The Adventure Continues by Cheri Roland

Semester break. I remember those with extreme fondness - uninterrupted sleep and interrupted routine, like good food, staying up late, and watching TV. Well, Doug and I just returned from our first semester break here at the seminary. And, yes, it was all I had remembered from years ago, except for the watching TV part. It was all I had hoped for and anticipated – and more. It was one big check mark on our bucket list – a true African Adventure.
Sunday AM we packed up and drove our little white (now tan) Toyota four+ hours up BIG hills and down, north along the coast, then west, to the premier provincial game reserve called Hluhluwe (pronounced “slu-slu–we”) - Imfolozi, two reserves joined at the hip. It was sort of like camping in a thatched hut with hot water and electricity, equipped kitchen, bamboo walls and stone floors. They call it “self- catering”. We even had a little deck out back, virtually at the forest’s edge, for our borrowed gas braai (barBQ) and critter-watching. The entire camp is “protected” by an electrified fence, which we saw several nyala leap over in a single bound… While we were moving in, a troop of inquisitive monkeys leapt through the surrounding trees, checking out these new Americans who were undoubtedly easy marks for snacks and fruit and overall fun. We were thrilled at their reception and our great photo opts, not realizing we were being set up…

FLASHBACK: Do you know about Flat Stanley?? Second graders at St. Mary’s have an annual project involving a little boy who has been squished under some unfortunate circumstances and rendered unable to locomote under his own power. So now he gets mailed to various places to have adventures. Our “adopted granddaughter”, Mary Grace, the cutest and smartest second grader ever, sent Flat Stanley, in his blue jumper (sweater) and yellow pants, to us for unequaled thrills and chills. We laminated him for posterity. He already was getting acclimated to this culture and begging for more. Particularly excited about this trip, we photographed him on our steering wheel (wrong side of course), as well as on the railing of our hut in the park. He absolutely loved those flying monkeys. He could even follow their route, crashing through the trees as they soared from one to another. What could be more fun?
So we now return to our story.
Monday morn started at “O-dark-thirty”. We, Doug and Flat Stanley and I, hustled to be at the main building by 4:50, forgetting to bring the ticket for the game drive. Doug hurried back to our hut and returned, huffing and puffing, before hopping into the canvas topped, open air bush vehicle. We had a thrilling quiet, slow bumping ride around this huge reserve for three hours, seeing animals we thought only lived at Busch Gardens or the zoo. (Check out the photos at http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2067458&id=1011247864&l=ab592b44dd ) BUT, when we stopped mid-way for tea and biscuits- only proper, don’t you know - Flat Stanley was NOWHERE to be found! Oh horrors of horrors! What kind of grandparents can loose thelaminated child lovingly entrusted to their care???
This really weighed on us, as you can imagine. Our game drive mates were upset, too. Upon our return to camp, we scoured every path, vehicle, trash bin, and nook and cranny in our hut. We quickly informed the authorities. Word spread through the compound like wildfire, but that’s another story. Everyone was on the lookout for little flat American boy, notable since we were the only Americans there.
Dejected and heartsick, we sat on our deck to mourn our loss. Absentmindedly looking up, I thought I saw a flash of blue and yellow in the trees. I consulted our bird recognition page. It didn’t show that particular combination...
Then we heard them. The monkeys! The surrounding trees were full of them. And they were absolutely laughing at us! We looked at each other. Incredible! The nerve of them!!
In retrospect, what could be more exciting for Flat Stanley than swinging through the trees with his own troop of marauding pals, every branch a new vista, a new adventure? I guess it is a happy ending, after all.

Life in PMB by Doug Roland

First haircut outside the US. I went on a Friday afternoon - the place was packed and we had things to do. Went back at the 7:30am opening next morning, only to have to join a queue. Didn't last. Was given a nice haircut by a gay Indian.

Meat. We learned a valuable lesson this week. Meat in the supermarkets is overpriced. By luck, we were told about a place named Oscar's at the edge of town. Marvelous meat at about half the price.

