A Special Circle in My Heart

I returned with a special circle in my heart for two of the Kwa-Ndebele residents: Thuso (pronouced "too-sew") and Perseverence.  Both currently live with women from their family.  Pastor Silas and Bob Guild have taken them under their wings giving them father figures in their lives. Everywhere I went, the individuals that I encountered were artists and these two were no exception.



Thuso

  

 Thuso is pictured here with some of his drawings on a piece of sheetrock that protects the outdoor grill from the wind.  At 14, he is bright and engaging, a talented singer and a caring soul.  He lives with his elderly grandmother in a home not far from the center.  We walked him home one evening and were fortunate to be invited inside the one room house by his grandmother, Coco Mama.  That little room holds her entire life.  She was so gracious and welcoming.  Thuso says that he wants to be a pop star when he grows up, but I told him that he would make a great pastor.  He is always on the look out to keep other people safe and comfortable, and watches over Perseverence when they are together.  He can be erratic in his school attendance though, so I'll be praying that he sticks with it.



Perseverance and Me

At 17, Perseverence is quiet and reserved.  With so many women in our group, she began to quickly feel more comfortable.  She shared with a few of us that she had cancer, and that Pastor Silas and Bob had taken her to the clinic for treatment (She was declared cancer-free at her last visit.  Some tumors were there, and now they aren't.)  I was of "mom" age to her, and she confided in me that she lived with her sister and the sister's child and that the situation was very hard for her.  They didn't have enough food. When we visited Perseverence's home that evening, we met her sister, who was not as welcoming as all the other villagers we'd met.  They have a two-room home which seems large in comparison with Thuso's, but it's empty except for some bedding in one corner, a single bed,  a small table and a broken refrigerator that they use as a cupboard.  Everything was very tidy, and one wall had been painted with chalkboard paint on which Perservence does her school work.

Perseverence has two years of school left, and is passionate about becoming a social worker.  She'd like to be involved in AIDS education and help all the suffering children she sees.  I had taken a silver ring with me to Africa that simply said "Jesus," believing there'd  be someone that I would want to give it to.  Perseverence was the one, and given her deep faith, it meant a lot to her.  I have her mailing address and will also try to keep in touch via email with Mosaiek and Bob Guild.  She writes poetry, and I'll send her some paper so that she can send her poems to me.  I'm praying that Perseverence finds a mature woman to love and support her.

David had warned me before the trip not to come home with an orphaned baby.  The greater danger was that I wanted to come home with a few teenagers.

A Circle of Community

Saturday Afternoon, March 11   We were very excited to be invited to a birthday party in the village of Tweefontein.  And this was no ordinary birthday party:  it was a 21st birthday party, which is a very celebrated birthday in Africa.  And, this was no ordinary 21st birthday either!  It was a 21st birthday party for twins, making it worthy of great celebration and extravagance.  The parents of the two girls invited us to be special guests.  While the villagers sat outside on the ground, we were ushered into a tent and an entirely different world within.  It was decorated as we would decorate for an American wedding reception and we were seated at the family tables.

After eating, we left the tent and the children and women gathered in a circle with us.  Time to dance and sing again, much to our delight.  This time, the children had the stage and we watched the range of older, more practiced teens to the youngest beginners.  It was just wonderful to see how the more accomplished dancers encouraged and affirmed the young learners.  No teasing or smart comments here.  The crowd suddenly began to shift toward the entrance to the village when they realized that the guests of honor had arrived.  They were danced into the community by dancers in colorful costumes and ushered into the family tent.

One of the dancers.  Photo by Melissa Lemke.



By now, I was too embedded in the crowd to see what was going on in the tent.  But I heard the girls being celebrated as fine, beloved women.  And then, I heard Kristen Wood, the singer on our team, serenading them with a song she had written for this trip.  I know that they considered Kristen's song more honoring even than the 12 chickens we had brought as a gift.

You know how you can sometimes go to a party, and feel like a wallflower?  You don't know anyone, and everyone appears engaged in conversations with old friends.  I don't think that awkwardness can ever exist in Africa.  They welcomed each of us with a big smile that said, "We're so happy to have you with us" and gave warm handshakes and hugs to emphasize that.  It didn't matter that we couldn't speak each others' languages.  We were there, we were welcome and we need only smile and say hello to someone to make a new friend.

