Just wanted to say Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to those of you who've thought to read this during the festive season. There's not been a great deal to write as it's been very, very quiet and lonesome most of the time.
The main thing has been preparing for yesterday's wedding of Themba and Vicky - two of the leaders in the church here. I was organising the band for some live music during the reception, playing, and taking pictures when I got the chance. All went well, though it was a lot of work to haul all the gear in a trailer 45 mins up the road, set up, pack down, etc. The day started at 7:30am at Hope Church and didn't end until gone midnight.
Summer has well and truly arrived and it's consistently hitting about 30C, sunny, and very humid. I'm told January and February will get worse, which is not good given that it's about on the limit of what's bearable now!
Still stuck with my car. Ugh. Worse still is that after someone graciously filled my tank after I took them to the airport, I started to notice the smell of petrol. It's reduced now as the fuel has gone down, but there is definitely a small leak somewhere. Gary assures me I won't become a fireball on the highway, but it's yet another thing to deal with regarding this car. Please keep praying.... somehow by the grace of God I keep going and this car still somehow manages to keep me going.
Off to summer camp on Wednesday, which is the regional camp for youth here. It's only about 350 youth, but it promises to be great fun and a powerful time in many lives. I'm drafted into the band to play lead guitar (just shows how much smaller scale this is than something like Newday!), and will otherwise be around as a leader.
Anyway, New Years celebrations need to get underway. Have a good one, y'all!
Monday, 31 December 2007
Tuesday, 18 December 2007
Introducing...
Say "hi" to the guys from Cato Crest Township. I met these guys the first week I was around at Hope Church as I was drafted in to lead activities for them on the Sunday while everyone else was away. They range from about 10-14 in age, though most of them look closer to 10. Since then it's been a privilege to build some friendship with these guys.
On the top row we have (from left to right) we have Ntoko, Philani, Sthembiso, and Lindo, and below we have Xola, Nanga, Sanele, and Menzi (I think - keeping track of who's who is still tricky because you don't always see the same people every week or anything). There's a few missing from that picture above, so check this one too.
On the far left is Fana, who is by all accounts the "ring leader" of this whole group. I can't make out anyone else from this picture, but
there are a few others we have contact with too. In this second picture they're "performing" as a group some song that I can't remember, but that's very Jodeci style. It was so funny to watch them copy all the motions and gestures!These guys have often made their own way to church to be with us, which means 45 minutes walk or so. It's really good that they demonstrate that they want to be with us. They're also our way in to a whole community, which is great.
The place where they live is amazing. Sticking to the main roads you'd hardly see it, but it's huge, and full of shacks that range from very basic brick and tin constructions, to scrap wood and anything else put together to make a shelter. I read recently that Thabo Mbeki described SA as a country of two economies - one first world, and one third world, and the two rarely interact. It's actually a great way of putting it and something that's very apparent where these guys live. Many of these guys do go to school through government funding, but for reasons unknown to me Fana, I know, has been excluded from school. It's weird because he shows no signs of being particularly violent or disruptive. Their english varies with some of them being able to speak quite well, and others gently mumbling little phrases from time to time. Playing football with them is a great bridge builder though, and we're hoping that we can be a long term influence in their lives as they are largely left to their own devices for most of the day most days.
Please pray that we can bless these guys, that they develop a relationship with Jesus, that we are able to get to know the "real" them, and that we can bring the good news of the Kingdom of God in word and deed into this desperately needy area.
Happy Birthday To Me
It's now one week to Christmas, which means it was my birthday yesterday. Thanks to the many of you who wrote, called, emailed, etc. Was disappointed by the low yield of expensive gifts, but oh well! :o) I was actually given one gift yesterday - a scale model car. This miniature Alfa 147 is a sardonic slant on my car woes and ironically the Alfa is about as much use to me as my Saab at the moment. I saw the funny side though - particularly as Alfa's are notoriously unreliable too!
I've reached the grand old age of 26 now. Scary! Here comes 30!
Unfortunately in addition to the Alfa I've picked up a fairly nasty cold over the weekend which continues today. My voice is pretty shot and I'm generally wheezy and woozy. I'll live, I'm sure!
Not a lot is going on here at the moment. December is dead. So many people are on holidays so it is really really quiet. Also my car being dodgy still (something weird at the front right wheel - it drives, but gives signs that something is not right there) means that I'm effectively grounded unless I want to chance more expensive repairs. Hopefully tomorrow the car dealer I've been back and forth to about this will have something by way of replacement for me. I think if it looks like it'll work without too much grief I'll just go for it!
Not having a car means things are very frustrating. You can't visit people, pick people up, run your own life effectively, etc. Also it means I can't really get to go to Cato Crest and speak to the boys that are there (see next post.... it's time for a long overdue introduction). Drew and Megan (Drew leads Hope Church) have been in the States for a while now which means their involvement with them on a Tuesday afternoon has ceased, and it's been so annoying that mostly because of my car we've not been able to do anything on Tuesdays since except for maybe once. What's worse is that you think, "Next week things should be different", but there's always something that means that it comes to nought and we're not able to live up to our promises. With Themba (my partner in crime in this regard) getting married in less than two weeks I can't count on him to be involved and give a ride either, so I can't even do anything on my own. Shame.... I think I'm going to have to try and see them before Christmas and bless them somehow.
Other than that I can't think that much is going on now. It really is dead. The weather isn't exactly summery either (though it's not cold), so it's hardly like it's just good excuse to hit the beach either! Anyway, let me know if anything more exciting is going on in your lives.
Andrew
I've reached the grand old age of 26 now. Scary! Here comes 30!
Unfortunately in addition to the Alfa I've picked up a fairly nasty cold over the weekend which continues today. My voice is pretty shot and I'm generally wheezy and woozy. I'll live, I'm sure!
Not a lot is going on here at the moment. December is dead. So many people are on holidays so it is really really quiet. Also my car being dodgy still (something weird at the front right wheel - it drives, but gives signs that something is not right there) means that I'm effectively grounded unless I want to chance more expensive repairs. Hopefully tomorrow the car dealer I've been back and forth to about this will have something by way of replacement for me. I think if it looks like it'll work without too much grief I'll just go for it!
Not having a car means things are very frustrating. You can't visit people, pick people up, run your own life effectively, etc. Also it means I can't really get to go to Cato Crest and speak to the boys that are there (see next post.... it's time for a long overdue introduction). Drew and Megan (Drew leads Hope Church) have been in the States for a while now which means their involvement with them on a Tuesday afternoon has ceased, and it's been so annoying that mostly because of my car we've not been able to do anything on Tuesdays since except for maybe once. What's worse is that you think, "Next week things should be different", but there's always something that means that it comes to nought and we're not able to live up to our promises. With Themba (my partner in crime in this regard) getting married in less than two weeks I can't count on him to be involved and give a ride either, so I can't even do anything on my own. Shame.... I think I'm going to have to try and see them before Christmas and bless them somehow.
Other than that I can't think that much is going on now. It really is dead. The weather isn't exactly summery either (though it's not cold), so it's hardly like it's just good excuse to hit the beach either! Anyway, let me know if anything more exciting is going on in your lives.
Andrew
Wednesday, 12 December 2007
Hayibo!
At very long last I'm back with my car! Thanks for all the support so far - just need to get rid of it now, which I can do as it's at least this moment in working order.
Was a bit more drama though. God was gracious and I managed to get a replacement fuel pump for R750 instead of R5,000 or so. I then collected it Tuesday morning and headed off for Ladysmith. Because the car we (that is, myself and Themba, my ever faithful sidekick in this horror story) were travelling in had no air conditioning and it was a seriously hot day (like 33C, but with really strong sun and high humidity) we of course had the windows open. We were just about getting to Ladysmith when I realised that my right arm (driver's side) was getting sunburnt because of the open window. It's funny.... I now have one tanned arm and one seriously tanned arm!
It was a good ride up. We spent a lot of time talking (well, shouting because of the noise from the open windows) about just how involved we should be with the poor around here. We had to postpone our arrangements with the guys from Cato Crest township because I had to go to Ladysmith that very day, so we drove through the township looking for them so we could let them know. Pity was we didn't find them, but driving through that place does reawaken your sense that something just needs to be done now.
We dropped off the fuel pump only to be told that by the time the guy could get round to it that it would be too late to finish on Tuesday and we'd have to wait until Wednesday morning. Sigh! That meant either another drive back to Durban and another drive back to Ladysmith, or just finding a motel. Either way would cost about the same so we just booked into a cheapie motel with fake air con (literally, the air con remote was had fake writing on the screen and the unit just wasn't plugged in).
T'was good to be able to spend some time catching up with one of the med students who lived there... made the day pass a bit quicker. We even ended giving her mum a lift back to Durban today as she was coming down to buy a new car. I hope she has better luck than I've had!
This morning was another nice surprise - the labour bill, which I estimated would be R2,000 or more, came to R1,400 (£100)! That's a pretty good rate for about 6 or 7 hours of labour!
Drove back and for the first time hit no traffic on the N3 too. Things have all come good!
Went straight to the dealer where I bought the car and discussed swapsies with him. He's willing - it's just a case of what he can get hold of and when. Hopefully it won't turn out like this one, but I find it hard to believe anything could be this bad! If it is bad, at least it won't cost so much to fix!
And to top it all off I can still use my friend's car until he comes back from Cape Town at the end of the month. Gives me a bit of time to get a swap without having to drive mine and wait for it to break again!
It seems there's a light at the end of the tunnel. Please pray that I can get a swap and that it just works! It's such a hassle and wasting so much of my time. It's already meant we've had to essentially scrub two weeks of meeting up with the Cato boys and just building some friendship with them, and that's one of the most frustrating things! It's horrible to keep disappointing them when really we want to give them hope.
Thanks again!
Andrew/Cook
P.S. - I forgot to say that "hayibo" is the Zulu word for "wow", but it seems it also gets used as "sheesh" or "oh my goodness", hence I've been using it a lot in this whole affair and you'll frequently hear me mutter "hayibo!"
Was a bit more drama though. God was gracious and I managed to get a replacement fuel pump for R750 instead of R5,000 or so. I then collected it Tuesday morning and headed off for Ladysmith. Because the car we (that is, myself and Themba, my ever faithful sidekick in this horror story) were travelling in had no air conditioning and it was a seriously hot day (like 33C, but with really strong sun and high humidity) we of course had the windows open. We were just about getting to Ladysmith when I realised that my right arm (driver's side) was getting sunburnt because of the open window. It's funny.... I now have one tanned arm and one seriously tanned arm!
It was a good ride up. We spent a lot of time talking (well, shouting because of the noise from the open windows) about just how involved we should be with the poor around here. We had to postpone our arrangements with the guys from Cato Crest township because I had to go to Ladysmith that very day, so we drove through the township looking for them so we could let them know. Pity was we didn't find them, but driving through that place does reawaken your sense that something just needs to be done now.
We dropped off the fuel pump only to be told that by the time the guy could get round to it that it would be too late to finish on Tuesday and we'd have to wait until Wednesday morning. Sigh! That meant either another drive back to Durban and another drive back to Ladysmith, or just finding a motel. Either way would cost about the same so we just booked into a cheapie motel with fake air con (literally, the air con remote was had fake writing on the screen and the unit just wasn't plugged in).
T'was good to be able to spend some time catching up with one of the med students who lived there... made the day pass a bit quicker. We even ended giving her mum a lift back to Durban today as she was coming down to buy a new car. I hope she has better luck than I've had!
This morning was another nice surprise - the labour bill, which I estimated would be R2,000 or more, came to R1,400 (£100)! That's a pretty good rate for about 6 or 7 hours of labour!
