Wednesday, April 21, 2010
50 days and counting
Let the countdown begin: 50 DAYS until kickoff!
Since the last time…I’ve been to Botswana and back for a much needed break from the city. My cousins, Pete and Shelley and their kids Caleb and Malena recently moved to Gaborone (the capital of Botswana and conveniently only 4 hours away), so for the Easter weekend Siri and I traveled north via Mini-bus. There were plans to tour the Okovango Delta…world famous for something…and the salt flats, where all the tour books warned you can get disoriented, lost, and die. But once we arrived and were kindly escorted by Pete to their home…we stayed put. It was so refreshing to be in a home, to wake up and chat over a cup of coffee with family from home. Mornings were spent playing legos or building some construction in the back yard with mud and sticks. We found some local adventures in the termite mound down the path, which apparently makes a good snack to the trained tongue. To me, it tasted like mud. One afternoon we explored the “mountain” just outside of town but were more captivated by some Baboons. By “some” I mean hundreds jumping, rummaging, climbing, and fighting. And on all their rears were strange growths…think nuclear power plant accident. We all got some good, immature laughs in about that! The hike was nice and gave us a sprawling view of the overgrown village of Gaborone. Botswana is so different than South Africa. The atmosphere is calm, safe, and friendly. There are goats and donkeys sharing the road with cars and mini–taxis. It’s nice and I hope to go back. Siri and I both had a great time and it was difficult to return to the city. The time did provide a good chance to reflect and re-energize for this next season here in Pretoria. It will be a busy one and a tough one, no doubt.
As far as the Human Trafficking Campaign goes, things are really moving forward. We have done a few more trainings for outreach workers and people in the Potters House womens shelter, and all the TLF housing units. People’s responses are incredible…they want to start spreading the word. There are plans to do outreaches in more of the communities here in Pretoria, to work with the children so they can tell the story too, and to train the building caretakers of City Property, the largest property management company in the city. God is moving! Our new outreach to Sunnyside is proving to be a challenge as the crime is much more organized in that part of town. Many of the prostitutes there work out of brothels that are hidden in flats. These are often run by Nigerian pimps who are also wrapped up in the drug trade. The last few weeks have been nerve racking to say the least as we are constantly being watched and the intimidation factor is huge. The pimps keep an eye on us at all times as we are talking with the ladies and the women also constantly glance around to see if they are being watched. Seeing the fear in these women’s eyes and at the same time watch the guy across the street stare at us and keep us in his peripheral vision makes me reconsider our time there. Personally, I am being so challenged to really look at how we do outreach and why. Please pray that God would lead us, not the other way around. Not sure I am in a place to say more than this yet but it has been a very difficult area for me to sort through.
On a more positive note, a few women have really taken some steps into changing their lives. Sibongile, who we see at least once a week down-town has been coming to Lerato House to get her ID and Resume updated and is registering for a training course through another organization here. She has a very hopeful attitude and is putting a lot of effort into stepping out of her current situation. My friend Petunia, the woman who had the injured finger a few months ago, is also starting to ask more questions about what Lerato House can help her with. She previously worked at Woolworths and Shopright but now has had difficulty finding work. My hope is that she will keep asking questions, and trusting us to walk with her in her journey off the streets. Both of these women said that they are not looking forward to the World Cup because they don’t think anything will change for them. “It changes for them” Petunia said as she waves her hand towards the Union Buildings. “But not for us down here,” and looks around at the broken building, abandoned field, and junk yard. She’s right. When I asked what they would most like to see change, one woman said she would like a job, a home, and a community. Those are not extreme requests. The simplicity and attitude of that answer silenced me. Those things would keep her from having to sleep with 50 men a day (not an exaggeration) to earn her 200R ($30) to send to her family for survival. Still lots of work to do here.
It’s been a smelly few weeks here in the city. The garbage workers have been striking in very creative way. Each day, there have been garbage bins dumped in the street, trucks tossing rubbish all over the roads, people tipping the garbage cans on the sidewalk over as they walk, and all the cars driving over the whole mess. Just in the last few days have the workers gotten busy again. I really hope they got their raise.
An update on the people coming to help out here…Paul and Kellie are on their way from Italy probably this weekend to join us here and start work on the Better World! Aaryn is coming on May 24th from Vietnam also to jump into the action and dun dun dun…Cameron, my incredible boyfriend will be coming on June 1st for a long awaited visit. He’ll be working on an art project for TLF’s new building TAU building to tell the story of ashes to beauty. It was formerly a budget hotel housing many young girls and keeping them to work as prostitutes. Now it will be the new Lerato House, our shelter for at-risk girls. It is beautiful story of redemption and I know that Cameron will create a perfect piece for the entrance. Thank God that He has paved the way and provided for this time.
Celebrating the small things;
Siri and I will have a refrigerator starting next week
The basil and wildflowers are coming up
Dinner last night was tomato, pumpkin basil curry and pasta sauce
I love you all. Enjoy the pics from Botswana and of the flyers/poster we are spreading around town.
Since the last time…I’ve been to Botswana and back for a much needed break from the city. My cousins, Pete and Shelley and their kids Caleb and Malena recently moved to Gaborone (the capital of Botswana and conveniently only 4 hours away), so for the Easter weekend Siri and I traveled north via Mini-bus. There were plans to tour the Okovango Delta…world famous for something…and the salt flats, where all the tour books warned you can get disoriented, lost, and die. But once we arrived and were kindly escorted by Pete to their home…we stayed put. It was so refreshing to be in a home, to wake up and chat over a cup of coffee with family from home. Mornings were spent playing legos or building some construction in the back yard with mud and sticks. We found some local adventures in the termite mound down the path, which apparently makes a good snack to the trained tongue. To me, it tasted like mud. One afternoon we explored the “mountain” just outside of town but were more captivated by some Baboons. By “some” I mean hundreds jumping, rummaging, climbing, and fighting. And on all their rears were strange growths…think nuclear power plant accident. We all got some good, immature laughs in about that! The hike was nice and gave us a sprawling view of the overgrown village of Gaborone. Botswana is so different than South Africa. The atmosphere is calm, safe, and friendly. There are goats and donkeys sharing the road with cars and mini–taxis. It’s nice and I hope to go back. Siri and I both had a great time and it was difficult to return to the city. The time did provide a good chance to reflect and re-energize for this next season here in Pretoria. It will be a busy one and a tough one, no doubt.
As far as the Human Trafficking Campaign goes, things are really moving forward. We have done a few more trainings for outreach workers and people in the Potters House womens shelter, and all the TLF housing units. People’s responses are incredible…they want to start spreading the word. There are plans to do outreaches in more of the communities here in Pretoria, to work with the children so they can tell the story too, and to train the building caretakers of City Property, the largest property management company in the city. God is moving! Our new outreach to Sunnyside is proving to be a challenge as the crime is much more organized in that part of town. Many of the prostitutes there work out of brothels that are hidden in flats. These are often run by Nigerian pimps who are also wrapped up in the drug trade. The last few weeks have been nerve racking to say the least as we are constantly being watched and the intimidation factor is huge. The pimps keep an eye on us at all times as we are talking with the ladies and the women also constantly glance around to see if they are being watched. Seeing the fear in these women’s eyes and at the same time watch the guy across the street stare at us and keep us in his peripheral vision makes me reconsider our time there. Personally, I am being so challenged to really look at how we do outreach and why. Please pray that God would lead us, not the other way around. Not sure I am in a place to say more than this yet but it has been a very difficult area for me to sort through.
