The Joburg/Pretoria Trip

Traveling in winter in South Africa has its own specialties.  There are some gorgeous birds and flowers around.  The cold in Johannesburg is serious!  It has dipped down as low as 3 degrees Celsius, which is in the 30's in Fahrenheit.  Most days would warm up nicely as the sun did its thing. Does that sound like we're wimpy?  Just please realize, indoor temps are about the same as outdoor!  Most indoors are not heated and brick buildings can be colder inside than outside.   

The realities of doing laundry on the road.  It's not glamorous, but I actually enjoy figuring it out.  On this trip, I'd stick our cooler into the bathtub and hand wash in there.  I found a place to hang it outside as nothing would dry in the chilly bathroom.   

Our first school!  It was a big one, with a very active, enthusiastic feel to the audience.  This picture shows maybe one fourth of the students and less then one fourth of Small Paul.  
It was a sweet success after two days of visiting many schools, and hearing, "We'll call you back." to finally have a friendly principal say, "Let's do this today!"

School number two, the morning was so dark, Paul could use the blacklight to highlight his picture, even though we were outdoors.  Paul and Tim shared the lesson, and I took pictures in the back, and fumed at the guy who started a generator right nearby, while Paul was speaking.  Not nice.  I also 
high-fived about 100 kids at the end.  

Written soon after the last school of the trip, on the 15th:

My head was spinning from the fast-paced, tense, hectic morning we had! The plan was to have an 8:00 school appointment, followed by one at 8:30, and a third at 9:00, at 3 different schools, all in Soweto. What can go wrong with that? We have 2 speakers, so one person can do the 8 and 9, while the other does the 8:30. Ahh, the best made plans of mice and men... 

The tension started soon! We left our room at 6:35 AM, and got out onto the R21, heading southwest toward Soweto. But early in the commute, the traffic clogged, and then stopped, and then we began to creep along. For 30 minutes we hardly went two kilometers! (This wasn't the fast-paced part.) Paul and Tim ate their sandwiches I had made them for breakfast, egg salad and peanut butter, respectively. We finished family Bible reading and prayer with an emphasis on us getting there on time. I was driving, and I eventually started in on a sandwich too. Finally we came to the spot where an accident had happened. Four lanes of drivers were being condensed into one until they cleaned up the mess, but it didn't look like anyone had been seriously hurt. From there we whizzed toward Soweto with hardly a slow down. We wove through the streets, dodging many, many pedestrians and pausing for the trash truck coming at us one the wrong side of the street. 

 We dropped Tim at the first school a little before 8:00, (no spare time to set up, but at least he was there) and then we headed toward a really big school where Paul was to speak. Appointments for the four schools had been made in the last two weeks. Paul's school was only 2 kilometers away, as the crow flies, but I'm not a crow. I had to face the traffic, the billions of taxis, and every man doing that which is right in his own eyes. It requires 100% attention, and even then, I made Paul gasp a few times. We did get safely to his school in about 15 minutes, and after getting all his equipment out, I went back to get Tim to take him to the 9:00 appointment. I got back to him around 8:30, and his school wasn't going well. In fact, it wasn't going at all. He had been stuck in the teachers' staff room, and was visiting with some teachers, but the promised assembly wasn't coming together. The principal forgot he had scheduled us then. So we gathered equipment and scurried off to the 9:00 school This one was ready for him, so I dropped him and headed back to Paul. Paul was all set up on stage, with about half the students, but no one giving the go-ahead. He sent me back for Tim because we also had an 11:00 school across town.  Tim was finishing when I finally got there again, feeling thankful for safety. 

The streets are wild! Tim and I went back to Paul, and he was just finishing up, so we three worked together and got him and the equipment loaded and we headed for school #4, exchanging notes along the way. Tim's school had been welcoming and appreciative, and Paul's had gotten started almost an hour late. In fact he had to start it himself, since no one ever came to get it started or to introduce him, but the students listened and responded well. (So in the course of driving to the three schools, I made 7 stops, having been to 2 of them twice, one of them 3 times!  My nerves!)

 The last school, the 11:00 school, was one of the 12 who we had gone to the first day, one who had said they would call back, and they really did! Paul had preached there before, 10 years ago, so a few of the teachers did remember him. They were SO appreciative, many coming up individually to express their thanks. They were an Afrikaans school, which was especially good in that our English tracts were about finished at this stage of the trip, but we still had Afrikaans left, so those kids received Afrikaans. 