Drove back and for the first time hit no traffic on the N3 too. Things have all come good!
Went straight to the dealer where I bought the car and discussed swapsies with him. He's willing - it's just a case of what he can get hold of and when. Hopefully it won't turn out like this one, but I find it hard to believe anything could be this bad! If it is bad, at least it won't cost so much to fix!
And to top it all off I can still use my friend's car until he comes back from Cape Town at the end of the month. Gives me a bit of time to get a swap without having to drive mine and wait for it to break again!
It seems there's a light at the end of the tunnel. Please pray that I can get a swap and that it just works! It's such a hassle and wasting so much of my time. It's already meant we've had to essentially scrub two weeks of meeting up with the Cato boys and just building some friendship with them, and that's one of the most frustrating things! It's horrible to keep disappointing them when really we want to give them hope.
Thanks again!
Andrew/Cook
P.S. - I forgot to say that "hayibo" is the Zulu word for "wow", but it seems it also gets used as "sheesh" or "oh my goodness", hence I've been using it a lot in this whole affair and you'll frequently hear me mutter "hayibo!"
Sunday, 9 December 2007
Harrismith in full (part two)
Where were we? Oh yes, we had arrived late into Harrismith and gone to sleep in a little two room place that needed some heating that night as it the temperature drops quite a lot inland and in the highlands. I hope they've got some better heating when winter comes though!
Anyway, so we awoke the next morning and got down to business. It was a short walk to Themba's gogo's (grandma) house, where some of the other family members also lived. For all the drama that was going on it was a surprisingly brief and unspectacular affair, but a necessary one nonetheless. After some various chat, Themba's niece tried on her flower-girl dress for the wedding, and we were off again. This time we went into the centre of Harrismith to do some shopping. Themba's nephew needed some clothes, which Themba bought in big supply. We then did some grocery shopping and loaded up this 16 year old (+/-) with all manner of goods and sent him back home. After one short taxi ride into the centre of town, it was time for another, longer one.
First of all, let me explain again about taxis. Here a taxi is not your own hired vehicle driven by a guy who at worst has a slightly crude Eastender manner. Here a taxi is a minibus that is always crammed with 15 other people (they generally don't leave until they are full) that run fixed routes. For most people this is their everyday mode of transport - well, that and walking. It's relatively cheap, but these guys drive like no tomorrow, and they are frequently involved in accidents through bad driving and sometimes poor maintenance. The drivers are notoriously unsavoury customers too! Out here there are "taxi wars". You'll generally never be embroiled in one, but different taxi associations sometimes fight quite bloody battles (with knives, guns, and pipes) over rights to certain routes and territory in this lucrative business. Because of this, because they only tend to run into the poor areas, because they're unreliable (especially if you can never tell when one is going to leave because it needs to be full), anyone with a car avoids them. In fact people buy cars to avoid them. If you're a white guy, the unfortunate fact is that you stick out like a sore thumb and someone, somewhere is likely to try to take advantage of your probable lack of knowledge and probable wealth. That's not a racist comment (in fact Themba himself said to me that I would be foolish to take a taxi on my own for any significant distance), just a fact that out here you're presumed to be richer if you're white because it's often true.
Anyway, we needed a taxi ride to Ladysmith to see if we could do anything about my car. So we got to the taxi rank at about 11am to find that there were two people in the taxi for Ladysmith, and no sign of anyone likely to show up any time soon. We took a taxi to Qwa Qwa instead (which is what the pictures are of), which is a bit busier, and sure enough the taxi for Ladysmith there had more people in it. Unfortunately it was too many for us and we had to wait for another one. After lunch we came back to find it empty. We waited. Two hours passed and we were still only half full. In the meantime of course I'm trying to arrange things as much as I can by phone, but never knowing if we're even going to get to Ladysmith, and not sure where we'd stay when there! Eventually we abandoned that plan, particularly when I realised it wouldn't
be until the day after I could get at the fuel pump I needed to bring to Durban anyway.
So after some serious argument with the taxi operators we managed to get a refund on our fares for Ladysmith and buy fare to Durban. After another half hour or so we were on our way home. We eventually got back to Durban at about 8:30pm and were picked up by someone from the church.
It sounds like we didn't do a lot that day, and that's quite true. Most of our time was spent trying to get home. But therein lies the interesting thing - we spent virtually an entire day just trying to get home! There are many jokes about "African time", but when things run like this you can see why it is so. You simply can't be that precise about time, even if you wanted to. When does your taxi leave? When it's full! When's the next one? When someone turns up to drive one to the place you want to go to.
I at least finally managed to fulfil my ambition to ride in a taxi. It's not as talkative as I imagined it would be. As we drove through the clouds in the Drakensburg on the way back and on wet roads, I imagine many were silent in prayer given the way our driver was going!
It was a good opportunity to think though, because we were all spread out across the bus. As much as I wanted to gripe, grumble, and moan about my situation, I was in a good place - in the hands of the Father. It's funny how we think that it's He who is uncertain, and that money in the bank would be more reliable, but the Bible says that we should not put our trust in riches, which are so uncertain! As God has said to me a few times on this matter of financial security, he said to me again, "If you want I can make you like those other people", i.e. the ones who have £30k salaries and a regular job. Was that what I was wanting? To go and be a successful pagan? No. I know that to lose what I have for that would be loss indescribable. But couldn't I have both? Couldn't I have my cake and eat it? Couldn't I have the riches of following Jesus, but also a bit more cash in hand and a few less troubles? But then indeed I am dictating to Him who called me the terms on which I want to follow - it is me wanting to play God because I think I'd do a better job! Once more I learned to be silent and say, "The Lord has given, the Lord has taken away - blessed be the name of the Lord".
P.S. - I went back to Ladysmith the next day, got the fuel pump, and brought it back to Durban. I've given it to a guy who might be able to source a replacement that would be a huge amount cheaper than buying from Saab (largely because it won't be labelled as Saab!). I should know on Monday whether he can get it or not. Thanks to all of you who are praying into this situation. To God be the glory!
Anyway, so we awoke the next morning and got down to business. It was a short walk to Themba's gogo's (grandma) house, where some of the other family members also lived. For all the drama that was going on it was a surprisingly brief and unspectacular affair, but a necessary one nonetheless. After some various chat, Themba's niece tried on her flower-girl dress for the wedding, and we were off again. This time we went into the centre of Harrismith to do some shopping. Themba's nephew needed some clothes, which Themba bought in big supply. We then did some grocery shopping and loaded up this 16 year old (+/-) with all manner of goods and sent him back home. After one short taxi ride into the centre of town, it was time for another, longer one.
First of all, let me explain again about taxis. Here a taxi is not your own hired vehicle driven by a guy who at worst has a slightly crude Eastender manner. Here a taxi is a minibus that is always crammed with 15 other people (they generally don't leave until they are full) that run fixed routes. For most people this is their everyday mode of transport - well, that and walking. It's relatively cheap, but these guys drive like no tomorrow, and they are frequently involved in accidents through bad driving and sometimes poor maintenance. The drivers are notoriously unsavoury customers too! Out here there are "taxi wars". You'll generally never be embroiled in one, but different taxi associations sometimes fight quite bloody battles (with knives, guns, and pipes) over rights to certain routes and territory in this lucrative business. Because of this, because they only tend to run into the poor areas, because they're unreliable (especially if you can never tell when one is going to leave because it needs to be full), anyone with a car avoids them. In fact people buy cars to avoid them. If you're a white guy, the unfortunate fact is that you stick out like a sore thumb and someone, somewhere is likely to try to take advantage of your probable lack of knowledge and probable wealth. That's not a racist comment (in fact Themba himself said to me that I would be foolish to take a taxi on my own for any significant distance), just a fact that out here you're presumed to be richer if you're white because it's often true.
Anyway, we needed a taxi ride to Ladysmith to see if we could do anything about my car. So we got to the taxi rank at about 11am to find that there were two people in the taxi for Ladysmith, and no sign of anyone likely to show up any time soon. We took a taxi to Qwa Qwa instead (which is what the pictures are of), which is a bit busier, and sure enough the taxi for Ladysmith there had more people in it. Unfortunately it was too many for us and we had to wait for another one. After lunch we came back to find it empty. We waited. Two hours passed and we were still only half full. In the meantime of course I'm trying to arrange things as much as I can by phone, but never knowing if we're even going to get to Ladysmith, and not sure where we'd stay when there! Eventually we abandoned that plan, particularly when I realised it wouldn't
be until the day after I could get at the fuel pump I needed to bring to Durban anyway.So after some serious argument with the taxi operators we managed to get a refund on our fares for Ladysmith and buy fare to Durban. After another half hour or so we were on our way home. We eventually got back to Durban at about 8:30pm and were picked up by someone from the church.
It sounds like we didn't do a lot that day, and that's quite true. Most of our time was spent trying to get home. But therein lies the interesting thing - we spent virtually an entire day just trying to get home! There are many jokes about "African time", but when things run like this you can see why it is so. You simply can't be that precise about time, even if you wanted to. When does your taxi leave? When it's full! When's the next one? When someone turns up to drive one to the place you want to go to.
I at least finally managed to fulfil my ambition to ride in a taxi. It's not as talkative as I imagined it would be. As we drove through the clouds in the Drakensburg on the way back and on wet roads, I imagine many were silent in prayer given the way our driver was going!
It was a good opportunity to think though, because we were all spread out across the bus. As much as I wanted to gripe, grumble, and moan about my situation, I was in a good place - in the hands of the Father. It's funny how we think that it's He who is uncertain, and that money in the bank would be more reliable, but the Bible says that we should not put our trust in riches, which are so uncertain! As God has said to me a few times on this matter of financial security, he said to me again, "If you want I can make you like those other people", i.e. the ones who have £30k salaries and a regular job. Was that what I was wanting? To go and be a successful pagan? No. I know that to lose what I have for that would be loss indescribable. But couldn't I have both? Couldn't I have my cake and eat it? Couldn't I have the riches of following Jesus, but also a bit more cash in hand and a few less troubles? But then indeed I am dictating to Him who called me the terms on which I want to follow - it is me wanting to play God because I think I'd do a better job! Once more I learned to be silent and say, "The Lord has given, the Lord has taken away - blessed be the name of the Lord".
P.S. - I went back to Ladysmith the next day, got the fuel pump, and brought it back to Durban. I've given it to a guy who might be able to source a replacement that would be a huge amount cheaper than buying from Saab (largely because it won't be labelled as Saab!). I should know on Monday whether he can get it or not. Thanks to all of you who are praying into this situation. To God be the glory!
Saturday, 8 December 2007
Harrismith in full (part one)
Well, now that things have hit a bit of a lull, I can fill you in on the rest of the trip to Harrismith. A completely crazy time, but in many ways so good.
So we started off on Wednesday with a blazing hot day. It must have been into the 30s (or about 90 for those who are using Farenheit) and the sun was beating down very hard on us. Once we'd loaded a whole drum kit, a mixing desk, and an amp (all for the church in Kestell) into my car we were on our way to Harrismith.
Having not long gotten my car back from what ended up being basically an inspection that showed no signs of leaking oil from the engine or the gearbox, we got underway and just cruised the distance enjoying the sun as we drove through the hills into the heartland of SA. After a quick stop to visit some old church connections of Themba's in Pietermaritzburg (the church there was one of a few that really fell out big time with Newfrontiers in SA after Simon Petit's death) we carried on cruising. You know the story by now - just driving on a pretty flat piece of road, and suddenly the engine cuts out and we have to coast to the side of the road. Thankfully a tow truck appropriate to my service was there within seconds, and we counted it as one of those curious answers to prayer (because even though we broke down, which we didn't pray for, help was right on hand, which was good).
