How Cape Town is Fighting AIDS

One of the questions I had while in Cape Town is what is the government doing to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS? The answer was given to us by Otto, the pastor at iThemba Labantu. He explained that the government's tactic is to "throw free condoms at people." He said condoms are available everywhere, but there is a cultural stigma associated with them, and people are not using them regularly. The bigger problem, however, according to Otto, is that there is no education about relationships and the importance of commitment. He wasn't saying this as a prudish pastor who wants everyone to abstain from sex. He was saying it as a concerned pastor who has seen too many people hurt by casual sex that leaves behind single mothers infected with HIV. He said what is needed is a program to strengthen family ties and encourage people to stay in monogamous, committed relationships. For Otto, that would help stop the spread of HIV/AIDS more than simply throwing condoms at people.

A short while later, we visited the parliamentary office of the South African Council of Churches. I had to use the restroom while I was there, and sure enough, here's what I found by the sink:

I wasn't sure what to think. If the Church in South Africa is a leading voice of education about the importance of monogamy and commitment, then I guess providing free condoms, too, isn't such a bad thing. But if the Church is not a leading voice, then free condoms in the bathroom of an office that is usually locked and only available to invited guests seems like a very small gesture. Of course, I couldn't be critical of the South African Church without asking myself, "What is the response of the American Church to the critical needs of our nation?" Ouch.

Reflections

I have been doing a lot of thinking about what I will say in my sermon on Sunday. It is very difficult to try to crystallize everything that happened on our trip into a 20-minute sermon. There are so many things that will have to go unsaid, at least for the moment. I'm sure there will be other things that will come to my mind in upcoming months, conversations or memories of things we experienced, that will take on new meaning. I think I will spend the rest of my life sorting through what this trip has taught me and how it will impact my life. But for now, there are a few more things I want to say here on this blog.

I didn't get a chance to tell you much about our hosts at Sunny Cove Manor, the Bed and Breakfast where we stayed. First of all, I must confess that, although this was a trip with a ministry focus, we lived like kings and queens in our accommodations. Sunny Cove is located near Fish Hoek, a beautiful bay south of downtown Cape Town. Here is the view out of our bedroom window.

And here is what Sunny Cove looks like from the street.

And here is the bright and sunny room where we feasted on homemade granola, scones, eggs, sausage, and a variety of fruit and juices every morning.

So, yes, we went to Cape Town to visit the townships and ministries and AIDS hospitals, but we lived in comfort while we were there. The best thing about Sunny Cove, however, is the hosts, Peter and Solvieg Kjeseth. While we were there, they received a copy of a new book called "No Easy Victories" about Americans who helped in the struggle for freedom in Africa. The Kjeseths are featured in the book for the work they did on behalf of Namibia. The forward to the book is written by Nelson Mandela. You can read about them here. They were incredible hosts with incredible stories to tell.

I feel like this blog has turned into a commercial for Cape Town and for Sunny Cove Manor. Truthfully, you would be hard pressed to find a lovelier vacation spot. But for me, the joy of this trip was found in the people we met, and the stories we heard from people in the townships and doing ministry. If you do go to Cape Town for a vacation, be sure to find some time to see the non-tourist side and meet some of the most fascinating people. If God will provide a way, I would love to lead a group on this same kind of trip one day.

Coming Home

It is a wonderful thing to get an opportunity to travel halfway around the world and experience things you would never get to experience if you stayed home. But part of the price you pay for such an adventure is the odyssey of getting back home. In our case, the odyssey took a total of 33 hours for us to get from the door of our Bed and Breakfast to our own doorstep in Overland Park. We were on three different flights, the longest one lasting 18 hours from Johannesburg to D.C., with a middle of the night stop in Dakar for refueling. Some of our fellow passengers managed to sleep through much of the flight, but Clif and I spent most of that time trying to find a comfortable position where we could snooze for a while.

