Did I tell you we had kittens?

Oh ya, I forgot, we had kittens! I bet you didn't even know we had a cat. Well, actually, it's the "farm cat." I remember my Grandma's farm cats, aka barn cats. They were very independent animals who lived in the barn, got fed whatever grandma had, leftovers and all, had their babies in the barn, braved the elements...... Well, not exactly with this cat. Any of you who know Kalon and I know that we really aren't cat people!! But, this cat, cobra, was brought up with the Wadley's dogs. So, she really isn't a cat. Just to clear that up. Then, she attached herself to us after Ben (the other American) went home in February. She was only a kitten herself! (how am I doing here?) So, she hung around our house a lot. We started feeding her, she liked our bed..... enough said. Kalon and I are softies, ok! Well, When Anne-Marie and Kiersten were visiting in March - Cobra got "injured". Hummm.....9 weeks later, on May 28th, she gave birth to 2 kittens. Cobra is a tiny cat herself, and not yet a year old, so we guess that's why she had only 2. They are so cute!!

Who couldn't fall in love with this!

So, they are still at our house. I mean they're still so teeny! They are only just beginning to learn to climb on our bed! Actually, we have had to kick them out of the bedroom. I think they're nocturnal! They have had a visit from the Wadley's dogs. It's important that they become dogs too! Soon, we'll begin the adjustment to the farm. I'm not sure they'll really be "barn cats" though. That's too difficult for Kalon and I!

Oh, their names. Well, mom's name is Cobra. Yes, after the snakes that live here. The babies have been named Puffy and Adder. The other poisonous snake that lives here is a puffadder. See a pattern? So, their job, whether or not they decide to accept, is to catch mice so we don't GET snakes. I'm not sure who's teaching them to catch mice. So far Cobra hasn't seen any in our bedroom!!!

What's up? (May 28 edition)

Hey, folks!

We've been busy with visitors for the last few weeks.

First we had a large short-term missions team from Crossroads Church in Colorado visiting for a week. That was quite an experience. This team was well-organized, flexible, and with great hearts. They had a deep impact on the community of Philippi, both through the sheer impact of their presence, and in the ways they shared their lives with and taught the community. It was a delight to be alongside this team and the Philippians through that week.

On the heels of the Crossroads team was a 2 week potential staff trip which just ended Friday. 5 potential staff members came to visit Bridges SA and get a better sense of what this ministry looks like, and how they might fit with it.

Part of that visit was a four-day training of trainers (TOT) for CHE. The potential staff were joined for that part of their visit by 7 program facilitators from Philippi, a Korean couple learning English in the nearby community of Wellington, and an Aussie missionary working with his family in Lesotho.

Throughout it all, God's transforming work continues in Philippi. I am amazed at what is happening in this place! Look for more stories in this space.

Please pray for the following:

• That we won't succumb to burnout with so many visitors; we have another team coming next week, followed by a badly-needed 3 week break before Ocean Hills arrives for the OVC retreat
  
• For Muleki and Lulama Nkoloti as they wind up their visit to California (Pray especially this week that they will have the opportunity to really rest and relax before returning home)
  
• For Bridges SA potential staff, as they prayerfully consider joining with us,
  
• For Philippi staff, as they encourage, lead, and nurture God's transforming work within their community
• For the communities of Philippi and Lower Crossroads, as they continue to blossom and grow in health
• For the children in the OVC and ASP programs
  
• For Umthi We Sizwe, that they will continue to seek and receive God's grace and forgiveness, and to let their new lives shine boldly
  
• For our family's (and Linda's) search for a church home
• For our ability to connect with the needs around us, and wisdom to do so in the right way
• For the communities of Groendal, Matyotyombeni, and Mbekweni
  
• For Grace and Lucas, that they might continue to develop friendships, and to enjoy this still alien land

Thanks for your faithful prayers, and for your support.

What would you do without?

“The poor plead for mercy, but the rich answer harshly.” _{Proverbs 18:23}


A mother stands in front of me at the Pick and Pay. The LCD monitor on the wall showing the weather forecast belies the dilemma she faces. The pay she received for her work isn't enough to pay for the meager collection of staple foods she has placed in her basket to feed her family. This even though bread is subsidized, and a loaf of delicious wheat bread tasty enough to satisfy even this Gelson's client runs a mere 5 rand ($0.70).


South Africa is made up of two economies. The trappings of the first economy suggest that the country has more in common with the first world (even with America) than its African brethren; there is plenty of fresh fruit and great food, entertainment, movieplexes, good roads, big warm houses. Even those great symbols of American culture, fast food and the shopping mall, are ubiquitous here.

