Don't spank your child!

Outlawing corporal punishment in the home might be the biggest family destroyer our government can do! I am not only concerned with interfering in the family but there are many other avenues that can be explored rather than writing into law such communal factors. No loving parent spanks to kill their children. There are other ways of dealing with violence in our communities. In the well meaning children's bill there is section 139 which bans any form of corporal punishment including by those who have 'parental responsibility' over children.

Activists are urging parliamentarians to sign the bill so it can become law. Then a great teaching campaign will begin country-wide; educating parents of alternative forms of punishment. Now if you are into government Tender-chasing; here is a tip: In your multi-purpose CC (holding) open a training section where you can go into our rural areas to spend a day with people who will tell you 'to go tell your government to kiss their behinds but they will not be dictated to on how to raise children.' We, the middle class, have made lots of money from government this way. I know! Laws that are passed but impractical for OUR society. Look at corporal punishment at schools; a practise which still continues today.

This enlightenment project and the 'reasoning' was excusable when it was driven by academics sitting in 'ivory towers,' now with scanty Internet research and loud mouth placard wielding attitudes, we write laws that misshape our societies. What is wrong with us? When we hit a real quandary like the effect of the Bill on child headed households we don't seek a corrective but work around it as this bill has done. There is no addressing the lack of ubuntu and how this problem can be resolved. Those who wrote the bill know the reality is we are going to see a lot more child-headed households so then just build it into the bill. You can almost see the argument as you read it. Section 136 (5) "The child heading a child-headed household may take all day-to-day decisions relating to the household and the children in the household as if that child is the adult care-giver." Wow! These kids are already doing this so what has the bill offered? Nothing except that now a government agent or some other person can be designated to run their budget! In a system riddled with corruption? How do we allow children to continue carrying such responsibilities without the budget control. I know of a lot of people who leave their jobs because they can't control their own budgets.

The bill in section 139 (2), repeals all common and cultural laws regarding corporal punishment but in my scanning it said nothing about the religious beliefs (which are arguably, neither common nor cultural laws) of families, which are protected by the constitution as well. I can hear "spare the rod...!"

Yes we have big issues in our society regarding violence but my plea is that we would not be so reactionary and be influenced by numbers of countries and states that have implemented this law or that law; we are different. Why aren't we searching for home brewed solutions rather than wanting to be like other people.

It takes a community to raise a child! Speak about that in your church, school governing boards, shebeens or braais; wherever you gather with other grown ups. Challenge in your community those who do wrong to children; such as those supporting this bill. Let us spend the money we can spend on teaching parents how not to spank their children; on setting up new policing forums to deal with offenders of this law and whatever other repercussions this bill might have on positive things. Building facilities for children whose parents wake up before dawn and leave them to return after dusk trying to earn a living. What ever happened to companies that had family days/ Christmas parties? Ah, those were the days; even though it was deductibles from the very parents' pay, those tractor drawn trains filled with black and white kids who spoke 'child' to each other helped towards building our nation. The funny plastic toy, sweets and...eh, the helium filled balloons; they said 'we sorry that we do you parents all year round but here is a little something, grow up so we can do you too!'

Seriously though, the bill has been long in coming but as usual; normal community avenues have not been 'sufficiently' sought to discuss it and WE, as community have been complacent about it. We ca not think that by creating laws for everything we will build a community; there are better ways and those are found in being community!

LIVING IN A DIVIDED WORLD

I suppose I can't speak much for South Africa for we have our own problems and maybe being here has opened my eyes of either the miracle our country is or the fools paradise we live in. It has taken a while for this reflection to come but there is no time like the present.

Racism, racial hatred and prejudice are still so rife you actually can sense it in the air! Will people ever come to a place where they learn to live with each other as human beings or will there always be divides of one form or another?

In light of the news that people back home SA might have heard or seen; I thought about where we are. There is the Jena 6, The talented young Genarlow Wilson, star material, serving a ten year sentence for having 'sexual relations' with another minor kid. There is Micheal Vick, a black football star with a multi million dollar contract who is on trial for dog fighting and the brutal killing of dogs.

