Beauty Everywhere

Sunday November 23, 2008

Here in Cape Town it is officially summer. This was preceded by Spring noted for its wildflowers of which we have an abundance. And they are beautiful, dominated as they are by the many hues of purple you find here. I especially love the lavender, which I now learn you can even place in water to drink. It smells divine and tastes ok. Oh and I must not forget the native fynbos, the ground cover that is native to the Cape and the protea, the national flower that flourishes at this time. Yet here I have on this blog a rose. You see, the beauty here is everywhere, but perhaps for me, it is best seen in the kind and generous people I meet. This rose was given to me by an elderly Christian woman, named Dorothy. When she heard what I did here in Cape Town, she not only purchased one of the bags made by the women but invited me to lunch and than gave me material and supplies for the sewing class. I have met many Dorothy's, by themselves, not able to do much to change the situation of dire poverty here, but, once they hear of a ministry like ours, are most eager to help. And it is true, every liitle bit helps. First, it means that South Africans are very involved with what we do here and second, it saves money that could be used for other things, so yes, beauty is everywhere. This Thanksgiving season, not celebrated formally in South Africa, finds me thankful for all of the people here and at home who love and support this work of Evangeline Ministries in any way. I will celebrate Thanksgiving with Christian friends and neighbors here.

Welcome Sweet Home Farms Women

Friday November 7, 2008
For some time I have shared with you my desire to help some other young women who want to learn how to sew. They are part of a program called the Warehouse that issupported by an Anglican diocese here. The ladies particapate with about twenty others in an HIV support group led by Warehouse missionary Joy Klimbashe. Today I introduced them to our class and to teacher (in red) Namgamso. I was amused and delighted to hear them chatter away in Xhosa as I drove them from Ottery to Fish Hoek. We came past the ocean and I could sense this was a new experience. All of them live in shacks mired in sand and with little conveniences. When they arrived at our beautiful campus they were delighted. I introduced them to the class and left them to their own experiences with the students. The first thing they told me when I returned was how nice Namgamso was to them and how much they want to learn from her. They are eager to start when the new class begins next year. They will need to take two taxis and the train in a commute that could be one hour or more but we will help pay their way to classes. On the way home, I drove them over the mountain road with the ocean below and there was little conversation as they drank in the scenery. This work now with the women from Sweet Home Farms is a wonderful next step as we extend our help outward from Masiphumelele to another informal settlement. We do this in partneship with a organization whose work with the poor is soaked in prayer and guided by Biblical justice to the those who were left behind during the apartheid years. Already we purchased some sewing machines for two groups of women at Sweet Home Farms. One is the younger women and then there are the grandmothers who have already started to make throw pillows and aprons to sell to earn some income. I visited them a few days ago and they said thank you for all the help and encouragement from Evangeline Ministries. With each next step God's purposes for our work here unfolds in ways that bring joy to my heart.

Election fever in South Africa

Thursday November 6, 2008
It was five in the morning here in Cape Town when we saw the breaking news that Barack Obama had won the election. At six my phone rang as a leader in my church called to give his congratulations. The phone has not stopped. This election had caught the interest of people all across the Cape. There was the security guard with an Obama button on his shirt. As I stepped in the door to an evening of music, the attendant from the Congo asked me about the election. He had just heard Obama was almost assasinated. Everytime I went to a certain restaurant in the City, another waiter would ask me about the election. And so it went on.
When you live outside of the United States, you sometimes get a better perspective of what people think about this wonderful country. For starters, so many people want to go to America. Can you take me with you is what I always hear. But I also hear the anger at what many see is America's unwise use of power, especially with regard to the current wars. Because my work lies in the are of HIV and AIDS, I often point out the enormous good the United States has done here but the image of a super power flexing her muscle is the one that so often stands out. Understandably the rise of an African American man to the highest office fills Africans with pride, Africans, that is, of all colors. They also see in the President to be, someone who can make a difference in international relations. From my informal poll, they are not expecting miracles for Africa, but already the miracle may be in the hope for a better world they all feel and the sense that anyone, regardless of race, can accomplish what they set their heart to do.
So today I listened as people shared their joy with me, or, unaware of who I was, discussed it in the line at the supermarket. The newpapers spill over with praise. As one American writer quoted, "It is morning in America," and it feels like morning here. Of course, this is only the start and we wait to see how it all unfolds. The campaign theme did give me something to use with the sewing class today. "Yes we can," became "Yes I can," "do all things through Christ who strengthens me." It is a theme to which I shall return again and again. Perhaps, even more than the skills we teach, it the chance we have to get each person to say, "yes I can," inspite of poverty, post-apartheid struggles and yes, even for those who live with HIV and AIDS.