On to Port Elizabeth

Monday was travel day, and we caught a flight from Johannesburg to Port Elizabeth, on the southern coast. We are staying at a flat owned by a couple who now spend most of the year in UK, and who generously let brothers & sisters use their place. Mike and Vanessa Floyd live nearby and look after things--as well as looking after us this week. We met them at the Israel Bible School in 2001, and they are just the latest in a string of wonderful hosts.

Port Elizabeth (called PE by everyone) is a beautiful city with a marvelous climate. We have to keep reminding ourselves that it's getting cold back home. One reminder: a "Summer and Christmas 2008" catalog arrived from a retail chain!

On Tuesday, Jane led a sisters class at Mike & Vanessa's flat, while Mike and Paul tried to get an internet connection arranged. Our suppers, and some of the lunches, have been provided by a succession of brothers and sisters, who have welcomed us very warmly. At the flat we get our own breakfasts and occasionally lunch. On Thursday, we had "Thanksgiving" dinner with a couple from the ecclesia: roast lamb for the main course, and a wonderful pie they call milk tart. In the evening, Paul led the ecclesial Bible study, and there was good discussion following.

Wednesday and Thursday mornings, we went to two more game parks. (This will be it for the game parks, at least for the immediate future.) The animal life in this part of God's creation is indeed awe-inspiring. Wed morning Vanessa took us to the famous Addo Elephant Park. Although not everyone is so fortunate, we saw many, many elephants. We sat and watched for quite awhile as several family groups came to a watering hole. Midway through, we realized a lioness and her two cubs were watching the proceedings from the slope above. They were pretty nonchalant, clearly not hunting. A couple of male kudu came around, but were wary and didn't come to drink. There was a kudu carcass near the water, clear evidence that the lions do sometimes hunt there. A black-backed jackal also came along, drank, took a rest, and moved on. Moving on ourselves, we saw more kudu, ostriches, tortoises (not quite Galapagos size, but pretty big), vervet monkeys, and a number of birds--Vanessa being an avid birder, she knew them all.

Thursday we had a guided tour, which was won in a charity auction by our host for the meal that evening. We toured down the coast to the west of PE, and spent at least half the morning in the Kragga Kamma game park. This is a small park, originally established in the 19th century by British soldiers to provide meat. But small does not mean it's a lesser park! We were privileged to see all 3 of the resident white rhinos (a mom/dad/child family)--something of a rarity. Also many zebra, wildebeest, and ostrich, plus a family of giraffe. We saw a group of springbok (the national emblem), and some bontebok, which have come back from near-extinction because of parks like this. Two types of herons at one watering hole, one called "goliath"--deservedly! And, we got to pet a real live cheetah. Yes, it's a tame one. They have a breeding program, which aims to produce more animals for the wild. To do so, some of the cheetahs are tamed, and then they are exchanged with other parks to mix up the gene pool. This park also had wild cheetahs in an enclosed area; although we tried, we didn't see any of them.

More in the next post about the BEC run by the PE ecclesia. I'll also try to add some photos to this post -- terrible connection at the cafe where I'm working...

Yeoville fraternal

After getting back to Joburg from the Pilansberg park Friday afternoon, we quickly repacked, had a perfectly light supper, dressed, and headed for the BEC for the first session of the Yeoville ecclesia fraternal gathering. Paul is the speaker for the gathering, on the theme "An Awesome God". The first talk (God is Love) was reasonably well attended. Afterwards, we were taken home by Pradeep Kana, and his sister Saras, who live in a lovely home.

On Saturday morning, Jane was up to bat. She led a Saturday Club class on creation, for 33 kids, some from the ecclesia but most from the neighborhood. Pradeep and Saras were the assistants, but the kids were so well behaved that the number wasn't a problem. The class went great, and a snack was served to the kids afterward. During the morning, Paul reviewed his notes for the rest of the weekend.