On a more positive note, a few women have really taken some steps into changing their lives. Sibongile, who we see at least once a week down-town has been coming to Lerato House to get her ID and Resume updated and is registering for a training course through another organization here. She has a very hopeful attitude and is putting a lot of effort into stepping out of her current situation. My friend Petunia, the woman who had the injured finger a few months ago, is also starting to ask more questions about what Lerato House can help her with. She previously worked at Woolworths and Shopright but now has had difficulty finding work. My hope is that she will keep asking questions, and trusting us to walk with her in her journey off the streets. Both of these women said that they are not looking forward to the World Cup because they don’t think anything will change for them. “It changes for them” Petunia said as she waves her hand towards the Union Buildings. “But not for us down here,” and looks around at the broken building, abandoned field, and junk yard. She’s right. When I asked what they would most like to see change, one woman said she would like a job, a home, and a community. Those are not extreme requests. The simplicity and attitude of that answer silenced me. Those things would keep her from having to sleep with 50 men a day (not an exaggeration) to earn her 200R ($30) to send to her family for survival. Still lots of work to do here.
It’s been a smelly few weeks here in the city. The garbage workers have been striking in very creative way. Each day, there have been garbage bins dumped in the street, trucks tossing rubbish all over the roads, people tipping the garbage cans on the sidewalk over as they walk, and all the cars driving over the whole mess. Just in the last few days have the workers gotten busy again. I really hope they got their raise.
An update on the people coming to help out here…Paul and Kellie are on their way from Italy probably this weekend to join us here and start work on the Better World! Aaryn is coming on May 24th from Vietnam also to jump into the action and dun dun dun…Cameron, my incredible boyfriend will be coming on June 1st for a long awaited visit. He’ll be working on an art project for TLF’s new building TAU building to tell the story of ashes to beauty. It was formerly a budget hotel housing many young girls and keeping them to work as prostitutes. Now it will be the new Lerato House, our shelter for at-risk girls. It is beautiful story of redemption and I know that Cameron will create a perfect piece for the entrance. Thank God that He has paved the way and provided for this time.
Celebrating the small things;
Siri and I will have a refrigerator starting next week
The basil and wildflowers are coming up
Dinner last night was tomato, pumpkin basil curry and pasta sauce
I love you all. Enjoy the pics from Botswana and of the flyers/poster we are spreading around town.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
day to day
“Hello nice, can I burn you?”
What!? As I jog past a group of workers heading home after a day at the construction site, they holler in my direction…something that I still cannot decipher. I can guess what it means to be called nice, but I don’t know what that second part means. And I don’t have much interest in figuring it out. So I toss a casual , “hello” back to them and keep on running. Along the highway that passes central prison, through the Salvakop field which has just recently been cut down and burned, around the neighborhood, back past the fruit vendors, through a few patches of mealies growing and people chatting or chilling in the streets, over the bridge, through the bus station and down the hill back to Museums Park. This is my evening run. All this while the air is getting crisper as autumn approaches and the sun turns the sky neon pinks, purples, and oranges. It highlights the tin roofs of the shacks and glistens in the eyes of the kids that run with me for a block or two. They are fast, and usually win any impromptu race that gets started. That light makes this city a new place.
In the past month, I have been trying to find some islands in my day. A friend gave me this analogy and it has really helped my sanity. We need times to sit still, to have some comfort of familiarity, and to settle into routine when everything else around us is new and constantly changing. I bought some Earl Grey tea for the mornings, planted basil and wildflowers to watch grow, got a new pen to write with, and have started going on evening runs. All of these things have really contributed to a new peace, necessary after realizing that I am still very much adjusting to life here in South Africa, but more, life in a city. It has been nearly 8 months now and the transition is still in process. This probably won’t finish by the time I board the plane to come home. We are constantly adjusting and learning and changing and everything here is new still. South Africa is a place of paradoxes, of strange combination of realities and to reconcile these in my mind is difficult. This schizophrenic reality is even revealed in how my time is spent here. There is time to take vacations and do some exploring of this beautiful country. And I am so thankful for these opportunities to see places like the Blyde River Canyon, Durban, Mozambique, Nature Reserves, and soon Botswana. Hopefully, in this last season here, there will be a chance to do some backpacking in Lesotho (check out the pictures…it’s ridiculous) and take a visit to Cape Town. Trips like this are full of wandering, laughter, eating strange food, navigating bumpy roads on public transportation, resting, and breathing clean air. On the flip side however, other days are full of work. Busy schedules of meetings and emails; organizing outreaches and gathering materials; making plans, and walking the city streets. The weight of the lives that people are living here is a lot and to manage it in such a hectic, cluttered, and rushed environment just increases the challenge. God has been faithful to remind me though, that this is not my job…to carry that weight. These arms are not strong enough. He has also been good to remind me that the islands I’m finding have been allowed and provided by Him and for His Glory.
Finally, here are some photos from Margit’s visit here last month as well as from Siri’s birthday party. The other volunteers have been so generous and helpful and will compile some of their photos from this year for me so there will be lots to show when I get home. I need to get better at taking pictures of the everyday things…as I’m sure those will be some of the things I miss the most.
Thank you to everyone as always for your thoughts and prayers for the work and the people here. It is really working. My friend is recovering very well and is planning on staying to finish her time here, our work with the Counter-Trafficking Coalition is moving forward. We have most of the resources we need and have begun outreaches. There are some new girls at Lerato House and people really use the services there, often referring cases to us. Work has been slow for the ladies of the night and they are surprised at this, unsure of what it will be like during the World Cup. Our hope is that this will create a curiosity in other options for employment and training…which is available.
Some of the things we’ve been cooking around here:
Malva pudding, Butternut and tomato sauce for pasta, Curried eggs with onions and toast, South African Tiramisu, Gem squash stuffed with creamed corn, and chakalaka pancakes.
It’s much more difficult to cook properly with only a 2 burner stove top, 1 pot and 1 pan, no oven and no refrigerator. But we get by and have gotten much more creative. Siri and I are both essentially vegetarians now. It’s avocado, mango, and orange season now though…so I’m happy!
South African fun fact of the day: You can buy anything you want on the street. Literally.
Just a few of the things I’ve seen for sale on the streets: fruit, shoes, dvds, cds, candy, corn, phone charges, sun glasses, flags, hats, juice, mirrors, earings, bags, car stickers, watermelon, vuvuzelas, soccer balls, HUGE inflatable soccer balls, brooms, fatcakes (donuts), cell phones, nail clippers, and finally, a big classroom diagram of the human body!
What!? As I jog past a group of workers heading home after a day at the construction site, they holler in my direction…something that I still cannot decipher. I can guess what it means to be called nice, but I don’t know what that second part means. And I don’t have much interest in figuring it out. So I toss a casual , “hello” back to them and keep on running. Along the highway that passes central prison, through the Salvakop field which has just recently been cut down and burned, around the neighborhood, back past the fruit vendors, through a few patches of mealies growing and people chatting or chilling in the streets, over the bridge, through the bus station and down the hill back to Museums Park. This is my evening run. All this while the air is getting crisper as autumn approaches and the sun turns the sky neon pinks, purples, and oranges. It highlights the tin roofs of the shacks and glistens in the eyes of the kids that run with me for a block or two. They are fast, and usually win any impromptu race that gets started. That light makes this city a new place.
