Update #2 (September 8, 2011)

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Thursday, September 8, 2011 4:18 PM









You might be interested to know something of the language around here. Michelle asked if they speak English. English, but...

South African English (accent much like British), British English, and British English as the second language with mostly Sotho as the mother tongue...

Linda is a nurse who has been here for a year and will be another before she must be back in England to update her certification. Another British couple is staying here who is on their fourth two-week volunteer experience with Morning Star. And, increasingly I'm aware that common language isn't just about learning the 'same' language and even having the same accent. It's about common experiences and common culture, because experience and culture shape language.

We seem to realize that with Brazil or the many tribes in PNG or even the African tribal languages, but English???

Today the guys installed kitchen cabinets in one flat. They had to lower the uppers to put storage in reach of the women who use them, which meant they set the lowers further out from the wall than normal so someone can actually bend over the kitchen sink to use it. They are now preparing the counter top. This is the ultimate green, ecologically correct project. The cabinets get rescued from seclusion in an unused part of the facility.

As the lady of leisure that I am, I slept until after 9, moved in, ate and not much else. The mamas came for tea, so at Sally's request I read them a story. I chose The Lost Lamb by Hunt. I will read that to the children later next week, so I recruited them as teaching partners, suggesting that they can help reinforce the lesson if they know what I want the children to know.

Franz Manaka, pastor and resident at The Pines, shared lunch. I gave him a farming magazine I packed specifically for him, as it highlights work that the Land of Lakes Coop is doing in Africa. I know he is intent on producing food here and thought he would appreciate reading of the projects they are doing. We had a good chat about farming and feeding people and how that is influenced by governments and wars, etc. and that Jesus understood that hungry people will not hear any message until they are fed. Food for thought.

So, time to sign off. I need bed. Thanks for praying and caring. There are some pretty special people doing some really important work for some of God's special children.

Judy