October 24th, 2008

I just looked back to see when I last sent an up-date and it looks like it has been over a month. Where does time go?

   We attended the annual conference of the churches in South Africa in September. It was a long journey. We drove there on Tuesday and drove home on Saturday and Sunday. Michael taught a class and we attended the worship sessions.

   Monday through Friday of the next week, Michael and I were involved in a Scripture Union Life Skills course for about 250 grade 9 pupils at Port Shepstone High School. We served as facilitators for small groups for about two and a half hours each day. One day I also presented when Diane had to be away and one day we filled in for facilitators who couldn’t be there for their session. By the end of the week we were exhausted, but it was a good week. In many schools Life Skills based on Christian values have been stopped, but the principal came in one day to say thank you to the facilitators and to assure us that he really appreciates what we are doing, adding that he hopes the program can continue long into the future.

    We have made two trips to Eshowe since we last wrote. The first one was for the teaching weekend. Two of the three churches met and it went well. Cold weather and rain caused a bit of problem for us as the road was treacherous on Saturday night when we went out. It dried a bit on Sunday so was better. The second time we went we met with the church that refused to come to the teaching. There are still some serious rifts between the leaders and each one blames the other two for all the problems!! Michael keeps trying to get them to meet together so they can resolve the problems and will continue to do so. Pray for wisdom and patience for him.

    Our lives have been turned upside down this week. When we went to the high school for the regular Tuesday morning devotions Simphiwe, one of the grade 9 girls that we have know since grade 7, told us that she had moved in with one of the teachers. Her mother died several years ago and her father remarried. He lives about four hours away from here, but they sent her to live with her step-grandmother. It has not been a happy situation. Recently a neighbor girl has been bullying her at school. We also know the “bully”, who is an orphan and has some serious issues in her life.

   Thursday morning when we woke up we heard someone calling from the gate. It was Simphiwe. At first she wouldn’t even talk to us, but eventually we learned that she had run away from the teacher’s house the previous day. She had walked about 25 miles that day and found our house late at night. We were not at home so a neighbor took her in for the night and then she came to our house in the morning. When she arrived, we contacted the school and they were glad to learn that she was safe.

   We spent the rest of the day trying to find out what to do. Late in the afternoon we learned that we had to get permission from the police to keep her at our house, so they came to see us and agreed that she could stay here. This morning the police came to take her to school and then to Child Welfare. Her father and step-mother drove down today and met us at the police station late this afternoon to discuss the future. The result is that for the next 5 or 6 weeks we will be fostering her. That way she will be able to finish the school year here. She says that she will never go back to her father, but we will meet with him and the social worker to make a decision about that after she finishes exams. Pray for us. It has been a long time since we had a teen-ager in our home - and we have never had such a troubled teen-ager. We need to be wise in how we handle her from the beginning.

Caryl and Michael

 

 

September, 2008

We have had a frustrating couple of weeks. Two weeks ago today we had no running water at our house. When we called to find out what the problem was, we were told that because of a power outage they were having trouble with some pumps that supply water to the reservoir. We assumed that they would quickly take care of the problem and we would have water soon. Well, that was not to be. When we called a couple of days later they said they had a major problem with pumps and they had no idea when it would be repaired. They sent a water tanker around the neighborhood and we could fill any containers we had. Later they put up a large tank about two blocks from our house and we could go there and get water. One day we realized the tank was gone and assumed the water corporation had removed it for some reason. A couple of days later we saw them erecting another tank – and learned that the first tank had been stolen! (Only in Africa!!) Over the past two weeks we have had water three times – all from about midnight until early in the morning. Finally, late yesterday afternoon the water came back on and so far we still have water. I still hold my breath when I turn on the faucet until I see water actually come out.

   We learned how dependent we are on running water. I don’t think any of us realize how much water we use until we don’t have it. Washing dishes in a small basin and trying to clean vegetables with as little water as possible was a real challenge. Life just takes longer when one has to carry all the water in and to heat water for washing dishes and bathing. We took laundry to Dina one day, and managed to get several loads done at home early one morning when we happened to have running water.

   I spent a few days at Oribi Bible Camp recently. Mpume, Busi and I cooked for 70 people at a camp sponsored by Scripture Union. It is tiring and I put in long days when I do this, but I really enjoy it. Unfortunately, I had to leave early on the last day as I had a sore on my leg and had been advised to see a doctor urgently. I went to see a clinic nurse twice thinking it was a spider bite, but it was getting worse instead of better. We still don’t know what caused it, but probably it was an insect bite that got infected. After well over $100 worth of medicine, I am on the mend.

   Tomorrow (Saturday, September 20) we will be going to Eshowe for our monthly trip. We expected all three congregations to meet together. They asked for special lessons for the men (taught by Michael) and for the women (taught by me.) Today we learned that one group does not want to participate as they were not included in the planning of the meetings. Tonight we are getting rain which we desperately need. However, the roads to the place where we are going are not good at any time and worse when it rains. Pray for safety for us as we travel and pray for Michael and me as we teach. Pray that those who come will be blessed by the teaching and fellowship.

