It seems that before we can continue forward with our time here in South Africa, we must first backtrack a teeny bit. From about October 15 to October 24, G & E from Dallas and Mar & Court from Indianapolis came for a wonderful visit. G & Mar are both friends from the Baylor days & both were roommates in Indy.
Some highlights include going on a game drive in Mossel Bay on the Indian Ocean (where an elephant sneezed on E!), wading around in the Indian & Atlantic oceans, lots of yummy seafood, whale-watching, climbing Table Mountain (where Mar climbed around on the cliffs), the Sunday craft market, great wine & driving frantically all over the Western Cape. On top of that, Mar actually went cage-diving with the great white sharks (Ugh! But he loved it.) and celebrated his 35th birthday!
We had a fantastic time with them and are grateful they came to see us & experience this place that is so close to our hearts.
Pictures to follow.
Monday, November 28, 2005
Tuesday, November 22, 2005
Words of Wisdom
Mr. O, the principal of Raithby Primary, is an amazing man. His love for the children in his school is obvious by the respect & love they show him. I commented on this to him as I was leaving the school after the final session with the kids. He responded with this:
"You should always treat children with tenderness for who they are & respect for who they may become."
Those are words of wisdom his father shared with him & that he lives out day to day with the children in his school. In my opinion, they are words we should heed.
"You should always treat children with tenderness for who they are & respect for who they may become."
Those are words of wisdom his father shared with him & that he lives out day to day with the children in his school. In my opinion, they are words we should heed.
Friday, November 18, 2005
More Raithby Photos...
Here are a few more photos that the kids took during the photo project. There are some of the "beautiful" ones, things they DID like. I've also included a picture of one of the kids taking a picture as well as a shot of all the kids (these last two I took).
Thursday, November 17, 2005
Raithby Photo Project
On November 4 & 5, I (mj) conducted a photo project with 18 sixth-graders from Raithby Primary School here in the Western Cape. My objective in this project was to challenge these children to alter their viewpoint, using photography as a tool to help them. To take interesting pictures, you have to look at things differently than they appear to most people. You have to be creative. You have to get down low or up high or up close. Sometimes you have to do this in life, too, in order to break a pattern or create opportunities.
I was interested in how these children viewed the world around them. How did they perceive their reality? What do they like about it? What don't they like?
Philippians 4:8 was a key scripture for me in this project...it talks about how we must focus on what is good & lovely & excellent & worthy of praise. THESE are the things we are to set our minds on.
On the first day of the project, I gave each child a disposable camera. We talked about some basic rules of photography, such as the Rule of Thirds, & how to use the camera. Mind you, most of these children have never used a camera before. We talked about why altering your perspective is important, in photography & in life. I told them they were going to go take an entire roll of film of the things they didn't like about where they live, what they thought was ugly. I told them I wanted them to SHOW me these things.
I chose one picture from each child to talk about...what I liked compositionally and such. Then on the second day, we looked at these pictures. I then gave them each another disposable camera & said that today they would go out & take pictures of what they DID like about where they lived, what they thought was good & beautiful.
Then on Tuesday, we went through a similar process of talking through their pictures. I also had them get into small groups with an adult facilitator to talk about each others' pictures. I wanted them to tell each other what they liked about the others' photos.
It was an amazing project, one I am polishing & editing & trying to make easier to duplicate in other places. Through the process, it turns out that not only were the kids impacted but also the adults who helped me out. That's what you want.
Below are a few pictures the kids took of what they thought was UGLY.
the rust on the car...
the broken glass...
the trash...
the rotting wood...
I was interested in how these children viewed the world around them. How did they perceive their reality? What do they like about it? What don't they like?
Philippians 4:8 was a key scripture for me in this project...it talks about how we must focus on what is good & lovely & excellent & worthy of praise. THESE are the things we are to set our minds on.
On the first day of the project, I gave each child a disposable camera. We talked about some basic rules of photography, such as the Rule of Thirds, & how to use the camera. Mind you, most of these children have never used a camera before. We talked about why altering your perspective is important, in photography & in life. I told them they were going to go take an entire roll of film of the things they didn't like about where they live, what they thought was ugly. I told them I wanted them to SHOW me these things.
I chose one picture from each child to talk about...what I liked compositionally and such. Then on the second day, we looked at these pictures. I then gave them each another disposable camera & said that today they would go out & take pictures of what they DID like about where they lived, what they thought was good & beautiful.
Then on Tuesday, we went through a similar process of talking through their pictures. I also had them get into small groups with an adult facilitator to talk about each others' pictures. I wanted them to tell each other what they liked about the others' photos.
