Hello all!
With all of the news these days, we wanted to make sure that everyone knows that we are safely in Jordan. We were on the Dead Sea for two nights relaxing at a great hotel and floating in the Dead Sea, and we are now in Petra. We got here last night and will spend today exploring the ancient city....something old before the new year. We hope all is well back home, are thankful for your emails, thoughts and prayers, and wish you all a Happy New Year!
Love,
Andy and Sharon
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Saturday, December 27, 2008
A Culinary Adventure
At this point, pre-Italy, it is probably worth mentioning food. I say pre-Italy, because I think we are anticipating the epicurean apex of our trip to be Italy. However, we have eaten some good food and drunk some good drinks. Below are the highlights.
- Mahpundi’s: This was an interesting place at the edge of one of the Cape Town townships. Ricky and Derek took us there. First you pick your meats, or your best guesses of meats. Then, they go into the back room to grill it. Then, they serve it bathed in sauce with an entire loaf of white bread and a single knife. Everyone at the table just digs in, no utensils, wrapping meat and sopping sauce with the bread.
- Traditional Tea Time: Anthony Cordle prepared a fantastic afternoon tea for us, replete with cucumber sandwiches, egg sandwiches, and fruit cake. It was very proper and lots of fun.
- Pinotage: South African red wine we had not heard of. Very full and really earthy. They had some good wines there and are probably better known for their shiraz, but we really enjoyed the Pinotage.
- Pizza: So far, the international common denominator of food. It’s everywhere, and goes very well with Pinotage. In SA we had one with grilled chicken, brie,and cranberry. In Bethlehem, they serve it with corn on it. Jason, we thought of you.
- Indian: The British Empire employed Indians all over the globe. In South Africa, they started an Indian food restaurant called Bukhara specializing in Tandoori. It was forehead-sweat-spicy and perfect. In general, food in SA was really cheap, and this was our favorite place. We followed the tandoori appetizers with curried dishes and vowed to learn Indian cooking when we get back. We thought of the Youngs and the Barefeet as we sniffled and mopped our brows.
- Shewerma: This would be a gyro in the U.S. except for the fact that they fill it with all sorts of goodies including hummus, pickles, pickled cabbage, some sort of yogurt sauce, a spicy red sauce, and lamb of course. Sharon called this the burger of the Middle East, and I am smitten.
- Dried fruit: To help with all the other foods...
- Coffee: Lots of places serve instant Nescafe which has a disappointing coffee flavor but delivers caffeine effectively. Turkish coffee, however, is the truth. Dark, bittersweet, and strong, this is the coffee we had hoped for in the Middle East. It’s like espresso, only more mysterious.
- Mint tea: Hot water, lots of mint leaves, and a tea bag. Fragrant and good for digestion.
- Every meal we’ve had with friends…
- Mahpundi’s: This was an interesting place at the edge of one of the Cape Town townships. Ricky and Derek took us there. First you pick your meats, or your best guesses of meats. Then, they go into the back room to grill it. Then, they serve it bathed in sauce with an entire loaf of white bread and a single knife. Everyone at the table just digs in, no utensils, wrapping meat and sopping sauce with the bread.
- Traditional Tea Time: Anthony Cordle prepared a fantastic afternoon tea for us, replete with cucumber sandwiches, egg sandwiches, and fruit cake. It was very proper and lots of fun.
- Pinotage: South African red wine we had not heard of. Very full and really earthy. They had some good wines there and are probably better known for their shiraz, but we really enjoyed the Pinotage.
- Pizza: So far, the international common denominator of food. It’s everywhere, and goes very well with Pinotage. In SA we had one with grilled chicken, brie,and cranberry. In Bethlehem, they serve it with corn on it. Jason, we thought of you.
- Indian: The British Empire employed Indians all over the globe. In South Africa, they started an Indian food restaurant called Bukhara specializing in Tandoori. It was forehead-sweat-spicy and perfect. In general, food in SA was really cheap, and this was our favorite place. We followed the tandoori appetizers with curried dishes and vowed to learn Indian cooking when we get back. We thought of the Youngs and the Barefeet as we sniffled and mopped our brows.
- Shewerma: This would be a gyro in the U.S. except for the fact that they fill it with all sorts of goodies including hummus, pickles, pickled cabbage, some sort of yogurt sauce, a spicy red sauce, and lamb of course. Sharon called this the burger of the Middle East, and I am smitten.
- Dried fruit: To help with all the other foods...
- Coffee: Lots of places serve instant Nescafe which has a disappointing coffee flavor but delivers caffeine effectively. Turkish coffee, however, is the truth. Dark, bittersweet, and strong, this is the coffee we had hoped for in the Middle East. It’s like espresso, only more mysterious.
- Mint tea: Hot water, lots of mint leaves, and a tea bag. Fragrant and good for digestion.
- Every meal we’ve had with friends…
The Old City
We arrived in Jerusalem two days ago on Christmas Day. They are playing instrumental Christmas songs in the hotel restaurant as I write this, but generally you would not know it is Christmas here as most of the residents are Jewish and Muslim. It’s an odd transition after visiting Bethlehem and spending Christmas morning at the Church of the Nativity (even there, though, 90% of the residents are Muslim). However, we have had a great experience here.
