Our Last Day

Well, it is with a heavy heart that I write this last message from Cape Town.While we are profoundly sleep deprived, I believe I speak for everyone when I write that this trip has been an exhilerating, uplifting, and enormously moving experience. Everywhere we have gone, the response has been warm, inviting, loving.Last night was yet another remarkable experience.... this time at the large Apostolic Church in Khayelitsha. If you saw the movie "Tsotsi", you will recognize the name of this township. Like all other townships, this one is surrounded by dire shanty towns. I can't describe how strange it was to drive by these informal settlements at night... with NO lights on at all, except for the occasional fire outside. How can anyone live this way?

The church was full... this evening was advertised as a "sing-in".... five choirs plus US.... four of the five choirs were the church's groups. Now, here's the amazing thing: in addition to a large "Senior Choir", we heard the LARGE youth choir (age 16-26), the children's choir, and (elders, deacons and trustees who may be reading this: fasten your seatblets).... the LEADER'S Choir... Yes, in order to serve on a church board, you must be in the LEADER'S Choir, which rehearses TWICE a week. All these incredible groups plus Siyaya (from Gugeletu). The evening began with the male leaders of the church standing on the stage and singing a tribal "gathering" song... this went on for about 10 minutes, complete with elaborate choreography... and, as the song unfolded, dozens upon dozens of men joined them on stage. Thank heavens we recorded all this for later listening.There were many, many informal conversations between Senior Choir members and members of that congregation and the various choirs. You'll no doubt hear more from your friends on this trip... but, I'll relate one conversation I had with Xaloni (the "x" is a "click")... he said to me, "Jeffrey, you must understand how huge this is for us. NO white Africans would ever visit our townships. That you and your choir and friends have come into our township is an enormous gesture that we will never forget."The challenge facing us now is this: how do we bring this spirit, this enormous sense of grace, these gifts of forgiveness back home?? The late Reverend Richard Shaull often said that mission trips weren't about our going places and changing the lives of people we visited.... rather, when we travel to places like the townships of S. Africa, or Cuba, or Brazil, or Russia.... it is WE who are changed.Dick was a wise man.... how true that is. See all of you stateside.

Robben Island

For me, visiting Robben Island is walking on sacred ground. This is the place that shaped the destiny of South Africa. This is the place where political prisoners found the fortutude and grace to plan a South AFrica that would represent all of its people. What continues to be completely stunning to me and so many of my friends here is the commitment to reconciliation. While on Robben Island, we listened to Tulani, a former political prisoner and our guide, speak of his years of imprisonment- the mental and physical torture that he and his family experienced- and the conscious decision he made to align himself with Mandela and others. He said, "We South Africans are a forgiving people." Even with memories of repression still very fresh, revenge and reparation aren't even a consideration, it is healing and a better future that is sought.