A TIME TO SAY GOODBYE

OUR TIME HERE IN SOUTH AFRICA IS JUST ABOUT OVER AND TODAY WAS A DAY OF SHOPPING AND SIGHTSEEING. OUR DAY BEGAN WITH A TRIP TO AN OUTSIDE MARKET WITH STANDS OF FOOD AND ITEMS FROM PLANTS TO CATCHMENT EQUIPMENT TO JEWELRY AND TOYS AND NATIVE WARE. PLENTY OF THINGS TO LOOK AT AND PEOPLE TO WATCH. ONE OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THIS MARKET IS WATCHING ALL THE DOGS THAT PEOPLE BRING OUT TO MINGLE WITH OTHER DOGS AND FOR PEOPLE TO OOGLE OVER. I HAVEN'T SEEN A DOG FIGHT YET BUT ENJOYED THE GREAT COFFEE AND CHOCOLATE MUFFINS--YUMMY!

IT WAS THEN OFF TO THE INDIAN MARKET IN DURBAN BY WAY OF A FEW AREAS SUCH AS THE CATO DISTRICT. THIS IS AN AREA OF POVERTY WITH SHACKS AND A CONTINUOUS SEA OF ROOFS. ANYTHING FROM CORRIGATED TIN TO CARDBOARD. SOUTH AFRICA IS IN THE PROCESS OF A CENSUS AND I DO NOT KNOW HOW THEY COULD POSSIBLY COUNT THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN THIS AREA.

AFTER A VISIT TO THE INDIAN MARKET IT WAS A WALKING TOUR OF THE MUHTI-MEDICINE-MARKET SO THAT THE NEWBEES CAN GET AN IDEA OF THE REAL AFRICA, BOTH IN SIGHT AND SMELL. WE EXTENDED OUR WALK TO OTHER AREAS OF THE MARKET THAT I HAD NOT VISITED BEFORE. PLENTY OF SANGOMOS-MEDICINE MEN-IN THE MARKET TO CURE ANY DISEASE YOU MAY HAVE. I AM GLAD I FELT WELL!!

OUR AFTERNOON CONCLUDED WITH A TRIP TO THE INDIAN OCEAN TO WIGGLE YOUR TOES IN AND ENJOY THE BREEZES. PLENTY OF SWIMMERS AND SURFERS TODAY. THERE IS ALWAYS A FEW CONTAINER SHIPS WAITING OR ON THEIR WAY IN TO THE HARBOR AFTER ALL THIS IS THE BUSIEST PORT IN ALL OF AFRICA.

TOMORROW WE WILL BE CATCHING OUR FLIGHT AT AROUND 5:00 AND THEN BACK TO THE STATES.

IT HAS BEEN ANOTHER WONDERFUL AND REWARDING TRIP HAD BY ALL WITH MORE FRIENDS MADE AND OTHERS REVISITED.

VISITING DAY

TODAY WAS THE ONE DAY THAT EVERY YEAR WE LOOK FORWARD TO AND THAT IS A VISIT TO ONE OF THE SCHOOLS IN THE AREA OF SHONGWENI. THIS YEAR WE RETURNED TO CHARLES PRIMARY SCHOOL AND WERE GREETED BY THE PRINIPAL WITH ALL THE STUDENTS OUTSIDE IN THE COURTYARD WELCOMING US WITH SONG. AFTER AN INTRODUCTION BY THE PRINCIPAL AND EACH ONE OF US STANDING UP, TELLING OUR NAME AND THEN BEING GIVEN A HELLO IN ZULU WE HAD A CHANCE TO VISIT EACH CLASSROOM. DISCIPLINE IS NEVER A PROBLEM AT ANY OF THE SCHOOLS THAT WE HAVE VISITED. WE DID TALK TO SEVERAL STUDENTS AT CHARLES SCHOOL THAT LIVER IN OUR HOMES INCLUDING A BOY NAMED SABU THAT WE HAVE BECOME ATTACHED TO. PART OF THE TEAM REMAINED AT THE SCHOOL TO PAINT SOME DECORATIVE PAINTING IN 2 OF THE CLASSROOMS WHILE THE REST OF US RETURNED TO THE CRECHE.
WORK CONTINUED ON THE STORAGE BUILDING AND THE WALLS SHOULD BE COMPLETED TOMORROW WITH FANI FINISHING THE ROOF NEXT WEEK.
THE SOCCER BOYS STARTED SHOWING UP AT THE CENTER AROUND 4:00 AND THEY KEPT COMING IN UNTIL THERE WERE OVER 60 AT AND AROUND THE FIELD. PASTOR THWALA CALLED EVERYONE TO THE CENTER AT 5:00 WHERE WE HAD THE NEW UNIFORMS AND TALKED TO THE BOYS ABOUT WHY WE WERE THERE. HE INTRODUCED SEVERAL OF THE COACHES AND THEN IT WAS PASSING OUT THE UNIFORMS SO THAT WE COULD TAKE PICTURES ON THE FIELD. THE COACH DIVIDED THE BOYS INTO 3 GROUPS-13 AND UNDER, 13-15 AND 15-17 AND PLENTY OF PICTURES WERE TAKEN. THEN ALL THE BOYS GATHERED FOR ONE PICTURE OF THE GROUP. THE BOYS REURNED TO THE CENTER AND TURNED THE SHIRTS BACK IN. THE BOYS WILL RECEIVE THEIR UNIFORMS BEFORE EACH GAME AND THE SHOES WILL BE DISTRIBUTED NEXT WEEK.
WE HAD SONGS FROM THE BOYS AND MANY THANKS ALONG WITH A GROUP OF GIRLS SHOWING US THEIR DANCING SKILLS. AFTER A DINNER PREPARED BY THE WOMEN OF THE COMMUNITY IT WAS BACK TO PINETOWN. THESE ARE ALWAYS DAYS TO REMEMBER AND MEMORIES SECOND TO NONE.