While at the repair centre we saw some cars that had been towed the day before when there was a big accident on the N3 (the road we were travelling on). Being up high and on winding steep hills, the N3 freeway can be pretty dangerous as it gets wet, and very misty as you can find yourself driving through low cloud. Drivers are generally quite impatient here, and so a lot of accidents end up happening. Some of the cars we saw were caked in mud, having clearly gone off the side of the road. Speaking to the guys working at the repair centre they said that one particular Merc ended up with two dead passengers. It's a sobering business to work in, I'm sure! That made me altogether more determined to make use of the time by witnessing to these people. It's definitely something God's been speaking to me about recently - the need to just get on with it and tell people. Jesus didn't come down and put up a sign and say, "Anyone who's interested, I'll be on the Mount of Olives this afternoon". He didn't wait to be sought out, but came to seek and save that which was lost. So it is that we must do the same, not waiting for golden opportunities, as great as they are. It seems that a family was running much of this business, and one that would have called themselves a Christian family. When I was taking my car for a test drive I was speaking to the mechanic with me and ended up telling him how Jesus said it was imperative that he be born again (for he said he was "born a Christian", and that he "believed", but didn't go to church or anything like that). It didn't seem to have much effect, but it was good to speak the Word to people and take it to them rather than waiting for them to come to it.
So after the fuel filter replacement we were on way again, believing God for help along the way should we need it again. This wasn't just a nice visit to Harrismith, it was a mission to mend strained relationships, particularly those in the church there who were particularly aggrieved that they weren't all automatically invited to Themba's wedding. Turns out anyway that we would probably have broken down somewhere between Pietermaritzburg and Durban on the way back anyway. Granted, that may have meant that I could get towed home rather than to Ladysmith, but the main problem would still be the same (a worn out fuel pump that's tricky to find and could cost loads).
But, as you know, we broke down again about 10km from a place called Winterton. Winterton itself is in the middle of nowhere and you suddenly find yourself in a nicely laid out village, only to just as suddenly find yourself out the other side and into nowhere again! It is at the edge of Drakensburg country though, the region of hills and mountains near Lesotho, which is a world heritage site for good reasons! Until we broke down again we were very much enjoying the grand views as we went along the road.
Break down we did, however. Then came the struggle of what to do. Should I go with my car to Ladysmith? What would happen? Should Themba go alone to Harrismith? But then we'd come along precisely for the reason that it might prove to be a very stressful time when a man wants the backing of his friends! We decided it would be best to stick together and that we couldn't really do much more than carry on with what we had planned. So we unloaded all the gear from the car and watched it be towed away, with assurance from Themba that guys from Kestell were not far off in coming to get us (we'd been waiting in the baking sun for about an hour at this point).
The time ticked on and the sun started to set. We were truly in the middle of nowhere. Were these guys coming? Certainly it would not be the first time in my experience, or Themba and Alain's, when people said they would do something but really were not. I'm not sure if it's something of a cultural quirk here, as people have often told me that people try to tell you what you want to hear because they want to please you, even if it ends up being something that will not end up being helpful at all (e.g. saying you're coming when you're not). Certainly to say "No, I will not help", would be in many places (not sure about here though) a thing you just couldn't say. So people are more prone to at least tell you what you want to hear, but hope that sooner or later you look elsewhere and they don't have to refuse you. So what about these guys? Surely after 3 hours they should be here? What if they don't come? Maybe we'll have to walk to Winterton carrying all the stuff, or just try and find someone to take us in in the small township just across the field from us. Not a great prospect either way!
I didn't believe Themba when he said, "This is them". He's a real joker and will usually try to dupe you for fun. I thought I had called it right when the vehicle went past us, but when it stopped and turned around it was a very welcome sight! Thing is that it was a bakkie - a pickup truck. This was about the size of an open back Transit van though. There was enough room for everything, but only if myself and Alain sat in the back - which is a very common thing in SA and Africa in general. Police have no cares about bakkies that have a dozen people in the back - it's simply how life works here. Regardless, it was much to be preferred to sitting in the wilderness waiting for who knows what. Thankfully it wasn't raining either!
As we sped along through the Drakensburg at 120kph or so it felt as though at least for now we could relax. There were many things to be thinking about for the next days, but for now it was just time to relax and enjoy. There's something very relaxing about travelling in the back of a bakkie - paricularly as sitting against the cab you're not looking where you're going. The wind rushes past, and it does feel quite spacious and free - perhaps something a bit more like riding a motorbike. The sides to this vehicle were quite high and so it cut off your peripheral vision too. All you could see were the hills in the distance and an amazing sky above that went from blue so deep it was almost black on one side, to a palette of reds, oranges and light blues brushed over a few grey clouds to the other. I tried to get some good pictures of it, but was quite hard moving fast over a bumpy road.
Still, watching the stars begin to fade into view, seeing the mountains go from jagged features to smooth silhouettes, and just being able to relax in the open air was very restoring. It's a great thing to just watch the light unfold over things in the morning, or watch it drain away at night. It takes a few hours, but the variety of shades and views and features is
enough to keep you looking if you'll give it the time. Having enough time to think about quite where God is when it comes to my car, but seeing a soul restoring beauty of God in front of me, I decided I needed to pen some thoughts. In the true spirit of the modern poet I wrote on my mobile phone these words:
Darkness lingers in a day of bright,
Things unanswered remain - things that might -
But a light that colours wider than eyes can see
Gives peace for tomorrow.
By now it was cold up in the lower regions of the mountains (not sure how high above sea level we were) - especially when you're in the open at 100kph or so.
At about 8:30pm we arrived in Kestell, at the farm owned where the guys who picked us up lived. They were the sons of the family there, practically Themba's brothers, as he lived there with them for a few years and they took care of him as members of the church, sent him to school, etc. Their kindness was still very evident as they welcomed us into their candlelit home and talked with us at the dinner table. In proper SA style we ate with our hands (though knives and forks were available), using bread to scoop the stew and butternut into our mouths. It was a small house, filled with people, but very intimate. The sound of singing came from another room - worshippers from the church practicing in intricate harmony. We shared news of how things were going in the churches across the world, with me filling in much from the UK scene. It's amazing how keen these brothers were to know about the rest of the 'family' in Newfrontiers, being able to name a number of people I would have thought they'd never have heard of. Family, and relationships, are far more valued here. These people felt not only joined in name, but in spirit, and didn't wait to be involved, but involved themselves with those they considered 'family'.
The head of the house, whose name I can no longer remember, spoke at one point (when english prevailed over Zulu or Sotho) of how God had prospered them and they were enjoying great favour. It was a curious thing, because while their home was quite nicely furnished, it was small, basic, and in the middle of nowhere. Of course, I know all this is relative, but it did make me think however. Life is simply very different where they are and they really were prosperous. Though they had no electricity, and so nothing electrical, they had all they needed. Life moves at a different pace. Hours may be spent preparing meals, travelling to other places, farming, etc. It may seem like you never "accomplish" much in a day, but there's no need to "accomplish" many of the same tasks you have to do in complex city life. They owned the roof over their heads, had plenty to eat, a delightful family all in close relationship to one another, the beauty of the Drakensburg all around. Somehow I didn't see them longing to own a TV!
Yet this sort of life can't be lived in somewhere like Durban - it doesn't work - and hence many who live in seemingly similar conditions in Durban are actually very, very poor. It's amazing how much your life is defined by how people around you want to live. You simply couldn't take such a relaxed and simple approach to life in Durban, or London, or New York. You simply must have a high earning job to pay rent, you simply must buy food from shops rather than grow because otherwise you have not the time, you must drive to certain places to be on time, have internet access to do business with people who do so by email, etc.
Feeling the stresses of this sort of life on me particularly because of my disaster car, I would have traded with them at the drop of a hat! I think what is far more important than what you have is the stability of what you have. That was what was so unbearable in Zim - the uncertainty. That's what's often so crushing about real poverty, I think - that if you're sick you can't do anything about it, that your house might not stand up to the next storm, that you don't quite know if you'll have enough to live even a basic life, that you don't know if someone will exploit your lack of buying power and try to rip you off because you can't go elsewhere. Being much poorer than someone else is not poverty. Poverty is not defined by how much you have, but by how hard it is to get and keep what you have when it comes to the necessities of life (hence why people in the UK can be in poverty). It's those necessities that change from culture to culture. Some, like food, shelter, clothes, relationships, etc, remain the same wherever you go. But in some places many of these things are dependent on other seemingly non-essential things. Like a car. Without one many cannot get to places to get their food, or maintain relationships, or work to pay for their shelter, or can only do so by making use of every waking hour. This is what people do when they "get out of the rat race" - they simplify, and reduce their dependence on secondary things and just live on what they need. It's stability and simplicity.
I've still got a lot of pondering to do about how this makes the Gospel so relevant with it's promises of certain hope, a Father who knows your needs and supplies them to those who seek his Kingdom, etc. I've also got some pondering to do about how Jesus says, "Isn't life more than clothes and food and shelter?" He says it's the pagans who chase after these things. And yet I think it is this "not worrying" about these things that this family could do because their aims were simple. I shall dwell on it some more, but any thoughts would be welcome.
We later left and went to Harrismith, where the same was true. We stayed with a friend of Themba's in his two room little house in the township. The toilet was outside and had to be "manually" flushed, running water was from a standpipe outside (we washed in the morning with a bucket filled with water warmed on the stove), electricity could be hooked up at one point in the house only, but yet he did have a fridge, a small electric oven, a TV and DVD player, and a comfortable bed which he insisted we as guests should have. As a family it would be very cramped, but as a single person, I didn't sit there thinking "This would be unbearable".
As we wound down in the late hours of the night and went to sleep, cramped in this little house, we laughed and joked and were happy. A few hours ago nothing was certain, now we had our basic needs met and that's all we were looking for. So much could be better, but so much of that was largely immaterial. It again reinforced to me that it doesn't matter how much you have per se, but more how vulnerable your life is. Life need not be luxurious to be enjoyable.
In the UK life is often quite vulnerable on a perpetual treadmill of debt, with people now not likely to own their house until about 20 years after they're dead. We may "have" much, but often don't own it, which means there's on particularly prominent, often monthly, means for us to lose it all. It's not a good way to live.
While I'm sure I've only seen a little and only understood a little, it's good to learn again by loss and by those who have little that life does not consist in the abundance of ones possessions!
So we started off on Wednesday with a blazing hot day. It must have been into the 30s (or about 90 for those who are using Farenheit) and the sun was beating down very hard on us. Once we'd loaded a whole drum kit, a mixing desk, and an amp (all for the church in Kestell) into my car we were on our way to Harrismith.
Having not long gotten my car back from what ended up being basically an inspection that showed no signs of leaking oil from the engine or the gearbox, we got underway and just cruised the distance enjoying the sun as we drove through the hills into the heartland of SA. After a quick stop to visit some old church connections of Themba's in Pietermaritzburg (the church there was one of a few that really fell out big time with Newfrontiers in SA after Simon Petit's death) we carried on cruising. You know the story by now - just driving on a pretty flat piece of road, and suddenly the engine cuts out and we have to coast to the side of the road. Thankfully a tow truck appropriate to my service was there within seconds, and we counted it as one of those curious answers to prayer (because even though we broke down, which we didn't pray for, help was right on hand, which was good).
