Glued to God

from Elliott
A curious thing here are the names emblazoned on the minibus taxis that are everywhere. Each of them has some form of identifying slogan across the front windscreen or on the back. Still have not figured out the purpose - they don't tell you where it is going and you would not choose a certain taxi over another because they are all about the same inside. Perhaps it is just personality of the driver.

Regardless of the objective I am fascinated by the slogans. We have the driver descriptive Tall Boy, Small Boy, Boy Boy or the suggestive Foxy Lady, Hot Mama, Follow Me, or the religious God's Gift, Blessed, Glued to God. I like the religious ones especially. When they pass me on the road hooting, cut me off at an intersection or imperil their riders with high rates of speed, I wonder how their message (and that of the Kingdom) is tarnished. I guess if nothing else it makes the fearful riders in a prayerful mood. I think just the ride itself would put me in prayer mode!

I have thought of asking the drivers how they chose their slogan but I did not want to seem judgemental. So in the meantime I will just ponder!

Perhaps I should get a slogan for my pick up truck - I think I would choose 'Hayibo Andiazi' which means 'I don't have a clue' in isiXhosa. But then again, they might have already figured that out!

The Doorway to Learning

from Elliott

We are often amazed at the enthusiasm and commitment to learn of many of the students we

encounter in our enrichment programs. That despite the lack of basic of resources such as books, paper and pencils. Oh, and don’t forget the most basic of resources- a school building. Nothing too fancy, just the basics would be nice. Overcrowding is just a fact of life in the Eastern Cape but many classrooms are lacking even the basics – like a door!

As you can see this classroom HAD a door but the only thing left is hinges and one half of the frame. Hardly functional! But maybe that will remind the ‘maintenance department’ that one is supposed to be there so they will think to replace it.

Still there are many success stories where learners and teachers somehow find a way to encourage and achieve success or at least a modicum of hopefulness. 

Where's Waldo?

from Elliott
Some people look at clouds and see shapes of animals or people. We were hiking in the Mkambati Nature Reserve a couple of weeks ago. The coastline was breathtaking, the plantlife amazing, the eland majestic and the waterfalls beautiful. Even the rock outcroppings were interesting.

We had a picnic overlooking one of the waterfalls and I had an eerie feeling...it was like someone was watching us. And then I saw 'him'. Can you see him? Our very own Waldo!

Maybe I have been listening to too much talk of ancestral spirits or maybe I really am becoming part of the culture here.

Some Things Just Translate Easily

from Elliott
Well there weren't any isiXhosa words to confuse me. The message on the side of a house along a road in a remote part of our ministry area was clear. It was in the international language of sport. I think I knew what the resident was saying by the design that he had painted on the side of his one room house. I wonder if Nike would be upset if he had painted it on the outhouse just to the right of the house.

Perhaps he was expressing an affinity for a well know sport franchise or perhaps he was suggesting that he was an athlete of some local regard because just down the dirt road was a sport field Africa style – grass cut by local cows and goats and a rudimentary goal of scrap 2 X 4’s .

It reminded me of one of the talks in the Small Business Development course we offer to budding entry level entrepreneurs. We talk about marketing and branding and we show a series of logos (Nike, Shell, KFC, Puma, McDonalds, etc) without the name and see if the learners can guess the company and the product. Even in the remote rural areas of Africa everyone in the class got the right answers.

Not so sure how I feel about that! I have to admit sport does have a universal appeal. I can think of some other more significant messages that have more eternal consequence that do not seem to have such universal appeal but perhaps that is why God sent us here! We have work to do….   

My Friend Amos

from Katherine
I met my friend Amos at the beach in our town. He washes cars there. Amos is in his 20’s and car washing is how he supports himself and helps out his mom.  Amos charges R30 or about $3. He has a 20 liter bucket, a rag and dish soap and he gets the water from the public showers. Sometimes he will wash the fishing boats or clean fish. He always has a big smile on his face when he gets that job. Perhaps he makes more money or maybe he gets paid with fish.

