Greetings from South Africa!
I hope you are well, here’s some of the latest news from our part of the world.
We’ve been here 4 ½ years so far and I’m only scratching the surface of unusual things that are to be experienced. I’d like to share some of these stories with you.
We spend most of our time without a phone at home because the telephone cables are stolen every few weeks. This is the fourth time in 6 months they’ve been stolen.
I climbed the hill to get a cell signal to check email, after doing a bit of internet surfing I noticed the tree I’m sitting under has been stripped of its bark. The bark is taken by traditional healers and sangomas (witchdoctors) for their potions and muthis. I could buy the bark back if I wanted to drink it mixed with a tea for good luck or I needed a change in my love life.
I took our oldest child Sli to school the other day, even though the schools are on break. She must go to school now because when the schools were in session the teachers were on strike.
The windshield of our truck was shattered by a man that attacked the vehicle with a lead pipe when he had decided he didn’t want anyone to pass by him on the road. The police came to arrest the man, then released him after taking his fingerprints at the station because the police can’t detain a mentally disturbed person. So he’s back home now possibly planning his next deranged attack.
The family near the Church / Clinic building had asked me to help them move because the eldest family member just died and she was the one who owned the land. The neighbors were now putting pressure on them to vacate the premises. This last time I saw them they notified me happily there was no need to move. The neighbor that was pressuring them had just been arrested! It was discovered he paid a sangoma to poison that family member who had recently died.
There are certain times each year when the children are all scared to walk to school because there are pigs in the bush and crocs in the river!
There are of course many more bizarre stories that come from our community and us living amongst this intriguing people group. We will share more in the future.
Preparations for The Project Christmas Blessing are in full swing and shopping has begun for over 200 children who would not otherwise receive a gift or a special meal during Christmas time.
Thank you!
