Sunday Evening, Day 4

It is around 7:00 pm and the sun is setting behind the mountain. It has been mostly sunny, low 70's, with a quick shower around noon. Another beautiful day in the neighborhood of Fish Hoek.
Joe again, "fetched me round" for church at KOKs this morning. It was a contemporary service and again had a missionary speaker. Their mission celebration will conclude this evening. The congregation is a good mix of the different people in the area, but is predominately white. It is very much like an International church. It seems there are many active and retired mission personnel from all kinds of sending agencies who are part of their congregation. After service, I was handed off to two of them. No one wants me to be lonely until Wendy returns.
Susie, from Colorado, works full time in Christian media under a group called HCJB(C?) Global. I'm not exactly sure of the last letter and for what they stand. Guess I should Google it and see. I do know there is a local station in Fish Hoek and Susie also works with Living Hope, I think, in some capacity through the mission committee of KOK. She has been here a number of years.
Pat is from Asheville, NC and has been here for 20 months. She came first as a volunteer for two weeks with a mission team from the Baptist association in Asheville in 2005. Pat is a retired Kindergarten teacher and EMT who has worked on a rescue squad in the Asheville area for 20 yrs. While here, the team was part of a prayer meeting at KOK. They divided into random small groups in which each person was to tell what they were relying on God to do in their life or what was their greatest need. Pat's group include Pastor John Thomas who sat facing her. When it was his term to share, he looked across at Pat and replied that God had laid it on his heart, that very day, to seek a medical person who could also drive an ambulance. No one had told him what Pat did. He only knew she was one of the team from NC, nothing more. It was simply a God thing! Before her two weeks were up, Pat had called her son at home and told him she was coming home but would be returning to work with Living Hope. She came a year later committed to two yrs. She returns to NC in Dec. to spend some time with family but will be returning to Fish Hoek, maybe permanently.
From KOK, at 11:00, the three of us went to Masiphumelele (Massie) for church. Massie is a few minutes away, across and down the road from the Living Hope Health Center. It is a Black shack settlement (think third world, low income housing) which houses almost double the population for whom it was built. Shoved between the rather nice original buildings are homes of any kind of materials possible. There are stick shacks, corrugated metal, shipping containers, etc. being used to house the people. The lucky ones own their homes and rent all available space to those who cannot own. Unemployment is about 80% and about 1/3 are known to be infected with Aids. Pat holds Children's Church each week during the service.
At 1:00 or so, we leave to have lunch at the mall behind KOK. It is Long John Silver's , South African style. The conversation is all American and a good deal Southern drawl. But, it may be one of the reasons I'm here. I get some very interesting insights to how things work between KOK church, Living Hope Ministry, and Evangeline Ministry and how some of the requirements for accredition of the health center are creating some tension. I know Wendy is much concerned about how to move to the future with Evangeline Ministry and has felt this tension building. She so wants to continue employment for the soon-to-be graduates, but has been unsure of how to proceed. Maybe an outside view will bring a different ,and hopefully, helpful perspective.
Back to the apartment around 3:00 to read and blog. I curl up on the sofa, just to warm my feet while reading South African poetry, and wake an hour later! I'm not tried, just totally relaxed for the first time in a long time. Why do we insist on pushing ourselves all the time?
The contest has had my desired results. You are posting comments for me to read. Keep them coming, I love it. This cyberspace stuff is great! Oh yes, an "organogram" is an organizational chart. Some of you Googled that one. But, "robot" is still up for grab.
I tried replying to your post through email, but they are bouncing back. Jane and Terry, thanks for your friendship and support. Martha, I love you sis! My "anonymous" son, daughter-in-law, and "Little One" (we really can't keep calling an almost 8 yr old that, maybe "Middle Bit") I love you and I'm praying for your decision. Diane and Pam, get those pumpkins moving! Glad to hear the unloading went well and give my thanks to the Tues. Grace crew for the tremendous job. Tell Marilyn how much I appreciate her pitching in. Thank you Ann, for "holding the ropes" and encouraging others to do so. Thanks "Rabbi" David for your support. To my daughter and grandsons, I love you. Post a comment to your old Grandma. Joe, we'll keep emailing! I love you! And for others who are reading and praying, thank you all.
Cape Town Seamstress