{ HA HA HA - I wrote this more than a week ago but remembered to post it just now. Enjoy, if it makes any sense }
The Big Trip has been over for about a month now. The experiences had were very beneficial. Beneficial in the sense that now I've seen a little bit of the back, bush areas, two other countries, the church in those areas, more elephants than I could have imagined, and people who have shown me what it is to be hospitable. It's beautiful to look back on those memories and know that if I was ever in those regions again there are numerous people who would be willing to take me in. As a team I felt that we grew together and became a little stronger. It would be odd to be here with anyone else at this point. That is encouraging.
The happenings of this past week have inspired me to write once again. Another inspiring occurrence was the purchase of a little USB modem so that I can actually access the internet on my computer. The cellular phone I have is a Samsung and, unfortunately, they aren't compatible to connect to the internet with Mac. I didn't know this when I purchased the phone, obviously. But, the disconnection and lack of communication is past and I'm going to be in touch more. I don't say "try to be in touch more" because these past couple months have been bad in this area. There is great resolve within me to let you know what's happening.
Masinga Rune. I've mentioned him before but I want you to get to know him. He's special to Mike and I. For good reason... He has been added to the Kingdom. I was privileged enough to baptize him into Christ on Sunday the 26 of October in the year 2008. He's a loud and flamboyant person. This makes him great fun to talk to and be around. Since he lives down the street it's easy for us to go get him for youth or have him over on weekends to watch a movie or study or something.
Since things are getting better with the relations in my life I feel very relieved. The situation I was asking for prayers in has ironed itself out with the help of God. Although the road is never smooth all the time, right now it's getting better. Uphill but better. Thank you for your concern and prayers.
On Saturday we went paintballing with some friends from church. There's a course here in the suburb of Walmer just ten minutes from Mike and I's house. Total cost for 2,000 balls and playing all day: $14. That's cheaper than a normal weekend endeavor in the states. Especially since petrol prices are expected to fall R1.30 in December. Or something close to that. Little blessings that add up.
PAINTBALL! Ah yes. There are four different "levels" or courses. An urban level with wooden building partitions and a bush area in the back, Speedball - an open course with concrete tubes (?) like those used for sewer systems and blocks, a small bush level, and big bush are the options. Joey, Mike and I were on a team versus Shawn Fortuin (Fairview church), Verni (PE North - Gelvan Park), Masinga, and Kuda (good friend who now lives with Joey since Johnathan from the old team has left). People would come join us and play in our games so every game was even. It was great fun. I'll say this, some of the guys we played against were scary with their full body suits, armor, long barrels, machine guns, and upgraded stuff. One of them, Kendy, was on our team and he looked like he was straight out of Vietnam. Before and after every game he would light up a smoke and his gun was linked to his chest so he didn't have to hold it at all times. The only difference between him and a soldier was that he was wearing black and not camou. Then there was Rambo, who played for the natives. He was more sporty with his padded shirt and orange, killer gun. One time he flanked me and unloaded on my left side. A good three or four welts from that. He apologized, nice guy. Hardcore, but nice. We played 16 games and our team won 12 of them. 75% isn't bad, unless it's realistic, then you're still dead. The final game was a 10 ball free-for-all. I must have had my hopper (where the balls sit on top of the gun) open or something because I was out right away. I think they fell out. The rule changed that once you were hit you had to run out and people could still peg you. I put my hand up anyway and walked to the door since I was right next to it. Looking down at my gun I didn't see Mike come in behind me. From the corner this guy Martin, with a long barrel, shoots one and it hits me directly. I'll stop the story here. It was an unlucky shot but I'm alive. We've all been hit by them, but this hit just happen to be excruciatingly painful. All's fair in love and war. This was war.
Today I was sore and my neck has been off lately. I may see a chiropractor within the next week if it doesn't get better. It's so bad that when I wake up in the morning I can't bend my neck down and it's still there at the end of the day. We'll see... Pray for me, please.
KCK-ILY
Thursday, December 11, 2008
AIMazing Race
AIMazing Race
Last Saturday we embarked on an "AIMazing Race" around the greater PE area. This was organized by none other than Judy and Ken Kendallball. They are amazing people and go out of their way for us. Here's how it went.
