Just Stuff

First. Jared and Brandon - Mac is not as intuitive as it claims or I truly am technology challenged. A couple of days back I was able to connect to the BG server and access the internet. Then – nothing. Then there is the matter of compressing photos so that I can post them on our blog. How in the world do I that? I sometimes find myself muttering that I should have gotten a PC.

Now to Lesotho: It is late winter in Lesotho and I find myself putting on an extra jacket when I go into a building. The brick construction of the buildings seems to work like a ceramic, which I guess it is - heat is not transferred through the bricks so the warmth of outside does not transfer through, though the cold certainly seems to. So part of my evening attire has become a blanket wrapped about me.

Yesterday I got my visa stuff done. It was easy and went incredibly smoothly. Beautiful Gate seems to be a well-respected agency in the community. I walked in with just my passport and a letter from the Director of BG, and a letter they typed for me saying I was volunteering, and 45 minutes later I had a two year visa.

It is month-end, and most wage payments here are made by direct deposit. The result is incredible line-ups at the ATMs about town. Not a time for us to be trying to get funds from the bank. Next week I will be going to one of the banks to try to arrange a wire transfer. We have arranged to purchase a vehicle and it will simplify the process to get a wire transfer rather than lining up at an ATM each day and withdrawing the maximum cash until I have enough.

The city center of Maseru is small. However, the city suburbs (if they can be called that) are scattered out over miles of hillsides. The density of the houses is likely little more than in Canada, though each little house may be home for 2-3 times the number of people as in Canada. It is so markedly different than the shanty towns of Capetown we saw last year where there was row upon row of shanties crammed together.

Yesterday was a windy day, lots of dust blowing about. A storm system blew in and we had rain and strong winds in the evening plus a bit of snow. Today we drove into South Africa and where there was a skiff of snow on the ground.

That gives a bit of an update on what has been happening. The two biggest frustrations for me have been the challenges of getting my computer to work the way I want so I can communicate. The other challenge is getting my head around having to put on extra clothes when I go into a building and often fewer when I go out. So if that is all I am struggling with, then I am still doing okay … but brrr, it sure is a different world without central heating.

Tsamaeang hantle all.

~ Benno ~

Thoughts on Lesotho

We landed in the dark. So our first glimpse was only lights spread out - in and around the hills of Maseru.

Security is obviously not the issue here that it is in Johannesburg. The Director of Beautiful Gate, who picked us up at the airport, pulled into his home, closed but did not lock the gate, didn’t lock the vehicle with all of our stuff in it, and we go in for two hours to visit and have supper. This would be something unheard of in Johannesburg where much of life is lived behind locked and barred gates and doors.

There are paved roads in Lesotho. However, some residential streets do not even compare to lanes or alleys in Red Deer. Rather they look like trails created simply from use. The street to the house where we are currently staying.

Herdsmen guide their cows, often gaunt, along major and other city roadways, seeking what little grazing they might find this late in the winter.

A woman, bent over from the waist, sweeps her yard, removing dust and debris from the hard-packed soil or court yard between her house and her garden plot.

Dry brown hills and dusty vacant lots await the end of winter and the spring rains of September to breathe life and colour back into the land.

Houses of all shapes and sizes are seemingly randomly scattered on slopes and in valleys. Some large, beautiful, and cared for; others tiny, run down, and cluttered; yet others stuck at some stage of construction, awaiting the return of the lot owner from South Africa with his/her savings to complete another stage of construction.

Numberless people, mostly men wait about on the streets, seemingly loitering, but more likely just hoping for a chance for a job. Others, by the dozens, man little booths selling produce, snacks, hot food cooked over portable fire pits or other goods. Then lunchtime comes when hundreds of others swarm out of ramshackle places of business, and flood the booths, lining up to buy a lunch.

Taxis, taxis, taxis. Everywhere. All with a wide yellow stripe down their sides. They stop in the most incongruous places to pick up or drop off a fare, incessantly beeping their horns to attract fares, invite other drivers to move over, or maybe just add to the noise and congestion.

The acrid smell of coal smoke hanging in the air, testament to those with means and a fireplace, able to heat their homes during the cool evening and early mornings.

