We've moved! In more ways than one.

By Ben

So, we have indeed moved... To Cape Town. We are doing community development in the Squatter's Camps.

Our blog has also moved. Please keep up to date with all our trip details on web.mac.com/mongoose_chronicle

See you there!

Ben

Safely Back Home

by Alicia

Friends and Family,

Thank you so much for keeping up with us as we've had our adventures in Africa. It has made us feel like we're a part of something with you, instead of feeling like we were on the journey by ourselves. We apologize for not writing more frequently (at all, actually) over the past week, but we did not have any internet access in Swaziland, and then our last days in Capetown were busy saying goodbye to our new friends.

Our time in Swaziland was wonderful. I was suprised by how different it was from South Africa. I expected that there would be much more crossover in languge, currency, culture, customs and development since Swaziland is completely encompassed by South Africa. We were truly in a different world though. Swaziland is a small country. It probably would only take a few hours to drive across the entire kingdom. It's one of the only remaning constitutional monarchies left in the world, the UK being the only other that I know of, however the king actually runs the country (whereas in the UK it feels like the royal family is much more like a figurehead). There are funny things- like the Reed Dance Festival- every year all the young women of Swaziland get together and do this Reed Dance and the king picks one to be his new bride. A couple years ago he got into trouble b/c he picked a girl from South Africa and her mom pressed kidnapping charges.

The people hosting us in Swaziland were Sister Jabu (Ja-boo) and Brother Joseph Mabuza. Jabu is the head of PACWA in Swaziland, as well as one of the top executives for the electric company in Swaziland. They like in a mansion, and have live in servants, but then in the backyard they have cows and chickens. Joseph also had to buy Jabu as his bride with 23 cows (much higher than the typical bride-price b/c she is part of the royal blood-line). It's funny how there are these modern things right next to all these old traditions. Their daughter married a man from the UK and they even made him come to Swaziland to buy 18 cows for her bride-price.

While we were there Jabu took us to two different orphan villages. If these orpahns were sent to orphanges, they would lose their homes and land, to squatters-even neighbors sometimes- ensuring that they would most likely never be able to have another home (these homes are very small one or two room cinder block buildings- nothing fancy). Instead, the women on the perimeters of the community keep an eye over these child-headed households, leaving children in charge of their families.

The first orphan village we went to had 25 child- headed households. It seemed that most of them had around 3 children and the oldest never appeared to be older than 14 or 15, most of the time much younger. Jabu and another woman, Tandi, shared the gospel and from the word (all in the native Saswati language) and then Ben (through a translator) shared as well. We also delivered about 30 bags of lentils, some soap and candles & matches to the orphans. It was a very small amount of food and I don't understand how these children eat on a regular basis- actually, they don't always. Jabu said she originally found out about this village when she received a phone call from one of the neighbors saying that most of the children hadn't eaten for four days and there was no forseeable way they were going to eat again any time soon. Jabu asked her church and the Swaziland Conference of Churches to raise money so she could take some food to the children. At the end of our time there, they gave each of us (there were 5 of us total) a huge plate of rice and chicken. We were continually humbled by the generosity of thise in need- much more generous than we are when we have so much more than they do. They would share all that they had with their neighbors trusting that God would provide for their needs. Didn't Jesus send out his disciples in such a fashion, taking only their staff and no other provisions, so that they must trust in God's provision? It makes me wonder if we've built a safe cocoon around ourselves in America that is un-Biblical and againt what God truly asks of us. The Bible doesn't have much to say about savings accounts or giving only 10% of your income to your neighbors. It says things that are much more like, "sell everything you have and give it to the poor."

As a sidenote- the Swaziland Conference of Churches is comprised of all the churches in Swaziland that profess Christ as Lord. It's truly amazing to see the body of Christ united under one banner to do good in the community. Catholic, Conservative, Jehovah's Witness, Charismatic- all serving alongside one another to accomplish the good works which God has called us to do as we have been changed by the love of Christ. It was really neat to hear Jabu tell stories about all that they are able to accomplish as they work together.

