It never ends...

I admit it; I have a serious problem.  Confession time - I love watching HGTV.  Yes, I waste too much of my life watching the Home & Garden Show.  Being a missionary in Ntshongweni, South Africa may cure me of this habit.  I will forever be grateful for any type house the Lord provides for me.

I was telling my twin sister, Joyce about the orphan boys and their living conditions. She said she must show me the house of two orphan girls whom she has been helping.

Off we go to find this house - held together with tin roofing sheets, wood, cinder blocks that they have made with the donation of cement from Joyce. 

Holes in the ceiling

Holes in the walls where the walls don't match up.

This curtain is the bedroom door.

This room holds spare items.

I don't know if this woman lives in this house, Joyce didn't introduce me.  Eight people live here - the two orphan girls who happen to be 28 & 35 years old and their 6 children.

More light beams in; which means that the rain and cold and everything else also beams in.

This house isn't the 'worst' I've seen.  They have electricity and as we were there they had food cooking on the two hot plates. Electricity and food - two luxuries.

My twin sister Joyce stands next to the cinder blocks they have made - big problem they have been poured incorrectly.  Pretty sad when I know more about cinder blocks that the average Zulu although I have build my fair share of houses over the past 17 months here in Ntshongweni.

The furniture was given to this family by Joyce a long time ago.

No glass in the windows

Basic tin roof.

Window from the outside

House crumbling away.

Blocks, roofing tin and rubbish.

The two square metal pieces are placed in the windows to keep the cold out.

That's one way to make the clothes line higher - just stick a log in the pole.

House as we left - again no glass in the window

Everyone gets this latrine from the government.  Most folks remove the door and use it elsewhere.

The poverty never ends.  Of course Joyce wanted me, the Lutheran Church, someone, anyone to help this family with a new home.  The reality is that as awful or as wonderful as it may sound - we only help the children.  Adult women can work to better the household.  Alas my heart breaks each and every time I am introduced to any family that is struggling. I remember the words of our Saviour Jesus Christ

The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me. Matthew 26:11

Free State

I have known Harold the entire lenght of my 17 months of missionary service in Ntshongweni, South Africa.  That entire time he was talked about his friend's farm in the Free State.  South Africa has 9 Providence's.  Visiting the Free State, I have been to 5 of 9.

At 5am on Thursday, January 24, Harold, Ginger, my ministry partner and I were off on a holiday to the farm.

I sat in the back seat of his Land Rover for the long day of driving.

Such a treat to get away and see a new and different side of South Africa.

Stunning

Very lovely

Harold was a wealth of information.  A professional tour guild, this guy knows EVERYTHING about South Africa and life in general.  Ginger was actually taking notes.

We had such a great holiday.

See the MW sticker?  That's for Malawi... the country where my son will be serving in the Peace Corps. 

Such beauty

Harold explaining the dam system to Ginger.

Wild Flamingos

'Flamingos often stand on one leg, the other tucked beneath the body. The reason for this behavior is not fully understood. Recent research indicates that standing on one leg may allow the birds to conserve more body heat, given that they spend a significant amount of time wading in cold water. However, the behaviour also takes place in warm water. As well as standing in the water, flamingos may stamp their webbed feet in the mud to stir up food from the bottom.'

As far as the eye could see... Sunflowers

We had to drive through Golden Gate Highlands National Park.  I've never driven THROUGH a State Park before.  In one end and out the other.

Golden Gate Highlands National Park is located in Free State, Republic of South Africa, near the Lesotho border. It covers an area of 340 km².

Phone: 058 255 0012 Address: Qwa-Qwa, South  Africa

'All baboons have long, dog-like muzzles, heavy, powerful jaws with sharp canine teeth, close-set eyes, thick fur except on their muzzles, short tails, and rough spots on their protruding buttocks.'

See baby hanging on to mother?

'Baboons are terrestrial (ground dwelling) and are found in open savannah, open woodland and hills across Africa. Their diets are omnivorous, but mostly herbivorous, yet they eat insects and occasionally prey on fish, shellfish, hares, birds, vervet monkeys, and small antelopes. They are foragers and are active at irregular times throughout the day and night. They can raid human dwellings, and in South Africa, they have been known to prey on sheep and goats.'

'Most baboons live in hierarchical troops. Group sizes vary between five and 250 animals (often about 50 or so), depending on specific circumstances, especially species and time of year.'