There is a spot in the Jewish Quarter of the Old City where you can look out over most of the important religious sites of the city. Each spot seems to have been controlled by either the Islamic, Jewish, or Christian faiths at one time or another, destroyed by a conquering power, rebuilt, and controlled by one or the other of the major faiths here, so that many are hard to unravel. To walk the Via Delorosa, the Way of the Cross, is to have a multicultural experience starting in a Muslim school, into a Catholic monastery, through the Muslim Quarter into the Christian/Armenian Quarter, through an Ethiopian church to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher which is shared by about five Christian traditions by decree of the Ottoman Empire. Then, you stand in line with pilgrims from all over the globe. We happened to be at the church while the priests were singing chants by candlelight and moving between all of the various chapels and significant locations in the church to pray and chant. It is a dark and old place, and the chanting of the priests made for a sober experience that you might have been able to have hundreds of years ago. I was deeply touched by the old Armenian women who entered Christ’s tomb with us on their knees, crying, praying and kissing the tomb. Perhaps, like Mecca, this was the one, late-in-life chance they had to visit the significant place in their faith?
Since then, we have visited other important sites, but again, like the other places we’ve been, perhaps the most touching experience was to meet and talk with a person. Today, we had tea with Sheikh Bukhari here in the Muslim Quarter of the Old City. Our friend David was kind enough to share his friend, the Sheikh, with us. He lives in a house his family has lived in for 400 years on the Via Dolorosa. We talked a lot about his house, his family, the ancient artifacts of his family, and the city, but it is his relationship with a local rabbi that is most interesting and instructive. They travel together, invest in the youth together, invite people over for tea together, and organize local events together. They are together in their vision for how relationships and personal understanding might bring peace to this region.
After visiting with the Sheikh, we had lunch and rested and talked about all of this. Then, we went to the non-traditional Garden Tomb of Christ, and experienced what seemed more tangible to us, a simple tomb carved out of the rock in a garden just outside of the Old City.
Everywhere we have been, the sites have been incredible, but the things people are doing on a relational level have been truly inspiring and challenging.
Tomorrow we are going to see a few more sights before leaving for Jordan for a few days. We are hopeful that Sharon’s head cold will pass and that she will have more rest there.
There is a spot in the Jewish Quarter of the Old City where you can look out over most of the important religious sites of the city. Each spot seems to have been controlled by either the Islamic, Jewish, or Christian faiths at one time or another, destroyed by a conquering power, rebuilt, and controlled by one or the other of the major faiths here, so that many are hard to unravel. To walk the Via Delorosa, the Way of the Cross, is to have a multicultural experience starting in a Muslim school, into a Catholic monastery, through the Muslim Quarter into the Christian/Armenian Quarter, through an Ethiopian church to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher which is shared by about five Christian traditions by decree of the Ottoman Empire. Then, you stand in line with pilgrims from all over the globe. We happened to be at the church while the priests were singing chants by candlelight and moving between all of the various chapels and significant locations in the church to pray and chant. It is a dark and old place, and the chanting of the priests made for a sober experience that you might have been able to have hundreds of years ago. I was deeply touched by the old Armenian women who entered Christ’s tomb with us on their knees, crying, praying and kissing the tomb. Perhaps, like Mecca, this was the one, late-in-life chance they had to visit the significant place in their faith?
Since then, we have visited other important sites, but again, like the other places we’ve been, perhaps the most touching experience was to meet and talk with a person. Today, we had tea with Sheikh Bukhari here in the Muslim Quarter of the Old City. Our friend David was kind enough to share his friend, the Sheikh, with us. He lives in a house his family has lived in for 400 years on the Via Dolorosa. We talked a lot about his house, his family, the ancient artifacts of his family, and the city, but it is his relationship with a local rabbi that is most interesting and instructive. They travel together, invest in the youth together, invite people over for tea together, and organize local events together. They are together in their vision for how relationships and personal understanding might bring peace to this region.
After visiting with the Sheikh, we had lunch and rested and talked about all of this. Then, we went to the non-traditional Garden Tomb of Christ, and experienced what seemed more tangible to us, a simple tomb carved out of the rock in a garden just outside of the Old City.
Everywhere we have been, the sites have been incredible, but the things people are doing on a relational level have been truly inspiring and challenging.
Tomorrow we are going to see a few more sights before leaving for Jordan for a few days. We are hopeful that Sharon’s head cold will pass and that she will have more rest there.
Merry Christmas
Merry Christmas from Israel! We hope that you are all enjoying this wonderful holiday. We are having a fantastic experience, but we admit that we miss friends and family…the traditions and festive nature of Christmas at home.
We are still reeling from a busy couple of days in Bethlehem. Yes, in Bethlehem, it is still a bit surreal. Neither Andy nor I had really any way of expecting what Christmas would be like in Bethlehem. We arrived on Tuesday from Jaffa and had afternoon coffee with a friend of several of you, Sami Awad. He runs an organization called the Holy Land Trust which has a variety of different avenues to promote positive leadership within Palestine, media about the state of Palestine to the world, and seeks for ways to find peace with Israel. Through his own history and his faith, he was able to teach us a lot about life as a Palestinian.
After a quiet evening at the guest house, we jumped in with both feet on Christmas Eve. Thanks to David (thank you!), we had a wonderful friend, Noor, to host us throughout the day. She led us through the town as the day of festivities began. It turns out that Christmas is really celebrated more on the 24th in Bethlehem. We didn’t expect that, and I think a lot of tourists show up late on Christmas Eve expecting a big Christmas Day. We also didn’t expect the parade of scouts on Christmas Eve playing drums and… bagpipes. Bagpipes? Apparently a Scot – thus the bagpipes – started the tradition of boy/girl scouts in this region, and it is a popular thing for small children all the way up until adulthood. It was neat to see dozens of scout troups from throughout Palestine and Jerusalem work their way through Bethlehem playing hymns and displaying their community pride. They led the way for the Catholic Patriarch from Jerusalem. He is welcomed by the head priest and the mayor of Bethlehem.