Teams of two with one AIMer and one native. I chose Matthew Paul as my partner. Very funny guy. In the end, turned out to be just the man for the job. Light hearted but passionate. Intense but not overbearing. Competitive but not one who cries when things don't work out perfectly. He goes to Fairview and I've been meaning to do something with him for the longest time. This was a great bonding experience.
8 AM we all met at "the nest" (Ken and Judy's house) for a light breakfast of muffins, scones, coffee, juice, water, milk, etc. The entry signatures were turned in, ground rules covered, t-shirts passed out, and lots of greeting and playful 'trash' talk.
9 AM we all go out to the back yard so Ken can video us and take pictures before we begin. All teams present and ready? Yes, thus it begins. Ken passes out the first clue in an envelope to each AIMer and we all wait with it sealed in our hands for the signal to go. As soon as the gate was fully open we were allowed to run to our cars.
. . . clink . . . clink . . . clink. . .
GO!
Matt and I take off for our car and head towards the nearest Mugg and Bean Coffee shop which was at the mall. No luck. Our clue was at the OTHER Mugg and Bean across town. Tough start but we made up time on the back roads. Matt really knows his slip-ways and short cuts.
Got the second clue and went to the nearest ABSA Bank Branch, which is in the same complex as the Mugg and Bean, to deposit the entry fee into their account. Clever.
With the bank slip in hand we rush across town again to the beach front where Judy is waiting with our third clue. This was a challenge. We had to go to the pier and get a stranger to do a three-legged race with one of us to the end and get our fourth clue. The rope we needed to tie our legs together was in a tight knot. This hindered us momentarily but Matt found a guy and took off. I look up to see running back toward me with the fourth clue in hand.
The Jacobs' house. That was our next stop. Good thing I go to Fairview and work at Sanctor with Reginald. We got over there fairly fast and saw it was another challenge. We took turns (as stated in the rules) doing every other 'task'. This was my turn and I thank God for decent fine-motor skills. It was making a bead necklace exactly like the one in the center of the table. Ten blacks, ten red, ten yellow, etc. It went by fast and the next clue was given to us by Sharleen (Reginald's wonderful wife) and it told us to go to Sanctor. Score, again...
This was a task that both of us could do. When we pulled up we saw that people were writing or covering exam booklets. Matt and I opted to write out 2 Timothy 3:7 which was actually 2 Timothy 4:7. After getting there half way down the place list we pulled out in third. Beautifully done Matt, beautiful.
Clue number 6 told us to go to the curio dealers down on the beachfront. Most of these guys are from Zim and the girls take them soup, sandwiches, juice, water, and stuff on Thursdays. It was nice to know where all the clue were up to this point. Our objective here was to help a dealer sell something for at least R10 and Masinga would give us our clue. Matt burned this one and Ken hopped in the car with us for the next leg of the race. Clue number 7 told us to leave PE and go to Jeffery's Bay. A good 45 minute drive from town.
Ken dozed off for a bit but did some digital chronicling beforehand. We talked and Matt eventually called his mate in J-Bay for his help finding a B&B we were supposed to get a clue at. He met us when we got into town and led us straight there. Rohan (? spelling) turned out to be quite helpful. Sharon gave us clue number 8 and we read it on the way to drop off Rohan's car so he could ride with us. "Find Mamma Judy on the beach". That's where we headed.
After a long time just wandering around enjoying the beauty that is J-Bay I found Judy on a chair in the sand and called Matt. It was his turn to do this task and as I approached Judy I saw that Lindsay and Jess had been yielded for fifteen minutes and we had a chance to grab another place up. 2ND!
Matt found the gold shell that was buried in the sand and we got clue number 9 which told us to go visit the "Tree People". No joke, all the remaining groups walked around confused by the beach in J-Bay for about an hour before figuring it out. Matt finally figured it out on the way back from checking out a bad lead to some shooting range called "tree people" but really wasn't and took us a good 5-7 km the other way out of J-Bay. It's in PE! We drop Rohan by the side of the road (his choice) and we take off for the highway. Missed the turn but took the back way and pulled up first to a wooded area near the Walmer township. Someone had the idea to paint some trees with clothes on them and we should have thought of it earlier. Finally arriving we discover the girls hot on our tails and step up to perform.
