date Wed, Mar 18, 2009 at 11:00 AM (This travel blog entry posted 34 minutes after Judy sent the email)
subject Re: Cape Town, South Africa
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Finally able to respond a bit on borrowed computer, others waiting in line. We are doing great, Milton in construction on school and church, Judy in medical clinic. We saw 161 pts today, I am the last station to give a gift prepackaged by VBS group and to offer prayer, wonderful people hear. Weather cooler and air conditioned rooms, although not fancy by any means. Two more days of work than new church dedication on Sabbath Day (March 21, 2009), [then] off to Kruger National Park with this group! Home on Wednesday March 25th.

Love you all, (I need to figure out a name that fits for all) Dad, Milton, Papa, Judy, MOM, M&M
Anyway we love you all!!

We have arrived in Cape Town – two hour flight from Johannesburg for holiday. Left Maputo, Mozambique for Johannesburg on bus (wild partying and lots of broken glass all over streets night before at bus stop.) A Maranatha representative waited with us for safety – two whites with luggage doesn’t look too good. But all was fine – 7 hours including going through two customs offices – leaving Mozambique and entering South Africa. Bus attendant called ahead for a taxi to meet us to take us straight to the airport.

South Africa is completely different – more modern. We are staying at the SDA Helderberg College (website*) in a guest room after driving in the dark from the airport in a rented car. Driving on the opposite side with all car signals opposite, after dark was a bit harrowing, but we made it just fine.

Tonight we will transfer to a lovely B&B downtown in Cape Town, so that we can return the car today. We plan to take a cable car up Table Mountain tomorrow and maybe Robben Island where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned (wikipedia). The College was a great place to stay for two nights to relax and catch up our laundry, but Milton will feel much safer when we return the car today so that’s why we decided to move close into town. Have our reservations all made with B&B and a shuttle to take us their from the car rental office.

Having a great time, tired, but happy and keeping safe. ~CrabbMJ
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*cited from http://www.hbc.ac.za/
Helderberg College is one of over 100 Seventh-day Adventist institutions of higher education world-wide, and offers degree and diploma programmes of study. The College is situated in Somerset West, a half-hour’s drive from the city of Cape Town, South Africa. The campus is nestled on the slopes of Helderberg mountain and overlooks the ocean curve of False Bay. Our campus also hosts a Primary School, High School and Montessori Pre-School.

We laid the last block today and put into a slot the names of all of us who built the Mapandane Church. Tomorrow we will sweep the cement floor out and put together pews. Today I walked across the sandy road from the church to see a girl who was pounding greens with a large stick 3″ thick by about 6′ tall in a stone bowl on the ground. I tried to do it – the stick was very heavy – hard work. Took a picture of family there – will add to this site when we return home. Our first rain since arrival began at about 3 a.m. this morning and rained off and on all day – good thing the church roof was on today so we could work inside.

One of Judy’s jobs was to mark the corrugated steel roofing where the workers would screw them into the steel beams. Milton and I worked on a section laying block together – then we would assist others by handing them block as they reached near the top.

Images from Pastor Marvin Wray blog: nadchurchtour.blogspot.com

When we arrived at our worksite today for church with the nationals, they were already in progress inside the new church! The roof is on as you know from Marvin’s website, but they had cleared away our work equipment, set up blocks with scaffolding boards for pews. When it was over, we passed out bags of beans for adults and toys for kids, and just interacted with the group trying to communicate. Becky had brought soap bubbles (Brenda sent with her) that was really a hit with the kids. I put fun stickers on each child, and then the women wanted one too so they had fun reading the word on the one they would pick out. Ate our lunch on the bus coming back, hopped in the pool to cool off and sitting around relaxing until we return to work tomorrow (Sunday). On Tuesday we go to a beach on the Indian Ocean, then Wednesday we are off to Kruger National Park for two nights in a 4-star hotel we hear for night/day safari.

We were unable to go to work site today
US Embassy notified Maranatha about a possible unrest at a toll booth that we drive through each day, so as a group of Americans we were told to stay in our compound.  We were able to drive out to a “Safeway” type store to buy some cold drinks and snacks.  It was great to have a day off to relax – it is very hot & humid and tents are in the sun all day.

So I was able to get a few more minutes on this computer.
There is a caretaker family who lives on our compound with three little children that don’t go to school, so Milton and Becky played frisbee with them today, and I gave them some fun stickers to play with.  They appear really poor and sickly, but work cleaning their yard and helping pound corn with their mother while father cares for the grounds.  We see hundreds of children going to and from school as we drive in the morning to our site.  There are so many that go to school, that  there are 3 daily sessions for different groups, so kids are coming and going all day.  The people here are a handsome people, and the children have really cute faces.

