finding my bearings?

Saturday 7^th November entry

Guest is house is great. Bessie and Helgaard are very warm and welcoming and the breakfast is terrific, so what more do you need? It’s halfway up Table Mountain with some great views from their garden. Meeting Lucas today – the local Baptist I’ve been able to link up with, which I’m looking forward to.

Well, if you have a camera and you make an observation like the one above, my advice is take the photo whilst you’ve got the chance – it’s been pouring for much of the day – 20mm apparently – so far!

Had a great time with Lucas – he’s planting in Samora Machel, which is a township outside of Cape Town. After 10 years there’s a membership of around 70 plus other adherents. Quite a number more have been baptised but gone in search of other churches. Lucas and his wife and baby live in one room, which is typical of the shacks (my word which seems to be the most accurate one to me) in Samora Machel. Could he have planted without doing this I asked? You’ve guessed the answer – not that he could probably afford to do anything other financially. Since starting he’s completed a diploma at the Capt Town Baptist seminary and is now on his second year of a Masters and then plans on a Phd, so he’s no mug intellectually by any account.

Another highlight was meeting Leon who started a project working with HIV aids sufferers. He and his wife both left their jobs and now feed 100 people per day, plus run workshops and all manner of other things – two more people who have followed God’s call at some personal cost.

The legacy of apartheid is still around and the guys I met today reckon it’ll take a generation at least. They’re bothered about a militant Islam who want to rule SA, they don’t have the financial means to support themselves, they work with meagre resources, but their faith is real and really quite humbling. Walked around the Waterfront in Cape Town later and struggled to comprehend how these guys feel looking in the windows of Gucci and co.

A white guy un-nerved me today when he told me to keep walking and not look at my map in public as it would mark me out as someone who didn’t know where they were – ‘don’t trust anyone he said.’ Before that I’d felt fine!

Had a chat with a car security man. What that means is they help you find a space, direct you in and look after your car whilst you eat. It was absolutely throwing it down and he must have soaked. He’d made 650 rand (about £5) that day and was supporting his wife and two children. There are loads of these guys around, but all I hear in the UK is how the blacks have taken the jobs – some job!

Should have brought a card reader for photos! Will add to my travellist.

cape point .... almost

Friday 6^th November entry

Today was a delightful introduction to the Cape. Well, who said a sabbatical was all study and no play? Saw some seals in the harbour and baboons en route to the Cape of Good Hope, which made my day. I’d intended visiting Robben Island, but unfortunately no trips today because of the weather – waves too rough! Maybe I’ll get another chance – we’ll see. Didn’t get to Cape Pont either because the road was up! Actually, very nearly missed Cape of Good Hope – I must have been the last car let into the national park - at 5.59 when they stop entry at 6pm. – got caught in the Cape Town rush hour I guess.

One of the great things about speaking English and the advance of technology is life is so easy when abroad somewhere like this – picked up a hire car with sat nav, which brought me straight to the guest house the guys here had booked me into – good job as it was really dark and couldn’t see the road names. No problem with jet lag either as it’s straight down from us – a fair way down admittedly, but only two hours ahead. At least it’s not pouring with the rain it was I Amsterdam.

Everybody here is so friendly, it really hits you, well me! I thought the Aussies were friendly, but these guys are even more so. I love it.

in the land of Mandela ... and others!

Not sure how this will work, but 've been in South Africa for four days now and just got a wireless connection - so I thought I'd start with 'one I prepared earlier' and drip feed the other entries I've made along the way and as and when I get some access to internet..... here goes.....

Thursday 5^th November entry.

Well, I'm now well and truly on my third and final month of sabbatical. I was, however, delighted to have the excuse to meet with my team leader colleagues on Wednesday despite sabbatical, but didn't enjoy Lyons' late equaliser in the evening. I've arrived in South Africa where I've been delighted to respond to an invitation to be part of a review of over 100 congrgations who effectively been, or going through, what equals 'PMC South Africa'. Not at all sure what to expect, but I am looking for some translatable clues which might help our own much needed UK transition into a missionary movement of churches again. Whilst I have no doubt about the need for this, many will consider it a rather naive dream, but it is one I am still nurturing and have reason to believe for good reason. I am being inspired by reading 'Mandela' - Anthony Simpson's biography. Born in rural Transkei, now in his 91st year and most probably the greatest living hero in the world, but one cannot really escape the fact he spent 27 of those years in prison. I keep reading that number, but it takes a while for it to sink in – 27 years! I remember praying for his release and for an end to apartheid (apparently pronounced 'apart hate' and not 'apart hide' as I've always said, which in itself is an interesting play on words). However, on reflection now and to my shame, it feels as if it was all pretty half-hearted. It's remarkable how I at least, have been able to speak with some passion about peace and justice, but within a vacuum and with next to no personal consequence to myself. So, even before I landed, there was a degree of personal therapy going on! I often think of the AA introduction - 'my name is Nigel and I'm an alcoholic' as a helpful reminder of my humanity, which (not very pc) means I have to begin any visit like this 'my name is Nigel and I'm a sinner.' OK - I won't use those actual words with everyone I meet. One thing I have found very interesting is the fact that the things the govt. authorities always initially banned Nelson Mandela from were meeting like-minded people and travel - and here I am hoping for both in abundance - my prayer is. both will prove to be the help and power the SA authorities recognised they had the potential to be.