A second economy coexists virtually alongside the first. It is an economy of poor nutrition, poor or nonexistent healthcare, dependence on hired "taxis" and foot for transportation, and tiny houses in crime-ridden self-contained slums.

The wealth of the first economy is built on abundant cheap labor supplied by the second. I suspect that the unique thing about South Africa is not that this is the case, but only that the relationship is so visible - it is a unique place where the veil between the two worlds is so thin that the story that we who live in the first economy like to tell about why the world is the way it is can be directly checked against the observable reality.


According to the free market, the value of a typical laborer in SA is something under R10/hr (It may even be the case that this is a generous wage.) Here is where some kind of equilibrium between supply and demand has been reached, such that employers suffer little turnover.

I know people who reason that, regrettable though these market wages are, that the poor quality of the life they enable is the best motivator to work hard, gain skills, and seek better employment. The answer, they claim, lies largely in training workers for more highly skilled employment.

Although I think training is an essential part of the solution, particularly over the mid to long-term, it seems to me that this does not preempt our responsibility to those who work for us. It is often easy to treat the condition of poverty as an abstraction. In this place, it is not possible without closing your eyes to reality; it is simply too real and concrete to allow pretense.


What are the elements of a decent, basic living?

Nutritious food?
Safe and hospitable shelter?
Warm clothing?
Medical care?
Time to spend with children?
Something to put aside to care for yourself when you can no longer work?
Perhaps even something spare to help care for others in your family (or maybe even your broader community) who cannot meet their own needs?


The hard truth is that market wages here don't come close to covering even a majority of these needs. This even though bread is subsidized, and housing is usually in the form of a shack sharing a tiny plot of land with housing for many others.


Is it morally permissible for us as Christians to pay someone who works for us at a rate that forces them to choose which of these needs they will forego, even if we have the ability to pay them more?

Christ said:

"Do to others as you would have them do to you." _{Luke 6:31}


The obvious question this raises is "If we were in their shoes, is this how we would be treated?"

If so, what essentials would we do without?


On a purely pragmatic level, it should be clear that failing to pay a wage that allows the employed to meet these needs means that they must either be met in some other way (likely through some form of governmental support) or go unmet. The first is at best inefficient. The second will be intolerable unless we are willing and able to close our ears to the plight of the poor.


“Those who shut their ears to the cry of the poor, will also cry out and not be answered.” _{Proverbs 21:13}

Relief, development and short term missions

These are just some things I've been thinking about lately. This past week, there were 5 people here from around Africa and America. Curt Peterson, our former pastor at Montecito Covenent was here as Director of World Missions for the denomination. Then 1 man from Congo, Mossai Sanguma, a couple from Cameroon, Cindy and Peter Ekstrand and Roy Danforth from Central African Republic. Peter, Cindy and Roy are Americans who have been working in Africa for almost 30 years. There purpose for meeting here was to discuss the future of missions in all of Africa. With the combined experience and understanding of these people including what Dennis and Susan are doing here, I am excited about the future of missions in Africa. I must say, I feel privileged to have met these people. Kalon and I were not part of their meetings, but we did have devotions with them and shared some meals. I learned so much from their insights, their understanding of scripture. To hear from an African how they hear the scripture was amazing to me. I won't forget hearing from these people. Curt of course is a dear friend and it was very special to have a visitor from home, someone who knows us well. I am very thankful for that. Meeting missionaries who have been here for almost 30 years, seen and experienced so much, raised their children here, it's amazing! What dedication and passion they have for a people and place. Although, it doesn't all together surprise me. The people of Philippi that we are in relationship with are easy to love!!

Cindy, Pete, Roy and Dennis
We're standing around a fire looking at our menus

Hearing about issues in Congo and these other places also points out to me how diverse this continent is. Here in South Africa, we don't have the issues of violence, no roads, no basic facilities that others face. We have the under the surface issues left from Apartheid, racism, feelings of inferiority, poverty, aids. But we are all working toward the same end. Helping people help themselves. Development, not just relief.

Linda, Roots (he owns the restaurant) and Sanguma, trying to see his menu!
This restaurant, also called roots, is in Kayamandi, a township outside Stellenbosch.
Does everyone understand what a township is? It's a the nice term for slum.