So we finished! No more schools until after the winter break. We plan to start back to Cape Town on Sunday after church and should arrive home on Monday evening. This trip will be remembered as a very united family effort, with Paul, son Tim and me all working together on scheduling schools, and then reaching them afterward. It was also very united in that we all slept in one room. Fun, fun, fun! I think we'll all be glad to get home, but we must plan for extra adventures on the way home.  Cape Town is having flooding and mud slides.  the huge Huguenot Tunnel that we came through, is closed so we may have to find another way home, unless they sort it out before Monday.  

 

Gorgeous winter flowers.  

The kids began to gather in the cold at another school.  

Paul in shirt sleeves, all warmed up with preaching while the rest of us are still bundled up.  

This schools was one of the original 12 that only scheduled later.  That first day was discouraging for scheduling, but at least all the people Paul dealt with were kind, it was just a bad time of year because of working around their exam schedules.  

Someone sent me this picture and the one before and after which was so nice as I was out in the wings somewhere, not getting very inspiring pictures.  That lady was the one who got us into this school, and we're thankful for her.  

Tim in action! 

This particular school had us nervous.  The day we visited it to schedule it, the kids were dancing wildly in the streets, blocking traffic.  It looked like a very undisciplined school, so we prayed extra.  The Lord worked and the meeting was peaceful and the students paid good attention and many made decisions at the end!  (Turns out the next school was a really rough one and we should have paid extra for that one!)

Yes, that is an odd combination of cow hoof, balloons, and tower.

We met with Joe and Blessing, who drove all the way down from Limpopo to have lunch with us.  

More of that odd "statue".  It was like a huge cow statue was buried with just the four legs and the milk bag sticking up.  Strange, but not the worst statue I've ever seen.   

The last school!  In some ways, the best!  The teachers were so appreciative of Paul's ministry.  Before Paul spoke, they brought out two framed pictures Paul had drawn there before, at least 10 years ago!  

A Series of Unfortunate Events

Many years ago, I found a deal, an audio book for one dollar,  A Series of Unfortunate Events.  It was a miserable book, aptly named, and we threw it away after we got horrified by what a bad/sad/ridiculous story it was.  I deplore books with no happy ending.

Yesterday was Paul's first time back at schools, and he had his own series of unfortunate events, but his have happy endings and happy new beginnings.

He had two schools, and the first went fine, but the second was somewhat of a trial.  They told him he could set up for the assembly.  So Paul and Timothy went to set up their equipment and book display.  Then they told them to set up in a different auditorium. Paul and Timothy took everything down, brought it all to the other place and set it all up again.  And waited.

He tried to use the time well, so he went to use the rest room.  Bad moment.  He met a girl coming in as he was coming out. OOPS!
"Sorry," he said, shaking his head as he noticed the men's room opposite.
"Sorry," she replied, because, what else can you say when you meet a man coming out of the ladies' room?

Then he went back to his waiting, hoping not many had noticed his mistake.  After an hour of waiting, he went to check at the office.  They told him to move back to the first auditorium.  He and Timothy moved all their equipment and set up again.  It was hot, and the windows were closed.

He waited some more and checked again for when they were coming.  Finally, after waiting more than two hours, they were told to begin.  By now, our guys were tired, hungry,  feeling low and very hot.  When they called Paul's name, he uncrossed his legs to go up to the stage, but he discovered his foot was dead asleep!  He fell!  He got up and staggered toward the stage, having a head rush and a dead food.  He looked like a drunk.  It felt like a long time for blood to reach his head and feet, but he started preaching and drawing without comment.

After that program, there was another wait before the next group, but it eventually happened.  They finished after 1:30, and headed for KFC on the double.  Food helped a lot, but then they got Paul's order wrong. His mashed potatoes and coleslaw were missing.  He went in and got it.

He went back out to the car to eat, and then looked at the receipt.  They hadn't charged him for the potatoes and slaw.  Oh brother.

He went back in to make that right.  Thankfully he got the same girl who had given him the goods so he didn't have to explain too much.  But then, as he left, he walked smack dab into a glass wall, and smacked his forehead good.  That made him think of Ezekiel 3:9, " As an adamant harder than flint have I made thy forehead..."  :-)    A hard headed, staggering preacher!  A man watching said, "Sorry."  Indeed.