Other food. Much of the food is quite good, especially the vegetables. We miss good peanut butter and real orange juice. South Africans as a rule do not brew coffee. They are addicted to instant. But they love french fries. Also bread. Seminarians pile their lunch plates with bread thus explaining their general state of being overweight.

U.S. Citizens. We are learning to use our citizenship to our advantage. White people are a minority. It doesn't take a census to tell you that. But an American white person is an oddity. This tends to get us in some doors perhaps out of curiosity. (I've only been asked for money once, aside from a few roadside beggars.)

Parking. There are car guards everywhere there is public parking. They help point you to a open space and they hang around. When you return, they help you back out of your spot (the lots are small). We pay them about 70 cents. It pays to ask their names and establish a relationship. It's money well spent in a country where car jacking is a way of life.

Safety. If you don't act stupid, remain alert and think about where you are going, it's pretty safe here.

AIDS. The population of SA has one of, if not the highest, percentages of HIV in Africa. There was a really dismal turnout at a local effort to get everyone tested - for free. Amazing how few of our seminarians went. Meanwhile, the disease marches on.

TV. The seminary has generously provided us a TV. Would that anything worth watching was on it. The best shows are Oprah re-runs, a Julia Roberts retrospective that lasted several Saturday nights and the occasional Bond movie. Fear Factor and Gossip Girl have started to look good. Otherwise,we are relegated to programs in Zulu and Afrikaans, really terrible "soaps", and World Wrestling something or other.

Wildlife. Everyone thinks there is of lots of wildlife in Africa. We were here three weeks before we saw a monkey running across the road in a rural area. The next day we saw a small pack of them at the edge of town. Last week, we went to a nature preserve and saw a pair of Elan, a beautiful deer-like animal with long, gently curling antlers. A couple of weeks ago, we were hiking with a guide in some beautiful mountains north of here. We asked him if there were snakes around. Much of the vegetation was bush grass. He replied that not this time of year (winter) but will be later. Common snakes on the trail are wrinkle snake, puff adder and spitting cobra. Ok, then.

Keys. This is a nation of keys - keys for nearly every room. The back door requires 2 keys, the garage 5 or 6. These aren't those little one inch stubs, but are proper English keys - long, elegant and timeless. Then there are the office keys - one to get in the building, one into the office and three for the desk, file cabinet and cabinet cabinet. I keep thinking I must be losing weight when it's really the weight of the keys pulling my pants down.

Gin. Tangueray is surprisingly rare. This is my third trip to South Africa and the first time I saw any was a couple of weeks ago. South African descendants of the British (who, after all, made the stuff) somehow failed to retain the taste for fine gin.

Electronic banking. On the spot EFT (using a debit card) is very prompt and confirmed on your computer or cell phone within minutes. Also can pay bills on the website. It is, however, much like walking a tightrope - one little bump of the wrong key and you end up in telephone hell. Alternatively, you could go into a branch. Tip: take a book. You will be there awhile.

Traffic. Traffic lights are called robots . . . .really. "Turn right at the next robot." You get used to it. Most drivers are reasonably courteous and the traffic here is not bad, though I haven't been on the right side of the road lately. Taxi drivers seem to think that anarchy has set in. No rules. Just right.

The grocery. Not a lot of difference here except at the checkout. The bags are called packets, and there is a charge for them. So we usually recycle ours. Our closest store is about 5 minutes away.

The car. Our Toyota is just about right. Four seats, nice size trunk (boot in SA). The title to it is four pages long and still doesn't say much of anything. I may have this wrong, but I was told it comes with insurance even though there is no policy to prove that. I need to dig a little deeper on that one.

Staff Retreat. It is written in the code of South Africa that any meeting lasting beyond 10:30 am shall include tea. Same thing in the afternoon at about 3:30pm. During our recent retreat at a conference center up in the hills around the city, there were chocolate chip chocolate muffins in the morning and chocolate chip cookies still warm from the oven in the afternoon. At each break, we were interrupted by a monkey that paid a visit via an open window and helped himself to the sugar bowl, carrying away several packets for his tribe.

If you've wondered, this is how we are doing. It's a blast!!

