Waiting for the wind to change

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7415507.stm - sounds very much like here.

Today we visited Cato Manor police station again to see in what way we as Hope Church and Newfrontiers could help assist in what has basically become a refugee camp on our doorsteps. Having spoken to some people yesterday a group of us went to Makro and bought up a whole lot of nappies and soap to meet some of the urgent needs of the 500+ people staying inside the perimeter of the police station. We later made a second trip to Makro and bought more nappies (as many were being distibuted to other areas where there are displaced people) as well as baby food and toilet rolls. The SA Red Cross are handling the distribution of items as needs arise, and they are there all the time now, it seems, doing a very good job.

The site has changed a great deal in just one day. A large tent has set up over a large empty concrete foundation, though it doesn't appear to have any sides, which means it won't keep anyone much warmer, and there's little need for shelter from rain in Durban in winter. It will be a good shade during the day, however. Also on the site are some portable toilets (speaking to the head officer at the station he said he'll probably have to get an open bakkie and take the full containers to the local dump as no one else seems to be willing to come and deal with it!), and a couple of ambulances/mobile clinics that are tending to anyone with health problems. The food that was delivered yesterday by the IFP also seems to be getting into people's hands, and the Red Cross were setting up a mobile kitchen to assist with the cooking needs.

While we were there we had a few interesting conversations. It seems some of the issues have spread to the Inanda area, which is in Durban North and about 10km from where we were. Also there were continuing needs in Chatsworth, the largely Indian community bordered by Mlazi out by the airport, as well as at another police station in Glenwood, where our church meets.

I was taking photos of what was happening when I noticed a man looking at me with a bit more interest than the rest. I went over to speak to him, and he told me has was originally from Maputo, in Mozambique. He had been at the police station since Thursday when a violent mob started forcing people to leave. I asked another Mozambiquan whether he knew whether they would be moved, return to their homes in Cato Crest, or something else, and he told me he was waiting to be taken back to Mozambique. Many people are, unfortunately, leaving South Africa at this time. This Mozambiquan shook his head and just said he'd never seen anything like this before and didn't want to return to the township at all.

For the next few days we are going to be visiting the police station to see what the situation is. Needs change daily, and there is limited storage capacity, so things have to be done on a day by day basis.

The chief at the station is one of many who have been working 18+ hours a day for the last few nights. He says he feels like a zombie, but he is at least a smiling zombie.

Somehow this violence seems to keep spreading a little at a time. Maybe it will die down soon. Maybe it will get worse. What seems clear to me though is that the longer this goes on, the harder it will be to go back.

Corrected

Contrary to my last posting, I have been reminded that I have had at least one enquiry as to my well-being. To anyone else I've carelessly forgotten about, the apology extends to you, but Mr Peter Brandys, I apologise, bruv!

The whole "no one loves me" thing was tongue in cheek. Apologies also if anyone took that personally!

Salani kakhle! (stay well)


Andrew

Simunye

I'm sure many of you have heard about the recent violence against African nationals from outside of SA in Johannesburg. This week it spread to Durban, and yesterday it ignited in Cape Town - so the three major centres of the country are now scenes for horrendous violence, lawless looting, and racial hatred.

While no one has called or emailed and asked if I'm alright (you all obviously love me so much! :o) ), some other people here who are from England have had people asking, so I thought I'd let you all know what is going on.

If you didn't watch the news or listen to the radio you'd probably not notice anything was happening in Durban, so long as you live in the right area. The sort of place I live is about 5 miles from the scene in the picture (the picture is of a few people at the police station who are some of the many who have been displaced violenty from the township across the road, and forced to flee), and if you drive on the major roads, you'd drive around all this and not see anything. That's because so far the violence has been confined to township areas (which tend to be off the beaten track), and perpetrated late at night against people from other African nations such as Zimbabwe, Malawi, Botswana, Mozambique, and Somalia.

The reason? Purportedly there is a lot of rivalry and resentment against these immigrants, who are accused of stealing all the jobs, and even stealing women. As ever, there's an element of truth there, but most black South Africans I speak to say that these foreigners are very hard working and so they get jobs and take jobs local zulus, for example, won't do.

But in reality these mobs of people are reportedly little more than drunken, bloodthirsty thieves, who have killed, raped, looted, and burned their way to stealing lots of cell phones, TVs, clothes, etc. While some are saying they want to kick foreigners out, many victims of violence have their ID documents stolen from them (hence they can't leave) along with everything else.

The worst case I've heard of was against a Mozambiquan in Jo'burg a few days ago. A mob set fire to his shack, and then when he ran from the blaze they shouted in Zulu, "Don't let the foreigner get away!" They grabbed him, doused him in petrol, and then threw him back into the blaze to burn to death. A Zimbabwean speaking to BBC news said that they can't sleep for hearing the sound of this man's screams as he slowly died.