While at the repair centre we saw some cars that had been towed the day before when there was a big accident on the N3 (the road we were travelling on). Being up high and on winding steep hills, the N3 freeway can be pretty dangerous as it gets wet, and very misty as you can find yourself driving through low cloud. Drivers are generally quite impatient here, and so a lot of accidents end up happening. Some of the cars we saw were caked in mud, having clearly gone off the side of the road. Speaking to the guys working at the repair centre they said that one particular Merc ended up with two dead passengers. It's a sobering business to work in, I'm sure! That made me altogether more determined to make use of the time by witnessing to these people. It's definitely something God's been speaking to me about recently - the need to just get on with it and tell people. Jesus didn't come down and put up a sign and say, "Anyone who's interested, I'll be on the Mount of Olives this afternoon". He didn't wait to be sought out, but came to seek and save that which was lost. So it is that we must do the same, not waiting for golden opportunities, as great as they are. It seems that a family was running much of this business, and one that would have called themselves a Christian family. When I was taking my car for a test drive I was speaking to the mechanic with me and ended up telling him how Jesus said it was imperative that he be born again (for he said he was "born a Christian", and that he "believed", but didn't go to church or anything like that). It didn't seem to have much effect, but it was good to speak the Word to people and take it to them rather than waiting for them to come to it.
So after the fuel filter replacement we were on way again, believing God for help along the way should we need it again. This wasn't just a nice visit to Harrismith, it was a mission to mend strained relationships, particularly those in the church there who were particularly aggrieved that they weren't all automatically invited to Themba's wedding. Turns out anyway that we would probably have broken down somewhere between Pietermaritzburg and Durban on the way back anyway. Granted, that may have meant that I could get towed home rather than to Ladysmith, but the main problem would still be the same (a worn out fuel pump that's tricky to find and could cost loads).
But, as you know, we broke down again about 10km from a place called Winterton. Winterton itself is in the middle of nowhere and you suddenly find yourself in a nicely laid out village, only to just as suddenly find yourself out the other side and into nowhere again! It is at the edge of Drakensburg country though, the region of hills and mountains near Lesotho, which is a world heritage site for good reasons! Until we broke down again we were very much enjoying the grand views as we went along the road.
Break down we did, however. Then came the struggle of what to do. Should I go with my car to Ladysmith? What would happen? Should Themba go alone to Harrismith? But then we'd come along precisely for the reason that it might prove to be a very stressful time when a man wants the backing of his friends! We decided it would be best to stick together and that we couldn't really do much more than carry on with what we had planned. So we unloaded all the gear from the car and watched it be towed away, with assurance from Themba that guys from Kestell were not far off in coming to get us (we'd been waiting in the baking sun for about an hour at this point).
The time ticked on and the sun started to set. We were truly in the middle of nowhere. Were these guys coming? Certainly it would not be the first time in my experience, or Themba and Alain's, when people said they would do something but really were not. I'm not sure if it's something of a cultural quirk here, as people have often told me that people try to tell you what you want to hear because they want to please you, even if it ends up being something that will not end up being helpful at all (e.g. saying you're coming when you're not). Certainly to say "No, I will not help", would be in many places (not sure about here though) a thing you just couldn't say. So people are more prone to at least tell you what you want to hear, but hope that sooner or later you look elsewhere and they don't have to refuse you. So what about these guys? Surely after 3 hours they should be here? What if they don't come? Maybe we'll have to walk to Winterton carrying all the stuff, or just try and find someone to take us in in the small township just across the field from us. Not a great prospect either way!
I didn't believe Themba when he said, "This is them". He's a real joker and will usually try to dupe you for fun. I thought I had called it right when the vehicle went past us, but when it stopped and turned around it was a very welcome sight! Thing is that it was a bakkie - a pickup truck. This was about the size of an open back Transit van though. There was enough room for everything, but only if myself and Alain sat in the back - which is a very common thing in SA and Africa in general. Police have no cares about bakkies that have a dozen people in the back - it's simply how life works here. Regardless, it was much to be preferred to sitting in the wilderness waiting for who knows what. Thankfully it wasn't raining either!
As we sped along through the Drakensburg at 120kph or so it felt as though at least for now we could relax. There were many things to be thinking about for the next days, but for now it was just time to relax and enjoy. There's something very relaxing about travelling in the back of a bakkie - paricularly as sitting against the cab you're not looking where you're going. The wind rushes past, and it does feel quite spacious and free - perhaps something a bit more like riding a motorbike. The sides to this vehicle were quite high and so it cut off your peripheral vision too. All you could see were the hills in the distance and an amazing sky above that went from blue so deep it was almost black on one side, to a palette of reds, oranges and light blues brushed over a few grey clouds to the other. I tried to get some good pictures of it, but was quite hard moving fast over a bumpy road.
Still, watching the stars begin to fade into view, seeing the mountains go from jagged features to smooth silhouettes, and just being able to relax in the open air was very restoring. It's a great thing to just watch the light unfold over things in the morning, or watch it drain away at night. It takes a few hours, but the variety of shades and views and features is
enough to keep you looking if you'll give it the time. Having enough time to think about quite where God is when it comes to my car, but seeing a soul restoring beauty of God in front of me, I decided I needed to pen some thoughts. In the true spirit of the modern poet I wrote on my mobile phone these words:Darkness lingers in a day of bright,
Things unanswered remain - things that might -
But a light that colours wider than eyes can see
Gives peace for tomorrow.
By now it was cold up in the lower regions of the mountains (not sure how high above sea level we were) - especially when you're in the open at 100kph or so.
At about 8:30pm we arrived in Kestell, at the farm owned where the guys who picked us up lived. They were the sons of the family there, practically Themba's brothers, as he lived there with them for a few years and they took care of him as members of the church, sent him to school, etc. Their kindness was still very evident as they welcomed us into their candlelit home and talked with us at the dinner table. In proper SA style we ate with our hands (though knives and forks were available), using bread to scoop the stew and butternut into our mouths. It was a small house, filled with people, but very intimate. The sound of singing came from another room - worshippers from the church practicing in intricate harmony. We shared news of how things were going in the churches across the world, with me filling in much from the UK scene. It's amazing how keen these brothers were to know about the rest of the 'family' in Newfrontiers, being able to name a number of people I would have thought they'd never have heard of. Family, and relationships, are far more valued here. These people felt not only joined in name, but in spirit, and didn't wait to be involved, but involved themselves with those they considered 'family'.
The head of the house, whose name I can no longer remember, spoke at one point (when english prevailed over Zulu or Sotho) of how God had prospered them and they were enjoying great favour. It was a curious thing, because while their home was quite nicely furnished, it was small, basic, and in the middle of nowhere. Of course, I know all this is relative, but it did make me think however. Life is simply very different where they are and they really were prosperous. Though they had no electricity, and so nothing electrical, they had all they needed. Life moves at a different pace. Hours may be spent preparing meals, travelling to other places, farming, etc. It may seem like you never "accomplish" much in a day, but there's no need to "accomplish" many of the same tasks you have to do in complex city life. They owned the roof over their heads, had plenty to eat, a delightful family all in close relationship to one another, the beauty of the Drakensburg all around. Somehow I didn't see them longing to own a TV!
Yet this sort of life can't be lived in somewhere like Durban - it doesn't work - and hence many who live in seemingly similar conditions in Durban are actually very, very poor. It's amazing how much your life is defined by how people around you want to live. You simply couldn't take such a relaxed and simple approach to life in Durban, or London, or New York. You simply must have a high earning job to pay rent, you simply must buy food from shops rather than grow because otherwise you have not the time, you must drive to certain places to be on time, have internet access to do business with people who do so by email, etc.
Feeling the stresses of this sort of life on me particularly because of my disaster car, I would have traded with them at the drop of a hat! I think what is far more important than what you have is the stability of what you have. That was what was so unbearable in Zim - the uncertainty. That's what's often so crushing about real poverty, I think - that if you're sick you can't do anything about it, that your house might not stand up to the next storm, that you don't quite know if you'll have enough to live even a basic life, that you don't know if someone will exploit your lack of buying power and try to rip you off because you can't go elsewhere. Being much poorer than someone else is not poverty. Poverty is not defined by how much you have, but by how hard it is to get and keep what you have when it comes to the necessities of life (hence why people in the UK can be in poverty). It's those necessities that change from culture to culture. Some, like food, shelter, clothes, relationships, etc, remain the same wherever you go. But in some places many of these things are dependent on other seemingly non-essential things. Like a car. Without one many cannot get to places to get their food, or maintain relationships, or work to pay for their shelter, or can only do so by making use of every waking hour. This is what people do when they "get out of the rat race" - they simplify, and reduce their dependence on secondary things and just live on what they need. It's stability and simplicity.
I've still got a lot of pondering to do about how this makes the Gospel so relevant with it's promises of certain hope, a Father who knows your needs and supplies them to those who seek his Kingdom, etc. I've also got some pondering to do about how Jesus says, "Isn't life more than clothes and food and shelter?" He says it's the pagans who chase after these things. And yet I think it is this "not worrying" about these things that this family could do because their aims were simple. I shall dwell on it some more, but any thoughts would be welcome.
We later left and went to Harrismith, where the same was true. We stayed with a friend of Themba's in his two room little house in the township. The toilet was outside and had to be "manually" flushed, running water was from a standpipe outside (we washed in the morning with a bucket filled with water warmed on the stove), electricity could be hooked up at one point in the house only, but yet he did have a fridge, a small electric oven, a TV and DVD player, and a comfortable bed which he insisted we as guests should have. As a family it would be very cramped, but as a single person, I didn't sit there thinking "This would be unbearable".
As we wound down in the late hours of the night and went to sleep, cramped in this little house, we laughed and joked and were happy. A few hours ago nothing was certain, now we had our basic needs met and that's all we were looking for. So much could be better, but so much of that was largely immaterial. It again reinforced to me that it doesn't matter how much you have per se, but more how vulnerable your life is. Life need not be luxurious to be enjoyable.
In the UK life is often quite vulnerable on a perpetual treadmill of debt, with people now not likely to own their house until about 20 years after they're dead. We may "have" much, but often don't own it, which means there's on particularly prominent, often monthly, means for us to lose it all. It's not a good way to live.
While I'm sure I've only seen a little and only understood a little, it's good to learn again by loss and by those who have little that life does not consist in the abundance of ones possessions!
Thursday, 6 December 2007
Harrismith
So I've just this evening got back from a brief trip to Harrismith with Themba and Alain from Hope Church. Themba's family live in Harrismith, which is about 4 hours drive inland from Durban, and we were going there i) As he needed to visit his family because of cultural issues (again) flaring up regarding his upcoming marriage to Vicky, an English girl in Hope Church, ii) So that I could visit a proper township and spend some time there, iii) So that we could deliver a donation of our old drums and sound equipment to another church in a place called Kestell, not too far from Harrismith.
Because of the third reason we really needed to take my car, as it was the only one that had the space, apart from Drew's wagon that absolutely swills petrol. Turns out we would have been better off taking Drew's after all!
While there's so much to tell about the journey and all the resulting things, I just want to tell you what the state of play is now because things are really getting quite extraordinary with this car (for those not aware this is the latest in an unremitting stream of disaster attached to this vehicle!) and I need you all to stand with me in prayer. Maybe it's all a sovereign work of God, maybe there's some element of spiritual opposition, and just maybe it's both? While I'm trying not to put myself in the same boat as Job too much (I've certainly grumbled more than he over a lot less!), clearly that was a case where it was both. So please do read and then pray to the God who delights to move mountains over a mustard seed sized bit of faith. Thanks!
