiba’s birthday Yoiwee.” We are not sure what ‘yoiwee’ means but she says it with such enthusiasm it must be good.  I reminded her that Madiba (a term of endearment for Mandela) was 94 and she started singing ‘Happy Birthday to Madiba with her arms waving in the air and turning in circles! We sang along and then she went on her way to a ”church ladies” meeting. We loved celebrating with the children, but Mama Thandiwe made our day extra special!

To the Head Chef - "I Have an Emergency"

from Elliott
It seems that I keep seeing signs worthy of a good ponder. Some lead to some deeper cultural understanding or reinforce an underlying issue that we are dealing with daily.

This one is just plain funny. We were enjoying a long weekend renting a cabin in a remote area known for 'birding'. On the door of the small kitchen was this sign noting the 'Emergency Numbers' for guests.

Being located on the kitchen door, I found it humorous that you could have an 'Emergency' that would be appropriate for the 'Head Chef'. That is not just a South Africa issue - I think that would have been great even when we were still living in the US!

The State of Education

from Elliott

A job posting that I saw at the Post Office made me wonder whether this High School in the Eastern Cape would have me as a teacher. It is seeking 'Qualified, Underqualified or Unqualified' applicants for current openings.Certainly that includes me!

Sadly though, this does not speak well of the state of education in our ministry area of the Eastern Cape. Class size here is high and it seems that the students are often lacking the opportunity they deserve. I have read recently that there are 65,000 teaching positions in the province with as many as 10,000 unfilled. Certainly, with so many without work in this country, they can find someone to fill the positions. Is it another example of short sighted leadership or the pervasive corruption or both?

Unfortunately, regardless of the cause, the students lose out. Life is already tough here for the learners but then to add overcrowding, inadequate facilities and limited opportunity for graduates, hope is already in short supply.    

Green Eggs and Ham

from Katherine

I read each week at several schools, but the Sirhasheni Pre-School tugs at my heart. As you can tell from the photo there are a lot of kids and very little room. They do set up an outdoor class room when the weather is nice.

Anyway, I was reading 'Green Eggs And Ham' by Dr. Suess. I asked the kids if they would eat green eggs and ham and most said that they would not. If you don’t remember 'Sam I Am' wants the other furry guy to try green eggs and ham. The furry guy will not eat them here there of anywhere!! Sam I Am keeps trying until finally the furry guy gives in, tastes green eggs and ham and LOVES them. Well the kids started clapping and cheering because the furry guy tried the food! I have never gotten a reaction like this! I thought it was the cutest thing. I asked the kids again if they would eat green eggs and ham and they said they would.

If you have never eaten green eggs and ham, grab the book, a kid or two, and some green food coloring. You will have a ball!!

p.s. this was my kids favorite meal when they were little.

A Very Long and Blessed Life!

from Elliott
Many of the retail shops around here have security officers that check your purchases against your receipt as you exit the store. We seem to spend a good deal of time at the local hardware and every time when we walk in Katherine greets the older gentleman that works security there. The last time we were there, he very excitedly said to her, "You will live a very long and blessed life!"

"Most people walk right past me never saying anything or even acting like I am here. You instead always greet me with a smile"

I guess ministry does include a 'simple greeting' if it conveys a sense of worth to a disadvantaged person.

Learning to Walk...Again

from Elliott

I have found that I have needed to learn to walk again. I was following Thezelwa from the garden back to the Pre School the other day and I noticed her jump in the air and pick up the pace for another 20 feet. I figured out why when she exclaimed, “inyoka!” She had walked past the chicken coop and a snake (inyoka) was sunning itself on a rock. It scurried away before I could get a look but the next day the familiar grayish brown of the Black Mamba was slithering by in the same spot. 

There are many places where we walk through tall grass or amongst the rocks. In the warm weather the snakes are more active and could be anywhere. The species vary – not all are poisonous and even some of the poisonous ones are not very aggressive. But then there are those that are poisonous and very aggressive and they can be found in exactly the same places as those that are not.

A couple of weeks ago we hosted a mobile medical clinic and a patient waiting to be seen noticed that about 100 feet from our Training Center there was a Guava tree with ripe fruit just in front of two large rocks. It was surrounded by tall grass and most of our staff had heard stories that a very large Mamba lived in the rocks but no one had told the visitor. The temptation of the ripe guava was too great and he went into the grass. Once there, he noticed just in time a very large Black Mamba just at the base of the tree. Out he came as fast as his legs would take him! Sounds almost Biblical doesn’t it – a fruit tree and a snake and impending doom?