Most of you know that I have a brother-in-law who is a 2 star general serving in Iraq this year. I recently received a link to a blog about him from a sister. Ok, so be aware, I'm biased, he's my brother-in-law that I've known since I was like 16, I think he's pretty special. But, when I read this, I was SO STOKED! Elephants in Academia: A blogger round table with General Hunzeker He's doing development! He's trying to get to know these people, help them help themselves. I thought, hey! He knows how to help people, don't just do it for them, help them learn to do it for themselves, they are very capable. Now, I'm not going to get on any bandwagon about Iraq. That is entirely too controversial. I am looking at this simply from the personal perspective of an American and a missionary. How do we as Americans, as people who have much and know much, help others in the world? How do we help them see their own resources? How do we share our knowledge that maybe they don't have? This is development, it takes time, it takes being in relationship, it takes building trust. I feel strongly that it's what we need to be about. Relationship, understanding where another is coming from, not just forcing our own thoughts and agenda on another. That's a learning area for me!

The vines are gone

Here is a field where there were once grape vines. They were about 30 years old and not great anymore. Besides, Bridges of Hope is not planning on being vintners. We thought it tempting, but not the plan for this place. So, now they are all gone and we have a big clean slate as it were. Ready for playing fields, a house, a place for horses, an ATV track (Dennis' idea) a garden and chickens! (our idea!!) So, while Dennis and Susan and family have been on vacation, what did we do....... Well, lots, actually. We painted the dining room, lounge, put together the library (it's going to be great for children!) the gift shop (helps with sustainability) and.... planted the garden and got chickens!

Kalon, Travis and Linda work in the garden.
Notice the hat Travis is wearing, it's Gracie's! He fit in so well!!

The chickens arrive! That's Cali, the Wadley's dog. She just wants to be friends!!

In their new coop we lovingly prepared for them.

2007 - A very good year

I started this blog some time ago and thought I should continue it!

Today we begin to learn about Wines! Dieter, the man who owns the vineyard where we rent our cottage, has been very kind to try to inform us about this process. I'll attach some photos for those of us who are visual learners. I am excited to see this process from plant to bottle. First the fruit on the vine:

Beautiful! Is this a Merlot grape or a Shiraz?

Pretty amazing to think that these will become wine. So first they get picked, obviously! And there are LOTS of them.

This is only part of the vineyard!

In the cold room

This is like the cotton gin of grapes. It separates the grapes from the stems

Is this Lucas learning about wine?

Dieter shows us how the color is coming out after only 24 hours of cold soaking.

So after they are picked they are brought to the cold room where they are run through a wine press. The grapes are separated from the stems and dropped into one of these big concrete tubs. There they have a cold soak for a couple of weeks before the fermenting continues.

So there is the beginning!! The wine bottles were delivered last week, pallets of them! Stacked right outside our bedroom window. I'm sorry I didn't get a picture. They have already been moved to the cold room, so I think the bottling has begun!

I just thought it would be good to share with you some of the other important things we are learning as missionaries. Hey, when you live in a vineyard..... We try to go wine tasting on the weekend, usually Sunday afternoons. I am trying to have a more discerning palate. It's going to take some more work, but I'm beginning to be able to distinguish some of the different flavors. It's really quite fascinating. One weekend, we watched the wine steward take the cork off a bottle of champagne using a samurai sword. It's called "Sabrage" and it was very impressive!! Hey, this is important stuff!!

When in Africa...

This is Millie. She was at our facilitators retreat in January and also at our CHE Training of Trainers retreat in March. She carried her baby on her back like this, as most women here do, while she was at the retreats. When she first walked in at the facilitators retreat, I didn't even realize the baby was on her back! She was just sound asleep and Millie walked in and sat down like anyone. Only later did I notice that she was sitting a little differently. Then of course when I looked closely and noticed the cloth tied around her, I realized.
This past Monday as Linda and I were driving out of Philippi, I saw the most adorable sight. A little girl, probably 3, had her teddy bear tied on her back like the mama's do! Oh my goodness, I wish I could have taken a picture, but of course, not in Philippi. So, when I came home, I told Gracie about it. The house keeper at the farm, Rachael, taught us how to tie the baby on Gracie's back! It is so practical and easy. WAY better on the back than using a front pack. They do this from very new born up to about 4 years old, I've been told. Many use a towel or a thin blanket. This is one of Lucas' baby blankets. It worked very well. Much less expensive than a Baby Bjorn!! I'm seeing a trend here. Any mum's with small one's out there? Give this a try. They make it look very easy. Even when the baby is very young, they just swing them on their back, put the legs around mum's sides, piggy back style, then tie the blanket around. Let me know. I think we could give Baby Bjorn a run for their money!! The practical things we can learn from each other.

Time marched on

Wow! It's been almost 6 weeks since my last post!

