Sunday Oct 24th - Rondebosch Church

                     We add our group to the choir at the Rondebosch Church

On Sunday morning we went for the last time to meet our friends and worship at Rondebosch United Church. We went early to rehearse a couple of songs with Carol, the choir director. We introduced her to "Santos" and she taught us a lovely Zulu anthem. It was great to "dance" to the music. Our entire group sang in the choir and filled the loft!

We began worship by singing "Dona Nobis Pacem" in a semicircle around the sanctuary. David and Claudine Harrison and the girls were there and many of the new friends we had made during our week in Cape Town. After prayers and singing, Kathy Helliesen gave her first children's sermon, ever, on the universal language of signing. She ended the sermon by teaching everyone the sign for "I love you." the entire church shared the sign with each other and Kathy was a true hit!  Next came a spirited song on the marimbas by the youth. Pastor Robert Steiner surprised us by giving us a small marimba to take back to FCCB.

Robert preached and I led communion, FCCB style, by intinction, something that was new for Rondebosch congregation. We were "prayed over" by Herbert, a refuge from Zimabawe and then service ended with us singing the Irish blessing, to each other.

After a wonderful coffee hour,with more African  music and some fantastically

   Wild Zulu dance moves, we piled back into our vans to head home and pack for Johannesberg later in the day.   - Pat deJong

Monday, October 25th- Back in Jo'burg

We meet with Queen Monamudi at CIDA College.

From our hotel in Sandton we drove with our driver Collin to pick up Queen at her downtown campus. We were all so excited to meet her after sponsoring her education for the past 4 years. She took a break from her exams to spend the day with us and we found her to be delightful.  We visited the township of Soweto, a museum and craft market.  Queen was very impressed with the African cultural village we toured with grass huts and lots of ceramic scultures. Upon dropping her off she said, "This has been the best day of my life. Without you I would never have had the life I am going to have." We are so proud of her for all she has accomplished.

Becky and Moe Wright

Saturday October 23rd A Free Day at Our House Outside of Cape Town

Our house on Stadler Road in Blouberstrand, North of Cape Town

On Saturday we were able to relax, sleep in and catch up on e-mail and blogging. We spent some time exploring this small seaside community that is a magnet for beach lovers, joggers and surfers. A late brunch held us over until dinner at Rodebosch church. Some of us also attended Pentacostal church Nyanga late in the afternoon. Moe Wright

Lerato Mahoyi Joins us in Cape Town

Lerato in Nyanga, Cape Town

The idea of spending a weekend with FCCB Group at first sounded just great when David Harrison told me about them, when I started commnicating with Paul about travel arrangements I got even more excited. When I met the team I realised that this was just an awesome experience of my life, not only for the fact that I had a weekend away from my normal routine or spent a weekend with people from the states but I learnt quite alot about individuals in South Africa and the States also how different life experiences on the differnet parts of the world can be.

I am a 22 years old young lady from Orange Farm, furthest south of Johannesburg in South Africa. I stay with my mom and 3 little brothers, and they my pillars of strength, they are the reason I wake up everyday and motivate me to be a better person so that I can create a better life for all us. I work at New loveLife Trust in Sandton as a National loveLifestyle Coordinator, having started as just a Mpintshi (friend/volunteer) when I was still in school, grade 10 in 2004.

loveLife is an HIV Prevention Campaign for young people that promotes healthy lifestyle amongst young people and our target market is young people who are between the ages of 12 to 17 to keep them HIV megative by teaching them about issues that might just influence their decisions on sexual issues. These are issues such as alcohol and drug abuse, lack of parental communication, peer pressure, sexual coersion and so much more, we call these drivers of HIV. Reality is that young people know about HIV/AIDS and they just tolerate risk because of the circumstances they find themselves in and loveLife with it's powerful (even when I say so myself - I do because I am the existing evidence of what loveLife can do a young person) group of 1200 grondBREAKERS (also known as Peer Educators) each year has found the most easy way to pass around messages around positive living, identity, sex, sexuality, HIV/AIDS, etc.

I have grown from being just a Mpintshi at the loveLife Youth Centre in Orange Farm to being a groundBREAKER and now a staff member, a youth leader in my community and I have been through a few challenges in my life, being abused by my step dad when growing up, fighting a battle to be understood by my own my mom that I needed to join loveLife and be part of  a moving generation, attacked and raped in December 2007 and again February 2010 in my own neighbourhood, the same place that is supposed ot be home to me. Being a loveLife generation provides young South Africans with possibilities of a new future despite all the trials and tribulations and believing that God is always with you helps alot.

