"Approved"

from Elliott

Getting a cell phone in South Africa can be difficult, especially being new to the country. The biggest challenge we faced when we first got here was that in order to get a contract plan you had to have a bank account for three months to prove creditworthiness, although I am not quite sure how that determines your risk level. They do not accept a credit card as payment so we had to start at the beginning. Without a contract you are stuck with prepaid airtime which is more expensive and you have to pay the full cost of the phone. Needless to say we went cheap!

I thought in three months we would be on our way to a full choice of phones and lower usage fees. Wrong! It took us 3 weeks just to set up the account. All sorts of background checks and special situations given our foreign visitor status. It seems that all foreigners are presumed to be money launderers until proven innocent.

Once I had three full months of statements I was free to get a contract plan phone. Or so I thought...I was just able to BEGIN the process of procuring a cell phone account. First to determine the plan. There are no unlimited plans and the cost of the phone relates to which talk plan you choose. Too many choices for me!

Then apply for the account. No social security number and a 10 minute credit check! Instead it required a mountain of paperwork, passports, proof of residence and a three page application. What was supposed to be an in-store activity required 'headquarters approval' due to my lack of a work permit - as a missionary you get a 'visitors visa for charitable workers' not a work permit - and a weeks worth of other undefined background investigations. Again I felt like a criminal - guilty till proven innocent!

I was getting impatient and frustrated but since I had already told them I was a missionary my hands (or mouth ) were tied! I just had to suffer in silence...

Finally came the call- you have been approved! - I was so proud; you would have thought I just got my first mortgage.

Umlungu - Youth Day!

from Elliott
Youth Day is a public holiday here commemorating the start of the Soweto riots in 1976. A local youth Hector Peterson was shot and killed by police in an event that exposed the brutalities of the Apartheid system. I have been to the memorial erected in his honor as well as a local church that was the scene of an attack by the police on a group of youth who had fled there from the violence. It certainly brings to life the horrors of the time.

The day before Youth Day I was walking along the road near our ministry site and a group of youth in the back of a truck drove by with their fists in the air and screamed, "Umlungu, Youth Day." 'Umlungu' means 'white man' in Xhosa. At first I thought it was simply a greeting like 'Happy Fathers Day' but as I thought about their facial expressions and body language and the context of the holiday among some youth, it appeared more of an attempt to warn or intimidate.

The day is meant to honor the past and those that gave their lives for the Struggle. It seems though, that some of the current political leadership is focused more on a continuation of the battle with the former white oppressor and not as much on reconciliation as was the goal of Mandela and Tutu. There are some using violent rhetoric that is certain to inflame. Having not walked in those shoes, I cannot claim full understanding; but I wonder if one spends more time in the past than in the present and future, then one won't be able to take advantage of the opportunities of the new South Africa.

Did those young people judge me simply by my color to be the 'oppressor' and worthy of scorn? I winder had they heard my American accent and learned that I came to South Africa to serve God and those in need in the Eastern Cape, would they feel differently? Or is it my responsibility to show them that my motives are different through my actions?

As with any great social and political change, it may simply take generations for the future to take hold. Perhaps, it is only when we see our common heritage in Christ can the barriers and differences not control our lives together.

Assembly

from Katherine

Our 6 yr old neighbor rides to school with us each morning because her parents leave for work at 5am. Friday she asked if I was coming to the weekly assembly. I told her that I had not planned on it because I was very busy that day. Then she said her class was going to be doing something special that day. I told her I would try to make it.

I ran home, rearranged my schedule, grabbed my camera and went back to school. I was so glad I did. The children sang their ABC’s and then each child held up a letter and recited a little poem pertaining to the Bible. Our little neighbor held the letter 'A' and spoke about the angels that guard us day and night.

At the end of a hectic week, I was blessed beyond measure by 6 year olds. And what a blessing it was; I was filled with energy for the day and reminded that God is with us even in the busyness of our lives.

Long Time No Blog!

from Katherine
We have been very busy preparing for and having our ministry partners team here in South Africa. There were 23 folks on the team and they go from dawn to well past dusk! It was a whirl wind of a week. They host a revival each night, visited in the community during the day, and visited 2 primary schools. As you might imagine, the community is excited to see all the Americans.

Proofreading When You Don't Know the Language

from Elliott

I have spent a good part of my marketing career, proofreading – brochures, legal documents, advertising copy, etc. You get to a point where it is programmed in your mind what to look for and the correct information you are looking for.

The ministry is hosting the annual revival this week for our ministry partner. Part of the promotion is event posters that are put up at bus stops and at local retailers which are called Spazza’s or Tuck Shops. In the past they have been produced in English but this year I met with my language coach and he translated the poster information for me. While that was challenging because some things simply don’t translate, what was even more challenging was to be sure that what the printer sent me in the proof was what it needed to be.

What I found was that the confidence that I had in proofing real estate marketing materials back home was lacking when I looked at the poster and at best understood every third word. What if I make a mistake – it could be as simple as not legible to the reader or as bad as a different meaning than was desired even possibly offensive. The pressure was on!

Fortunately, when the posters were complete there was only one incorrect letter and it was obvious enough to the reader what the sentence meant and no one would be offended. Anyway, with a little ‘white out’ and the steady hand of a daughter who is visiting from the US the ‘g’ was changed into an ‘s’ and all worked out.

Therapy!!!!

from Elliott
Katherine has often said that I am a bit obsessive- she used to say that I had to do my own landscaping and maintenance because I could never be satisfied with anyone else’s work. Well, our time so far has taken a great deal of adjustment. We have had to learn about ‘Africa time’ and certain things are done just a little bit different here so we have had to have an open mind. I have thought I was doing fine with the transition.

Our ministry has a soccer field for the local children and a field for the annual tent revival. In the past it had been hand cut by a large group of ladies. Then last year the ministry bought a weed eater and a man, Madikizela, has been working diligently to turn back the power of nature. Even with that, the field is a mass of weeds and uneven at best. We have decided to build a grass running track around the soccer field so the even cutting is even more important.

This week we moved another step with the purchase of a 21” self propelled mower. And I thought it was just to speed up the grass cutting but then my obsessive nature kicked in. I have been using the mower for two days while Madikizela is stuck with the weed eater and rake all the while looking longingly at the mower. It was incredibly theraputic!

Ok, when Monday comes along maybe I should share. I am sure Katherine will agree it is time for me to deal with the obsessive behavior!

Happy Birthday!

from Katherine
We just celebrated our first birthday at the Pre School since we arrived in January. Lilitha turned three! We stopped at our local grocery store and found a cake with white frosting and pink polka dots and sprinkles!

The children always come outside to greet us and when Lilitha saw the cake she looked carefully, and did not say a word. This is very unlike Lilitha, as she usually rambles on and on even though I have to get a lot of what she says translated.

The teachers and I thought we should celebrate right away. The children all took their seats and I placed the cake on the table in front of Lilitha and her face exploded into the biggest smile I have ever seen!! We sang Happy Birthday several times with Lilitha singing along! Everyone enjoyed cake including the ministry staff. I had the best time of all and was reminded once again that it is the little things in life that are the most important.