We visited another orphan village, this time with closer to 60 or 70 child headed families. We didn't have much to give to them , certainly not enough for everyone who needed it, but Jabu said that in Swazilnad you simply cannot visit a neighbor in need without bringing something to them. She would not even consider going to the orphans and sharing the gospel without also providing for their physical needs. It was an amazing experience to watch Ben share the gospel to the children in this community. Since he was speaking through a translator and to children, he shared the gospel in a simple way(through the story of the prodigal son), and then asked how many of the children would like to follow Jesus and call him Lord- every single one of the children raised their hands. It's been truly humbling to see how passionately and wholly so many poverty stricken people follow the Lord. It convicts me to follow by faith more boldly. They trust that God is good, no matter what- even if they don't have food on the table. They still rejoice in God's goodness and are bold in sharing the gospel. It's amazing.

Our last full day in Swaziland was spent at a PACWA conference. All the PACWA members and many other women gathered for an all day seminar on the issue of Single-Parenting and Widowhood. A pastor came and shared for most of the day, and the end of the day was spent with women sharing testimonies, asking questions, sharing experience and wisdom and praying for one another. Ben and I were also given the chance to share again. I have never heard such beautiful singing as they worshipped. I couldn't unsterstand a word of what they were singing, but they cried out to the Lord with such a beautiful desperation. I don't know if I've ever felt as desperately dependant on the Lord as these women so apparently and wholly were.

We ended each evening with Jabu and Jospeh by the fireside in their home eating dinner and Ben and I asking tons of questions. Each night Brother Jospeh would get out his Bible and share from the word, teach a little and then we would all pray. Often in Swaziland, people will all pray out loud at the same time. I tried, but I just can't do it. They are so focused on communicating with God that they aren't even distracted, maybe not even aware, of the other prayers being offered up at the same time. It is beautiful to hear many voices united in prayer. Even if it was just Jabu, Joseph and Ben.

We then spent several days traveling by bus and staying in backpackers hostels along the way. Our route took us all along the Eatern Cape, so we got to see a lot of the South African countryside. It is breathtakingly beautiful- Ben made fun of me for having my nose pressed up against the window of the bus the whole time. Our companions on the bus were often drunk college students from the UK. It was bizarre to be in the company of people who were in S.A. to simply get drunk and do all the toursity safari stuff after spending so much time in the midst of so many people who are in need. I wonder what theses college students thought as they saw the shacks and barefoot children along the side of the road from the bus.

We spent two days in Durban in the company of a Pastor (friend of a friend in S.A.) and his wife. It was wonderful throughout the whole journey for Ben and I to be in the presence of older people who were willing to teach us. I felt like we were sponges for the wisdom of elders while we were there. We were able to share almost every meal with someone full of wisdom and knowledge.

The streets of Durban are dirty and crowded with street vendors. Among the many things we saw for sale from these street vendors were hand guns, passports, local liquor made from soured milk and stored in old Mayo jars or gas cans, and lots of weird animal parts used for witchcraft. Ben saw something that he still can't tell anybody (including me) about without starting to gag.

We finally arrived back in Cape Town, where our friend Jeremy picked us up and took us to a neighboring town called Stellenbosch (we've written about it before) in the wine country of SA, where he had suprised us and booked us for two nights at a Bed & Breakfast so we could rest and be alone. I'm sure it would have been wonderful if I hadn't gotten sick and puked my guts up. I'm an old pro at vomiting now. On the bright side, I was able to visit some of the professors in the Community Development and Theological department at Stellenbosch University, as well as the International Students Office. I was able to talk to them about maybe completeing a Masters Degree program in Community Development.

Ben and I then went back to Cape Town and were able to say goodbye to many of the friends we had made since we arrived. We rented a car for the last two days- partially so we could do a little sight-seeing and also so people wouldn't have to drive us around for us to run errands or get to meetings anymore. We spent one day driving along to Western Cape and down to the Cape of Good Hope, where Vasco de Gama made the first trip around the most Southern part of Africa. I have never seen such beautiful scenery. It was breathtaking.