The only snafu came when had to go through customs in the D.C. airport. We had to pick up our luggage and carry it with us through customs (after waiting for 45 minutes to actually get from the plane to the airport, but that's another story). The customs official asked us the usual questions about whether we had any plants, seeds or fruit with us. We said "no." Then she asked if we had any biltong - a kind of African jerky. I said "yes, two small packages." I had bought some ostrich and kudu biltong as a gift for my son Rob, after being assured that I could bring it in the US. The customs official told me I would have to surrender the biltong, which meant digging through my suitcase, with all my dirty clothes, in the middle of the customs area. The official thanked us for understanding, and told us that if we hadn't claimed the biltong and a search of our bag had uncovered it, we would have had to pay a $300 fine. So, to any of you reading this who are planning to go to Africa and buy souvenirs, don't get any biltong, or at least eat it while you're in Africa.

I realize these thoughts aren't very deep and profound, but the lack of sleep has left me with only enough brain cells to pass along this helpful biltong tip. I will write more tomorrow and post some more pictures after I've had a good night's sleep.

Real Africa

We have experienced so much here that is real - real people, real history, real struggles with poverty and AIDS. But today we got to see something else real - real worship. We attended the JL Zwane Church in Gugulethu township, and even though we didn't understand the prayers, songs and sermon that were in the Xhosa language, we understood the spirit of the people who gathered to worship God. The people dressed in their best clothes, and the sounds of their voices filled the building and spilled out into the streets as they offered their songs to God. We sang along when we could (they sang the chorus of "It is well with my soul" after a woman shared her testimony), and we clapped along when we couldn't sing. The service was a powerful reminder that our God is in all places, listening to the prayers of our African brothers and sisters just as He listens to us.

As I write this, worship is happening at Living Water. I know that God is present in our church in Parkville, just as God has been present here with us in so many ways. I will have so much to share when I return to the pulpit next Sunday.

After worship we had another real African experience. We drove to Cape Point to see the spectacular scenery, and we encountered baboons who have discovered that getting food from tourists in easier than finding it in the wild. This is actually a very serious situation, and we were warned that we should never give them food, but it was still somewhat humorous to see them wandering around, hanging out where the people are. On our way back to the Bed and Breakfast, we stopped by a beach with a penguin colony. It was so cool to see penguins right in front of me! They are called African penguins, but they used to be called Jackass penguins because they make a sound like donkey.

Tomorrow we begin the long journey home. I will continue to reflect on this trip here on my blog for the next few days (as Internet access allows), and I will begin preparing for my sermon next Sunday. But I already know that this trip has impacted me in many ways, and my life and ministry will be changed because of what has happened here. I look forward to sharing more of my reflections with you in the days, weeks and months to come.

Simon's Town

Today was a "free day" when we didn't have any group activities planned.  Some people in our group spent the day touring the South African wine country.  Others took the train and a bus into Cape Town and caught the cable car up to the top of Table Mountain.  Clif and I chose to stick fairly close to home, and we decided to take the train two stops over to Simon's Town, an historic seaport town.

We did the usual tourist things - shopped for souvenirs and ate fish and chips in a little seaside restaurant.  Two noteworthy things about lunch: Clif's fish was snoek, a local fish with a lot of bones but really tasty; and a sign on the wall encouraged people to allow strangers to sit at your table with you so you could "make a new friend."  The fact that the proprietor would also make more money if people squeezed in together wasn't mentioned.  We at lunch early, so there wasn't a need for us to share our table with strangers, but the second we stood up to leave, people came and claimed our seats.