Christmas, going, going......

Christmas is coming and I'm guessing most of the geese are already fat enough and in a freezer somewhere. However, Jonathan Gledhill, Bishop of Lichfield, is getting in early with encouraging Christians to wear symbols of their Christian faith and not be intimidated by PC world.

http://www.sundaymercury.net/news/midlands-news/2009/10/25/midlands-church-leaders-in-battle-to-save-christmas-66331-25006903

Me thinks the temperature is rising. It strikes me we do need some wisdom, but which is less afraid of consequences than in previous generations. Out come the books of Daniel and Esther.

the wood or the trees?

Well, one of the places we've spent some time this past week is in New Forest. With some glorious weather (we left before the wind and rain of this weekend) the trees were fantastic. Of course, the problem with so many trees is the difficulty with seeing the wood/forest and I admit we did get hopelessly lost on one occasion. It was that moment when we reached a road I assumed would be the road between Brockenhurst and Lyndhurst to discover it was totally different - 'Brockenhurst?' said the guy in the car, 'you're a long way from there.'

Well, loads of time for reflection and some great supply of source material drawing from my own in-competence!

We were following a walk out of an AA book, but hadn't bothered with a map (!) Now you need to know I was a scout and, throughout almost my entire life, maps have been precious and highly prized possessions. I've extolled their virtues and scolded others for not bothering to take them because they didn't think they'd need one!

I've also been reading, slowly this time, Stephen Cottrell's "Hit the Ground Kneeling' and he talks about stepping back sufficiently to distinguish the wood from the trees.

All it took was the mis-reading (or mis-writing depending on who's really to blame!!) of one little instruction - in what was a detailed, no one can really go wrong, walk description. Once you've made that error, however, there's no easy way of getting back on track if you don't have a decent enough map to discover where you really are.

Now, because I'm a let's enjoy the journey as part of the adventure kind of walker all was not lost, although my male ego has another little dent down one side.

making waves?

I thought the best line from Roy Searle during our Saturday morning with leaders drawn from across our region was 'if you want to run something, go and get a job at Curry's - the pay's about he same, but the hours are a lot better.' Cheers Roy, I'll use that not a few times, I'm sure, in the months ahead. Saturday was a good event where we brought twelve groups of leaders together, plus a number who came on their own. My sense is, this needs to be one part of the criteria for what we put on as WEBA - will it be more than event? will there be at least the potential of multiplication? Roy helped us ensure both were a good 'yes' this time around.

The picture here, however, is from our retreat last week. I wonder how often most of us get back to that point where we realise God is speaking to us regularly, but we've been too preoccupied to listen? Certainly (once again!!) that was my experience last week and I'm hugely grateful to God for the opportunity to stop and listen. We talk about making a difference, but whatever we do needs to arise from a place of having met and hearing God. Just look at how the light is breaking through that clearing in the cloud.

remembering people were God's idea....

If I was a normal, rational human being, I should be moaning all day about a stupid beach ball which greatly influenced Liverpool's defeat (1-0) against Sunderland yesterday - now even the non-football readers are vaguely interested!

However, and this is much better for my sanity and sanctification, I'm thinking about the gifts of God, which come our way in the shape of people.

Ray and Annie are two of them. These wonderful people opened up their beautiful home for seven of us to share a retreat together last week in Wales. There are people who have the gift of hospitality and then there's these two are in the premier league - thanks for everything.

Roy - Roy Searle is a wonderful gift and has been again this week. Roy led us brilliantly through the two days, but was also sufficiently part of us - thanks Roy.

My other five colleagues - we had a three way retreat for the Regional Ministers of South West, South Wales & WEBA and we had a great time together - thanks guys.

And then I start thinking about the willingness of Roy's wife, Shirley, which enables him to travel. i'm thinking about the Ministers who came to Thornbury yesterday morning - I thank God for those who have the wisdom and foresight to bring along other leaders and who are genuinely concerned about spiritual leadership. I think about the nice people we met, just briefly, in the theatre last night. What a blessing to simply receive such good gifts.