Saying goodbye to all of the friends we had made in Cape Town was hard. There were many tears shed and Ben and I made pormises to return again. We were blessed beyond anything we could have hoped for by the people we were with, all that they taught us and showed us, and in the ways God challenged us and spoke to us and through us.

Then ensued 2 whole days of delayed flights, broken planes, waiting for 6 hours in a really scary Senegal airport, missed flights, 4 hours of waiting in a US customs line, and some extensive security checks and finally our arrival at DIA.

We got back to our apartment around 10pm last night. We are still a little wearied from the journey, but cannot wait to see all of our US friends and family again. It is relaxing to be with people who know you well and have walked through much of life with you (sometimes all of life!). We cannot wait to share pictures and tell you stories in person. There is so much more that we haven't been able to communicate here. Ben and I will be busy putting together a slide show to share with all of you, and you can even count on us to serve you some South African cooking!

Thank you for sharing this journey with us. Ben will also write his last blog, but know that the end of these blogs is not the end of the journey. We look forward to having you with us as we continue along in this life and know that there are many more stories to share about SA and about all of the things that are to come in our life and yours. Please call us and make plans to see us- we want to hear about the journey you have been on over these past five weeks!

We feel loved and are encouraged by you. Thank you.

Still Alive

Friends,

We just wanted to say that though we haven't been able to get to the internet for nine days, we are fine have loved Swaziland and Durban. The Lord has taught us much and we will say more soon.
Love you all!

Ben and Alicia

Living by Faith

By Ben

I’m sorry that we haven’t updated this in a while. We were hiking on Table Mountain during National Women’s Day, and I was bitten by a cobra. Just kidding! (Mom, you can start breathing again. [Speaking of my Mom, her # is 303-530-9311, Mom in Law])

We both have had a touch of the flu this week, but are both feeling fine now. I jokingly called the flu bug “Mandela’s Revenge.” Again my sense of humor was not understood as no one here has ever tasted the bitter reality of Montezuma’s Revenge as I have. Fortunately, Mandela is a much more kind a peaceful leader than Montezuma, and he let us slide with only two days of fever and sore stomachs. On the humor front, I am being laughed at more. My plan to email home with a cobra bite story was a big winner. People laugh freely and often here, and my face still hurts from smiling.

Lesson # 24 Living by Faith

The idea of “full time, vocational ministry” that we have in the states translates here to “living by faith.” Ministry is a sacrifice here in many ways. Ministers do fundraise, but not nearly to the scale that American ministers do. Most of the money that they receive supports the programs that they have started. They trust God to provide for their living expenditures. This often means living in sub-economic areas, sometimes without electricity or running water. The men and women in ministry that we have met are at the mercy of God’s will, and they consider this normal. I don’t want to idealize the way that ministries are organized here; there are still budgets, and financial stress, and there is still greed among ministers (none that we have spent time with, though.) However, the emphasis is on trust in God’s provision; whereas I have seen many American ministries who rely primarily on management and human strategies.