After the parade, the city basically celebrates in Manger Square until Midnight Mass begins there. We instead attended a service at the Christmas Evangelical Lutheran Church where we were staying. They were broadcasting live to Christian Arabic TV and to Cyprus. The congregation was made up of English, German, and Arabic speaking people for the most part so several times we sang hymns in all three languages…it was very special.
Christmas morning we went to the Church of the Nativity to see the traditional birthplace of Christ in a cave below the site where this church has stood in one form or another since the 300’s AD. You would think that visiting the birthplace of Christ on Christmas Day would be deeply impactful to our faith. Ironically, the real impact was that our time in Bethlehem reminded us of how deeply personal and internal our own faith is and that we take Christ with us wherever we go. It is not about a place.
The real jewel of our time in Bethlehem was Noor Hodaly. She spent the day with us, showing us her city, explaining her Palestinian experience, and helping us have a great Christmas. Everywhere we go during this trip, it has been people and relationships that have been the most impactful to us. Noor was so sweet to take care of us, and to allow us to ask what I’m sure were deeply personal questions about her experiences of life in a very difficult, disputed place. It was without a doubt our best Christmas present this year.
We are still reeling from a busy couple of days in Bethlehem. Yes, in Bethlehem, it is still a bit surreal. Neither Andy nor I had really any way of expecting what Christmas would be like in Bethlehem. We arrived on Tuesday from Jaffa and had afternoon coffee with a friend of several of you, Sami Awad. He runs an organization called the Holy Land Trust which has a variety of different avenues to promote positive leadership within Palestine, media about the state of Palestine to the world, and seeks for ways to find peace with Israel. Through his own history and his faith, he was able to teach us a lot about life as a Palestinian.
After a quiet evening at the guest house, we jumped in with both feet on Christmas Eve. Thanks to David (thank you!), we had a wonderful friend, Noor, to host us throughout the day. She led us through the town as the day of festivities began. It turns out that Christmas is really celebrated more on the 24th in Bethlehem. We didn’t expect that, and I think a lot of tourists show up late on Christmas Eve expecting a big Christmas Day. We also didn’t expect the parade of scouts on Christmas Eve playing drums and… bagpipes. Bagpipes? Apparently a Scot – thus the bagpipes – started the tradition of boy/girl scouts in this region, and it is a popular thing for small children all the way up until adulthood. It was neat to see dozens of scout troups from throughout Palestine and Jerusalem work their way through Bethlehem playing hymns and displaying their community pride. They led the way for the Catholic Patriarch from Jerusalem. He is welcomed by the head priest and the mayor of Bethlehem.
After the parade, the city basically celebrates in Manger Square until Midnight Mass begins there. We instead attended a service at the Christmas Evangelical Lutheran Church where we were staying. They were broadcasting live to Christian Arabic TV and to Cyprus. The congregation was made up of English, German, and Arabic speaking people for the most part so several times we sang hymns in all three languages…it was very special.
Christmas morning we went to the Church of the Nativity to see the traditional birthplace of Christ in a cave below the site where this church has stood in one form or another since the 300’s AD. You would think that visiting the birthplace of Christ on Christmas Day would be deeply impactful to our faith. Ironically, the real impact was that our time in Bethlehem reminded us of how deeply personal and internal our own faith is and that we take Christ with us wherever we go. It is not about a place.
The real jewel of our time in Bethlehem was Noor Hodaly. She spent the day with us, showing us her city, explaining her Palestinian experience, and helping us have a great Christmas. Everywhere we go during this trip, it has been people and relationships that have been the most impactful to us. Noor was so sweet to take care of us, and to allow us to ask what I’m sure were deeply personal questions about her experiences of life in a very difficult, disputed place. It was without a doubt our best Christmas present this year.
Monday, December 22, 2008
Old Jaffa
Our time on the Karoo came to an abrupt end at 6:30 yesterday morning when we left to drive back to Cape Town for our 5pm flight to Tel Aviv. The seven hours of driving were slightly less stressful than the drive several days ago… Sharon only screamed once. She wisely busied herself with things that kept her from watching the road. After the drive, we took the red-eye through Johannesburg and Istanbul to Tel Aviv. We arrived at our hostel in Jaffa about 30 hours after leaving Camdeboo, and now we’re pretty exhausted. Sharon laughed earlier when I called the hostel “cozy”…
And, here we are. I read somewhere today that Jaffa may possibly be the oldest port city in the world. Some think it might also have been named after one of Noah’s sons, Japheth, one of the city’s founders. This is where Jonah boarded the boat he eventually got thrown off of into the belly of the whale. Jaffa has been assaulted by Egyptian kings, the Crusades, Napolean… Jaffa just feels historic, and I’m guessing we’ll have that sense wherever we go in this country. When you look at a building, you get the definite impression that what is there now has been modified from a prior use, and that prior use was modified from another, and another, and so on. Bricks built on stones, then other types of stones, then tin and and metal, etc. We were in a shop today and commented on the interesting architecture of the store to which the shopkeeper replied, “oh, well, this used to be a mosque”.