I have not seen Amos all winter, so I began to watch for him along the road to his house or near his home because he lives near one of my schools. But no Amos.

Yesterday I was walking with a friend near the beach and a young man came to me and said “I have a message for you from Amos.” I was excited that someone had found me that knew about Amos, so I asked “from Amos? What is the message?” The young man said, “I talked to Amos on the phone and he said ‘If you see my white friend from America, tell her I am working in Durban at the Port and I will see them in December.”

I am thrilled for Amos to have a job at the port. It is a step up for a hard working young man. What pride he and his mom must feel! And I have to laugh at my description according to Amos – ‘my white friend from America.’

What Happens When Your Doll Comes To Life?

from Elliott
As we venture into some of the more remote sections of our ministry area, it is not unusual to find young children that appear afraid of us. Often times, we learn that the child had not been exposed to a white person before. It can be a bit disconcerting at first but understandable given the human minds ability to quickly distinguish differences.

We recently heard a different variation of the situation. A woman told us how her young granddaughter responded to the first white person she saw. She was inconsolable and obviously afraid. When they were finally able to comfort her, she told them that she thought that her doll had come to life and that scared her. It turns out that the little girl, like many of the children in the area, had a doll that was white instead of one that appeared more similar to the people that she had known.

When it comes to human nature things always seem to get complicated.  Some suggest that we should be ‘color blind’ and not even notice differences in skin color or other physical features. I have read theories that say that recognizing differences or unfamiliarity occurs in the primal mind which includes the ‘friend or foe’ or ‘fight or flight’ defensive response.  As with many elements of how we are wired, the original design may be fine in and of itself but it is the misuse or lack of control that becomes problematic.

Perhaps instead of trying not to notice differences, it would honor God more if when we did notice differences we simply marvelled at the Creators expression of an infinite array of possibilities.

The Risk of Abbreviating

from Elliott

With so many languages spoken here in South Africa we are sensitive to language uses and always concerned that we are misusing or misunderstanding something. Abbreviations and unusual technical terms can create some challenges or at least give pause for consideration.

We were taking some tables from the Port Edward Methodist Church Hall outside for Youth Group and I found something that gave me pause. On the bottom of the table for identification someone had marked “Meth Church”. I am not sure that has the same connotation it might back in the states! There is even a website in South Africa with the address ‘Meth Church’.  

I wonder if they did make the connection here, what that would mean. Some might think the Church is high on something. Worse yet, due to lack of passion, inactivity or isolation maybe it would be worse if they did not think we were high on something! 

The Hen that Came to Class

from Katherine

Back to school today after a long winter break, yes winter. We are on Day 5 of the Creation Story when God created the fish of the sea and birds of the air. We read the story, The Little Red Hen. It is a great story and all the kids agreed that the little hen’s barnyard friends should have helped because God wants us to help others.

The best part was right as I finished reading the story, a red hen walked into the classroom! She was very calm, considering all the kids in the room, looked around for a minute and walked back out the door. The kids wanted to know if she was ‘The Little Red Hen’ that we were reading about. 

Happy Fourth! Learning to "Cook" the Watermelon?!?!?

from Elliott

Even though it is winter here, we were excited when Elliott’s language helper, Wishwell and wife, Albertina said that they had a watermelon and invited us to come over to “cook the watermelon.” Well, we were certainly curious about why we had to cook the watermelon. We remembered that you could make sweet watermelon pickles with the rind but that is not what they had in mind.

We arrived the next day for the cooking lesson and it started with a language lesson – the word in Xhosa for the melon is mxoxozi. After practicing the pronunciation for just a bit and finally getting the two clicks (‘x’) just right Albertina brought the mxoxozi into the kitchen. While the word seemed new to us, the melon looked just like what we had hoped for – watermelon to celebrate US Independence Day!

