You're invited to dinner!

For all of our friends who live in Central Illinois, we hope you can join us for a genuine South African meal! We'll also share some slides and stories of our experience.

Details:

Date - Saturday, June 13
Time - 5:00 to whenever (but not late)
Location - Bloomington Christadelphian Chapel

Directions:

• Take Veterans Parkway to the southwest corner of Bloomington
• Turn right (north) onto Morris Ave (it's a traffic light, Clark station on the corner)
• Go a half block north to Six Points Rd (FS convenience store on corner)
• Turn left (west) onto Six Points
• Go over the tracks & under the highway, ALMOST to the stop sign (which is Oakland Ave)
• Turn left onto Ridgecreek, the street before the stop sign, then right into the parking lot

If you live on the west side, it will be quicker to go down Morris Ave and right on Six Points, or out Oakland Ave until it bends south, then take a left on Six Points. But if you live over here on the west side, you already know that!

We MUST have your RSVP if you plan to come! Send email to pzilmer@cdelph.com.

Hope to see you there!

Jane & Paul

Final stop

After our final 2010 meeting, we hit the road for Johannesburg. It was a nice drive, and we were glad that there was a vehicle that needed to be returned to Joburg (having been loaned to Durban for use by the P2P team). We got a last look at the Drakensberg mountains, and saw some of Free State and some other countryside we hadn't been to before.

Our final stop before heading home was a 3 day stay in Joburg. We'd received three invitations, all from people we had come to love: Paul & Leonie Verster, Leon & Joan Shuker, and Lucas & Leona Scheepers. We had stayed with the first two couples when we first arrived, and since Leonie and Leon both had had recent surgeries, we landed with the Scheepers this time.

On the Tuesday, we went with Leona and an Australian volunteer named April to the new crèche in Tembisa township. The building is owned by an Ethiopian Church of Christ, but they use it very little. The Christadelphians arranged with them to operate a Sunday School there, and a crèche through the week. (You may have seen the entries on the P2Pearth blog about the major fix-up project, and the opening.) The building doesn't look like much outside, but it's really nice inside--now.

Leona had a meeting with one of the crèche teachers, so April did a class with the kids, and we tried to lend a hand. (The number of kids in the crèche has multiplied quite a bit since the opening--the term "throng" comes to mind...) We had a great time with the kids, who all wanted their pictures taken.












While in Tembisa we visited the orphanage there, which seems to be carrying on about the same as when we were there 6 months earlier.

Then Leona took us to the Lory Park Zoo, which specializes in taking in unwanted or abandoned pets, as well as wounded animals. Their specialties are exotic birds, and big cats - and we're talking BIG cats, from around the world as well as every sort found in South Africa. An unexpected highlight was the owner coming out and insisting that we participate in feeding the "baby" tigers. Hey, they were only 8 months old, how big could they be? Well, just take a look!

That evening we went to the Bible class in Pretoria, a little less than an hour's drive away. Paul led the study & discussion, and we were very pleased to learn that some attended who haven't been coming regularly.

Wednesday morning Jane went with Leona to a sisters class, and Paul...basically did nothing! In the afternoon we visited with Paul and Leonie--so nice to see them again. Then supper with Leon and Joan, and wonderful to see them again too. We went with them to a combined Bible class, drawing from Johannesburg/Kensington, Kempton Park, and Yeoville, and hosted by Yeoville. Paul led the class again, and we had yet another farewell as we said goodbye to the folks from the Johannesburg area.

Thursday was going home day. Lucas, who is the overall coordinator for all of the 2010 volunteers working in South Africa, debriefed us to gather our impressions and experiences from our time there. After lunch they took us to the airport and we were on our way home, where we arrived about 27 hours after being dropped off. Seemed like we were better prepared mentally for this trip, though--it didn't seem near as bad as the trip the other direction. The only glitch was that US Customs wouldn't allow us to bring in protea seeds. This is the SA national flower, and we had hoped to plant some, and had intended to give some to our beloved brother Mike Kaiser, who had cared for our house plants while we were gone. Sorry, Mike!