A Letter Home

by Cheri Roland

6/9/10

Dearest Family and Friends,

I pray this finds you all well and happy and enjoying your summer. Greetings to you from the beautiful Seth Mokitimi Methodist Seminary, officially opened Sept.4/5. My heart is full to bursting. We are so blessed and privileged to be here during this historic time for Methodism round the world.

As you can imagine, life around here has been hectic and exciting in preparation for the opening. Thank God both Saturday’s and Sunday’s celebrations came off smoothly. By all appearances the programs flowed effortlessly, thanks to Dr. Peter Storey (responsible for our being here at SMMS) and his meticulous attention to a thousand details. Of course, he didn’t do it alone, and now our staff is breathing a collective sigh of relief. The weather was a big unknown. I’m quite uncomfortable bothering the Lord about the weather; but, in this case (and hurricanes)… The lawn of the amphitheater was already a marsh (due to a major landscaping faux pax) and would have swallowed the chairs WHOLE if it had rained. There IS a God So, no rain, but it was hot-HOT-HOT!, even for a Florida girl. All the courtyard table umbrellas were pressed into service to prevent congregational heat stroke. Yet the poor officiates seated in front were unprotected from that sun at its most obnoxious angle. In the country for two short days and still reeling from jet lag, Dr. Greg Jones, our American VIP from Duke University, never caught the shadow afforded by the 4 ton wooden chapel doors. He was directly blasted for 2 ½ hours! And he still had miles to go before he slept.

The seminarians processed both days in proper straight rows as if they had done so a thousand times, a much different picture than at Friday’s rehearsal. Our week long coaching and singing rehearsals had paid off. The whole group was fabulous, leading the hymns and liturgy like pros. Even Dr. Storey was impressed. They sang their big hearts out, whistling and clapping and jivin’. Even the congregation was jumping. We sang in English, Zulu, Xhosa, and Afrikaans. The Lord really got an earful! I know He still has a big smile on His face. And so do we.

Following the Saturday opening program, the seminarians served as docents for the different areas and buildings on campus. I was on duty in the grassy area behind the canteen/commercial wing, beside the chapel, to explain the production garden section of the Life Garden. Doesn’t look like much now, but we have BIG PLANS for beauteous vegetables, fruit, and climbing tomatoes and passion fruit and grapes and cucumbers to adorn the iron fence border. The large compost bin will be in the corner, with fruit trees along the back. We will learn about door frame and tire gardens and crop rotation and uses of different fertilizer and vermiculite as alternative soil base and I’m so excited to get this going! All we need now is a heavy duty tiller to cut through this shale.

Doug and I are making steady headway on our field experience interviews. With the help of Garmin (I named him GG) - thank you, Samie and Nat and Clara - we are becoming confident navigating around the greater PMB area. It’s very interesting meeting the angels here already being Christ’s hands and feet to the poorest of the poor and the sickest of the sick. Our goal, God willing, is to expose our students to real life situations, preparing them to become servant leaders.

This “servant” concept/word has a very negative connotation for the blacks because of Apartheid (“the Struggle” here). In the black church tradition the pastors must oversee perhaps 20 separate churches (societies) and may only visit a given church once every few months. These pastors are revered and held up on a pedestal by their congregations, never to be found in the midst of their flock getting their hands dirty. SMMS’s radical mission is “Forming Transforming Leaders for Church and Nation”. So we have been tasked with providing encounters that will effect transforming “surgery” on the hearts of these student pastors, crucial if they are to usher in a new age within the church. It is no coincidence that this new seminary is covered in scripture - on the doors, on the thresholds, on the walls - all with the theme of servanthood. The breathtaking chapel is christened “Christ the Servant”.

Tomorrow is our staff retreat to plan for next year, Jan. 2011. Doug has put together a power point presentation, complete with African hues and border designs, highlighting our proposed concepts and contacts thus far. We are eager to get everyone’s reaction so we know how to proceed. After this past weekend’s celebrations, we feel confirmed in our choice of the overall theme for the field experience as being “Preparing Servant Ministers”. “Servanthood” was the word on every speaker’s lips.

It’s late and we have a day pregnant with opportunities awaiting us. Please know we send our love and misses out to you all!

Blessings,

Cheri and Doug