Gauteng, Swaziland, and Beyond! Day Sixteen.

Gauteng, Swaziland, and Beyond! Day Sixteen.

by | Sep 10, 2017 | Health, South Africa

Wherever we go on this trip we plead the
blood of Jesus over the land and its people. So much blood has been shed
through southern Africa over the centuries, not just in battles between ethnic
groups, but in witchcraft and sorcery. Children have been sacrificed and adults
have been slain for certain body parts needed in the traditional medicines. Of
course there are some who are harmless herbalists, but there is much darkness
even today in many places throughout the country. One hears reports of young
girls and boys disappearing and never being found again. The community usually
finds a scapegoat, guilty or not, and punishes him…but the children are gone
forever.
We woke up this morning in a small
paradise. Birds were calling to each other and once we opened our outside
doors, a cool breeze wafted in the sweet smells of the bushveld. We read the
Scriptures and prayed together with thankful hearts.
This tranquil picture was somewhat
disturbed by an email from SAMS-USA, our sending society. It painted a bleak
picture of how we actually took in less than we need this past month. We are at
a loss of how to raise awareness with regard to the important work the Lord has
for us to do here in the Province of Southern Africa. The material we use to
train clergy and laity in disciple making is revolutionary and has the
potential to set the whole Province ablaze for Jesus and His Kingdom. So, we continue
to pray to the Lord of the Harvest….the Lord we firmly believe sent us here…to
provide supporters to keep us on the harvest field. Please pray for and with
us.
We drove to Pretoria to meet with Louise’s
aunt from her mother’s side, and her cousins whom we have not seen for 31
years! It was a wonderful reunion and we had quite a lot to talk about…but the
time was all too short as we had a meeting with our GtC coordinator that
afternoon.
Rainard was super positive, but told us
that he will have to clear dates with his Bishop and the Synod which meets next
week. Apparently cost is a huge determining factor, but I told him that if that
is the only hiccup that we would pray and make a plan. This has been a hard
year for the Province…but that is why the disciple making training is so
important. Churches are filled with pew warmers that need to be built up,
equipped, and mobilized. But all in all it was a very positive meeting and we
are tentatively working on dates for November.
We returned to our little paradise in the
bush. The owners had made the braai area ready for us…it was a rather warm day
and the pool was sparkling and inviting. I made a fire to grill the chops and
boerewors we had bought on our way home. While we were sitting there waiting
for the coals to be ready, two bush babies came up close to peek in on us
through the trees. They are so unbelievably cute, but also very shy, so I could
not take any photographs.
After a wonderful meal and a quick swim, we
went to bed…tomorrow will be an early start as we have a long way to drive for
a 10 AM meeting.

 

Gauteng, Swaziland, and Beyond. Day Fifteen.

by | Sep 7, 2017 | Health, South Africa

We are surrounded by the sounds of the
African Bushveld…and yet we are only a few miles from some of the largest
cities in Southern Africa! Appropriately named “Innebos” (Dutch for In the
Bush) is our stop for tonight and tomorrow night.
We left Graskop at about 8 AM and drove
north along the same route we drove yesterday…but this time we kept going up to
a town by the name of Tzaneen. As I’ve already said a few times, I was in this
general area 40 years ago, but it was in Tzaneen that I first encountered the
Anglican Church since having become a follower of Jesus myself. I was still a
very young Christian and the liturgy was way above my head. Truth be told, I
was bored stiff. So, to keep myself awake during the service, I started to
harass the young lady in front of me. I tied her shoelaces together…I blew in
her neck or tickled it…and then I attempted to steal her Prayer Book…when she
tried to stop me, her head hit the pew in front of her with a crash! We giggled
all the way through the rest of the service. Outside, one of my fellow
missionaries bluntly stated: “If you do not respect the Anglican Church, at
least respect God!” I’ve never forgotten that scolding. Dear Les died a few
years later…
But there was also a church in an area
still known as Ofcolaco….or, as one of the residents said, the last outpost of
the British Empire. And that’s what this church was…a bunch of rich British
farmers that wanted a piece of England in their African lives. After the Eucharist,
one chap turned to another and said, “Now I’ve been cleansed from sin so I can
sin all over again.” We chuckled thinking he was jesting, but no…they went to
their British Club and got plastered…all of them. While trying to lead one of
the women there to the Lord she looked me squarely in the eye and asked, “What
do I need God for? I have a wonderful husband, we have two beautiful boys, we
have a farm, and all the money we need. Why would I need Him?”
We stopped at Ofcolaco today…not much going
on there now. The church had burned down a few years ago, but a family member
rebuilt it. Most of the old British folks have left and church services are
only once every six or seven weeks or on special occasions. Sad really…did the
Lord remove His candlestick? The young farmer who still works there – three
generations, he told me – was very kind and showed us the new church built very
much along the lines of the old one. I could still see myself standing in line
to shake the hands of the parishioners as they left the building…
From Tzaneen we pressed on down to
Polokwane where Bishop Martin Breytenbach lives…he is the head of Growing the
Church…and we wanted to stop in with him to discuss possible dates for training
in His Diocese. We are looking at March next year. We arrived at lunchtime…the
worst possible time to arrive…but the electricity had gone off in his area and
we were fasting anyway, so no one felt awkward. We prayed together and then
left.
“Fasting?” you may ask. Yes, fasting. The
head of J-Life Africa, has asked all the trainers to fast every Thursday for 13
weeks praying specifically for a paradigm shift in the way church is done here.
Everything is still a holdover from the past and very attraction oriented.
Clergy control just about every thing and parishioners do little more than show
up for ‘church’. So, we are fasting a praying that the Lord will lead us all
back to His biblical model…the model of disciple making…and that church folks
will not view this as just another fad in the long line of other fads that have
come and gone…but something that works and ought to become part of the warp and
the woof of their lives as followers of Jesus. Pray with us, please.
It was a long and rather boring drive to
Pretoria. Besides the Toll Booths there was not much to break up the monotony
of driving on a Highway. But it was far and my rear end began to have a loud
conversation with me…I told him to be quiet and longsuffering. And it paid off
in the end…oops, that’s a pretty good pun, even if I must say myself.