Now meeting with the FCCB Group has also taught me alot of lessons when it comes to personal development and atending to social and environmental issues. I think it's great that at church one is regarded as family, a sister, a broither, a father, a mother, a friend. Dinner at Rondebsch Church with the team was an eye opening for me as a young person who is passionate about youth development, HIV and social issues affecting young people. The team speaks well of the work that loveLife does, and I believe it is great that the organisational work had this effect on people, it really motivates us (young people) to do more and better.

I would love to thank David Harrison for putting me in touch with such a warm hearted elderly group that made me feel at home, the first night in the house with them was like I have known them forever. Food is one of my favorite things in the whole world, and yes they fed me, we sang together and I was so happy and open to share with them as they also were. The singing at the choir practise was just awesome, we learnt a song that goes Akekho o fana noYesu (There is no one like Jesus) when we sing and read at the same time, it's so easy but when you take the papers away, all you hear is humming, hilarious.

FCCB Group, South Africa 2010 ROCKS - like I would say in my South African funky way, AYOBA FCCB AYOBA........

I believe that our paths will cross again.

Regards and many thanks
Lerato Patricia Mahoyi

Friday October 22 - Stellenbosch and Franschoek

        The Winelands view from Franschoek

Today we got up early to drive about an hour out to the winelands near Somerset West to meet Helen Hutchi, a member of Rondebosch Church, who is an accomplished tour guide. She lead us on a tour to the winelands surrounding the town of Stellenbosch and a lunch in Franschoek.

Our first stop was the Fairview winery and farm. This place was a large farm that had been run by a family for three generations. They produced wine and cheese and we had a wonderful sampling of various wines and cheeses to go with them. We heard a story about one wine called "Goats do Roam". The name got them in legal trouble with the French wine authorities.

Our next stop was for lunch at the La Petite Ferme in the town of Franschoek. It is a restaurant that has a small winery attached to it. Most of the wine produced by the winery is consumed in by the patrons who dine there. It has a beautiful view of the winelands. The town it was settled in the 17th century by the Huguenots, a Protestant group that left France in search of religious freedom. They brought wine making and a tradition of fine food with them. We had a wonderful meal and a little more wine tasting.

The last part of the day was a short drive and walk around old Stellenbosch. This town was founded in 1679 by Dutch settlers. It has a large central square with Cape Dutch houses and other buildings interspersed with buildings of English, Georgian architecture. This town of about 100,000 today shows its colonial roots as it was variously governed by the Dutch or the English over the past centuries before becoming part of modern South Africa.

Thursday October 21- District 6 Museum

                    Plaque outside the District 6 Museum asking forgiveness for displacing so many people.



We were moved to hear the story of a once vibrant mixed and multi-religious area of Cape Town known as District 6.  Our tour guide, Joe, grew up in District Six with tolerance and respect for his neighbors.

In 1966, District Six was declared a white group area.  By 1982, the life of that community was over and 60,000 were forceably removed, their houses flattened by bulldozers, to barren outlying area aptly know as the Cape Flats. 

The museum uses story telling as a way of recovering the memory of forced removals.  The goal is "to rekindle the fires of community, mobilize the spirit of giving and sharing, of laughter, of life lived in homes and public spaces, of creativity and volunteerism that was the cornerstone of the old area, a spirit called Kanala."

The Museum has photographs and memorabilia from District Six as wells as street maps.  Many of the maps are now signed by the people who were forceably removed and now returned to the Museum.  The Museum provides a connection to the old community, now divided and separated at several Townships.

- Bob & Bonnie Hester

Grootvlei Juvenile Prison

After the Go-Go Getters, we continued our journey to the Grootvlei Prison which is a prison for the young men of South Africa. We visited a section of the prison where young men live in dormitories and attend various programs. When we arrived, they were called out of their dorms to meet us. They were eager to see us and had been let out of school for this occasion. As they stood in front of us, we looked into their faces and felt their sorrow and brokenness. These truly are the lost boys of South Africa! We were told these boys had committed any number of crimes, most likely violent ones. After a talk from a guard, we had an opportunity to go to their dorms, where they had made their beds in a special way for us.
As the mother of a 20 year old son who has so much, it broke my heart to see these young men with nothing! I was moved to tears.
We attended a performance of their own small band. The first singer was charming - especially when he went into his falsetto. Then "Pavarotti" sang, "the wind beneath my wings." Amazing! Then a group of 9 young men who show promise performed a play about HIV Aids and high risk behavior. Brilliant! At the end, the band played a song and we all danced! We were able to make contact with hugs and promises to pray for them. We told them we would never forget them. There was so much life and hope at that moment. We were full of emotion such deep saddest for their lives yet hope for their future even though we know they lack opportunity. We walked back to our cars with heaviness in our hearts but gratitude for the connection! Becky Wright and Maribeth deJong