My turn to show I am worthy. Three cans, unlimited shots, old school slingshot. Took a little while but I got them and we got clue number 10. It said go to Emerald Square Spar and add up a shopping list for the manager. Matt called some people and couldn't figure out which Spar was Emerald Square. It wasn't in the system yet. It was a new one. We sat and wasted ten valuable minutes at some random Spar in Walmer before figuring it out. By the time we walked in the door the last two remaining teams were already shopping. Matt and I ran to the manager and grabbed a list. Splitting off we added it up on my phone faster than the girls. Shocking, I know. We ran out right in front of the girls with the final clue.
RETURN TO 64 KING EDWARD STREET FOR YOUR REWARD! Back to the nest!
Sarah-Jane and Brittney pulled out in front of us and Wendy and Carolyne were behind us. I took a wrong turn, unfortunately and both of them lost us. But we took a back way and managed to (somehow) pull up to the gate right on their tails. We all just left the doors open, jumped out of the cars, and sprinted for the backyard. It was the last run!
Finishing time: 17:00 PM
What a day! So much fun though. The standings when the dust finally settled:
1st - Sarah-Jane and Brittney
2nd - Matt and Tyler
3rd - Wendy and Carolyne
That was our AIMazing Race. Finished off with fellowship around a table filled with food, singing in the garage with kerosene lamps, and a satisfying R150 reward for me.
A day not easily forgotten. Next year is going to be even more intense. I heard a rumor it was going to be 2 DAYS long! How blessed am I that my coordinators will do things like this for us? Beyond what I deserve, that's for sure.
Last Saturday we embarked on an "AIMazing Race" around the greater PE area. This was organized by none other than Judy and Ken Kendallball. They are amazing people and go out of their way for us. Here's how it went.
Teams of two with one AIMer and one native. I chose Matthew Paul as my partner. Very funny guy. In the end, turned out to be just the man for the job. Light hearted but passionate. Intense but not overbearing. Competitive but not one who cries when things don't work out perfectly. He goes to Fairview and I've been meaning to do something with him for the longest time. This was a great bonding experience.
8 AM we all met at "the nest" (Ken and Judy's house) for a light breakfast of muffins, scones, coffee, juice, water, milk, etc. The entry signatures were turned in, ground rules covered, t-shirts passed out, and lots of greeting and playful 'trash' talk.
9 AM we all go out to the back yard so Ken can video us and take pictures before we begin. All teams present and ready? Yes, thus it begins. Ken passes out the first clue in an envelope to each AIMer and we all wait with it sealed in our hands for the signal to go. As soon as the gate was fully open we were allowed to run to our cars.
. . . clink . . . clink . . . clink. . .
GO!
Matt and I take off for our car and head towards the nearest Mugg and Bean Coffee shop which was at the mall. No luck. Our clue was at the OTHER Mugg and Bean across town. Tough start but we made up time on the back roads. Matt really knows his slip-ways and short cuts.
Got the second clue and went to the nearest ABSA Bank Branch, which is in the same complex as the Mugg and Bean, to deposit the entry fee into their account. Clever.
With the bank slip in hand we rush across town again to the beach front where Judy is waiting with our third clue. This was a challenge. We had to go to the pier and get a stranger to do a three-legged race with one of us to the end and get our fourth clue. The rope we needed to tie our legs together was in a tight knot. This hindered us momentarily but Matt found a guy and took off. I look up to see running back toward me with the fourth clue in hand.
The Jacobs' house. That was our next stop. Good thing I go to Fairview and work at Sanctor with Reginald. We got over there fairly fast and saw it was another challenge. We took turns (as stated in the rules) doing every other 'task'. This was my turn and I thank God for decent fine-motor skills. It was making a bead necklace exactly like the one in the center of the table. Ten blacks, ten red, ten yellow, etc. It went by fast and the next clue was given to us by Sharleen (Reginald's wonderful wife) and it told us to go to Sanctor. Score, again...
This was a task that both of us could do. When we pulled up we saw that people were writing or covering exam booklets. Matt and I opted to write out 2 Timothy 3:7 which was actually 2 Timothy 4:7. After getting there half way down the place list we pulled out in third. Beautifully done Matt, beautiful.