These are not the only cases but there are many more like them; where you find there is just so much racial baggage that the facts are so obscured it is not easy to rule in one direction or another. There is such feelings of pain and hurt that you are just not sure how to relate any hope in such situations.

I have unfortunately seen this divide even in places of worship that my heart aches each time I think about going to worship. I don't think the idea of a community united in worship has crossed the minds of many people here; nor the possibility of reconciliation around the table of our Lord. It may be good on academic paper but not in practice. This may sound judgemental but it comes from a place of hurt and great struggle. Is the church really the vessel to transform society or is the church so caught p in her dogmas and practices that it makes the Pharisees and Sadducees of old deserve to be called Saints and the rest of us 'dogs' in dogmatics. Don't give me the crap about the Church being a united body or her Missio Dei being greater than the problems here and now. If you believe that bull then show me how you have lived it or else; realise with me, we are in the heart of the sewer tank together and we need to call on God differently to get us out! Theologising Theologising, stuff is hitting the fan (and it stinks to high heavens, or are they high? hell, It stinks,period!!!) let's talk to God!

Of course, I'm no fool. I know 'our cultures' are just different and so we worship differently! Bull!! In the US, the language is the same and yet they can't even bring those wild and wonderful cultures together using the tool of language to praise God! Whatever happened to a people from every race and tribe gathering together before the throne or coming from 'all four corners of the earth' (Apparently Jesus believe the world stood on 4 corners as well! mhh, strange that, God lost the design?) to worship the King? I'm sure I learnt that in Sunday school, where we worshiped God! As I grew older we spoke more about glorifying ourselves in order to make God proud that I am more His/Hers/It's image then the other!

You see in South Africa we hide behind the difficulties created by different languages, which necessitates worshiping differently, but is it really?

I have lived amongst many people who praise SA's miracle transition from apartheid to 'democracy!' Quite frankly I wish somebody would give President Thabo Mbeki the book 'Animal Farm' to read, in fact give me a week to read it to his cabinet and then we talk about governing God's people!

These people to be governed; ag shame; poor people!

You have the blacks (real blacks) who claim to be so badly abused that some refuse to look to tomorrow because of the scars of the past. It is so pathetic when all you here is how apartheid has ruined us and we can't even think anymore; but then again even that, was taken away from people. Others are milking that cow to become the latest instant millionaires. I am yet to meet a more self hating species of people then many of us in the black middle class. If there is any worst genocide I am yet to read about it; and I'm well read! We (the Black middle class) not only have forgotten where we come from but are consistent in erasing that past so that even our children don't see it when they grow up. We have sold our souls to the devil and never stop to wonder what we are doing? Has anybody ever wondered about this Christianity we preach and teach our children. Have you ever asked yourself what the one God of Africa is saying when we no longer worship our God but the Jewish God in Western Exile and denied by the Jews. Is it possible that Africa's being second best in all things is because we abandoned our God for this exiled God whose gender is even a point of argument? We want to be the best in all things so we have become so selfish, we forget about our poorer side of the family; they are a nuisance and an impediment to our careers. We want to excel in our careers so we prostitute ourselves to our learning and work that everything else suffers. Has it ever crossed your black tea-girl or garden-boy mind that just maybe you are not succeeding because you started on the wrong foot anyway. You are fighting a strange battle in enemy territory and your strategy, supplied by your enemy! Is it possible that even the Nigger in America is suffering the same effect. The Jesse Jackson's and Obama's will not shine because they are using the wrong lamps. Maybe we need Nehemiahs who can own being exiled and yet burn for the restoration of their 'home!' How do we rebuild the fallen walls so Africa can be a gift to the world as Africa not the little UK or US? We search for Theology cooked in African pots; are we prepared to set aside even the ingredients we have been provided and search for African ones if the call comes to that? Or do we want to continue to use the Western ingredients and just give them the African flavour? We are fooling ourselves and the Verwoeds (Apartheid pioneer and stalwart) of the past are laughing in their graves; they have us where they want us; 'damn monkeys dancing to our tunes!') How can you be the best African Engineer, economist, architect and whatever. You can even try being an African Doctor, like our Minister of Health and give beetroot and garlic for all ailments (uzifo zonke), if you believe it will work. No but seriously, have you in your own field ever considered how Africa dealt with your problems and how these can be solved now. Where are the political scientists who are going to investigate why is it so difficult for African leaders to give up power regardless of foreign education and funny looking multi-coloured collared shirts and others continue to marry many wives and breed like rabbits (even with the supposed help of soldier/bodyguards) in spite of their 'civilisation.' Why has this education not helped democracy to be a tool for the whole world. They will tell you: 'Democracy is not perfect, but what else do we have?' Well, have you ever seriously looked? We are a dying nation, God help our children. HIV/AIDS, crime, poverty, illiteracy, unemployment, self-hate are all diseases we going to perish from.