After visiting the sites of Old Jaffa this afternoon, we ate a fantastic local dinner – kind of a sampler of all sorts of things with names I cannot pronounce, much less remember – and now we’re headed to bed after catching up on blogging and email and making sure we’re all set for the next couple of days. I bought a beer and some warm pistachios from a shop around the corner to help us get the writing juices flowing. Tomorrow, we’re going to sample the local coffee (which a local promised would be way better than our American coffee) and spend a little time in Tel Aviv before heading to Bethlehem. I think we are both cautiously hopeful that our time here will be one of depth and meaning.
And, here we are. I read somewhere today that Jaffa may possibly be the oldest port city in the world. Some think it might also have been named after one of Noah’s sons, Japheth, one of the city’s founders. This is where Jonah boarded the boat he eventually got thrown off of into the belly of the whale. Jaffa has been assaulted by Egyptian kings, the Crusades, Napolean… Jaffa just feels historic, and I’m guessing we’ll have that sense wherever we go in this country. When you look at a building, you get the definite impression that what is there now has been modified from a prior use, and that prior use was modified from another, and another, and so on. Bricks built on stones, then other types of stones, then tin and and metal, etc. We were in a shop today and commented on the interesting architecture of the store to which the shopkeeper replied, “oh, well, this used to be a mosque”.
After visiting the sites of Old Jaffa this afternoon, we ate a fantastic local dinner – kind of a sampler of all sorts of things with names I cannot pronounce, much less remember – and now we’re headed to bed after catching up on blogging and email and making sure we’re all set for the next couple of days. I bought a beer and some warm pistachios from a shop around the corner to help us get the writing juices flowing. Tomorrow, we’re going to sample the local coffee (which a local promised would be way better than our American coffee) and spend a little time in Tel Aviv before heading to Bethlehem. I think we are both cautiously hopeful that our time here will be one of depth and meaning.
Wild Kingdom
We learned more about the animal kingdom in three days than I think I have remembered from all of my learning in school (granted that was mostly back in elementary school). Mt. Cambdeboo was a wonderful experience. It is set in a valley and surrounded by these big beautiful hills and mountains. The reserve is set up to maximize your learning experience. We pretty much had a ranger with us at all times, including meals (which were extremely good). We would get up early each morning to head out for a game drive from about 6:30-10:00 AM and then have free time until the next drive from about 4:30-9:00. Now mind you, free time is in a gated area surrounding the manor house that we stayed in because the animals are free to roam….so crazy. When we weren’t out on the drives, we would most often catch ourselves sitting and staring at our surroundings. There was always some number of vervet monkeys running around and creating all sorts of commotion, the ostrich would be roaming off in the distance, baboons would be foraging in the field, or we would be watching our step for cape cobra (which we fortunately did not see although we probably both had nightmares about them).
The game drives were fantastic. Our ranger, Etienne, was kind of a South African crocodile hunter. He could spot animals and insects unbelievably well, he taught us great lessons about the lifestyle of each animal and how they are created to uniquely survive in their environment, and he told us all sorts of crazy stories he has experienced in his eight years as a ranger. Here are some highlights of our time:
· I am sure that we both would say that our number one highlight involves a cheetah. There is a cheetah on the game reserve with four cubs that are about six months old or so. We used a locating device to get the general area she was roaming and then tracked her in the Land Rover and by foot. We found her and her cubs taking a rest after she had attempted a run on some mountain reed bok. We were able to walk up and sit probably about 20 feet away. Amazing! She was totally aware of our presence but was not concerned at all. We just sat and watched she and the four cubs, heard them purr, and then watched as they stalked off to approach another opportunity for dinner. It was only about 20 minutes that we were able to sit there with them, but it was amazing to be so close to such a beautiful animal.
· We felt lucky and it was easily confirmed by the staff. We managed to see one or all five rhinos on every drive that we went on. They really do look like an ancient dinosaur and are gigantic.
· The giraffe were such giant, graceful creatures. We loved watching them walk through the trees.
· The sunsets every night were a fantastic display in the sky.
The list goes on but we will have to include pictures later as they take a long time to upload.. It was such a beautiful, relaxing time. We were glad to have the time to continue to reflect on our journey thus far and those still to come.
Welcome to the Karoo
We are lying in bed for an afternoon nap debating whether we would want to see a cobra in the wild or not. I think it probably depends on the circumstances…
We have been at the game reserve for less than 24 hours, and already we have seen an enormous variety of animals. The stars of the show have been rhino, giraffe, wildebeast, and rock monitor, but the various antelope and birds have been beautiful as well. With any luck, we’ll see the cheetah and her cubs. We found the rhino yesterday within a few hundred yards of where we are sleeping. There was a monkey drinking from the swimming pool. So far, no snakes.
I was telling Sharon that it feels surreal to me to suddenly be on a game reserve seeing these exotic animals. Just a day ago we were driving along the coast after breakfast in Cape Town. Even in the car on the way up here I would not have expected to find all of this. But, here we are, suddenly enjoying what they call the Karoo in the middle of South Africa. It is a high plain or steppe that is pretty dry. The terrain is rough and scrubby for the most part. Lots of shrubs, aloe, cactus, and thorn trees. The point of the reserve is to reintroduce animals into what used to be their natural habitat, but in a very balanced, natural way, and then to allow people to come and enjoy it.
It’s been a few days now since we’ve blogged. In that time, we’ve had some really quality time with some great people. We’ve had a chance to spend quite a bit of time with the Cordles - went to church with them, celebrated Cathy’s birthday with their extended family, made guacamole for them, and discussed thoughts on faith and family. They’ve been great to us.
