I have a confession to make. The signs indicating the road to take to get to Grahamstown from Port Alfred were there...no one had removed them. Louise and I were so busy discussing what we were doing and who we were meeting we simply didn't see them. So, forgive me road workers...
Today has been mostly a driving day. The only exciting things we did...except nearly get wiped out by a speeding taxi overtaking an oncoming car in our lane...was stop for breakfast and stop for lunch.
We seem to be doing a lot of eating on this trip! A necessary evil, I suppose.
The views along the way were stunning...what a pity one couldn't stop to take photographs because of all the road construction! The aloes were magnificent! The mountains, the rolling hills, the deep river gorges, and the gentle ploughed slopes made one want to burst forth in praise.
So, we had Faure do that for us...yes, it was a requiem, but his interpretation of the Pie Jesu just seemed to fit with what we were seeing and experiencing.
Mthatha is an interesting place...bustling and busy, just like Addis Ababa. The traffic is just like Addis Ababa too with a fair bit of Cairo and India thrown in for good measure. Those of you who have had the misfortune of driving in those places will know what I mean. In most places in the world, the front passenger seat is the seat of honour. In Cairo, according to Bishop Mouneer, it is the seat of horror. A few times I have had to "do my Ethiopian thing" and push my nose into endless traffic to cross over or have had to go through a very red light because no one from the other side stopped. Nerve-wracking fun.
My great-grandfather, Arthur, was the first principal of St John's College here back in the 1880's. Apparently this is still a very good school and only the best pupils get to go there. Way to go, Arthur!
Our contact here, fondly known as Bulie, came to get us and we went out on the town...not exactly...but we went to a local restaurant and talked about the Diocese and about future possibilities for LEAD training here.
She told us that Rooted in Jesus Junior is a great hit here, and that she is sure that Rooted in Jesus (Adult version) as well as the LEAD program will take off as well. But, as we saw in the Diocese of George, we need to look at translating the material in other languages such as Afrikaans and Xhosa. It is just so much more effective to learn something in ones heart language...so we have our work cut out for us!
We found out that we are in the wrong B&B...YIKES! So we will have to move tomorrow...no rest for the weary. Sigh.
Today has been mostly a driving day. The only exciting things we did...except nearly get wiped out by a speeding taxi overtaking an oncoming car in our lane...was stop for breakfast and stop for lunch.
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| Birah Cafe...cheese and bacon pie! |
The views along the way were stunning...what a pity one couldn't stop to take photographs because of all the road construction! The aloes were magnificent! The mountains, the rolling hills, the deep river gorges, and the gentle ploughed slopes made one want to burst forth in praise.
So, we had Faure do that for us...yes, it was a requiem, but his interpretation of the Pie Jesu just seemed to fit with what we were seeing and experiencing.
Mthatha is an interesting place...bustling and busy, just like Addis Ababa. The traffic is just like Addis Ababa too with a fair bit of Cairo and India thrown in for good measure. Those of you who have had the misfortune of driving in those places will know what I mean. In most places in the world, the front passenger seat is the seat of honour. In Cairo, according to Bishop Mouneer, it is the seat of horror. A few times I have had to "do my Ethiopian thing" and push my nose into endless traffic to cross over or have had to go through a very red light because no one from the other side stopped. Nerve-wracking fun.
My great-grandfather, Arthur, was the first principal of St John's College here back in the 1880's. Apparently this is still a very good school and only the best pupils get to go there. Way to go, Arthur!
 |
| Bulie and Louise. |
She told us that Rooted in Jesus Junior is a great hit here, and that she is sure that Rooted in Jesus (Adult version) as well as the LEAD program will take off as well. But, as we saw in the Diocese of George, we need to look at translating the material in other languages such as Afrikaans and Xhosa. It is just so much more effective to learn something in ones heart language...so we have our work cut out for us!
We found out that we are in the wrong B&B...YIKES! So we will have to move tomorrow...no rest for the weary. Sigh.
 |
| On the road to Mthatha. |
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