We stopped for lunch at this darling outdoor restaurant in Caledon - it's an artist town and the town square reminded me very much of Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Caledon Mountain Lodge

'A cozy, tranquil getaway to Lesoto and Eastern Free State adventure.

Accommodations comprises of 5 thatched cottages, remotely nestled in the mountains with outstanding scenic views.

The lodge, is set in peaceful surroundings with breathtaking views, & in the evenings, clear starry skies.  Come & enjoy a delicious full farmhouse breakfast in the mornings, & in the evenings we serve dinners of continental & local flavours.  The main lodge also has a cozy bar with a Big Screen TV, to enjoy with friends or make new ones; there is a children's room, where the children can play safety, while parents enjoy a well deserved break.'

Ginger's bed on the main floor.  Harold's room and my room was upstairs.  This cabin sleeps 6 - I had the space with two twin beds.

Our magnificent view to the left

Our magnificent view to the right

This huge spider was by my head when I took a nap :)

'Sparassidae are a family of spiders known as huntsman spiders because of their speed and mode of hunting. They also are called giant crab spiders because of their size and appearance. In southern Africa the genus  Palystes are known as rain spiders or lizard-eating spiders. 

More than a thousand Sparassidae species occur in most warm temperate to tropical regions of the world.'

Our sweet #6 cabin.

The day is done.

A nearly full moon

Watching the sun set... Sharon and Mike the hosts, Harold and Ginger.

Another rain spider... just love these guys!

I love thatched roofs - they have a distinct odor. 

Just so darn cute, cute, cute

Friday morning coffee for those addicted to caffeine.

We went around and peeked at the other awesome cabins.

This shot was taken through the window.

Isn't it sweet?  I think Bilbo Baggins lives here.

The lodge.

The farm house - where Mike and Sharon live.

The lodge and Mike's 4x4

Another cute cabin

'The Ostrich, is one or two species of large flightless birds native to Africa.

Ostriches share the order Struthioniformes with the kiwis, emus, rheas, and cassowaries. It is distinctive in its appearance, with a long neck and legs and the ability to run at maximum speeds of about 70 km/h (43 mph), the fastest land speed of any bird. The ostrich is the largest living species of bird and lays the largest egg of any living bird.'

'The diet of ostriches mainly consists of plant matter, though it also eats invertebrates. It lives in nomadic groups which contain between five and fifty birds. When threatened, the ostrich will either hide itself by lying flat against the ground, or will run away. If cornered, it can attack with a kick from its powerful legs. Mating patterns differ by geographical region, but territorial males fight for a harem of two to seven females.

The ostrich is farmed around the world, particularly for its feathers, which are decorative and are also used as feather dusters. Its skin is used for leather products and its meat is marketed commercially.'

After breakfast on Friday morning we left for a v-e-r-y long day of Harold showing around the farm and the town.

It was getting kinda scary - and we were in a 4x4.  We felt like Indiana Jones.

Walking down to the river.

I asked if I could fill my water bottle and Harold said yes, uhhhhhh no thanks.

Getting a geology lesson.

I never tired of the scenery. 

Is that a herd of cows covering the expanse of the road? 

Indeed. So funny...

Cows were everywhere

Who has the right-of-way?

Of course John Wayne to the rescue.  A South African Cowboy

Two of them

Lunch Friday - making me miss my Oklahoma days.  This poor waitress... I began my order by asking for tap water.  She didn't speak any English and I don't speak Afrikaas or Sesotho. Remember that South Africa has 9 official languages.  She literally ran away from our table and another waitress came out.  I wanted to apologize for speaking English. 

Saturday morning... I woke up at 5am to find my Sprite frosted over in an interesting manner.

Our last beautiful morning at Caledon Mountain Lodge.

On Friday afternoon, as I napped, Harold climbed this mountain... as he has done many times over the past 20 years.  There are caves up there that he knows about.

As we drove off, one last shot of the farm house.

One last shot of our cabin #6

A very large herd of The blesbok or blesbuck (Damaliscus pygargus phillipsi) is an antelope endemic  to South Africa. It has a distinctive white face and forehead which inspired the name, because bles is the Afrikaans word for a blaze such as one might see on the forehead of a horse.

We actually had to go straight to Ntshongweni and meet with Pastor Thwala, arriving at 2:30pm.  We had a wonderful break from our usual routine and so thankful to have had an opportunity, thanks to our sweet friend Harold, to see the wonderful providence of Free State.