In the past month, I have been trying to find some islands in my day. A friend gave me this analogy and it has really helped my sanity. We need times to sit still, to have some comfort of familiarity, and to settle into routine when everything else around us is new and constantly changing. I bought some Earl Grey tea for the mornings, planted basil and wildflowers to watch grow, got a new pen to write with, and have started going on evening runs. All of these things have really contributed to a new peace, necessary after realizing that I am still very much adjusting to life here in South Africa, but more, life in a city. It has been nearly 8 months now and the transition is still in process. This probably won’t finish by the time I board the plane to come home. We are constantly adjusting and learning and changing and everything here is new still. South Africa is a place of paradoxes, of strange combination of realities and to reconcile these in my mind is difficult. This schizophrenic reality is even revealed in how my time is spent here. There is time to take vacations and do some exploring of this beautiful country. And I am so thankful for these opportunities to see places like the Blyde River Canyon, Durban, Mozambique, Nature Reserves, and soon Botswana. Hopefully, in this last season here, there will be a chance to do some backpacking in Lesotho (check out the pictures…it’s ridiculous) and take a visit to Cape Town. Trips like this are full of wandering, laughter, eating strange food, navigating bumpy roads on public transportation, resting, and breathing clean air. On the flip side however, other days are full of work. Busy schedules of meetings and emails; organizing outreaches and gathering materials; making plans, and walking the city streets. The weight of the lives that people are living here is a lot and to manage it in such a hectic, cluttered, and rushed environment just increases the challenge. God has been faithful to remind me though, that this is not my job…to carry that weight. These arms are not strong enough. He has also been good to remind me that the islands I’m finding have been allowed and provided by Him and for His Glory.
Finally, here are some photos from Margit’s visit here last month as well as from Siri’s birthday party. The other volunteers have been so generous and helpful and will compile some of their photos from this year for me so there will be lots to show when I get home. I need to get better at taking pictures of the everyday things…as I’m sure those will be some of the things I miss the most.
Thank you to everyone as always for your thoughts and prayers for the work and the people here. It is really working. My friend is recovering very well and is planning on staying to finish her time here, our work with the Counter-Trafficking Coalition is moving forward. We have most of the resources we need and have begun outreaches. There are some new girls at Lerato House and people really use the services there, often referring cases to us. Work has been slow for the ladies of the night and they are surprised at this, unsure of what it will be like during the World Cup. Our hope is that this will create a curiosity in other options for employment and training…which is available.
Some of the things we’ve been cooking around here:
Malva pudding, Butternut and tomato sauce for pasta, Curried eggs with onions and toast, South African Tiramisu, Gem squash stuffed with creamed corn, and chakalaka pancakes.
It’s much more difficult to cook properly with only a 2 burner stove top, 1 pot and 1 pan, no oven and no refrigerator. But we get by and have gotten much more creative. Siri and I are both essentially vegetarians now. It’s avocado, mango, and orange season now though…so I’m happy!
South African fun fact of the day: You can buy anything you want on the street. Literally.
Just a few of the things I’ve seen for sale on the streets: fruit, shoes, dvds, cds, candy, corn, phone charges, sun glasses, flags, hats, juice, mirrors, earings, bags, car stickers, watermelon, vuvuzelas, soccer balls, HUGE inflatable soccer balls, brooms, fatcakes (donuts), cell phones, nail clippers, and finally, a big classroom diagram of the human body!
Thursday, March 11, 2010
what in the world is going on
To all my long lost friends and family. First, sorry that it really has been a month since some of you have heard from me. Yes I'm alive and things are going fine here in Pretoria. For those of you who want the quick and easy update this is it: enjoying the new flat, work is busy, still thankful to be here, saw a giraffe and rhino, I miss doing Yoga class, and I'm spelling things the European way now. For those of you with either more time on your hands or more curiosity...here we go!
The weeks since last time have really flown by but some very significant things have been going on. My step-mom Margit came for a visit for a week and we had a great time exploring just outside of town. We went to the Hartesbeepoort Dam area and stayed in some great little backpackers. After getting lost a good number of times, we found ourselves at Pilanesburg National Game Reserve and spent the day on Safari. Safaris are HOT! It was a blast searching with the binoculars for zebras, springbokke, rhinos, and giraffes. I cannot even start to describe how beautiful the park was and how much fun we had shrieking when the hippos would pop their noses and eyes out of the water, or when we finally at the end of the day spotted a "tower" of giraffes in the trees. Margit nearly jumped out of the car to get a better look. Good thing we didn't see any lions. We also got to go to a musical at the Market Theatre in Jo'Burg featuring Hugh Masekela and Sibongile Khumalo who are both significant and world famous jazz musicians who did a lot during the Apartheid Struggle. It was amazing! Pictures will be coming soon. The trip went very quickly but I think she got a taste of the reality, beauty, and variety of South Africa. I am so thankful that she could visit, it was nice to have a bit of home here!
Why has it been so long? Thank you first to those of you who have been so dedicated in keeping in touch and sending your encouragement, it means a lot. The last night that Margit was here we returned from dinner to find my laptop gone from the flat that Siri and I stay in. It was stolen from our lounge and the person had to have come in through my bedroom window. In the tradition of police officers, they arrived and went on to ask me what they should do! Furious, I told them to search the flats that were also in Museum Park since no one else would really know I had one there and other valuables were not taken. No luck. The computer is gone and that greatly limits Siri and my chances of writing any sort of emails, blogs, or posting pictures. The pictures are also all gone. God is still good and quickly reminded me that things are things, and people are what matter. 4 days later, another of the volunteers here was attacked just outside our gate. She is, thankfully and miraculously doing alright now but it led to a very hectic and traumatic day and week for many of us. But as I said, things are plastic and people are priceless. The police are still investigating the case so if you like, please pray that justice will be done and the person will be caught. Also for her recovery and all of our attitudes. There are a lot of new security measures in place for Museum Park now and the changes seem to be limiting the number of people coming and going so that is good.
All of these things, along with some others really seemed to be a Spiritual as well as physical battle and were challenging much of the work that is being done. We are all reminded that as we work towards furthering the Kingdom of God, there are forces that do not want this to happen. The Counter-Human Trafficking Coalition took a big hit, with people getting sick and information being lost, meetings confused and schedules disrupted but we are back on track now. I will post more next time with exactly what we are busy doing.
Last night, Mashadi, Sheryl and I went on the night outreach to Pretoria Central and it was so nice to be back out on the street. The ladies were pretty friendly and were joking around and talking with us about how things have been going. Sometimes, they are only interested in talking if we have soda or tea or coffee in hand but last night they were really willing to chat. It is always interesting to just sit down and talk about work with a woman who's industry has so many stigmas around it. Some women to be praying for specifically are: Mavis, Olivia, Lizette, Linda, Sibongile, Moshudu, and Polly.
Finding space in the city is difficult and this past week, it was brought to my attention how different life is here than at home and how much this still affects me. So, it has been my new challenge to try and find some spaces to escape to and breathe. Last weekend some friends and I found one! A great big park just outside of town to hike, bike, and ride horses in! There are giraffes and zebras running around, tall grasses, and beautiful trees. Still looking for others, but the list is growing. In the next month or so, I am hoping to do some traveling again. My cousins Pete and Shelley just moved to Gaborone,Botswana and Siri and I are hoping to visit over the Easter Holidays. At the end of April, the plan is to do a hiking trip in Lesotho (there may even be snow there by then).
