Daily Life

I'm regularly asked what my daily life is like in South Africa.  In many ways it's the same.  There's still laundry to do, the house to clean, groceries to buy, errands to run.....the ordinary things of life don't change.  I guess the biggest difference in that area is that things seem to take longer.  There are many "conveniences" we live with in the U.S. that we take for granted and even consider them to sometimes be necessities.  A lot of those are missing in South Africa, so doing "life" takes longer.

I sometimes feel myself caught between a 1st and 3rd world country........a country in transition perhaps.  South Africa is a lovely country.  Many things are definitely modern, cutting edge, and "1st world."  And then there are other things that seem 3rd world.  I hesitate to even use those terms because they don't seem to do justice to the reality of life here.  Let's just say that there are areas that could do with some attention.

It's still in many ways a "paper society."  It seems strange to be helped by someone who is sitting by a computer, and yet they are writing everything out by hand with multiple copies being made by carbon paper.  Or they may be adding figures on paper by long hand when there is a calculator near by.

Because I handle all our finances and bookkeeping, I also do all our banking.  I think this has been one of the biggest adjustments for me.  It took us weeks and many, many trips to the bank before we could even get a bank account opened.  Getting checks to use this account took a while longer.  It took weeks for one and then months for the other to get the cards we needed for our financial business.  We use one card to get money from the bank and another card to make purchases.  Transactions that I'm used to taking care of at the bank in five minutes can take 60 - 90 minutes.  I constantly have to tell myself to slow down, relax, and be patient.

I see people, on a daily basis, getting irritated and rude because of these stresses of daily life.  I don't want to be like that or respond like that.  Smiling, chatting with people around me, praying, and thinking of ways to express appreciation helps!  I find myself constantly adjusting my expectations of time, and how much I can accomplish in a certain amount of time.  My "to do" list for each day never quite gets done.

There don't seem to be any 2 days alike.  I find myself each morning looking at what needs to be done, and asking the Lord for wisdom on which things to tackle that day.......not unlike what my life has always been like!  So daily life for me is much the same......but different.  Different people, a different country, a different culture, different ways of doing things.  But life still gets done!!

I'm happy here.  I'm grateful to be here.  I'm thankful for all the ways the Lord has helped us in being here.  It's home now........and becoming more precious to us day by day.

"Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established."  Proverbs 16:3

Missing Out

Our grandson, Luke, just celebrated his 4th birthday.  We received the email invitation to his party at the zoo.  We sent our regrets.  We knew he wanted a bicycle.  We sent a check for his parents to buy that for him from us.  We called on his birthday to talk to him.  After 3 attempts, we managed to actually speak to him.  We assured him we loved him, and told him we wished we could come to his party when he asked if we would be there.  We watched the DVD sent by email of his party.  We wished we could have been there to join in the celebration.

These are the kinds of events that pull on my heartstrings now because I'm living half a world away from my 2 grandchildren.  I miss them!  I miss seeing the changes in them.  I miss watching them grow up.  I miss being close enough to talk to them any time I want for as long as I want.  I miss sending them surprise packages to remind them that I love them.

This was by FAR the biggest issue I had to process in moving to South Africa.  After a number of years of being very ill, our daughter was told by doctors that she would never be able to have children.  The Lord wonderfully healed her, but it was still uncertain if she would be able to conceive and carry children.  I never accepted the doctor's statements as fact, and prayed for years that we would have these little ones.  The story of each of their births is a miracle and testimony to God's goodness and power.  We are so grateful for their lives.  They are truly a gift from the Lord.

And now I'm so far away!  Overall I've had a great rest and peace about this.  In processing our decision to move here, I worked it through in my heart with the Lord, and it wasn't an "issue" any more.  But there are moments, like special celebrations, when I feel the distance.  I feel like I'm missing out.  Luke's birthday was one of those.

