This is our final update on our three month stay in South
Africa.
It has been a very good time and even more than usual we are
coming home with mixed emotions. We love our South African life and not just
because the sun shines so much of the time but because of the warmth of our
South African friends and church. We all genuinely enjoy one another’s company.
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| Beautiful Fish Hoek beach with shark net! |
Fullies, the church here in Fish Hoek is pastored by Kevin
and Linda and I do mean pastored not just led. The people are cared for and
there is a culture of care. I think this has probably helped the situation with
the associate pastor suddenly leaving that had the potential to rip the church
apart. Instead a few disgruntled folks have left but the rest have settled down
and made up their minds to stay and there are green shoots of fresh growth now
in many areas of church life. It’s been
a hard road but I think the worst is behind us.
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| A pair of handsome Gemsbok |
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| A friendly ground squirrel |
In addition, as I have said before, it is much easier to
start up a conversation with people at the beach or pub. Christopher is forever
talking to strangers hoping for an opportunity to witness to someone. Golf and
bowls are both places with great potential to build the relationship necessary
to effectively share the Gospel.
There have been some very good prayer meetings and as South
Africa is holding a general election in a month, there has been much
intercession for the nation. The church across the nation must step up to
combat the powers of bribery, corruption, racism, ancestral worship and
witchcraft (to name a few) that dog this beautiful country.
My small Bible study group has been very fruitful and we
have shared some good teachings together about the genealogy of Jesus and then
the Jewish feasts of Passover, Pentecost and Tabernacles. These have been very
illuminating.
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| A family of meerkats |
In addition to all these we had a wonderful 8 days away visiting four national parks and spending two nights at Knysna on the Garden Route. The more we see of the country and its beautiful scenery and wildlife, the more we appreciate it. We had some very close encounters with a couple of elephants in Addo Elephant Park who strolled by on each side of the car so close we could easily reach out and touch them. The problem was we were parked in their way! We also sat and waited at a deserted waterhole till we were finally joined by about 150 elephants who seemed to be having an elephant indaba. They all welcomed one another with touching trunks and the little ones ran about in the legs of the adults while everyone has a good drink and a splash. It was quite a sight.
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| Some of the elephants at the waterhole |
We've had some days out with friends and especially
enjoyable was a trip to a lion park of rescued cats. All of the lions had been
born in captivity and usually held in the most awful circumstances often in
Eastern Europe. Now a large enclosure is shared by two lions who generally seem
very relaxed and happy. One poor lioness, so traumatised by her previous life is
unable to tolerate any company – lion or human. The cats are fed deceased
chickens from next door’s chicken farm – feather and all.
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| A pair of relaxed lions including this unusual white lion |
Having experienced a very early autumn in March, we are now
enjoying a very warm late summer. Last weekend we almost melted and the
sunshine has tempted us back into the sea when we thought we had packed our
costumes away for the time being.
Thank you to all of you who keep us up to date with your
news. Hopefully we may see many of you in person soon.