Thursday October 21, Visit to Impumelelo

                                                                           

                                                                Rhoda Kadalie, Director Impumeleolo

     
Rhoda Kadalie is a positive powerhouse in South Africa.  We visited Impumelelo, an NGO, dedicated to creating change.  Impumelelo identifes rewards and promotes good governance and service delivery through an annual awards programme, case study research, policy analysis, training workshops and encouraging replication.  Rhoda has been an activist all her life and she also attends the Rondebosch Church.  Her staff, which includes interns from U.S. colleges delivered a very impressive presentation of award winning projects. 

They included a landfill project conservatory which has been incorporated into a ecosystem restoration site including power generation, a health care train which travels the country oferring access to fast high quality health care desperately needed by many in rural areas, a peer to peer counseling system called Mothers 2 Mothers to achieve empowerment, behavior changes and specific health objectives with the HIV context and a community led housing initiative.

Rhoda candidly shared her views and concerns about the challenges facing South Africa.  The legal and politcal challenges are substantial but hope is present with the ongoing engagement of individuals, communities, NGO's, and the generosity of world wide aid.

All of this was followed by lunch and conversation at a lovely Indian restaurant.

- Bob & Bonnie Hester

Wednesday, October 20– Pollsmoor Prison

“Thank you my sister”.  So many of his words I did not understand, but these replay in my mind.  19 year old Peter was dressed differently than the others in care worn white shirt, tie, slacks, having risen in the ranks to a position that requires him to work  ”up front” as well as in the kitchen.  He’d been in Pollsmoor Prison for over three years awaiting trial; nothing to do and not enough to eat with no idea of when he might be sentenced or released.  His mixture of English and Afrikaans poured out as I stood to talk with him.  I could only respond with words meant to encourage and comfort him because, how could I not , even though his future like so many other is probably hopeless.  I told him he is smart and that I believe he will find his way.  That I would remember him, hold him my heart, and hope he would find a good life.  I told him, I wanted to hug if him if it was okay with him.  It was.  As I embraced him briefly, he said, “thank you my sister”.   -  Bonnie Hester

October 19 - Philani Development Centre in the township of Khayelitsha

                                                                         

Philani kids dancing and blowing kisses


In the middle of a crowded tin roof settlement called Khayelitsha is an NGO called Philani Development Centre. Philani provides an integrated program of health and early education for mothers and  their small children.One of the services they provide is to send workers into the community to weigh children and determined if they are malnourished. They then provide follow up care. We toured their onsite preschool classes and watched their mothers create handpainted aprons and colorful weavings.
When we left we were mobbed by adorable children who wanted hugs and high fives which we gladly gave them! Philani is a refuge and a symbol of hope for the future. 

Becky Wright and Bets deJong

Cape of Good Hope

This is the Cape of Good Hope, the Southern most point of Africa. We took this picture from Cape Point.

Rondebosch Church in Cape Town

This is the Rondebosch United Church in Rondebosch, South Africa. We attended this church on Sunday the 17th and we will return on the 24th. David and Claudine Harrison who were once members of FCCB are members here. The whole congregation has been very supportive. It is our home base in Cape Town.

Tuesday, Oct 19th Go Go Getters—the community advocates and loving ‘nannies’ of Paarl Township

              


Today we met 6 Go-Go Getters  in Paarl—all 10 of us plus 4 Love Life workers were welcomed warmly as we squeezed into  a  tiny home. We talked, sang, laughed and prayed  in English and Xhosa. The power of their prayers in Xhosa reverberated through each of us leaving no doubt of God’s presence in this community.  We asked them to share their stories and Bulelani graciously translated for us. Each of them is responsible for 20 at risk children, ages 10 to 15, in their community.  They see that each has food, opportunity to go to school, is protected from abuse and receives the social services they qualify for.  They feel strongly that to prevent HIV/AIDS from spreading each child must know that someone cares for them and feels  a sense of belonging.

As  community advocates they help others obtain access to grants from social services that they qualify for such as child support, disability benefits  and ID’s. As strong , well respected members of their community their responsibilities continue to grow.

 Our hour together was too short!---Jonell Lucas

                               Go-Go Getters inspect hats made by FCCB members.