A new favorite person that you should check out is: Jean Vanier, the founder of L'Arche Communities. His words and work have been very encouraging and challenging lately and we all could learn something from his life!
http://www.larche.org/home.en-gb.1.0.index.htm
Okay, more to come in a week or so...maybe even some pictures!
But I love you all and pray that you are well.
Peace that continues to surpass understanding and grace that keeps us serving Him,
Robin
The weeks since last time have really flown by but some very significant things have been going on. My step-mom Margit came for a visit for a week and we had a great time exploring just outside of town. We went to the Hartesbeepoort Dam area and stayed in some great little backpackers. After getting lost a good number of times, we found ourselves at Pilanesburg National Game Reserve and spent the day on Safari. Safaris are HOT! It was a blast searching with the binoculars for zebras, springbokke, rhinos, and giraffes. I cannot even start to describe how beautiful the park was and how much fun we had shrieking when the hippos would pop their noses and eyes out of the water, or when we finally at the end of the day spotted a "tower" of giraffes in the trees. Margit nearly jumped out of the car to get a better look. Good thing we didn't see any lions. We also got to go to a musical at the Market Theatre in Jo'Burg featuring Hugh Masekela and Sibongile Khumalo who are both significant and world famous jazz musicians who did a lot during the Apartheid Struggle. It was amazing! Pictures will be coming soon. The trip went very quickly but I think she got a taste of the reality, beauty, and variety of South Africa. I am so thankful that she could visit, it was nice to have a bit of home here!
Why has it been so long? Thank you first to those of you who have been so dedicated in keeping in touch and sending your encouragement, it means a lot. The last night that Margit was here we returned from dinner to find my laptop gone from the flat that Siri and I stay in. It was stolen from our lounge and the person had to have come in through my bedroom window. In the tradition of police officers, they arrived and went on to ask me what they should do! Furious, I told them to search the flats that were also in Museum Park since no one else would really know I had one there and other valuables were not taken. No luck. The computer is gone and that greatly limits Siri and my chances of writing any sort of emails, blogs, or posting pictures. The pictures are also all gone. God is still good and quickly reminded me that things are things, and people are what matter. 4 days later, another of the volunteers here was attacked just outside our gate. She is, thankfully and miraculously doing alright now but it led to a very hectic and traumatic day and week for many of us. But as I said, things are plastic and people are priceless. The police are still investigating the case so if you like, please pray that justice will be done and the person will be caught. Also for her recovery and all of our attitudes. There are a lot of new security measures in place for Museum Park now and the changes seem to be limiting the number of people coming and going so that is good.
All of these things, along with some others really seemed to be a Spiritual as well as physical battle and were challenging much of the work that is being done. We are all reminded that as we work towards furthering the Kingdom of God, there are forces that do not want this to happen. The Counter-Human Trafficking Coalition took a big hit, with people getting sick and information being lost, meetings confused and schedules disrupted but we are back on track now. I will post more next time with exactly what we are busy doing.
Last night, Mashadi, Sheryl and I went on the night outreach to Pretoria Central and it was so nice to be back out on the street. The ladies were pretty friendly and were joking around and talking with us about how things have been going. Sometimes, they are only interested in talking if we have soda or tea or coffee in hand but last night they were really willing to chat. It is always interesting to just sit down and talk about work with a woman who's industry has so many stigmas around it. Some women to be praying for specifically are: Mavis, Olivia, Lizette, Linda, Sibongile, Moshudu, and Polly.
Finding space in the city is difficult and this past week, it was brought to my attention how different life is here than at home and how much this still affects me. So, it has been my new challenge to try and find some spaces to escape to and breathe. Last weekend some friends and I found one! A great big park just outside of town to hike, bike, and ride horses in! There are giraffes and zebras running around, tall grasses, and beautiful trees. Still looking for others, but the list is growing. In the next month or so, I am hoping to do some traveling again. My cousins Pete and Shelley just moved to Gaborone,Botswana and Siri and I are hoping to visit over the Easter Holidays. At the end of April, the plan is to do a hiking trip in Lesotho (there may even be snow there by then).
A new favorite person that you should check out is: Jean Vanier, the founder of L'Arche Communities. His words and work have been very encouraging and challenging lately and we all could learn something from his life!
http://www.larche.org/home.en-gb.1.0.index.htm
Okay, more to come in a week or so...maybe even some pictures!
But I love you all and pray that you are well.
Peace that continues to surpass understanding and grace that keeps us serving Him,
Robin
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
A Better World....is coming!
A BetterWorld…is coming….
Jah rastafari! Bless i….salasi i….Jah provideth! Amen man. Amen. That’s my new greeting in the morning from the old Rasta who runs the stand on the corner. Frank has moved to the other side of town (actually just the other side of the park in front of City Hall). Last week, I picked up a three drawer stand on the side of the street and was struggling with it back to Museum’s Park when Rasta came up to me and offered to help. We walked and chatted (yes, every sentence ended with “I”) the rest of the way home and now, we are good friends. Maybe it helped that I was wearing an colorful beaded armband that he had made. Sorry Rasta I will not smoke with you though. Yesterday, he offered me his chips with a cheery “bless I”! I don’t even have dreads, wonder how he found out that I have some Rastafarian tendencies.
The three drawer stand is now nicely sitting in the corner of my new bedroom. I had to clean out the cockroaches and hammer a nail or two into the bottom drawer, but now it’s decent, and does a fine job holding my socks. Siri and I spent this last week organizing the final details of the new flat then cleaning, scraping, mopping, cleaning, and painting. It’s really amazing how different the place looks now from when we first did our exploring of the other flats in this compound. It feels like a home. People have been so generous to lend us the necessities and even the frilly decorations (like lacey curtains…sick). No, we have zebra stripped fabric covering a wall, painted 3 walls in the living room Argentina blue, my room is peach with fabric hanging everywhere, our kitchen has a collaged map of South Africa over one whole wall, and Siri’s room now has a yellow floor and is decorated with her wardrobe. The house is beautiful! Who knew how many uses milk crates could have. Currently, they are the structure of our coffee table, stove, bookshelves, dresser, end table, bathroom cabinet, footstool, and I’m sure in a few weeks we’ll discover many more uses. We are so thankful to have some space, some peace, and a place to welcome others into. Already it has been so fun to have people drop by for tea or lunch or a movie! One downfall, the toilet is outside. The middle of the night potty stop still requires a pep talk to actually get out there. We’ll get used to it though.
And now for something completely different.