To all of you who supported us through prayer or in practical ways: Thank you!! Special thanks to our niece Abigail Fadelle, who took wonderful care of our house while we were away. To the loving and generous brothers and sisters in South Africa who hosted us, we thank you, and thank God for you. We hope that it will be our Father's will that we can go back, before too long!

A series of "lasts"

The "few days" mentioned in the last post has turned into 2 weeks, but we do want to backfill on some things we never had a chance to post.

During our final couple weeks, we went through a long parade of "lasts" - last time for this Bible class, last time to see these people... It was hard, saying goodbye over and over, but we certainly wouldn't have wanted to miss any of them! And in a way, the prolonged farewell helped ease the pain of parting.

After returning from Sodwana Bay and St Lucia, we plunged into transition to Cam and Kim Beeler, who arrived in South Africa from Arkansas the day before we got back to Durban. It was a whirlwind, and we apparently neglected to get any pictures of them! We pray that God is blessing their work. Cam has taken on the management of the Bible Education Centre and related activities, and Kim will be home-schooling their 3 children. She will also get involved in the work, of course. As far as we know, they are still house-sitting for a family who is out of the country, but will move into the flat above the Durban hall soon.

Among the "lasts":

Last Sunday afternoon class with students from the BEC and others, mostly newly baptized. The top picture shows many of the regular attendees, but unfortunately doesn't include Boniface and Mary Wilondja, who are the anchors of the African contingent of the Durban meeting.



Last visit to Mariannhill, where we saw the newest BEC to open for business. We had helped provide young Bro Kwanda with materials, Bibles, and training in a visit a week earlier. At this visit, it was all set up and operating. Paul led a Bible class for a smaller-than-usual group (it was a holiday week), and we said goodbye to Bro Phinda and Sis Sylvester, the key anchor couple in the ecclesia, as well as Kwanda and all the rest.





















Last Lamontville study day. We had leafleted in the community the Saturday before. The talks were give by Tom Farrar (from Canada, in SA working for Africaid), who sprinkled his talk with Zulu, and Dumisane Qwabe, who sprinkled his with English! Then it was goodbye to Sis Rose, Sis Lungile, Dumisane and Nonhlahla, and young Andrew, who is one of the most faithful attenders and helpers; we pray we may hear of his baptism before long.






Farewell dinner and last meeting in Durban. On Saturday evening the Durban ecclesia hosted a going away feast for us. Many from the area ecclesias attended--the one picture shows just a small portion of the group. Bro Barry van Heerden put together a slide & music presentation, and we were given parting gifts. Most moving was the Zulu crown for Paul, and necklace & bracelet for Jane, presented by Bro Mhloli Malunga. None of our eyes were dry. Then Sunday morning we were at the Durban meeting for the last time, and said goodbye to so many. Barry and Wendith, Anthony and Pat, Boniface and Mary, Mhloli and Buyiswa, Ryan and Rose, the whole Wilcox clan, Dieudonne, Charlotte, Terrance, Clement, Serge & Mary, Nick and Gill, Eddie and Olive...we should list the whole directory! We grew to love you all so much!





Last meeting in Westville, which was a "witness" meeting Sunday night, where Paul gave his last talk in the Durban area. Sorry, no pictures. We said goodbye to some, but didn't have to say goodbye to some others, because on Monday morning we attended our...

Last 2010 weekly meeting. This one was tough. We were literally on our way out of town, and it was the last time to see some of the people we had worked with the closest: Cathy Strachan, Matt and Petru Blewett, Craig and Nicky Blewett, Tim and Ilse Genders, Yvette van Rooyen, David White, Christy Beyers, Carmel Woodman.

It was a bittersweet couple of weeks. Many invited us to their homes for meals during this time, and we so enjoyed the fellowship, made all the more wonderful by the knowledge that we would soon part.

Home again

We're home! Arrived about noon (Illinois time) on Friday.

Lots of emotions - glad to be home, sad to have left South Africa. Mostly, we feel just incredibly blessed.