So, what happened was that we drove for a good while on a lovely day when out of nowhere my car just died and we had to pull over. It did start again, but quickly died once more. Thankfully a tow truck was pulled over right away who was also an agent for Outsurance, my car insurer, who also provide breakdown assistance. So before long we were being towed to his nearby service centre. The problem - fuel starvation, i.e. not enough fuel getting into the engine to keep it running. The cause? Well, when they looked at it they found the fuel filter was pretty clogged and so that would likely be the culprit. Once replaced we went for a test drive and it seemed to be working like a charm once more. Being halfway to Harrismith we took a collective decision that we should press on, and so we did for about another 100 miles until suddenly the same thing happened again! ARGH! This time no tow truck was waiting for us, but Outsurance did bend the rules a bit and grant me another callout. So my car then got towed to (then) nearby Ladysmith to be looked at the next day by a mechanic.
Turns out the fuel pump is putting out only about half the pressure it should be, and the new fuel filter probably just helped it run a little further on its last legs rather than solving the problem. Thing is we had no way to get to Ladysmith ourselves and still needed to go to Harrismith, so some delightful Christian guys from Kestell came and got us along with the equipment, fed us, and then took us to Harrismith. Plan would be to go to Ladysmith and get the car - once fixed - and then drive home (towing to Durban would be over £200). Problem is that they can't get the appropriate fuel pump there in Ladysmith. So we had to take a taxi (basically a minibus, but reasonable price) back to Durban. To get the car fixed I need to locate the part, take it to the mechanic in Ladysmith (3 hours drive away), and then wait for him to fit it, pay for his labour, and drive home just hoping that it makes it back! To get the part however I can either go direct to Saab and pay a probable £350-400, or can potentially find one through an independent specialist for less than £100 (I've spoken to the guy and he says he has supplied fuel pumps for Saabs like mine before). For the second option to happen, he needs to see the exact part, which means now I've got to go to Ladysmith and bring it back, before getting the part next week sometime and taking it back to Ladysmith! It's going to be a long week!
So here's what you can pray:
Because of the third reason we really needed to take my car, as it was the only one that had the space, apart from Drew's wagon that absolutely swills petrol. Turns out we would have been better off taking Drew's after all!
While there's so much to tell about the journey and all the resulting things, I just want to tell you what the state of play is now because things are really getting quite extraordinary with this car (for those not aware this is the latest in an unremitting stream of disaster attached to this vehicle!) and I need you all to stand with me in prayer. Maybe it's all a sovereign work of God, maybe there's some element of spiritual opposition, and just maybe it's both? While I'm trying not to put myself in the same boat as Job too much (I've certainly grumbled more than he over a lot less!), clearly that was a case where it was both. So please do read and then pray to the God who delights to move mountains over a mustard seed sized bit of faith. Thanks!
So, what happened was that we drove for a good while on a lovely day when out of nowhere my car just died and we had to pull over. It did start again, but quickly died once more. Thankfully a tow truck was pulled over right away who was also an agent for Outsurance, my car insurer, who also provide breakdown assistance. So before long we were being towed to his nearby service centre. The problem - fuel starvation, i.e. not enough fuel getting into the engine to keep it running. The cause? Well, when they looked at it they found the fuel filter was pretty clogged and so that would likely be the culprit. Once replaced we went for a test drive and it seemed to be working like a charm once more. Being halfway to Harrismith we took a collective decision that we should press on, and so we did for about another 100 miles until suddenly the same thing happened again! ARGH! This time no tow truck was waiting for us, but Outsurance did bend the rules a bit and grant me another callout. So my car then got towed to (then) nearby Ladysmith to be looked at the next day by a mechanic.
Turns out the fuel pump is putting out only about half the pressure it should be, and the new fuel filter probably just helped it run a little further on its last legs rather than solving the problem. Thing is we had no way to get to Ladysmith ourselves and still needed to go to Harrismith, so some delightful Christian guys from Kestell came and got us along with the equipment, fed us, and then took us to Harrismith. Plan would be to go to Ladysmith and get the car - once fixed - and then drive home (towing to Durban would be over £200). Problem is that they can't get the appropriate fuel pump there in Ladysmith. So we had to take a taxi (basically a minibus, but reasonable price) back to Durban. To get the car fixed I need to locate the part, take it to the mechanic in Ladysmith (3 hours drive away), and then wait for him to fit it, pay for his labour, and drive home just hoping that it makes it back! To get the part however I can either go direct to Saab and pay a probable £350-400, or can potentially find one through an independent specialist for less than £100 (I've spoken to the guy and he says he has supplied fuel pumps for Saabs like mine before). For the second option to happen, he needs to see the exact part, which means now I've got to go to Ladysmith and bring it back, before getting the part next week sometime and taking it back to Ladysmith! It's going to be a long week!
So here's what you can pray:
- That when Themba and I go to Ladysmith tomorrow (Friday) that we have a safe journey with no more hiccups.
- That we get the part without any problems.
- That the guy I'm dealing with can get the part quickly.
- That the guy who needs to fit it doesn't charge me too much and continues to be understanding.
- That when I drive my car back it gets all the way home.
- That when I get this car home I find favour and am able to sell it, trade it in, or just do something that means I get rid of it and get something that doesn't cause me all this hassle and drain on my pockets.
- That God provides the means to pay for everything I need to pay for in this great debacle.
Monday, 3 December 2007
Wildly Captivating
Being out here in SA I've had a bit more time to read than I have found when I was back in the UK. While I'm reading lots of stuff about SA issues, politics, etc, and some fairly dense theological stuff when I can, I did finally manage to complete my self-assigned mission to read the Eldredge Bible - also know as Wild At Heart, for men, and Captivating, for women. True, I don't think John and Stasi Eldredge would approve of people treating these books as a subistitute for the Bible, but given that that's practically how a lot of people have started to view these books, I thought I should see what all the fuss was about. Both in the UK and in SA it seems that these books are fast becoming the average Christian's authoritative definition of manhood and womanhood, the issues involved therein, and basically what life is about as a man/woman.While I don't intend to give a huge review or analysis here (though I think that I might well aim to preach on these issues one day, using these books as a point of reference), now that I'm done it'd be nice to make a start at least.
First off I think that these books do indeed fill a very big gap when it comes to Christians thinkng about gender issues and identity, hence their success. There is a lot of material out there covering everything from male/female roles to transsexuality, but it is largely quite academic due to the academic nature of attacks being levelled at the Biblical view of gender. There's a number of great books, which I've dipped into in parallel to Wild At Heart (WAH) and Captivating (CAP), but they are very intellectual, meaning many people won't read them, and also that they spend a lot of time arguing against certain trends rather than just helping people with the issues they tend to face about themselves. Because of this alone I think there is a lot or merit in WAH/CAP, for they help people think not about abstract issues, but themselves.
WAH/CAP does also assume a (I think) biblical understanding of male/female complimentarity - i.e. that men and women are fundamentally different, though equal in worth, and possessing many similarities in together bearing the image of God. Given that that can hardly be taken for granted these days in popular Christian literature, I think it's a good thing that this view is underlined by the popularity of these books.
Another positive is that the books do focus on the core understanding of what man and woman are, rather than just on doing more stuff. It's a very biblical approach to have understanding of identity shaping behaviour, not the other way around. Instead of piling up lists of things to do to make one into a better man/woman, their aim is to help you see who and what you are as a man/woman, and then just go live that out (being convinced that most people don't live like the sort of people they should be because they don't know who they should be).
Being filled with stories and illustrations, they are easy to read and it didn't take me long to plough through them. But therein also lies perhaps the key weakness and subtle, but vital, danger of WAH/CAP. In being so based on human observation, movies, and stories, I think the authors often find themselves overstepping the bounds of what the Bible says (often because they want to fill in the 'blanks' in the Bible, it seems) and being both inaccurate about what they say, and overly precise about things the Bible is quite general about (e.g. in trying to distinguish between men and women things that are present in both). What these books certainly are not is a guide in considering Scripture. Scripture is instead an oft misquoted starting point from which all kinds of other thoughts and meditations grow out unchecked. Often I don't find myself disagreeing completely, but I do find myself even frustrated with how frequently crucial half-truths are passed as clear-cut fact.
Agree, or disagree, with the conclusions on the pages, the methodology of argument from gut feelings, observation, and historical thought - backed by Scripture where it readily agrees - is a bad one, and a bad trait that I fear many genuine believers already follow in too much without WAH/CAP reinforcing that trend.
If approached with a critical mindset (i.e. one that analyses and tests everything, not one that is automatically skeptical), I think there is great value in reading WAH/CAP. There is indeed much good stuff in there, and certainly much to make you think. In that respect I would say that it's the same with any book and indeed all of life - test what you hear and have reason for what you believe. I guess I can't really criticise a book too heavily for merely requiring that you don't swallow what it says hook, line, and sinker. Read even the best stuff that way, even the Bible (no, I'm not saying the Bible is erroneous, just that if you didn't think about what you read you'd end up with very weird conclusions and would be short of functioning with the renewed mind is a fundamental part of authentic Christianity), and you will be in trouble. I guess that warning just needs to be emphasised in this case - that's all.
May we each become more fully the person we were created to be in Christ as we mediate upon the Word of God and learn by testing to distinguish between good and evil.
Once Again
And once again I look upon my car that has died
I'm stuck here in my home now 'cause it's broken inside
Once again I'm ticked off
Once again I pour out my cash
Just like Isaiah sang about his beloved's fruitless vineyard, I'm thinking up little ditties about my woeful wheels!
Yep... it's happened again! Okay, it does still drive at the moment, but there's definitely something wrong. Sunday I went down to the beach and it was fine. Sunday I left the beach and my gear stick is all stiff when moving through the gate (e.g. it doesn't snap back into centre). It was a bit like that when I first got the car back after gearbox repairs, and now it's doing it again! It's due to be looked at tomorrow anyway for this slight remnant oil leak, but now I think they'll add this to the list! I showed the dealer this problem today and he said if it is a return of gearbox woes the repairs are covered for a year and he will be able to get it sorted. The possibility exists, as it does still actually go into gear okay, that it's not low gearbox oil, but actually the bushes on the gear linkage - which is fairly minor to fix. We'll soon see tomorrow though.
In any case I said to the dealer that it would be a lot better that he just give me another car of similar value rather than me returning this one, waiting for another two weeks to have it fixed, etc. He could then fix it and sell it on at his own leisure.... probably with a lot more available channels than me. He didn't seem to have any real objection to the idea in theory, so maybe this will be the best way for me to change my car after all.
I'd of course appreciate you all praying for me that I can just get a car that will allow me to get on with what I came here to do, not chase incidental things like this.
Also, feel free to submit any other verses to the song, or other humourous compositions!
I'm stuck here in my home now 'cause it's broken inside
Once again I'm ticked off
Once again I pour out my cash
Just like Isaiah sang about his beloved's fruitless vineyard, I'm thinking up little ditties about my woeful wheels!
Yep... it's happened again! Okay, it does still drive at the moment, but there's definitely something wrong. Sunday I went down to the beach and it was fine. Sunday I left the beach and my gear stick is all stiff when moving through the gate (e.g. it doesn't snap back into centre). It was a bit like that when I first got the car back after gearbox repairs, and now it's doing it again! It's due to be looked at tomorrow anyway for this slight remnant oil leak, but now I think they'll add this to the list! I showed the dealer this problem today and he said if it is a return of gearbox woes the repairs are covered for a year and he will be able to get it sorted. The possibility exists, as it does still actually go into gear okay, that it's not low gearbox oil, but actually the bushes on the gear linkage - which is fairly minor to fix. We'll soon see tomorrow though.
