On a journey...

As I drove towards the Kruger Mpumalanga International airport, I almost doubted it was an airport. With impalas grazing, and rustic architecture, it definitely gave a different feel to the leaving of a lovely four days in Nelspruit. Getting to the gate I even had to reassure myself that this was indeed the one and only gate in the airport. The flight was uneventful and after a couple of flights and cups of coffee in airports, I finally arrived in Port Elizabeth. I was met by my dear friend who I hadn't seen in 17 years, accompanied by two of her children who were barefoot as seems to be the norm here. It has been an amazing long-weekend here. Hours of chatting and catching up and drinking tea and coffee, while at the same time getting a little glimpse of what their life is like. They run an incredible ministry called Penuel which is basically a children's home or haven for children coming out of very bad situations in Port Elizabeth. Children who are going to be adopted wher...

At 5 am the safari jeep picked us up. The weather was misty, and as we drove to the park I was hoping it wouldn't rain (it turned into a lovely day). Arriving there I was so excited, and hoped, just hoped we might get a glimpse of an elephant. It was an amazing day! As soon as we entered the park the first thing we saw were several elephants right next to the road. Needless to say I was busy taking many many photos, which probably became hundreds throughout the day. We saw so many animals up close- many more elephants, giraffes, rhinos, hyenas, wilderbeast and buffalo herds crossing the road, hundreds of impala, kudu, wharthog and hippopotamus and baboon in the distance, monkeys, one with her baby under her stomach, and a lion and a leopard. The lion looked straight at us and walked across the road at such a leisurely pace it was breathtaking. The leopard was hidden beneath a tree and scuffled away after a few minutes, but left enough time for us to photograph it. And the giraffe...

After a very peaceful morning, a few of us headed to the mall. Earlier in the morning I had got a message from a dear friend who did the Shine Seminar in Brazil who is from South Africa, and who just happened to be coming to Nelspruit for the day. It was such a treat to get to have coffee with her and her husband, and catch up on life and have a time of fellowship together. I had wanted to see her since we were in the "same" country, but her living 2 hours away I figured it wouldn't be possible. She is such an amazing woman of God who is really making a difference by reaching out to and loving the women in prostitution in her area. In the evening our hosts made us a South African braaii, which is a barbeque. It was fascinating to watch the grill they use, and we got to taste braiibread, some special sausage, special marinated meat, pap (maize starch thing), and milk tart for dessert. A true taste of South Africa. That combined with lovely company made it a great ending t...

After getting up before dawn, we got on a Greyhound bus headed to Nelspruit in South Africa. It was a surprisingly comfortable journey, sitting in huge comfy seats watching the landscape as we drove past. Mid-way we had to get off the bus to pass through the border. We literally had to walk across the border which made the reality of crossing from one country to another a lot more real than when going through immigration at an airport. The weather was warm and nice and on arrival in Nelspruit we were picked up by our host of Duiker's Den, the cottage we would be renting for the days we are here. The cottage is lovely. And the property it's on is beautiful. Amazing views and places to go for lovely walks. And even a bit of wildlife in the form of colourful birds, deer and other animals. That combined with a deep sense of peace makes it the perfect place for some days of just resting and reflecting on what the past week has held. The hosts are lovely and so hospitable, and I thi...

As I got up I was aware that this was my final day in Mozambique. I wanted to make the most of the day and wanted to make sure I didn't miss out on any opportunities. I put on my nice skirt and top and headed to church. This Sunday there was a lot of dancing and singing, and I sat next to some children who had come in from the Bocaria. The base sends a bus to the area each Sunday to bring those who want to come to the service. The children were radiant with joy, and it really blessed my heart to interact with them. I danced with the one next to me, and even if I don't know if they understand Portuguese, we communicated. What a privilege to get to share the worship time with them. Before the sermon those who were leaving were invited up to the front, and they laid a capulana (skirt fabric) over our shoulders and prayed for us. I had some very eager 4-8 year olds come crashing into me to pray, and it was such a lovely moment. After that my friend Melissa preached, and we got to ...

Driving towards town I was looking forward to a different day. Having seen the less good sides of the city and learnt about some of the deep challenges, it was exciting to also get to see some of the beauty and the positive parts of this place. After a few stops to take photos of the beach and sea, we arrived at the crafts market. A market in an organised area designed to meet any and all needs for souvenirs a tourist might have. There was so much stuff and very persistent vendors who kept calling me "amiga Brasileira" because of my accent. I found many lovely things, and left wishing I had brought more cash, while at the same time thankful that I didn't. I'd rather spend money sowing into people then stuff. But it was great to see the beautiful crafts in wood and fabric that these skilled people had made. A beautiful expression of their culture. It was a real treat to sit down at a table with a white table cloth for lunch. I had a seafood kebab with prawns and squi...

After meeting some of the faithful men and women and children in the small concrete church room, we were ready to head to the top of Bocaria. Standing at the bottom it didn't seem like it would be too hard of a climb, and watching people going up and down with large packs of plastic bottles on their heads, we were sure it would be fine. Climbing up was a little more challenging, especially as you constantly had to watch your step to prevent stepping on a sharp piece of glass or in other things. The path up was well trodden and after not too much trouble we reached the top. I don't think any description could prepare me for the sight that met us as we stepped onto the top of the largest rubbish dump in the city. There was rubbish as far as the eye could see. In the distance the rubbish trucks were off-loading and surrounded by people eager to see if they could find something that could be of value or use. There were quite a few people up there, and small fires scattered around....