Then the so called blacks! (Coloureds, Indians, etc) [these are the people who in the apartheid years benefited all be it a little but would have killed you if you said they were black, now; 'were they ever any other colour?'] How the need for the vote became the pencil test of our age. (pencil test: blacks who straightened their hair and changed their surnames to pass off as coloured. Police ran a pencil through your 'kaffir hair' (kaffir, SA derogative term for blacks) and if it went with ease you were then considered the so called coloured.) The hatered I have experienced from these people as a race issue is greater than that which I have seen in white people. When people like Mbongeni Ngema sing and tell of these stories, we silence them so as to protect to votes, yet people are perishing! There are also many good folk in this catergory who have really owned being 'black' and they are to be commended!!!

You then get the White people, as my father always wondered when he saw some generous white people; whatever happened to the white people who brutalised blacks in the old apartheid regime. Well, I wonder! They all died or moved to some other place! There are white people who have stuck with SA as their home and they will live and die there; in spite of whether the kaffirs are ruining their motherland or not! These are brothers and sisters in the Lord who know where we've been and do not wish for us to ever return. These are the people committed to the emancipation of the black person and Africa as a whole. People who sing with gusto our Southern African song 'Who will save our land and people? Christ enough for one for all!' These are the ones to be applauded.

Others have seen what is happening in SA as reverse racism and they have chosen to leave the country to go and live elsewhere. I say GOOD RIDENS! But then poor Aborigine people of Australia and New Zealand. History has shown me that it is this exploration spirit of 'white people' that has brought destruction almost to all continents. (Today giant walls are being built to keep out the Mexicans from 'the US', I wonder who got here first, and perhaps pushed out? (I really don't know the answer to this, but suspect!) Africa has seen the worst of any holocausts due to racism, need I say more; oh! Greenland. It's climate wiped out the Vikings for it to be spared) It is strange that these expeditions were a run from something! Poor Australia and New Zealand, if only you knew you would ship them out before they gain full citizenship, learn from the mistakes of others (Africa)!

Shit, I'm in America; what am I saying? Ah but you see; I'm on a mission. My suspicions were right the way we doing study at home is lacking in some ways. I needed to come and see how the owners of this kind of learning understand and perpetuate it. I have seen and think enough but am stuck here for a little while longer, so the expedition continues. I still need to figure out who or what is perpetuating either the greatest 'truth or lie' called Christianity and what they stand to gain from it! You see there is another option to Jesus being either Lord, Lunatic or lier! He could be the greatest teacher there was!?

When you have young white people claim reverse racism and how things like the 'Affirmative Action' hurts them and that we are now thirteen years into the New SA and things must now change; my blood just boils! My standard answer is; how long do you think it would take to correct the wrongs of more than 3 centuries, well lets be so generous as to say 50 years? We need to remember some of the people with these complaints can't really count beyond the day 'apartheid' was legislated! The answer 13, 14, 15 years is not enough. It will never be enough until we all sit around a table and talk about how we do it. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission is the beginning of that journey, not a destination as many think. We are still not equal and never will be for generations if we continue at this rate.