In any case I said to the dealer that it would be a lot better that he just give me another car of similar value rather than me returning this one, waiting for another two weeks to have it fixed, etc. He could then fix it and sell it on at his own leisure.... probably with a lot more available channels than me. He didn't seem to have any real objection to the idea in theory, so maybe this will be the best way for me to change my car after all.
I'd of course appreciate you all praying for me that I can just get a car that will allow me to get on with what I came here to do, not chase incidental things like this.
Also, feel free to submit any other verses to the song, or other humourous compositions!
Friday, 30 November 2007
Carols in Glenwood
As it's the end of the month and we've got bandwidth to use, I thought I'd show you some of the pics from our carol service last week. Without further ado:
Sunday, 25 November 2007
Ding Dong!
Wow.... the week has flown by, and at the same time been one long dragging time. Being busy usually makes that happen - both not being conscious of the passing of time and feeling like a lot of time has passed. Since it's been nearly a week now, I thought I'd just write something for all you eager people out there! :o)
Yesterday (Saturday) was our Christmas Carol service. You may wonder why, a month before Christmas, we did such a thing, but if you want people to come you've got to do it early here! Students all leave to go home this week, lots of others are going on holiday too. As Christmas is in the summer holidays here things hit a big lull in Dec/Jan, so last night was one of the last chances to do something.
For weeks now I've been chasing, plotting, planning, arranging, etc to try and make the whole thing fit together. Some of the things that made it difficult were:
Apart from it being a huge amount of work, it was a great evening. Colin Vincent, and the guys from Jo'burg, were just excellent. They put together a very tight mix of carols, christmas songs, and general fun. Their musical variety was great, doing We Three Kings (for example) traditional, then rock and roll, the reggae, then opera, then thrash metal! Colin had a different wig each time to be Elvis (King 1), Bob Marley (King 2), Pavarotti (King 3 - actually no wig, but a pillow stuff under his shirt), and then a random Led Zepellin type. The kids who performed in the school choirs loved the whole thing, some of them jumping up and down like they were about to explode! They'd come and done very nice, but very straightlaced carols, and to see Colin and the guys go wild like this, switch quickly into songs in Sotho, Zulu, Afrikaans, and get people dancing, etc was just too much for some of them, I think!
While not everything was according to plan, it ended up really going well and with a number of people introduced to Hope Church, the Glenwood Forum (the neighbourhood group we're working with comprised of schools, churches, businesses, community groups, municipality officials, etc), and most importantly Jesus. After a long evening, it was time to pack up, eat pizza, then sleep!
So this morning I was up early again (after a week of late nights, early mornings, and long days) to play bass in church. I've never been such a fan of playing bass, but it was real good fun this morning actually and I think I might end up being a part-time bassist by the time I come home!
The week included other late nights when on Tuesday myself and Themba spur of the moment decided to go down to the ABSA stadium and watch SA play Canada in international football. Tickets for this international game were a mere R25 (less than £2!) and we had a hoot. Though there were only about 3,000 there, the atmosphere was huge with the Bafana Bafana (SA) supporters going crazy all the way through. SA won 2-0 in a fairly good, pacey game. We were just 4 rows from the front, near the halfway line, which made it great to watch. During the game a guy walked past with a clear plastic bag full of wrappers, and packets, and I put my empty Coke cup in there as well. He swiftly got it out and gave me a dirty look, and got on with selling his crisps and sweets to the crowd! Such a funny moment - I thought he was collecting litter!
Wednesday night was not such a great evening for football though. After our Connect group meal, and watching the amazing lightning storm overhead (Literally the thunder shook the roof! A bolt actually hit a petrol store a few miles away down at the coast and over the next 56 hours or so 7 million litres of petrol burned!), a few of us Brits sat down to watch the England Vs Croatia match. It started at 10pm here, so it was a late night for us. What a bad night to be English! It was terrible! It's got to be one of the worst England performances I've ever seen, and we certainly did not deserve to go through. May it give us a good kick up the behind and make us do something about the last 4 years of miserable play.
Thursday - band practice, followed by a birthday party for Mark, our FYP from Cape Town who's leaving this week. Just another long day!
Friday - Dashing about getting everything ready for the Carol Service. Started at 7:30am and didn't get home until 11:30pm, all to be up again the next morning!
So what's going on now? Sleep? No chance! We're playing football at 4pm today so that we can pick a team for the debut of Hope United - our 5 a side team playing in a league downtown, starting tomorrow at 7pm. I'll let you know how it goes!
Stay in touch, folks! Always nice to hear from you all!
Yesterday (Saturday) was our Christmas Carol service. You may wonder why, a month before Christmas, we did such a thing, but if you want people to come you've got to do it early here! Students all leave to go home this week, lots of others are going on holiday too. As Christmas is in the summer holidays here things hit a big lull in Dec/Jan, so last night was one of the last chances to do something.
For weeks now I've been chasing, plotting, planning, arranging, etc to try and make the whole thing fit together. Some of the things that made it difficult were:
- Wanting to do a large (1,300) outdoor event in a city where it often and heavily, so always having to have a backup plan.
- Arranging participation from several groups, including our guys who came down from Johannesburg.
- Having a myriad of people to speak to before we could confirm anything.
- A myriad of people all wanting to add their own little bits.
- A completely unrealistic budget.
- No opportunity to do a "dress rehersal".
Apart from it being a huge amount of work, it was a great evening. Colin Vincent, and the guys from Jo'burg, were just excellent. They put together a very tight mix of carols, christmas songs, and general fun. Their musical variety was great, doing We Three Kings (for example) traditional, then rock and roll, the reggae, then opera, then thrash metal! Colin had a different wig each time to be Elvis (King 1), Bob Marley (King 2), Pavarotti (King 3 - actually no wig, but a pillow stuff under his shirt), and then a random Led Zepellin type. The kids who performed in the school choirs loved the whole thing, some of them jumping up and down like they were about to explode! They'd come and done very nice, but very straightlaced carols, and to see Colin and the guys go wild like this, switch quickly into songs in Sotho, Zulu, Afrikaans, and get people dancing, etc was just too much for some of them, I think!
While not everything was according to plan, it ended up really going well and with a number of people introduced to Hope Church, the Glenwood Forum (the neighbourhood group we're working with comprised of schools, churches, businesses, community groups, municipality officials, etc), and most importantly Jesus. After a long evening, it was time to pack up, eat pizza, then sleep!
So this morning I was up early again (after a week of late nights, early mornings, and long days) to play bass in church. I've never been such a fan of playing bass, but it was real good fun this morning actually and I think I might end up being a part-time bassist by the time I come home!
The week included other late nights when on Tuesday myself and Themba spur of the moment decided to go down to the ABSA stadium and watch SA play Canada in international football. Tickets for this international game were a mere R25 (less than £2!) and we had a hoot. Though there were only about 3,000 there, the atmosphere was huge with the Bafana Bafana (SA) supporters going crazy all the way through. SA won 2-0 in a fairly good, pacey game. We were just 4 rows from the front, near the halfway line, which made it great to watch. During the game a guy walked past with a clear plastic bag full of wrappers, and packets, and I put my empty Coke cup in there as well. He swiftly got it out and gave me a dirty look, and got on with selling his crisps and sweets to the crowd! Such a funny moment - I thought he was collecting litter!
Wednesday night was not such a great evening for football though. After our Connect group meal, and watching the amazing lightning storm overhead (Literally the thunder shook the roof! A bolt actually hit a petrol store a few miles away down at the coast and over the next 56 hours or so 7 million litres of petrol burned!), a few of us Brits sat down to watch the England Vs Croatia match. It started at 10pm here, so it was a late night for us. What a bad night to be English! It was terrible! It's got to be one of the worst England performances I've ever seen, and we certainly did not deserve to go through. May it give us a good kick up the behind and make us do something about the last 4 years of miserable play.
Thursday - band practice, followed by a birthday party for Mark, our FYP from Cape Town who's leaving this week. Just another long day!
Friday - Dashing about getting everything ready for the Carol Service. Started at 7:30am and didn't get home until 11:30pm, all to be up again the next morning!
So what's going on now? Sleep? No chance! We're playing football at 4pm today so that we can pick a team for the debut of Hope United - our 5 a side team playing in a league downtown, starting tomorrow at 7pm. I'll let you know how it goes!
Stay in touch, folks! Always nice to hear from you all!
Monday, 19 November 2007
The First Of Many
Not much to say today except that I got a pleasant surprise. I'd just gone to pay my speeding ticket (groan - what was funny was the place at the police station where they handled it. It was properly like a bank with 15 or so teller windows ready to take your cash!) when I got a message saying that my car was already done! Sweet! So I phoned back and found out that the good news didn't stop there - it was done quick because they'd managed to source the parts locally and from a different supplier and that meant that the cost was R1650, not R3300, i.e. half price! Given that there's a fixed labour charge in there (doesn't change no matter where you get the parts from) I'm amazed at what the difference in price there was for the parts! If I'm going to need to be getting parts from Saab factories rather than using some generic aftermarket parts I think there's another good reason for selling Saabine. I am still very much thinking to do that and getting something a bit more simple. I've been driving someone else's car while they were away in Mozambique and it's an ancient Ford Tracer - essentially an old Mazda badged as Ford. Even though it's definitely not a great car in some ways it felt a lot better to be driving that than a nice Saab. Partly because it wasn't mine, and partly because it was a pretty low value car I just didn't really have any reasons to be anxious about it at all.
So if I do go ahead and sell I'll probably be looking to do a private sale. A trade in is just going to get me ripped off unless I'm forking out a whole lot more cash into a newer car. What would be great is if I could get a reasonable price (R40,000 is not unrealistic) and then downgrade to something at say R30,000 and make a capital gain. Will let you know how it goes!
Oh yeah.... why the title? May it be the first of many unexpected providences that work for me in this situation!
So if I do go ahead and sell I'll probably be looking to do a private sale. A trade in is just going to get me ripped off unless I'm forking out a whole lot more cash into a newer car. What would be great is if I could get a reasonable price (R40,000 is not unrealistic) and then downgrade to something at say R30,000 and make a capital gain. Will let you know how it goes!
Oh yeah.... why the title? May it be the first of many unexpected providences that work for me in this situation!
Sunday, 18 November 2007
What Happened Next
Oh, I almost forgot to tell you about what happened after Zim!
You may remember I went into some detail about my bag at the beginning of the last post. Well, it turns out that about an hour from the Zim border I suddenly remembered that my keys were all in there! ARGH! Okay, so not a mega problem as they were coming back with Drew (though it made it much more urgent to confirm that the bag was actually there!), but it did mean that we had to come back to Durban with the guys from Mtuba when we arrived back. That meant not only waiting around, but also leaving my car in Mtuba! I had to go back with them when they were going back the following day, and then stayed overnight with the leader of the Mtuba church, Antony Eastes. That was a bonus to that whole debacle because it meant I could build some connections further afield.
But in between all that I finally arrived home, after going around the houses and scrounging lifts, to find that the power was completely out at home. Not only that but it had been out for a while as the alarm (which has backup battery) was completely off. I looked in my fridge and voila - room temperature stuff in the fridge and the freezer section! I had actually cooked a huge batch of bolognese (and pretty good too, if I do say so myself) before I left and so there was loads of that in the freezer that just went to waste. Lots of stuff in the fridge smelled a bit dodgy, and so I sighed at the extra hassle and expense incurred there.
Then after church on Sunday just as I'm leaving to go to Mtuba, Gary hands me a piece of mail that's been delivered for me - a speeding fine! I think it must have been a temporary hidden camera and it's placed in a zone that goes between 60 and 80 (kph) on a massive four lane dual carriageway. Anyway, I'm driving down it in the middle of the day and the thing is empty, and I got caught at 90 (which happens very fast in my Saab - particularly if you're going to see the guy who sold it to you about a problem, as I was!). So to add to my parking ticket I've now got a speeding fine for R700 (about £50!). Just more good news!