It was an amazing project, one I am polishing & editing & trying to make easier to duplicate in other places. Through the process, it turns out that not only were the kids impacted but also the adults who helped me out. That's what you want.
Below are a few pictures the kids took of what they thought was UGLY.
the rust on the car...
the broken glass...
the trash...
the rotting wood...
Sunday, November 06, 2005
sometimes...
sometimes, when we are out walking, the dogs behind the fences that we pass bark at the black people in front of us but not at us...
i don't like it one bit.
i don't like it one bit.
Thursday, September 29, 2005
Back from America
Well, we have just returned from a fabulous trip back to the States! We had an awesome time with family and even got to see a few friends. I am happy to announce that we have a new sister-in-law who seems to make my brother D fly! D & S had a beautiful wedding. It was amazing to hear the impact they've made on so many people as we shared an evening all together. It will be exciting to see what they do together!
I am also happy to say that we have met the one and only grand-baby on our side face to face! Alek is awesome. He is absolutely beautiful. And I am honored to be his aunt. M & S were gracious to let me hold him and kiss him as much as I could! K & I are both so grateful for him.
So, you all probably want to see pictures of all the above! Well, as it seems this blog works, you will see the pictures before you actually read this entry. I hope you enjoy! They are a snippet of the time we had.
We are blessed.
I am also happy to say that we have met the one and only grand-baby on our side face to face! Alek is awesome. He is absolutely beautiful. And I am honored to be his aunt. M & S were gracious to let me hold him and kiss him as much as I could! K & I are both so grateful for him.
So, you all probably want to see pictures of all the above! Well, as it seems this blog works, you will see the pictures before you actually read this entry. I hope you enjoy! They are a snippet of the time we had.
We are blessed.
Friday, September 02, 2005
Dark Star Safari
I am in the midst of reading an intriguing book entitled Dark Star Safari by Paul Theroux. It is a book I gave K for his birthday and have finally picked up myself. Though I’m only a couple of chapters into it, Theroux throws out some tremendous zingers…great food for thought. So below are a few excerpts that particularly struck me. I’ve tried to set up the context where necessary. We’d love to hear your thoughts on any or all of it.
Over forty years ago, Theroux was a schoolteacher in the bush in Africa. He says that when he left, Africans were full of hope. However, as time has passed, he seemed be reading about the “massacres and earthquakes” causing Africa to fall even further behind the rest of civilization. Forty years later, after completing a trip from Cairo to Cape Town, he describes Africa in the following way:
“[It is] hungrier, poorer, less educated, more pessimistic, more corrupt, and you can’t tell the politicians from the witch doctors. Africans, less esteemed than ever, seemed to me the most lied-to people on earth – manipulated by their governments, burned by foreign experts, befooled by charities, and cheated at every turn. To be an African leader was to be a thief, but evangelists stole people’s innocence, and self-serving aid agencies gave them false hope, which seemed worse.”
Interesting.
“Though we [America] become hysterical at the thought that someone might bomb us, bombs that we explode elsewhere, in little countries far away, are just theater, of small consequence, another public performance of our White House, the event factory.”
“…the Internet and our age of information [have] destroyed the pleasure of discovery in travel.”
Some of you have read this book, I know. If you want to add some of your own quotes that struck you, we’d love to read them. Or please share your thoughts on the quotes here.
These are just a few thoughts to start. More to come…
Over forty years ago, Theroux was a schoolteacher in the bush in Africa. He says that when he left, Africans were full of hope. However, as time has passed, he seemed be reading about the “massacres and earthquakes” causing Africa to fall even further behind the rest of civilization. Forty years later, after completing a trip from Cairo to Cape Town, he describes Africa in the following way:
“[It is] hungrier, poorer, less educated, more pessimistic, more corrupt, and you can’t tell the politicians from the witch doctors. Africans, less esteemed than ever, seemed to me the most lied-to people on earth – manipulated by their governments, burned by foreign experts, befooled by charities, and cheated at every turn. To be an African leader was to be a thief, but evangelists stole people’s innocence, and self-serving aid agencies gave them false hope, which seemed worse.”
Interesting.
“Though we [America] become hysterical at the thought that someone might bomb us, bombs that we explode elsewhere, in little countries far away, are just theater, of small consequence, another public performance of our White House, the event factory.”
“…the Internet and our age of information [have] destroyed the pleasure of discovery in travel.”
Some of you have read this book, I know. If you want to add some of your own quotes that struck you, we’d love to read them. Or please share your thoughts on the quotes here.
These are just a few thoughts to start. More to come…
Thursday, August 25, 2005
Pictures from my parents' visit
My Parents' Visit
Today is August 25. My (M) parents were here in Stellenbosch for a visit from August 9-19 and we really had a fantastic time with them. We were able to get our flat together enough for them to actually stay with us! (Yes, after years of wishing we had bought a place here, we finally bit the bullet.)