Beautiful Gate, where I will be volunteering, is a hive of construction actively.
What started six years ago as one woman’s concern for the plight of three abandoned babies left likely to die in a local hospital, is now unfolding beneath the trades men’s hands as a community care centre with buildings in various stages of completion that will house up to 60 abandoned or orphaned babies, a clinic, a pre-school, and an admin unit.

The “bob cat” crew is hewing order and structure out of the hard packed grounds of the new centre - an interesting take on economic development. After having a bob cat in for one bit of landscaping, the Director realized that for the cost of the bob cat and its operator he could hire about nine community men to do the same work. (Another major economic development piece is the 40+ employees at the Centre who come from the local community, employees who provide everything from cooking and cleaning to child care services to professional nursing, social work, play therapy and office administration services.)

Blankets. Ubiquitous. Not every one wears a blanket, but it truly is a most common garment, slung over one shoulder and pinned on the other, or for the women, more often wrapped about the shoulders and pinned in front. But all keeping the cool winter winds and cold at bay.

Awaking in the morning to the city coming alive. Vehicle traffic sounds mixed with the call of the laughing doves and the crow of roosters.

Trying to wrap my tougue and mind around new words and sounds: Lumela. O phela joang? Kea leboha. Lebitso la hao u mang. And names: ‘M’e Matsepo, ‘M’e Manyakallo, Ausi Masema, Abuti Kabelo. Figuring out when an ‘l’ sounds like an ‘l’, and when it sounds like a ‘d’?

Africa, O Africa. :) :)

~ Benno ~

Late Night Musings

July 23, 2007 – Early Morning Musing

Jet lag, or maybe just a stubborn circadian rhythm ... who knows whose time zone my body is in. I am waking up at 1:00 a.m. here, after only a few hours of sleep. I think that puts me at 6:00 a.m. Malaysian time, so I guess my body is still on Kuala Lumpur time. So what does one do at 1:00 a.m., ponder … until 3:00 a.m., and then get up, make a cup of tea and do some typing.

So, last night before I turned in a happened to read a C.S. Lewis quote that Dylan had posted on his dresser. It read, “We don’t have a soul. We are a soul. We have a body.” Maybe the reason I woke up is that my mind just couldn’t let that one go.

“We don’t have a soul. We are a soul. We have a body.” I wonder, is the essence of the world’s religions and the writing of its great teachers an attempt to address this statement? “We don’t have a soul. We are a soul. We have a body.”

In our world, especially the western world, so much of our energy, our time, our resources are spent on addressing the needs and pleasures of our physical bodies. Meanwhile our souls waste away, as surely as the physical body wastes away from lack of nutrition. Our concern for the body’s needs is not bad and has resulted in the development of many helpful and meaningful social supports programs. But, at the end of the day when we find ourselves as individuals and society spending more and more time, energy, and resources to ameliorate the needs of our bodies maybe that is an invitation to consider both for ourselves and our societies the essence of what religion and teachers have long challenged us about, the care and feeding of the soul (and I am sure that last phrase is plagiarizing one of those thinkers).

Maybe that is what one of those great teachers was trying to get across to us when he talked so often about worrying less about our physical needs and desires. Rather, he passionately entreated his followers to focus on the care and feeding of their souls.

Why am I in Africa? In some future treatise I will come back to this more fully, but the essence of why is because this is where I need to be to learn the lessons God has for me at this time. Maybe this is one of those lessons, one I need to grasp in a deeper way: whatever my role, here or elsewhere, I need to remember that life is more than a body, it is soul.

~ Benno ~

Staying Warm

One of he things I am enjoying about Johannesburg is the weather. I am most enjoying the daytime temperatures in the high teens, especially after the 30+C of my last two weeks in Alberta. Yes, I know it is spring here, and come summer I may well be longing for those last two weeks in Alberta. While enjoying the daytime temperatures, evening and nights with no central heating is another matter. It means dressing in layers in the house or as Dylan and Wendy demonstrate, making your blanket(s) part of your evening attire. ☺ ☺ Notice that Dylan is wearing gloves. It must make turning the pages as bit of a challenge. Though he is feeling under the weather so that may have something to do with his need for more warmth.

(No pictures yet. I still am struggling with uploading pictures here in Africa. BF 25.07.2007)

~ Benno ~

Africa

Africa, oh Africa. We will see what time brings but it was good to be back after our visit last year. The people, the interactions, the sights, the sounds, the rhythms, the past and current history. I can not convey in words the impact on me, but it is good to back.