Clue number 6 told us to go to the curio dealers down on the beachfront. Most of these guys are from Zim and the girls take them soup, sandwiches, juice, water, and stuff on Thursdays. It was nice to know where all the clue were up to this point. Our objective here was to help a dealer sell something for at least R10 and Masinga would give us our clue. Matt burned this one and Ken hopped in the car with us for the next leg of the race. Clue number 7 told us to leave PE and go to Jeffery's Bay. A good 45 minute drive from town.
Ken dozed off for a bit but did some digital chronicling beforehand. We talked and Matt eventually called his mate in J-Bay for his help finding a B&B we were supposed to get a clue at. He met us when we got into town and led us straight there. Rohan (? spelling) turned out to be quite helpful. Sharon gave us clue number 8 and we read it on the way to drop off Rohan's car so he could ride with us. "Find Mamma Judy on the beach". That's where we headed.
After a long time just wandering around enjoying the beauty that is J-Bay I found Judy on a chair in the sand and called Matt. It was his turn to do this task and as I approached Judy I saw that Lindsay and Jess had been yielded for fifteen minutes and we had a chance to grab another place up. 2ND!
Matt found the gold shell that was buried in the sand and we got clue number 9 which told us to go visit the "Tree People". No joke, all the remaining groups walked around confused by the beach in J-Bay for about an hour before figuring it out. Matt finally figured it out on the way back from checking out a bad lead to some shooting range called "tree people" but really wasn't and took us a good 5-7 km the other way out of J-Bay. It's in PE! We drop Rohan by the side of the road (his choice) and we take off for the highway. Missed the turn but took the back way and pulled up first to a wooded area near the Walmer township. Someone had the idea to paint some trees with clothes on them and we should have thought of it earlier. Finally arriving we discover the girls hot on our tails and step up to perform.
My turn to show I am worthy. Three cans, unlimited shots, old school slingshot. Took a little while but I got them and we got clue number 10. It said go to Emerald Square Spar and add up a shopping list for the manager. Matt called some people and couldn't figure out which Spar was Emerald Square. It wasn't in the system yet. It was a new one. We sat and wasted ten valuable minutes at some random Spar in Walmer before figuring it out. By the time we walked in the door the last two remaining teams were already shopping. Matt and I ran to the manager and grabbed a list. Splitting off we added it up on my phone faster than the girls. Shocking, I know. We ran out right in front of the girls with the final clue.
RETURN TO 64 KING EDWARD STREET FOR YOUR REWARD! Back to the nest!
Sarah-Jane and Brittney pulled out in front of us and Wendy and Carolyne were behind us. I took a wrong turn, unfortunately and both of them lost us. But we took a back way and managed to (somehow) pull up to the gate right on their tails. We all just left the doors open, jumped out of the cars, and sprinted for the backyard. It was the last run!
Finishing time: 17:00 PM
What a day! So much fun though. The standings when the dust finally settled:
1st - Sarah-Jane and Brittney
2nd - Matt and Tyler
3rd - Wendy and Carolyne
That was our AIMazing Race. Finished off with fellowship around a table filled with food, singing in the garage with kerosene lamps, and a satisfying R150 reward for me.
A day not easily forgotten. Next year is going to be even more intense. I heard a rumor it was going to be 2 DAYS long! How blessed am I that my coordinators will do things like this for us? Beyond what I deserve, that's for sure.
Friday, December 5, 2008
"Kruger" to PE - The finale!
We arrived at the gate to Kruger National Park just before dusk. Enough time to see a few animals on the way to our campsite just inside the park. We played a game throughout the course of our days here: who can predict the first animal we will see every morning? Needless to say I won the entrance by saying a bird or a deer. Excuse me for being boring but it was a good guess. Naaa... the prize went to Diana. She made a guess that was more "legitimate". AKA - she guessed something more extravagant. Something that we wanted to see more than just something that was inevitable to be seen.