Some of the worst are the Black Mamba, Cobra and the Puff Adders. All are found in our area with the Mamba most prevalent. It can get quite large ranging from 2.4 to 4 meters or about 7-14 feet and is very aggressive moving as fast as 20 km/hour or 12 mph.

When we were at our rural homestay a couple of weeks ago we were on a trail above the village in the mountains and our guide quickly motioned me around a large rock. We looked back from a safe distance was a Puff Adder sunning just by the rock. They tend to stand their ground and are named for the ‘hissing and puffing’ sound of their warning. We got the point real fast!

You walk differently here than you would back home where there are sidewalks and low cut grass. You are always looking out of the corner of your eye and at your feet and on the ground ahead of you for the slightest movement. And you are always ready to move fast…out of the way!

Becoming a Part of the Family

from Katherine

During the recent school break we traveled 9 hours from our home deep into the Eastern Cape to a rural farming community called Cata.

We stayed with a family in Cata In a set up called a ‘homestay’ we stayed with a typical‘family’ in the village. In the home is the grandmother, uMama, her granddaughter – Tuli, 23, her daughter Sino 2, and another granddaughter – Buhle, 8. The grandfather is deceased, Tuli is not married and her parents live in Cape Town 12 hours away, Buhle’s parents or parent (I’m not sure if she has a mom and dad) are working in a city somewhere. This seems to be the norm in much of South Africa. Millions of grandmothers are the head of the household.

We were welcomed with hugs shown to our rooms and started life as ‘family members.’ They live in one rectangular room. The four of them sleep in 2 double beds at one end of the room, a refrigerator is next to the beds and there are two chairs for a sitting area at the end of the beds. On the other side is a small table where they wash dishes in a big plastic bowl and a cupboard and stove. On the family land there was another house which is where we stayed. It seems to have been built for visits from other family members. It has two small bedrooms and a tiny sitting area.

 

The main house has electricity for the fridge and stove. The other house has lights only at night. There is no running water but they have collection tanks from the rain water off the roof.  Water is delivered as you need it by Buhle as she is the youngest girl. Sino will soon be carrying water in small bottles so that she can learn. At bath time, one bucket of water is heated on the stove or on an open fire and you enjoy a ‘bucket bath’ on the front porch. And, the outhouse was down the hill next to the maize field.

Cata is an interesting village. During apartheid the Xhosa villagers were ordered off their ancestral land by the white government and consolidated on smaller plots in the valley below. Generally when this was done white farmers would move in and use the prime land. For some reason, this never happened in Cata.  After apartheid the villagers in Cata petitioned the new government to get their land back. They won the land as well as cash compensation. Some folks moved back into the hills but many stayed in the valley. 

Using half of the money from the settlement the community focused on creating economic development projects. One focuses on tourism and includes the homestays, horseback riding, trout fishing and hiking in the nearby mountains. Others are involved in community agriculture.

We were there for Xhosa lessons.  We had formal lessons each day and then we could practice on the villagers along the road or in the Tuck Shop. They were VERY kind!  One day we walked to the top of the hill to their ‘toposcope’ which is an outdoor map to learn where the original homesteads were located and how the families were organized. Other days, we went horseback riding into the forest, where we learned about their forestry program, and 4 wheeling to visit a magnificent waterfall. We used local guides on all of these trips which is one of the ways they make money for their family.

The trip was a wonderful experience for all of us. Our Xhosa language is a little bit better.  We so appreciate our hot and cold running water!! Electricity is nice, but candles are romantic (oh, Cason was with us). And, unconditional acceptance is amazing especially when our white skin gives the villagers reason to distrust us.     

Wet Clothes Serve as a Reminder

from Katherine

When I was little I loved to put on my rain boots grab my umbrella and sing and splash in the rain. I usually came home soaked to the skin, by choice! I had to run two errands today, with my car of course, and when I got home I was soaked to the skin, not by choice. 

This made me stop to think about some of my friends here in South Africa.