Innebos is a place where a weary soul can
rest and be replenished…and now for bed…goodnight all y’all.

Gauteng, Swaziland, and Beyond! Day Fourteen.

by | Sep 6, 2017 | Health, South Africa

Today was a day of rest. While we could not
exactly avoid driving altogether, we did not have any set agenda or anywhere to
be at any specific time or any people to meet. Just God’s stunning creation and
us.
We started with the B & B manager
telling us off in a rather gruff tone as it appears we left the electric gage
open after we returned from dinner last night. Apparently, the police woke him
up at 3 AM. Oops. The gate does not close by itself after entry, so if you
neglect to press the button again, it stays open. Sigh. We forgot. Everyone
here lives behind high walls, razor wire fencing, and security gates with
alarms and constant police surveillance. This is in stark contrast with
Swaziland where there is no crime or poverty visible…at least to visitors.
As I had said earlier, I was in this area
40 years ago and a lot has changed…some for the better and some…well, let’s
just say there is a lot of neglect. Some roads are well kept while others are
full of potholes.
We did a round trip of the area today…not
much driving, but a fair bit of walking to see various sites. Our first stop
was Pilgrim’s Rest…a beautiful historic town still very much like it was in the
late 1800’s during the gold rush. Sadly, things have gone downhill since I was
here, but it is still worth visiting. The old Royal Hotel is pricey, but
gorgeous inside. Lords and Ladies frequented this place back then, as did
commoners and fortune seekers.
The old graveyard is interesting. One grave
is that of a robber…while all the other graves face East…towards the rising
sun…his faces north. Hmm…no hope for him in the resurrection? 

An unemployed
gentleman washed our car for us while we were out walking through the streets
of yesteryear…we hadn’t asked, but he needs the money for his family. So many
people without jobs here…again, this is in stark contrast with Swaziland.
From there we drove through the most
beautiful scenery imaginable…it is hard to describe the grandeur of the
mountains as one weaves ones way over the pass…The Robber’s Pass…apparently two
stage coaches were robbed here. We hoped this would not be our lot today…or any
other day for that matter!
We saw another marker marking the many
paths Jock of the Bushveld walked with his master Sir Percy Fitzpatrick. (See
here: http://www.graskop.co.za/jock/)
There was a herb nursery close by so we stopped in to look…and walked out with
a curry tree. Let’s hope it survives the rest of the trip.
From there we headed north. We drove past
lush farmland…orange trees and sugar cane galore. We saw an interesting Big
Shoe and stopped to take a photograph and buy a cold drink. Interesting folks
in that shop…reminded me of the Stepford Wives or something like that. Then
we turned back East to the Blyde River Canyon…again vistas that take your
breath away. 

Our first stop was the Three Rondawels…mountains shaped like round
huts. Spectacular. Next on the map was Burke’s Luck Potholes…natural and in a
river, not the tarred roads. Stunning. Then we stopped for lunch…in the middle
of nowhere, there is a restaurant called Potluck Bush Kitchen, situated on the
Treur (Dutch for Mourn) River…nowhere in the world is there anything to beat
this ambiance and view. 

We went for a short hike along the river after lunch
just to let it all settle before hitting the road again.
On to Wonderview, God’s Window, and The
Pinnacle…a lot of walking up steep stairs, but the view was well worth the
effort. I’m not sure my knees agree, but we will chat again tomorrow.

This was a good rest and we are ready to
take on the next part of our journey tomorrow. A lot of driving first…
Gauteng, Swaziland, and Beyond! Day Twelve.

Gauteng, Swaziland, and Beyond! Day Twelve.

by | Sep 5, 2017 | Health, South Africa

A quiet day. Once again at breakfast, I had
a captive audience. Our Dutch friend is still here as are our friends from
Lesotho. As there is no time like the present, I spoke about God’s powerful
presence in my life and about the real relationship we have with Him. Seeds
have been planted and we can only pray that they may germinate in God’s perfect
time.
Louise and I headed off to Milwane, a
national wildlife sanctuary close to the city. But today is the big day for the
“Reed Dance” and we set off early to miss all the buses and taxis and cars
filled with people flocking to see the young girls dance and perhaps catch a
glimpse of the king and the queen mother. We were not in the mood for crowds so
we chose a quiet game viewing drive instead. And we were so glad we did.
There are no predators in Milwane, so the
animals are fairly tame. We saw a family of warthogs (my favourite animal!) as
we drove in the gate.

 

 

From there on we saw every animal in the sanctuary save
the hippos. Pity…but we did see everything else so we are not complaining. The
drive itself is beautiful. The mountains around us, the forests, and plains,
the large ponds, and the rivers all serve to make this relatively small
preserve something rather special. The camp itself is lovely, clean, and neat,
and animals roam freely around the huts, bungalows, campsites, offices, curio
shop, and restaurant. Visitors can drive on their own, hike on several trails,
bike, ride horses, or take a guided tour on jeeps. And none of it costs you an
arm and a leg…

On our way back to Mbabane, we stopped to
buy a few supplies for the birthday drive out back to South Africa tomorrow. We
will be driving north first and then west to get to our three stops later in
the week…

For now, we are in recovery mode…