As staff members we have a helpful device for acknowledging a mistake and asking for forgiveness.

So, here's mine.


Late February and March was a full time. Let me catch you up on what we've been up to.

At the end of February, fellow staff member Ben returned to America. Ben was here at a difficult time of transition with Bridges SA moving headquarters from Stellenbosch to the Academy grounds, but much of staff still living in Stellenbosch. Ben was the exception, living on the grounds of the Academy and somewhat isolated. We were grateful to get to know Ben, and sorry to see him leave, but also thankful for the way he started things off here and managed to keep things going until our round of staff arrived.

Right after Ben left, our friend Linda, whom we met on our potential staff trip in September, arrived from America. We are so excited to have her working with us. Although it is a small group (Linda, Annelise -- our SA administrator, the Wadleys, and the Kelleys), we are developing a strong sense of community here at the farm.



Part of our community are the various people who come for retreats, visits from America, and other reasons. At the beginning of March, we enjoyed a visit with Semester at Sea collegians Anne-Marie and Kirsten, and friends Ricky and Zac. We had an enjoyable rainy weekend with some wine-tasting, a braai, music, and discussion.

In early March, we hosted a "Training of Trainers" training session for LifeWind's CHE (Community Health Evangelism) program.


We participated in training with about 20 others, including a dozen Philippians, and a couple of Swazi ladies. The training was excellent - when we return I hope we can help infect MCC with a passion for community development and health.

Other participants in the CHE training included a pair of Swazi ladies and a pair of young Philippian women who are teaming together to serve as a CHE training team that will try to start a CHE program in the community of Siteki, Swaziland. It's hard to express how cool this is! Siteki is an impoverished rural community where efforts to date have largely (perhaps necessarily) been focused on relief. For Philippi to be sending people out to another country is an amazing sign of the work of transformation going on in that community. And incredibly hopeful to observe multiplication in action.

Another participant in the training was a 20-something named Travis, who is working with LifeWind making videos that capture CHE through observation of it in practice in various communities. Travis has spent some time with us at the farm, enjoying communal life with us, and helping us to plant a vegetable garden. He has become an instant and welcome addition to our little community.

In mid-March, we (the Franschhoek staff and families) travelled to Wilderness, a beautiful area a few hours to the east on the Indian Ocean. There we spent considerable time as a staff together, learning more about each other, and coming together as a team. This was a wonderful time together, which will greatly help us know and understand each other as we spend so much time together working on our shared mission.

In the last week, Linda, Ruth, Annelise, and I have been on our own working on projects, as the Wadleys have been on a family vacation in Australia and Malaysia. We will be working hard for the next couple of weeks continuing to knock property development projects off the list before the Wadleys return and we enter an extended season of hosting numerous retreats and American church trips.

Throughout it all, we have been having a fabulous time, and we are getting lots of work done. Thanks so much for your prayers, and your continued support.

Please pray for the following:

• The Siteki training team. Pray that the team will bond well together, that the young women from Philippi will feel welcomed, and that they will collectively make the connections within the community which will start the CHE program off on the right foot.
  
• Mama Lulu, who is grieving the brutal murder of her nephew. Pray for her peace, and that she will continue an encouragement to and source of hope for her sister.
  
• The Wadleys as they continue to enjoy a well-deserved period of rest and relaxation. Pray that they come home refreshed and ready to continue with the work.
  
• Potential staff for next year, including our possible school administrator.
  
• Grace and Lucas, particularly Grace, as she continues to face hurdles transitioning from our much-loved Montessori environment to that of the sports-focused private school they are enrolled in at present.
  
• Us and our parenting. Pray that this will be an opportunity to spend a great deal of quality time together as a family.
  
• Philippi staff, who are doing an incredible job running programs in Philippi, and who are growing in their sense of empowerment in incredible ways. Pray in particular for Babalwa and her safety as she has taken on a whole new ministry to a group of gangsters in the community. Pray also that new opportunities for education and training opened up by the computer lab will be recognized and well utilized.
  
• Our work at the farm and preparation for the Academy.
  

Just another word of thanks for how you have supported us. We are merely the tip of your efforts.

Our work

So, what will you be doing anyway?

It was difficult to answer this question when we came back from our trip to SA in September. I'm not sure that I answered it to anyone's satisfaction, and even then it took me a lot of words to answer. Distilled, the answer was "we'll do whatever is needed, but mostly we'll be helping to get things ready for children to come to Bridges Academy starting in 2008."

So, what are we actually doing now that we're here?

