News from Leuro Road... December 14, 2003
As the temperatures soar into the high 30's during the day it is very difficult to get our minds around the fact that it is December. We keep hearing reports of cold weather and snow from friends and family but here it’s just a dream. Meanwhile we look for ways to keep cool. The girls have really been enjoying the pool in the back yard. It seems to be just the right size. (It’s circular - 4 feet deep by 20 feet round.)
We had an uneventful move from the village to Gaborone on November 27th. We had a very good experience in the village and are thankful for God’s presence and protection with us during that time. The girls made a circle of friends that they felt comfortable playing with and they were beginning to pick up some words and phrases in Setswana. However, all of us were ready to experience running water, and electricity once again! As we look back on our village stay we are indeed thankful for this experience as it has helped us to understand both the culture and the people in a way that would not have been possible had we stayed in Gaborone. We also feel that we have a circle of “family” in the village and plan to return to visit.
We were given a very warm good bye from the people of the local Pentecostal Holiness Church. After about a month of being in the village we received an invitation to visit the church from the Pastor’s wife. After going one Sunday, we decided that we would make this our village church. This really helped us to develop a feeling of belonging and develop a friendship with the pastor and his family. On the last Sunday, Glyn preached and we were invited to the pastor’s house to share a meal with them. (This kind of hospitality is not that common here aside from weddings and funerals so we felt very honoured.) We had a good time of fellowship with them. The next day one of the elder’s sons arrived at our house with a live chicken as a gift. In the end we gave our gift to the pastor for his family as we really weren’t equipped to deal with a live chicken!!
When we went back to the village for our final weeks we prayed that God would send us some surprises. The hospitality and friendship of Moruti and Maa Moruti was certainly part of God’s way of answering this. Another way came as a bit of a surprise. The local store that we bought a lot of our groceries from is run by two Muslim families from India. During the last month of our stay they were fasting for Ramadan. When we would go to the store we would strike up conversation with them about their fasting. The last day we were in the store was the day after the celebration of the end of fasting. Much to our surprise they gave us a platter containing some really amazing pastries and sweets. This was another unexpected gift of hospitality.
The first week that we were in Gaborone were intense days of getting our house ready. The workmen had prepared the inside of the house for painting but our job was to choose colours and paint. Since I won’t let Glyn within three feet of wet paint (he attracts paint like a magnet) most of the work fell on my shoulders. Much to our surprise we were given some incredible help by the MMBots (Mennonite Ministries Botswana) team members. Some fed us, some entertained the kids and some helped us paint, clean and move our things over from where they were being stored. Thanks to their help we were able to sleep here for the first time the night of December 2nd. We had fun unpacking our things and setting things in place. It has been a long time since we had packed things up from Hincks Street and all of us were feeling the need to be settled in our home again. It was difficult for all of us to say goodbye to our house on Hincks Street. We had not only put a lot of energy into making it our own, we really liked the space that we had created there. Thanks to the upgrading that was done on this house we are confident that very quickly this house will come to mean as much to us. On Friday, December 5th we had the MMBots team over for a barbeque (brai as it is called here) and an informal house blessing. As we gathered in the living room the banner from our commissioning service in Ontario was hanging on the wall. It seemed to be a very appropriate way of bringing together the blessing and sending words of our friends and family from home and the words of our new colleagues and friends here in Botswana.
Glyn has had several health concerns since we came back from the village. None of them serious but all needing attention. During his last days in the village he developed an ear infection which is still not cleared up. He also apparently bruised a muscle in his left shoulder during our move in June. This created pain when he would lift that arm up. He is seeing a physio therapist and has strict orders not to lift his arm above his head. It seems to be slowly getting better. He also had a slow growing spot on his leg which he had surgically removed. The pathologist report on that came back negative. Medical care here is very good and much faster than at home. Within a week of being here in Gaborone he had all of this looked after!
Tomorrow we are travelling to South Africa to attend a retreat with other MMBots workers and MCC workers from Zimbabwe. We are looking forward to this time of fellowship and fun! On our way home we are going to spend two days camping with another family in a game park. All of us are looking forward to seeing some of Africa’s real wildlife and spending more time with Tim and Laura Bertsche and their teenage children Mica and Eric. The Bertsche’s are long time AIMM missionaries here in Botswana and are concluding their time and returning to North America in January. We will return here to spend Christmas in Gaborone. It is going to be difficult to celebrate so far away from family and friends and in the heat but we find some ways!
We are thankful for all of your emails and contact. (Yes, we’ve even had some sent by the post!) Now that we are easily accessible to email we will be able to respond better. We got our first phone call from Canada from Susan’s family the other day. That was exciting! There are apparently some really cheap long distance cards in Canada that make phoning reasonable. Unfortunately calling from here to there is very expensive. We are also very thankful for your prayers. As we look back on this past year it has been a year packed full of anticipation of new things and yet lots of grief and sadness as we said goodbye to people and possessions! (The people being much more important!) We continue to be in awe of the way in which God called us here and how God made the way possible. We keep returning to a scripture from Isaiah which was shared with us as we were in the turbulent place of making decisions.
Those of steadfast mind you keep in peace - in peace because they trust in you. Is. 26:3
We have indeed experienced God’s peace during this past year and will continue to place our trust in God to guide us. As we look forward there are lots of new opportunities that will provide challenges for all of us. The girls have been accepted into Thornhill Primary School and will begin school in January. (The school year in Botswana goes from January to December.) Once the girls are settled in school we will focus once again on language learning and setting direction for future ministry opportunities. In January we begin a three month season of saying good bye to two AIMM long term missionary families and one MCC couple. When all have left our team will be half the size that it has been. As you can imagine this has all kinds of implications for ministry and for friendship support. We would covet your prayers for those who are leaving and those who are staying.
We also hope and pray that you too are experiencing the peace of God especially during this advent season. May you sense God’s love anew this Christmas.
Blessings and peace to you,
Susan, Glyn, Maeyken and Adriaena