I had a good talk with the Lord about it!  I expressed my gratitude for the phone and internet that keeps us in good communication.  And I thanked the Lord again that we have these 2 dear ones.  Many medical experts said they weren't to be, but God's thoughts and ways were higher.  Near or far, they are a gift from Him.  I will enjoy and celebrate their lives.  I'm glad Luke had a 4th birthday!!

"David was greatly distressed.....he strengthened himself in the Lord his God."  I Samuel 30:6   I joined David in this.....my burden was lifted and my strength renewed.

Facing Fear

There seems to be one consistent, often discussed topic of conversation here - fear, and concern for safety.  Friends talk about it, shopkeepers talk about it, strangers talk about it........there's an article in almost every issue of the newspaper and it's a popular topic on the television news.  I am regularly asked why we came to South Africa.  People say to me that it's not safe here.  Why would I leave America?  Why would I choose to live here? Many are leaving South Africa and moving to other countries out of fear.  I happen to believe that God will bring others to replace them who are called to come out of love.  I think Floyd and I are part of the latter group.

Floyd has thought for years that we would probably live here someday, but I wasn't so sure.  I had my own reasons for that, but, yes, concern for safety was one of those.  It was something I needed to think and pray through in making our decision to move here.  Actually, when it came right down to it, it was pretty straight forward - being in God's will is the safest place to be!  I had a deep sense of calling that it was God's will for us to be here.  It doesn't mean there won't be problems, it just means He'll help us with whatever we have to face.

I remember when we lived in the Red Light District in Amsterdam, Holland.  It certainly wasn't your typical "safe" neighborhood!  People thought we were crazy to live there with our two young children.  Besides all the prostitution, there was drug dealing, fighting, crime, pornography, satanism......if you can think of an evil, it was probably there.  And, yet, we loved living there and felt safe!

We had a young Dutch woman who worked with us for a couple years, and then she made plans to move to England to study.  On her last evening in Amsterdam before taking the train to England, she came to say goodbye.  As she walked into our neighborhood that evening, she was consumed with fear!  She had lived and worked there boldly......not sensing fear........and now she was overwhelmed with it.  As she contemplated what was happening to her, she felt the Lord speak into her heart:  "During the years you lived and worked here, my grace was upon you.  Now you're coming in as a visitor.  I wanted you to see the difference so you can encourage the workers that I'm with them - even when they don't realize it."  I'll never forget her sharing that with us that evening........and I've remembered it all these years since. I am sure there are many instances in all of our lives when God has protected us, and we've not even been aware of it!  I'm so grateful for that.  My heart is increasingly consumed with a love for this country and the people here.  It's not something I can "work up."  I know it's from the Lord.  I can't think of anywhere else in the world that I'd rather be.  I'm careful.  I'm cautious.  I try to be wise.  But I don't live in fear.  I think that's a testimony to His grace!  For years now I've had a problem with sleep.  I've actually slept better since moving here than I have in a long time!  My mind and my heart are at rest in Him.  I think we can face fear, and come to a place of rest and peace.

"You will not fear the terror of the night, not the arrow that flies by the day.......For he will give his angels charge of you to guard you in all your ways."  Psalms 91: 5

Hunting a "Dangerous Game"

I love all (or, mostly, all) of God's creatures......but I don't want them in my house!  Sossy, our Airedale Terrier, is the only one I really care to have living indoors with us.

We recently had one of these uninvited creatures in our house......a good sized black lizard.  Just thinking about it gives me the "heebie jeebies."  I really don't like them.  I saw this creature in the house one day, but it ran and I lost track of it.  We have a dear lady named Martha who works for us one day a week.  I heard an 'eek' one day when she was here, and then heard her quietly calling for me.  It turns out, she likes these creatures even less than me!  She's quite afraid of them.

So, between the two of us, we decided to help it get back outside where it belonged!  Martha tried to move it along towards the door with a dust pan, and I tried to sweep it out with a broom.  The poor thing was probably scared to death!  I had to make Sossy lay down in a different part of the room because she wanted to be in on whatever this was that was taking place.  It seemed so exciting to her.