Then of course is was so good to see our son, Dylan, who met us at the airport.
It was also good to visit where Dylan volunteers, the Joseph Project. I was so impressed by this organization - working with what it had. If one were to conduct a needs assessment for the organization there would be no end of needs. But they have chosen to focus on what assets they have - using what they have innovatively and creatively. To this they have added order and structure and the result is a welcoming, safe and workable facility where kids can learn.

After an afternoon crash (sleeping on an airplane was less restful than I had hoped) Dylan had me off to a basketball court. Here I met some of his friends – young African men, students mainly, whose lives he is becoming part of. They even got me on a court for a bit.

Yes, full cultural immersion and adaptation is coming. Lesotho will be a more of a challenge, we will not have Dylan to break the trail, but for the moment I am going to enjoy Africa and what I am experiencing.

~ Benno ~

Kuala Lumpur

Kuala Lumpur, the bustling capital of Malaysia. Architecture from the British colonial period and shiny new concrete, steel and glass structures. I saw more construction cranes working on high rises here than one sees in Calgary.

In Kuala Lumpur, I also came to appreciate what travelers have said about heat and humidity. Stepping outside of an air conditioned building of vehicle was like stepping into a sauna. It was an experience.

I am also having an experience trying to get pictures to download to the blog like I want. Some others I thought to load will have to wait while I figure things out.

In addition, our brief 13 hour stop in Kuala Lumpur was an opportunity to learn, to experience again what it means to engage with others cross culturally.

When in Africa last year I remember my frustration at now knowing. Not knowing how to interact, not knowing what is expected - little things like when to tip, when not to tip, even when or how to ask for something different than what was offered. In those 13 short hours in Kuala Lumpur I began to again experience those frustrations, so it was a great reminder that I will need to go slow and be patient when I get to Lesotho.

~ Benno ~

From Taipei - Random Thoughts

I wrote this in Taipei, and had hoped to post in in Kuala Lumpur (KL). But, I am now in Johannesburg and have found a connection - technology is amazing.

Random thoughts from Taipei:

The last ten days have been a bit of a blur. Add the impact of modern air travel, and it all feels a bit surreal as I sit in a boarding lounge in Taipei, awaiting the continuation of a flight to Kuala Lumpur. Where do I start to sum up the past ten days? They were such a kaleidoscope of activity and emotion.

My Old Chev Truck: I will start again with my old 1989 truck. It was on a trip late last week out to the barn with some stuff that it hit me. This was one of my last trips in that battered old vehicle. In a week it would no longer be part of my life, and in the moment I first felt the magnitude of the journey, taken step by step, that I was embarked on. In a visceral way I realized that I was experiencing for the last time the world of Red Deer as I knew it. When I would return in two years it would be different, I would be different, and others (my friends and colleagues) would be different. For the first time, amidst all the busyness and preparation, I fully felt the emotional impact of what had been a cerebral decision.

Tired: Tuesday had been a challenging day. There was not a lot to do, but what needed to be done was the final closure of our life at 108 Pearson Crescent - the last vacuum of the rugs, packing the last of our life and our luggage, and locking the doors for the last time. As well there was the last visit to the little red barn with the last few things and the last visit to the lawyer regarding the sale of our home. And it was such a hot day. I was tired emotionally and physically.

Mothers: Mothers certainly can be prescient. At the last moment my mother decided to travel with us to the Calgary Airport. Meanwhile, qur oldest son, Jared, was to meet us at the airport in Calgary for our last goodbye, but he was delayed at his work, and then got caught up in Calgary traffic. We left without seeing him. But when we were able to call him, who was with him? My mother and our youngest, Byron. They had arranged to meet him away from the airport, and both my sons, especially Jared, had a familiar family figure to just be there at a difficult time. A few weeks ago I talked about sparrows. Here was God making sure that one more little detail was taken care of.

Rest: I don’t think I realized how tired I was with all the good-byes and packing. Once on the plane I slept much of the flight from Calgary to LA, and then there was the 12 hour flight to Taipei, 12 hours of night, and I dozed or slept for almost all of it. We have a 3-4 hour flight left to Kuala Lumpur where we will have a 13 hour lay over where the airline will put us up in a hotel. That too should be restful, and then another night flight to Johannesburg. I look forward to arriving more rested and relaxed that one would anticipate after 30+ hours of flying time.