The Australians are not the only ones to learn lessons from others. We need to learn from the struggles of black people in America. Where 'freedom' was won so long ago! There is no freedom even in the house of the Lord! Somebody needs to call on God for help! Which God, I don't know. Is it the God of Israel possessed by the West; the God of Israel or Is it the God of Africa untainted by any other! Somebody needs to call on God, Does God not care that people are perishing? We are perishing!

CAMP OUT 2007

What happens when you put 2000 students in a bush for 36 hours with only mobile toilets and no showers?

THEY STUDY!

They also do community service in the surrounding area such as: GET THIS; handing out Planned Parenthood pamphlets at the neighborhood Gay/lesbian march (LOL!) Sorry this made my weekend (LOL!!!)

OR THEY PARTY!!!

THE PARTY of the year!!!

Here is the idea and to prove students will find any excuse to have a jol! The Duke Basket Ball team is really very good. The coach is now also coaching the USA national team; that's how good these boys are! The stadium is rather small so there is never room for all to watch games. The graduate students have a number of tickets allocated to them as season tickets but it's not enough. So they devised a plan: CAMP OUT!

It's a lottery. You camp out for 36 hours and in that time there will be spot checks with a whistle and register. If you miss more than 2 check ins you are out of the game. If you make it; wait for it: U might win an opportunity to buy a B-Ball season ticket for $150. There were 700 tickets and about 2000 of us.

The week is spent in preparation and students setting up tents and parking spots for their Removal Vans (trucks) and Camper Vans. This is such a business drive for the whole state coz I'm sure there were not many people moving, every removal van was hired out to Duke about a month ago. Companies sponsor food, drinks and some other items to make this a success.

The idea is to get as many people to miss check ins as is possible (like the guy below and this was Friday nite already!); by repetitive checks in the middle of the nite, by getting them so drunk that they can't get to the check point or by any means necessary.

All this happens in an open lot behind the University President's house (Vice Chancellor or Principal whatever name you use in your neck of the woods.) SO of course at some stage he has to come out and do the civil greetings and 'inspection!' He of course wouldn't have left without saying hello to the 'Divinity Students' to check if the connection with the good Lord above was still in tact. that's the reason we were there; I PROMISE!

There are many other photos that I could pin up but the censorship laws don't allow. So use your imagination!

it's a BBQ; no HHAAI man; it's a BRAAI!

Since we got here it has been so dry they have been keeping rosters of who can mow a lawn on which day of the week. If your little brats forgot on your day and you decide to mow the next day; there is a hefty fine. It has been so hot, I wonder why these people do not get blacker then people from central Africa, u know, the navy looking brothers. Anyway I'm not being rude; they tell me the darker the berry the sweeter it is! he he he...

Hheyi wena, The idea was that we would gather around the warm evenings and braai some meat and then jump into the pool for a swim or whatever. God decided to water the gardens of Durham that day. I don't care if you think rain is a blessing, not when you plan on braaing: I was not a happy camper! The Young man, next to me is Robert, his braaing skills are not so sharp, this was more a Kodak moment but hell put him in the pulpit. I have seen God use people before in ways that you could never imagine, this boy is going places. God blessed us immensely through him; watch this BOY! He is a blessing.

So we gathered and started our fire on the veranda and just prayed we don't burn this wooden place down. Some of the people didn't pitch coz they thought it was cancelled; more meat an stuff for us. The young lass was the DJ for the evening, hey madoda!

At about 23H00, Chrsitoff and I were just sitting around when everyone had left and then other friends decided we must go to Chapel Hill. I finally realised there is life in Durham after all. That place was packed and $5 entrance into the club and coke and other cool drinks are free; beers cost 25cents. Students from the five or so campuses gather here. Ho ngiyakutshela wena, kuguga othandayo!

Now America is a funny place, maar hhayi suka. At 02H00, all nite clubs close so uMaBrrr no 'sizohamba ngo 7' don't work here! We then came back and of course by this time it was already hot and guess what we did. WE JUMPED IN THE POOL!!! We were in the pool until 04H00 when we finally decided to go to bed. Lord! It's nice being a student again.

Finally WIN after 20+ Games

This was the day we went to watch the football match with the bad team I told you about.