Over the course of our four days and three nights we saw over a thousand Impalas, roughly 150 Elephants, 40 Giraffes, 100 Hippos, 10 Warthogs, countless Cape Buffalo, birds of every shape and colour, 160 Zebra, and all sorts of small creatures. I can't even describe to you how beautiful it was to be in the presence of so many animals. Ever since I was very young I loved animals and this was a wonderful experience for me. Somewhere amongst my possessions back in WI there is a large tub of plastic animal figures that I would play with on the floor for hours. There's something about the animal instinct, natural hunter-hunted scenarios, sounds, shapes, colours, and reproduction that just makes one wonder how big our God is that He could come up with all these things for us to live amongst. Mind you, most of them have been put into rather large "cages" (parks, reserves, etc.) but they still live and function as they would without us. Every thing on this planet is a testimony to the vastness of our Lord. Go beyond this minuscule celestial ball and you find things that are beyond comprehension. It's all screaming intelligent design, Creator, One who loves His creation enough to leave it there for them to fall in love with Him. Breathtaking...
If we had wanted to drive through the entire park in one day it might have been possible. Highly unlikely though if you actually want to see things. So we stopped at Punda Maria, Olifants, and Skukuza rest camps to sleep and relax before continuing. Mike and I slept in our tent while the girls enjoyed the other tent and it's confinement. There is a confession to be made on my part. One night, Mike and I slept in the car. Don't even say anything, feeling bad enough about it as it is. Not really though, we thought it ingenious. In the morning there was nothing to take down. All we had to do was but the seats back into the upright position so the girls could get into the back seat. May no one take this as grounds to say I'm not an outdoorsey person. Bring on the wild.
Have you ever seen a sunset with giraffes in the foreground? Perhaps elephants? A riverbed with crocodiles laying on the bank? I can proudly say that I can now. This part of the trip blew me away and I shall never forget all of the things I've seen.
On October 8, 2008 we left Skukuza and departed from the glories of Kruger National Park. It was odd being outside the gate and seeing people walking on the road instead of elephants or springboks. We kept expecting to see a wild animal off to the right or left but nothing. Eventually we were back to the normal thinking of people on the road. Music, laughing, fussing, "singing", and fellowship. What more could one ask for on a long trip than Ken, Judy, Barbara, Sandra, Tara, Sasha, Diana and Mike? For me it was just fine to be with them.
And now on to the landscape capitol of my world. I say my world because I'm not a world traveler... yet.
SWAZILAND! OH MY GOD, YOU ARE MAGNIFICENT!
The mountains and the sunsets. The people and the smells. The cows on the road? Oh yes, just like when I was young and we would have to stop on the way to church to put a cow back into it's designated pen. This reminds me of my dad shaving on the way to church in our big van. The sound of that Remington. Probably why I use one. Don't worry, not while I'm driving.
To my merry pleasure we were visiting Dick Van Dyke and family. Take the figure of that famous actor and reverse it. That's what this Dick looked like. Short, stocky, and bearded. Personality wise you could relate them however. He was a very jovial person. Something everyone should strive for more of... JOY! His house was one for the books. The scene off the back veranda was one of white geese over a small bridge to an island with the mountains in the background. Lush green grass and flowers at your feet in the lawn. Absolutely stunning. The girls stayed here, of course. Mike and I got to stay up at the African Christian College with one of the instructors. The first night in we went to the Van Dyke's house and had a study. It was very cool to hear him speak on biblical matters with his experience. Ken and Dick go way back and that's how we came to visit them.
Our time at the college was wonderful. They have a large Macadamia nut orchard. The view with the orchard in the foreground and the mountains in the back was something to wake up to and go to sleep to. Never a day that's not filled with splendor here. Everywhere there's splendor, one must know how to look for it.
We stayed with the Platt family (Kurt, Wendy, Christy, and Karen). Mr. Platt is an instructor at the college and we had some very interesting conversations about the Holy Spirit. Very intelligent fellow. While we were visiting I finished the book The Shack and it was brought up how our relationship with God looks. He really prompted some question asking and thought. I truly appreciate that about my time with him. I left wanting more. Not every place you visit does that to you. For me, the ACC did.
In Manzini where we were located we visited a primary school to speak to them about the curriculum. Kena and Judy have had contact with them for some time and wanted to catch up on a couple things. The principal at Tubungu Primary School, who is also the personal tutor to the Queen mother, has connections in the department of education and it's possible that someday Lessons To Live By will be in every primary school in the country of Swaziland. Pray for this...