To give a recap of their visit, we were able to show them most of our favorite things and introduce them to most of our favorite people here in the Western Cape. Their visit fortunately or unfortunately coincided with the one week in our five months here where K & I had to be teaching at the two schools here (the sports school and the community transformation school). So they were able to see us in action. My dad was also able to spend some time teaching, which was great to see. And they both were able to spend some time getting to know the student leaders.
Our friend J is involved with some amazing projects here in South Africa as well as the continent as a whole. We were able to arrange for her to meet us and show my folks some of the work she is doing in the settlement of Kayamundi. Some of you might remember us giving you CDs of a group of AIDS orphans, the Kuyasa Kids, who were touring the States this summer from South Africa. This is part of what J is doing. It was a great opportunity to be able to share part of her vision with my parents.
On the more touristy side of things, we took the cable car up to Table Mountain, where we saw some fantastic views. We went to the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, which is this great…well…waterfront & working harbor, with restaurants and shops galore. We drove through the winelands, ate at wonderful restaurants, saw cheetahs that are part of the Cheetah Rescue, and visited Cape Point. And of course we stopped for a visit with the Jackass Penguins at the aptly named Boulders Beach.
Overall, it was a tremendous visit with them. They even celebrated our fourth wedding anniversary with us on August 17! We are eternally grateful that they made the trip in the midst of their own busyness (new job, new grandbaby, brother getting married at their house in four weeks). To be able to share this place with them, and anyone who visits, is to share a big piece of who we are.
Pictures should be directly above this entry...
To give a recap of their visit, we were able to show them most of our favorite things and introduce them to most of our favorite people here in the Western Cape. Their visit fortunately or unfortunately coincided with the one week in our five months here where K & I had to be teaching at the two schools here (the sports school and the community transformation school). So they were able to see us in action. My dad was also able to spend some time teaching, which was great to see. And they both were able to spend some time getting to know the student leaders.
Our friend J is involved with some amazing projects here in South Africa as well as the continent as a whole. We were able to arrange for her to meet us and show my folks some of the work she is doing in the settlement of Kayamundi. Some of you might remember us giving you CDs of a group of AIDS orphans, the Kuyasa Kids, who were touring the States this summer from South Africa. This is part of what J is doing. It was a great opportunity to be able to share part of her vision with my parents.
On the more touristy side of things, we took the cable car up to Table Mountain, where we saw some fantastic views. We went to the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, which is this great…well…waterfront & working harbor, with restaurants and shops galore. We drove through the winelands, ate at wonderful restaurants, saw cheetahs that are part of the Cheetah Rescue, and visited Cape Point. And of course we stopped for a visit with the Jackass Penguins at the aptly named Boulders Beach.
Overall, it was a tremendous visit with them. They even celebrated our fourth wedding anniversary with us on August 17! We are eternally grateful that they made the trip in the midst of their own busyness (new job, new grandbaby, brother getting married at their house in four weeks). To be able to share this place with them, and anyone who visits, is to share a big piece of who we are.
Pictures should be directly above this entry...
Wednesday, August 24, 2005
MJ's First Rugby Game
TriNations Rugby is big time rugby. Australia, NewZealand & South Africa battle for bragging rights inthe rugby world. South Africa is the defending TriNations champs. New Zealand is ranked No. 1 in the world.
New Zealand played South Africa in Cape Town’s Newlands Stadium. Our friend A got us 2 tickets right on the goal line (or the tri line as it is called) for the big game. It was amazing. I’ve never been to the Super Bowl but I have been to the Indy 500 & the NBA Playoff’s many times. This beat those experiences hands down.
The weather was perfect, overcast & in the 50’s. The energy was amazing. 40-some thousand Springbok fans mixed with some vocal All Black fans. The All Blacks were picked to win. The Springboks had only beaten the All Blacks at Newlands 6 times in the last 50 or more years. The All Blacks finished their warm up with the fearsome Haka war song & the Springboks just stood there & took it.
Within the first 15 minutes, SA was up 13 to nil. By half time it was tied. Needless to say I was a bit tense. I hate close games & I hate for my team to lose. But then again, even if the Springboks lost, we got to see the All Blacks. In the 2nd half, the Springboks took the lead & held on for the next 40 minutes. Yes, the Springboks won 22-16. Yes, we couldn’t believe it. & yes, we were there. This coming Saturday is the big day now as SA plays NZ in NZ. & SA could clinch the TriNations championship with a win & defend their title for the first time.
We were & are so excited that we are planning onnaming our next wonder-dog “Bokke” after the beloved Springboks!
