xenophobia - some thoughts.....

xen·o·pho·bi·a ˌzenəˈfōbēə,ˌzēnəˈfōbēə/ noun intense or irrational dislike or fear of people from other countries. I have been wanting to blog about the xenophobia for about two weeks now but have found it difficult to articulate how I feel. I am so appalled and shocked by what I see in the media, am not sure how I feel about what people post. I feel outraged at what I see and I wander how I as a Christ follower am to respond to this. One thing I am certain of is I cannot remain silent on the issue. I cannot sit on the comfort of my couch and be a commentator on something so appalling and my heart breaks as I think of people I know who are not South African, ex colleagues, children I love from Silikamva High, friends in my church. I read an article written by Mphuthumi Ntabeni from which I would like to quote "The sacrifice of Christ with His blood was the price of our reconciliation with God. The gospel calls us to stand with the poor against injustice. What price have we paid for the authentic reconciliation of our country?" He writes about understanding the causes of the barbaric act of xenophobia, it does not mean that we excuse the behaviour. It means we start by looking at the man in the mirror ( Matthew 7: 5). to try to understand what has brought our nation to this point. The church generally does well in looking after the needs of the poor and marginalised and so it should. Xenophibia should challenge us as Christ followers to the very core of our being. We know what it is to be forgeiners, in the sense that we know that this place we call earth is not ultimately our home. In his article Ntabeni goes on to say the " the wallpaper over the cracks of our soco-ecomonic problems is now being torn off. We have been deaf to the cries of the poor. And like all silently ignored and oppressed people, the poor have now chosen the language of violence, one which no one can ignore, to bring their plight to the fore." He says that perhaps when they still feel neglected and when the soft targets(the foreigners) no longer make a statement,perhaps they will march to our gated communities and disturb our merriment around our braai's? He asks the question of what we will do then? Will we cash in our tickets and use our dual passports and leave the country? OR will we heed the call of Martin Luther King Jr, and learn to live fairly with our brothers and sisters or will we as fools together perish. We need to start in our own sphere of influence, we all work with someone who is foreign? Or we know a foreigner. We have domestic workers who are still living in the grips of poverty. Are we paying a living wage? Do we treat them with the dignity they deserve? Would we be willing to open our homes and ourselves,and risk becoming a target in the fight for social justice? These are difficult questions I know, ones which challenge me, but I believe as Christ followers we need to take a stand, we need to speak out and be heard, and we need to be there in the trenches standing next to the poor and the oppressed. We need to make a difference. We need to be the change that our country so desperately needs.

Life at St Joseph's and fitting into my new role...... Lessons on letting go

So I began my journey at St Joseph's Marist College on the 9th of February. I am about to go into my second term in my new work environment. Term 1 was a really busy one, with Jazz on the Lawn, Sports day, the Gala, St Joseph's day, just to name a few things which kept us busy besides our regular work.

It has not been a difficult transition for me, from a work perspective. The transition has been difficult on a personal level. I had gotten so comfortable and felt so in control of everything at Silikamva, and now I am in an environment where I am not really regarded by others, no one really knows me or what I am capable of. I really loved working for Gus, he was a good leader and a fair person. A person felt inspired to give of their best. Now I daily have to find my inspiration from within. Knowing God moved me on for a greater purpose makes it easier, and I trust that each day He will reveal the greater plan to me. With Andre taking up a new role in the Southern Suburbs 5 minutes from home, my move to St Joseph's makes complete sense now. It is fantastic to travel each morning with both my sons, it is awesome to be close to my daughter and be able to easily cook for her and have her come collect her meals and at least I get to see her more, all those are neat things. Jesse was placed 1st in his Grade, obviously my presence their gives him a greater sense of security and he is just thriving. Slowly I am carving my own identity at St Joseph's. It has been difficult for me to not have contact with children the way I used to, but there are so many different way to avail myself to children in a different way at St Joseph's. The Special Needs Unit has already found a special place in my heart, and I look forward to my weekly visit from the children collecting the recycling.

It has been difficult letting go of Silikamva, but the time has come. I have just finished completing last years finances for them on Pastel and tomorrow I will hand over to the Auditors and do my final sign off. I am helping the new Administrator with the first 3 months of 2015 which I will complete and hand over this weekend. So I feel a sense of relief. It has been a tough term. I have however just enjoyed a full weeks holiday, lots of downtime with my husband, lots of time out and about with friends, and lots of home chilling with my boys. I managed to repaint my kitchen this holiday and have started finalizing Jason's 21st album. It is an exciting time preparing for his party, my family will all be here in just over a month, it is so exciting!!! If you know me, you will know I love parties and I love gathering people together. I love creating memories. So as I go back to school tomorrow I am looking forward to getting stuck in working hard but also of course playing hard. Life is sweet at the moment and I have a grateful heart!