“Why should you be beaten anymore? Why do you persist in rebellion? Your whole head is injured, your whole heart afflicted. From the sole of your foot to the top of your head there is no soundness—only wounds and welts and open sores, not cleansed or bandaged or soothed with oil. Your country is desolate, your cities burned with fire; your fields are being stripped by foreigners right before you, laid waste as when overthrown by strangers.” Isaiah 1: 5-7
About a month ago, after one of our Wednesday night street outreaches. I was reading the Bible, bumped into this verse and had to stop. That night I had been talking with a woman named Petunia who I had met a few weeks earlier. When we met in Marabastad (another location in Pretoria), her finger was swollen to the size of about 3 fingers, there was a gaping wound that was severely infected. I talked with her about what happened and she said that a client had bit her. She had gone to a clinic and they had given her stitches but a few days later, due to infection, they were taken out and she left the wound open. Now we bring a first aid kit with us each week and the women are very open to letting me do first aid if they have minor cuts or wounds. We talked about how to care for it and she asked if she could do it on her own. Petunia took some supplies and did a great job of taking care of it. A few weeks later, her finger looked almost normal again. Praise God. The point though, is that that night, after meeting her again, then reading this verse, so many images came to mind. These women are wounded and beaten and often do not comprehend (or have taught themselves how not to comprehend) the depth of their injuries. It speaks of the state of the city as well as the people in it. We do not realize how much our rebellion damages us. For the women working on the street, some of the afflictions are simply closer to the surface. It struck me how infected our lives are with sin and selfishness. We are just like these women in many ways. A few verses later though, the Bible says this:
“Stop doing wrong, learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the cause of the widow. Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord. Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool…Afterward you will be called the City of Righteousness, the Faithful City.” Isaiah 1:17-18, 26
There’s hope! We have hope that things can change. This is what I pray for this city, for the people that I meet on the street, for those impacted by abuse, fear, oppression, entrapment, and addiction. There are so many in this city who are seeking justice and are going to the dark corners and forgotten buildings to let people know that this justice and freedom is for them too!
This past week, I attended a training hosted by World Hope, a Christian organization working against Human Trafficking in South Africa, Swaziland, and Mozambique. It was really an amazing opportunity to be challenged and taught about what is really happening in the world, just beyond our vision. The facts are devastating but the movement that is growing and awareness that is being raised about Human Trafficking is incredible. TLF has launched a Counter Trafficking Campaign for the city of Tshwane and as we have been working towards the World Cup, we have continued to discover and be invited into the plans of other organizations and groups of people. I’ll describe briefly what our plans are (in cooperation with many other organizations).
*Street Outreach; TLF partnering with a few other organizations will be doing street outreach and awareness raising at taxi ranks, bus stations, taverns, salons, train stations, and a few other locations outside of the city. We will use public theatre, posters, one on one conversations, and trainings to talk with people about what trafficking is and how they can play a role in preventing it as well as helping them avoid becoming trafficked themselves.
*Public Spaces: We want to partner with the School of Creative Arts to put on performances, use art and public interaction in the shopping malls and public squares in town to start the conversation with people who may not be aware that Human Trafficking is happening here in their city.
*Protection/Aftercare: The Potters House, Lerato House, and other shelters will make beds available to temporarily house victims of trafficking, especially during the World Cup. Social workers will be on hand to handle the cases and try to get people back to their homes.
*Trainings: We want to work with the property management of the residential flats in the city to offer trainings for all of the caretakers who will be working; giving them the information of what to watch for and resources on how to deal with potential situations that may be taking place in the flats, right in front of them.
*Being a part of BetterWorld Village: During the World Cup, TLF and it’s partners will be hosting a fan park in Burgers Park where there will be stages to discuss social issues such as homelessness and Human trafficking. This is a great opportunity to continue to raise awareness creatively and empower people to step out and start making changes in their communities in very practical ways.
God has really been confirming that this new role, is where I need to be for the next 6 months here. I am still at the Lerato House 2 days a week and I really enjoy my time there with the girls. Right now there are 6 new girls and they are adjusting pretty well. One girl ran away but was brought back by the police.
If you are still interested in learning more about Human Trafficking and the different campaigns that are working to fight against it, check out these websites and articles or feel free to email me or comment your questions and I will try to find out some answers or resources for you:
Justice [ACT]s
www.justiceacts.org/
StoptheTraffick
www.stoptheTraffik.org.za
TLF’s Better World
http://www.betterworld.org.za/index.htm
Time Magazine’s Article on Trafficking in South Africa
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1952335-1,00.html#ixzz0ckJxtjsa
The Ultimate Goal, South Africa
www.theultimategoal.org.za
World Hope South Africa
http://www.whsa.co.za/
Sorry for being sort of slow lately to update you all about what’s happening here. Time is running and the days really fly by. On a more personal note, I’ve been thinking about home a lot lately and will be excited to come back. Right now, that seems far off but I know that July 25th will sneak up on me. Yes, I have a plane ticket. Washington state, here I come! Oh no…that’s scary to think about. One day at a time.
Jah rastafari! Bless i….salasi i….Jah provideth! Amen man. Amen. That’s my new greeting in the morning from the old Rasta who runs the stand on the corner. Frank has moved to the other side of town (actually just the other side of the park in front of City Hall). Last week, I picked up a three drawer stand on the side of the street and was struggling with it back to Museum’s Park when Rasta came up to me and offered to help. We walked and chatted (yes, every sentence ended with “I”) the rest of the way home and now, we are good friends. Maybe it helped that I was wearing an colorful beaded armband that he had made. Sorry Rasta I will not smoke with you though. Yesterday, he offered me his chips with a cheery “bless I”! I don’t even have dreads, wonder how he found out that I have some Rastafarian tendencies.
The three drawer stand is now nicely sitting in the corner of my new bedroom. I had to clean out the cockroaches and hammer a nail or two into the bottom drawer, but now it’s decent, and does a fine job holding my socks. Siri and I spent this last week organizing the final details of the new flat then cleaning, scraping, mopping, cleaning, and painting. It’s really amazing how different the place looks now from when we first did our exploring of the other flats in this compound. It feels like a home. People have been so generous to lend us the necessities and even the frilly decorations (like lacey curtains…sick). No, we have zebra stripped fabric covering a wall, painted 3 walls in the living room Argentina blue, my room is peach with fabric hanging everywhere, our kitchen has a collaged map of South Africa over one whole wall, and Siri’s room now has a yellow floor and is decorated with her wardrobe. The house is beautiful! Who knew how many uses milk crates could have. Currently, they are the structure of our coffee table, stove, bookshelves, dresser, end table, bathroom cabinet, footstool, and I’m sure in a few weeks we’ll discover many more uses. We are so thankful to have some space, some peace, and a place to welcome others into. Already it has been so fun to have people drop by for tea or lunch or a movie! One downfall, the toilet is outside. The middle of the night potty stop still requires a pep talk to actually get out there. We’ll get used to it though.
And now for something completely different.
“Why should you be beaten anymore? Why do you persist in rebellion? Your whole head is injured, your whole heart afflicted. From the sole of your foot to the top of your head there is no soundness—only wounds and welts and open sores, not cleansed or bandaged or soothed with oil. Your country is desolate, your cities burned with fire; your fields are being stripped by foreigners right before you, laid waste as when overthrown by strangers.” Isaiah 1: 5-7
About a month ago, after one of our Wednesday night street outreaches. I was reading the Bible, bumped into this verse and had to stop. That night I had been talking with a woman named Petunia who I had met a few weeks earlier. When we met in Marabastad (another location in Pretoria), her finger was swollen to the size of about 3 fingers, there was a gaping wound that was severely infected. I talked with her about what happened and she said that a client had bit her. She had gone to a clinic and they had given her stitches but a few days later, due to infection, they were taken out and she left the wound open. Now we bring a first aid kit with us each week and the women are very open to letting me do first aid if they have minor cuts or wounds. We talked about how to care for it and she asked if she could do it on her own. Petunia took some supplies and did a great job of taking care of it. A few weeks later, her finger looked almost normal again. Praise God. The point though, is that that night, after meeting her again, then reading this verse, so many images came to mind. These women are wounded and beaten and often do not comprehend (or have taught themselves how not to comprehend) the depth of their injuries. It speaks of the state of the city as well as the people in it. We do not realize how much our rebellion damages us. For the women working on the street, some of the afflictions are simply closer to the surface. It struck me how infected our lives are with sin and selfishness. We are just like these women in many ways. A few verses later though, the Bible says this:
“Stop doing wrong, learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the cause of the widow. Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord. Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool…Afterward you will be called the City of Righteousness, the Faithful City.” Isaiah 1:17-18, 26
There’s hope! We have hope that things can change. This is what I pray for this city, for the people that I meet on the street, for those impacted by abuse, fear, oppression, entrapment, and addiction. There are so many in this city who are seeking justice and are going to the dark corners and forgotten buildings to let people know that this justice and freedom is for them too!