The extra guy is Dominic from Midrand SA. He is an Economics Masters Candidate and we often sit and cry together reminiscing about home. It's not always easy over here but we will make it through so long as we have God and each other!

Before and after the game.


The Team that has just broken the 20 odd games loosing streak; let us hope it's for the best! There must have been a hundred people per side and it's like a little army when they come out to play. Play is shuffle and stop like a game of rugby with a bad referee and lines man who keep telling him what to do. It went on for hours! Americans!!!


How do these boys sleep at night? The bad one is dreadlocks sorry the pic is so bad, even his friend is amused. I had to stop Afroman to check if it's real; u know me: angilali endleleni!


The band was for my old school memories. They were good!


Ah!!! The.......what You call them....

MASCOT!!! THANK YOU!

Life in Durham

Hey! It has been a while and I guess you were wondering if I was ever going to update you on life in Durham. Well for starters my computer is broken and it won't take USB's so that means I'm unable to load up some pics.

We have been to two churches since we got here and it is our idea to go around and experience the American Church scene. We went to the University Chapel and if you think the S African 'black' church is high church wait till you see these guys. Everyone is in robes including the ushers at the door. The procession is so Anglican that you really feel the depth and fear of being inside a church. Something about it is a little 'scary.' Oh of course the people dressed in their Sunday best. I'll tell you a little bit more about that later.

Then we went twice now to another African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME). This was going to be the African-American experience. Well I was told this will be a mild one. This is a church steeped in history of Durham and a well to do kind of church. Now this too also extremely high church with Robes and the ushers (Men in clack suites, the one Sunday then the next was Ladies in white; all of course wearing gloves, the works!) This time anticipating it might be like the other church I had asked what must I wear. I was told it really doesn't matter, just your normal church clothes. So off I went in my 'jeans and shirt' I really have hung around white folk too much! These folk were in their Sunday best. The hats; it looked like the July Handicap and the suites. That's when I said: "yeah Sifiso you bloody 'Oreo!'" You call me that I will kill you!

In both these churches the worship has been wonderfully in line with its style. The sermons in general have been very good. People are really putting a lot in the preparation of their time of worship, which is wonderful.

Enuff, Enuff about church enuff!

Oh I may have told you, women around here think dressing if for covering only the essentially private parts. There are these skirts that can't be nigger than 5 inches that are being worn around campus. I thought I was the only one with a twisted mind but was glad when Wil commented and called them 'Big Belts.' I am st too scared to take the photos coz u don't wanna be arrested for harassment in the USA and then make headline news in SA. Lawyers would have a field day; lawyers around here must be starving coz there is an advertisement for you to sue who ever coughed and looked in your direction even! It's disgusting!!!

We went to a 'football game!' An American idea of Rugby played by overly padded men throwing a ball around yet calling it football. The Duke team is so bad no one watches them any more, but being the first game of the season; everyone came out to support and we led until half time. They have no staying power these boys; it's like Bafana Bafana! LOL!!!

The books are keeping me so busy that I actually think I am not coping just yet. I have handed in an assignment so will be able to gauge myself. This one is gonna be one of those that just can't come in the middle. It will either be very good or very bad! I sleep at 03H00 in the morning everyday and am up at about 07H30. I am gonna grow thin but my head so beeg with all the info I'm shoving into it (pun intended 2).

You may be interested in what courses I am doing: Christian Theology (Prof. J. Carter); System in Theology (Prof. G. Wainwright); New Testament Theology (Prof. Rowe) and Anglican Social Ethics (Profs. Wells and Hauerwas). Get this you all. Professor Wainwright won't be in class on Monday because he has been invited by his holiness the Pope to a 1400 anniversary of some celebration church father. This man and the Pope are on fist name basis. One sits at the feet of some great theologians over here although I think they somehow also need to come and seat at the feet of Africa to somehow learn of the 'real world.'

By now you have gathered that there is actually very little life outside of church and study going on in this little backward town. This is country side. Public transport is bad. Shops are too far and there is no life! So much so that for those who know me; I'm at it again. On Friday; I'll be throwing a party for those of us from the Southern African region to just come and chill! It's gonna be a Pool Party. You are invited!