Lesson # 26 Tik

Somehow, I have the reputation here as “the Drug person.” I think that this stems from the articulation of my ministry at home. In reality, I have learned so much about drug rehab and prevention while being here- I feel very unqualified to be a “Drug Person.” (Quotation marks are called inverted commas here. Still, I find them “obnoxious.”)
I taught a seminar about drug prevention and rehab for parents on Tuesday. It was a learning experience for all. Here are a few things that I have learned about the matter in my preparations for the seminar (starting years ago, even), and from listening to the parents share during it:
1. Tik is South African for Crystal Meth and is far and away the most prevalent drug here.
2. Drugs are such a pervasive and troubling problem here that fulfilling the Great Commission and making disciples in South Africa must include the hard work of offering hope to those in the grips of Tik.
3. The war on drug abuse must be a war that is fought on three fronts: the family, the community, and the country.
4. Family problems (here as in the US) are the primary breeding grounds for teenage drug abuse. Therefore the best way to fight drug abuse is in the home. A family that will prevent drug abuse among the children will most like be a family where the values of vulnerability, communication, love, discipline and others.
5. The reality facing South African Christian is that there are many families that are broken in the communities. It is not enough to ensure the safety of our own, but we are called by Jesus to reach out. The communities are suffering from Tik pushers and gangs waiting to prey on the many youths who are disenfranchised. Christian leaders who are slowly developing (transforming) their communities one teenager at a time are in the fight for the long haul, they are kind and not judgmental; but they still hold strong to the truth and to the hope of Christ.
6. Around the world, national remedies for the drug problems are relying too much on enforcement, and not enough on development. The drug business is just that- a business, and the rules of supply and demand apply. The problem with Tik is that it can be manufactured locally, so that trying to limit the supply is a huge problem. Therefore, the South African Government is beginning to try to slow the drug’s demand by supporting innovative rehab and prevention programs that are changing lives. Still, there is much to be done. Like in America, there is great injustice when it comes to schools. Schools in poorer areas lack funding, and teachers are scarce and overworked. We must support education in both the local and national stages.
7. Tik addicts need a long time to rehab as they experience relapse. Relapse is a chemical imbalance that for a short while will intensify cravings after the user has been clean. South African programs have dealt with this well by instituting an aggressive follow up program for addicts who have finished rehab.

There’s a lot more, but I’ll end there for time’s sake.

Lesson #23 An Adoption Story

While Alicia was out sick, I got to go have dinner all by my onesey with Sheryl and Ashley. Ashley told me the story of his adopted brother. When Ashley was a boy, his mother adopted a seven year old AIDS orphan. (Due to my accent problems, I didn’t catch Ashley’s brother’s name. Hence he will be referred to “Ashley’s brother.”) The boy was hard from the start, constantly running away and stealing from the family. A few years after his adoption, Ashley’s brother ran away for good. Twenty years later, one of Ashley’s cousins was approached by a man claiming to be Ashley’s brother. The man slept on the streets of Cape Town’s city center, and was addicted to tik. Ashley went to the streets and found him. He gave his brother some food, but did not identify himself, and his brother did not recognize him. Ashley repeated this daily for a week, and then after giving the man some food; Ashley told him who he was. His brother walked away for a moment, and then came back with tears in his eyes. Brothers were reunited. The man told Ashley that he had been so grateful to Ashley’s mother for opening her home to him and for teaching him about Jesus. The man said he was so sorry. Ashley continued to visit and bring food daily for about a month, visiting his long lost brother, and speaking to him about Jesus. Ashley thinks that his brother did decide to put his trust in Christ. One day his brother did not show up. Ashley asked around, and found out that his brother had been taken to the hospital. Ashley arrived at the hospital to learn that his brother had already died of AIDS.
Ashley looks back at this story with joy and gratitude that he got to see and speak with his brother before he died. It reminds me that even though things seem fruitless and hopeless in the moment, God is big and we never know the effect that our actions (both selfless and selfish) have.

Person #6 Crazy Pastor Cheti

Picture my mentor Cris Crisfield with black skin and hair and an Indian heritage. Then make him crazy. This is Pastor Cheti. He and his wife joy have been in ministry for 25 years together, and really want to move to India to be missionaries once their children are in university. How’s that for retirement?! Pastor Cheti was born in Durban and is a converted Hindu. He and his family have lived by faith for their entire Christian lives, and God is faithful. I got to be with them when they put their deposit down on their first home. After 25 years of faithful service planting churches, serving missionaries, being missionaries and being crazy for Jesus; the door has opened for them to buy a small (72 square meters) house. Pastor Cheti said over and over that this was such a remarkable blessing. Their house is in Pelikan Park, yet another sub-economic area. It recently was a squatter camp that has been developed into low income housing. While we were doing the paper work for the house, a dump truck pulled up. It is a serious problem for poor people in the area that people and businesses use their land as a free place to dump trash. Pastor Cheti ran out to confront the driver of the dump truck. While the manager of the project argued with the driver, Crazy Pastor Cheti jumped into the truck and stole the keys. We ran into the house and called the authorities. It was CRAZY!!

