Sunday, March 21, 2010

Seeking Meaning from the Trip to South Africa

I am still praying for wisdom about the two week trip to South Africa that ended Friday.  As noted below we spent a lot of time with our partner churches and had a little fun on our own.  I was so happy Nancy could go with me.  Having another member of Northminster who has seen, heard, and begun to understand our partner churches will be helpful.  She can also hold me accountable for some of the plans and promises I made while there. 

At the very least our partner churches (Mowbray and M.P. Dube Memorial) have become real places, not pictures in my imagination.  Both seem to be middle class churches -- although a sociological study of South Africa could convince me otherwise.  Their society is much more complex than ours.  I now have a sense of that and want to convey it to our church and presbytery.

We're real partners.  Northminster does not give money from our budget to either church.  This seemed to have surprised some leaders of the Presbytery of Western Cape.  We have given them a refrigerator before, and participated when the presbytery helped them rebuild after freak tornadoes in 1999.  But nothing from Northminster's budget goes to either church.  We pray for one another, we support each other, and I hope to expand this over time.

What does it mean to be an equal international partner?  This is the meaning I hope to seek in the coming weeks.

I am also interested in both presbyteries participating in joint Two Cents A Meal projects.
Sunday the 7th Nancy and I had lunch with the partnership committee of the Mowbray church at Eleanor and Treavor's home.   Below is a picture of Cape Town from Table Mountain, then pictures at Mowbray church,  Mrs. Dube and Nancy at the MP Dube Memorial Presbyterian Church -- yes, the church is named for the founding pastor, whose widow is an active member of the church.   Finally, Brant dances with children at one of the preschools we visited.

Friday, March 19, 2010

On Friday in Pensacola

We made it home after traveling 33 hours from the Bed and Breakfast in Robertson South Africa to Cape Town, to Jo'Berg, to Atlanta, to Pensacola. Andrew picked us up at the airport. All our luggage arrived. Sorry some folks and their luggage did not get to P'cola with us.

More later -- and lots of pics.

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Wednesday morning thoughts from Africa

I have not had access to a wireless link recently, so I have been unable to upload pictures. We are at the end of the trip and may not e able to upload pictures until we get to Atlanta. This may be my last blog post until we are home. Since there are no pictures, I'll try to add links.

Nancy and I have driven east from Cape Town. Driving on the left side of the road is not as hard as driving on two-lane roads with wide shoulders, then pulling into the shoulder (at speed) to let faster cars pass on the hills and mountains. I was a little stressed yesterday; will try to relax today.

We spent the night at a Game Lodge near Albertinia. Yesterday we went to Still Bay on the Indian Ocean to dip our toes in its water. This has been a trip of 'bucket list' sights and experiences: Africa, Indian Ocean, Cape Point, seeing penguins and many wild animals up close. Penguins are cute little oafs; we saw them at Cape Point and Robben Island.

Today we will drive back towards Cape Town and eventually the airport tomorrow for our long flights home to Pensacola. We get home Friday morning. The flight over was not too bad.

It has been a treat to come to know our partner churches and their leaders during this trip. I think it will help Northminster be a better partner with them.

Monday, March 15, 2010

Thoughts on Sunday worship (March 14)

Sunday was a wonderful and full day in Guguletho, the township where our sister church, the M.P. Dube Memorial Presbyterian Church is. We spent the whole day with Boniselli and his wife, Nunyebo.  They are a wonderful couple and became our good friends. There is a universality to the church and pastors' experience and that of pastor's spouses.

We spent the day together, then invited them to our hotel room for a rest while touring the centre of Cape Town (note British spelling). Then we were off for dinner together. They told us a little about life for the Blacks and Coloureds under the previous dispensation. I want to think more about their discussions, and will probably not share much here. But it was a highlight of the trip to come close enough with them to hear a bit of their real story.

Church was wonderful -- very similar to Presbyterian worship in the States. We prayed, sang, read the Bible, I preached. Then we sang some more and closed with a benediction. The table, font, and pulpit occupied equal space in the chancel. That it was in an unfamiliar language heightened the differences. There are also some aspects of church life very different from the USA. I'll blog more about that and maybe post some pictures.

Boniselli and Nunyebo took us around the Guguletho township on Sunday afternoon to show us the binge drinking and other problems of the young people.

Today Nancy and I will take a bus tour of the city. I have more to say, but have to go to make the bus. It continues to be a fantastic trip.

Saturday, March 13, 2010

Saturday pictures


Here Nancy is with Renee and David from Mowbray Pres Church who took us to the beautiful Kirstenbosh Gardens on the slopes of Table Mountain near Cape Town.