1. Community development

BHI's primary purpose is to help communities in Africa that are hard hit by the twin challenges of AIDS and poverty to "create long-term, self-sustaining solutions to the challenges they face." Work within the township community of Philippi to address community-identified problems of health, the care of orphans and vulnerable children, and after-school care for children has dominated the agenda of Bridges SA staff for the last couple of years.

This work has been a success story. Bridges has worked with community leaders to create programs to address these problems, and these programs are now being run virtually independently by community-based staff and leaders. Further the success of these solutions has been noticed by adjacent communities and places further afield, who have requested and are now being trained by Philippi leaders to create the same kind of self-sustaining solutions in those communities.

The success of the last 3 years means that our work looks a lot different this year than it did to last year's staff. "Self-sustaining" demands that the goal of transient labor (like us) is to work ourselves out of a job. Train, encourage, and get out of the way.

In practice, this means that this year we will spend much less time in Philippi than last year's staff members did. This may be hard for us, but it is a mark of success.

Our efforts in community development this year are focused on:


• encouraging Philippi leaders (tangibly by meeting with them weekly, and praying for them continually),
  
• supporting Philippi ministries by providing the farm (and ourselves) as a resource for retreats for staff, their volunteer facilitators, and the members of the community they serve,
  
• working with Philippi staff to figure out ways of leveraging the newly installed computer lab at Masivuke Primary school for community development purposes.
  


BHI is using the farm as a base of support and training to efforts to reproduce what was started in Philippi into other communities, but while this work is very much a key element of what BHI is doing this year, it is not likely to be a significant focus for Ruth and me. We have had hopes of beginning community development work here within the Franschhoek community, but there will be fewer staff members here than originally anticipated, and this makes it likely that our approach to starting that work will necessarily be more organic and opportunistic (i.e. seeking to develop relationships with people in the community) than highly intentional, as we seek to remain focused on the principal work of the next year, which is to develop and prepare the way for the opening of Bridges Academy in January of next year.


2. Preparing for Bridges Academy

Preparation for the Academy remains our primary focus for the next year. That focus is manifested in a large variety of work, ranging from physical property development tasks to decision-making regarding class structures, living arrangements, curricula, and educational philosophy.

Physical property development includes the design of a new main house on the property (not likely to be completed before the start of 2008), creation of playing fields, developing networking infrastructure, experimenting with gardens, refitting of existing buildings for expected use as dormitory space, a library, gift shop, classrooms, etc.

I'm finding that I'm passionate about education, if far from an expert. (Educators - please send me links/references to educational ideas, philosophies, etc. that have influenced your thinking - particularly about secondary school education, since the Academy will first target middle and high school aged youth. To get the juices flowing, here's one of my favorite links.) There is lots of work to do here.


3. Planning for stewardship/sustainability

Bridges projects (including the academy) are expected to become self-sustaining - that is, to get to the point where they are sustained by resources provided by the community they serve. We will engage in creative thinking regarding how available resources at the farm might bring in needed revenues, in ways that are consistent with the primary use of the farm as the home of the Academy.

We will also be brainstorming potential business opportunities that could become a means of employment within the impoverished communities we serve.



4. Everyday life

As you can see, there is a lot that we expect to be part of this year. This is in addition to the ordinary business of maintaining a healthy family life, developing relationships here, and just generally adapting to life in a rather different culture. I hope it's obvious how much we depend upon those of you supporting us from back home. You are critical. We need your ideas, your love, your prayers and your support. Thanks!

Perhaps, says the Grinch, there is something more

Grace gets a piggy back from Manalesi

Mama Lulu serving sandwiches

It started out low, then it started to grow...

That's how the people from Philippi sing. One person, maybe 2, start softly singing something in Xhosa. Something that they think appropriate, that they are moved to sing. I don't know because I don't understand the words, but I feel the meaning. The Spirit is there, in them.

Last night I welcomed the group of 40 Philippi staff and volunteers to the farm and said a short prayer. When I was finished, Mama Lulu said to me, "would you like them to sing a song for you?" I have never been asked anything like this before. I am being asked if I would like this gift of music from this group. I answer that I love hearing them Sing! Thank you. Mama Lulu says something to the group and one woman, whom I don't know, begins, a cappella, no discussing what to sing, she just starts. She alone has this amazing voice. Some more voices join in, and more until the crescendo of all 40 voices singing, loud, strong, in harmony, with rhythm and parts. Then down again. This one voice leading the direction of the music, everyone just knowing what to do. It is amazing, beautiful. It is over, sweetly slowing and ending. It is too beautiful to clap to. I have goose bumps. Does God get goose bumps when his children are so beautifully gifted? I can imagine him sitting, admiring, smiling at the beauty rising up to the heavens. I just say thank you and close my hands together as if making one clap, but not disrupting the beauty lingering in the room.