On Friday Esther & Isaac came over to visit, as did Jane's dad briefly. Talked to Caleb & Andrew by phone, then early to bed, and a long night of sleep, and we felt pretty good on Saturday. We visited Jane's dad and brother, then went for a short visit to her mom in the nursing home. Then over to Mahomet to visit with Paul's family, including some out-of-towners, for a celebration of niece Abigail's graduation. Congratulations, Abby, on being a certified teacher!

Happy Mom's Day to all the mothers out there! We'll be with the Champaign ecclesia (and Paul's mother) this morning, then visit Jane's mom this afternoon.

We will try to do some catch-up postings in the next few days. For those following this in Illinois, we hope to see many of you soon.

Hippos & crocs

We mentioned that on the way back from diving in Sodwana Bay, we had a chance to take a hippo & croc tour by boat, in the St Lucia estuary. Here are some pictures. Hippos & crocs of course. And also an African fish eagle (we were about 3 meters away from him), and a goliath heron (indeed a giant - stands about 2 meters tall). Plus other things not pictured: swimming crabs, mud skippers, egrets, and more. All of them our Creator's handiwork!

Award ceremony for course completers

On 25 April we had a certificate award ceremony for those who have completed courses at the Bible Education Centre. (These used to be called "graduations", but we've changed the name, to try to avoid an implication of a qualification--and to try to dissuade people from renting caps & gowns. Seemed to work! No gowns, even for the 2 people who had said they were going to rent them.)

To North Americans, having a ceremony like this may seem strange. Here in South Africa, education is truly valued, but higher education is not possible for many. So, rather than a degree, many people take specific courses that lead to a certificate. Having evidence of educational achievement is worth something to them - and our students at the BEC are no different. On our side, we are very happy to recognize time and effort spent in Bible study, and to encourage them to keep it up.

We had 32 people who completed courses since the last award ceremony, of whom 9 had completed more than one course. Twenty of them came to the ceremony, and we had 40 total visitors at the Durban hall (most people brought a friend or a family member, or two). Paul conducted the proceedings, Barry van Heerden from Durban gave a great talk encouraging the students to carry on, and Mary & Jane presented the certificates. (Jane had also done all of the food shopping and preparation.)

The most exciting thing is that two of the students are very close to baptism. Almita, an older woman who has done all the courses, has been talking about baptism for some time. Her sister has been trying to talk her out of it, but on this day she said to Mary that she wants to go forward. The other student is a man named Crispin, who has completed 3 courses and is mid-way through a fourth. He just seems to be on fire. At the ceremony, besides asking Paul how he would go about being baptized, he made a financial donation to the work. (The two weren't related - it's just clear that he believes in the message and wants to support spreading it.)

The Lord is indeed blessing the work here! There are other positive things happening as well. The niece of one of the early BEC students has asked for baptism preparation classes, which Mary is going to arrange with her. A man named David has resumed The Way of Life classes with Bro David White. A young guy named Zipho, who had been very keen, but whom we hadn't seen in the BEC for some time, was at the ceremony and engaged us in a great conversation. Another young guy named Jerom has done all the courses and has been attending regularly in Durban. A woman named Nokuthula is mid-way in her 4th course and attends regularly on Sundays, and has said when she completes this one she wants to talk about baptism. On and on. God be praised!

Many thanks to those who helped with the day: to Barry for the talk, the music, and the A/V help. To Wendith & Christy for the help in the kitchen. Of course to Mary for her ongoing work with these students, as well as for contributing to the ceremony. To Cam and Steve for fetching people, helping with the setup, and to Steve who acted as usher/doorkeeper. And thanks to David, Dieudonne, Charlotte, Rose, and Mhloli for attending & supporting the effort, and engaging the students in conversation later.

It was an exciting day. Please join us in praying for the students, for God's direction in their lives and for their continued spiritual growth. And for laborers to work in these white fields!

Crazy month

If anyone is still out there paying attention...sorry it has been so infrequent that we've posted anything! Just hasn't been time.

Following our last post in early April, we had a group of P2P (Prepared to Preach) volunteers here from UK for almost 3 weeks. There were 16, divided into 2 teams. We worked primarily with one of the teams. During the first week, Jane and the team worked each day on a Holiday Club (what we would call a Vacation Bible School in the States) in Lamontville. The other team was doing the same in Mariannhill. Classes, crafts, games, lunch, soccer...each day was full! Meanwhile, Paul took one volunteer from each team into the BEC each day.