What We Did This Week

By Alicia

So, Monday and Tuesday, I was sick, so we had to cancel some plans that had been made for us, but on Tuesday I sent Ben to hang out with people wihtout me- there was no use in him sticking around ot watch me sleep all day. Pat, the housekeeper at the church came in and checked on me a couple of times, so I wasn't all by myself.

Wednesday morning I spoke on "The Suffering of Women Worldwide" at the Women's Day breakfast. "Women's Day" is a Public holiday here, started in honor of the women who were the first to protest the "Pass Laws"(racist laws prohibiting colored or black people to be out in certain areas at certain times, very much like Nazi policies of the past). The year escapes me that the protest happened- I'll let you know though.

After the breakfast, one of the families from the congregation took Ben and I on a beautiful hike that ende in Kirstenbosch Garden, the botanic gardens in Cape Town. We were supposed to go to dinner at their home, but I was still feeling sick, so they took Ben and I back to the church so I could rest.

Thursday we spent the morning at the church (their offices are always busy and there are always tons of people around to talk to). And then Ben and I went to Robben Island. Robben Island is where Nelson Mandela and other political prisoners, who were then referred to as 'treasonists' and 'terrorists', were held during apartheid. Mendela was there for 18 years, and then in other prisons for 6 more years, totaling 24 years in prison. Our tour guide had been an inmate- he was actually one of the original seven ANC members who was captured with Mandela and tried & convicted of 'treason.' As a history major, I can appreciate the fact that this man was the one who gave us our tour and not some 17 year old who needed a summer job and doesn't even remember what apartheid was. The attitude that this man has, and the people who established Robben Island as a museum, is incredible. They do not want to highlight the abuses and point fingers at the perpetrator's, but they truly do see it as an opportunity to educate future generations and dispell the rumor that "history alwasy repeats itself." There forgiveness is exemplary and apparent.

Ben and I then went straight to St. Micheal's Academy- a home for girls just around the corner from the church. There are 9 girls living there, all of which have been badly abused in some form. You can sense their hurt and their fear, but their desire to be loved and sought after. One of the cell groups from the church (cell group= City Pres community group) goes there once a month together, so we got to go with them. Some of the people from the group have kind of adopted some of the girls and meet with them outside of Thursday nights as well. While we were there, Jeremy, Ben and I prayed for Simone, a girl who has been on meth (they call it 'tic' here) for 6 months and has been cutting herself. Ben and I made an appointment to come back and meet with her the next morning.

Firday morning we went bcak to St. Michael's and met with Claudia, who is in charge of the facility. She made it perfectly clear to us that Simone already had a counselor (as well as 5 other professionals of some sort) treating her, so that we were not allowed to provide her any 'counseling' per say. But then she said that she was glad that we were there and that the girls need spiritual direction and encouragement, so please talk to her as much as you can about that. It was a weird experience for us considering we've neve had an authority figure in America ask us to please give the kids they were in charge of spiritual guidance. Our time with Simone was short, and Ben and I found it difficult b/c we're used to such long term relationships with kids, but I think that we were able to give her some hope and encouragement. You could see the battle within her of wanting to know more, but the walls of protection and fear being hard to overcome. I shared with her from Jeremiah 29:11- "'I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you a hope and a future. She gave us her address so we can write her once we are home. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, adn I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you', declares the Lord, 'and will bring you back from captivity.'" Her eye lit up when she heard this- my heart hurts and crys for her as she has a long road of recovery before her.

Ben and I then went to the head quarters for Ambassadors in Sport, a ministry that is sharing the gospel through soccer internationally. Our friend jeremy used to play professional soccer here, and he volunteers for them every few years, going on international tours. He actually stayed and coached at Boulder Valley Christian Church the last time he was there, four years ago. Small world.