ESAKUZELAYO; KUYANYIWA!!!

"What we came for, the shit is hitting the fan!!!" I think you get the gist of it! That's my title in Zulu. When I came home with the list of the books Samke didn't quiet understand how many they were until I started unpacking them. All 29 of them at a cost of $687.72! I think I'm going to establish a fund to keep me from loosing every cent I have and all of you to donate to it!!!

I have to read these things before the end of November and the list of what you read per week is scary. It means I will have no life. I think even if I hadn't come with Samke it would have been the same cause at the rate these professors are going we are gonna have no life.

Last Tuesday we went Pub Crawling and I think that will be the last. For those of you who don't know what a pub crawl is... It is when you go from one pub (bar) to another drinking. We started at 22H00 and we were going to finish at 02H00 the next morning. US nite life is bad it ends at 02H00! There were five pubs, I think, I'm not sure, can't remember, was I there too???

These professors don't know that we must also party in the middle of all this. There is already reading material for when classes begin next week and I'm already behind so shouldn't be spending my time writing this stuff but I must read. I wish I had kept up my high school reading habits but I think varsity life made me lazy to read and I am all the poorer for it.

Besides these books, there is also the chapters and books that these professors have posted on the Internet. We are expected to download them and read and prepare responses to them. Ah, Dr. Smanga Kumalo and his reading reactions from Systematics theology 1. That was just for a chapter of the systematics material notes.

I struggled to get the students in my class to read a couple of chapters per week, if I had done this I am sure they would have poisoned me very early in the year. So those that will be coming after this better pray I don't teach them cause whilst I haven't started reading this mountain; I like the system already. We need to rad more on issues we want to know about so that we don't feed people heresy and think we know the answers, whatever your field may be.

Samke is Sick!

We left home not feeling to great, we were both just recovering from the flu. Samke's took a turn for the worst on Sunday in Rocky Mount and we tried to get some medication but the pharmacist just told us the best would be to see a Doctor. So on Monday I went off to collect my medical insurance card only to discover there was a problem with our registration and so the insurance wasn't confirmed. After a whole day of running around with a certain good Samaritan lady who had cared for me at school from one office door to another. She decided to then take us to the 'urgent care facility' somewhere across town. This is like a clinic for people without medical aid, you just walk in and register and wait for your name to be called.

This lady left us there and went to run her errands, bought us some lunch and left us again. You often forget what these waiting moments can do to your brain and you curse the little blessings that Pharos Medical Scheme for Methodist minister lacks but here at times like this you miss Pharaoh.

Samke was ultimately seen and it was Bronchitis as I had suspected. She was given medication from the samples cause the doctor just thought it might be too much if she gave her a script.

Anyway, the consultation was ultimately $100 (+R700) plus another $15 for medication that didn't have a sample. So I suppose these clinics are not like sober Manto's clinics back home and 'beetroot and garlic should keep the doctor away indeed!'

Sake is feeling much better now and by Tuesday night we were out partying again!!!

Rocky Mount Weekend

We spent the weekend at Wil's Mom's house out in Rocky Mount. It is about an hour drive through beautiful countryside. North Carolina is like a big a forest and the human dwellings are carved out within it. I first noticed this 'deforestation' from the plane on our way in the first day. It kind of worried me cause with each carving was a new townhouse development coming up. It is kind of like the Million Rand Squatter Camps we call townhouses/security estates back home. It is fun to live in one but the exception is that here they are not gated communities like we have.

Anyway, Rocky Mount is rather peaceful and nice. The houses are well maintained and the gardens to. This is a picture outside the house, Wil's mom takes care of the garden and it looks great.

Now you actually get to see all four of us together and don't we just make an awesome group? Yolanda is from Costa Rica and therefore speaks Spanish, if we were going to spend more time with them, I'm sure we could learn a little more of Spanish too.

Having said that, we then went and had supper at a Mexican restaurant and of course wanting a taste of everything we ordered this meal on the menu, which promised to be a little of everything. So it came to us in two plates and that's just the way it is. The food was god and some of it (beans on Rice, I must teach them ow to make pap!) really tasted like home food.