On Monday, we met with Garth Collins for a couple hours over coffee. Garth is a mutual friend of some of our stateside friends. He has been working with members of the parliament here for several decades, so he was able to offer us a lot of perspective on this country’s journey out of Apartheid through reconciliation to where they are today. His point of view is that he is fortunate to live in Cape Town which he presented to us as a microcosm of the world. It is hard to live there and ignore the socioeconomic disparities of our planet. He pointed out that if Americans gave all of their wealth to the poor in the world, it would simply disappear… essentially, money is not the answer. My takeaway was that that idea doesn’t mean we should stop giving money, but that there is a lot more to fixing the disparity than money. The conversation centered more around home, family, dignity, and relationships.
Which provides a nice segue to the following morning when we had breakfast with Ricky and Minty Pato. It was nice to catch up with them and talk about all that we have seen. We hope we will get to see Ricky soon in the U.S., as he is partnered with a church in Tacoma. We tried to encourage the Patos. Their work with children and adolescents in the townships felt as hopeful to us as anything else we saw here.
After the bustle and human interest of Cape Town, it has been nice to drive a bit and process together, although Sharon hasn’t found me to be too talkative during these drives. The drive to Knysna on the southern coast was a bit hairy. On the highway, we discovered some driving norms here in South Africa that we do not have in the U.S. Drivers here seem to have nerves of steel and no patience. By the time we got to Knysna, I was ready for a glass of wine and bed. In the middle of the night last night after the drive to the reserve, I kept waking up to find my fingers were numb from the steering wheel. You literally cannot take your attention away from the highway for a second.
___________________________________________________________________
Andy forgot to mention a few fun things that happened on our first day in the Karoo. We petted an 11 month old Bengal tiger. Yes, you heard me correctly. We went to a place called the Cango Wildlife Ranch where they help breed endangered species such as white lions, white tigers, cheetah, etc. A bit gimmicky, yes, but we could not resist the urge to pay for the chance to pet a tiger. We went into the pen with three of the ranch workers. There were two male cubs (which are already huge at 11 months old). One wasn’t very interested in us and went over to the pool to cool down. The other just lazily stayed on the ground and let us pet him and put our hands next to his paw for perspective. It was a crazy, fun experience.
There was a brilliant lightening storm last night while we were eating dinner at Mt. Camdeboo. When it started pooring down rain, it was comforting because it smelled like rain in Central Oregon.
We are sitting in our room and time and again catch glimpses of vervet monkeys. They seem to play games to see how close they can get to the manor house. Gentlemen, we will have to tell you a fun characteristic about them at some point.
It really was breathtaking this morning to drive out onto a plain where eland, black wildebeast, mountain sprinbok, and plains zebra are roaming together. We have learned amazing things about these animals and it illustrates the beauty and amazing nature of God’s creation.
Our experience in South Africa thus far has been amazing, eye opening, encouraging, beautiful, and the list goes on. We just hope that we can be faithful to what we are learning and experiencing.
(Pictures take a while to upload so we will get some up soon. We haven't had internet access for a few days so we just wanted to get something out there.)
We have been at the game reserve for less than 24 hours, and already we have seen an enormous variety of animals. The stars of the show have been rhino, giraffe, wildebeast, and rock monitor, but the various antelope and birds have been beautiful as well. With any luck, we’ll see the cheetah and her cubs. We found the rhino yesterday within a few hundred yards of where we are sleeping. There was a monkey drinking from the swimming pool. So far, no snakes.
I was telling Sharon that it feels surreal to me to suddenly be on a game reserve seeing these exotic animals. Just a day ago we were driving along the coast after breakfast in Cape Town. Even in the car on the way up here I would not have expected to find all of this. But, here we are, suddenly enjoying what they call the Karoo in the middle of South Africa. It is a high plain or steppe that is pretty dry. The terrain is rough and scrubby for the most part. Lots of shrubs, aloe, cactus, and thorn trees. The point of the reserve is to reintroduce animals into what used to be their natural habitat, but in a very balanced, natural way, and then to allow people to come and enjoy it.
It’s been a few days now since we’ve blogged. In that time, we’ve had some really quality time with some great people. We’ve had a chance to spend quite a bit of time with the Cordles - went to church with them, celebrated Cathy’s birthday with their extended family, made guacamole for them, and discussed thoughts on faith and family. They’ve been great to us.
On Monday, we met with Garth Collins for a couple hours over coffee. Garth is a mutual friend of some of our stateside friends. He has been working with members of the parliament here for several decades, so he was able to offer us a lot of perspective on this country’s journey out of Apartheid through reconciliation to where they are today. His point of view is that he is fortunate to live in Cape Town which he presented to us as a microcosm of the world. It is hard to live there and ignore the socioeconomic disparities of our planet. He pointed out that if Americans gave all of their wealth to the poor in the world, it would simply disappear… essentially, money is not the answer. My takeaway was that that idea doesn’t mean we should stop giving money, but that there is a lot more to fixing the disparity than money. The conversation centered more around home, family, dignity, and relationships.
Which provides a nice segue to the following morning when we had breakfast with Ricky and Minty Pato. It was nice to catch up with them and talk about all that we have seen. We hope we will get to see Ricky soon in the U.S., as he is partnered with a church in Tacoma. We tried to encourage the Patos. Their work with children and adolescents in the townships felt as hopeful to us as anything else we saw here.
After the bustle and human interest of Cape Town, it has been nice to drive a bit and process together, although Sharon hasn’t found me to be too talkative during these drives. The drive to Knysna on the southern coast was a bit hairy. On the highway, we discovered some driving norms here in South Africa that we do not have in the U.S. Drivers here seem to have nerves of steel and no patience. By the time we got to Knysna, I was ready for a glass of wine and bed. In the middle of the night last night after the drive to the reserve, I kept waking up to find my fingers were numb from the steering wheel. You literally cannot take your attention away from the highway for a second.