There have been three major hotspots in Durban that I know of - Cato Manor (where the boys I've often mentioned come from), Umbilo (the sort of area we play 5 a side soccer in), and Chatsworth (the mainly Indian community where many from our church live, bordering the township of Mlazi). So far it has been black South Africans (who admittedly do have the rough end of the stick here) against other black Africans. But many do draw comparisons to situations recently like in Congo and Rwanda. Potentially it could spill over against Indians and whites, and even against different black South African tribes (I know one Sesotho guy who is a little concerned because he doesn't speak Zulu well enough to pass for a zulu. Other guys in the church from, for example, DRC, are very worried, with some too scared to go to work).

So today Themba, Johannes, and myself went to Cato Manor police station to see what our church would do to help the displaced people. Johannes' (a member of the staff working particularly with developing our HIV projects) contact in the municipality asked us to come and see what was happening. She explained that there were around 550 adults, plus children, staying on the grounds of the police station. Thankfully it doesn't get too cold at night in Durban, but cold enough (though in places like Cape Town and Jo'burg it'll be very cold - even freezing). The facilities are feeling the strain, with toilets getting blocked up, lack of space, getting food to people, etc. Many people come with only the clothes on their backs.

And to see some of it is just heartbreaking. I saw a girl who couldn't have been more than 15 carrying a 2 year old or so (maybe a sister) just walking through the grounds of the station, and I just thought, "How can people be so brutal against someone so vulnerable?"

Chief Buthelezi, leader of the Inkatha Freedom Party which is very strong in KZN, came to visit the station and did a press release there as blankets and food donated by the IFP was distributed.

At the moment many police stations and church buildings have become effectively refugee camps. The longer this goes on, the harder it will be to return to any normality, and these people may end up settling elsewhere, which is something akin to the dark old era of apartheid.

Simunye is a strong Zulu word, and it means 'we are one'. Chief Buthelezi used it today when urging people not to leave the country. I guess though it all depends on who you mean by 'we'. The wonder is that we all could just as easily be like this. This isn't a South African thing, this is a human thing - a sinful, fallen, human thing.

I ask you to pray for us as a church that we may shine like lights in this crooked generation (which exists not only in SA, but across the world), and to pray for those who have been so brutally treated. Many have lost everything, even family members. Some think it better to be in Zimbabwe where there is little food, and where Zanu PF thugs do things much like they do here. Do pray - God is powerful! If I find ways in which any of you might be able to help further (e.g. through gifts of money to enable us to give to those made destitute), I will let you know.

I come home in three weeks or so. Who knows how much longer I'd be welcome here anyway?

Four Weeks To Save The World

So here it is - it's now less than one month until I come home! It's come so fast, but even though it's so near it really hasn't hit me yet.

Durban has become to me a new home. It's not somewhere where I have lived - it is home. Even more than being able to get a sun tan in winter (like today at the beach where it was 27C), the people I know, the sights I see, the culture all around, and the fact that it in some way feels uniquely "mine", mean that I'm going to be very sorry to leave.

But I must look forward, and there is much to look forward to. It will be great to be back with so many other great friends, to be close to Mandy, to be a part of a couple of great weddings this summer, to see family, etc. That's just catching up on things that I've left, but there's also whole new things with teaching (though there's still no definite road forward before 2009), being involved afresh and from a new perspective with where Beulah Family Church has gotten to, working with new people, and just getting into a new stage of what God has for me in my life. Even looking recently at this spate of horrible youth killings in London has spurred me to pray. Something stirs deep within me, and I just know God is going to bring a powerful response to this situation. If he should use me, then let Him use me. As the least suited of pretty much any person it will only serve to clearly show His surpassing power.

I feel stirred also to see what God will do with some other things. I think being here in SA has definitely helped me to be a lot more nuts and bolts at times, and to just get on with things. I'm much more in the frame of mind to just push the boat out a bit when it comes to evangelism and mercy to the poor.

I've also been doing a fair bit of writing in the last few months. I'm putting together all of our series on money into a book that Hope Church is going to use in Durban, and potentially elsewhere. I've helped produced Connect/Cell Group training manuals, and am still expanding it, as well as a manual for doing "ministry" in terms of praying for people. Along with preaching, it's a lot of writing and communication, and I think it's helped sharpen the things God has put in me. I think this writing thing is going to go a lot further too. I feel a burden to somehow take it outside of the church (though equipping believers is a huge passion of mine) and into the world - to make the mind of God known on the things that are happening in our days. I don't even know where to begin, but it still stirs a sense of excitement in me as I think about what God may do.