This past week, I attended a training hosted by World Hope, a Christian organization working against Human Trafficking in South Africa, Swaziland, and Mozambique. It was really an amazing opportunity to be challenged and taught about what is really happening in the world, just beyond our vision. The facts are devastating but the movement that is growing and awareness that is being raised about Human Trafficking is incredible. TLF has launched a Counter Trafficking Campaign for the city of Tshwane and as we have been working towards the World Cup, we have continued to discover and be invited into the plans of other organizations and groups of people. I’ll describe briefly what our plans are (in cooperation with many other organizations).
*Street Outreach; TLF partnering with a few other organizations will be doing street outreach and awareness raising at taxi ranks, bus stations, taverns, salons, train stations, and a few other locations outside of the city. We will use public theatre, posters, one on one conversations, and trainings to talk with people about what trafficking is and how they can play a role in preventing it as well as helping them avoid becoming trafficked themselves.
*Public Spaces: We want to partner with the School of Creative Arts to put on performances, use art and public interaction in the shopping malls and public squares in town to start the conversation with people who may not be aware that Human Trafficking is happening here in their city.
*Protection/Aftercare: The Potters House, Lerato House, and other shelters will make beds available to temporarily house victims of trafficking, especially during the World Cup. Social workers will be on hand to handle the cases and try to get people back to their homes.
*Trainings: We want to work with the property management of the residential flats in the city to offer trainings for all of the caretakers who will be working; giving them the information of what to watch for and resources on how to deal with potential situations that may be taking place in the flats, right in front of them.
*Being a part of BetterWorld Village: During the World Cup, TLF and it’s partners will be hosting a fan park in Burgers Park where there will be stages to discuss social issues such as homelessness and Human trafficking. This is a great opportunity to continue to raise awareness creatively and empower people to step out and start making changes in their communities in very practical ways.
God has really been confirming that this new role, is where I need to be for the next 6 months here. I am still at the Lerato House 2 days a week and I really enjoy my time there with the girls. Right now there are 6 new girls and they are adjusting pretty well. One girl ran away but was brought back by the police.
If you are still interested in learning more about Human Trafficking and the different campaigns that are working to fight against it, check out these websites and articles or feel free to email me or comment your questions and I will try to find out some answers or resources for you:
Justice [ACT]s
www.justiceacts.org/
StoptheTraffick
www.stoptheTraffik.org.za
TLF’s Better World
http://www.betterworld.org.za/index.htm
Time Magazine’s Article on Trafficking in South Africa
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1952335-1,00.html#ixzz0ckJxtjsa
The Ultimate Goal, South Africa
www.theultimategoal.org.za
World Hope South Africa
http://www.whsa.co.za/
Sorry for being sort of slow lately to update you all about what’s happening here. Time is running and the days really fly by. On a more personal note, I’ve been thinking about home a lot lately and will be excited to come back. Right now, that seems far off but I know that July 25th will sneak up on me. Yes, I have a plane ticket. Washington state, here I come! Oh no…that’s scary to think about. One day at a time.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
The Luxury of Life and Space
The Luxury of Life and Space
Welcome to 2010. Happy New Year! Apparently there’s some debate on how this new year is to be pronounced. Is it “two-thousand and ten” or is it “twenty-ten-yourself-around,” or the popular…TWENTY TEN? Here, at the center of all the World Cup hype…it is definitely Twenty-ten. It’s all happening in twenty-ten. I think it’s catchy.
And we are all back from the festive season now. After a beautiful trip to Mozambique, I was very ready to get back to Pretoria. It feels comfortable here in many ways. It’s good to know the streets, to have a bed to sleep in, to know how much fruit costs at the street stands, and to know the language. Moza’s national language is Portuguese; a beautiful language but a bit foreign. Mostly I scraped out attempts at Spanish which were received with smiles and at least some understanding. Me and the man selling baskets in the Central Market had a nice chat about how strong each basket was and what I could use it for…all in SpAn-ortgeGueSe. We had a good time, ending the conversation with a hug and a universal, Caio! Mozambique is distinctly different than South Africa. Maputo, the capitol has very obviously lived through a recent war and not much effort has been made to rebuilt or beautify the streets or buildings. All the buildings are grey cement with flaking paint and broken windows. Streets are full of garbage, broken furniture, and old cars. Just outside of the city, rather than the suburbs here in South Africa, you are instantly in the bush. Nicely paved roads makes way for broken cement then quickly turns into potholes covered in bright red dirt. Mango trees line the road and ladies walk down paths to everywhere wrapped in wonderful combinations of bright fabrics. Houses are huts, food is grown in each small town…there are not many markets. We are spoiled by options most of the time and during this trip, we quickly learned to survive on Mangoes, pineapple, coconut, rice, and Coke.
Since coming back to the city, I have already noticed some differences and it will be interesting to see how things continue to change as the year progresses towards the huge event ahead. Normally, it’s rare to see many white people walking around central, other than the few Afrikaaners who take the bus downtown to work in the large businesses or government buildings. They are quickly gone after work and seem to try and avoid walking the streets too much. But lately, I have seen so many types of people walking around! The other day, I saw a white guy with dreads walking along the street, an Asian guy was wandering Church Square, there was an interracial couple walking along Schoeman street, and a white family walking along pushing a stroller next to the large flats on Jacob Mare’! In any other city, these things are pretty normal…they probably even seem strange to be mentioning…but here, they’re unique…beautiful but different. I am praying that there is a change happening. That the fear of Pretoria Central is thawing and people are exploring from the suburbs or wherever they come from, and finding beauty and value in the inner city. For the past week, as a part of the Anti-Human Trafficking Campaign, I have been walking each street in the city (I have quite a few more to go), to try and identify what types of businesses make up the place so that we can do outreach more effectively. The other day I prayed that God would both protect me as I walked around (looking a little insane I’m sure) and give me a new perspective on the city. As I turned the first corner, a little girl about 4 looked up and gave me a huge smile and waved. I grinned and waved back, just appreciating the freedom and sincerity that is always found in children. Turning the next corner I saw an older man barreling down the sidewalk pushing a shopping cart crazily. It was so bizarre I started laughing out loud, hoping he wouldn’t knock me over. Just before the cart got close enough for me to be really nervous, he stopped, left the cart and gave me a big hug, started ranting something in Sutu that I couldn’t understand, then went on his way. The lady at the fruit stand up the road smiled at me understandingly, sharing that strange hilarious moment with me. It’s interesting to really look at the city, and I’m praying that God uses the information to lead us in our outreach that will be starting in the next month or so. Please pray that we are led to the places where women and children are being exploited and gives us wisdom in how to best offer a way out.
