On Saturday we had a 5 hour journey across to our friends Drake and Hope at Vryburg. But before we left we walked up the local Kopje or hill with Lucy and Bongani and had fabulous views across the city in all directions. It was a steep rocky hill, with the typically red earth of Africa and interesting flowers. Their suburb is pretty central but has all these open spaces which they take advantage of. It is not as we imagined Jo'burg at all.
Drake is the priest at Vryburg and Tom had been asked to preach at the Sunday service. So it was up early for 8am and a full parish eucharist with smells and bells, lots of hymns and choruses but no organist as she is unwell and elderly. After coffee with the PCC at the Rectory we went to a black church in the local township and were introduced to them as their service ended.
Lunch was out on a big farm owned and run by one of the churchwardens and his family. The lunch was magnificent and included all the meats they produce and sell locally (including hot toungue wh ich I remember only from childhood and which was delicious). Afterwards we were shown the farm which includes 2 ostrich, many beef cattle of the oldest African variety, some strange sheep with fat tails, goats, poultry in vast numbers, geese etc. The owner had had a baboon empty dustbins at night - they knew because he had got into the shed where the men were asleep and terrified them!
All very fascinating. It was a very hot day, probably mid 30s. Today has more of a breeze and some cloud but the 30% promise of rain has not materialised. We have more experiences this morning, going to the Aids Care Centre in a black township and then on to Taung with Hope an dDrake to see the house her family owns and where they will retire to. Also Oxford diocese has contributed to the renovation of an old rectory to be a residential centre for parishes - but its future is uncertain.
So now for a couple of days in Kimberley, where I have got access to the web at our B&B but am paying - so should stop!! We have been promised that someone from here will drive us to De Aar on Wed, and hope to see the Bishop and others here tomorrow.
It is lovely to receive a few messages by email. Keep them coming. It amazes us to think it is still less than a week since we left - so many things have happened.