For all you Monroe people out there we went to a homemade chocolate place called Chocolate Temptations. It was right next door to the Swazi Glass Factory and an old man's shop where he makes rocking horses. I have only seen glass being made once before going to the factory and I was, once again, fascinated by the process. The works that are on display in Cafe Claudeen by Gabriel Breadon's son come to mind. So many beautiful pieces that seem impossible to accomplish. If given the opportunity I would just sit and watch them all day. It's very hot in the shop, though. The workers wear overalls too. A mad props to those guys. So, a couple of chocolates, a chat with the rocking horse maker, and a few glass pieces later we're on the road again. This time to Durban.
We bid a very fond farewell to the Platts and headed towards Durban. We already had contacts here because of the SABS Lectureship. Mike and I stayed at a house straight out of the OC. For all you who don't entertain yourselves with dramatic, mindless rubble it's a television show. The Orange County is what it stands for. Lots of rich people with dumb problems. But their houses are beautiful. This house was beautiful. A large pool in the front and an entire other house in the back for the people's mother and grandmother to stay in. It was nice to be able to go for a swim the next day and relax in a comfortable bed. On Sunday morning at the Queen Mary Avenue Church of Christ the preacher talked about guilt and why we do things. One point he made that stuck with me was:
Rationalize = Rational Lies
Think about it. What do you do when you want something to be okay and know it's not?
In the afternoon we went to the beach, a braai for the journalist of the year of some publication, Angie's house, and small group that night. It was a video series called The Truth Project.
That was it for Durban. Just one night. At this point we're headed to Kokstad and the final night of our trip. This was great fun because our purpose for going was fellowship. The people who live there aren't part of an established church so they're starved for consistent Christian fellowship. They were delighted to have us and we were happy to stay. That night before supper Sasha, Mike, Diana and I play croquet. It had been a long time for me but oh, what fun. Mike had never played before and yet he won the second game. That night I had the opportunity to sleep on a down-feather bed and I took it. So soft and big I almost felt swallowed by this colossal pillow type thing. Waking up in the morning to breakfast and packing up again. This was sad but inevitable. The man of the house works for Clover (a dairy company) and, we initially met him at the factory before his house, it felt a little like home. {There's a lot wrong with that sentence}. He bid us go and we went. It's a nice feeling knowing that just being around has brightened someone's day, week, maybe even month! God is so good like that.
And now we come to journey's end...
Tuesday 14 October 2008
8:00 AM departure.
On the way back to PE we hit up East London(EL) to get some "American supplies". Kind of sounds like we're playing Oregon Trail or something. A suburb has a special Spar that imports stuff so whenever anyone goes near EL supplies must be gotten. I myself didn't buy much, but it was a hay day for others.
Now we hit the final leg of the journey. I drove with Sasha, Tara, and Diana in the passenger seats. We screamed really loud, talked about nice things that we like about each other, and played "freeze out". It was pretty chilly but not freezing outside. "Freeze out" is where you crank the air conditioner and roll down all the windows while driving fast. It was intense and lots of stress, screaming, and shivering ensued. Eventually someone gave in and we rolled up the windows. Fun none the less. After much picture taking and talking we hit PE around 20:00 PM. Brittney, Lize, Auntie Kathy, and Auntie Ethel all met us at the nest. Arrival at Ken and Judy's was sad but good all at once. This trip was such an experience that we never wanted it to end, and yet it was time to move on.
So, we got our stuff separated and headed our own ways. Brittney and Liz gave us a ride to our place since our car was being taken care of by Lindsay. She even took it in to get serviced while we were gone. Sweet of her. Especially since it was doing something funky, she said. The next morning we wouldn't have a car right away but the positive: we have a vehicle that is fully ready to be used. Mike and I hit our cottage and proverbially dropped to our knees. Our own beds. Our own showers. Wonderful... so very wonderful.
This is the conclusion of our trip. It's long and if I ever cross paths with you, my reader, someday then you must ask to see pictures. Love you all. Sorry it has taken so long to finish.
Cheers!
