Lost in Faith

June 22/23

Flights to DC and Dakar uneventful but surprised to stop in Dakar, Senegal on the way to South Africa. Not being used to stopping threw me off so I fell asleep on the next leg to Johannsberg (Jo’berg). World Cup 2010 is in full bloom in SA. Airport construction finished and very helpful because South African Airways International and Domestic in the same terminal. Transition to the domestic and flight to PE (Port Elizabeth) easy but flight extremely rough due to the winter storm.

Rufus and Almaire met us with smiling faces on Tuesday evening (23rd) and we transitioned to Chapman B&B for the evening.

June 24

Drove an hour south of PE to Jeffreys Bay sight of the perfect wave! Spent the morning working on details of the Summit and received word from Floyd McClung that due to some staffing difficulties he wouldn’t make the Summit. Sad to hear since Floyd is a heavy weight in the kingdom expansion around the world.

Met George and Michelle Mwanza for coffee and heard their story. They lead a training experience called LXP which stands for leadership experience. LXP teaches principles of Incarnational ministry, servanthood leadership, and the power of relationship in spiritual tranformation. Hearing about their students and the creative use of experiential learning washed away any jet lag that was looming.

Rufus was driving so when he said, “I just want to see if this guy is home,” there was nothing we could do. The next thing we know he is knocking on Des Sawyer’s door. Des is a famous surf board maker and leader of a leadership training experience called Surfmasters. A dozen surfer types from all over the world come and spend the year in his basement. The experience focuses on teaching responsibility, integrity and servanthood. Candy and Almarie were on pins and needles as Mrs. Sawyer cooked their dinner while we talked. When Almarie heard the pots stop clanging in the kitchen she announced that it was time to leave.

The hour was late so we grabbed dinner at spot on the beach and downloaded the day and turned in at the Uniting Church youth camp in Jeffreys Bay.

June 25

Woked up to pouring rain and driving wind! Not a pretty sight. Grabbed breakfast at Wimpy (sort of a South African McDonalds) and some groceries for the Luttig’s Farm (Mayim).

Back to PE to pick up Montana group. 3 made it and 2 didn’t so we had to wait 3 hours for next flight so we grabbed some lunch while our van had the left rear tire replaced due to flat.

At this point the trip to Transkei is in question because of the weather. The patterns take the weather from south to north straight up the coast. So we knew that we might get ahead of the storm but it would catch up with us. Travel on roads off the black top and getting people to come out in the cold and rain would be next to impossible.

The weather and the late start lead us to cancel the Transkei trip and head to the farm (Mayim). I was disappointed because I wanted to set up something in the Transkei and meet with some folks but Rufus consoled me saying we could do it all by phone.

We arrived at the farm in the pouring rain so unpacking was a bear but finally settling in to our rooms. At 1 am other guest arrived with a flourish. One thing I have learned about Afrikaaners is that they are not quiet people. Bilts and Rene from the Free State arrived with their 3 kids with brother and sister in law.

June 27

Since we had a nurse with us we left the next morning for Adelaide to meet Livingston a graduate of the Bible School who leads a church in a township of Adelaide. We thought we’d be doing a clinic in Bedford but turned out that they had a clinic with their own doctor! So instead we ended up being an audience for Livingston’s choir and hearing about the needs of the area which like any area in South Africa reeks of need.

We delivered some bandages to the local clinic then went into Adelaide to find some plastic pipe to build a hydraulic water ram which with 6 to 8 feet of waterfall of running water can pump water an elevation of 600ft or at least Frank from MT swears. He was desperate to prove his point.

After coffee at De Stoep we headed back to Mayim. The drive into Mayim from the north, about 35 minutes on dirt road, gives up many fabulous wild game, Kudu, Warthog, Elan, Monkey, Blesbok, Reebok, and so on.

Dinner was a Braai (BBQ) outside around a great fire pit. The dinner that evening was a “Stew” of sorts. First the Kudu went it, then potatoes, then lamb, some beef, warthog, vegetables, mushrooms then who know what. Served over rice it wasn’t bad.

June 28

Blits and family blew in two nights before but we met them in the morning and got to know their story. Blits an old college buddy of Rufus who has come to Christ in the past 4 years and had a radical change in his life. To hear him declare that the blacks who work for him are now his sisters and brothers was a moment of grace. We spent two days talking about church, Shoal Creek, groups and every other topic they could think of. In the end they decided to send 4 students to the East Cape Bible School with the hope of starting a similar bible school in the Free State (one of the 9 states in South Africa).

The day also provided some time to prepare for the Summit which was especially helpful due the absence of Floyd who was slated to give the opening address. I got accused of being an African farmer due to my timely rotation of my chair sequenced to the sun’s move. I guess that is what African farmer due in the winter time!

June 29

I was asked to speak at Livingstone’s church in Adelaide but I managed to pass it off to Noe Gomez one of the MT contingent. He and Frank Brisendine struck out for Adelaide while I staid home for a luncheon appointment.

Dillion, a young business man from Adelaide came with his family for lunch. Dillion has recently experience a rebirth in his spiritual life and it has altered his life. South African love to drink and I mean drink. Due to his adoption into the family of God Dillion has changed his drinking habits and the way he does business.

We spent the afternoon talking about the possibilities of his involvement in Mercy Alliance. Dillion is a owns and runs a meat processing plant. He has a desire to start a business around the hides, hoofs, horns, etc leftover from his meat processing. I hope to make it back to Adelaide next week to tie down our discussions to action plans.

Dinner was another Braai with lamb burgers. Interesting!

June 30

After breakfast we broke camp. Rufus and one of the MT group staying to hunt and the rest headed to Jeffrys Bay via Grahamstown. The Eastern Cape Bible School graduation is July 4th and then they are out of the rented facility they are in. We looked at a 120 acre plot just out side of Grahamstown It has 3 completed buildings with plumbing and three others with great potential. Getting the educational institutions in permanent homes is a real priority. CPx has located theirs, JAM has theirs but LXP and ECBC are still looking. If the money could be found, this could be it for ECBC.

Lunch at the Big Apple south of Pt Alfred and now we are own our way to Jeffreys Bay.

No time to spell check!

Thanks for the prayers.

Roy