Luxury. How would you define it right now; in your current lifestyle, living arrangement, or situation in general? What would seem luxurious? Would it be driving a BMW or being able to get a massage every weekend? Would it be having a pool in the backyard or going on extravagant vacations every year? Would it be having three meals each day? I’ve lived here for 5months now and some of the things that I have experienced are beginning to settle into my mind and heart. At first, they were simply observations or “interesting things about South Africa.” Now, some of these differences are starting to be internalized. One of these is our idea of luxury. I’m sure it would be even more extreme if I were living in some small rural village out in the middle of nowhere, but even here in the city, my concept of wealth and luxury has really been challenged. Most flats downtown are one or two rooms. In these, there are usually at least 3 or 4 people living. If you stay with your family it could be up to 5 or 6. In that room is the kitchen, bedroom, common space, and then a small bathroom. These flats are pricey too. Too expensive for me to stay in here, working as a volunteer so I can imagine that even on a limited income it would be a challenge for people. I’ve driven through the townships, where nice houses are one or two room (all the rooms…not just bedrooms) total size being about the size of a large master bedroom or “regular” American family room size. They usually have a small yard growing maize and a fence to protect the small amount of personal property that’s owned. Even the place that Siri and I live in now is large compared to where most people in the city live. We have our own room, then a hallway, two bathrooms, a dining room, a balcony, and a kitchen with store room. Even though all this space is shared with 8 other people, this is luxury. It’s hard though, to then drive through the suburbs and see all the houses that have always seemed “normal” or decent…and realize that these require a certain level of wealth that most people in the world will never attain. Why has this become the standard, for a family of 2 or 3 to own so much space? I am not saying that it is a bad thing always and there have been many times here that I really miss having personal space or those things that I used to consider basic comforts but when they become assumed right’s or when a standard of living is assumed, it can become dangerous. Space is a luxury, especially space that you have complete authority over.
Something else that has been highlighted as a luxury we usually assume is our life. As you all probably know, the volunteers have been hosting a Holiday Program for the children in the community. The first Monday back after the holidays we did some projects on New Year’s resolutions, goals, and self reflection. It was a small group of kids and they were mostly very young, 5 years to 11 years old. The first activity of the day was to go around the room and write answers to 6 questions on posters on the wall. A few of the questions were, “What is something you’re proud of from 2009,” “What would you like to accomplish in 2010,” “what are you thankful for today.” At the end of the time, we went around and read aloud each answer to really affirm their participation. About halfway through reading, we all started noticing a few themes; these kids realize the fragility of their lives. So many answered, on all the different posters, “I’m thankful to be alive today.” “I’m happy to see 2010,” “I am proud of living another year.” “I am happy that I’m still alive.” These are very young kids holding the gift of their lives dearly. Many of the kids in our program have had parents, siblings, or cousins who have passed away. Some are orphans living in the foster home that TLF runs. Hearing such true answers from little kids was both heartbreaking and hopeful. Devastating that disease and violence have led to death being common in families but seeing that children value their own lives and realize that waking up each morning really is a gift can mean bright things for their futures! If kids value their lives and want to preserve and find purpose in them, this world will really bloom!
While we’re on the topic of funerals, one of the staff at TLF passed away on Christmas Day. Her name was Bongiwe and she worked as a house mother at the Potter’s House. One of the outreach workers for the prison met her when she was in prison and Bongi later came to live at the Potter’s House. Soon, she was given the post as a house mother and worked there for 3 years. About 2 years ago, she was diagnosed with blood cancer and was very sick off and on. This past November she got very ill again and had to move into TLF’s hospice center, she died on Christmas Day. Her funeral was last Saturday and it was a wonderful tribute to her and God’s restoration in her life. Bongi’s family was able to come here from the Eastern Cape and the service was held at the church, then a graveside service followed. Family was given a time to speak and her story was told. What stood out to me the most is how the community really came together; each man taking a turn in filling the grave until it is full and the job is finished. Women sing song after song with such strong and resilient voices. The cemetery is filling, and there are waiting graves on each side of where we stood. People obviously know the routine, they know what to do, when to step forward, when to invite the children, just where to place the flowers, they’ve been through this before. Our lives are precious and the expectation to live until 70 or 80 is a luxury. Can we follow the example of the children in Salvakop, and realize that each day we wake up is a gift to be thankful for, used for a PuRpOSE, and shared generously with those around us.
For those of you praying out there, here are some things that I, TLF, and this community could really use prayer for:
--There’s a new girl at the Lerato House, her name is Lebojang and she is just 13 years old. Pray that she sticks around and gives the house a chance. That she would find healing and community there.
--For Bongi’s family as they are mourning as well as all the others who have lost loved ones or are mourning over the holidays.
--Thank you for all that happened during the Holiday Program
--For Siri and I as we have the option for a new living arrangement. That we would go where God would like us to be
--For provision for the second half of my time here. That I would trust God to provide and realize that when he calls, He also equips
--For the preparations for 2010 and the Better World Village
--That the trend of a more integrated Pretoria Central would continue.
Cute story of the week: At the Holiday program last Monday, there was this little tiny girl, maybe 6 years old. She doesn’t speak much English, so an older girl helped to translate the questions as we went around the group asking, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” She tucked her head into her arms and mumbled something in her native language. Princess, the girl’s translator for the day, looked up at me and smiled big. I asked her what she had said she wants to be….Princess answered; “She said she wants to be a transformer!” I laughed and the little girl looked up and just grinned and giggled. Priceless.
Matthew 6:25-27—Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable then they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
Welcome to 2010. Happy New Year! Apparently there’s some debate on how this new year is to be pronounced. Is it “two-thousand and ten” or is it “twenty-ten-yourself-around,” or the popular…TWENTY TEN? Here, at the center of all the World Cup hype…it is definitely Twenty-ten. It’s all happening in twenty-ten. I think it’s catchy.
And we are all back from the festive season now. After a beautiful trip to Mozambique, I was very ready to get back to Pretoria. It feels comfortable here in many ways. It’s good to know the streets, to have a bed to sleep in, to know how much fruit costs at the street stands, and to know the language. Moza’s national language is Portuguese; a beautiful language but a bit foreign. Mostly I scraped out attempts at Spanish which were received with smiles and at least some understanding. Me and the man selling baskets in the Central Market had a nice chat about how strong each basket was and what I could use it for…all in SpAn-ortgeGueSe. We had a good time, ending the conversation with a hug and a universal, Caio! Mozambique is distinctly different than South Africa. Maputo, the capitol has very obviously lived through a recent war and not much effort has been made to rebuilt or beautify the streets or buildings. All the buildings are grey cement with flaking paint and broken windows. Streets are full of garbage, broken furniture, and old cars. Just outside of the city, rather than the suburbs here in South Africa, you are instantly in the bush. Nicely paved roads makes way for broken cement then quickly turns into potholes covered in bright red dirt. Mango trees line the road and ladies walk down paths to everywhere wrapped in wonderful combinations of bright fabrics. Houses are huts, food is grown in each small town…there are not many markets. We are spoiled by options most of the time and during this trip, we quickly learned to survive on Mangoes, pineapple, coconut, rice, and Coke.