___________________________________________________________________
Andy forgot to mention a few fun things that happened on our first day in the Karoo. We petted an 11 month old Bengal tiger. Yes, you heard me correctly. We went to a place called the Cango Wildlife Ranch where they help breed endangered species such as white lions, white tigers, cheetah, etc. A bit gimmicky, yes, but we could not resist the urge to pay for the chance to pet a tiger. We went into the pen with three of the ranch workers. There were two male cubs (which are already huge at 11 months old). One wasn’t very interested in us and went over to the pool to cool down. The other just lazily stayed on the ground and let us pet him and put our hands next to his paw for perspective. It was a crazy, fun experience.
There was a brilliant lightening storm last night while we were eating dinner at Mt. Camdeboo. When it started pooring down rain, it was comforting because it smelled like rain in Central Oregon.
We are sitting in our room and time and again catch glimpses of vervet monkeys. They seem to play games to see how close they can get to the manor house. Gentlemen, we will have to tell you a fun characteristic about them at some point.
It really was breathtaking this morning to drive out onto a plain where eland, black wildebeast, mountain sprinbok, and plains zebra are roaming together. We have learned amazing things about these animals and it illustrates the beauty and amazing nature of God’s creation.
Our experience in South Africa thus far has been amazing, eye opening, encouraging, beautiful, and the list goes on. We just hope that we can be faithful to what we are learning and experiencing.
(Pictures take a while to upload so we will get some up soon. We haven't had internet access for a few days so we just wanted to get something out there.)
Sunday, December 14, 2008
A Little Bit of History
We had a long breakfast with the Cordles this morning. They shared with us a lot of their story of how they met and married. I am impressed by how prayerful and purposeful they were (are). I also noted how free we feel to just relate to and enjoy the people we are with when we have no schedule to follow. It is a blessing to be with them.
It has only been 17 years since the last political prisoners were released from Robben Island, and it is interesting/confusing/sad to look at this country and wonder how long it will be before people are more integrated and life is more egalitarian. We are struck by how little the government seems to be doing to help that. I guess it has been over 140 years since slavery was abolished, and the U.S. still has its struggles. On that note, though, we get asked frequently about Barack Obama by Africans. Our waiter tonight was from Burundi. We asked him why he liked Obama and he said it was because of the things Obama has said. (A boy from Botswana we met on the boat today has Obama’s victory speech printed out in his room.) Our waiter said that he and other Africans are hopeful that Obama will help bring peace to Africa. I was a little surprised at this, and asked what he thought Obama could do to help. He said many in Africa blame powerful countries like the U.S. and France for sponsoring sides in a war, making guns, conducting business dishonestly… I am aware that this is common sentiment regarding our country and at least partially true, but tonight I was a little caught off-guard by how personal it felt to be implicated in someone else’s problems halfway around the world. 
After breakfast (noon), we left for Robben Island, a place that has been used by colonists and governments over the years for imprisonment and quarantine, and the place the Apartheid government used to lock away anti-apartheid leaders such as Nelson Mandela. (The picture to the right is of his cell with his toilet can and pad for sleeping.) I was impressed with how Mandela wrote his book “A Long Walk to Freedom” on scraps of paper and had them buried in the garden in the corner of the prison courtyard one piece at a time before having them smuggled off the island. It was also touching to me that our tour guide was a former political prisoner on the island. Obviously, he made the tour much more authentic and real. Today, former wardens and prisoners live and work together on the island to support the museum.
It has only been 17 years since the last political prisoners were released from Robben Island, and it is interesting/confusing/sad to look at this country and wonder how long it will be before people are more integrated and life is more egalitarian. We are struck by how little the government seems to be doing to help that. I guess it has been over 140 years since slavery was abolished, and the U.S. still has its struggles. On that note, though, we get asked frequently about Barack Obama by Africans. Our waiter tonight was from Burundi. We asked him why he liked Obama and he said it was because of the things Obama has said. (A boy from Botswana we met on the boat today has Obama’s victory speech printed out in his room.) Our waiter said that he and other Africans are hopeful that Obama will help bring peace to Africa. I was a little surprised at this, and asked what he thought Obama could do to help. He said many in Africa blame powerful countries like the U.S. and France for sponsoring sides in a war, making guns, conducting business dishonestly… I am aware that this is common sentiment regarding our country and at least partially true, but tonight I was a little caught off-guard by how personal it felt to be implicated in someone else’s problems halfway around the world.
Touring the Cape
Today was more of a sightseeing day… We headed south to Cape Point and the Cape of Good Hope. We followed the eastern shoreline of the Cape on the way down. The road winds through lots of quaint towns on the coast full of antique and art stores, restaurants, and beaches. We didn’t get much into the history along the coast, but we did enjoy the shopping, scenery, and wildlife. We have hundreds of pictures to show for it. We saw penguin, ostrich, tortoise, and baboon. At one point, when we were sitting on a wall looking out at the ocean, a baboon came up behind us and jumped onto the wall right next to Sharon’s feet. She (we both) freaked out a little and jumped back, much to the surprise of the baboon and the amusement of a few other tourists.