The coolest thing we did in Simon's Town, however, was to tour the local museum.  It was only open from 10-1 today, so we timed it perfectly and arrived right at 10.  We paid the 5 rand donation (less than a dollar) and walked around this small town museum that was run by volunteers.  But it turned out to be a fascinating place.  We learned about slavery in the early years of Cape Town.  We learned about the sailors who came in to port, and the origin of the word "grog."  We also learned about a dog named Just Nuisance who was inducted into the Royal Navy, and was even given a full military burial when he died.  All of this was very interesting, but the best part of the whole museum was the display about the forced removal of non-whites in the 1960s.  We had learned about this when we went to the District 6 museum, but at Simon's Town, you saw it from the perspective of this small town that had always included people from all racial groups.  This community worked, played and worshipped together, and many civic leaders wrote letters of protest about the removal and how it would tear apart their community.  The display also showed newspaper clippings that helped explain how the forced removals were presented in the press.  The people who were being moved were given brand new homes that were twice the size of the homes they left.  The expectation was that they would be grateful for the opportunity to go to a new home.  What wasn't mentioned is that the new neighborhoods had no schools, no stores, no easy access to transportation, and would require people to travel over 2 hours to get to their jobs.  The more I learn about apartheid, the more I realize how complicated it was, and I begin to see how so many people could actually delude themselves into thinking it would work.

One last thing, I felt bad about not being an adventurous eater the other night at Mama Africa, so tonight I ordered springbok for dinner.  It was very mild, and (you knew it was coming) tasted like chicken.

The Face of AIDS

We knew that one of the things we would see here is a ministry that is working with people with AIDS.  Today was our day to visit that place.  The name of the ministry is iThemba Labantu in Philippi, and it is run by the Lutheran Church.  This bustling place of activity has a youth marimba band, a soup kitchen and a workshop where women do sewing and craft projects which they sell to support their families.

But the two ministries that impacted me most were the children's preschool and the AIDS hospital.  When we entered the preschool, the children were preparing for lunch.  They were singing, "If you're happy, and you know it..."  We were definitely happy when we saw their beautiful faces, so we clapped our hands, stomped our feet and "wiggled our bums" along with them.  Before they ate, they said a prayer in English and Xhosa, the native language spoken in their township.  The school teaches in both languages so the children do not lose their link to their heritage.

After that, we went to the AIDS hospital.  The director of the center, Otto, suggested we sing first, so we stood in the hallway and sang Amazing Grace to the patients.  Then we went into the rooms and prayed with the people.  I prayed with a woman named Gloria.  Her body was frail, but her eyes shone brightly.  Even though we were separated by so many things - nationality, race, health - we discovered that we both have teenage sons, and we were bonded as mothers.  I told her I would pray for God to heal her and give her strength so she could soon walk out of the hospital and go home to her family.  I gave her a t-shirt from Living Water, big enough to be a dress on her, and told her that the shirt would cover her as our prayers will cover her.  If you are reading this, please take a moment right now and pray for Gloria.

The ride home was along a breath-taking coastal drive with some of the most gorgeous scenery we have seen since we arrived.  It is hard to say, however, if the grandeur of that scenic vista could eclipse the beauty of the smiles we saw at iThemba Labantu.

Stories that Moved Us

Today was the most emotionally exhausting day of the trip.  If you've read my other posts, then you know that's saying quite a bit.  In the morning, we had a fascinating conversation with our driver, a man named Christopher who told us that God told him to feed the hungry children in Capricorn township.  So every school day, Christopher wakes up at 3 am and prepares food for several hundred children who would not otherwise get food before school.  He raises the money for all of this himself.

 

Then we went to SHADE, a ministry that helps men, women and children with various issues involving poverty, health and immigration.  The dedicated people who serve at SHADE admitted that they run on faith.  There is never a time when they do not need resources to further their work, but there has never been a time when God has not supplied what they needed.  It is humbling to be in the presence of faithful ones like those and not feel embarrassed for the little things we complain about all the time.

