Ships in Mossel Bay wait to have their cargo unloaded. I thought about how long the crews on these ships have been at sea. As they wait, I wonder how patient or impatient the souls abroad these tankers are.
Then I thought of a discussion Sweet Anna and I had about the difference between waiting and waiting patiently on the Lord. What are we waiting for in our lives, and how patiently are we waiting for it?
If you have followed the posts of the last week, you have seen some landscapes of great beauty. But why am I here in Mossel Bay, South Africa?
I arrived last Thursday in a jet-lagged and beleaguered state after three crazy travel days from the US via the Heartland (included 18 hours in Budapest). The next day we were out to see a bit of the work that is going on to serve the poor by teaching them to help themselves.
This journey began at a prison where my colleague Josh works with local leaders of the facility that houses young men from 15-24 years old. This facility teaches some of the young men gardening skills and provides for a community garden.
In partnership with Josh, they grow seed into seedlings that then help the poor he works with in the townships.
Josh and Abby brought me along as they picked up seedlings to deliver to the gardeners.
A few days later, Josh and I headed out to the townships to visit his many, many gardening friends…
Josh has been building relationships and has developed a reputation as a man who wishes to bring real help to the people. He distributed seedlings for immediate planting and taught about spraying for insects that are damaging plants in the gardens.
The activity around the back of his pickup caused would-be gardeners to ask for help. He then set up a time to teach some new gardeners his system and provide them with seedlings after they have prepared their soil. They left with appointment slips for this Saturday morning!
Learn more about Growing Hope at www.ceokids.org
For reasons of health in body and soul, I try to have a brisk walk at least 20 minutes every other day. Getting out in the morning during my visit here in Mossel Bay is a blessing as the beauty draws me to reflect on the beauty of God and also His immensity. Clearly these walks get slowed down by my camera taking in the landscape, it just jumps into my hand… here are this morning’s entries…
The next posts should be from work in the townships…
Filed under experience, photos along the way
while you are far away, distance can distort the way things are for people…
when you get up close, you see the way things really are…
and that matters because that’s where these kids live…
Filed under photos along the way
in Mossel Bay, South Africa: inside a youth detention center, from the garden
Filed under photos along the way, seeking understanding
kingdom travelin' 