A Circle of Everyday Life

Saturday, March 12
Breakfast with artists can look a little different.  Most of us were armed with cameras as Luke and Howard did the cooking.  While it may have appeared that we were wandering aimlessly in and around the tent, we were searching for images that would tell the story of Africa and its people in a compelling way.  Thinking that we might appreciate subject matter of the people-type, Bob Guild, one of the directors of Kwaggafontein, put several of us into his truck and drove us to the "plaza" for some people watching.  Our ability to photograph Africans just going about daily living had been very limited until now, so when he said we had permission to photograph anyone and everyone, we wasted no time.  The plaza is a strip mall in Kwa-Ndebele, a short drive from where we were staying.  A grocery store, general store, and KFC sort of place.  Bob led us down the nearby side streets where there were the more typical vendor stands of the community.  Here, many people wanted their photographs taken, especially with the young women on the team. 



This gentleman wanted his photo taken for me to show in America.

We were invited to attend a special event that afternoon that was taking place in a nearby village.  I'll save that story for tomorrow's post.  You'll find Saturday's circle inspiration there, too. 

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.

A Vicious Circle

Thursday, March 10

True confession.  We didn't actually see elephants at the Lion and Rhino reserve.  My parting shot yesterday of the elephant?  A life-sized plastic model at the entry.  But believable, right?

Thursday night was our last scheduled "people project."  Metro Evangelical Services (MES) operates in Hillbrow, the intensely populated inner city in the midst of Johannesburg.  They work to feed and house the street people, to provide job training and jobs for whoever they can.  They arranged for us to go out on the streets with them to hand out soup and bread.  One stop was on a street near some men's shelters and an abandoned Methodist church where many men slept.  Waiting for us in an organized line were about 20 or 30 men, and the numbers increased as we were there.  Most of the men were young.  They were polite and friendly and seemed grateful for the eye contact and smiles that we gave them.  Just being recognized and respected as a person was as important as the cup of soup and handful of bread.  Many of the men here have the same story.  They fled their countries (many from Zimbabwe) for political reasons and can't return, or they came to the city to get a job to help feed their families in distressed circumstances. 

I met one young man whose story is very typical.  His name is Luke and he's 17.  Luke's lived on the streets for the last 6 years and can't get a job because he doesn't have any documents that identify who he is and where he's from.   Like so many of the young men living there, he was beat up and his papers were stolen.  He has no way of replacing them and can't even return to his country of origin without them.  No papers, no job.  No job, no way to improve his situation.  A vicious circle.  Somehow he has managed to stay in school part of the time.  I asked him some questions about himself and learned that he loved to sing.  I saw that glimmer of passion in his eyes when he told me about that.  Dave Wayman connected him with one of the MES team who explained to Luke that they could help him get new papers.  And from there, they could help him get on his feet.  Luke could hardly believe what he was hearing, so much so that I am praying that he did indeed show up at the MES offices the next day to talk with someone.  After having so many disappointments in his young life, I could easily imagine him not trusting this offer immediately.  I wish I had someway to follow up with him.

The Circle of Life

Wednesday, March 9

I know, "The Circle of Life," corny.  But what else do you think of when riding through a reserve in Africa with Simbas, Pumbas and Rafikis everywhere?  Today was a chance for us to experience some of Africa's natural wonders.  The Lion and Rhino reserve did not disappoint.  Zebras, Ostriches, Lions, Cheetahs, Rhinos, and a rare Jackal siting.  There were animals everywhere and we thoroughly enjoyed marveling at the variety.  While driving through the reserve, I noticed a circle of grass that was more vibrant and lush looking than the surrounding areas.  I wish I had photographed it.  It turned out to be the area where the lions are fed daily and our driver got us a front row seat for the action.  Lions could be seen gathering, 8 in all when they had all arrived.  A truck containing a carcass sped across the circle and the alpha male ran after it, deftly catching a rope tied to the meal and pulling it off the truck.  As it began to eat, two females and a male sat closely, waiting their turn to feed.  Progressively, lions waited in position further back, according to rank, for the table scraps.

Notice the grass and how luxuriant it is.  It's the nutrients of the carcasses that nourish that circle of grass.  The circle of life.

Here are a few more photos from the day:

Photo courtesy of Cindy West