This is the front view of Mowbray Presbyterian Church, designed by a Scottish architect in about 1904. It has a pipe organ, and uses it with traditional African instruments, as well as piano, guitar, saxophone, and other instruments for a truly multicultural worship experience.

More from South Africa


We visited Robben Island, in Cape Town Harbor. It houses political prisoners as late as 1990. Nelson Mandela was jailed here. Our guide, Mr. Sparks, was a former political prisoner. (He is in blue)


Above Bonisile is in front of the MP Dube Church, immediately above are the 3 pastors of partner churches: David Smith, me, and Bonisilli.


Here Ginger is teaching pastors at JL Zwane Church.

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

A few thoughts from Africa

The 4 days we have spent in South Africa are overwhelming. It is a beautiful place. The Christians we have met have been wonderful. Nancy and I worshiped with our partner church at Mowbray and had powerful, very Presbyterian worship.

We have also seen Townships with poverty that is indescribable. We have seen families living in tin-roofed boxes. We have seen great hope in the eyes of school-aged children in the program at J.L. Zwane Presbyterian church.

Nancy and I went to the end of the world Monday when we visited the Cape of Good Hope, the southeast tip of the African continent. It was incredibly beautiful. We walked among penguins near Simonstown! We visited a Presbyterian daycare near Fishhoek that prepares very poor children for elementary school -- giving them a chance in life.

I am very excited about our partner churches at Mowbray and Guguletho. It is a three-way partnership, but there is more activity between the MP Dube church and Mowbray church. Praise God.

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

South Africa day 3





These first three pictures were from a rug factory. We were amazed at the quality of the work. This place was an oasis among the poverty and despair of the townships.



This picture captures much of South Africa. In the foreground is a slum of shacks, in the background are beautiful mountains with vineyards on the slopes. It may be hard to see on this cameraphone picture, but there is a winery in the distance. Such contrasts, such possibility, such despair -- this is Africa.


This is a view of Table Mountain. Sometimes it is covered in clouds, other times it is clear; it is always beautiful.

Monday, March 8, 2010

Scenes from South Africa

Here is the banner Northminster's youth made for the Mowbray church after we gave it to them.  Also, the Cape Town skyline.  It is hot, but everyone is very kind.   Earlier today Nancy &; i went south to see Presbyterian churches & daycare centers and The Cape of Good Hope.  The cape was unbelievable; so beautiful. 

Sent from my Verizon Wireless Phone

Sunday, March 7, 2010

More pictures from Mowbray


Mildred, pictured with Nancy, is from Clarksdale, MS. She married a South African man 25 years ago.


We worshiped with these good folks. Pictured is David, the minister of Mowbray in worship practice just before the service. Wonderful communion service in which the children participated and asked questions as part of the communion liturgy -- like passover. We met the former Moderator of the Pres and Reformed Church here who wrote that liturgy and their new Confession of Faith.

David, Renee & Walk


David, on right, is pastor of Mowbray Pres Church. His charming wife is in the middle.

Thursday, March 4, 2010

Thoughts before leaving for South Africa

As Nancy and I prepare to leave for Cape Town South Africa I have many thoughts.  At this moment the thoughts are about this blog.  I'm aware it is a public blog.  Anyone in Africa, the USA or points elsewhere will have access to it. This may inhibit my candid thoughts about the trip or the folks I meet on the trip.

But I plan to post a picture a day if I can find a wi-fi location my cell phone can hit.  I hope to write every few days. 

On Sunday, March 7 I'm speaking at the evening service of the Mowbray Presbyterian Church in Cape Town.  On March 14 I am preaching the morning service of the M.P. Dube Church in Gugulethu.  During the week between we will be meeting with our partner churches and leading seminars for ministers at J.L. Zwane  

Please pray for us as we travel.  We'll post what we can on this blog and make several reports when we arrive home.

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

NPC's Prayer Group


This morning these fine ladies gathered at Northminster to pray for our church, our leaders, the ill, grieving, and special needs they have been made aware of.  I am grateful to them.

They meet every Tuesday at 9:30a.m., why don't you join them next week. 

Monday, March 1, 2010

Sunset


This pic was a test, to see how easily I could send a pic from my phone to this site.  I hope to be able to post a picture or two a day from South Africa.  It was easy to send the pic, we'll see how easily it will work in South Africa.  (The key will be finding wifi hotspots my phone can use.)

We leave for Cape Town in about 4 days; please pray for us.