The end of an Era

Friday the 7th of February was a significant day for me. It was the end of my time as an Administrator for Silikamva High School.It was for me a day of very mixed emotions. Mr Duffett had some really kind thing to say and I felt completely honoured by the staff and especially the children. It was a send of I really did not expect. It made leaving even more difficult, the children especially gave me so much love. They held an assembly where they sang to me which had me compeletely undone, even as I write the tears are streaming down my face as I think about all the love shared.

But amidst all the tears it was an excellent day. The end to an era. Two years which has forever changed my life. Besides the children, the thing I will miss the most is working with Gus. The man is an extraordinary visionary and everyday even when he drove a hard bargain I loved working for him. He always inspired me to give more of myself, to always push through an strive for excellence, I miss that immensely, but will take it with me into my new job. It is not the end of my journey with these children though, I have joined Commonground Pm congregation and have signed up for the literacy programme on a Saturday to work along side the kids as well as the Grade 10 & 11 mentors. I look forward to that. I have also committed to praying for Silikamva and helping to raise the much needed finance that a No fee Government school requires. So I will take on a different role. Moving to my new environment has freed me up quite a lot and I will be pursuing my studies once again. It will take me a good few years (3 at least) to finish my BA Psychology. I intend to one day go back in a different capacity. I am so grateful to have had this amazing two years past to have served at this beautiful school. I am also grateful that the Lord brought someone to replace me that also has a deep love for the children and I have no doubt that in time she to will leave her own mark.

Spinning

2015 has begun with me spinning. School commenced on the 12th of January and I have not stopped working ever since. The first week our friend Salome Jones passed away suddenly. It was a shock. She went to the doctor on the Monday, by Wednesday she was admitted to hospital and she died the Friday morning. The following Saturday we attended her memorial service. It was the most beautiful service I have ever been too. Truly dying in Christ the service was filled with hope and beautiful memories. What a legacy she left. It made me think of my own DASH - the line in - between that appears on a tombstone. We are born and we die. What matters though is what is between those dates, the life we lived, do we make it count. The next week school began for students. I can truly say I had the worst day of my entire time on 26th of January at Silikamva High. The year had begun in a rather peaceful manner and I was just beginning to think this amazing calm was unusual. I was right. The folk in the township only woke up a week late and they started coming down the hill in their droves demanding a place for school, insisting they had applied! Being my third year at Silikamva it was much better as I took no nonsense, but it did not alter the madness. And to add to the madness the school was without electricity for three days. SO I would deal with the chaos of the day and then go home at night utterly exhausted and then do the work I wasn't able to do in the day. In the midst of all this my mom took ill and needed a blood transfusion and an emergency operation to remove a tumour from her colon. It was also my last week at Silikamva. I quickly made arrangements to fly to Johannesburg on Wednesday. Met with my new Prinicpal and arranged to delay my start by a week so I could get back to finish up at Silikamva. Manic it has been!!!! When God spoke to me in early January about two words for 2015 BREATHE and GRACE I did not quite understand what He meant. I thought it was about my change of job, I just needed to breathe and walk in His grace and trust Him that I am making the right choices. When all this happened with my mom I literally had to breathe deep, hold back my tears and get on with the business of being there for Mom. Encouraging her before surgery. I arrived at 12h30, we literally had half an hour together before her premeds kicked in. She fell fast asleep. I had managed to laugh with her, hug her, and play her the Kari Jobe song Healer before she drifted off into a deep sleep. Surgery began at 3pm. My sister and I sat at the hospital cafe having the first food of the day on Wednesday, trying to have a sense of normality. We felt better after having something to eat. We were both exhausted and then went to sit outside theatre. After about three hours I decided to go buy some biltong and water ans some sweets in case it was going to be a long night. I just sat down when we saw another person being prepped for theatre. We got quite excited because the surgeon had said he hoped to remove the tumour with keyhole surgery which would take about three hours but if that failed he would cut and the surgery could last up to six hours. Thomas the porter came out as he promised and told us mom would be moving into recovery. Glynis and I were very happy. Our prayers had been answered, Mom was so scared of being cut. This was good news. However when they wheeled mom into recovery and she was so out of it, my heart skipped a beat. Wednesday was a very long night. When we left the hospital, leaving mom in ICU was not nice.She kept holding my hand so tight i had to literary pull away when we had to leave. Glynis and I got home and we both just started working. I think that is how we both just coped. We kept busy out of necessity. I was busy with Cemis for the WCED which is due Monday and my sister was busy with month end reporting. We sat across from each other furiously working away on our laptops till well after 1am. Before we went to bed we called the hospital and they reassured us mom was okay. Thursday was crazy we were only allowed 3 half hour visits. 11 - 11.30 3- 3.30 and 7 to 7. 30. Each time we went through Mom seemed a little stronger. By last night Mom was moved to a surgical ward and had started walking again. Still in a lot of pain. But walking and talking even cracking the odd joke. Relief swept over me. Today I will spend entire day, until I fly home at her bedside. I will arrive at the hospital about 10.30 and stay till four. I got permission from the nurses. It is my last day with her. I have to fly back to Cape Town tonight. My heart is still spinning, I hate the thought of leaving her. This is when living far away is difficult. But I will just BREATHE and continue to walk covered by His GRACE. My mom has aged a lot in the past year. She is incredibly thin. But she is strong. I will continue to encourage her. It is going to be a long road ahead for her, and in true mommy fashion she is going to want to rush ahead and get back to work. We will have to help her to take it slow, to know she can trust her children to provide for her, to care for her. She will find this difficult as she is very independent, and self sufficient. Please pray for grace for her. God has shown her so much favour and we continue to trust Him for a good result from the histology report which we will have by Monday.