This "dangerous game" lost it's tail, but we managed to get it outside.  It lay quietly for a long time, and then finally moved along.  Floyd, who was away traveling at the time, said he would have loved to have all this on video!  Such a helpful response!

Let's hope that we don't have any more creatures come visit!  I may be the one scared to death next time.

"God created every living creature that moves."  Gen. 1:20   Too bad He didn't tell them to stay outdoors!!

Fighting Fire... Literally!

We have been away for a retreat with our All Nations family here in South Africa for a few days. We were at a conference center in the mountains outside of Pretoria, in the northeast of the country. All during the weekend, we could see brush fires burning around us, but at a distance. Veld (brush) fires are not uncommon. They are usually left to burn, unless structures are threatened. Most times they burn themselves out. After lunch on Sunday, everyone said their goodbyes and were on their way. A few people stayed behind for a small meeting. During the afternoon, the fire edged closer to where we were.......until it was burning on two sides of the conference center!! Floyd and some of the other men rushed out to help fight the fire.......with hoses, buckets, wet blankets, and branches of green leaves that wouldn't catch fire. At one point the fire came within about 10-12 feet of the wooden cabin that we had been staying in and that I had just evacuated about 3 minutes before!

I've seen fire at a distance before, but never quite that close. It's exhilarating, and frightening! You realize how very quick and destructive it can be. Afterwards I noticed that Floyd's gray hair had been singed yellow in a few places. That's a little "too" close to the fire!!!

I've written before about all the unusual experiences we've had in our life here in Africa. This is yet one more! I wouldn't dare to imagine what might be next!

"As fire consumes the forest, as the flame sets the mountains ablaze...." Psalms 83:14

Our Furry Friend

Floyd loves dogs!  We've had a dog for most of our (soon-to-be 40!) years of being married.  Some I've liked, most I've tolerated....because I love Floyd. :}  Our current dog is "Sossy."  She's a sweet, fun, affectionate Airedale terrier.......not too big, but big enough so that Floyd doesn't think she's a "pretend" dog.  I think I like her almost as much as Floyd does.  She's a real sweetheart.

When we knew we were moving to South Africa, we faced the decision about what to do with Sossy.  She's only 3 years old, so she probably will live a good many years still.  Floyd has trained her well, so we hated to begin all over again with a puppy.  After much thought, discussion, and, yes, prayer......she came with us.  We're very happy about that.  She's like "family"......and is a sweet touch of "home."  Everyone loves her here, and she helps us meet new people.  There aren't many like her here, so people are always stopping us when we're out walking and asking us about her.

Unusual birds called guinea fowl roam the neighborhood here.  They can fly, but most of the time they walk around - in the street, in the yard.  They are funny shaped round birds with tiny little heads - very strange looking.  They can also be very annoying when they peck at your door, incessantly!!, wanting food.  A few times Sossy has been outside when they've been around and has chased them.  Now when they see her, they run. :}  It stopped the pecking on the door problem!!

Sossy loves to go for prayer walks with Floyd on the beach.  She treats the sand like snow.....getting her nose under it and flinging it in the air.  She also loves to run and run on the long beach.......as well as play with other dogs.  But she has stayed away from the water.

We were recently away for a few days, and some friends took care of Sossy.  One morning she fell into their swimming pool.  She was swimming, but crying........when they came out and rescued her.  She was really scared.  Needless to say, she's not a water dog!

She has become a protective, good watch dog too.  We hadn't seen that side of her before we moved here.  When Floyd is away, she steps this up a notch and feels she has to watch out for me!

Our sweet, furry friend is having her own African adventures!  If she could talk, I think she'd tell you that she loves living here.

"Whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name."  Genesis 2:19   I wonder what Adam would have called Sossy!  Maybe something like, well, "dog." :}

A New Year

I can't believe we're already a month into a new year!  Where did 2006 go?  It seemed to fly by!  Of course, I guess making a big international move had a little something to do with that.

We've had major things happening in these few beginning weeks of the year - wind, heat, fire, death.  There haven't been many "quiet" days.  It's felt at times like living in a war zone - certainly spiritually, if not physically.  You can almost feel the battle raging for the hearts and minds of people.  The enemy is at work, but God is the victor.

When the year began, I found myself praying and asking the Lord about what this year held in store.  There seemed to be lots of possibilities, a few certainties, and many questions.  I felt He spoke the verse at the bottom into my heart.  What a comfort to know that He's with us, and He doesn't fail.

I am a detailed, organized person.  I like to have "my ducks in a row."  I like to know what's around the corner so I can get ready and be prepared.  The last two years have been full of change, new beginnings.......and uncertainty. Uncertainty is hard for me, but, through the years, I've learned to be more flexible.  And I can be secure because of trusting the one who is our Rock!

A whole new year with lots of possibilities - and one absolute certainty........He is with us!!

"It is the Lord who goes before you; he will be with you, he will not fail you."  Deut. 31:8

Sally McClung

Every Day is an Adventure When You Live in Africa

Every day is an adventure for me in Africa. I never quite know what might be in store for my day when I wake up . There is, seemingly, never a dull day....and, I must say, I enjoy it a lot.

Fires - Recently, we've had a terrible fire blazing in our part of Cape Town. It was huge and continued burning for two days. We are house sitting for a friend in a home on the side of a mountain overlooking a valley. It has been both incredible and sad to watch the powerful destructive force of this fire. Sadly, there are also many fires in the townships that are destroying hundreds of homes of the poorest people in the city.

Snakes in the shower - On a more mundane, but certainly not boring level of life, my next door neighbor found a snake in her shower. It came up the drain. Needless to say, I look more carefully when I walk into the bathroom these days! I had seen a much larger snake just outside the door of a house we were looking at a few weeks ago. It was at one of the houses we were considering to buy. After seeing the snake, I wasn't very interested in that house!

Sad sounds - While I was doing emails this morning, I heard some rather horrible sounds. I listened and realized a wild animal was killing a cat! The wild animal was probably a lynx, a smallish wild cat about the size of an American bob cat.

And then there is the wind - Cape Town is known for its winds. They are powerful! We had heard about them, and now we're experiencing them. They have now been blowing for 6 days straight. I've expected the house to blow down a few times.

Summer during winter - December, January, and February are the hottest summer months in South Africa, when I'm used to it being winter. It's full-blown summer in the southern hemisphere, and it's been hot! I've had a few days when I've longed for nice, cool, air conditioning. A friend has lent us her car for a couple months. It has air conditioning. I've even been tempted to just go sit in the car to cool off!!

Strange bird sounds - I am awakened most mornings by the sound of very unusual bird calls. They are unlike any I've ever heard before. I don't even know what the birds look like, but I enjoy their morning concert.

Wild African animals - Many days we can see beautiful, wild African game in a small game reserve on the mountain behind us - springbok (playful), blesbuck (handsome), eland (majestic), and cape buffalo (ugly/beautiful). I love grabbing the binoculars and looking at them.

Driving on the left - I'm still getting used to driving on the left - quite a switch after 42 years of driving on the right (I started driving when I was 16, for those of you who are counting!). There are lots of pedestrians along the roadside, and the mini-van taxis are notorious for their speed and daring. I pray a lot when I drive.....and constantly remind myself to "think left"!

Tragedy in the townships - The past few days we have had some sad and tragic events take place. A pastor in the township near us was shot and killed by a distraught man he had been counseling. The pastor had served his community for 18 years, and had been a real servant to those in need. The loss of this dear man is being widely felt. We grieve with and for his family, his congregation, and the community. A day later, in the same township, there was a terrible, massive fire. Many homes were destroyed, and many people lost all their belongings. Some of these were people from the same church as the pastor who was killed. They lost their dear pastor and their home in two days.