Since coming back to the city, I have already noticed some differences and it will be interesting to see how things continue to change as the year progresses towards the huge event ahead. Normally, it’s rare to see many white people walking around central, other than the few Afrikaaners who take the bus downtown to work in the large businesses or government buildings. They are quickly gone after work and seem to try and avoid walking the streets too much. But lately, I have seen so many types of people walking around! The other day, I saw a white guy with dreads walking along the street, an Asian guy was wandering Church Square, there was an interracial couple walking along Schoeman street, and a white family walking along pushing a stroller next to the large flats on Jacob Mare’! In any other city, these things are pretty normal…they probably even seem strange to be mentioning…but here, they’re unique…beautiful but different. I am praying that there is a change happening. That the fear of Pretoria Central is thawing and people are exploring from the suburbs or wherever they come from, and finding beauty and value in the inner city. For the past week, as a part of the Anti-Human Trafficking Campaign, I have been walking each street in the city (I have quite a few more to go), to try and identify what types of businesses make up the place so that we can do outreach more effectively. The other day I prayed that God would both protect me as I walked around (looking a little insane I’m sure) and give me a new perspective on the city. As I turned the first corner, a little girl about 4 looked up and gave me a huge smile and waved. I grinned and waved back, just appreciating the freedom and sincerity that is always found in children. Turning the next corner I saw an older man barreling down the sidewalk pushing a shopping cart crazily. It was so bizarre I started laughing out loud, hoping he wouldn’t knock me over. Just before the cart got close enough for me to be really nervous, he stopped, left the cart and gave me a big hug, started ranting something in Sutu that I couldn’t understand, then went on his way. The lady at the fruit stand up the road smiled at me understandingly, sharing that strange hilarious moment with me. It’s interesting to really look at the city, and I’m praying that God uses the information to lead us in our outreach that will be starting in the next month or so. Please pray that we are led to the places where women and children are being exploited and gives us wisdom in how to best offer a way out.
Luxury. How would you define it right now; in your current lifestyle, living arrangement, or situation in general? What would seem luxurious? Would it be driving a BMW or being able to get a massage every weekend? Would it be having a pool in the backyard or going on extravagant vacations every year? Would it be having three meals each day? I’ve lived here for 5months now and some of the things that I have experienced are beginning to settle into my mind and heart. At first, they were simply observations or “interesting things about South Africa.” Now, some of these differences are starting to be internalized. One of these is our idea of luxury. I’m sure it would be even more extreme if I were living in some small rural village out in the middle of nowhere, but even here in the city, my concept of wealth and luxury has really been challenged. Most flats downtown are one or two rooms. In these, there are usually at least 3 or 4 people living. If you stay with your family it could be up to 5 or 6. In that room is the kitchen, bedroom, common space, and then a small bathroom. These flats are pricey too. Too expensive for me to stay in here, working as a volunteer so I can imagine that even on a limited income it would be a challenge for people. I’ve driven through the townships, where nice houses are one or two room (all the rooms…not just bedrooms) total size being about the size of a large master bedroom or “regular” American family room size. They usually have a small yard growing maize and a fence to protect the small amount of personal property that’s owned. Even the place that Siri and I live in now is large compared to where most people in the city live. We have our own room, then a hallway, two bathrooms, a dining room, a balcony, and a kitchen with store room. Even though all this space is shared with 8 other people, this is luxury. It’s hard though, to then drive through the suburbs and see all the houses that have always seemed “normal” or decent…and realize that these require a certain level of wealth that most people in the world will never attain. Why has this become the standard, for a family of 2 or 3 to own so much space? I am not saying that it is a bad thing always and there have been many times here that I really miss having personal space or those things that I used to consider basic comforts but when they become assumed right’s or when a standard of living is assumed, it can become dangerous. Space is a luxury, especially space that you have complete authority over.
Something else that has been highlighted as a luxury we usually assume is our life. As you all probably know, the volunteers have been hosting a Holiday Program for the children in the community. The first Monday back after the holidays we did some projects on New Year’s resolutions, goals, and self reflection. It was a small group of kids and they were mostly very young, 5 years to 11 years old. The first activity of the day was to go around the room and write answers to 6 questions on posters on the wall. A few of the questions were, “What is something you’re proud of from 2009,” “What would you like to accomplish in 2010,” “what are you thankful for today.” At the end of the time, we went around and read aloud each answer to really affirm their participation. About halfway through reading, we all started noticing a few themes; these kids realize the fragility of their lives. So many answered, on all the different posters, “I’m thankful to be alive today.” “I’m happy to see 2010,” “I am proud of living another year.” “I am happy that I’m still alive.” These are very young kids holding the gift of their lives dearly. Many of the kids in our program have had parents, siblings, or cousins who have passed away. Some are orphans living in the foster home that TLF runs. Hearing such true answers from little kids was both heartbreaking and hopeful. Devastating that disease and violence have led to death being common in families but seeing that children value their own lives and realize that waking up each morning really is a gift can mean bright things for their futures! If kids value their lives and want to preserve and find purpose in them, this world will really bloom!
While we’re on the topic of funerals, one of the staff at TLF passed away on Christmas Day. Her name was Bongiwe and she worked as a house mother at the Potter’s House. One of the outreach workers for the prison met her when she was in prison and Bongi later came to live at the Potter’s House. Soon, she was given the post as a house mother and worked there for 3 years. About 2 years ago, she was diagnosed with blood cancer and was very sick off and on. This past November she got very ill again and had to move into TLF’s hospice center, she died on Christmas Day. Her funeral was last Saturday and it was a wonderful tribute to her and God’s restoration in her life. Bongi’s family was able to come here from the Eastern Cape and the service was held at the church, then a graveside service followed. Family was given a time to speak and her story was told. What stood out to me the most is how the community really came together; each man taking a turn in filling the grave until it is full and the job is finished. Women sing song after song with such strong and resilient voices. The cemetery is filling, and there are waiting graves on each side of where we stood. People obviously know the routine, they know what to do, when to step forward, when to invite the children, just where to place the flowers, they’ve been through this before. Our lives are precious and the expectation to live until 70 or 80 is a luxury. Can we follow the example of the children in Salvakop, and realize that each day we wake up is a gift to be thankful for, used for a PuRpOSE, and shared generously with those around us.
For those of you praying out there, here are some things that I, TLF, and this community could really use prayer for:
--There’s a new girl at the Lerato House, her name is Lebojang and she is just 13 years old. Pray that she sticks around and gives the house a chance. That she would find healing and community there.
--For Bongi’s family as they are mourning as well as all the others who have lost loved ones or are mourning over the holidays.
--Thank you for all that happened during the Holiday Program
--For Siri and I as we have the option for a new living arrangement. That we would go where God would like us to be
--For provision for the second half of my time here. That I would trust God to provide and realize that when he calls, He also equips
--For the preparations for 2010 and the Better World Village
--That the trend of a more integrated Pretoria Central would continue.
Cute story of the week: At the Holiday program last Monday, there was this little tiny girl, maybe 6 years old. She doesn’t speak much English, so an older girl helped to translate the questions as we went around the group asking, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” She tucked her head into her arms and mumbled something in her native language. Princess, the girl’s translator for the day, looked up at me and smiled big. I asked her what she had said she wants to be….Princess answered; “She said she wants to be a transformer!” I laughed and the little girl looked up and just grinned and giggled. Priceless.
Matthew 6:25-27—Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable then they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
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