I am also excited to see what God is doing in me with regard to my character. It's been painful, and will continue to be so, but God has been dealing a lot with my stubborness and outright arrogance. There's a long way to go, I'm sure, but God is repeatedly on my case at the moment. It's so amazing.... things can go from crushing failure to amazing success in almost no time at all. I think an awareness of how we're not sufficient to boast of anything in ourselves (which comes after failure) means that God is right on board and working alongside the humble attitude that should be there always. What a thought - that perhaps the biggest obstacle to the work of God in our lives is ourselves. Our pride is like a tap, that opens or closes the flow of God's gracious working around us. That's why things can change so quickly, I think - because a big change has happened in us, meaning God works, and all the results depend on God. I'm sure there'll be a lot of the "same old Cook" when I get back, but God is doing something too - putting in such a bigger heart. My focus is usually first and foremost on "being right". If I'm wrong, I'm wrong, but my concern is on what's right, and then on making sure I'm in line with that. But just as faith and knowledge without love are nothing (1 Cor 13:1ff), so rightness/correctness/truth without love is also nothing. In fact it just mutates something beautiful into a monster - a harsh measuring line that only exposes inadequacy. In essense it's law, which may be right, but leaves things unchanged and only gives a verdict of right or wrong. But grace is love, the love God is. Grace does not compromise, but it does change. It doesn't just confirm itself as being right, but makes other things right at its own expense. God once spoke to me and told me I'm like Judge Dredd, "I AM THE LAW". But by his grace He's helping me to be grace to others, not law - to be loving and upbuilding and not just right (which I'm often not anyway!). This is just a continuation of a long journey, but it's good to see that it is continuing, and I do look forward to seeing some of its new fruit in days to come when I'm back home.

So in these last few weeks in Durban I've still got a lot of tying up to do, things to see, and people to say goodbye to. After three weeks I think my car insurance claim is finally in the right department (after numerous phone calls!), and so hopefully it will be done by the time I leave.

Anyway, nothing too new or profound at the moment. By now I've either got used to things in SA where I don't really comment on them so much now, or I'm just settled enough that nothing new is really happening. But you can check out my Flickr page (link on the left), as I've uploaded a whole lot of pics of where I've been and what I've done since January. Enjoy! See you in four weeks!

Happenings and non-happenings

Oh my! It's now May 2nd! The days are getting shorter, noticeably colder, and also wetter here in Durban. Just as I finally get used to ridiculous tropical temperatures (I think Ghana definitely helped Durban to feel a little more normal!) it gets all cool! I think I might never feel warm again this side of 30C!

Anyway, it's fast closing in on 6 weeks until I come home. These 6 weeks are going to be a little different than I imagined though. On Sunday just gone I had a rather unfortunate run in with a Mercedes C180, i.e. I crashed into one! It was actually his fault (changing his mind and crossing from right hand side of a crossroad junction to turn left, and so right across my path), but I still ended up driving into the Merc that was deciding to park itself right in front of me. Thankfully I braked fairly well, and managed to steer a bit so I more glanced him and spun off, rather than slamming square into him. His car was good enough to drive away, mine, not quite so lucky. Given the age of the car it's almost certainly a write off. Thankfully again, the other driver has taken full responsibility and has arranged for me to claim from his insurance. Hopefully I'll hear more next week, but the claim is now already underway.

It does mean that for my last little while in Durban I'm car-less.... something you don't want to be when you have to travel 8.5 miles to work, a mile to the nearest shop, 5 miles to the nearest friend's house, and all this over big Durban hills! As it stands I'm either able to hitch a lift or borrow a car for most things I need to do. It is limiting though. I used to be one of the people who could provide a ride for people, now I need a ride. Being a leader in this context generally means you need a car, because that's often the only way you can see people or gather them. For example, it's going to be practically impossible to get my Connect Group together now I don't have a car. It's hard to grasp just how vital having a car is in this environment. I remember from the moment I arrived until now several times where I've been reminded that things just break down here without adequate transport. Getting adequate transport is one of our big challenges. Oh, sure, it wouldn't be a problem if we were just talking about building a church full of middle class families who could all drive. But when including the poor, students, even just ordinary people with reasonable jobs who can't afford a car, and people who come from far away, yes, we need cars! So don't be surprised one day if I end up asking some of you to help a key leader in the church here to buy a car - it's not a luxury, but crucial to operating an all inclusive church in this context.

That was the happening - my car crash. By the way, I was unhurt apart from a small sprain on my right wrist from holding the wheel (I did use my left hand too, but somehow it wasn't hurt!) at the moment of impact. The non-happening is my Teach First application. Things have opened up remarkably to allow me to apply, and my application was warmly received. The problem is that I need to be back for an interview and assessment day on May 14th, which is not just inconvenient but totally impractical. So that's that one out.... there's not really any way around that. I think that applying to start September 2009 would be good, but we'll see.

So for now it seems that I don't know what I'll be doing when I come back home. All things being equal, I think it's better to have a job than not, so I'll be looking for one, but I don't know what. It's hard to think of something you'd really like to do, that would really be of some long term use, but that you might only do for a year. Any thoughts, people? Answers on the back of a postcard, please!

See you all soon!