As I put the children to bed sometime later, the windows are open and we hear them begin again. "Mama, the singing!" Grace says almost in a whisper. Even the children can feel this is a gift. I have been in the presence of people with amazing hope, kindness and love. They have very little possessions or things to give. They give of who they are.

"We give I Pods and lap tops and gadgets galore.

Perhaps we should give what we haven't before."

View from my desk

This is what I see as I sit at my desk at home. We are renting the guest house on the vineyard that is next door to Bridges farm. Very convenient, although we don't have internet there yet. So, I apologize for not updating our blog more frequently. There is so much to tell about, I hardly know what to share.

We are doing a lot of just regular physical work on the farm. Things like preparing buildings for use at retreats and for the school next year, figuring out where things should be kept, putting them there, building shelves, cleaning up, etc. etc. Also discussing how we'll use these facilities for the school. There will be a building, eventually, but until then, we're going to use what we have. How will that work? Where will the children sleep? House parents? Teachers? A principal? Curriculum? Uniforms? And on and on. I've (obviously) never started a school. There is a lot that goes into it. Dennis and Susan have made some great contacts here in SA who are very interested in helping.

Every Monday we go into Philippi and meet with the staff there. That is an amazing experience. I usually return at the end of the day pretty tired. But it reminds me why we're here and who we are trying to help. We have one staff person, Babalwa, a young woman, who has taken it upon herself to begin reaching out to the "skolies". These are the gangsters (or worse) of the township. They are very feared young men and commit dreadful crimes. Babalwa was telling me this past Monday how she feels so close to these young men, "they are like my brothers." she said. We pray regularly for her safety and wisdom as she continues meeting with these young men and tries to help them turn their lives around. I know she would appreciate your prayers as well. That is only one part of the ministry happening out there. Babalwa is also running the after school program where she teaches students computer skills. Then there are the 2 orphan groups that meet as well. We hear about various children and any issues there might be as well as offer any help or encouragement we can. These programs are being run by these people in Philippi so our only role is support. It's wonderful to stay informed and connected with them.

This weekend, Feb. 16 - 18, is a retreat for the volunteers (facilitators) for the after school program and the orphans groups. We will have about 30 people here starting Friday evening. This will be our (Kalon's and my) first retreat experience. So, pray for us as we are here with the philippi staff and volunteers and for them, that it will be a fun and bonding time for all. This reminds me of doing my first NOAH's camp or Telluride trip, I have no idea what to expect. I'm anxious to get the first one out of the way so I understand it better. We'll be doing quite a few of these for different groups this year. And retreats are part of the ongoing plan for the farm and school. Knowing how these work is important for me.

I haven't even mentioned regular life. The kids school, trying to meet other moms, maybe make friends, maybe learning Afrikaans or some Xhosa, grocery shopping, regular shopping, figuring out how life works here (notice I didn't mention cooking dinner!) I'm just giving up on that!!! I survived and grew on peanut butter and jelly....

Neighbors

If you have Google Earth installed, you can find the farm at the following coordinates:

33°51'51.76"S, 19° 2'15.96"E

Otherwise, double-click the picture to see a larger version of it.

The farm is a trapezoid that is found in the lower left of this picture - my placemark text is at more or less the center of the farm. At the northwestern corner of the property are the main buildings on the farm, including the L-shaped main building (in which we are currently living out of our suitcases), the pool (where we have been trying to stay cool), a square two-story building which contains a number of rooms that have been modified from efficiencies (the property was previously a guesthouse) to contain numerous bunkbeds (BHI needs additional funds to buy more beds), and a long rectangular building which is the shed/barn. At the southwest corner of the property is a horse barn. On the eastern edge of the property are two "labourer's cottages", which are being converted into staff housing.

To the west and north of the farm is a vineyard. The building closest to the farm's north is the house we will be renting from the vineyard's owners.

While I was down at the staff cottages killing time while the stove deliverymen attempted to place and hook up the new stoves, I noticed for the first time some of our new neighbors, directly to the east of the staff cottages. It being Friday, there were lots of sounds coming from these somewhat dilapidated looking labourer's cottages as the workweek had just ended.

There seem to be some kids here, and I was suddenly reminded that our mission field isn't just to the people in Philippi, but out here it is all around us. As we drove around this past weekend and this week, I came to realize that reaching out to the farmworkers and their families could be a huge part of what we could be up to out here in the "Cape Winelands."