   Please pray for the annual Church of Christ Mission conference which will be held in Graaff Reinet from September 29 until October 5. There will be meetings, preaching, teaching and fellowship. Pray for those involved in leading the conference. There are some tough issues that need to be dealt with, especially financial matters. The situation is complicated by the fact that there seem to be some who do not want to deal with these issues. We will only be there from Wednesday because Michael has another meeting on Monday and it will take us all day Tuesday to drive there.

Caryl and Michael

 

 

August 10th, 2008

Schools have reopened for the third term so we go out on Tuesdays so Michael can lead the morning devotions at the high school. Over the past couple of weeks we have discovered that two girls (sisters) that we have met at the schools are facing a very bad home situation. Their parents have both passed away and they were living with an aunt and uncle. They left the house because they say their aunt and uncle collect a government grant to care for them, but don’t use it to help them. They don’t even provide necessary clothes. Michael has spoken to the primary school principal and she said that these girls are only two of many in the community facing the same problems. We are not sure how to deal with the problem, but are happy that the girls feel comfortable coming to share their problems with us. Pray that we will be wise in dealing with this situation.

   Steve and Brenda Caulley came here on Thursday night before the missionary retreat. Michael and Steve went to teach at one of the churches about three hours south of Port Shepstone. They left on Friday morning and returned on Sunday encouraged by the great interest shown in the classes they taught. There was also evidence of a spiritual revival among church elders. Brenda stayed with me while they were away.

   This past week was our annual missionary retreat. Early this year a missionary contacted us and asked about the retreat and asked if we knew we were supposed to organize it. We weren’t at the last retreat, so we didn’t know! However, we managed to organize a speaker and we enjoyed the week. We stayed at a retreat center near Port Shepstone from Monday evening until Friday morning. There were only 11 of us this year, but we had a Bible Study, preaching, singing, and fellowship. One afternoon we took everyone on an outing to Oribi Gorge Nature Reserve, Oribi Bible Camp and the Oribi Gorge Hotel for tea.

    Continue to pray for our family. Diane went away for a few days. She decided that she should go while she was still on compassionate leave in July. She went to Johannesburg to visit Mac’s cousin and a couple who had been involved with Mac in music. Then she went to Cape Town to visit her cousin and some friends there. She is making some adjustments in her life, but she says she still cries a lot. She started back at work on Monday.

   JP was ill for a couple of weeks. He apparently got a virus and it affected his liver and spleen. He is on the mend now. Dawn is doing well. She really enjoys her teaching this year.

   Dina and Sean are very concerned about the girls’ education. They have seen some problems and are hoping to move the girls to a better school as soon as possible. There are three options, an expensive private school, a public school that has written their names on a waiting list, and a Christian school that might be able to accept the children next year, but where transport to and from school are a challenge to be overcome. We are praying for wisdom to find the best solution.

Caryl and Michael

 

 

 

July 5th, 2008

We really enjoyed the visit of the American team. They were only here for parts of two days, so it wasn’t really long enough to do all we wanted to do. They had a picnic on the beach on Saturday after they arrived and then Michael and Sean took them to see the Oribi Gorge nature reserve. On Sunday we visited an African church service and enjoyed a meal provided by the church ladies.

   Our plans for the rest of the month of June didn’t quite work out as we had planned.

   We were on the way to Eshowe when we got called back to the hospital on June 7 as Mac’s condition had deteriorated. After he passed away on June 9 we spent a lot of time with Diane, helping her to arrange the memorial service and taking care of business. Dawn and JP have moved from their apartment to Diane’s house. They will stay with her until she decides what to do.

   Mac’s passing changed some of our plans and we did not go to Kimberley for the South African Bible Institute Board of Governors meeting and the Annual General Meeting. In the end the AGM was held and three new board members were elected. One is a former student and teacher, one is a former student, and one is a previous board member. The new board met that same day to discuss some of the urgent issues.

   At the end of June we went to Eshowe. Michael met with the three elders on Saturday afternoon and had a very profitable meeting. On Sunday Michael preached for the congregation at Mvuzane and we had a good service.

   This past week was KwaZuluNatal youth camp. It was held at a primary school near Port Shepstone. We went to do teaching on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. Michael also went on Thursday and then today he met with the KwaZuluNatal ministers. Since it is close to home, we have been able to come home and sleep here instead of on the floor of the school building!

   Next week Michael will travel back to Eshowe for another meeting with the elders there. I will be cooking for a Scripture Union camp for high school students at the Oribi Bible Camp.

   The schools are on winter break for two weeks. Then we will resume our work with the schools in the Umzumbe area.

   Continue to pray for Diane. She has had to make a lot of adjustments. Pray for our travels and activities.

   Thank you to all who sent messages of condolence. We really appreciate them. As the cards and messages arrive, we realize how many people have been impacted by what we have gone through. We are blessed to have Christian family around the world who have upheld us in prayer during this time. Thank you.