So anyway, Monday morning I left Mtuba and started heading home for Durban. About halfway into my journey a loud noise that sounded like bursts of high pressure air started coming from my car! Was the turbocharger going crazy? Well, it seemed to recede a bit at lower speed though there was some definite weird noise continuing. I pulled over at the next junction and it was clear I was in the middle of nowhere. Looking around the car I found that a piece of exterior trim that guards like the oil sump and such and tucks in behind the front bumper was hanging down and dragging along the floor. Okay, so not a bad problem, but I couldn't pull it off, and it wasn't easily going back in. Eventually I managed to bend it about and get it to sit behind the bumper again, and though the fixing screws were missing, it was in with enough force that it shouldn't come out again. I continued home at 60mph just to be safe and was just glad it was nothing major.
But, I did notice a very slight droning noise as I drove. I thought it was probably nothing and I was just paranoid from the latest incident. However it did definitely get worse as I went along and about 100km from home I was sure I had a problem. I noticed the noise disappeared if I steered slightly to the left, though by the end I was steering a lot more before it stopped. I had thought perhaps something was rubbing against the wheel and turning it removed the contact. I got home and jacked the car up but found that actually there was nothing like that happening. Sounds like knackered wheel bearings, I thought. So I book it into a recommended service centre (the guy who sold me the car never managed to track down the guy who could give him the number for an independent Saab specialist, though when I saw him in the gym he of his own volition asked me why I didn't bring the car in for sorting out this remaining oil problem - which was an encouraging sign. Still nothing much has come of that suggested helpful attitude) who said they could only look at my car at the end of the week. After a couple of hours they phone me back, confirm it is wheel bearings, which means both right and left need to be replaced (if one's gone another is not far off), and the parts need to be ordered from the factory outside Durban, so they'll probably arrive Tuesday or Wednesday, which means I might have my car back by Thursday, and for the princely sum of R3300 (about £250). Sigh! I've considered selling it, and might try to do so via private sale, but no option seems particularly good at this moment except for perhaps God directing a thief to take my car and roll it off a cliff so I can get the insurance payout!
Paul says in Philippians,
"I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me." (4:12-13)
And,
"My God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus" (4:19).
It's definitely the sort of promise that keeps me from being fearful and wondering if I'll be coming home early because of such hinderances.
While I don't mention all of this to pressure anyone into helping me out, or dangle it out there as a veiled attempt to solicit help, I do openly welcome all your support in prayer, finance, friendship, encouragement, etc. Part of me wants to not mention things like this because it feels like cheating to call on a security other than God to provide (of course I know he can and generally does provide through people, but I'm talking about the difference between relying on people and relying on God to give you people who will help you). Part of me thinks that's silly and recognises that Philippians 4:19 is actually a statement of the once needy Paul given to the church that had sent him gifts, saying that whatever lack they had incurred through generosity, God had all ability to supply to them as necessary in His good time. Paul also writes in 2 Corinthians 1 that "We don't want you to be uninformed of the hardships we went through". All in all I feel it more an antidote to spiritual pride (my faith being big enough to face this with nothing but God and receive all I need from Him direct) than an ungodly antidote to fear to talk like this and express a willingness to be helped. Each must do as they feel is right before God, and that is how I want to leave this - open, vulnerable, and thankful. Really what I want to ask is that you pray for me that God provides both means to sort out ongoing problems (not for convenience, real problems that make it difficult to live and work here) and any future ones, though it'd be nice if my car just worked from now on, for example!
Thanks for all your support, comments, emails, prayers, etc. It's great to be in partnership with you all.
You may remember I went into some detail about my bag at the beginning of the last post. Well, it turns out that about an hour from the Zim border I suddenly remembered that my keys were all in there! ARGH! Okay, so not a mega problem as they were coming back with Drew (though it made it much more urgent to confirm that the bag was actually there!), but it did mean that we had to come back to Durban with the guys from Mtuba when we arrived back. That meant not only waiting around, but also leaving my car in Mtuba! I had to go back with them when they were going back the following day, and then stayed overnight with the leader of the Mtuba church, Antony Eastes. That was a bonus to that whole debacle because it meant I could build some connections further afield.
But in between all that I finally arrived home, after going around the houses and scrounging lifts, to find that the power was completely out at home. Not only that but it had been out for a while as the alarm (which has backup battery) was completely off. I looked in my fridge and voila - room temperature stuff in the fridge and the freezer section! I had actually cooked a huge batch of bolognese (and pretty good too, if I do say so myself) before I left and so there was loads of that in the freezer that just went to waste. Lots of stuff in the fridge smelled a bit dodgy, and so I sighed at the extra hassle and expense incurred there.
Then after church on Sunday just as I'm leaving to go to Mtuba, Gary hands me a piece of mail that's been delivered for me - a speeding fine! I think it must have been a temporary hidden camera and it's placed in a zone that goes between 60 and 80 (kph) on a massive four lane dual carriageway. Anyway, I'm driving down it in the middle of the day and the thing is empty, and I got caught at 90 (which happens very fast in my Saab - particularly if you're going to see the guy who sold it to you about a problem, as I was!). So to add to my parking ticket I've now got a speeding fine for R700 (about £50!). Just more good news!
So anyway, Monday morning I left Mtuba and started heading home for Durban. About halfway into my journey a loud noise that sounded like bursts of high pressure air started coming from my car! Was the turbocharger going crazy? Well, it seemed to recede a bit at lower speed though there was some definite weird noise continuing. I pulled over at the next junction and it was clear I was in the middle of nowhere. Looking around the car I found that a piece of exterior trim that guards like the oil sump and such and tucks in behind the front bumper was hanging down and dragging along the floor. Okay, so not a bad problem, but I couldn't pull it off, and it wasn't easily going back in. Eventually I managed to bend it about and get it to sit behind the bumper again, and though the fixing screws were missing, it was in with enough force that it shouldn't come out again. I continued home at 60mph just to be safe and was just glad it was nothing major.
But, I did notice a very slight droning noise as I drove. I thought it was probably nothing and I was just paranoid from the latest incident. However it did definitely get worse as I went along and about 100km from home I was sure I had a problem. I noticed the noise disappeared if I steered slightly to the left, though by the end I was steering a lot more before it stopped. I had thought perhaps something was rubbing against the wheel and turning it removed the contact. I got home and jacked the car up but found that actually there was nothing like that happening. Sounds like knackered wheel bearings, I thought. So I book it into a recommended service centre (the guy who sold me the car never managed to track down the guy who could give him the number for an independent Saab specialist, though when I saw him in the gym he of his own volition asked me why I didn't bring the car in for sorting out this remaining oil problem - which was an encouraging sign. Still nothing much has come of that suggested helpful attitude) who said they could only look at my car at the end of the week. After a couple of hours they phone me back, confirm it is wheel bearings, which means both right and left need to be replaced (if one's gone another is not far off), and the parts need to be ordered from the factory outside Durban, so they'll probably arrive Tuesday or Wednesday, which means I might have my car back by Thursday, and for the princely sum of R3300 (about £250). Sigh! I've considered selling it, and might try to do so via private sale, but no option seems particularly good at this moment except for perhaps God directing a thief to take my car and roll it off a cliff so I can get the insurance payout!
Paul says in Philippians,
"I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me." (4:12-13)
And,
"My God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus" (4:19).
It's definitely the sort of promise that keeps me from being fearful and wondering if I'll be coming home early because of such hinderances.
While I don't mention all of this to pressure anyone into helping me out, or dangle it out there as a veiled attempt to solicit help, I do openly welcome all your support in prayer, finance, friendship, encouragement, etc. Part of me wants to not mention things like this because it feels like cheating to call on a security other than God to provide (of course I know he can and generally does provide through people, but I'm talking about the difference between relying on people and relying on God to give you people who will help you). Part of me thinks that's silly and recognises that Philippians 4:19 is actually a statement of the once needy Paul given to the church that had sent him gifts, saying that whatever lack they had incurred through generosity, God had all ability to supply to them as necessary in His good time. Paul also writes in 2 Corinthians 1 that "We don't want you to be uninformed of the hardships we went through". All in all I feel it more an antidote to spiritual pride (my faith being big enough to face this with nothing but God and receive all I need from Him direct) than an ungodly antidote to fear to talk like this and express a willingness to be helped. Each must do as they feel is right before God, and that is how I want to leave this - open, vulnerable, and thankful. Really what I want to ask is that you pray for me that God provides both means to sort out ongoing problems (not for convenience, real problems that make it difficult to live and work here) and any future ones, though it'd be nice if my car just worked from now on, for example!
Thanks for all your support, comments, emails, prayers, etc. It's great to be in partnership with you all.
Into Zim - Part Three (Out Of Zim!)
Well, I've described to you guys something of the journey to Zim and the Church and prayer and fasting. Let me tell you a little about the journey home, what happened after, and show you a few more pics.
While most delegates were staying on for the Friday and Saturday with Dave Devenish for Cross Cultural mission training, we were leaving right after breaking our fast so all our stuff had to go to the church on Friday morning. Though it was a short stay, it was a long trip, and there was a reasonable amount to carry - especially with the obligatory fat camera bag! After the session finished I went to where I had left all my stuff and noticed though that one of the bags wasn't there. For the most part I wanted to find it because I wanted the spoon that I had in there so I could eat the food everyone was being served after not eating for a day and a bit. I couldn't find it, nor could I find Josie whose car I was betting it was in, so eventually I had to just settle down and eat with my fingers as all the Africans did out of choice! We had a stiff maize pulp type stuff called pap, served with a bit of meat and vegetable stew - with the bones and such still in there, of course. The idea is that the pap is strong enough to allow you to scoop up some of the rest of the stuff, but I think I needed some more practice.
Anyway, after chowing down I was thinking I'd have to leave my bag. It wasn't a big deal - Drew could always pick it up and bring it home with him and all that was really in there was a spoon, a map, blanket - non essentials. Just as we were about to leave I spotted Josie and we looked in her car and found nothing. The bag must have been left at her house, but again, Drew could get it, and at least now Josie knew what to do with my things.
So off we went. Phil, the FYP from Mtubatuba who had organised the trip, was resourceful enough to get some money changed and picked us up some big, flavourful donuts from the Spar across the road. Zimbabwe didn't seem so bad any more! I felt a little more at ease to get my camera out, mostly because I knew what to expect, and shot a few things from the moving vehicle. Occasionally you'd see a policeman, or worse a soldier, and you'd quickly hide the camera, but for the most part you could snap if you just were very aware of what was around you. At one point I almost didn't notice some soldiers, but did spot them in time to drop my camera out of sight. Going past the Zimbabwe Broadcast Commission though one of the ex-Zim guys told me, "Here you don't even want your camera to be seen, let alone be seen
taking pictures. In a coup the first thing people go for is the media, and they're very touchy about it here." I obliged, knowing it wasn't just my own neck on the line with all this.
The black and white picture is a township type area we passed on the outskirts of Harare. Inner Harare is fully urban, even if some of it is a bit run down (though most of it looks quite respectable), but in the outskirts you do get some of the more cramped, smaller, simpler
housing.
With petrol in short supply and expensive it's not surprising a lot of people ride bikes, and you can see a couple of seperate occasions where I saw people just fixing bikes, seemingly with little or no tools.