Our church is almost done – maybe Sunday & Monday.
Tomorrow we will worship with them outside the unfinished church under a cashew nut tree, and next week in the new church.  Next Tuesday, we will take a trip to beautiful Belene beach on the Indian Ocean and to the factory where the blocks and roof steel we use are manufactured.  Then to Kruger National Park on Wed for 2 glorious nights in a 4-star hotel with air (after our hot tents).

~CrabbMJ

After arriving home from Amman, Jordan and then a week in the California Redwoods, we are currently in Grand Junction, Colorado. Visiting friends and family – have been to Mesa, Whitewater, into the Unaweep canyon and the Umcompagre exploring our pioneer family homestead locations. My cousin, Elsie Granere, grew up in the Unaweep and was a great tour guide. Unaweep is a Ute Indian name for “divided waters” – it is the only location in the world where the water flows out both ends of the canyon – East Creek and West Creek. My grandfather Aaron Alexander Silzell homesteaded near the divide in this canyon. Plan to consider a family reunion in September 2008 in Mesa, CO including family from CO, CA, AR, etc.
Tomorrow we are leaving for Evergreen near Denver to celebrate birthdays with Milton’s three sisters. They have tickets for us all to go to Denver to see a Rockies game with the Chicago Cubs. We will be home Wednesday August 15. Love you all, M&M/Dad&Judy

Weather was beautiful today for the celebration. Beautiful tents were put up on top of the tell for program speakers and reception table with lots of fruit, sweets, and coffee/Beduoin tea. Heard several dignataries speak of the history of the work on Tell Hesban by Andrews University, Department of Antiquities director, etc. and royalty. Prince Raad spoke – he is the son of the former King Hussein of Jordan, and brother of the current King Abdullah who could not come. Since I knew Dr. Larry Geraty, co-founder of the site in l968, he introduced Milton and me to the Prince and we had our picture taken with him! Great fun. Milton had a slight fever last night – better now but sleeping this afternoon while I help register artifacts with the archaeologists. Sunday we will tour several desert castles of Lawrence of Arabia fame, and board Royal Jordanian on Monday. See you soon. We love you all!

Just to let you all know we are still safe and sound.  Spent the weekend at Petra – incredible.  Hiked two days there – rode camels (wonderful when just walking) – explored tombs/caves.  Did some shopping in the little town.  Sand bottles made from the natural sandstone at Petra are sold everywhere.  Milton continues to dig at the site.  I have been recording numbers on artifacts that are kept for study and publishing purposes by the archaeologists.  It is interesting to watch them read the finds and decide which ones to keep – some ceramics, metals, coins, charcoal, potsherds – all have meaning to learning about the ways of the people who put them there many years ago.   Milton and I are going to dinner at Kan Zaman tonight with the dig director and his wife.  40th anniversary of Tell Hesban is this Thursday.  They expect about 300 for program and tour of site.  King of Jordan is unable to come, so a Prince and his wife will be there along with other Antiquities Department dignitaries.  One more week – we leave next Monday.  We will post if we get another chance.   Love you all!!

We finally have access to a Mac! We arrived in Jordan in style because we were offered an upgrade to first class in Chicago – great service, meals, and seats reclined flat for our 12 hour flight.

Our Crown Hotel has air conditioning and good food which helps our 104 degrees today. Actually the weather has been great with cool wind, and also because we start our work at the Hesban dig at 6 a.m. and stop at 12:15 p.m. We are served a breakfast of bread, filafel and watermelon at 9 a.m. under a goat hair bedoin tent on our site.

Hope you have seen pictures of the site on madabaplains.org, click on hesban, click on “take the virtural tour.” We are working on separate fields at the site, and are considered assistant square supervisors, which really means we are volunteer workers. Milton’s group will be opening up a new section from the Mamluk period (19th century), and Judy’s group is continuing work in a preworked section to dig down to an earlier period probably Byzantine (12th century). We have seen lots of pottery sherds and tiny ceramic tiles, hoping to uncover some interesting artifacts that are then recorded and studied/published by our archaeologist project director during the next 3 years before they again return for another dig. We are truly digging in dirt and clearing it away, sometimes hard work, but every day is fascinating.

It’s very safe here, people are friendly and honest. I lost our passports in a taxi, and the driver returned them later that night after driving an hour to get back to our hotel.

We have been up on Mt. Nebo where Moses walked up, visited the SDA church, and went to downtown Amman once. We work Monday-Friday, with our 1st tour this Sunday to Northern Jordan.

Want you to know we miss you and are finally relieved to have access to this computer to let you all know we are safe. We love you and will post when able.

We finally found postcards and will send to everyone. Love you all, Dad&Judy/M&M/etc.