An Amazing Sight

from Elliott
We often do not even notice the large ocean going vessels that travel along the coastline where we are in ministry but this time we were traveling down the long and rough road to the iSigidi community where we are privileged to walk alongside the new church pastored by Andile Mbhele. It is a rural community with a beautiful coastline on the Indian Ocean. Last Thursday was different though. As we crested the rocky outcrop in the road we noticed something very different on the horizon- two large sailing ships!

I imagined an earlier time in this lands’ maritime history. Mariners were passing by this area in the 1500’s. In fact there is a shipwreck off the coast where we live – the Sao Joao, a Portuguese merchant ship hit the rocks in 1552. It had departed from India and was heading to Europe loaded with pepper, Chinese porcelain, Cowry shells and cornelian beads as well as about 600 people on board. One hundred people died attempting to get ashore and the rest made camp onshore. The captain led the survivors north along the coast toward Mozambique. Ultimately, only seven Europeans and fourteen slaves lived to reach Mozambique.

The land where the iSigidi community is has always been remote, due to the large rivers and gorges heading inland. For many years it has supported sparsely populated agriculturalists and herders. Imagine, what they must have thought over 500 years ago when that first sailing vessel passed the coastline here. “What could it be?” “Am I imagining something” I wonder if they were afraid or just curious? I guess it would not have been before the first vessel sent people ashore that they began to get some idea of what it was. I am sure they could not foresee how the arrival of ships from far away would change the world that they had known!

Tasting Party

from Katherine
We are on the third day of creation now.  God has covered the earth with all the trees, plants, grasses, and flowers. Our story begins with seeds. I thought it would be fun to taste some fruits and veg and look at their seeds.

This morning Anagava, who is 2 years old, was sitting next to me and we tasted cucumber. She put a bit of cucumber in her mouth, seemed to like it and had another bite. Next we tasted yellow and red peppers. Again Anagava took a tiny nibble and then put the rest in her mouth. Next we tasted oranges. All the children ate their orange pieces with enthusiasm. All except Anagava. I was surprised that she did not like oranges after eating the other unfamiliar things. I asked “don’t  you like oranges?” Then her teacher said” Anagava, eat your orange.” We were all surprised to see the chewed cucumber and peppers come spilling out of her mouth and once that was accomplished as fast as lightening she grabbed her orange and had a big juicy bite! We all had a laugh even Anagava.

I had told the children before we started that if they did not like the taste of something to run outside and spit it out. (There is no garbage collection so you don’t need a rubbish bin (trash can) in your classroom. I promised the children that they would not hurt my feelings if they did not eat the food. In this and many cultures it is rude not to eat what you are offered and if you are not sure when your next meal will be, you better eat what is in front of you.

As I was leaving a bold little boy asked if I could bring chocolate the next time I came!! He was very surprised when I told him that chocolate comes from a cocoa bean that grows on a plant!!!

Finger Prints

from Katherine
Today when I went out to read I took along one of my favorites.  The Very Busy Spider By Eric Carle I have this book in Africa thanks to my friends Carol and Linley who brought it to me when they visited last year.

I am very fortunate to have a library in our town with a nice children’s collection. I also have a few of my favorites. The spider in the story is visited by the barnyard animals and asked to come along and do something, but the spider is busy. There is also a pesky fly in the story and I bet you can guess what happens to it.

Eric Carle’s illustrations are beautiful and The Very Busy Spider is special because the spider’s web is raised. You can feel the first single strand of the web and feel more and more as the web grows. Thank goodness you cannot feel the caught spider!

Today I added 127 new finger prints to my copy of the book as my giant grade 3 enjoyed the story. The web is getting a bit dirty and I love it!

Monkey Business

from Cason
In case you have not noticed my family likes to watch the crazy monkeys around town. On Saturday morning my mom was driving me to my friend’s house when we saw monkeys out for breakfast.

Two young monkeys were 'play fighting' over something, probably food. They were jumping up and down and screeching at each other. The funny part was the circle of older monkeys egging them on. Just like a school yard fight! Not that I am familiar with that, of course!

Traffic Report - Africa Style

from Katherine
I had to run to the market late this afternoon so I heard the latest traffic report from our one radio station.

The first report was from the Umlass River area where wildlife officials where removing the massive crocodile that has been stalking breakfast, lunch and dinner for 4 years. We have a saying here…Africa Time. They got him, finally.

The second report was from the N2 the national road that is near our home. A large herd of cows decided to eat the grass in the median.  We are not sure how they got to the median. The problem with cows is that when one decides to cross the road the whole herd goes!

Hamba Kahle

from Katherine

We always seem to find a sign on our travels that makes us laugh.  This past weekend we traveled to Durban for some wedding errands. While there, we saw one of these signs that made us all laugh and then we decided that it was a very appropriate.

The sign read “Hamba Kahle Funeral Supplies”  Hamba kahle means 'go well' in Zulu and it is similar to 'Good Bye' for the person going. We found it funny and yet what a better thing to say to wish a loved one the final journey.

Drying Out

from Katherine
It is not the kind of drying out you might think of first. It is the drying out one does after the roof blows off in a storm.

It rained Thursday. It was heavy at times. The rain continued Friday, but fortunately slowed to a drizzle for our youth group braai (BBQ).  Saturday arrived with more heavy rain, gale force winds, flooding and COLD temps for our area. That continued into Sunday. The sun shown for about an hour Sunday afternoon then we had a repeat of Saturday night.

I am happy to say that it is Monday, the sun is shining and there is a steady “drying out” breeze. There are many homes here that have thatched roofs or corrugated metal roofs held down with cinder blocks. When we have a big storm lots of roofs blow away.

On my way to ministry this morning I saw many families (unfortunately, many children were kept home from school to help) taking everything out of their homes and setting it out to dry. Where does it dry? On a ladder that was leaning up against a building with no roof, a mattress placed on Coke crates, blankets thrown over fences and clothes arranged on any bush strong enough to hold the weight.

Interesting enough the folks I saw were smiling and waved as I passed. Neighbors who fared better were helping the ones who did not. Boys were hammering the bends out of the tin roof pieces so they can be used again.  The thatch will be dried out and retied. Nothing will go to waste. Just another day in Africa!