The folk in white are devotees of what are called aposotolos, or something like that - an equivalent of apostle. They're a quasi Christian group who have a "holy day" on either Fridays or Saturdays, and they just gather a small group in open space and teach. They incorporate a lot of traditional and tribal African spirituality into the Bible, as many groups of people do here. Biblical Christianity is often viewed as a white man's relgion with a white Jesus. Lots of people have latched onto biblical elements that fit better with their own culture, e.g. circumcision, sacrifice, etc, and so have an OT type thing going on along with belief in the
"ancestors" and that sort of thing. Breaking the stereotype that Jesus is some western God is one of those major things one has to deal with in evangelism here, even among a culture that has a lot of churchgoing and Christian influence.
You can also see a picture of a typical crowd. There didn't seem to be any clear reason for people to be there, but people were getting on and off buses, hitching lifts, selling stuff, etc. I think it was perhaps the last junction before the open road out of Harare, but there they were in their droves, both sides of the road, in the middle of the road, etc. Absolute anarchy as many people clamber for the few means to get a ride out of Harare and back to wherever they might have come from.
After a few hours of driving we stopped for a break and to refuel at a layby. There in the layby were simple stands containing hundreds of sculptures of various sizes, and we had passed a few similar roadside traders. Mostly things were sculpted from rock, but there were some wooden ones, some things made with rusted metal, and insects with coat hanger legs. Some of them were very good though and full of detail. Most of them were very cheap too, so we all picked up a few things we liked, and the guys were very glad to receive our
custom. I asked how long it takes to make one of the pieces I bought (about 25 cm high), and I was told nonchalantly, "About a week". Looking at the vast numbers of things (though made by about 5 different people) even at half that time there must be years of work sat there in front of us. We asked another guy about the process and he said they locate good rocks wherever they can and increasinly have to go further away. They then borrow someone's truck, maybe giving him a statue, or sometimes just hard cash, and go pick them up from up to 50km away! Then begins the long process of shaping, getting finer and finer as the stages go on. Thing are then heated to toughen them, and for the dark ones several layers of shoe polish are applied. The whole lot is buffed and the shoe polish colour remains through the heat, but comes out a sort of greyish brown that looks really good. In any case it's a lot of work and I picked up three different things for a tenner! What was crazy to see though was how flexible they were with payment. One guy didn't have money, but bought something for three cans of coke! He even traded a couple of items of his clothing and some soap for other items as well. Anything goes in Zim!
Meanwhile refueling was going on. We had done it a few times (when I say "we" I mean Phil, who was very keen) and had to siphon fuel from the contaniners we'd brought with us into the van. What it involves is sticking a piece of hosepipe into the fuel and giving it one good, hard suck. That creates a difference in pressure between the hose and the atmosphere and, so long as the fuel is higher than the fuel talk, the fuel will continue to flow into the tank until the pressure is equalised by either running out of fuel or filling up to the level of the fuel in the container. On the way there we had to use more than one container and so it was unavoidable that Phil got some diesel on his lips, though he seemed to quite enjoy that! I was
content to just know how to do it so that I can if I ever need to!
At Masvingo Shane pointed out some cannon that I simply had to take a picture of. So he pulled over and I jumped out, ran over to the thing, took a pic, and ran back. I never felt so conspicuous in all my life, especially as in this part of the world people don't run when just doing everyday things! Even now I don't know exactly why I have a picture of it, but I do. Again, you can see people just loitering, with not much to do as the economy has largely ground to a halt.
For all this Zimbabwe is a beautiful country and we did get glimpses (at 100mph) of some of the hills and wildlife. Unfortunately we were never anywhere near the famous Victoria Falls. If you want to join the Newfrontiers team planting into Livingstone, Zambia, then you can go and live very nearby this world class nature spot. I'll have to find my own way there one day.
Zimbabwe is also very dry at this time of year too. Though it was raining most of the way up you could tell it had not done so for a while in Zim.
Even for them it was a dry period and very drove over a number of river bridges that almost need not have been there - the bed of the river was bone dry. In this last picture you'll hopefully be able to see the dry river bed that should be flowing with water. Zim does enter its rainy season soon though, so hopefully people will get what they need.
Just to add to the adventure coming back we almost hit another cow! I don't know quite how we missed it, particularly as a lorry was coming the other way. Some reckon the cow went just alongside us but got hit by the lorry, but either way it was very very close!
We got back to the border without incident though the queue was very very long. After a while of waiting around though a guard showed us some favour and let us go ahead (because he knew we'd be quick through) and that saved us at least an hour. Then customs just wave
d us through as well, again saving us some time. It was now about 10pm and we had a long drive back across SA. As much as I loved being in Zim, I had never been so glad to be on South African soil!
While most delegates were staying on for the Friday and Saturday with Dave Devenish for Cross Cultural mission training, we were leaving right after breaking our fast so all our stuff had to go to the church on Friday morning. Though it was a short stay, it was a long trip, and there was a reasonable amount to carry - especially with the obligatory fat camera bag! After the session finished I went to where I had left all my stuff and noticed though that one of the bags wasn't there. For the most part I wanted to find it because I wanted the spoon that I had in there so I could eat the food everyone was being served after not eating for a day and a bit. I couldn't find it, nor could I find Josie whose car I was betting it was in, so eventually I had to just settle down and eat with my fingers as all the Africans did out of choice! We had a stiff maize pulp type stuff called pap, served with a bit of meat and vegetable stew - with the bones and such still in there, of course. The idea is that the pap is strong enough to allow you to scoop up some of the rest of the stuff, but I think I needed some more practice.
Anyway, after chowing down I was thinking I'd have to leave my bag. It wasn't a big deal - Drew could always pick it up and bring it home with him and all that was really in there was a spoon, a map, blanket - non essentials. Just as we were about to leave I spotted Josie and we looked in her car and found nothing. The bag must have been left at her house, but again, Drew could get it, and at least now Josie knew what to do with my things.
So off we went. Phil, the FYP from Mtubatuba who had organised the trip, was resourceful enough to get some money changed and picked us up some big, flavourful donuts from the Spar across the road. Zimbabwe didn't seem so bad any more! I felt a little more at ease to get my camera out, mostly because I knew what to expect, and shot a few things from the moving vehicle. Occasionally you'd see a policeman, or worse a soldier, and you'd quickly hide the camera, but for the most part you could snap if you just were very aware of what was around you. At one point I almost didn't notice some soldiers, but did spot them in time to drop my camera out of sight. Going past the Zimbabwe Broadcast Commission though one of the ex-Zim guys told me, "Here you don't even want your camera to be seen, let alone be seen
taking pictures. In a coup the first thing people go for is the media, and they're very touchy about it here." I obliged, knowing it wasn't just my own neck on the line with all this.The black and white picture is a township type area we passed on the outskirts of Harare. Inner Harare is fully urban, even if some of it is a bit run down (though most of it looks quite respectable), but in the outskirts you do get some of the more cramped, smaller, simpler
housing.With petrol in short supply and expensive it's not surprising a lot of people ride bikes, and you can see a couple of seperate occasions where I saw people just fixing bikes, seemingly with little or no tools.
The folk in white are devotees of what are called aposotolos, or something like that - an equivalent of apostle. They're a quasi Christian group who have a "holy day" on either Fridays or Saturdays, and they just gather a small group in open space and teach. They incorporate a lot of traditional and tribal African spirituality into the Bible, as many groups of people do here. Biblical Christianity is often viewed as a white man's relgion with a white Jesus. Lots of people have latched onto biblical elements that fit better with their own culture, e.g. circumcision, sacrifice, etc, and so have an OT type thing going on along with belief in the
"ancestors" and that sort of thing. Breaking the stereotype that Jesus is some western God is one of those major things one has to deal with in evangelism here, even among a culture that has a lot of churchgoing and Christian influence.You can also see a picture of a typical crowd. There didn't seem to be any clear reason for people to be there, but people were getting on and off buses, hitching lifts, selling stuff, etc. I think it was perhaps the last junction before the open road out of Harare, but there they were in their droves, both sides of the road, in the middle of the road, etc. Absolute anarchy as many people clamber for the few means to get a ride out of Harare and back to wherever they might have come from.
After a few hours of driving we stopped for a break and to refuel at a layby. There in the layby were simple stands containing hundreds of sculptures of various sizes, and we had passed a few similar roadside traders. Mostly things were sculpted from rock, but there were some wooden ones, some things made with rusted metal, and insects with coat hanger legs. Some of them were very good though and full of detail. Most of them were very cheap too, so we all picked up a few things we liked, and the guys were very glad to receive our
custom. I asked how long it takes to make one of the pieces I bought (about 25 cm high), and I was told nonchalantly, "About a week". Looking at the vast numbers of things (though made by about 5 different people) even at half that time there must be years of work sat there in front of us. We asked another guy about the process and he said they locate good rocks wherever they can and increasinly have to go further away. They then borrow someone's truck, maybe giving him a statue, or sometimes just hard cash, and go pick them up from up to 50km away! Then begins the long process of shaping, getting finer and finer as the stages go on. Thing are then heated to toughen them, and for the dark ones several layers of shoe polish are applied. The whole lot is buffed and the shoe polish colour remains through the heat, but comes out a sort of greyish brown that looks really good. In any case it's a lot of work and I picked up three different things for a tenner! What was crazy to see though was how flexible they were with payment. One guy didn't have money, but bought something for three cans of coke! He even traded a couple of items of his clothing and some soap for other items as well. Anything goes in Zim!Meanwhile refueling was going on. We had done it a few times (when I say "we" I mean Phil, who was very keen) and had to siphon fuel from the contaniners we'd brought with us into the van. What it involves is sticking a piece of hosepipe into the fuel and giving it one good, hard suck. That creates a difference in pressure between the hose and the atmosphere and, so long as the fuel is higher than the fuel talk, the fuel will continue to flow into the tank until the pressure is equalised by either running out of fuel or filling up to the level of the fuel in the container. On the way there we had to use more than one container and so it was unavoidable that Phil got some diesel on his lips, though he seemed to quite enjoy that! I was
content to just know how to do it so that I can if I ever need to!At Masvingo Shane pointed out some cannon that I simply had to take a picture of. So he pulled over and I jumped out, ran over to the thing, took a pic, and ran back. I never felt so conspicuous in all my life, especially as in this part of the world people don't run when just doing everyday things! Even now I don't know exactly why I have a picture of it, but I do. Again, you can see people just loitering, with not much to do as the economy has largely ground to a halt.
For all this Zimbabwe is a beautiful country and we did get glimpses (at 100mph) of some of the hills and wildlife. Unfortunately we were never anywhere near the famous Victoria Falls. If you want to join the Newfrontiers team planting into Livingstone, Zambia, then you can go and live very nearby this world class nature spot. I'll have to find my own way there one day.
Zimbabwe is also very dry at this time of year too. Though it was raining most of the way up you could tell it had not done so for a while in Zim.
Even for them it was a dry period and very drove over a number of river bridges that almost need not have been there - the bed of the river was bone dry. In this last picture you'll hopefully be able to see the dry river bed that should be flowing with water. Zim does enter its rainy season soon though, so hopefully people will get what they need.Just to add to the adventure coming back we almost hit another cow! I don't know quite how we missed it, particularly as a lorry was coming the other way. Some reckon the cow went just alongside us but got hit by the lorry, but either way it was very very close!
We got back to the border without incident though the queue was very very long. After a while of waiting around though a guard showed us some favour and let us go ahead (because he knew we'd be quick through) and that saved us at least an hour. Then customs just wave
d us through as well, again saving us some time. It was now about 10pm and we had a long drive back across SA. As much as I loved being in Zim, I had never been so glad to be on South African soil!
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