The pix are of the 2 teams at the wrap-up hosted by Tim Genders; a couple people had to leave early so one team looks smaller. By the way, for those in the Bloomington & Champaign ecclesias - one of the volunteers was Luke Bamford, whom many will remember from the year he lived in Central Illinois.

Then came a long holiday weekend over Easter, and the Durban area ecclesias hosted their annual fraternal gathering. Paul did 3 adult classes during breakout periods. The P2P teams taught the children. Over that weekend, there were 12 people from Candu and Johannesburg staying at the Durban hall, downstairs from us, and we helped out with transporting them to & from the gathering. (Too many people to hold it at the hall - they rented a private school.)

After the fraternal the P2P teams hit the road for a few days, one team visiting Margate and the other traveling down to Candu, which is on the "Wild Coast" quite a way south from here. It's a rural community and you probably won't find it on a map.

While the teams were away, we got a chance (finally!!) to do some diving. We drove north of Durban 3+ hours to Sodwana Bay, which is part of the Greater St Lucia Wetlands park, a World Heritage site. The weather was bad, and the first day of diving was scrubbed. But on the second day we had two terrific dives. Very nice reefs, and of course the corals and fish are all different from what we are used to in Florida & the Caribbean. On the way back, we stopped in St Lucia and took a hippo/croc boat tour of the estuary. Very cool -- we'll try to post some pictures. These few days were our only days off during April.

When we got back, we dove straight into final preparations for an award ceremony for people who completed courses at the BEC. Of course prep had started much sooner, but there was still a lot to do, especially for Jane, to get everything for the meal bought & ready. And the P2P team was back, this time staying here at the hall. The P2Pers and the Mariannhill youth group did a concert at The Workshop (a mall near the BEC) and handed out over 2,000 cards with info about the BEC. One person came straight over and signed up for a course, and we expect more will come in as a result. Both of us manned the BEC while the concert went on, although Jane got away to see part of the concert.

Another important development: while we were away, the Beeler family arrived! Cam and Kim with their 3 kids are our replacements. The past week has been spent doing knowledge transfer regarding the operation of the BEC and all the educational activities. Only a one-week overlap, so there won't be time for much reinforcement, but we've promised to be available from afar as consultants.

During this last week in Durban, we've also been invited to a number of meals with the brothers and sisters we've gotten so close to over our months here. It is really, really hard to think about leaving. There will be a farewell for us tomorrow night, hosted by the Durban ecclesia. Jane is afraid she'll spend the entire evening in tears, and Paul's eyes may not stay dry either.

On Monday we will drive to Johannesburg, where we'll spend 3 days with the folks there, and then with God's blessing we fly out on Thursday. For those of you back home: we look forward to seeing you soon! For those of you in South Africa: we are going to miss you terribly. We hope that it will be our Father's will that we can come back some time!

First Saturday Good News

We previously reported that at the end of January, we held an all-day study day for the BEC students in Lamontville and Umlazi townships. The response was terrific, with 45 students attending.

We obviously wanted to follow up on this great response. The plan we developed was to run a series of half-day sessions, on the first Saturday of each month, for 6 months: First Saturday Good News. There would be two talks at each session: one on Bible teaching, and one on Christian living. In-between, we would have tea & biscuits (cookies to North Americans!) to provide a break and an opportunity for conversation.

The first Saturday of March, we kicked off the series. The responses for the January study day came mostly from text (SMS) messages sent to the students’ phones. So, we decided that would be our advertising approach, plus fliers in the BEC and in the Lamontville Good News Centre, where the sessions were to be held.

As we mentioned in an earlier posting, we were disappointed that only 9 students came. (Although in North America, nine visitors at a public effort would be fantastic!) Bro. Dumisani Qwabe gave the first talk (in Zulu) on “Sin and Salvation”, and Paul did the Christian living talk on “Doing Right”. Although the number was small by comparison with January, those who came were attentive, and seemed to appreciate the message.

