Day 16 - The Unexpected

Well today we intended to spend the whole day out at the village with the girls...but I'm sure as you've read our blog over the last couple of weeks plans always change in Africa. 

Camp started with dancing and singing

Well, we finally made it out to the village just after 10am and arrived to find none of the older girls around. It turns out they were down at the YFC campsite joining in a camp for teenage girls from the school we went out to last wednesday. So, we decided to go visit the toddlers for an hour or so where Alex and I threw A LOT of frisbies and Jonno shared his sunglasses around for all the kids to wear. 

Sudza and cabbage for lunch

Come lunchtime the girls had a break from camp so we caught up with them for some interesting ndelebe lessons. They pleaded with us to join them at camp for the rest of the day and we resisted. We kept telling the girls it was a girl camp and we were guys. Just when they were about to give up, two male friends of ours (Ifram and Jo) showed up and invited us to be a part of camp for the rest of the day. The girls laughed a lot and we were out of excuses. They had won our little argument. Something that all females seem to thrive on. So, our plans changed and we joined the girls at camp for the rest of the day. Camp firstly consisted of a good 40 minute talk in Ndebele, which Ifram continued to translate for us throughout. We were then granted a lunch break where we enjoyed sudza and cabbage with the girls. After lunch some girls went for a swim and somehow...Alex, Jonno and myself ended up in yet another water fight against a constantly growing number of SJC girls. I think we won though...

The girls enjoying a swim

After we all cooled off we had another camp talk. This one went for well over an hour but was well worth it. The speaker was from the Aids Council and spoke at length about the reality of HIV Aids and taught the girls and guys about important measures they needed to put in place to best deal with both the prevention and detection of HIV Aids. 

When the day was finally over we once again became a taxi service and dropped a few faithful servants of the camp into town before we got home. On our way home we witnessed two amazing things. The first being an African sunset, probably the best we have seen yet. In all seriousness it's probably one of the most breathtaking scenes that God has provided us with. The second thing we saw was a police officer on nearly EVERY street corner of town on our way home. Along with a couple of road blocks I think we saw more police officers today than I ever wish to see again in my entire life. 

African sunset

We finally got home at around 7ish to a super meal that Deb had prepared for us, which was a super way to end the day. 

The other day driving back from the village I got pulled over and nearly fined because no one in the backseats had their seat belts on (which has never been a problem or an offence in the past). Somehow, I talked my way out of it and was let go. The laws seem to change everyday...or change depending on how happy or angry the police officer that you are dealing with is. It's a crazy place. A minute hand isn't needed on a watch and the only road rule that seems to apply SOMETIMES is giveway to your right. But in the midst of the chaos and complete confusion, there is something about this country that captivates you. It's the people. Their smiles blow you away, especially the smiles that come from those who have been hurt so badly. They are welcoming, generous and so positive considering everything that the nation and people have been through. It's the people that make Africa, Africa. 

We have a pretty big day tomorrow so stay tuned! Thanks again for your support and prayers. A special shout out to my amazing sister who has trusted God during an incredibly difficult time! I'm so proud of you! 

Andy

Day 15 - The Decider

Day 15 - 'The Decider Day' was a very hot day.

Why was it the decider day, I hear you ask.  Two weeks ago, back in Jo'burg airport, we received information that some family friends of Auntie Deb's, the Warne's, had a son who would be on the same flight as us going into Bulawayo.  Being exceptionally bored and in need of a little entertainment, we each chose one contestant who we thought was the Warne's son; keeping in mind that the only information we had was that he was white and about our age.  Needless to say, I was pretty sure that I was correct - I just needed the visual proof.

This morning entailed a small number of errands that needed to be run; petrol, pool supplies, stationary supplies and a visit to Mary's Cafe.  As mentioned in a previous post, Mary's Cafe is a restaurant/cafe run by a friend of Auntie Deb's.  Having heard a lot about this restaurant, and missing the operating hours of the business twice already, we decided to give the place one last go.  It lived up to all of the hype...  Maddie's 'piece' of cake was more like a slab of cake.

