African Endeavor: March 2012

Greetings!

First of all, we would like to apologize for not posting an update for a while. It is a good indication that we have had some busy weeks. Our days have been filled with caring for and playing with children, working on construction projects, meeting and working with various organizations, painting walls (and roofs), searching for Dr Pepper in grocery stores (at times successfully), fellowship over a tasty braai (BBQ), and an occasional university rugby game. That is a very small nutshell that narrowly contains the events of this past month. Regardless, our schedule is no excuse for slacking on the updates to our family and friends.

To continue summarizing our month: we have met with a number of different groups the past few weeks. We have an opportunity to be involved in curriculum development for a life skills training program that will assist folks in finding work. We will be teaching life skills classes for children that will educate them on non-academic skills and spiritual needs. Jeanine will be teaching academic classes for 2-4 year olds a few days a week. Mike has been working on web sites for a couple ministries we are partnering with. We have begun communication with a few more groups from neighboring townships that we hope to start working with towards some of their needs. The Lord has been blessing us with more and more opportunities to serve and be involved with so many groups. We do request prayer that we can be a blessing to these ministries and that our time be plentiful so we may offer attention to each.

As always, we love to share our personal thoughts and stories. Here are our individual accounts:

Mike:

I am happy to report that while we have been living in BEAM House (a sort of lodge), our encounters with annoying and/or ferocious animals, other than a ridiculous amount of domestic canines, has dramatically declined. The goats that once roamed these hectors have been donated to a neighbor and are now confined to a different property. They did manage to eat the berries from the tree prior to their leaving therefore the atrocious flying bats have departed as well, searching for food elsewhere. Earl remains on the original property where we can only hear his call and not his insistent window tapping. So with the animals gone and vegetation growing as it should, we are now able to enjoy an evening sitting on the porch free from beastly nuisances. At least that was true for a while. I would gladly accept annoying goats or freaky bats instead of the next creature that plagued our happy little home. What kind of monster can bring such dismay you ask? I speak of spiders. All kinds of spiders: arachnids that spin a web strong enough to mold a patio chair to the ground; spiders big enough to wear a seatbelt while riding shotgun in the Land Rover; some can jump far enough to clear the Grand Canyon; others hearty enough to consume a leopard. In this month alone, I have counted over 32 different species. Each of them attack with a force greater than a underground storm drain after a rain dumping enough water to fill Lake Erie. They have no mercy and have one goal in mind: destroy. These multi-legged beasts rule this home and are trying to drive us out. Little did they realize, however, we have the advantage. We can squish them with a flip-flop. Their precious endoskeletons are no match for our five toed feet. So they try to trick us. They wait for us under the toilet or dangle from a web in front of us when brushing our teeth. They climb across the ceilings trying to find the best angle for attack. But their tricks will not work. We will be victorious. We have begun recruiting allies. See the recruiting video on YouTube for more.

Admittedly, I do have quite an imagination and exaggerate at times, but not in all things. I would not be exaggerating if I said that I continue to fall in love with this country more and more. Beyond the beauty of the landscapes, the uniqueness of the plants and trees, the powerful and awestruck thunderstorms, the peculiarly magnificent wildlife, the people here have penetrated my heart. I would also not be exaggerating if I said that in spite of the crime, the poverty and spiritual confusion, deep inside most people is a pure heart. I have learned so much from the folks here and I am humbled by their acceptance. Recently I was speaking with a man whom pastors a church in a nearby township. We visited a few members of his church in their homes. In some neighborhoods we had to abandon the vehicle and hike because the roads were too small to fit a car or were too cluttered with debris and muddy ruts caused by flooding rain. The homes were metal shacks about 15 by 8 feet, hardly enough to fit a bed and possibly a couch or a table. Some had electricity; none had plumbing. Bricks stacked on top held the metal roofs in place while areas of the walls began to rust from the relentless rain. The shacks, only tall enough to stand upright, collected the summer heat and magnified its intensity inside the metal ovens. This pastor also lives in a shack. His church is a tent. He does not always have the means to feed his family. He has been mugged 3 times since he came to the area. One day we spoke of Jeremiah 29:11. He admitted he is prosperous, abundantly, as the Lord promised. This man is one of many that I have met that trusts the Lord and knows He blesses them each day.

Apart from the daily lessons in life, I am excited about the work we are doing. We continue to meet new people and find opportunities to serve. Many of the kids at BEAM have gotten used to us being there a few days a week and started opening up to us more. The culture here is to address an adult as “uncle” and “aunt” as a sign of respect. Therefore I am Uncle Mike, at least to the older kids. It is also customary to title an old man as papa, which I unfortunately have been addressed as such. Maybe my beard is too gray.