Thank you friends for all the Facebook messages, whatsapps and emails.And Skype Lisa Binos Gair. I value your prayers and support. C.S.Lewis said "Prayer is the slender nerve that moves the muscle of Omnipotence" So we will continue to PRAY without ceasing....

What I Do Matters

2015 - Far from the Maddening Crowd

I welcomed 2015 in around a campfire in a place called Beaverlac. We went camping! Yes me, I went camping with family a friends. I am not a camper, but I had decided that I could do this. My son Jesse had booked for us and a group of our close friends to camp at Beaverlac for 2 nights. So off we went armed with a borrowed tent and a borrowed blow up mattress, lots of food and a good attitude. WOW what an amazing experience! My husband, older son Jason and daughter Ashleigh stayed only one night. They saw the new year in with us on the 31st and then drove home the morning of the 1st. Jason had to work and well the other two decided 1 night was enough!(Diva's) What a beautiful place. It was full of people camping, but we found a spot and set up camp. It was so relaxing, so peaceful. Beautiful pools just a 10 minute walk from our tents.

I will admit next time I go I need a better mattress. We ended up borrowing a single blow up mattress instead of the double one, so my son used that and we had to use a make shift one from Avril's car boot. But besides uncomfortable sleep, the experience was glorious. I woke on new years day went to the main waterfall pool and spent time worshipping and singing to my God. It was just me, and nature and I was alone so I could sing at the top of my voice. I watched the sun rise it was beautiful. What an awesome way to enter 2015.

I felt like I had been away for about a week. it was only two days. Thank you Avril for the idea and to Jesse for acting on that idea and making the bookings. I loved seeing the new year in with our friends. and Jeremy Schuster for the inspirational thoughts around the scriptures. You missed your calling dude, you should be running a church.

I look forward to 2015 and all that it has to throw at me. With God, grace and friends I will embrace the challenges.

2014 ...Goodbye its been one hell of a year

As 2014 draws to a close, I cannot believe I am still working, haha so much for having a job with the benefits of school holidays! Hopefully I will wrap uo everything by Monday and then I will take a well deserved break until the 12th of January. Looking back on 2014.....

We started the year with Jesse's 16th birthday!

Jason was dealt a blow with his health and had to delay his studies. He has bravely walked this year and made the most of the opportunity writing beautiful worship songs, and serving at Commonground, and working really hard as a waiter at Peddlar's and then Jakes.

It's been an awesome year for Ashleigh, first her coming of age and then graduating on the 18th of December. She is growing up into the most beautiful young lady. We have walked a long road the last four years. But she is starting to shine. She moves into her final year at UCT doing her Honours. I am immensly proud of the strong beautiful woman is growing up to be. I pray daily that God will draw her to Himself and continue to to protect and love her as only He can do In April my good friend Debi last Darren to cancer. It was the saddest week of my year. How do you walk alongside a friend who has lost her first born son. It has been a difficult journey but God has been gracious to Debbie and her beautiful family whom I have grown to love and care for more deeply this year. Kimmy and I have had a lot of fun this year since they moved to Cape Town. We still have a long road to walk. I love you Debi, you have a strong and gentle spirit. I will continue to walk this journey of grace with you....He has so much still planned for your amazing family.

May we celebrated Jason's 20th birthday. God has done a lot in this young man's life this year. He is recovering everyday from the two awful grand mal seizures he suffered in January and March. He has become responsible for his health, he has worked hard and God has a wonderful future planned for him.

July holidays came and we had a fantastic week away in Knysna with my sister and Byron.

August saw my gorgeous man turning 51.

September 1st we celebrated 24 years together with a surprise romantic getaway. He took my breathe away planning the most wonderful getaway to Stanford. We celebrated my birthday in style with a High Tea just for ladies. We also had the boys going off to a Grade 10 dance and then Jason to another matric dance.

October and November flew by with lots of work to do at school. A Pastel programmed that was deleted by an intern, and then a disaster when it was reinstalled to find out everything in Petty Cash had been captured wrong. I have been furiously working to get everything finished by Monday. Then I am officially going to take two weeks holiday. Almost there busy on August month. Christmas was fun! See a previous blog on how we got it right this year!!!

We will be going to camp at Beaverlac for the 31st and 1st of January. I hate camping but for once I am actually looking forward to getting away from it all. No computer no cell phones NO WORK!!!!!

So bring on 2015 I do not know how we got here so quickly. It has been a crazy and beautiful year. Thank you Lord for your grace and favour over the Blignaut family. We love to do life together with you Jesus.