For the April session, we decided that we must do better on the advertising. Bro Mhloli Malunga from the Durban ecclesia attended, and he suggested we do leafleting. We thought this was a great idea, and the last Saturday of March, seven of us went door to door in Lamontville. We were delighted to be joined by our oldest son Caleb and his friend Shawna, who were in town visiting from Oregon. For those of us from overseas, it was sobering to be in the homes of these very poor people. It was also interesting to see with our own eyes what we had heard: although the home might be only a shanty, and the outside might not look like much (and might in fact have trash lying around), the inside was invariably clean and neat. No matter what, the Zulu culture is that the home, the body, and the clothes will always be clean.

It turned out that Jonathan and Megan Sabo from Missouri were going to be in town on the day of the April session (Saturday the 4th), so we invited Jonathan to do one of the talks. He did the Christian living talk, on “Trusting God” (even when things don’t go well). Paul did the Bible truth talk, on “God’s Promises”. Jane organized and served the refreshments, as she has each time – an important contribution to the overall event.

The door-to-door work paid off. Four people from the neighborhood responded, none of whom had attended any previous functions. All told we had 12 visitors – still not nearly as many as January, but a definite improvement over March.

It clearly makes a difference when you serve a meal, as we did in January. While going door to door, we actually had a couple of people say directly, “If you have food I’ll come.” It is hard to know where the balance lies on this issue. We don’t really want to bribe people to attend, but on the other hand feeding needy people is certainly a good thing to do. The approach that is being taken is to occasionally have an event that includes a meal, but not all the time. This would seem to fit the pattern set by Jesus, who as far as we know only fed the crowds twice; and he rebuked the crowd that followed him only in hope of getting another meal.

We pray that the seed sown on Saturday among new contacts, and the watering of several long-standing students, may result in growth and fruit, to the glory of God. We know who it is that gives the growth!

Great visit

The day following our last posting, we were privileged to be on hand for the ecclesial opening of the Mariannhill Good News Centre – and for the eleven baptisms that kicked off the day! An awesome day in every way!

A week ago Friday (20th) we picked up our son Caleb and his friend Shawna, who spent 30 hours flying in from San Francisco, after spending 6 hours driving there from southern Oregon. Amazingly, they were actually coherent! We headed almost immediately to the Mason Lincoln School for the Physically Disabled (known to everyone as Happy’s School, because the headmaster is a woman named Happy). Bro David White led a Bible study, and then Jane led an activity with the kids — she did a short study on water, and then each student wrote a Bible verse on a water cup, which they then could keep. Caleb and Paul pitched in to help out.

On Saturday we had a youth day in Mariannhill. Turnout was light, but we had a nice small study group. Caleb led one class, and Sister Lungile from Lamontville led the second one (in Zulu). Shawna and Caleb provided games, including a twister-type game that consisted mostly of laughter!

Saturday evening we participated in a farewell to Dan and Leah Egginton, who have now returned to Oz after a year here. They made tremendous contributions and will really be missed. God bless you, Dan & Leah, in the next stage of your lives!

On Sunday, Caleb and Shawna went to meeting out in Mariannhill, while Paul & Jane went to Westville, where Paul did the exhortation. That evening, Caleb followed up with a witness talk in Westville.

Then on Monday, the four of us headed north to the Phinda private game reserve. A family here are members, which enabled us to get into this very posh lodge for two nights, at a cost we could afford. We were treated like Hollywood stars or something! Unbelievable. And the wildlife was truly awesome. We took 2 game drives each day, spending about 9 hours a day in the bush. Started at 5:00 am each day, and didn’t end until a late dinner about 10:00. We saw a tremendous variety of animals, including cheetahs, buffalo, rhinos, hippos, elephants, lions, giraffe, zebra, wildebeest, warthogs, monkeys, impala, kudu, nyala, mongoose, a python, a chameleon, and some of the biggest spiders any of us have ever seen! Our guide was amazing, and unlike other parks we’ve been to, these guides drive right off into the bush – no obligation to stay on roads. We had a pair of male cheetahs walk right by the 4x4, we were charged by a bull elephant (yes, we got away fine!), and we followed a lioness & her cubs down a road late at night. And the stars! This park is 3+ hours from Durban, way out in the bush, and the stars were simply breath-taking.