We had a quick lunch at the cafe in The Company's Gardens, and then we went to the District 6 Museum, dedicated to the memory of the thousands of blacks who were forcibly removed from their homes when the white apartheid government decided they wanted that land for white families.  The before and after pictures were heartbreaking.  What had once been a vibrant community was quickly reduced to rubble when the bulldozers moved in.  The interesting thing is that nothing was ever done with District 6.  It is still an empty field of grass and rubble, some 40 years later.  Our driver, Raymond, took us to meet a gentleman who was one of the few who decided to move back to a new house in District 6 after apartheid was abolished.  His name was Dan, and he told us how God sustained him through the difficulties he faced.  Nelson Mandela himself handed Dan the key to his new home.

We finished our day with a meal at Mama Africa - a place where you can find crocodile, ostrich, and kudo on the menu.  I, of course, had chicken.  My head is swimming with everything I saw and heard today.  I am trying to sort through what it all means.  But this I know, God is powerfully at work in Africa, through the lives of ordinary people who step out in extraordinary faith.

Robben Island

We went to the Waterfront District today for a little shopping, a little bite of local cuisine (bobotie  - a Cape Malay dish of curried beef with a custard topping), and to catch the ferry to Robben Island.  Robben Island is famous (or infamous) as the prison where Nelson Mandela and other ANC leaders were held for many years.  The ferry ride was EXTEMELY choppy, and Clif was about 30 shades of green by the time we arrived at the island.

The tour of the island involved a bus tour where we saw some of the buildings used as prisons, as well as the houses for the wardens.  We also saw our first penguin on the bus tour.  The second part of the tour was inside the prison itself, and the guides were former political prisoners.  Our guide was named Sparks, and he was held in Robben Island for seven years.  He showed us the courtyard where the prisoners ate their meals and had some exercise time.  It is also the place where Nelson Mandela hid his manuscript for The Long Walk to Freedom, his autobiography.

We saw the cramped cell where Mandela slept.  He had three blankets - one to lay on, one for a pillow, and one for a blanket.  There was no cot or bed, just a blanket on the hard floor.  There was no glass on the window, so the cold winter rain came right through to where the prisoners were sleeping.  They had a bucket for a toilet, and they were responsible for carrying their buckets to the other side of the prison to dump them every morning.  The prisoners were fed differently, depending on their race.  The black prisoners were given less food and less variety than the other prisoners.

The most fascinating place to see was the limestone quarry where the prisoners worked for 8 hours a day for 13 years.  Originally, the wardens wanted the limestone to pave the roads on the island, but once that project was completed, they continued to have the prisoners dig and move the limestone around the quarry simply as a way to keep them busy.  The highlight of the day for them was lunchtime, when they moved to a cave to get out of the sun and to have conversation.  The literate prisoners taught the illiterate ones how to read and write during the lunch break.

It was an usual experience to go to a museum where the history was still so fresh and the people who lived it were there to tell their stories.  It made the whole thing seem like it was just yesterday when they were released.  And it made me wonder, what must it be like to spend your days in your former prison, telling your story over and over again to tourists who seem more concerned with taking your picture than hearing what you are really saying?

A Visit To A Township

In the morning, after a wonderful breakfast of homemade granola, we met with our host, Peter Kjeseth, and we learned about all the things we will do this week. Then we did a walking tour of Fish Hoek, the town where we are staying. After lunch, we piled in a van and went to Masiphumelele, a township of 20,000 people. Our guide, Charlotte, lives in the township, and she showed us around and answered all our questions. It was very eye-opening.



This pictures shows what some of the homes look like. Charlotte told us that people build their own homes in one day, and they use whatever materials they can find. You will see pieces of wood, metal and plastic nailed together to make walls. The ground is sandy, so there is no grass in the yards.



As we were walking around, we saw a boy eating a snack. Charlotte explained that he was munching on a chicken foot. I assumed that was the name of the snack, kind of like a corn dog isn't really corn or a dog. But no, it turns out that chicken foot is actually chicken foot. It looks like it is breaded and fried. I say it looks like because I was not brave enough to try one myself.



There were many small stands in the township. This fruit stand sold many kinds of fresh fruit. The women wrapped blankets around their bodies and secured their babies on their backs.