Learning to love Africa - I can't say I understand life here, and my heart is heavy because of some of these recent events. But, yes, this is life in Africa - a wonderful place, and a place filled with need, sadness, and sometimes tragedy. I am learning to love Africa because God loves Africa. It's a new and different life from the one I've lived before. My heart is touched with its beauty, and broken with its need. It's my new homeland.

"The Lord your God is bringing you into a good land....." Deut. 8:7

Yours,
Sally McClung

A Southern Hemisphere Christmas

I love Christmas - not just a little, but a lot! It's my favorite time of the year. When I was growing up, it was the time of the year when it seemed like the whole family came together. It was also the time of year when I saw my dad's true, soft, generous heart. He often kept it well hidden the rest of the year. Every year he would vow and declare that he wasn't going to give any gifts. He didn't have enough money, people didn't need more stuff, prices were too high, etc. And every year, at the very last minute, he'd come to me quietly and ask me if I could help him shop - after everything was picked over, sizes were gone, and many shelves were bare! After awhile, I learned to look for "his" gifts early and ask the shop keepers to save them for us until his last minute shopping. He really had a sweet, tender heart, but I think he just didn't know how to show it.

I'm a sentimentalist. I love the decorations, the big tree, outside lights, the old songs, brightly wrapped gifts piled up under the tree, making cookies and candy, cold weather, snow when we were lucky, the fire roaring in the fireplace, hot chocolate, caroling, the stockings - you probably get the picture.

And now I find myself in a warm climate where everyone is barbequing and heading to the beach for the Christmas holiday season! Quite a change! I wondered how I would do. I was afraid I would be terribly homesick.

But I wasn't. The thing that made it very special was being with dear friends - friends we've known for 20-25 years - and new friends we've just met. It was such a treasure to be with them, to do fun things together, to laugh, talk, remember! The celebrating was different, but the richness was there because of the precious relationships. We all decided not to give gifts to each other, but I felt I was given a special gift - their love, welcome, and acceptance as we make our way in our new homeland. We had many invitations from other new friends here, too, who wanted to make sure we wouldn't be alone. I couldn't have been homesick if I'd tried!

I still like all the cold weather Christmas stuff, but I think I'll be okay in my new warm weather home! I'll find new ways to still be a Christmas sentimentalist!!

"A friend loves at all times......" Prov. 17:17

Similar, But Different

Living in South Africa now, I've found that many things are similar......yet they're different.  There are still traffic jams - but they're on the left hand side of the road.  Floyd is doing great at driving on the left.  I'm still adjusting!  One very big difference is the unusual items, or large quantities of items,  you'll see strapped to the top of cars.  It sometimes looks like a whole household of furniture, boxes, mattresses, or animals are on top of a car.

There are grocery stores, but things have different names - or they're in a very different place in a store.  Several times I've thought I was buying one thing, but it was actually something quite different.  I looked and looked for poppy seeds one day, and was finally told they are with health food!

There are similar looking electrical appliances, but they have HUGE plugs.  I'm talking 3 or 4 inch square plugs!!!  And then there are 2 sizes of prongs on these huge plugs.  I seem to always be searching for the right plug and right place to plug in.

Many homes have a pool, but they're quite small.  They're called "splash pools."  You jump in and splash when it gets unbearably hot!

We live in a valley - and the clouds keep changing directions.  I'll look out and see them moving east.  Then, an hour later, they'll be moving west.  It's confusing to me......I just hope the clouds know what they're doing.

The home where we're house-sitting is near a game reserve.  It's fun, but very different, to look out the window each morning and see Cape Buffalo, Impala, Blesbuck, and other African animals.  I love it!