After this short vacation, it was back to work. Paul concluded a series he’s been leading for the Durban Bible class on Wed night. On Thursday Jane and the “kids” caught some time on the beach, and Caleb & Shawna did some shopping in downtown Durban on Friday morning. In the afternoon Paul & Caleb had the class in the BEC while Jane & Shawna helped out in the shop.

The week ended Saturday morning with leafleting in Lamontville to advertise the study day next Saturday. This put us in the homes of people in the township, many of whom live in a single room. Very sobering, and a reminder of how blessed most of us are. Then a quick shower, lunch, and we dropped Caleb & Shawna at the airport before heading to a wedding. Very full week! But very, very nice. It was tough saying goodbye to Caleb, since we don’t know when we’ll be able to see him again. And of course, seeing him also made us miss the rest of the family. Moms & Dads, sister & brothers, kids & grandkid, cousins and aunts and all the rest – we love you and miss you, and look forward to seeing you all! Hard to believe, but we only have 5 more weeks here.

Two baptisms, killing a cow, and other news

An update on various things:

The big news since the last posting is two baptisms in Durban. Dieu-Donne and Charlotte are both originally from Congo, and like so many fled here to get away from the violence. They have been students for some time, regularly attending the Friday afternoon classes at the BEC, and very faithfully attending the biweekly Sunday afternoon classes at the Durban hall. Each of them gave a sincere and loving confession of faith, and it was a real joy to witness their immersion into the death and resurrection of our Lord, joining the family of God in the hope of eternal life!

Obviously the Friday and Sunday classes have been continuing, and attendance seems to be going up at both. A couple of women have recently joined the Friday group, and it appears that they will be regulars. The last two weeks we’ve had seven of us squeezed into the little room in back of the BEC for the class!

Overall, traffic at the BEC has been significantly lower the past month. Sales are down as a result, as are new sign-ups for the courses. But on the plus side, we’ve seen a definite increase in the number of people who are actively continuing in the Bible courses through the BEC. One young man completed the entire first 8-lesson course, and the first 5 lessons of the follow-on 22 lesson course, all in one week!

We had our first “First Saturday Good News” session at Lamontville last week. Turnout was less than we had hoped – 9 visitors. We would be ecstatic about 9 visitors at home, but it’s way down from the 45 we had in January. We are trying some different approaches to getting the word out for the April session. The talks for that one will be given by Paul and Bro Jonathan Sabo from the US, who will be here visiting.

The biggest event in the area, which we’ve been involved in on the fringes, is the opening of the Mariannhill Good News Centre. There were many setbacks due to weather and such, but the formal launch was held yesterday. We spent the day on Wed working there on getting it ready—the contractors were also still there doing painting, installing kitchen cabinets & appliances, and a number of other things.

Then in the afternoon in the middle of the work day – a real highlight! – there was the killing of the cow. Yep, exactly what it sounds like. This is a Zulu custom for a big celebration, and basically means you get a lot of meat for a pretty good price. Brother Phinda from the Mariannhill killed the animal, and several of the guys skinned & cut it up, then took the pieces to a butcher to be sliced into cookable pieces.

We heard the community launch went well yesterday, and the corporate sponsor for the building was pleased. Presumably the cow was consumed (along with a literal truckload of other food – hundreds of people participated.) We plan to be there on Sunday for the ecclesial launch (along with 150 or so others! including the entire Westville ecclesia, which is joining Mariannhill en masse for the inaugural Sunday service).

Other stuff continues, of course. Paul continues to lead the Lamontville class each Tuesday, while Jane does a kid’s class (which is growing beyond being manageable!) Paul is now leading the Durban Bible class each Wednesday also. Plus the administrative side of the BEC; however there may be a local brother taking that work on, which would be a great help!