ROLLING, ROLLING, ROLLING

BACK AGAIN THIS MORNING UNDER SUNNY SKIES AND WARM TEMPS. PROGRESS IS BEING MADE ON OUR STORAGE BUILDING NOW THAT WE ARE EXPERTS AT LAYING BLOCK AFTER ONE DAY OF TRAINING. OUR SUPERVISOR, FANI, IS VERY PATIENT WITH US. IT IS NECESSARY FOR US TO WORK OFF OF SCAFFOLDING TODAY AS WE APPROACH 12 BLOCK HIGH.
THE PAINTING CREW FINISHED BOTH INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF THE DLUDA HOUSE WITH A BEAUTIFUL LIGHT CREAM COLOR ON THE OUTSIDE. THE ENTIRE TEAM MADE A STOP BEFORE LEAVING THE COMMUNITY AT HER HOUSE TO TAKE A TOUR OF THE INSIDE AND HAVE THE TEAM PICTURE TAKEN OUTSIDE. TO SAY THAT SHE WAS HAPPY ABOUT HER NEW HOUSE WOULD BE AN UNDERSTATEMENT AS SHE WWENT AROUND AND HUGGED EVERYONE. AFTER THE TEAM LEAVES, WE WILL HAVE FANI BUILD HER A PATIO SO THAT SHE CAN SIT OUTSIDE THE DOOR AND ENJOY THE OUSTANDING VIEWS OF THE VALLEY FROM SHONGWENI MOUNTAIN IN THE DISTANCE TO THE COMMUNITY CENTER BELOW.
A YOUNG MEMBER OF OUR TEAM, MALIK, IS GOING TO GIVE A TALK AT THE HIGH SCHOOL THIS MORNING AND WE WILL BE VISITING THE PRIMARY SCHOOL TOMORROW.
THE PICTURE TODAY IS DURING PLAYTIME AT THE CRECHE WITH HIS "MICHELIN" TIRE. THE LOVE TO PLAY WITH THE TIRES AND THE JUNGLE GYM THAT WE CONSTRUCTED LAST YEAR AND WAS ADDED ON DURING THE JULY TEAM'S VISIT, REALLY GETS A LOT OF USE. I STOOD AT THE DOOR OF ONE OF THE CLASSROOMS YESTERDAY AND WATCHED AS THE TEACHER READ TO 20 YOUNGSTERS AND COULD NOT GET OVER HOW THEIR EYES NEVER LEFT THAT TEACHER WHILE SHE READ AND NEVER GLANCED AT ME. THEIR MINDS ARE SO OPEN TO LEARNING.
WELL, IT'S OFF TO WORK.

THANK YOU LORD

WE ARE AGAIN HERE IN SHONGWENI AND HERE ARE SEVERAL OF THE YOUNG GIRLS GIVING THANKS FOR OUR RETURN AND OUR SAFE STAY IN THE COMMUNITY. WE ARRIVED WITH SONGS FROM THE NEARLY 80 CHLDREN IN THE CRECHE AND THEN IT WAS OFF TO WORK.
BLOCK LAYING BEGAN ON A NEW STORAGE BUILDING WHILE SOME OF THE TEAM WENT UP THE HILL TO PAINT THE LAST HOUSE THAT WAS CONSTRUCTED BY DREW'S TEAM IN JULY.
THE SOCCER BOYS WILL BE THRILLED WITH THE OVER 200LBS OF UNIFORMS AND EQUIPMENT THAT WE WERE ABLE TO ADD TO OUR LUGGAGE. THEY WILL BE GATHERING ON THURSDAY TO DISTRIBUTE THE GOODIES.
CHARLES SCHOOL WILL RECEIVE US THIS WEEK AS WE RETURN TO COMPLETE A COUPLE OF CLASSROOMS THAT ARE IN NEED OF HELP. QUITE A FEW OF THE CHILDREN FROM OUR PROJECT ATTEND THE SCHOOL. WE MADE A STOP AT THE HOUSES ON OUR WAY OUT TONIGHT AND TALKED TO SKUMBUZO--HE IS NOW 8 YEARS OLD AND WE HAVE SEEN HIM GROW UP OVER THE PAST 5 YEARS.
BOTH SHARA AND JULIA WILL BE LEAVING NEXT YEAR, OUR MISSIONARIES AT THE CRECHE AND ALREADY WE HAVE 2 NEW LADIES THAT WILL TAKE THEIR PLACE--GINGER AND ZEAL, SO THE TEACHERS AT THE CRECHE HAVE SOME EXCELLENT ASSISTANCE WITH THE CHILDREN.