Over the course of our four days and three nights we saw over a thousand Impalas, roughly 150 Elephants, 40 Giraffes, 100 Hippos, 10 Warthogs, countless Cape Buffalo, birds of every shape and colour, 160 Zebra, and all sorts of small creatures. I can't even describe to you how beautiful it was to be in the presence of so many animals. Ever since I was very young I loved animals and this was a wonderful experience for me. Somewhere amongst my possessions back in WI there is a large tub of plastic animal figures that I would play with on the floor for hours. There's something about the animal instinct, natural hunter-hunted scenarios, sounds, shapes, colours, and reproduction that just makes one wonder how big our God is that He could come up with all these things for us to live amongst. Mind you, most of them have been put into rather large "cages" (parks, reserves, etc.) but they still live and function as they would without us. Every thing on this planet is a testimony to the vastness of our Lord. Go beyond this minuscule celestial ball and you find things that are beyond comprehension. It's all screaming intelligent design, Creator, One who loves His creation enough to leave it there for them to fall in love with Him. Breathtaking...
If we had wanted to drive through the entire park in one day it might have been possible. Highly unlikely though if you actually want to see things. So we stopped at Punda Maria, Olifants, and Skukuza rest camps to sleep and relax before continuing. Mike and I slept in our tent while the girls enjoyed the other tent and it's confinement. There is a confession to be made on my part. One night, Mike and I slept in the car. Don't even say anything, feeling bad enough about it as it is. Not really though, we thought it ingenious. In the morning there was nothing to take down. All we had to do was but the seats back into the upright position so the girls could get into the back seat. May no one take this as grounds to say I'm not an outdoorsey person. Bring on the wild.
Have you ever seen a sunset with giraffes in the foreground? Perhaps elephants? A riverbed with crocodiles laying on the bank? I can proudly say that I can now. This part of the trip blew me away and I shall never forget all of the things I've seen.
On October 8, 2008 we left Skukuza and departed from the glories of Kruger National Park. It was odd being outside the gate and seeing people walking on the road instead of elephants or springboks. We kept expecting to see a wild animal off to the right or left but nothing. Eventually we were back to the normal thinking of people on the road. Music, laughing, fussing, "singing", and fellowship. What more could one ask for on a long trip than Ken, Judy, Barbara, Sandra, Tara, Sasha, Diana and Mike? For me it was just fine to be with them.
And now on to the landscape capitol of my world. I say my world because I'm not a world traveler... yet.
SWAZILAND! OH MY GOD, YOU ARE MAGNIFICENT!
The mountains and the sunsets. The people and the smells. The cows on the road? Oh yes, just like when I was young and we would have to stop on the way to church to put a cow back into it's designated pen. This reminds me of my dad shaving on the way to church in our big van. The sound of that Remington. Probably why I use one. Don't worry, not while I'm driving.
To my merry pleasure we were visiting Dick Van Dyke and family. Take the figure of that famous actor and reverse it. That's what this Dick looked like. Short, stocky, and bearded. Personality wise you could relate them however. He was a very jovial person. Something everyone should strive for more of... JOY! His house was one for the books. The scene off the back veranda was one of white geese over a small bridge to an island with the mountains in the background. Lush green grass and flowers at your feet in the lawn. Absolutely stunning. The girls stayed here, of course. Mike and I got to stay up at the African Christian College with one of the instructors. The first night in we went to the Van Dyke's house and had a study. It was very cool to hear him speak on biblical matters with his experience. Ken and Dick go way back and that's how we came to visit them.
Our time at the college was wonderful. They have a large Macadamia nut orchard. The view with the orchard in the foreground and the mountains in the back was something to wake up to and go to sleep to. Never a day that's not filled with splendor here. Everywhere there's splendor, one must know how to look for it.
We stayed with the Platt family (Kurt, Wendy, Christy, and Karen). Mr. Platt is an instructor at the college and we had some very interesting conversations about the Holy Spirit. Very intelligent fellow. While we were visiting I finished the book The Shack and it was brought up how our relationship with God looks. He really prompted some question asking and thought. I truly appreciate that about my time with him. I left wanting more. Not every place you visit does that to you. For me, the ACC did.