We finished the afternoon by have coffee and lunch a Anthony's house, one of the member of the church. Pastor Theo and jeremy were there with us. We sat around and talked for hours, Ben and I just picking their brains and asking a million questions about the church, outreach, politics, history, education. It was a great discussion.

Finally, last night, Ben and I led the youth group. ( I just can't get away from kids!) We taught them some American games and then we broke up into guys & girls for teaching. We are both struck by the large amount of respect that the kids have for adults. Ben taught the boys how to read the Bible (using some great notes from Mary Jean Powers, of course!) and I taught the girls about our identities in God. There were a few points where I asked for answers to a question, or feedback, or some sort of dialogue, but they were hesitant to the point of silence. Our friend Terry warned us that they are used to being lectured to, and man, was she right. It was really neat though how at the end of our time together when the girls prayed, they prayed for almost everything I had taught on. They were really listening, even though they weren't interacting. we had a wonderful time with them, and know almost all of them by name.

In response to a few questions:

My friend Lauren asked to share a little bit about how they view Americans. Everyone we've met has been incredibly friendly, asks lot of questions about Colorado (especially about the cold and the snow). They don't often share their opinions about America unless we ask, or make them feel like they can be honest about what they think. Almost everybody that we've had longer interactions with has been to at least a few years university, most people have degrees and many people have travelled internationally.

South Africa is trying very ardently right now to establish a National identity that is not molded by the West for them. They want to make sure that they are making decisions b/c it is right and good, not b/c it is what the countries of the West have done. They question everything, and it seems that they are finding some good solutions. Although America, for a long time, has stood for them as a model of everything that a country "should" be, they're not buying that as the answer anymore. They can sense that the bigger/better, keeping up with the Jonses', everybody is in a lot of debt, way of life isn't making Americans happy. They don't want the same materialism, with dis-regard for it's effects on the earth, the world-market and little kids in sweat shops, that we have created.

It seems like they are looking at our politics and our way of life and truly weighing what is good, and using it, and what is bad, and discarding it.

In action, however, there are some funny hipocrisies. It seems that much of S.A. is falling into the materialism merry-go-round. All the teenagers think Hummers are the coolest cars you can own. Purchasing name brands is the cool thing to do (think the early 90's when everybody had the Nike swoosh or POLO plastered across their chest). Also, every store, restaurant and establishment we've been in has been playing American music (mostly Britney and Shakira) and we went to the video store the other day and rented to American new releases (Ben wanted to rent some local SA stuff, but I was too tired to dig through the million copies of american movies to try and find a lcally produced one).

Politically, it seems that most people disagree with the war and think that the US is beginning to step over it's boundaries in the world. It seems like we're starting to be viewed as bullies here, who are unwilling to be taught by others.

Spiritually, it's very similar. People subscribe ot the teachings of good American teachers- some of the names we've heard mentioned in a positive light are Billy Grahm, Rick Warren, John MacArthur?, Tony Campolo. But there are others who they think are a bit ridiculous (Benny Hinn) and even other's that have left more damage than good in thier interactions with them-the recent discovery of the gold mines that Pat Robertson owns furhter North and Bruce Wilkinson's campaign to save Swaziland and SA, when he spoke to the SA's with what they saw as a very condescending tone and in public speeches in both Swaziland and SA told politicians, pastors, media and the public that he believed the AIDS epidemic was God's curse on a sinful nation.

All in all, it seems that they are doing a good job of weeding out the bacd from the good, are teachable, discerning and wise, and have been gracious hosts to us. We've learned a lot about living by faith from them.

Mom Nixon, we can be reached at cell-072-697-0578 or at the church 021-761-8511. From the states you'll have to dial '0' first to conntect internationally.

Kevin- thanks for the story. You made us laugh. A lot. Good luck with the job!

Our love to you all. Please keep sending comments, as they make us feel connected! Also, Lauren thanks for the questions! I hope that the rest of you can keep asking as well so we can share more of what we are seeing here.