Let's Get Dirty ~ Birthday Tree Planting

Let's Get Dirty

Tired of being clean, sick of being proper
I wanna live among the beggars
And dig out in the dirt
Step outside the walls we built to protect us
Don't be afraid to get some mud on your face

Come on, come on everybody
Come on, come on and serve someone

[chorus]
Let's get dirty, let's get used
No matter where you come from
If you're beaten up or bruised
Let's get foolish - let's get free
Free to be the one thing you were meant to be
Let's get dirty

Song by: Audio Adrenaline

Friday, December 16, 2011 ten native trees were donated to our creche at Shongweni.

The trees sat in this spot: December, January, February.  Nothing happens very fast in South Africa... Being America and wanting to get these into the ground, I contacted my son, Jake Beale who is working on his Master's degree in Forestry at Virginia Tech.

Jake Beale

Jake sent me several emails with detailed instructions on how to plant each tree along with a description of each tree, the type and how big it should grow to be.

Monday, February 27th, my 53rd birthday the day arrived to plant these darlings.  Ginger had a great idea, rather than us two do all the digging why not get some help.

We work closely with the Hillcrest AIDS Center and they have a wonderful horticulture department where they grow and sell every imaginable plant and tree.

Ready, Set, Go

We have a soccer field as part of our ministry and it was decided to plant 5 trees around the playing field.  I can just picture hot, tired soccer players resting under the shade of these trees in a few years :)

Okay, okay maybe the men did more actual digging than I did but someone had to take the pictures.

The ground was rock hard and it is summer here and very hot.

Making sure the hole is big enough.

The Hillcrest AIDS Center had this truck donated to them from Daimler Chrysler.  Thank you Daimler Chrysler.  Ginger and I got a ride home, which was a wonderful thing since we were so dirty and riding on the combi for an hour would not have been pleasant for us or the others on the combi.  Bonus was I haven't rode in the back of a truck in 40 years.

This is our rain water catchment: a Jojo.

Two trees went over by the chicken run ~ part of the community economic development program.  Soon the ladies will have shade.

 The last few trees went outside of the fence.

 Working all over the campus.

The children enjoyed watching us work.

The weeds/grass is as tall as the tree.

It was so hot even the children sat to play instead of running around.

What is it about boys and tools?  The little boys were enthralled.

Adding water to the compost.  Which by the way I carried the bag of compose on my head around the campus, the way good Zulu women carry all heavy objects.

Next came the planting of the garden, another community economic development program.  The men brought us our requested: carrots, cabbage, spinach and beets.

 Getting the planting beds ready, did I mention how hot it was?

My birthday and I was so happy to see Buzz Lightyear on my special day.

As is customary in the Zulu culture, food is always included in any social occasion.  The men joined us for the lunch we serve the children.  Today being Monday meant the menu was chicken and rice with a gravy.

This little angel is fell and busted up her forehead.  She milked the injury all the way and asked to be fed.

Birthday dinner out with my ministry team.  (L) Shara, Ginger, Me with gifts, Julia. We went to Ocean Basket were I got my usual: Fish and Chips for 39 Rand $5.64.  I brought the ketchup from America with me for the chips.

Great day, great birthday. The trees finally got planted and are doing well.  I enjoyed the sunshine and manual labor.  I'm not so much a paperwork kinda girl.  I much prefer to get dirty while serving the Lord.  

Ntshongweni Primary School

I love waking up in the morning not knowing what's gonna happen or, who I'm gonna meet, where I'm gonna wind up. Just the other night I was sleeping under a bridge and now here I am on the grandest ship in the world having champagne with you fine people. I figure life's a gift and I don't intend on wasting it. You don't know what hand you're gonna get dealt next. You learn to take life as it comes at you... to make each day count. 

It's wonderful living like Jack Dawson from the movie Titantic.
Thursday, January 19th we were asked to volunteer at the local primary school - who knew we would spend the day helping out and having a wonderful time.  We were working outside on the stage.

Katelyn Hiett, Ginger Taff, Evelyn Mitschke & Julia Wehrenberg beginning to sort through the many boxes of books.

Silly ole Zeal

 This building is for the upper grades 4th -7th.

This part of the building for the lower grades. K - 3rd.

greeting the children.

Recess.... notice no playground or balls or anything else to play with.  Except the tree to climb.

The school was actually once part of the Catholic school but they donated the building and land to the township.  The old church and several crosses are still here.

Ntshongweni mountain and the row of houses you see are the homes under our care that house the orphans.

The drinking fountain... drinking water out of a tin cup.

Typical classroom.  Wow, a real chalk board.

No clue how many students are in each class...

This was the saddest of all sad.  Our creche has a grade R which is Kindergarten.  Our fee is 100 Rand a month; about $12.50. We noticed our a drop in our attendance.  We opened this make-shift door to this 8 foot wide 'room' with some children we recognize.  The grade R is free here but they there is 46 children, no playground, no teaching supplies.  So very sad.

The Grade R students bring their own dish and get a scoop of beans for lunch.  We serve a better meal, served at tables and wash our dishes. 

The drinking fountain.

View from the building to the stage where we were working.

Katelyn Hiett and I.  Folks say I look happy in my pictures.  I am happy here.  

Some of their school work.

The Catholics kept part of their land and have their own private (and very good) school.  One of the nuns. 

The older grades building.

We sorted and had to number a million books. The books were for the teachers. The students do not get boks to work out of / learn out of. 

Clover is a company which makes dairy products.

All the school age children wear uniforms to school.  You can tell which school a children attends by the uniform. These girls are eating the treats they just bought from the women.

These women set up shop and sell food items to the students.

The security guard who sits in the cute, little building at the entrance to the Catholic and public school.  The schools have a fence around it.

Pastor Thwala (L) joined us just before we left.  Just another day of serving the Lord by helping out at this school.

It is very beautiful here in Ntshongweni Village.