So many things...

As the year is quickly coming to a close, I begin to reflect... Besides, now that I am enjoying a reprieve from a very hectic term at school I have time to reflect!

Being homeless, but having a home

When we left Red Deer it was an unsettling and difficult experience for me to sell our home and most of our possessions, pack up a few 'invaluable' things into our little red barn and embark on a journey with only a suitcase in each hand.

Then here, in Africa, we just keep having to move! I'm not sure why but I do know that in each place we have been PLACED by God because each place has connected us with people that we would not possibly have connected with otherwise.

In our current house, it's just fun--most of the time--being closer to the centre of the city and much of the action going on. We are directly across from a large soccer pitch where many, many community events occur. Most of the time this is fun--as Benno's Roof of Africa entry would suggest. (Today it is a bit trying with booming bass non-stop!)

In our current house, it's more fun to enjoy four pets that are just delightful. Imagine us the 'no way will we have animals in the house people' with two cats in the house! God sure has a sense of lovely irony!

In our current house, I have all the comforts of North American lifestyle that I could possibly enjoy! Housesitting has it's great advantages and we are extremely grateful to Leslie and Danny (with MAF) for this opportunity. Leslie is 'household organization' queen, so it's just nice!

Outside of our current house we have a lovely huge yard, a grape arbor which is great to sit under and read a good book... We have swings! Goodness, it's fun to be a kid--a bit. We have a big garden space that Benno and BK are filling. We have flower beds...

Oh, the irony. A number of times I've stated that I didn't come all the way to Africa to live North America, but I sure don't mind this for a season--seven months. There's always sitting at the back of the psychological burner the whole issue of ethics and what is ethical, living in a country of huge poverty where so many people we know have so, so much less, so how do we deal with having so much more, especially when it is visibly so much more, but... well... this isn't ours, but living here is allowing us to use our resources differently so that we can provide opportunities for others... so...

Blessed by two young men

It's been just great having Raps and BK (former students) living with us since last May. They are low-maintenance--not very demanding--guys! Besides that, they just add a wonderful dimension to our lives. BK is a gentle and easy-going fellow who enjoys gardening and has blessed us with his talents. We now have a garden planted and have been harvesting some from the garden he helped plant at the other place. Raps is the mechanical guy and has just been working round the clock lately trying to getting the car that he built upgraded before he wraps things up here.

He's headed off to university in January and that is a BLESSING! I'm so thrilled. I encouraged him to apply for a scholarship from a local diamond mining company and he was successful--very! They are offering him a full scholarship for five years! He IS a pretty impressive guy and they were impressed with his application. I took him up to Pretoria a few weeks back and we got him into Residence, and that too is a wonderful 'miracle' story ;-) which I won't get into here since this is a Blog not a book.

For BK, his post-secondary path has been full of pot holes and barriers so we're not too sure how that will all come out. Just believing that God knows what He has in mind for this young man.

Both guys will be leaving us very very soon and I will miss them very much.

Benno's convinced that I will 'fill the gap'. We'll see... All part of the adventure...

More Scholarships?

We'll see. At school, thanks to the help of a few colleagues we have selected four candidates whose nomination packages we'll forward to UBC to see if we can get at least one more Basotho over to UBC to join our current alumni, Mamoruti. I'm just so thrilled to be even trying to give students here such opportunities. Post Secondary here is... Whew! I could tell you so many stories! Maybe one day I'll write the journey of one--Tsitso--who journeyed down to Cape Town to get admission into Stellenbosch. Now that was an EPIC journey. But, again, this is not a book! I'll save that story and maybe some day he'll help me write it for you. You'd be amazed at the persistence and tenacity of young folks here in their determination to have a better future. These are stories worth knowing. I'd love to have them written and published... Oh, THAT'S the book.

Later,

Wendy

Wrestling with God

There is this story in the Bible about the patriarch Jacob wrestling with God, a story with a somewhat obscure meaning. For the last while I feel that I have been wrestling, or at least arguing, with God. It is an ongoing argument.

What does God demand of his followers? I personally like what the disciple John offers - “to believe in the name of [God’s] Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another.” Sounds simple enough. John isn’t asking too much, at least not in terms of a long list. So why is God always poking and prodding me, suggesting something more. Is his really a longer list? Or is he simply suggesting that there is more to John's seemingly simple statement than I want to know, or accept.

Maybe “believing in the name of [God’s] Son” entails more than just acknowledging that Jesus somehow arrived on this earth, died as my substitute, and then rose again before returning to heaven. This is a bizarre story, but I can believe it privately, right? No one else really needs to know. Unfortunately there seems to be this little matter that ‘believing in the name of the Son’ entails believing what he said. That is where it gets tougher, and where I am having my arguments with God.

This Son said, “Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; … or wear” or where you will live. Just “follow me”. “Trust me.”

- So what about prudence, planning, being responsible and accountable with the things I have been given in this life?

“Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of it’s own.”

- That’s right, and tomorrow will have a lot more troubles if I am not prudent, nor prepared, nor, above all, responsible.