The coast here is stunning, although I think the coast of the Pacific Northwest would hold its own. We had dinner and watched the sunset on the way back. The Cape is an important place in terms of world history and exploration, but, honestly, I think we’ve enjoyed the time we’ve spent with the people here much more than seeing any of the sites. Still, it’s good to take some time to get out and let it all soak in… 
Lessons
Our bodies have taken a little while to get used to the time difference as well as to the lack of schedule, so we had another slow morning to rest and spend time in quiet…something we don’t do enough of in our normal lives, and a discipline we are learning about.
On the side of the hill in the midst of the township, there is a little place of safety that has been built for kids with a shipping container used for a classroom and supply closet, a little play structure, a garden, and a variety of small toys and games for the kids. But mind you, it is still a township. The kids are running around barefoot in the dirt with bits of glass and garbage on the ground. Yet, it was beautiful, and a haven from its surroundings. These kids were there to be kids and to be loved and there were trees to shade the area and people there to try to love them. We were treated as quite the guests when we got out of our car with the kids running up to introduce themselves. I ended up with many of the girls petting my hair because it was so light and soft. I was overcome with these kids who so needed to be loved. Yet, it was hard to know how best to love them.
Andy and I chipped into the program of the day with a very small lunch being served and then the kids being split up into groups for activities. Our first assignment was to help a group of the kids in making a craft. At one point, we had more than a dozen kids yelling for glue, glitter, stickers and help and I was trying to teach the lesson of sharing. I was quickly told by the woman that runs the place that “These kids don’t know how to share. You must allocate.” It seemed quite a stark lesson in the moment. They do not get much in their lives, so even sharing the whole sheet of stickers seems like a sacrifice that they are not willing to make. And, according to the woman in charge, it is a lesson totally lost on the children because it does not match up with what they experience in the rest of their lives. It was a sad concept for us to learn. Sharing is not a basic value for all children in the world. It is learned after first learning that your needs will be met.
In the evening, the parents were invited to come to share some food and see the kids’ play of the Christmas story that Minty had ever-so-patiently been working on with them. So, we spent most of the afternoon observing and helping out where we could and then stayed to watch the program and welcome the parents. Only one father showed up to watch. The rest of the attendees were mothers and grandmothers. This is an epidemic here, not unlike a lot of places in the U.S. Children grow up without fathers – sometimes mothers – who are part of their lives and they seek protection, acceptance, and identity in things like unhealthy relationships, gangs, etc.
It was an emotional day that I believe we are still processing in our minds and together. We continue to think and pray: “What is South Africa teaching us?” I believe we are seeing and learning many things.
A fun side note in our day is that we got to help decorate a Christmas tree. Cathy Cordle, our gracious hostess, had mentioned the idea to us and we loved the prospect of being able to help out and enjoy a bit of the Christmas spirit. It was a great way to enjoy her company and feel as if we were contributing to the celebration of the season in some way. We had a great time and the tree turned out wonderfully.
Fortunately, we did connect up again with Ricky and Derek and found out that it would be great if we could help out with the final day in a local kids’ program, sort of like a safe option for kids after school. Ricky’s wife, Minty, works with these kids throughout the year. I think I anticipated a Vacation Bible School type of environment in a local church. Instead, we ended up helping with final preparations for a Christmas program for kids of one of the local townships, Hout Bay. A lot of the townships have been relegated to locations on the outskirts of the city. Hout Bay is interesting, however, because it has grown up out of nothing right next to a very affluent part of the city. Literally, one side of the road has all gated homes, the other side is lean-to’s and shacks. Stark. The township there is considered “informal” in that the government did not allot the land for the specific purpose of a township, rather the township grew in response to a few factors: Land was available to be taken, it is proximate to Cape Town (jobs), there is a good fishing bay nearby, the affluent residents of the area are more “liberal” and didn’t kick the settlers out right away, etc, etc. But, because it is not a sanctioned neighborhood, many of the local services don’t really cover the township (e.g. fire trucks, electricity). So, if you have a fire, you are at the mercy of the goodness of local firefighters and if you want electricity, you steal it.
On the side of the hill in the midst of the township, there is a little place of safety that has been built for kids with a shipping container used for a classroom and supply closet, a little play structure, a garden, and a variety of small toys and games for the kids. But mind you, it is still a township. The kids are running around barefoot in the dirt with bits of glass and garbage on the ground. Yet, it was beautiful, and a haven from its surroundings. These kids were there to be kids and to be loved and there were trees to shade the area and people there to try to love them. We were treated as quite the guests when we got out of our car with the kids running up to introduce themselves. I ended up with many of the girls petting my hair because it was so light and soft. I was overcome with these kids who so needed to be loved. Yet, it was hard to know how best to love them.
Andy and I chipped into the program of the day with a very small lunch being served and then the kids being split up into groups for activities. Our first assignment was to help a group of the kids in making a craft. At one point, we had more than a dozen kids yelling for glue, glitter, stickers and help and I was trying to teach the lesson of sharing. I was quickly told by the woman that runs the place that “These kids don’t know how to share. You must allocate.” It seemed quite a stark lesson in the moment. They do not get much in their lives, so even sharing the whole sheet of stickers seems like a sacrifice that they are not willing to make. And, according to the woman in charge, it is a lesson totally lost on the children because it does not match up with what they experience in the rest of their lives. It was a sad concept for us to learn. Sharing is not a basic value for all children in the world. It is learned after first learning that your needs will be met.