With a large knife we began cutting up the melon in slices but the first slice was a surprise. Instead of the expected traditional mouth-watering red sweet inside was a light green material fruity in fragrance but not near as sweet. We sliced it and cut it into chunks and then removed the dark seeds. We then put the chunks into a pot of boiling water and once it had become soft we added some maize meal. As we stirred it in, the mixture began to look something like porridge or cream of wheat!

We served it into bowls and enjoyed mxoxozi for breakfast. With a lightly sweet flavour, light green color and a hint of fruitiness we enjoyed a hot bowl of mxoxozi! What a treat! 

Is it OK to Eavesdrop?

from Katherine

Is it OK to eavesdrop? Well sometimes I think it is. Recently, on a Saturday, a friend called to say that the person who owns the sewing that she was using took it back. The sewing machine is VERY important to her because she takes in mending as a way to help support her family. We were sad for her and told her we would see what we could do to help.

The following day our youth group was hosting a breakfast for our church family. Hazel, a friend
who runs a thrift shop was there. Elliott went to greet her and asked if she ever had second hand sewing machines for sale. She said “yes, but I do not have any right now.” Another friend, Irene, was sitting right behind Hazel and overheard Elliott’s question. She turned to Elliott and said “I have an extra sewing machine; what do you want it for?” Elliott told her about our industrious friend Grace and Irene was thrilled for our friend to have it!

YEAH! God is so faithful!! I pray that He continues to help us be bold and ask the right questions and have people eavesdrop!

Disenfranchised

from Elliott
Tomorrow is a national election here in South Africa. A lot is at stake in this 20 year old democracy. Challenges of poor service delivery, rampant corruption and continued staggering inequality create a great deal of discussion among the population and the media. Having lived here for almost four years we are deeply focused on the needs of the people, are engaging in the complexities of this society and have a significant interest in the future of this land.

It is a strange feeling - you know there is an election and yet, despite our high degree of interest, since we are not citizens we are not allowed to vote. Perhaps that feeling of being an outsider and disenfranchised gives us a slightly better understanding of the perspective of those that for many years were without the right to vote here in South Africa, their own country. 

Born Free

from Elliott
No, I am not talking about the movie about lions in Kenya.

Instead, I am talking about those young people who were born in South Africa after 1994. Why 1994? The first democratic elections in South Africa and the end of Apartheid which end racial segregation and punitive race based laws. That event 20 years ago was celebrated this Monday on Freedom Day and there has been a great deal of conversation about the state of the formerly oppressed people twenty years later. Of course this year is a national election year so the majority party (ANC) is quick to put its spin on its accomplishments over the last 20 years. And the opposition can point out the disappointments.

The ‘born free’ generation shares a unique perspective. They did not live through the injustices of apartheid so seem to be able to focus fully on the future without the baggage of the past. Some that I speak to seem to be at odds with older family members saying , ‘Just move on, get beyond your anger, resentment, etc.’ They tend to be very open to relationships across old lines and many have moved to the cities creating a vibrant and inclusive culture.

At the same time, unemployment is huge among that age group and frustration is running high. Education in many areas has not improved to the degree necessary. Many in this ‘Born Free’ generation have received substandard educations which have not prepared them to fully take advantage of the reforms. At some point that realization and the sting of unemployment may very well create significant conflict and pit one generation against another.

As with all democratic cultures, it seems that change simply takes time. Perhaps patience and perseverance are the some of the most important characteristics of successful democracies!   

That is Just Not Right!

from Elliott

We have a market nearby that oftentimes has fruit and veg that traditional places don’t have. We were glad one day to find orange sweet potatoes - quite an oddity here! Recently, I was surprised to see the sign for ‘Grapefruit’ but something was very wrong. They were green and I learned the meat was white and a bit bitter. OK, something is not right about that.  Imposters!