"If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

- Just walk away from everything I have worked for?!? Everything I have saved up? Just let go of it all? I left a good job, I am still giving, and you are suggesting I give even more - everything! That is ludicrous!! People will think I am crazy, or worse, foolish!

Yes, that may be is true, but “the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength.” So,

"If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

- God I did that once when I was a kid. I quit school, gave away everything, and went off to join the Jesus People. I ended up in a cult. I had to run away with what clothes I had left, stuffed in a bag.

Yes, but remember how I was with you even then, and that a few years later you graduated from university without a dollar owed in student loans. And after university you never wanted for a job, and your needs were met.

- That was then. I was young. Now I am older. Jesus, you are asking too much.

So you don’t trust me. You really don’t believe that I came so that you “may have life, and have it to the full.”

- I am afraid. I am afraid of what others might think. And yes, I don’t trust you. I don’t trust you will fully provide, at least not materially.

And so the argument goes.

I think that God puts us in circumstances, not because he needs our talents or abilities there, but because it is in those circumstances that we are better able to hear him and hopefully learn the lessons he is asking us to learn. Africa has been so good to me. Experiences, people I have met, situations - all have been sources of blessing that have enriched my life in ways I would never have known had I remained secure where I was. Yet, it seems that I have more lessons to learn, more lessons in letting go and trusting God, especially in the area of financial security.

Jacob came out of his wrestling with God worse for it, at least physically. He walked with a limp afterwards, and his descendents would not eat a certain part of an animal’s hip muscle in recognition of what Jacob lost in his struggle with God. Yet God seems to have loved and esteemed Jacob in and for his struggle, because he then blessed Jacob. With acknowledgements to Rob Bell, maybe that is what Jesus was announcing when he said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit,” – blessed are the losers, the doubters, the arguers, those who are struggling, the ‘just can’t get it right spiritually’ crowd. You are blessed Jesus says, because is it just for such as you that I have come to bring hope and blessing, and to give the kingdom.

I am still wrestling, but it seems there is yet hope for such as I.

~ Benno ~

Roof of Africa

The place where we now live offers us more of a glimpse into the social action of Lesotho. Just across the street is both a local hot spot for social gatherings and a sports field. And past the sports field is the main street into down town. The sounds of birds and crickets and frogs are now replaced by the sounds of loud music and party going, vehicles, weddings, and a plethora of other events at either of the venues or, just past the sports field, the hustle and bustle of the city. Not to mention that the cars of revelers, party goers, wedding guests, or other enthusiasts often block our gate and drive. Fortunately most week nights are reasonably quiet, and on the plus side we are getting a sense of the social life of the community.

One day Sunday it was a local bank having a customer appreciation day, and we were awakened by the workman erecting tents and speakers and other activity centres on the sports field. Of course, one of the first things they got set up was the loud speaker system and we were treated to a mix of raucous early morning music, later interspersed with speeches and the shrieks of children enjoying the various games and activities.

Another day is was accordion music. I have heard that at some point in the past the accordion was almost considered the national instrument. It was a keyboard that could be taken almost anywhere and didn’t require an electrical outlet. So we listened to African rhythms played on the accordion for most of that day. For the most part it has been enjoyable to experience the pulse of the culture from this new current vantage point, notwithstanding the sometimes-blocked drive, the garbage left behind, and the odd fight outside our fence; the fights that seem to inevitably follow when males and too much alcohol combine.

On another day it was the roar of motor cross.

The “Roof of Africa” is one of the most grueling motocross races in the world. I spoke to one competitor who noted he has entered the race eight times previously, but has only completed the course on two occasions.

It has been included in the recently announced World Xtreme Enduro Championship series. One thing extreme motocross is not, is an easily accessible spectator sport. They head into the mountains of Lesotho on trails that sometimes require bikes be pushed and dragged over, so unless one is willing to hike back into the mountains or unless one is a local herd boy, the best chance of seeing the bikes is a brief race around town on the first day of the competition.

A local rider and crowd favorite.

The staging area for this around town race was the sports field out front of our house, and the short races that followed to establish starting position for the real race, went right past our house. So, for somewhat different reasons, there was no coming or going in our car for part of this day, but I did have a front row seat for the start of the Roof of Africa.

No crash or safety barriers between the spectators and action here.

If interested in some of the race action, just click on pictures for a link to more pictures like the one below.

(I can not take credit for this photo.)

Upcoming is ‘Summa Feva’, an annual bash with loud music, bands, hordes of young people, and a reputation for all things wild and unruly. After last year’s fiasco, with things wild and unruly taken to some extremes, the organizers have eschewed an evening/night event. ‘Summa Feva’ this year starts at 11:00 a.m., and winds up at 7:00 p.m., an all daylight event. We will need to decide whether to weather the storm, or get out early and spend the day somewhere else.

Yes, it is noisy, and I miss the frogs and crickets (the folks whose house we are in actually have an alarm clock that one can set to play the sounds of frogs and crickets during the night). But, we are seeing and hearing another side of the culture. We can look forward to an ever changing adventure outside our gate for the next seven months.

~ Benno ~