Lunch was a picnic in the park with the Kanas. Gorgeous day in a beautiful park. We then headed back to the BEC for the 3 planned afternoon sessions. At 2:00, the published start time, there were 2 or 3 people there. By 2:20 there were many more and we got started with the first talk, God is a Rewarder. About 5 minutes in, it was clear that there were many French-speakers who weren't getting much from the talk, so Bro Martin suggested translating. We were planning to translate the second talk, but not the others. Adjusting on the fly, we went on with Martin translating. Because the talk wasn't really planned to be translated, it went very long--about an hour and a quarter. The audience was amazingly patient, but during the break many asked that we cease the translating. Since they were video taping, the suggestion was that Martin later translate from the video for those who wished it.

The second session, God is One, went much more smoothly, and there was some good discussion afterwards. The third session, God Saves, also went well. All in all, a long afternoon -- we didn't finish until 6:00 -- but a rewarding day of fellowship and Bible study. Afterwards, Pradeep and Saras took us to an Indian restaurant where we had a marvelous meal, joined by their other sister & her husband and baby.

Sunday morning was more relaxed. The Sunday School kids (basically the same group as the Saturday Club, but a little smaller) were rehearsing for next week's end-of-term program, so we spent the time in informal fellowship with the other adults. Before the worship service, there was a hymn practice that we joined in on. (For those familiar with it, the ecclesias here use the Praise the Lord book, which is sadly now out of print.) Paul then did his final talk for the gathering, God Provides. At the conclusion, the Shukers and the whole group completely surpised us by presenting us with gifts: a necklace, a hand-woven basket, and a set of placemats with various African animals depicted. Then, the best present of all: a program of music and dance from the children and young people. Turns out most of the rehearsing had been for this program! We were very touched by the generosity and the love shown by the ecclesia and the children.

The afternoon/evening there was a memorial service for Sister Vero, much loved by all. Many Congolese attended, and the entire service was presented in both English and French. The theme of the service was the hope of resurrection, and the need to repent and come to Christ, as Vero had not so long ago. In the Congolese tradition, a meal followed, and the Shukers took us back to their place. A long weekend, but filled with fellowship, even if touched with some sadness. Yet we do not grieve as those who have no hope, for which we thank and glorify our awesome God!

Pilanesberg National Park

On Wed (19th) Leon and Joan Shuker treated us to two nights at the Manyane resort in the Pilanesberg National Park, in Northwest Province. We had rain off and on, but it was clear for the two morning game drives (beginning at 5:30 am!) The first morning we took the guided drive, and the second morning we drove ourselves. For Americans in Africa for the first time, it was quite amazing to drive by grazing zebra, giraffe, wildebeest, and many different kinds of antelope. We did not see too much of the "big 5", but on the first day we glimpsed two rhinos lying down in the bush, and the highlight was two lions on the second day. These were also lying down, and not right close to the road, but still...lions! Loose!

Other sightings included a black-backed jackal, whose rest in the road we disturbed twice, and warthogs (including a visit from a mom and baby right on the grounds of the resort.) Besides the iconic African mammals, there were many interesting birds, including a couple of different hornbills, fish eagle and another eagle, pearl-spotted owlet (which is tiny but preys on other birds), weaver birds, shrikes of 2 kinds, grey heron, spoonbill, helmeted guineafowl, and many more--including the one pictured, which we haven't found the name of. The antelope we saw included large numbers of impala, steenbok, waterbuck, red hartebeest, kudu, and (we think) springbok. Oh, and dung beetles, which are truly hilarious to watch.

Our parting gift from the wildlife was a raid by several vervet monkeys, who clearly know when breakfast is over...and they show up to see what they can get. One broke into the kitchen and escaped with several packets of sugar.

We hope to see more of the wildlife before our time here is over, but of course that's not our main purpose here. Nevertheless, this was a wonderful introduction to some of the beauty and diversity of what our Creator has made. May we give Him praise even half as effectively as these creatures!