I have to admit, I am a Texas Ruby Red Grapefruit snob. I don't even like Florida grapefruit. So much so, that even at $2.50 per kilogram, I was not even willing to try what looked like some kind of scam.

Just something wrong with that…somethings are just better left to our memories!

Qualifies as Ridiculous!

from Elliott
We often see things that don’t seem to make sense or a bit ridiculous to say the least. At least from our outsider perspective, that is. Most of the time we don’t say anything; we just say, ‘hmmm’, try to understand and then just move on. 

But this one just has left us a bit perplexed. It is not some deep cultural belief, it is probably just

tradition and in some environments tradition is VERY important. We visited our son a couple of weeks ago at boarding school and after watching his rugby match, the ‘varsity’ team was playing and all the students were expected to attend. While the parents and visitors were allowed to sit in the shade of the trees, the students were all is bleachers on the other side of the field. In the full sun on a day that was 95 degrees.

Take a look at the picture. There they all were in full dress uniform (coat and tie) cheering on the team. Their cheering (war cries) was impressive. I think I would have been close to passing out! 

Perhaps, I am too practical having grown up on the Gulf Coast where survival in the summer was rule #1. Or maybe if I had attended a boarding school I would understand.

The good news is since it was rugby there were ambulances and medics standing by! Even the under 14’s had a medic!

What Can I Do?

from Katherine
I was driving home from my school day Tuesday in a blinding rain. Water was running across the road in sheets.  As I crossed the river and started up the hill I spotted the car in the middle of the road, debris and glass covering the pavement.

The accident must have just happened but I was surprised that no one had stopped. I pulled off the road and grabbed my phone and ran toward the car when I saw the young man on the edge of the pavement. Having been thrown from his vehicle, he was in a terrible state. I kneeled at his side, touched his shoulder and told him that I would stay with him until help came. I prayed simply, “God Help”. My calls to the emergency number on my cell just rang busy or did not even connect. I wondered if the storm had knocked out power to the cell tower nearby. 

“I am here with you. Can you feel God’s presence with us? I can. I know he is here with us. I am here, God is here. We will stay with you.”

It seemed like that was all I could do. I don’t have medical training. I am not a trained first responder. I couldn’t even get my cell phone to work. What could I do? Could I make a difference?

Others began stopping. Amazingly a young doctor just passing through stopped and immediately began rendering aid. Somehow some of the phone calls got through because police and ambulances starting arriving.

I stepped back to let those trained do what they do best but I continued to pray.  He was taken to a nearby hospital but the young man died later that day. I found out later that he was recently married and had a mom and dad and sister. It turns out that I knew many friends of his which helped me feel just a bit closer.

I learned something that day. Even when you don’t feel that there is anything you can do in a desperate situation, you can offer the blessing of presence and the comfort of prayer to someone in need.

Matthew 5:4      Blessed are those that mourn, for they will be comforted

Cultural Metaphors and Spiritual Experience

from Elliott
Having lived in the Northern Hemisphere, Lent always began toward the end of winter and culminated typically in the Spring. Subconsciously, I have always linked the concept of resurrection with life beginning anew and the transition from Winter to Spring is evidence of exactly that.

Many symbols have found their way into our practices surrounding Easter – certain flowers, bare limbs giving way to new leaf growth, new offspring in the animal kingdom or a new brightly colored dress. The natural world, as Winter turns to Spring, is witness in a metaphorical sense to what we understand spiritually.

In the Southern Hemisphere, Lent arrives in summer and culminates in Fall. It has made me wonder what cultural symbolism from the natural world or otherwise supports the spiritual truths around the Lenten experience here? Since we are in a tropical area there is not even a significant change in weather or flora and fauna during this time period. 

I have not found any cultural symbols so far but I am not as concerned as I once was about that. It may very well be that it may allow for, or even require, that we assure that we do not substitute cultural symbols for spiritual truth or at the very least allow them to become a greater focus.