Grace lives in a rondavel, a small round house about 20 feet across. Ten people live in Grace’s house - not all family, but Grace has a big heart. Grace’s roof is corrugated tin and it leaks. Grace does not have a tank to collect water so someone must walk to the tap. On sunny days there will be children playing in the yard at Graces’. Today with the drenching rains they will all be inside. Except Grace, she had to walk to the taxi rank, ride to the stop where her weekend job is, walk to work, clean someone’s home, walk back to the taxi rank, ride the taxi, and walk home.  All in the pouring rain.

My friend Mafa also lives in a small rondavel with his wife and 2 sons.  Mafa has been building a bigger home on his land for more than a year. He is working hard now to save money to pay for the roofing materials. When he does have the money, he will put the roof on himself.

I think God has used all the wet clothing hanging around my house to remind me of how blessed I am.

A Lesson from Nqobile

from Katherine

When I walked into the preschool at our ministry site today I was receiving so many hugs that I had to sit down. Nqobile, the child in the green jacket, climbed right into my lap and stayed there. After a bit, most of the kids started to play again. Nqobile and I were left to talk on our own.  Nqobile speaks a 2 year old version of 'Xhosa baby talk.' I speak English to the children and some of the time, my limited Xhosa. 

The children often touch my face to get my attention and to see if the white will come off. Nqobile had my face in his little hands as well as something else, my cross necklace. When he was sure that he had my full attention, he began to tell me all about the cross (in Xhosa) and kept pointing to the sky. Over and over he would give the necklace a gentle pull and then point to the sky. I could not decipher his baby talk with my ears, but I am sure in my heart Nqobile was telling me about Jesus.

One Door Closed...Another One Opens

from Katherine

I have spent the last year pouring my heart and soul into the Pre School at our ministry site. I have deliberately avoided imposing my views. Instead, I have encouraged the teachers to focus on providing an educational environment that is fun and safe. At the same time, I have been providing enrichment like art projects for the children.

One of the dangers of being the encourager is that sometimes it takes me a while to figure out that my help is not wanted. This week I made it to the point where it has become very apparent that my involvement in this Pre School is unwanted. Heartbreak! Although, I knew that this door was slowly closing I did not want to admit it to myself , to my white south African friends (many of whom think I am wasting my time anyway),  to my husband, or to the many people and churches that support us. Well now I have said it. I feel better. A little. Still a little bruised, but I will carry on.

It is clear that God has opened new doors for me and now that I am available I will be able to explore these new opportunities. There are many small Pre schools in our ministry area. While they may have some staff and a small facility they are very limited in the amount of instruction they can provide beyond the very basics.

While God is still providing greater clarity daily, I can see myself supporting multiple schools by visiting them a couple of times a week with enrichment programs and curriculum that they would not be able to provide on their own. That is an exciting thought - to be able to share God’s love with many more children and their families and strengthen numerous small Pre Schools and encourage the ‘Grannies’ that have been providing for the local children.

A Long Way to Travel for a Pair of Blue Jeans

from Elliott
I had been looking for some time for a pair of new blue jeans - nothing fancy just basic Levi's. After a couple of months on the lookout wherever I went that had apparel and not finding anything I decided to just wait until I got home over Christmas break. Well that time came and we went to Smith and Davis, the old fashioned small town apparel store near our US home.

There I found exactly what I wanted - right where I thought they would be. I tried a couple of pair on to make sure they would fit my South Africa physique. While doing so, I was surprised to find that the tag inside said "Made in Lesotho"!

After all my searching in retail stores in South Africa the pair I found in the US had traveled 8500 miles from Lesotho to Atlanta for me to just travel the same distance in the opposite direction to South Africa. You see Lesotho is a principality within South Africa and is only about 100 miles from where we live. I wonder if they have a factory store?

Only in our new world order does that make sense!

Stripes and Plaids

from Elliott
OK I admit I am certainly no fashion plate but I do have a few rules that I follow that minimize significant embarrassment! Like, 'Don't mix stripes, plaids or large patterns' , 'Not much goes with lime green' and 'The less physically fit you are the more loose your clothing should be - the 'Klingons' were not just Star Trek characters!'

As with many things my 'rules' have not necessarily translated well in my new culture. Frequently we see the mixing of stripes and plaids/ patterns and middle aged and older men wearing clothes that might have fit them 20-30 years previous. At first I thought it was limited income that limits clothing choices that individuals have here but I have seen the same fashion infractions across the economic spectrum. Then I thought that perhaps it was maybe the stores have limited merchandise but I have seen similar offerings here in the stores that I am used to elsewhere.