Caryl and Michael

 

March 19, 2008

We have safely returned from more traveling. We attended the annual Ministers’ Week at Postmasburg in the Northern Cape. We took the chairman of the Church of Christ Mission and his wife with us. They came to our house on Friday evening and we traveled to Kimberley on Saturday. We stayed the night there and then traveled on to Postmasburg on Sunday morning. We arrived just in time for the morning service. I think there were a few sighs of relief when we arrived as Michael was the preacher that morning.

    Throughout the week there were devotions and a class each morning. There were also worship services and lots of meetings. We were very impressed with how well the church people worked together to provide for us. The meals were very good and they also managed to be on time in spite of the difficulty of cooking outdoors.

    No one had planned the program for the women so they asked if I would teach a lesson one day. Fortunately, I have learned to be prepared and did have some notes with me. I felt the lesson went well and all the ladies participated in the discussion. I really enjoyed the fellowship and times of getting better acquainted with the ministers’ wives.

    The next big event is Easter and we will have a busy weekend. The churches of KwaZuluNatal will meet together in the Durban area. We will go up on Friday. During the day there will be a long service (from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.) in which there will be sermons on the seven last words of Christ from the cross. After a big meal, there will be an evening service. Then on Saturday there will be classes and meetings. They have asked both Michael and me to teach on Saturday. By Saturday evening we will be in Eshowe for our monthly visit to the churches there. On our way home on Sunday, we will stop in Durban to pick up the people we take from Umzumbe to attend the services there.

   Next week we will be flying to Cape Town as Michael’s sister’s daughter is getting married there on March 29. Several months ago we decided that all of our family would fly down to Cape Town and spend a week so we could enjoy a family holiday at the same time as the wedding. We are all really looking forward to it. With Mac’s health we are still a bit uncertain as to what he will be able to do, but we are continuing with the plan for a family holiday. Mac is in the hospital again because he has been in a lot of pain. The latest news is that they will continue the chemotherapy though the oncologist says it is simply buying a bit more time. We continue to pray for a miracle.

    Please pray for the meetings this week-end that God will bless all who attend and give safety on the road. Easter is one of the biggest holidays in South Africa and there are a lot of people traveling. Also pray that we will have a safe trip to Cape Town and that we will all be able to enjoy the time together as a family.

Caryl and Michael

 

 

 

Feb 6, 2008

It has been a while since I have written an email, so this will try to catch you up on our activities so far this year.

   We have traveled quite a lot already this year and there are more trips coming up. So far we have had safe, though not uneventful, trips.

   On the 6th of January we went to Umzumbe for church. It was a rainy, miserable day and no one came to church. We had communion and came home.

   On the 13th of January we took three of the ladies from Umzumbe to Estcourt for a funeral. The wife of the former minister there had passed away. When we first came to South Africa we often went to Estcourt and Mrs. Sithebe was very kind to us. She had a very difficult life and yet was always smiling and joyful. We will certainly miss her.

   On the 19th and 20th of January we went to the Eastern Cape for a church service. We picked up the minister and his wife and traveled about 2 hours on a gravel road to a very deep rural area. There was no electricity, but we had a great worship service there. On the trip home we suffered a vehicle breakdown which forced us to stay overnight with the minister and his wife. Diane and Mac rescued us the next day. We will write a report on that in the next South Africa Torch.

   On the 27th of January we were in Eshowe for our monthly visit. Although the attendance was small we had a good worship service. The elder invited us and two other couples from the church to lunch and we were able to have a good discussion about issues in the three churches in that area.

   Last weekend Michael traveled to Umtata. Two of the elders there are doing studies through South African Bible Institute and needed to write exams. South African Bible Institute asked Michael to administer the exams. He left Umtata quite late on Sunday and only arrived home after 1 in the morning!

   Tomorrow (Thursday) we will leave for Kimberley. The South African Bible Institute Board Of Governors meeting is Friday afternoon and Michael is a member of the Board. On Saturday we will also attend the graduation of the students from 2006 and 2007.

   Mac and Diane continue with a real “roller-coaster” life. At the beginning of January the doctors told Mac that there was nothing more they could do for him. Then later in the month he had scans and he was told that the cancer was gone in the left lung - though there is scar tissue - and that there was some scar tissue, but less cancer in the right lung. Also the tumor in the right lung was shrinking. The end of last week he ended up in hospital with gastroenteritis. Fortunately he was only in hospital overnight. However, this week he is very short of breath and the doctors did scans again. They think he has a lung infection or pneumonia. Continue to pray for Diane and Mac.

   Michael and I saw the doctor recently and we are both on some new medications. The doctor says it is just because we are “aging”. Actually, we are both feeling quite well. We are just suffering from the heat right now as we are in the middle of summer.

   We have been busy with routine maintenance at Umzumbe Bible Institute. We have mowed lawns and done a few more repairs. Last week in the midst of the mowing, Michael was asked to take a lady to the hospital because she was ready to deliver her baby. She had called the ambulance, but it hadn’t come and she was getting desperate. Michael will give a more detailed report in the next South Africa Torch, but I will just tell you that the baby arrived about 5 miles from the hospital!!

Michael and Caryl