Please be in prayer that we will find ways to connect with our neighbors, despite our halting ability to communicate.

Unlikely appliance men

Last weekend I promised to blog about some of the experiences I had in the first few days we were here. Here it is, a week later, and I haven't written anything.

So here goes.


Let me set the scene.

It has been hot; hotter still late this week (We hit 41C, 106F on Thursday - they say February is when it really gets hot!) than it was the week we arrived, but it was already hot last Friday (the day after we arrived.)

The power had been going on and off in the afternoon (the nuclear power plant in the Cape area isn't running at full capacity) due to rotating outages intended to spread the discomfort.

Around 7:00pm, a time by which I normally have already enjoyed my customary post-work beer, three delivery men showed up at the house with two new stoves.

One of the stoves (a new gas range) was destined for the main house. The other, plus the electric stove that was being replaced, were headed to the "labourer's cottages" 200 metres distant.

The delivery men did not have one of the adapters that was required to complete the job, and this made us a bit unhappy, since it had been ordered.

However, these men soldiered on to at least position the new gas stove where it belonged. As they were moving this stove around, I struggled to offer assistance, or at least stay out of the way. Offers of help were declined dismissively, and the two men who were the more able of the trio (each maybe 5'8" and by my guess maybe 120-130 pounds) muscled the stove into place. Then the third (the only one who spoke any English, which made communication quite difficult) got down to work with something on the floor, and could not get up without being helped by the others (too many years of moving heavy appliances?)

They looked somewhat disgruntled when I had to inform them that the other stove (already unloaded off of their flatbed truck, and the electric stove which had just been replaced) were destined for the cottages instead and would have to be reloaded on the flatbed.

However, they worked on and soon we headed down to the cottages. After I unlocked the buildings and told them where things went I tried to keep myself occupied while they moved the stoves to their new locations.

When they were ready to leave, they asked me to sign the delivery slip, which revealed that they were expected to wire a new harness to the electric stove. When asked, they proceeded to attempt to do this, with the most unlikely selection of tools (whatever they appeared to have on hand in their delivery truck). After this job was "complete" (it could not be verified whether the work was completed successfully or not as the power was out - later inspection reveals the job was not a success), they headed off (hopefully to the end of their work day!)

A few things struck me about this:

1. I was expected to not be helpful, and viewed as something of a nuisance (maybe?) for trying to help, even though my build makes me a much more likely appliance mover.
2. The common denominator of South African work seems to be the omnipresence of cheap unskilled labor. Not much effort seems to be put into training anyone on how to do jobs - brute force in the deployment of human resources appears to be the answer to any problem. These men had neither been trained nor provided with the proper equipment for doing the electrical work that they were expected to do.
3. My initial reaction, to be dissatisfied with the quality of the men's work, was altogether too natural. What about holding their employer accountable for failing to train them properly, provide them with proper equipment, to teach them how to lift things without hurting themselves, and provide disability insurance so that the gentleman who could not get up off of the ground without assistance could stop delivering appliances for a living when he was no longer able to do so?
   

Today was the first day of school for the children. Here they are in their uniforms. Looking very proper I must say. They both had a great day, made a friend and enjoyed their teachers. Gracie played cricket for sports! Lucas got to swim and be barefoot all day. Both big hits for him. Keep them in your prayers. Right now they are loving everything! We are so thankful.

Shock and awe

This weekend has been tough for us; the challenges here have been hitting us like so many ton(ne)s of bricks. Ruth has already alluded to some of the things she's observed in her posts.

For me, the issues are getting personal and intense.

I had been surprised that Ruth and I hadn't been more shocked by what we saw in SA in September; the juxtaposition of first and third world cultures. I think the reason is that I was prepared for these disparities. What I haven't been prepared for is what happens when you move from observer to participant in a culture.

I want to tell you some stories from our first few days that capture the essence of this surprise, but they are still too fresh in my memory and hence too rich in detail to be able to recount in one sitting. Stay tuned - I'll do my best to describe them in blog postings in the week ahead.

Meanwhile, stay well, and keep your prayers coming. Grace had some intestinal bug/fever the day after we arrived, but she seems to have kicked it yesterday, and ought to be well ready for school tomorrow. Please pray that both of our children will adapt well to their new school and have both great caring teachers and make new friends.

"Mama, it's Florida out here!"

That would be my Grace today when we went into town to get Gelato. Today it was 100 degrees, seriously! Tomorrow it's going to "cool down" to about 92. Oh YEAH! Thank goodness for the pool at the farm. The children spent most of the day in it. We did go out to get Gelato in Franschhoek. It was the kind of hot where it's too hot to eat even. Then we just took a drive in Susan's air conditioned car to Paarl, another town about 20 minutes away. We wanted to check it out and it seemed like a good way to spend some time on a way too hot afternoon.