Following the errands, we shot out to SJC for a few hours.  Today our time was spent on guitar lessons and games.  My three girls started on bar-chords while Jonno played a vast array of various games.

Dinner was at the Warne's.  I won the bet on Daniel, their son.

Tomorrow is shaping up to be a full day at Willow Park.  As we were leaving this afternoon, one of the girls mentioned to us that there were only 26 older girls left out there and they were starting to get bored.

Should be a good day tomorrow!


Alex

P.S. For those looking for more information on the Sandra Jones Centre, please see the link to the right.

Day 14

Alice and Lisa

hey Bloggers how's it going?

Alex playing with the younger kids

We started the day remembering we had a punctured tyre to fix. We had a gentleman called Yusaf come take the car to the garage to be repaired. The bill to repair a punctured tyre, $4. BARGAIN!

Makayla exhausted

We drove out to Sandra Jones Centre and visited the young ones firstly. They were watching 'The Lion King' until we walked in, then they just wanted to play. Andy, Alex and Debbie's kids, Stef, Madi and Bekky went outside to play frisbee with the older bunch, while Lisa and I were inside having fun with the younger babies. We must have exhausted the little ones because Makayla (who's about 1 yr old) fell asleep on the chair while playing with her toy. We said goodbye to the young ones and headed towards the girls' area.

Andrew with his new hairstyle and his hairstylist Teresa

Alex grabbed his guitar students and they were jamming in the main hall. He's now teaching them BAR chords, which is amazing since these girls having only been playing for less than 2 weeks. It was heading towards lunch time so Andrew and I jumped at the opportunity to serve the girls their lunch, Sadza and beans. After lunch the girls attacked Andrew's hair and gave him a new hair style. Everyone found this a funny and enjoyable experience except Andrew who was cringing every time someone grabbed a lock of his hair. We played a few more games with the girls while others went inside to watch the movie 'Step Up'. I went inside one of the classrooms and played a few games on their blackboard with some of the girls. It soon turned into them teaching me Ndebele (their local language) which was fascinating. I'm wanting to go back tomorrow to learn more.

Andy and I serving lunch

Amanda teaching us Ndebele

We were there for a few hours but we then had to leave because Alex, Andrew, Lisa and I had to prep ourselves for Ultimate Frisbee with the youth from Bulawayo Baptist church, our weekly dosage of intense exercise. we learnt our mistakes from last week and wore proper clothing and brought gallons of water. It was Lisa's first time playing Ultimate Frisbee and I think she enjoyed the game which involved throwing the 'plate'. We headed back to Debbie's and have crashed on the couch, watching 'A Cinderella Story' with the girls. It mustn't be Alex's kind of movie because he's passed out on the sofa.

Thanks for reading and leaving your comments! We really do appreciate and enjoy reading them.

Jon

P.S: As a bonus for this blog, Lisa has typed her thoughts of playing Ultimate Frisbee for the first time.

'I think I will enjoy it when a ball is used not a white plate that was used'

Day 13

Alex showing the boys how to use the egg-timer

Today we woke up to an all too familiar overcast sky. In saying that we woke up at a very unfamiliar time for a Sunday. Church started at 10am so to be able to sleep in on a Sunday morning was a welcomed change to the early mornings that we are use to at home, and we really needed the sleep. 

My mates Tando and David

Church was an experience to say the least. By Australian standards we were running late, but by African standards were still fairly early. We arrived at church 10 minutes late to a packed out service and we struggled to find a seat. The worship is where things got interesting. Before I go on, I mean know disrespect to the worship leader at all because from all the people I have spoken to he is a great man of God...In saying that I don't think worship leading is his gift. He struggled to hold a tune as well as any structure to the songs to the point where we had no idea what was going on. Alex referred it to the Mr Beans Hallelujah skit. I was VERY close to laughing out loud. I felt really bad that I was nearly laughing in church so had to turn to Alex and Jonno to see if there was actually anything to laugh about. I turned to my left where Jonno was holding his head lower than usual in an attempt to hide a rather large smile. I then turned to Alex who had one of the biggest grins I have ever seen and was moments away from bursting out in laughing. This didn't help me in my attempt to subdue my smirking and in all honestly was very close to walk out of the service to regain composure. Turns out Alex was in the same boat. 