Perhaps it is because, when the culture has so many more pressing issues like hunger, HIV/AIDS, ongoing social strife, poor education, etc. there are simple more important things to concern oneself with than does your top coordinate well with the bottom. I guess the Gospel message would be to concern ourselves with those things that concern God most and with all the brokenness in our world, our fashion sense pales in comparison.

So next time you see me and you are shocked by my appearance, remember that I am simply trying to focus first on Kingdom living!

What a Deal!

from Elliott
Had a cavity filled today and when I got the invoice I noticed two things...

1. What a deal - the total was R470 or about $60. Since we don't have dental insurance that is an amazing price.


2. The bill was itemized which was unusual I thought. I liked to see it broken down though. The first line was "Local Anaesthetic R90 (about $13)". That is a no brainer...even made drilling a pleasure. And then, "Infection Control R55 (about $7)" In South Africa, that is essential and a small price to pay for peace of mind for a place that has some different thoughts on communicable disease than back home!

All in all not too bad of a morning but I guess if I had been a better 'brusher' 45 years ago and flossed like I was told I guess I might have been sleeping in that morning instead.

Holding Hands

from Katherine
When we were in America I told many of my friends about my 2 1/2 year old friend Azola. When Azola first came to the Pre School we were the very first white people he had ever seen. He was terrified of us!

One day last month his granny came early to school and I was the only teacher there. I promised her that Azola and I would be fine, took him in my arms and she left. We were not fine! Azola was screaming at the top of his lungs and thrashing about. I needed to start breakfast and help was not on the way. I finally put Azola down and promised he could stay on his side of the room and I would stay on my side. He watched me closely to make sure I stayed where I was supposed to!

This week as we began a new school year, Azola came up and held my hand. My heart sang!

A Mosquito in the Bedroom

from Elliott
I saw a sign in a local shop recently that captured a sense of empowerment that is crucial for those in ministry confronted with what may seem to be insurmountable problems in their area of ministry. It read:

       "Do not think that you are too small to make a difference, imagine the power of one mosquito who finds its way into your bedroom at night"

That really spoke to me since we have to open the windows in our flat, especially at night, due to our lack of air conditioning. There is a real trade off in the hot, rainy season with its significant mosquito population - a cooling breeze or minimize the presence of mosquitoes?   

But if we think beyond our personal comfort it does suggest that we do not have to be the size of an elephant to create attention or to impact someone else. In fact, that minute mosquito can get our full attention simply by buzzing about our head for a short period of time. Of course, that is negative attention which does not help much in ministry.

It was Helen Keller who said: "I long to accomplish a great and noble task, but it is my chief duty to accomplish humble tasks as though they were great and noble. The world is moved along, not only by the mighty shoves of its heroes, but also by the aggregate of the tiny pushes of each worker."

It seems like in our western culture that we are prone to idolize our heroes and praise them for doing great things. Unfortunately, it ends up being an excuse for the regular folk to accomplish very little or not even make an attempt. After all we are not that powerful...

One thing we have found here is the impact seemingly minor gestures can have. Things like acknowledging the presence of a typically marginalized person while walking down the road, smiling at a child, inquiring genuinely as to the well-being of a widow in your midst and then being willing to hear the answer, offering a person with a heavy load a ride in your vehicle, etc. The list goes on...but it is not just in South Africa it is everywhere and each of us has the power to make a difference. When done with the love of Christ, the impact is immeasurable.

Home

from Katherine

We arrived ‘home’ in South Africa after spending five weeks at ‘home’ in America. We stayed with dear friends and family who promised that we did not smell like fish after staying with them longer than 4 or 5 days!

I have heard the expression that “home is where you hang your hat.”  Well we have hats in South Africa to protect us from the sun and we hang them on hooks in our flat when the sun goes down. Does that make Africa home?

No, I think it is more than hats, its hearts. You see, when the plane touched down in America; we were excited to see friends and family, to tell of our ministry experiences over the past year, to show our photographs of the people and places where we are in ministry and beautiful South Africa.

When we returned to our ‘new’ home in South Africa we were equally excited to see friends and our ministry team.

Now I know that my heart can have two homes!