Once again, we're struck by the disparity. The black people walk EVERYWHERE. They walk along the highways, city streets, wherever they have to go. And they were out today, in 100 degree heat, with their Sunday clothes on, walking. I noticed particularly some men in suits. Sunday best. Oh my goodness. Walking along the highway. What? It's just what you do! (as I cruise by in my air conditioned car.....)

School Supplies

So I went out today, list in hand, and bought the children's school supplies. They're going to a small, private school not far from the farm. Kalon picked up their uniforms yesterday and the children were so excited! Lucas immediately put his on, and wore it again today. Among the paper work we received was a list for each child of the supplies needed. Gracies was pretty long. Everything from 4 jumbo glue sticks, pencils, "exercise" books, (lined and unlined)a nature study book to tortoise shell superior scissors. They were very specific with brand and type. I had no idea what some of the things were. Fortunately, Susan Wadley took me to a store that had virtually everything we needed, and a very helpful guy who took the list and found everything for us! Then I had to get Grace's uniform shoes. Black lace ups. So we went to some other stores to find them in her size. We found them at a store in Stellenbosch. Lots of other people were shopping for their school supplies also, black families mostly. Gathering the same notebooks, pencils shoes and socks that I had purchased.

My total for everything today was 864.82 Rand. That includes lunch boxes and 2 rolling knapsacks to put all this stuff in. I'm talking a lot of stuff. With the exchange rate of roughly 7 rand to a dollar, that's about $125.00. For 2 children for the whole year, that's really not bad!

Yesterday we interviewed a house keeper for the farm. (I just listened in knowing nothing about interviewing a house keeper, let alone one in South Africa!) She is currently not working because the B&B she had been working at was slow and they wouldn't be needing her until February sometime. She has 3 children, a 20 yr old, 17 yr old and an 8 yr old. When Susan asked about her past wages, she said at this last job she was making 125 rand a week, the one before that, 84 rand. Do the math! We're talking like $15.00 a week. These are the same people who are in the same stores I was in needing to buy the same school supplies for their children. How on earth do they do it? Talk about a living wage issue.

Some of you may be familiar with Bridges of Hope's Market of Hope, where you can purchase things for people in need. Among the things you can purchase is school supplies. Other organizations do this as well, make your donation for a specific thing. Help however many children get school supplies. Well, this is it. Strange, I saw it with my own eyes. Something that I just go out and do, run this errand, not a huge deal. Actually, not a bad price. But these people are looking at weeks worth of wages, just for the school supplies!

I wonder how forward progress here is going to happen? I have only just begun to see what these people are up against. How to wrap my brain around it and have even a clue what to do (and how) is something different all together.

Did I tell you I'm living in South Africa?

This was a strange realization I had as our plane was landing in Cape Town. I knew it would hit me, I had been wondering when it would. We had been working toward this since our return from our in October. Madly trying to finish things that needed to be done, get visas, pack, rent the house, raise support, say good byes etc. etc. I guess we were too busy DOING to really THINK. So it didn't really hit me, until we were landing. We've MOVED here. It's only for a year, so it's not quite the same as a permanent move. But still...It's pretty amazing. Here's an adventure that I never really thought I would have. I'm 45 with 2 grown children, and 2 small children. But (as those of you older already know) life's adventure doesn't have to stop. There are still lots of possibilities.

I've not been a great one for seeing God work either. I've got great hind sight. "Ahhh, that's why I survived all that craziness." But, my vision is improving. And with it I'm getting some (note the SOME) patience and understanding. I've gone through most of my life kicking and screaming, trying to make things happen the way I want, and usually hitting my share of struggles.

But seriously, let's look at this. Africa has been a place I've wanted to go since my teens. In four months, we have managed to visit for 3 weeks, fall in love with place and people, return to America, work out many details and move here, with our 2 small children. This isn't to say we didn't have some obstacles. There were certainly some. But, we kept moving forward, not loosing our desire or momentum and keeping our sense of humor! That's key! Kalon and I were always on the same side heading the same way. When one felt like falling, the other would buoy. It was truly amazing. We didn't argue about things or find fault (with each other!!) And we made it. Here we are. Living for a year in South Africa, ON A FARM (another dream of mine) doing development work to help those struggling with AIDS. Go figure. What an amazing opportunity to be in an amazing place! Could be a God thing huh.