Now, on to KL, and hopefully an opportunity to connect with the net and post this.

~ Benno ~

Closure and Goodbyes

The last two weeks have certainly been full. Good full and other full.

The good full has been the time saying goodbyes. The last week of June my colleagues and friends at work sent me (Benno) off with many kind and encouraging words, as well as lots of laughter and a few tears. For me it was a wonderful time of closure with those I have worked so closely with during the past eight years.

June 29th was Wendy's wrap up with her colleagues from H.J.Cody School. Since then we have spent time with friends here in Red Deer, as well as said many goodbyes to family. Finding time to drop in on a family reunion certainly helped with touching base with some of my extended family. Then during the last two days we were in the Barrhead/Westlock area to touch base with friends and family there, including a visit with Wendy's 90 year old mother.

The 'other' full has been the sorting, packing, and numerous trips to a thrift store, Women's Outreach, our storage shed and the dump as we downsized our stuff here in Red Deer. A sort of goodbye to many memories and possessions. Tomorrow will include a couple more such trips and then the final sorting and packing of our lives into 100 lbs of luggage each - what we will take with us for our two years in Lesotho.

But hey, check out the red barn. I haven't found my acreage yet, but I am optimistic, and I am willing to start with a barn. While we are away, this little shed will be home for the things we are keeping. Some good friends have allowed us to set up the barn on their acreage.

A rather mundane update this week, but I expect that in the next two days as we wrap up the mundane but necessary task of packing, our anticipation will begin to build. Stay tuned, it is only seven more days until our plane lifts off.


~ Benno ~

Sparrows ...

Many years ago (about 2000) this fellow talked about sparrows. He pointed out that "not even a sparrow, worth only half a penny, can fall to the ground without [his] Father knowing about it." He then pointed out to his followers that they need not be afraid because they were worth more than a whole flock of sparrows.

I have heard folks claim this story means that God is concerned about the most minor details of my life. I have balked at this perspective. With all that is happening in our world, and the immense challenges that so many face, I struggle with accepting that God cares about the details of my life. However, my doubt and struggle have been challenged in the last few days.

You see, now and then I will send a wee packet of goodies (things like tea, M n M s, Tim Horton's coffee, gummy worms, a bit of chocolate) to folks I know who are out of country on their own journeys with God. Some weeks back I felt an urgent need to send a packet to some folks who had just arrived in a new country. I didn't even have an address to send the packet to, just some idea of the places that this couple would be in contact with. The Internet provided addresses for two places and I committed a few packets to the mail system. It felt like tossing a bottle with its note into the sea.

Meanwhile, for this couple, their plans had not come together quite as they had hoped - they had challenges and details to work out that they had not anticipated, and they had no place that they could yet call home for themselves and their children. Their family was alone in a strange and foreign land. In a brief e-mail I received from them late last week, they noted that at one point with additional funds not expected to arrive for a couple of days, and feeling a bit alone and far away they looked at each other one evening and shared a wish - if only they had just "enough change for a treat of some sort." Does God care about a "treat"?

Yet, what should arrive in the mail the following two days? One of my little packets each day.

In the light of how much of our world is gripped by severe poverty, how important really, are two wee packets of treats? Yet, they arrived at a point when they were meaningful and an encouragment to those they were sent to.

I am still trying to figure out what God is trying to teach me from this little story. Does he really care that much about the mundane and seemingly insignificant details of our lives, of my life? I still struggle with believing that God is that intimately concerned with every detail of my life.

And yet ....

And yet the words were: a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without God knowing and I (as every human is) am of more worth than many sparrows. Is it really true, that I serve a God who is that concerned about every detail? Is the lesson I am to learn that I need not "sweat the small stuff" as I prepare for and contemplate what lies ahead in Lesotho?

Or ... , is part of the lesson that as I am obedient to the seemingly insignificant things God asks of me, he is able to bless and encourage another? Masybe God's concern for people is best expressed when I pay attention to the little things he asks me to do for the other. Maybe it is not big things to do that await me in Lesotho, maybe it is little things??

Sparrows ...

Benno