I am excited about the upcoming month. There are many events scheduled. I will be sure to update you as they happen. Meanwhile, I have some prayer requests. We continue to search for a church here. Our prayer is that we may find one we may consider to be a home away from home. We also request prayer that our time be plentiful with the various ministries we have been working with and that our hands be blessed to help. Lastly, we request prayer for our family and supporters as they sacrifice so much to be a part of our work here. We pray for blessings among them.

Jeanine:

Hi all! I am about to take you on a journey, so close your eyes. Ok, no, wait, you won’t be able to read what I’m saying if you do that so DON’T close your eyes *sigh*

Anyway, here we go…

Driving down a two-lane road, it is peaceful and beautiful. The road curves this way and that allowing you to view the beautiful rolling hills that are South Africa. Rounding the corner in the road you are suddenly faced with a much different, far less serene scene… The first thing you notice are the hundreds of Toyota vans that fill the street, most are white with yellow pin stripping, some are red a few blue, but all are honking their horns in their attempt to attract passengers. They weave their way in and out of traffic stopping wherever they want, and then there are lines on either side of the street filling up with clients. (Taxis here are used more as busses, you pay a fee and as do the others who are crammed inside, all heading the same direction). It is a mad rush of sound and color….

Yes, I said color. Vibrant colors are all around. The people dress in such magnificently colored clothes. Ruby reds, turquoise, magenta, vibrant golds and yellows. There are deep majestic greens and intense blues. It is amazing to see them all as they wait in long lines for taxis, work their way in between the cars to cross the street or set up shop on the side of the road for the day...

So many little set ups. Signs advertising chickens, fruit and veggies, kitchen utensils, and clothing, (the clothing is usually laid out nicely on the ground so that people can come and look thru) and let’s not forget tires. There are the men and women who walk up and down the lanes of traffic selling the daily newspaper and there are the enterprising young men who have managed to confiscate a road crew vest & shovel and tell you he will fill the potholes for a small donation (lol). In the afternoons the roadsides also attract those with mini grills who cook sandwiches and meats to sell to those driving home from work and the local witch doctor that sets up shop (unfortunately he has quite a following as well as a host of witchdoctors in training and women who serve him, but that is a story for another time).

Welcome to Mamelodi. It is the biggest township in So Africa hosting thousands of people. These people represent every nation in So Africa; some from neighboring countries as well. It was formed during the time of apartheid as one of the places where blacks were moved, basically to clear out the other, more choice areas for white inhabitants. The blacks were told to pack up and then were transported to Mamelodi according to their tribe. In sorting them by tribe, they would not get used to working together, learning each other’s languages and more importantly join together to defend themselves. A horrible beginning for what is an amazing township today.

Today it is filled with everything from roadside sellers to small stores, gas stations and schools. Its residents live in a variety of homes from small cement houses about 15’x10’ to maybe double that size; and small metal shacks. They live in areas where they have paved roads and some where the dirt roads are so small you cannot drive them. But all in all, no matter where you go, you are welcomed in with open arms and offered a seat, even if it is on their bed for lack of chairs. In other words, the people of Mamelodi live and laugh and love.

It is an amazing change of view in which I type this description today. I remember during my trips here in 2009 and 2010, I looked at this township and its people with “oh how terrible” eyes. Eyes that I’m sure every visitor has looked thru. Yet, the longer I stay, the longer I live here in their country I see their life different. I see Mamelodi and its people with Different Eyes. It is a life; it is THEIR life and a life they live every day, their normal life. A life that doesn’t have the “I have to have those shoes” or “I must go to that concert”, a life that for the most part doesn’t even miss these feelings because they are not even available to them. A life that is heaped in poverty, yes; simple, yes; yet they laugh…they live… they love and they are some of the happiest and giving people I have ever met. We have a friend, Pastor Z (short for Ezekiel). He lives in Mamelodi with his wife Agnes and 2 children. They, too, live in one of the shacks and he told Mike knows he is prosperous. He also feels that by living in the middle of, and like the people he serves, it helps him to truly be one of them. They trust him. It is simple, it is Christlike and it is AMAZING! Now, each day as we drive thru Mamelodi, I no longer just see poverty and “oh how sad”… I see life, I see beauty, I see Jesus.

Thank you Lord for my Different Eyes…