A Welcoming Circle

Friday, March 11

This morning, we said goodbye to our hostess and cooks, Hester and Riann.  Hester has such a sweet, tender heart and when I went into the kitchen before breakfast, she was already crying over the fact that we'd all have to say goodbye in an hour or so.  She prayed such a blessing over us, and later had me in tears as she hugged me and spoke words to me that were an assurance from God himself that my presence in Africa made a difference even if I felt insignificant.   It was very hard to part.  Her quiet presence and her and Riann's wonderful care and cooking made us feel so loved.  I have to confess, now that I'm home, I find myself missing Hester and Riann each time I open the refrigerator or pantry and can't find anything to eat!  They spoiled us immensely.



Hester and Riann praying with us before we left.



We set off in the van again for the village of Kwa-Ndebele.  On the way, we stopped at a local market for a bit of South African shopping, left there and then drove through Pretoria to reach Howard's house.  We'd had the pleasure of meeting his family a few times during the week, but to see his home was a big treat.  Howard is one of us now, and it's wonderful to be able to picture him and his family in their very welcoming home.  That stop was too short as we needed to get to our final destination for dinner.



Howard and his children, Ruby and Luke



In this blog's opening photo, the fire is long dead, only ashes remaining, but this circle was the scene of one of the most memborable times of our trip.  It was just getting dark as we arrived  at Kwaggafontein Enthonjeni, the secondcommunity center that Mosaiek supports.  The car path through the field was lined with burning torches leading us to the huts.  As the van pulled to a stop, 6 men came from behind the building, clapping and singing.  We all spilled out of the van with new energy and listened as they sang and danced to welcome us.  Their energy and joy was contagious--well, at least to me and two other team members.  It took us two blinks to jump into the circle dancing when it began.  The long drive here was already worth it!

After putting our gear in the huts, we were led out to a big, white tent covering the tables and chairs where we'd be visiting and eating for the length of our stay.  The 6 men who welcomed us were all pastors of community churches nearby.  Great men, great dancers, great singers, and.........great cooks.  They had prepared a barbeque of epic proportions for us, including the beloved pap and sauce.   After the meal, they gathered us all around the enormous bonfire and handed each of us a drum.  There under the stars, they sang again and encouraged us all to join in with their drumming.   The evening ended too soon.

My memories for this day is include a welcoming circle that expanded to include us, joining in the circle of dancing and drumming, and sleeping  inside a circular hut that seemed the perfect conclusion of the day.