Wet

The Second week of my stay at Rehoboth could be described in one word...wet! Having being ridiculed by friends and family for bringing four long sleeved jumpers to South Africa in Summer, my decision seemed more than justified as the rain and wind continued. This led me away from any outdoor work planned for the week. My plan had been to finish the guttering around the houses and move onto the securing of the road into Rehoboth with a barrier and cemented beams. Instead I started up a music library that takes effect in 2 weeks. The idea is to have 10 CD cases with 5 CDs in. Then once a week the house mothers can borrow a case and have music to listen to for the week. This meant that someone had to find lots of music to put into these CDs. And seeing as the weather had set in, that became my task.
The bad weather also allowed me to spend a lot of time in the baby creche. The baby creche ranges from babies (funnily enough) all the way to 3 year olds. I love being in baby creche. The kids just want to play and have fun. Even if it does involve scooping plastecine from their mouths and trying to explain why we shouldn't paint our faces purple. We have such good fun, just reading, playing and generally being with the kids.
The incessant rain also let me spend time with the older children that the group from church spent so much time with last year. It's a very humbling experience to sit with only 2 or 3 kids and begin reading a story. And as the story progresses more and more children come around, not necessarily to understand the story but just to be with their friends, laughing at the pictures and at the way the portly, geordie narrator goes over the top with the storytelling.
A big talking point of the week has been the Lake Eland bike race this Sunday (14th). Alfons and Ryan are taking part and so many trips have been taken in the rain preparing for the 45km race. Obviously with my athletic build, i would have jumped at the chance, but some things aren't meant to be.
Evenings at Rehoboth, scarcely equal quiet time. With such a wide range of people and characters there is always something new to do, somewhere new to go. Monday night was spent at the van der Galien household (yvonne and alfons) after a trip to the local KFC. Tuesday was another chance to go to the deliverance course at the Margate church, Gates of Praise. The leader of the course Steve, a man involved in deliverance for 17 years pulls no punches in his sometimes aggressive and boisterous seminars. His topic is not for the faint of hearted either. His focus is on what people need deliverance from, whether it be greed, jealousy, anger or other things. Now, having attended last week, leaving the church my head was in such a state I couldn't agree on the colour of grass, so intense the seminar was. So this week i came armed with a pen and paper and made notes of what he said and what he meant. Having re-read the notes it seems to make more and more sense. The final session is on Tuesday where we can ask questions and have open discussions. If anyone else is like me and has reams of questions, I think a sleeping bag might be in order. Wednesday night was cell night. It was very much a depleted number compared to the first week I went, but the discussion topic was nevertheless very insightful. It was about God's image of the church. Would God look at the church today and shake his head? Would God endorse the squabbling that occurs in almost every church? What can we do to get our churches back on to the right path? Answers on the back of a postcard please. Thursday night was a lovely evening where Ryan and Reece invited me for supper at their house. It was lovely spending the evening with such lovely, God-filled people. The food and fellowship left me in no doubt that I was meant to be here.
The weather did pick up at the weekend with temperatures reaching 36c on Saturday and higher on Sunday. Summer is well and truly on its way.
The weekend has, however been about one thing and one thing only...rugby! With the talk of 1995 on the lips of every South African, the dreams of millions hanging in the balance, the country has been completely enveloped in the possibility that South Africa might win the Rugby World Cup, 12 years after Joel Stransky gave it a good old lick at Ellis Park in front of Madiba! At the time of writing this entry South Africa are in the final and playing England, and sorry to those of you that thought I would support the men in white, my blood runs green and gold!

Until next week

Rob