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

Our compound is in Matola, 10 km west of Maputo. Building church in Mapandane. Each allowed to use pastor’s computer for a few minutes, and he has requested no extras or downloads of pics. Sorry. I will try to get some more time on computer at least for stories. I am disappointed we didn’t bring our own computer. Thanks for launching our website! People are very friendly, have met a few women at our work site and we try to communicate – saw darling baby today.

~CrabbMJ

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Our leader, Pastor Marvin Wray (see link below), is doing a continuing blog for his church members, so maybe you can get pictures from there.  I’m using his macbook, so you can respond to me.  Mozambique (map) is poor country (see Wikipedia) – hot and humid – staying on a compound in the tents you see in his pictures – going back to Maputo airport today to pick up lots of luggage that did not arrive including ours.  Then we will go out to work site to meet local workers and check area to start work tomorrow.  There is a local family who are caretakers for our compound who live is the back – observed family pounding corn into meal for their food.  Talk to you soon.  You will get lots more from Marvin’s blog.

Useful Links in this Story

• Jan 25, 2009: A Church in Progess
• Pastor Marvin Wray blog: nadchurchtour.blogspot.com
• Visit online: NapaSDAChurch.com
• Download Google Earth 5, then download this Google Earth Video
  This file will not work unless you have Google Earth 5 – Download here

~CrabbMJ

GE

We are in the London airport – long night, 10 hour flight. 5 hours from now we leave for Johannesburg, then Maputo, Mozambique 11.5 hour flight. walked around Herrod’s Department Store (website) small one in airport fun but pricey! Weather in London is Sunny 52°

~CrabbMJ