That was not a bad first game for MJ to watch. Thanks A. (For 7,000 bonus points, find the BobFest T-shirt in one of these pictures.)
Wortelgat
So now that K & I are finally getting caught up with emails, we can get the blog more up to date! We need to do a little backtracking, starting with our week at Wortelgat (which means "root hole") with the sports school...
From July 29 to August 3, we were out an adventure camp called Wortelgat. Here, the students at the sports leadership school get to know each other. Most of them have literally just arrived from the airport (if they haven't arrived two weeks earlier for English lessons) and are dropped on the shore for their first team-building exercise. Their task: to find camp. In the first picture, you will see our friend P, who leads them through the week, pointing in the general direction of camp. Please look closely at the expressions of the faces of everyone as what they are to do is sinking in...
In the other pictures, you will see other team-building exercises, some more intense than others. Of course, K got in some good table tennis time.
We always are thrilled to be with the students for this first week together because they really must put aside their cultural and language differences to find ways to work together in what are usually very physical and challenging tasks. They must address their own fears of heights and of water, to name a few. They must cook their own dinner one night, participate in multiple "hippo" swims early in the morning in a cold bay of the Indian Ocean, and sleep outside in a shelter they constructed.
It is always a fantastic lead into the partnership training K & I facilitate the next week. Enjoy the pictures.
From July 29 to August 3, we were out an adventure camp called Wortelgat. Here, the students at the sports leadership school get to know each other. Most of them have literally just arrived from the airport (if they haven't arrived two weeks earlier for English lessons) and are dropped on the shore for their first team-building exercise. Their task: to find camp. In the first picture, you will see our friend P, who leads them through the week, pointing in the general direction of camp. Please look closely at the expressions of the faces of everyone as what they are to do is sinking in...
In the other pictures, you will see other team-building exercises, some more intense than others. Of course, K got in some good table tennis time.
We always are thrilled to be with the students for this first week together because they really must put aside their cultural and language differences to find ways to work together in what are usually very physical and challenging tasks. They must address their own fears of heights and of water, to name a few. They must cook their own dinner one night, participate in multiple "hippo" swims early in the morning in a cold bay of the Indian Ocean, and sleep outside in a shelter they constructed.
It is always a fantastic lead into the partnership training K & I facilitate the next week. Enjoy the pictures.
Monday, August 22, 2005
Sunday, August 21, 2005
The newest H has arrived!
At roughly 2:02am EST this morning, A was born into the world. He was 9lbs and 6.6oz, 21 inches long. He's very busy exploring his new surroundings, nursing and trying to figure out how to focus on things. S is doing great after her C-section. Both she and my brother M are in awe at this little miracle.
My parents are heading to the hospital this afternoon and have promised to take pictures of him and send them on. Upon receiving them, I will promptly post them on the blog.
He had lots of prayers over him and we are grateful for his safe arrival. We get to meet him in just four short weeks.
That's all for now.
Uncle K and Aunt Mimi
My parents are heading to the hospital this afternoon and have promised to take pictures of him and send them on. Upon receiving them, I will promptly post them on the blog.
He had lots of prayers over him and we are grateful for his safe arrival. We get to meet him in just four short weeks.
That's all for now.
Uncle K and Aunt Mimi
Wednesday, August 10, 2005
quick update
quick update from africa....we are well.
the weather is beautiful. the wine is great & so is the rugby.
m's folks arrived last night for 10 days. we are teaching partnership at the sports school right now & start teaching at the community transformation school on friday. the people at the schools are amazing. leaders from malaysia, curacao, egypt, kenya, ukraine, sudan & everywhere in-between.
we spent last week team building with the sports guys out in the bush. it was great except for the morning hippo swims in freezing water.
we saw the south african springboks beat the new zealand all blacks in rugby on saturday, which was brilliant!
look for pictures soon.
that's about it. pray for us, we are praying for you.
come see us & be well.
kj+mb
the weather is beautiful. the wine is great & so is the rugby.
m's folks arrived last night for 10 days. we are teaching partnership at the sports school right now & start teaching at the community transformation school on friday. the people at the schools are amazing. leaders from malaysia, curacao, egypt, kenya, ukraine, sudan & everywhere in-between.
we spent last week team building with the sports guys out in the bush. it was great except for the morning hippo swims in freezing water.
we saw the south african springboks beat the new zealand all blacks in rugby on saturday, which was brilliant!
look for pictures soon.
that's about it. pray for us, we are praying for you.
come see us & be well.
kj+mb
Wednesday, July 27, 2005
Pictures from Table Mountain
Here are a few pictures from our hike up Table Mountain two Sundays ago. It was brutal but gorgeous.
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