Charlotte had arranged for this band, Ubuyambo, to play for us. The marimba music was lively, and people came from all around to sing and dance along with them.



Here is a photo of our group standing in front of a bed and breakfast in the township where we went for tea. At Zukie's Bed and Breakfast, you can spend the night and get food in the morning for about $23. If you are looking for an authentic township experience with wonderful hosts, then check them out.

My impressions from our time spent there are mixed. In many ways, it was very sad to see the living conditions of the people. Trash is everywhere you look. The houses are cramped with little or no space between them. Some of them do not have bathrooms but have an outhouse in the yard. The unemployment rate is high, and people who do have jobs must sometimes travel long hours to get to work. The AIDS infection rate is 42%, yet the people have poor access to health care. But I must say that I smiled more in Masiphumelele than most other places I have visited. The children were laughing, the people greeted us warmly, and the music we heard was full of life. There is great wealth in that place of great poverty.

We Made It!

It was a long, harrowing journey through 3 airports, but all of our flights left on time, and we arrived safely last night around 8 pm.  The worst flight, of course, was from Washington D.C. to Johannesburg - a flight that lasted 15 1/2 hours.  The idea is that people were supposed to sleep for a majority of the flight - a nice theory anyway.  We were seated in a row behind, not one, but two babies who were not happy travelers.  I slept for maybe 2 hours total, but I did watch 3 movies and 1 episode of Dr. Who.

The trickiest part of the whole journey was when we had to pick up our bags in Johannesburg, go through customs, and then re-check in again for the flight to Cape Town.  Our luggage took over half an hour to come off the carousel, which meant we had 40 minutes to go a LONG way to the domestic flight counters.  A porter in an orange uniform grabbed our bags and started running toward the domestic counters when we told him our flight left at 5:30.  We ran after him, and when we arrived at the gate, they told us our flight was "closed."  After a few moments of panic, we found out that our bags would make it on the plane, but we had to "run" to the gate to make the flight.  There's nothing quite so much fun as being in a new country and running through the airport after a very long flight. They had a bus you had to take to the plane, as it was not parked at the terminal (something that has happened on several of our flights).  I tipped the porter $5 for helping us make the flight.  It looked like only 4 of our 12 group members would make the flight, but they waited for the rest of our group, and we all arrived together.

I want to confess right now that, even though this is an immersion trip with a purpose of learning about the struggles of South Africans, we are not struggling at all in our accommodations.  We are staying in a beautiful and historic Bed and Breakfast called Sunny Cove Manor in Fish Hoek, a little town on the Indian Ocean side of Cape Town.  As I write this, I can look out the window at the ocean, with a lovely garden down below.  Of course, the fact that it's summer here and 75 degrees with a nice breeze isn't too hard to take, either.

Thank you to everyone who pulled together at Living Water yesterday in my absence.  We missed being with you, but we heard you had a great time of worship!

The Big Adventure

I guess starting this blog is the real big adventure. For years I have been posting weekly comments on the church website and calling it a blog. No one was fooled, however, into thinking that my one-way communication was anything remotely like the give and take you have on a blog. So, out of necessity, I have joined the 21st century and started an actual blog where people can communicate with me and each other and a real conversation can begin.

The reason for starting this now is that I am leaving tomorrow on another kind of big adventure. My husband and I are joining a group from Saint Paul School of Theology, my alma mater, and flying to Cape Town, South Africa. I have traveled internationally only one other time, and Clif and I have never taken an international trip together. The purpose of this particular trip is to learn about the history and culture of South Africa, as well as see first-hand what some of the ministry challenges are and how people of faith are responding to the needs around them. It will be an unusual mix of incredible beauty (staying in a Bed and Breakfast on the Indian Ocean), and heart-breaking sadness (touring orphanages and AIDS ministries).

My next post will be after we land in Cape Town, and I hope to write daily and post pictures of our trip. Check back on Tuesday and see how the adventure began.