Peggy’s Blog

On Tusday morning I spent time with a Lyttelton MC group called Friends Who Care.  These women knit and sew for a month and then gather together to prepare the items to go to the Ford Care Centre.  ‘They sew on heart shaped labels that say ‘Jesus Loves You. They make scarves, baby jumpers, toys, blankets and many other items.  Yesterdays they sent off 363 items…their work for the month of May!  Lynne and I went to the Centre with the Tibi, the social worker in charge.  The centre is located at the gates of a large automotive plant.  Ford donates the facility and pays for utilities.  The children’s aspect of the centre’s work is directed by the same program that directs the work in Olievenhoutbosch under the auspices of Child Welfare.  The program is called Isandandwana or Eye on the Children.  It is partly funded by a US grant from a fund set up by George Bush…miracles never cease!  There is also an HIV/AIDS support group.  The members do beautiful bead work.  (You will see samples.)  Lynne then took me to the Pretoria city centre Methodist Church which also serves as the District office.  There is an extensive HIV/AIDS program there.  They offer testing, counselling and a respite unit with 6 beds.  They also have a childcare programme and an after school programme.  Additionally, they have built low cost housing units above the church.  All of this is on the church premises while the have a beautiful home for six children about a mile or two away.

Today, I visited the Lyttelton police station with Brian (Lynne’s colleague).  Brian is part of a community relations team.  I met the full time chaplain who holds the rank of seargant and the Senior Officer. 

 Then I met Helen from Cornwall Hill Methodist Church (another church in the same circuit as Lyttelton) who took me to visit the children’s program they began early this year.  The program finds foster care and adoptive homes for orphaned and vulnerable children.  All of the people involved in these programs have an incredible spirit of love and compassion.

Yesterday was Pentecost and I attended two services at Lyttelton Methodist Church.  The morning service was a meaningful celebration of one of my favourite Sundays in the Christian year.  But it was the afternoon vernacular service that will remain in my mind, heart and spirit.  The vernacular service was attended by about 15 women.  Lindy tells me they are mostly domestic workers.  Most of them belong to an organisation called Manyano which is like our Network.  They wear lovely red and white uniforms.  The service was mostly in Xhosa.  The readings and the notices were done in Sotho as well.  I must tell you that Lynne reads quite fluently in Xhosa.  In her sermon (in English) Lynne spoke of the inclusivity of the Pentecost message.  The service was a living, breathing experience of Pentecost for me.  I know not a word of Xhosa or Sotho but I sure had head and heart knowledge of the presence of the Holy Spirit.  I only wish I could have recorded the service.  I hope I can find a CD with The Lord’s Prayer sung in Xhosa!  The singing lifted us sky high.  In his response to my last Epistle Raymond Wilson mentions the distinctive rythm of African music.  (He also mentions my lousy spelling.)  It may suprise him to know that even I could keep the beat (with a little help from a woman sitting nearby).  She kept the beat on a what looked like a small leather bound pillow that resounded with a distinctive ‘thud.’  I had a go and did pretty well.  (Though the child in front of me thought it was funny.)  After Lynne spoke the blessing we all had to move forward greeting everyone.  This was all done while singing and dancing.  We all danced out of the church and sang some more before praying.  It was a spiritual high!

This morning we packed food parcels.  Those of you at Museum Street have seen the bags.  Believe me they are packed full.  The parcels and the blankets were taken to Olievenhoutbosch this afternoon.  My friends at Turvey Abbey in Bedfordshire are reading the blog and have offered to buy some more blankets.  I am very grateful for their participation in our project.  I have two more very busy days of learning and experiencing and look forward to sharing them with you.  Sorry I have still not sorted the picture problem on my end…hope springs eternal. 

As promised I would like to tell you a bit more about my visit to Olivienhoutbosch yesterday.  I mentioned that there was a special service in the morning to remember those who had died of AIDS related illnesses, to encourage those who were ill and to educate them about the services available to them.  The service was held in the Community of Hope Church.  This was a surprise to my hosts as well as me.  It lasted for three hours and I only wish I had a tape recorder so you could here the singing.  I am going to look for some CD’s so you can get a bit of an idea of the power of the African music.  I did manage to recognise and sing ‘This Little Light of Mine.’  The service was attended by adults, school children and some tiny children.  I had fun playing with the little ones until Lindy directed my attention back to the speaker!  The preacher was young and dynamic.  Thankfully, he spoke in English with a translator who spoke Zulu.  I remember him quoting President Thabo Mbeke saying:  ‘HIV/AIDS is not my problem…it is everybody’s problem.’  To quote John Donne: ‘No man is an island.’  There were some skits that went over my head not the least because one of them was done in Zulu.  They amused those gathered considerably.  A ‘Granny Choir’ sang and danced.  A group of high school boys did a highly energetic dance in which they slapped their boots to create the rythm…’Lord of the Dance’ African style?  Two women spoke about living with HIV/AIDS.  I emphasise the word living because the spirit of the service was life.  In a very meaningful moment candles were let in remembrance and prayers were said.  It was a privilege to take part in the service.  There was even a picnic lunch afterward!  In the afternoon I walked around the township with Sylvia and Lobasa. I am almost certain I have not spelled Lobasa’s name correctly.  My pronunciation made her laugh heartily.  She knew I was trying.  She is Xhosa and has promised me lessons in her language next time we meet.  She and Sylvia are two of forty carers who were recruited from the community to help Child Welfare in their work.  I met three families whose photos and stories I will be sharing with you when I return.  It is difficult in photos or words to express to you the vastness of these townships.  I was first aware of them in the Cape when I saw they went along for miles along the motorway.  Many of the people do not have Identification papers.  Pauline came to the township from a rural area where records are poorly kept (if at all).  She and her three children have no papers.  Her oldest, a boy, is now 18 and must get ID papers of his own.  But he faces a lot of red tape.  Child Welfare just does not have enough staff to help in such cases.  Without ID Pauline is unable to access some of the benefits which might be due to her.  She said to Sylvia who was interpreting:  “This white lady says she wants to help, but ‘Where is the help?’, I do not see it.”  It sounded very feeble when I responded that I was learning about her needs so we and others far away would know how to help.  I have asked that she receive some of the blankets I will buy on behalf of Museum Street that I mentioned yesterday and that she get an emergency food package as well.  It may be possible that she and her family are added to the list of regular families that recieve our food parcels.  The delivery of food to make up the parcels has just arrived.  I will be helping to pack the parcels on Monday morning.  Today Lynne took me to the Methodist Church in the township where there is a soup kitchen on Friday mornings.  It was quite an efficient operation which served many people.  Organisers Ann and Di told me they had been operating for seven years.  I am really happy I can communicate with you in this way.  Please keep those who do not have internet access posted. And please respond to me with your thoughts and questions.

Thank you all for your comments.  It is good to know you are reading the blog.  I have been very busy for the last three days but will have time tomorrow to catch up with reading and writing.  I will send a more detailed message tomorrow.  Today I will just tell you that I visited Soweto yesterday and spent today in Olivienhoutbosch where our work with Lyttleton MC is based.  We learned when we arrived this morning that there was to be a candle lighting service for those who had died of HIV/AIDS related illnesses.  It lasted three hours and was quite an experience…more details tomorrow.  I spent a few hours in the afternoon with two carers who took me to meet several families.  I hope my relating of their stories and the photos I took will help you to understand what life is like in the townships.  It has been very cold here in South Africa and there is a great need for blankets.  I have offered to buy 12 on your behalf to meet a very immediate need.  I saw a newspaper headline yesterday which referred to a number of deaths from the cold already.  More tomorrow when I have had a chance to get my thoughts together.