We have lots coming up. This coming Friday, our oldest son Caleb will arrive, with his friend Shawna, for a week. That day Jane will be doing the craft for a class at “Happy’s school” (officially the Lincoln Mason school for the physically handicapped). There is a weekly class there led by David White, and then a craft, game, or other activity led on a rotation. The following day will be a youth day at Mariannhill, and Caleb will do a Bible talk, with he & Shawna then leading some games.

A few days after Caleb leaves, Jonathan and Megan Sabo will arrive for 4 days. They’ve agreed to take the Fri BEC class. The Saturday will be the next Lamontville study day featuring Jonathan & Paul; prep work is underway, with Jane handling the physical arrangements & Paul doing the advertising.

Then a day after the Sabos go, a P2P team will arrive from UK. We’ll be hosting one of the sub-teams of 9, and Jane is very involved in the planning & prep for a Holiday Club (like our vacation Bible schools back home) in Lamontville. We’ll also put some people from the team in the BEC each day. The next weekend will be the annual 4-day Easter gathering. Jane is again working with the P2P team on classes for the kids, and Paul will be doing 3 adult class sessions. After the gathering, the P2P team will go to visit Candu, down the coast. We would love to go, but it would be difficult logistically, we will need a break, and of course the BEC work goes on.

Right after P2P leaves, or possibly sooner, Cam and Kim Beeler will arrive from the US, and we’ll be doing our handoff to them.

We still have not managed to get in the water to do any diving, and with our final weeks so crammed full, we’re not sure it’s going to happen. Really, our time here is just about done. Amazing how quickly time can go by! We are very grateful to be part of the work here, and we do still have almost 2 months to go, but it’s clear that those weeks will fly by!

Cape Town excursion

Since we arrived in South Africa, nearly every person we meet has said, "Are you going to visit Cape Town?" After awhile we got the hint that this might be a nice thing to do, so we sat down with our calendar a couple of weeks ago, and realized that the only time it could happen would be the final week of Feb. So we booked flights, car, and a flat to stay in, and we went for 5 nights.

The weather is billed to be cooler than Durban, and maybe it was, but it was still hot. And unfortunately there were a number of wildfires going, which produced haze everywhere. One of the big attractions is the fabulous scenery. And it really was quite remarkable, but on one day in particular it was simply invisible. (But we did get some good views, such as the top picture.) And then, first night there, Jane jammed a toe. But in spite of all this, we had a very nice time and truly enjoyed the area.

We stayed to the east of Cape Town proper, in a town called Stellenbosch, in the heart of the Cape Winelands. If you've ever been to Napa Valley, you get the picture. There are literally hundreds of wineries, including one owned by a brother in the Cape Winelands ecclesia. We went to meeting there on Sunday (and Paul gave a talk), and then on Monday we visited the Bilton Wines winery. Very nice, and they produce outstanding wines.

On Sunday afternoon and again on Tuesday we went into Cape Town, and on Tuesday we took the cable tramway to the top of Table Mountain. The 3,500 foot ascent is covered in just a couple of minutes--the cable cars really move! There is a very noticeable temperature difference between the bottom and the top--that will give you an indication of the height. Do a Google search for Table Mountain for some pictures--ours didn't do it justice.

We also spent some time in the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, a really beautiful spot on the slopes of the mountain, dedicated to preserving the native Cape flora. Also worth a Google search.

Wednesday was devoted to the Cape Peninsula itself, which runs down to Cape Point, with a spur off to the side called the Cape of Good Hope. This is where the Atlantic and Indian oceans meet.

Half way down the peninsula, there's a place called Boulders Beach, which features a large colony of African Penguins! Never thought we'd swim with penguins, but we did! They didn't seem to mind the people much. In fact, they were right in the parking lot, as the picture of the sign suggests.




Right after leaving the beach, we had a close encounter with a family of baboons along the side of the road. Stopped to look, of course. Seconds after the picture of the big male was taken, his hands and nose were pressed to the glass of Jane's door!

We spent the later part of the day actually at Cape Point and Cape of Good Hope. You can actually see the difference between the two oceans--the Atlantic is definitely rougher. The bottom picture is taken at Cape of Good Hope with Cape Point in the background. Off to the right, the next land you'll encounter is Antarctica. Yep, ever so often we realize we're quite a way from home!