South Africa Even Has Penguins!

from Elliott

While in Capetown recently we visited Simonstown where there is a colony of penguins. In the park we saw this sign. At first thought, I wondered who would ever think to shake hands with a penguin.

What if he stuck his hand out first, would we be seen as disrespectful if we did not shake hands. But then, I remembered that penguins don’t have hands. Hmm. 

These penguins make an unusual sound – like a braying sound that a donkey would make. For many years they were referred to as ‘Jackass’ penguins because of that sound. Evidently though, someone thought that was offensive, to the penguin I guess, because they are now referred to as South African Penguins. In fact, the brochure says “formerly known as Jackass Penguins”. Sounds like a PR firm got a hold of that!

 

Voices

from Katherine 
No, I am not hearing them. Rather, it is the sound of my voice that alerts people that I am not a South African.

I stopped at the market the other day to get some milk. I went to the till to pay for it and greeted the cashier and the bag person as I always do. (It embarrasses Cason that I talk to people where ever I go.)
 
As soon as the words were out of my mouth the bag boy asked, “Do you know, Mr. Elliott?” I confessed that I did know him quite well; in fact he is my husband. Lindile was very excited and asked me to tell ‘Mr. Elliott’ that he now had a job at the Super Spar, our grocery store. I asked Lindile if he had taken Elliott’s computer class and indeed he had. Then I asked why he thought I knew Elliott. Lindile said, “It is your voice; you sound just alike.”

A Creation Moment

from Katherine 
We wrote a curriculum for kids based on the creation story. It has been great fun and we have all learned a lot. Something I have noticed about myself is that I am more aware of God’s creation all around me now that I have been sharing the message of the Creation Story with the children in the Eastern Cape for the last year. 

The other day I was walking up the stairs outside of our home and a centipede was crawling along the

step. He was fire engine red!  A year ago I might have noticed him but not given him much attention. Not any more - I watched him, took his picture and made a mental note about how long his was so when I show the kids his picture I will be able to tell them all about the centipede.

Today, our tiny church was crowded so I sat in the very back next to the door. We sang How Great Thou Art and a bird landed on a tree branch right next to the door and sang his little heart out. (Now this is the part where I sound like a nutty little old lady.) I think that little bird was singing along with us; maybe not the exact words but he was clearly singing his praises to his creator while the people sang their praises. It was a cool creation moment. Wish I had had my camera!!

Touch

from Katherine

The children that I read to in our literacy program are in BIG classrooms- One hundred and twenty-seven in one classroom. Yes, that is 127 kids in one room. I like to bring nonfiction for kids like National Geographic in addition to Bible stories because not all the children are the typical 9 years old for Grade 3. Some of the kids are much older, so I try not to read “baby stories.”

Because there are so many in the room, I walk up and down each aisle so everyone can see the pictures. Some of the kids have what seems to be an uncontrollable need to touch the pictures. The teachers will tell them “put your hands in your lap” but some of them just can’t help themselves. I can see them trying to hold back and then this urge is overwhelming and  they reach out to touch the picture.

I guess if you don’t have books available to you the need or urge just takes hold of you and you reach out if only for a second.

"There is a White Man in the Church!"

from Elliott
I had ventured to Bizana to facilitate a Savings and Credit Group. We met in the church hall. We were setting up and I noticed that two young children came in, looked around caught sight of me and then heading back out the door. I did not think anything of it until a few minutes later the one of the Pastors came in and the same two children were with her. One of the children said to her while pointing at me, “See, there is a white man in the church.”

  

My Pastor friend came up to me to introduce her two children. She stopped for a minute and then told me that her daughter had come out side to say that there was a white man in the church but she could not imagine who her daughter was talking about. She then explained that she was expecting to see me and that because she knows me she does see me as just some white man! Instead she sees me as the person that God has sent to help their church empower their members.

As a cross cultural worker seeking to humbly walk in the shoes of others, I felt empowered by her encouraging comment!

"What is Your Chicken's Name?"

from Elliott
As part of the Creation Story Enrichment Curriculum, Katherine has been teaching the children about birds one of Katherine’s favorite topics. She shows the children pictures of the many bird images she has taken in her travels and explains to them how God created them each in a unique way. She points out the features of each species like the shape of the beak, colors and size of feathers, etc.

She then asks the children what other birds they know about. She was surprised when no one mentioned chickens since she had admired many in the community. She asked whether chickens were birds. They all agreed that chickens were not birds! 

That reminds me of working on a mission construction team in Liberia with my friend Dave Main. We arrived on the site one morning and one of the Liberians that we were working with arrived leading a live chicken tied on a string. Dave said, “What is your chicken’s name?” The man replied, “Lunch”
 

Perhaps many of Katherine’s students don’t think of a chicken as a bird because it is really dinner!

Meeting a Friend Along the Road

from Elliott
I had not seen my friend Lusizo in a while so I was excited when I turned off the tarred road onto the rough dirt road on the way to visit Pastor Andile last week. Lusizo was walking along the road so I hopped out of the truck for a chat. It had been almost a year since I had last seen him but he had told me that he was going to work on a nursing certificate at a small hospital about 60 kms from where I found him. He was on a school break visiting family so that is why he was on that road that day.

I met Lusizo last year. He is probably 20 or so and had been a student for a couple of computer classes that I was offering. I share scripture in each class and he was always eager to participate during that part of class and often spoke to me afterward about the message and his hopes for the future.

As we stood by the road he told me all about the nursing program and the practicum at the hospital that followed each semester. I got excited because he was so enthusiastic and not just about what he was learning. He said, “I do not have a computer so I have not been able to use what I learned in the classes but someday I will use it. I learned something more important. God showed me that I CAN LEARN even something as difficult as computers. Before that I did not have confidence and was not sure that there was a purpose for my life. I learned in the class that God has a plan for me and with his help I can get a good job as a nurse and help other people.”

Wow, just what I wanted to hear that day. I don’t think I felt a bump anywhere along that road; I was so excited I must have floating over the rough patches!