I can understand why so many people around here struggle with weight issues and how this could be bad for us; but I'll be damned if I let that happen. In the restaurants, you buy a glass of a soft drink and the will just keep it coming and refilling it as you go. Of course they can only do it with soft drinks cause the other stuff; for those of us who take it; it just never fills up the tummy like coke!

On Sunday we went to the church where Wil grew up and it's the church that had helped in collecting the goods for our apartment. The worship was wonderful and free in Spirit. It was good to see a relaxed pastor even when technology failed him; it wasn't the end of the world. "So it happens in America too!" I thought to myself. The pastor delivered a challenging message and the music and all the stuff kinda reminded me of home in West View. I missed their later services, which is apparently a more traditional service, the choir mistress was in robes and playing a grand pipe organ; it rocks man! I still say; whoever thought auditoriums without the pipe organ are a church needs to have their heads screwed on properly, these barren warehouses we sometimes worship in are nothing but a bad remind of 'cotton sortin' factory floors.

Anyway, I must stop now!

How we travelled!

A picture says a thousand words!!!

Well friends, we are finaly here and this posting has been a long time coming. I am sorry to have taken so long to set it up but as they say; better late than never. You no longer will need to ask me how things are going just check it up for yourself.

Wil and Yolanda came and picked us up from the Raleigh/Durham airport at about 09H40. It was great seeing them and Wil was wearing his Bafana Bafana jersey which he had purchased here in SA in 2001 when I last saw him. Now some of you may wonder who Will is?

In 2001 when I was in Phase 1 in Soweto, I hosted a student from Duke Divinity in the US. He was on his Summer break and of course they do projects. So I lived for about three months with this 'white guy' in the heart of Soweto. We caught taxis together and he lived like one of the township fellas. He amazed many of us and made an impact in many of the people's lives he touched. He became more than just a friend but a brother to me. He later went to Costa Rica and became a missionary there. That is where he met and married Yolanda.

Anyway, Wil and Yolanda are here in the US, on a sabbatical from Costa Rica.This is where God's timing and planing is just too much for us to sometimes understand. I should have been here a long time ago, if it had happened like that, I would have probably been alone (without Samke) and Wil would have been in C. Rica working there. God's timing is such that when Prof Neville Richardson and Dr. Dion Forster heard of my interest in Duke and began to help me; I truly believe that God was there alongside them. I am truly grateful for their assistence. So we came this year, Samke and I and Wil and Yolanda are also here.

THE APPARTMENT

It is an upstairs appartment overlooking the pool and here it gets to 100F so the pool is very handy.

The appartment is good and furnished with bare furnishings. Wil had suggested that he would ask his home church to set something up so that we didn't have to carry pots and pans from South Africa to the US.

They arrived in this Monster of a van/truck that was full of stuff. This truck is a donation to their work in C. Rica from the churches here. It' s a V8, 7.3 liter turbo-diesel machine. "It's really neat!" as Wil would say.

This was not all. Some of the people in the church had also taken a collection in preparation for our arrival. So Wil had a 'magic envelope' that we then used to go and buy the extra stuff that was needed for the house. Of course the TV was NEEDED! Samke was to take up a new position as the 'House Executive,' now all "HE's" need a TV set to watch the latest episode of desparate housewives. Now I'm gonna get in trouble so I better stop! By the way; what's on desperate housewives? Now that I think of it, it could be a lot of things!!!

This whole week is truly dificult to write or even think about as I think of the many blessings that the Lord has done for us.

We never slept cause after this we then went off to the varsity where we met the ladies who had worked tirelessly in making sure our arrival was smooth. Duke was beautiful as ever. The new buildings that they were working on around 2004 were now in full operation so the place looks stunning. Ah! Of Couse, the Majestic Chapel! The center of this campus and a real churhc even on the inside. Someone was practising onthe organ and it just made being around here all the more beautiful.

Anyway I will keep you updated as to our comings and goings, I'm tired now and am sure you can't read so much.