The lectureship in Benoni - Johannesburg ended with a banquet. We didn't go to this event and for good reason. That night at the Monte Casino a musical was being performed on stage. The opportunity to see the Broadway rendition of Beauty and the Beast arose and we took it. For only R400 we had third row seats. It was beautiful! Colourful, fun, dramatic, lively, and overall a very enjoyable evening. The Casino was set up like a small village and the theater was accessed by going outside and walking past a big, open square. As we were waiting for the show to begin, I remember sitting on a bench and it started to sprinkle. If I hadn't been prepared to sit through a performance I would have danced in the rain. God made it for our enjoyment just as He made the sunshine. For all you oldies: "I love a rainy night".
The next morning we were packed and ready to go. As soon as Ken, Judy, Barbara and Sandra showed up at the dorms with the van and trailer we got ourselves organized, said our goodbyes, and hit the road. Another lengthy leg of the trip. The windy, mountain sections of road up to Venda (a tribal region in the Limpopo province) were magnificent. The scenery in this country is breathtaking. We planned to go up this way because the church there was celebrating it's 50th Anniversary and Lessons To Live By was going to be distributed to the body as well. When we arrived that Saturday afternoon there as a large tent at the top of a hill down a red-dirt road. They had an interpreter but the regional language was what was predominantly spoken. After 'service' we had a meal cooked in large pots over open fires and watched as some of the older ladies did a traditional drum and dance. The dresses they wore while performing this dance were vibrant and almost identical to one another's. I believe there are some pictures on one of the girls' facebook pages. Check it out.
Mike and I had the pleasure of staying with a family that fed us, bed us, and let us be. Seems like most houses have a family devotional every night. We got to participate in two that night; one at "HQ house" and one at our hosts house. Just a thought and some songs. It's quite fun to sing in a foreign language that you can't speak, read, or understand. God has something for those who try though.
Sunday morning was an affair. The amount of people congregated in one place was just astounding. You see, here in Africa, one of the biggest issues is transport. So, the people who attended (for the most part) were from the area. Quite a few traveled for the festivities too, but that's how it is. Transport is a daily issue and we deal with it as a team and a body here in PE as well. The singing, the sermon, and the fellowship was so encouraging. I was drawing pictures for the children during the lesson (don't tell!) and they loved it. Their faces would brighten if I drew a stick figure of them sitting on a chair outside of a tent. If you want to communicate with those who don't speak good English, just draw pictures. Some kids were rolling tires around to play with and a lot of them didn't care to wear shoes. But why would they? The dirt is so red it destroys the bottom of pants, socks and shoes. I could live there. No doubt, it's a place I would find very warm and comfortable.
Pressing on from Venda to Kruger National Park. This is the largest game park in Southern Africa. It was astounding how many of God's creatures we were able to see. Being in nature has a way of refreshing one's soul. I felt that God touched me while were drove through the park day by day. The opportunity to bond with my teammates was fun too! I shall put together a separate post for Kruger. Get back to me tomorrow :)
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