In Manzini where we were located we visited a primary school to speak to them about the curriculum. Kena and Judy have had contact with them for some time and wanted to catch up on a couple things. The principal at Tubungu Primary School, who is also the personal tutor to the Queen mother, has connections in the department of education and it's possible that someday Lessons To Live By will be in every primary school in the country of Swaziland. Pray for this...
For all you Monroe people out there we went to a homemade chocolate place called Chocolate Temptations. It was right next door to the Swazi Glass Factory and an old man's shop where he makes rocking horses. I have only seen glass being made once before going to the factory and I was, once again, fascinated by the process. The works that are on display in Cafe Claudeen by Gabriel Breadon's son come to mind. So many beautiful pieces that seem impossible to accomplish. If given the opportunity I would just sit and watch them all day. It's very hot in the shop, though. The workers wear overalls too. A mad props to those guys. So, a couple of chocolates, a chat with the rocking horse maker, and a few glass pieces later we're on the road again. This time to Durban.
We bid a very fond farewell to the Platts and headed towards Durban. We already had contacts here because of the SABS Lectureship. Mike and I stayed at a house straight out of the OC. For all you who don't entertain yourselves with dramatic, mindless rubble it's a television show. The Orange County is what it stands for. Lots of rich people with dumb problems. But their houses are beautiful. This house was beautiful. A large pool in the front and an entire other house in the back for the people's mother and grandmother to stay in. It was nice to be able to go for a swim the next day and relax in a comfortable bed. On Sunday morning at the Queen Mary Avenue Church of Christ the preacher talked about guilt and why we do things. One point he made that stuck with me was:
Rationalize = Rational Lies
Think about it. What do you do when you want something to be okay and know it's not?
In the afternoon we went to the beach, a braai for the journalist of the year of some publication, Angie's house, and small group that night. It was a video series called The Truth Project.
That was it for Durban. Just one night. At this point we're headed to Kokstad and the final night of our trip. This was great fun because our purpose for going was fellowship. The people who live there aren't part of an established church so they're starved for consistent Christian fellowship. They were delighted to have us and we were happy to stay. That night before supper Sasha, Mike, Diana and I play croquet. It had been a long time for me but oh, what fun. Mike had never played before and yet he won the second game. That night I had the opportunity to sleep on a down-feather bed and I took it. So soft and big I almost felt swallowed by this colossal pillow type thing. Waking up in the morning to breakfast and packing up again. This was sad but inevitable. The man of the house works for Clover (a dairy company) and, we initially met him at the factory before his house, it felt a little like home. {There's a lot wrong with that sentence}. He bid us go and we went. It's a nice feeling knowing that just being around has brightened someone's day, week, maybe even month! God is so good like that.
And now we come to journey's end...
Tuesday 14 October 2008
8:00 AM departure.
On the way back to PE we hit up East London(EL) to get some "American supplies". Kind of sounds like we're playing Oregon Trail or something. A suburb has a special Spar that imports stuff so whenever anyone goes near EL supplies must be gotten. I myself didn't buy much, but it was a hay day for others.
Now we hit the final leg of the journey. I drove with Sasha, Tara, and Diana in the passenger seats. We screamed really loud, talked about nice things that we like about each other, and played "freeze out". It was pretty chilly but not freezing outside. "Freeze out" is where you crank the air conditioner and roll down all the windows while driving fast. It was intense and lots of stress, screaming, and shivering ensued. Eventually someone gave in and we rolled up the windows. Fun none the less. After much picture taking and talking we hit PE around 20:00 PM. Brittney, Lize, Auntie Kathy, and Auntie Ethel all met us at the nest. Arrival at Ken and Judy's was sad but good all at once. This trip was such an experience that we never wanted it to end, and yet it was time to move on.
So, we got our stuff separated and headed our own ways. Brittney and Liz gave us a ride to our place since our car was being taken care of by Lindsay. She even took it in to get serviced while we were gone. Sweet of her. Especially since it was doing something funky, she said. The next morning we wouldn't have a car right away but the positive: we have a vehicle that is fully ready to be used. Mike and I hit our cottage and proverbially dropped to our knees. Our own beds. Our own showers. Wonderful... so very wonderful.
This is the conclusion of our trip. It's long and if I ever cross paths with you, my reader, someday then you must ask to see pictures. Love you all. Sorry it has taken so long to finish.
Cheers!
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