Jonno 'helping' cook dinner at SJCV

After church we headed home for the family lunch, which included donuts from Haefilies (One of the best bakeries ever). Alex did some more work on the pool, Jonno had a nap and I did some more work on my sermon. Soon enough it was time to head out to church again. I was given the opportunity to speak tonight, which I thank Pastor Jeff for giving me the chance to share. I had a blast and really enjoyed speaking to such a welcoming and relaxed group of people. Thanks for all those who were praying for me. 

Preaching at Bulawayo Baptist youth service

Our 'mega' pizza which needed two plates. 

After church we were invited out to our second home (Haefilies) where Alex, Jonno, Lisa and I shared a MEGA pizza from the Pizza inn (just next door to Haefilies). Alex and I were still feeling guilty about laughing during worship in church today at this point. Thankfully with us at Haefilies was the worship pastor of the church. He asked us what we thought of the worship from this mornings service. At this point I wasn't sure whether to be honest and tell him it was pretty bad or tell a white lie and say it was alright. I went with the Christian response and told him the truth. Well...they all broke out in laughter and completely agreed with us. It turns out we weren't the only ones laughing during the service this morning, which made us feel a lot less guilty!! 

It seems every time we go out and meet new people we are roped into more and more stuff. This week is filling up quickly with worship practises, ultimate frisby and many more visits out to the girls and boys at SJCV. 

Thanks again for your continued support and prayers. We are loving the opportunity of sharing our journey with you through the blog. 

Andy

Day 12

Day 12

Today was a simple day; SJC, Mary's Cafe and Bendover.

After a little more work on the pool and a few Skype calls home, we headed out to SJC.  This time we decided to head down to the babies home first.  As we drove in, the babies were all standing on the back veranda looking through the fence.  There was a camp on at willow park and the babies were fascinated by the shear number of people on the grounds.

We played with the kids for a while; playing with the frisbee, an egg timer, blocks and cars.  The kids love having their photo taken and this quickly turned into a game also, holding a stuffed rabbit while I took their photo.

One o'clock is lunch time at the village, and today was sudza and cabbage for the older kids and sudza and milk for the younger kids.  It's at this time that the little kids are told to put the toys away, line up to wash their hands and either sit at the table or on the ground outside, which they all do obediently without dispute.

We shot up to the top to see the older girls for a short while.  Jonno helped make dinner, Andrew played with some of the girls and I had another guitar lesson with my three girls.  I am glad to report that my three (Devine, Amanda and Bernice) and all learning very quickly.

Back in town, Mary's was closed.  Mary's cafe is owned by Cheryl, a friend of Auntie Deb's.

Bendover Boutique is a flea-market in town where you can get new and second-hand clothing.  After half and hour walking around (part of which was in the rain), Lisa and Andrew where they only ones to purchase something.

At the end of the day, what have I learnt?  I learnt that it's not such a crazy idea for a spare tyre to be located in the engine bay.


Alex

Day 11

Hey folks

So it's day 11 and we are ready to kill each other. haha joking. I feel we are learning a lot about each other and ourselves as the days go on. According to Alex, both Andrew and I snore, and according to Andrew and I, Alex talks in his sleep. Today was another really hot day. Right now at 11:26pm it is 24 degrees. Luckily, Debbie has a pool and we are all eagerly waiting for the 'A- OK' from Alex, the pool cleaner. What a great guy.

We started the day Skyping Kathryn Ward and Jeremy Visser, as it was her birthday today. You really do appreciate technology when you are overseas, being able to communicate with someone across the globe in real time. We then drove out to Willow Park to see the kids again at the Sandra Jones Centre. We forgot to bring the kids the most important items with us, the Christmas decorations so Alex and I drove back to pick them up. I'm glad we did because the kids went berserk when they saw it. 