The money, of course, is different.  I'm still getting used to all the coins.  Once or twice when there's been a long line behind me, I've just held out my hand and let the clerk take the coins that were needed.  That seemed easier than having the people in line behind me all irritated as I tried to figure it out.

Similar, yet different.  All these different things sure make me glad that "God is the same yesterday, today, and forever."

What Was Lost Is Found

On a recent ministry trip to Port Elizabeth, on the Indian Ocean coast of South Africa, I lost something.  It wasn't a valuable thing, but it was very special to me.  It had sentimental value, and I had worn it for many years.  It was just a small, inexpensive, not very significant to most people thing.........an earring.  But I was just "sick."

I didn't cry, but I felt like it for days.  I looked and looked.......had our friends in Port Elizabeth look......and no earring.  I wondered why it "hit" me so hard, and why I felt so sad over something so seemingly trivial.

As I was praying about it one day, I began to get understanding.  We have gone thru so much change in the last few months - in fact, for the last couple years.  I guess my heart was beginning to get overwhelmed with it.  The small, simple, little earring was the symbol of all that has been "lost" - things that we have laid down, given up, and left behind.

I was able to pray into these things, and come to a deeper level of peace and security in my heart.  It was actually a very precious process and time of communicating with the Lord.  My heart was strengthened.

But I still missed my special earring that I wore very often.  A couple days later, I found it!!  It was caught in the lining of a piece of clothing that had been in the same suitcase with my jewelry.  The tears I didn't shed when I lost it, I now shed because I found it!

I've always believed, and taught, that God cares about every aspect of our lives.......that nothing is too small or trivial to bring to Him.  The awesome God, creator of the universe, cares about me, my daily life, the ups and downs I go thru, and all the little details that are important to me.  This was just another personal, very special example of that.  It made me love Him even more.

I know God rejoices over the lost sheep that was found (Luke 15:3-6) - something of great value!  And I kinda think He rejoiced with me over finding the lost earring.......and what He did in my heart in the process......too.

Creepy, Crawly, Wormy Things

I'm not a fan of bugs! Creepy, crawly things give me creepy, crawly feelings. Someday I'd like to ask God exactly what He had in mind when He created some of these things.

So I wasn't exactly thrilled when I found we'd arrived in South Africa in the "season" of a very creepy, crawly little worm. They are everywhere! They're dark colored, wiggly little things. We are house-sitting in a home built on four levels. They are on the lowest level.......and all the way to the top. I often wonder how something so little can crawl up so high. Our dog, Sossy, has eaten a couple of them and promptly threw up. I have the same feeling just looking at them!

And then there's snakes! We heard they were around. We were looking at a house for sale the other day. I looked out in the back yard, and there was a good sized black snake crawling across the yard. I'm told it was a puff adder. Needless to say, that certainly put me off that house!

Floyd keeps reminding me that this is Africa. I keep saying I don't like creepy, crawly things.

"God made.....everything that creeps upon the ground. And God saw that it was good." Genesis 1:25 I think God and I disagree on this one!

The Blessing of Grandkids

We've just spent a delightful week with our grandchildren - Kezia, age 4 1/2 and Luke, age 3. To have 2 darling kids running towards you with arms open wide yelling "Grandma! I missed you." - how can you not love that? They are both so cute and winsome, bright, eager to learn, funny, and huggable. We are getting ready to say goodbye, and I'm sure there will be some tears all around.......South Africa is a long ways away!!

I can't help but think what a gift and miracle these 2 little ones are. The doctors said Misha could never have children after her long illness - and then Kezia came along. We rejoiced in her life. Then, when Luke was born and we almost lost him and Misha, we and the doctors knew it was a miracle that they survived and that they didn't have any permanent brain damage. The doctors have said that their story will go in medical books because it's never happened before. Many of you prayed, for which we are eternally grateful.

I have only to look at these 2 beautiful faces to have worship and gratitude well up in my heart. God has been so good to us! I've thanked the Lord repeatedly these last days for the miracle of these lives.