So was the day a disaster?  Well, I'm writing the unfortunate events, but there were about 1300 people who watched a tall white guy draw a big picture of a narrow road to heaven and a wide road to hell, and how we need to repent and turn to Jesus for mercy.  Many did at each of the three services.  In addition two schools yesterday set up times for him to preach and draw in the next few days.  There were problems for sure, but it was worth it.  And he's looking forward to preaching and drawing again--nine times next week.

Paul didn't mind my telling you all this stuff.  We just listened to Otto Koning's talk on "Surrendering your reputation to God."  (He's funny, interesting and helpful.  You can listen to him at http://www.thoughtsonchristianliving.org/audio-index-ok.html  or can download those to MP3. )

( This is a from a church, not from the day of unfortunate events.  He's probably glad no one took pictures of the fall, the crash, or the bathroom incident.  :- )

Rwandan Remembrances

 We have started wending our way southward, but I have a few more pictures to share from Kigali.  Josh took this one through the binoculars, of the American embassy across town from us.  Nice to see the red, white and blue over there, waving in the breeze. 

 The tamest giraffes we've met in our travels stand watch over Kigali, the capital of Rwanda. 

 It's the rainy season right now, which means hard afternoon rains, sometimes producing flash floods like this one we had to drive through on the way to a school.  Kigali has thousands of motorcycles, and they just have to park and wait storms like this out. 
We kept going, but Paul couldn't preach with this rain thundering down on the tin roof.  No one could hear him. We prayed, and prayed some more, and the Lord stopped the rain. 

 This school has the distinction of being the only one in Rwanda where Paul could preach without an interpreter. 

 Our first time eating in someone's house in Rwanda.  It was a sweet time, and a very typical meal with rice, French fries, sweet potatoes, and stew.  But it also had 3 kinds of salad.  This was with Jane, the translator, and her pastor husband. 

 Paul's official (self appointed?) escort at a primary school. 

 After the rains, with Jane translating, this school was very enthusiastic and attentive. 

 Paul preached to a Christian group at a Muslim school 

 Josh wanted this picture for his Brother In Law--BIL--Ryan. 

 But of course there are dangers out here on the road.  What happened here?  We stayed at the little hotel behind this petrol station (for about $7.50  :- )  on the way north, and the top was fine.  But now?  People were still able to buy gas, but one of the pumps is tipping to the right.  Maybe the wind did this? 

 And there are the dangers of wide loads on the roads. 

 Gas attendants come in all shapes and sizes these days.  I liked this lady's outfit, and told her so.  She seemed pleased when I took her picture and gave her a Swahili tract. 

This picture is aimed at anyone who is a Jungle Doctor enthusiast, like we are.  Does Anyone remember his car, Sukuma?  which means "Push" in Swahili.   We just got a little laugh over this sign on a door in Dodoma.
 

       All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the Lord: and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee.
                                                     Psalm 22:27

Sunday in Rwanda

Our first Sunday in Rwanda, Paul didn't preach any where, we just went and listened in a big church.  This Sunday was different!  We were to meet Bob the translator at 8:00 AM at Victorious School.  Look how bright and educationally decorated Victorious School is.  I 

 

like it. 

 There's a nice review of the human ear. 

A nice little crowd wants to be in on the review of the ear. 

 The school mission was painted on the wall...

 and a nice little crowd wants to be in that picture too.  :- )   

 I like it!  "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly".  A little triangle shaped garden is just the place for some more richness. 

The walls are just covered with the alphabet, instructions, body info, etc. so we thought it was pretty funny to find this one:  We should not write on the walls. 

 The first place Paul preached was not Victorious School, but a polytechnic school.  Lousy photography, for sure.  I'm too timid about making a disruption, but it gives an idea of the place. 

 Church two was a boarding school, and Paul preached twice there to the boarding students.  At the first one, my photography was even worse.  Shame, because there were about 600+ students crammed in there, very attentive to everything, though they lost composure a little when they learned our Josh is only 14.  But outside there was this beautiful bunch of bananas waiting to be photographed. 

 A smaller group of younger children and maybe staff was the next place, at the same school. 

Paul and Bob preached and Paul drew. 

The fourth place was now in the afternoon, and your faithful photographer was not so faithful.  It was hot, and my dress was hot, and I got terribly sleepy, and there are no pictures of it.  Too bad because it was really a church, not a school. 

We didn't get home until after rather late, tired, hungry, and hot.  It was good to just eat some sandwiches and put our toes in the air and rest.