When Alex and I went to pick up the presents back at home, Alex also brought his Santa hat to wear on the journey. It is now our good luck charm because 3 times we approached the police roadblock and 3 times they've instantly let us through without checking Alex's license. There must be something about seeing someone wearing a Santa hat with a big jolly grin on his face saying 'How's it going?' in an Aussie accent, which melts the hearts of the police. 

Andrew making the African meal, Sudza

Tonight, us guys and a few of the older girls went to Salborne Church for a 'youth rally'. I was told there were approx 410 teenagers/young adults tonight, which the organisers were ecstatic about, compared to the usual 100 kids they would normally get. We met a lot of great people from the church who have invited us to play some games with their youth including my favourite card game, 'mafia'!!!!! 

The rally was amazing, going for 2 hrs with songs, choirs, silhouettes, skits and an amazing, challenging and thought-provoking sermon from the pastor. The theme of the night was 'STAND', whether you stand and defend sin, or, you stand for Jesus and against sin. The night ended with 2 girls from SJC, Eunice and Amanda giving their lives to Christ. A brilliant ending to a brilliant night.

thanks for reading

Andrew and Amanda

J

Day 10

Today was another bright and sunny day in Bulawayo. Fortunately it wasn't as hot as yesterday.

Roda - One of the lovely ladies working at the village

Alex teaching the girls guitar

After a couple of hectic days today was much more laid back. Jonno and Alex headed out to the pool shop to get some acid and chlorine for the pool while I stayed at home preparing my sermon for Sunday night. A journey into town is always an adventure and never the same in Zim. Alex was pulled over on the way into town and then again on the way out and spilt Hydrochloric acid in the car between the pool shop and home leaving their sense of smell a bit worse for wear.

The venue for yesterdays concert

Once the boys had made it back from their little adventure and they shared about their poor luck during their journey we headed out once again to the village. We played a few games with the girls (I avoided games that involved balls being thrown at you this time) including a game similar to wink murder. I am ALWAYS accused of cheating in every game I play...well now I finally fit in. These girls struggle to play games without cheating, which suits me just fine! Especially games that involves closing eyes, none of them can do it!

Divine PRETENDING to drive the bus

I don't know how it started but Samantha and I got into a water fight. It started with a little splash of water here and there and it soon ended up everyone against me. Needless to say I lost...and Sam and the girls made sure I went home dripping wet. Jonno taught the girls limbo, where the girls showed us how flexible they are. After only 3 days teaching Divine, Bernice and Amanda guitar, by the end of today Alex had them playing through a whole song all by themselves. They are progressing so quickly and doing a great job! We left the village with two extra people. One we knew about and one we didn't. Lisa was coming home with us for the holidays but Samantha somehow squeezed herself between the backseats and the boot. Thanks to her squealing it didn't take long for us to notice she was there. So, we now have another girl in the house. That now makes 8 girls (Gogo, Prisca, Deb, Stef, Madi, Bekky, Christie and Lisa) to us 5 guys (Alex, Jonno, Khulu, Zachary and myself).

After a few hours at the village we made our way home. Our bad luck hadn't run out. I got pulled over at the roadbloock between SJCV and home for my first time. The police officer asked to see my licence. I showed him both my drivers licence and my international drivers licence. He stared at them both for sometime shook his head made a funny noise and handed them back to me and let me go. I didn't think my drivers licence photo was that bad but I guess it doesn't matter, we made it through the roadblock.

We all headed to Des and Pete's (good friends of Deb) for a super roast dinner, which was a great way to end the day. It was good to have a bit more of a relaxed day because I have a feeling that things are only going to get busier and busier the longer we are here. We have done so much already and are really really excited about the ever-growing amount of opportunities that are arising every day to serve the great people of Zimbabwe and more importantly the God who brings us together.

Thanks for your support and prayers,

Andy