In the evening, the parents were invited to come to share some food and see the kids’ play of the Christmas story that Minty had ever-so-patiently been working on with them. So, we spent most of the afternoon observing and helping out where we could and then stayed to watch the program and welcome the parents. Only one father showed up to watch. The rest of the attendees were mothers and grandmothers. This is an epidemic here, not unlike a lot of places in the U.S. Children grow up without fathers – sometimes mothers – who are part of their lives and they seek protection, acceptance, and identity in things like unhealthy relationships, gangs, etc. It was an emotional day that I believe we are still processing in our minds and together. We continue to think and pray: “What is South Africa teaching us?” I believe we are seeing and learning many things.
A fun side note in our day is that we got to help decorate a Christmas tree. Cathy Cordle, our gracious hostess, had mentioned the idea to us and we loved the prospect of being able to help out and enjoy a bit of the Christmas spirit. It was a great way to enjoy her company and feel as if we were contributing to the celebration of the season in some way. We had a great time and the tree turned out wonderfully.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Fast and Slow
Today began with a bit of a hectic pace but then eased into a more slowed down African ending. We returned this morning to The Warehouse to help load a truck set to deliver December and January food packs plus Christmas presants to just under 600 orphans supported through, I believe, ten churches. There were quite a few people on hand to help load the truck so we were able to learn a bit more about the Orphan Care program, as well as other local ministries in the area. Within the next several years, the number of orphans in Cape Town is projected to reach 150,000.
After the hectic pace of the morning at The Warehouse, our afternoon plans fell through, so we left to see what the afternoon had in store. Our normal lives are so busy and planned that it has been good for us to relearn what it means to be spontaneous. Although, sometimes it is hard for us to even desire to leave the Cordles because it is so easy to relax here.
We did travel a short way down the road to see two vineyards in the Constantia region. The area is really beautiful as it is set against the mountains. We took a cellar tour of Groot (pronounced in a very Dutch way) Constantia and learned quite a bit of the winemaking process that we hadn’t learned before. We then went on to Klein Constantia up the street. The history of wine making in this region dates back to the 1600’s. One of my favorite little bits of history at this vineyard was a note that the Constantia wine region is commented on by Jane Austen in Sense and Sensibility: “I have just recollected that I have some of the finest old Constantia wine in the house that ever was tasted, so I have brought a glass of it for your sister. My poor husband! how fond he was of it! Whenever he had a touch of his old colicky out, he said it did him more good than any thing else in the world. Do take it to your sister. " 
We are at home for the evening to enjoy a little downtime and cook up a fillet from Mount Camdeboo…we are not entirely sure yet whether it is beef, antelope, or something more exotic yet. Of note, our little companion is the little, deaf, black and white dog of the house, Dannie. He has won a special little place in our hearts. Tomorrow we are planning to go to a sort of youth program for younger kids in the area. Ricky, who guided us through Guguletu, and his wife, Minty, are taking us. 
The Beginning
We arrived at our hotel Sunday night after about thirty hours of travel. We were tired, but the travel passed without any hitches and we were grateful. Our saving graces were probably the vast selection of airplane movies and the showers we took during our stop in Amsterdam.Sharon came up with a head cold somewhere along the way, so Monday morning she slept in and I took some time for myself next to and in the pool. Already, it feels good to have left the job pace and to make time for a few moments of quiet and reflection every day. After getting up and about on Monday, we left the hotel in Cape Town and headed up Table Mountain for a bird’s eye view of our surroundings. It’s a pretty phenomenal tram ride up the mountain, and the view is spectacular. In our pictures it looks hazy because of some fires that have been burning on the other side of the mountains. Cape Town is reportedly one of the most beautiful cities in the world, and it’s easy to see why with it’s location nestled between the mountain and the ocean with beaches, old world architecture, and beautiful trees and flowers. The clouds here move extremely fast.
Monday, after exploring some more of Cape Town, we also headed to the place we’re staying for the next ten days, the home of the Cordles. Cathy received us with some of the most gracious hospitality I’ve ever experienced. Their house is 300 years old and sits outside of Cape Town in an area called Constantia. It is a truly beautiful setting. We enjoyed dinner and deep conversation last night with Cathy and her niece Lara. We were laughing tonight that we’re already picking up some of the local vernacular and accent. Sharon is becoming “quite” fond of the word “lovely”. Absolutely lovely.
Today, Tuesday, we met up with Derek Lovegren – also a Portlander – to see what he’s been up to in Cape Town. He introduced us to his friend, Ricky, and the next thing you know we were touring around one of the townships, Guguletu. A fact of which I was not aware: The city of Cape Town has the greatest wealth disparity in the world. The townships are the neighborhoods outside of the city where the historically black residents of the city live, and they are pretty drastically different from what you experience in the rest of the city. We ate some barbecue in Guguleta with a boy, Sia, who is friends with Derek and Ricky(fun and interesting), visited The Warehouse where supplies and gifts for orphans and the poor are organized and distributed, and then came back to Silverhurst. We enjoyed our time at The Warehouse chatting with Craig Stewart – a new friend of ours but an old friend to many of you – so much that we are headed back there tomorrow to help load a truck with necessities and Christmas presents for deliveries to orphans all around the city. Our experiences today made for some meaningful conversation over a great little dinner at a local restaurant. We found ourselves asking lots of questions we couldn’t really answer…
The day ended over a glass of wine, watching the clouds speed past the moon. This has already been a great trip. We have shared lots of new experiences such as driving on the left side of the road in a busy city, a fruit called litchi, a township, foreign grocery stores, life without a working cell phone, humbling hospitality, random goats on the side of the road, strange smells, interesting birds, etc., etc., etc. We miss you all very much, and we’re thankful to feel so connected to such great friends and family at home. Based on the last several days, I’m sure the next six weeks are going to go very quickly.
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