Monday, October 18th--Robben Island

Today we went into Cape Town and took a 30 minute ferry ride to Robben Island. Of the 27 years Nelson Mandela spent in prison, 18 were served on Robben Island. After a bus tour, an ex-prisoner led us through the prison and shared a bit of his own story. He had arrived at Robben Island in 1977 as a young man of 19 while, in contrast, in 1977 I started my first year of college at U.C. Berkeley. What different lives we have lived, and how different would my life be today had I been an African teenager living in South Africa during apartheid?

Near the end of the tour we had time to walk through the cells. In them were posted pictures of some of the men who had been sentenced to prison on the Island, along with a part of their story and, in some cases, a personal possession. Most of the stories were of abuse, but one story spoke of kindness. Sazi Veldtman served time on Robben Island from 1987-1991. During the time he was there he developed a bad case of arthritis, and often wrapped bandages around his wrists, elbows and hands to protect his joints. During this time, he was given a pair of shoes that were lined with rabbit fur to keep his feet warm. Next to his story was a wooden box containing the shoes: a symbol of God's love in the midst of a place that, for 400 years, was  a place of banishment, exile, isolation and imprisonment.

--Janet Eadie

                                Nelson Mandela's cell on Robben Island

Sunday the 17th- Rondebosch Church and Table Mountain

                                                                                                                                                                  Cape Town from Table Mountain

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            
We  headed for worship at Rondebosch Church on Sunday morning.   The GPS system in one of our vans was having difficulties, but we made it none-the-less with a few minutes to spare.  We were warmly greeted and introduced during the service.  Pat was interviewed during the children’s  sermon, with questions from the children as well as Robert Steiner, the pastor of the Rondebosch church.  Pat preached about our visit to South Africa and our desire to learn, open our hearts and break down barriers.  We heard fabulous music by the church’s marimba band.  We presented the wonderful banner that Phil had made to the congregation which said “Our Peace we Bring You.”  We were treated to a delicious luncheon which we shared with members of the congregation.

The weather Sunday afternoon was beautiful and clear, so we headed to Table Mountain.  Table Mountain, visible from all of Cape Town, is reached by Aerial Cableway. (My family will be proud that I survived the trip despite my fear of heights!)  The mountain sits 3,500 feet above Cape Town and the 360 degree views are magnificent.  We truly had the perfect day for viewing.

---Kathy Helliesen

The Queen of the Beasts

This magnificent lioness walked along side us for 10 minutes as she and her sister moved to a new hunting ground to begin the evening stalking of prey. Our guide,Tim, was impressed with the great viewing that we were able to have this evening.

A Cool Evening Safari

We are out on a driving safari with our guide Tim. It is Spring here and the trees are just leafing out. It sprinkled rain while we were out this day.

We arrive in Africa and go on a Safari

We arrived in Johannesburg at 10:00 AM on Weds October 12 after a 14 hour flight from New York. Some of us were recently off an overnight flight from San Francisco. A quick jump over to Nelspruit and a good nights sleep made us ready to travel out to the Rhino Safari Lodge in Kruger Park. The park is teaming with animals, and we saw our share of them on both walking and driving Safaris. The lodge and overnight camps balance comfort and animal viewing with elegant, rustic pole cabins that are in a wilderness area with an occasional Elephant, Rhino or Kudu walking near by. For a typical day we took early morning walking or driving safaris and encountered many different species of mammals, birds and reptiles. After brunch we had free time until 4:00PM when we would go out again and search for something new until sunset. For an hour or so after sunset, the driving safaris would use strong lights to search for nocturnal animals. Usually we saw a few Bush Babies with glowing eyes. Our big find was a couple of female lions going out for an evening hunt. What excitement to track a lion and intercept it close enough to get great pictures. Speaking of pictures, we would love to post some, but some part of the process is not working now, so we will try again later.

Commissioning on October 3rd

The South African travelers receive a blessing and commissioning at First Congregational Church of Berkeley.

We Start Our South African Journey

There are ten travelers on our journey around South Africa. Rev. Most of us come from First Congregational Church of Berkeley and Pat de Jong is our leader.  The other members of our group are: Bob and Bonnie Hester, Kathy Helliesen, Jonell Lucas, Paul Tomasiello, Moe and Becky Wright, Janet Eadie and Maribeth de Jong. Bob and Bonnie have gone ahead to Europe and will meet us in Nelspruit, South Africa. The rest of us will meet in New York on Monday morning October 12th and take a long flight to Johannesburg for a brief stop over and then proceed to Nelspruit in the eastern part of South Africa.