Report 6
October 25, 2000

ADELAIDE, SOUTH AFRICA; WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2000

Driving through South Africa's Western Cape one could imagine God practicing creation here. Everything is on such a scale of grandeur. There are ocean waves surfer's dream of and you imagine one could rock climb to the sky. The ostrich are fewer here, replaced by blue monkeys scampering across the road, and yes, the elephants do come in herds. Jan enjoys driving roads the 21st Century hasn't paved and motion sickness is not a passenger's option. Since leaving Cape Town we have traveled over 900 miles in two days. Roadstops have been frequent and at the last stop we picked up six large bags of sweet oranges for the children of Malungeni.

Our destination is the Transkei area, which is the homeland of President Mandela and the black African nation. We drove and drove and changed places with one another for comfort. Jan would point out indigenous plants, which were quite wonderful. My favorite are the very large, bright lavender trees that dot the hillsides. Also dotting the hillsides are hundreds of shacks, called crawls, made of god knows what. When we ask about them, we are told "oh that's just another black township". Life has reversed itself- we are now the white minority and we have entered the reality of South Africa.

Cape St. Francis

The traveler's eye can be deceived. The vistas allow you panoramic views that extend up to 40 miles. The hills are dotted with what might look like in our country as suburban developments. As you drive closer you see that most are "crawls" with no drainage, no water, no trees. There are few, if any, jobs and food is scarce. And so, I am afraid, is hope. First the poverty, now the sickness. Jan, who is driving, casually turns and mentions that the church we attended Sunday had maybe 45% HIV/AIDS victims. Up here in the Transkei we are told it is worse.

The mohair factory

Wednesday supper was with Jan's 80-year-old parents, Jack and Eleanor Du Toit in the little dying town of Adelaide. Ellen prepared a traditional Afrikaner dinner and the conversation was electric as two white African generations exchanged their views on God and politics. As out of country guests, we just dodged the exchanges and ate most of Ellen's dishes. Tomorrow Malungeni, and another six-hour drive. We have traveled, it seems, in God's hand, with no sickness nor accidents. We are met everywhere by loving and sharing people whose way of life may be passing.
-Chuck MacDonald

Chuck MacDonald and his wife, Beth are parishioners at St. Joan of Arc. Beth is director of a Montessori school.

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