On to Yeoville

We've been on the run for a solid week--it will take a few posts to catch up.

On Sunday following the workshop in Rustenburg, we attended the Kempton Park (Joburg area) meeting, and had a nice morning of fellowship. Paul led an adult class and gave the exhortation for the worship service, and we had a very nice morning of fellowship.

Monday was moving day, and we shifted to stay with Leon and Joan Shuker, a retired British couple who have been working in South Africa for 12 years. We are still in the Joburg area, but the Shukers (along with a few others) got a new ecclesia started a couple of years ago in Yeoville.

Monday evening we joined in a Bible class the Shukers have with another couple in their block of flats. On Tuesday, we visited the Yeoville Bible Education Centre (BEC). This one operates a little differently. It's the meeting place for the Yeoville ecclesia, and Bro Martin Munyangai operates it full time. He is Congolese, and had to flee Congo for his life because he was involved with the opposition political party. He is an incredibly hard-working and dedicated brother, and since coming to Christ he has put his energy into working with the people in the neighborhood of the BEC, many of whom are also Congolese. The small ecclesia has grown very quickly, and provides food distribution as well as Bible classes and Bible related resources. There is a house on the premesis, and some brothers & sisters as well as some friends live there--the rents partially cover the expenses of operating the centre.

A much-loved sister in the ecclesia passed away, and arrangements are underway for a memorial service. She will be flown back to Congo for burial, by her family who are not in the faith, but the ecclesia will have a service to remember her, and also to bear witness to the many local Congolese who are expected to attend.

First weekend

On Friday, Leonie took us to Soweto - a name many will recognize as a focal point of the unrest that eventually led to the end of apartheid in 1994. The name derives from SOuthWEst TOwnship, because it is southwest of Joburg. The population of Soweto current is greater than that of Joburg proper. There is still very clearly a lot of poverty there, including shanty towns, but it has come a long way toward developing its own economy. Vastly better than Tembisa. We visited the Hector Pieterson Museum, a museum of the incident on 16 June 1976, in which 69 people, many of them students, were killed by police – including the young boy Hector, made famous in a very moving photograph.

We then visited a brother who lives in Soweto, and did a reading with him. He, a few other brothers, and some contacts in Soweto could eventually be the nucleus of a new ecclesia there, someday. The afternoon was spent reviewing material for the weekend.

Saturday was a very long day, but very worthwhile. We got off about 9:30, picked up Bro Emmanuel in central Joburg, and headed for Rustenburg (2+ hours away). We picked up a young family, Kevin and Tatenda Chaibva and their live-wire 3 year old daughter Vanessa, who are the only Christadelphians in the area. We then went to set up for a seminar in a city-owned facility, where we had a large conference room.

They had advertised for 1:30, planning to actually start at 2:00 – but by that time only 2 guys were there. (Some of you may be familiar with the term "Jamaica time". Here they call it "Africa time"!) We decided to go ahead and start about 15 or 20 after, and just then 8 more people came, and 1 more came just after we got going, making 11 total visitors. Paul did a Bible Prophecy Workshop, and Emmanuel did a brief recap of their last seminar in Rustenburg, regarding the return of Christ, resurrection, judgment, and the kingdom.

Five stayed for discussion, including one couple who have attended before. The man came loaded for argument, and we had a lively discussion about the Lord's return. The others who stayed also had questions & challenges – but it was a good exchange. One young man seems to be very interested and eager, and has a wonderful attitude. He will be moving soon to the Joburg area, so it’s hoped that contact can be continued. Meantime, Kevin will keep in touch with him.

After dropping off everyone, we got home after 9:00 pm, and then had dinner. We used Skype to call Jane’s mother and our son Caleb, to wish them both happy birthday. We also learned that Paul's Uncle Glen had fallen asleep in Christ. We pray that his sleep in the dust of the earth will be short, and that our Lord's coming will be soon, to raise him and all the faithful to eternal life. "Even so, come Lord Jesus!"

Johannesburg area welcome

Wednesday evening, Paul was invited to lead the mid-week Bible class for the original Johannesburg ecclesia, which has been in place for many years. We had a very nice evening of fellowship.

On Thursday morning, we were picked up by Lucas and Leona Scheepers for a tour of some of the work being done by the Kempton Park ecclesia. They, our hosts Paul and Leonie Verster, and a handful of other couples, formed the Kempton Park meeting on the east side of Johannesburg about a decade ago. It has been very active, and has grown rapidly.

First stop was an orphanage in the Tembisa township. The townships around the major cities are a holdover from the Apartheid era. Improvements are being made, and some are working their way into better situations -- but there is still massive unemployment and poverty, made worse by the AIDS epidemic, which has left many orphans. The orphanage is the home of a marvelous couple named Andres and Barbara, who care for 15-20 children, counting their own three. They started with a tiny house made of block, which has been added onto with help from the Christadelphian 2010 Initiative, which is a joint effort of the South African Christadelphian ecclesias. With help arranged by 2010 and the Kempton Park ecclesia, Barbara and Andres feed anywhere from 30-50 children. Some of the food is donated by food stores, who must remove out-of-date food from their shelves, even though it is still perfectly good. When we get a chance, we'll devote a posting to the work at this orphanage. Lucas and Leona talked with Barbara about plans for additional expansion, when funds can be obtained.

The Kempton Park meeting has been taking about 20 kids from Tembisa every week to their Sunday School, but the demand is greater. They are now looking at setting up a Sunday School in a building within the township.

After the Tembisa visit, the Scheepers took us for lunch at a nice place called "Mugg & Bean", a coffee & sandwich shop. (The coffee here, so far, has been universally wonderful!) We had bobotie, a traditional Afrikaans dish of egg & ground meat, with chutney, rice, and bananas on the side. They then took us to the Bible Education Centre (BEC) which the ecclesia operates in a mall. It is a shop for Bibles & Bible materials, and they also offer correspondence classes as well as on-site classes. There are several BECs here in SA, including the one we'll be working at in Durban. Each is a little different in its approach, and we will be visiting them all to become familiar with them. This is a concept our home ecclesia in Champaign hopes to implement--and we hope to learn as much as possible about how they operate.

After a full day, we were dropped off back at the Versters, and then Brother Emmanuel Mphambo dropped by for final planning for a Bible seminar on Saturday in Rustenburg. Emmanuel and Paul (Z, not V) will be the presenters. The Versters then took us to meet Leon and Joan Shuker, who took us all out to eat. Jane had ostrich, and Paul had kudu -- we're definately not in Illinois any more! Both were delicious. The Shukers, along with some other families, decided about a year ago that a third ecclesia was needed in the Joburg area. They led the formation of the Yeoville ecclesia, north of the city. In the intervening year, the ecclesia has more than doubled, and like KP is growing wonderfully. The Shukers will be our hosts next week, and we look forward to working with them.

We have some pictures of these people and places, and we'll try to get them posted soon. It's already apparent that having time for these posts is going to be something of an issue... But it's also apparent already that the vibrant ecclesias and the wonderful work here in South Africa is going to be a great experience that we are glad to now be part of!

We've arrived!

All of our flying arrangements went great - from Bloomington to Atlanta, then to Dakar (Senegal) and finally on to Johannesburg. The last leg actually left Dakar a half hour early, then gained another half hour en route, so we landed an hour early. But it was still a loooooong time sitting on airplanes!

Having slept hardly at all on the plane, we slept soundly and long our first night, and we woke this morning feeling not at all jet-lagged. (We'll see how long that lasts.) Jane is being put to work right away, leading a women's class this morning. They have a pretty full schedule for us the first couple of weeks, but they've also left some time for getting to see a bit of the country, which we're looking forward to.

Thanks for the many prayers and well wishes that we've received from family, brothers & sisters in Christ, friends, and colleagues!