Some call Johannesburg the crime capital of the world, and that may be but I have to say that for the few days I’ve been here, I can only begin to tell of the kindness I have received. But first let me tell you about summer here… It’s been fantastic, the temperatures have dropped to the 70s for my stay. Every afternoon around 4 or 5 it has rained. I’ve done about 15km walking through the city but haven’t been hit by rain yet. Although I did find something else, ICE:

(that’s the actual music that was playing- like Tel Aviv American POP is hot stuff)

Ice skating ended in quite a tragedy, I knocked my camera off the wall just after that last shot. Sad cakes. Grace, I empathize with all your lost cameras. “Lens Error” Ouch! I prayed for my camera and it started working again, but only long enough for me to say goodbye. I bought a Canon 100SX for R2899. I don’t even know if that’s a good deal but I land in Mozambique tomorrow sooo. I’ll miss my A650, even more because it was a gift (thanks f&f, you all rock). Anyhow, I’ve got one now, not as awesome, but still a nice camera.

Pam, this is for you:

Two stories. Yesterday I ate at a little shop in a local mall. Today I walked by and Eve, my server from before, stopped me and said “excuse me, you left your pen here so I kept it in case you came back today. Who saves a pen for a customer? She laughed at me for always taking pictures of my food. Eve is from Zimbabwe, a teacher and accountant but she started working tables here in SA 6 months ago because it pays better. What a blessing after just having broke my camera (and you know how I love pens!).

On my walk home I ran into Justice, my shuttle driver when I arrived. He remembered me and gave me his sympathies for my camera- he said he knows I’ll be blessed in Mozambique and as we parted ways he said God bless you for caring. For being the “crime capital of the world” there sure are some amazingly kind people here. I told my friend Jen this morning that they either really like me or the think I’m fantastically stupid- or possibly both!

I’ve arrived in South Africa, no customs hassle here.  It’s beautiful, it feels like a cool day on the central west coast.  I got picked up at the airport in an old red VW bus and taken to my hotel by a man who seems to know more about US politics that most USians!  Everyone here has been tremendously friendly and very helpful.  I’ll be studying Portuguese lots for the next few days- especially if the thunderstorms keep me indoors.  I saw the first unique wildlife a minute ago- a big shiny lizard.  I’ll try to get him on film before the day is out!

I have a bit of adjusting to do, although I’m in the same timezone I’ve switched from fall/winter to spring/summer.  Bye for now!

I’m titling this welcome even though I’m leaving because that’s what security told me as I went through.  I just went through the most thorough screening ever.  I decided to arrive at the airport 4 hours early and it was a good thing I did because I was in security for an hour and fifteen minutes.

When I say in security I don’t mean waiting I mean in process with security.  I have had my passport checked by 6 different people.  My luggage was completely unpacked, each item scan and swabbed…individually.  The x-rayed my laptop 4 times before asking me to “take it apart.”  Yeak!  They took me into “the room” where I passed the test without having to disrobe entirely.  I had a team of 5 working just on me for at least 45 minutes of that time.  I feel special.

Goat Cheese! Toda!

The upside is that I now have level four top secret clearance with the government.  Ok, the real up side is that I got my VERY OWN security guard who walked me to the terminal.  I will say that everyone was polite and respectful and I’m glad to have had the experience.  I would have taken pictures but I don’t think it would have helped.

I got to the terminal where I wanted to order a sandwich, so I did.  A short girl with black framed glasses named Maya was standing next to me in line.  She told me my sandwich was boring and proceeded to tell the server that I couldn’t have it that way.  She demanded that I add goat cheese and pesto to make it more exciting.  It’s definitely exciting.

The remains of part of the Pools of Bethesda under the ruins of a Byzantine church

After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew, Bethesda, having five porches. In these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water. For an angel went down at a certain time into the pool and stirred up the water; then whoever stepped in first, after the stirring of the water, was made well of whatever disease he had. Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, “Do you want to be made well?”
The sick man answered Him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me.”

Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your bed and walk.” And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked.

And that day was the Sabbath. The Jews therefore said to him who was cured, “It is the Sabbath; it is not lawful for you to carry your bed.”

He answered them, “He who made me well said to me, ‘Take up your bed and walk.’”

Me next to the Dome of the Rock

Then they asked him, “Who is the Man who said to you, ‘Take up your bed and walk’?” But the one who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, a multitude being in that place. Afterward Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, “See, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you.”

The man departed and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well.

Goodbye Friends!

Everyone just hopped on a bus headed for the Tel Aviv and soon the roaring thunder of turbojet engines will put 10,000 miles between us in a matter of hours.  So it’s just me and Him now.  I’ll stay in Jerusalem another day and take off Tuesday evening for Africa.  I haven’t written much about Jerusalem yet so If I get some time I tell you about the last 3 days tonight.

I love you all and miss you.  Email me funny pictures of yourselves!

Well in just a few days I’ll be out of Israel and into South Africa and the Mozambique. Mozambique is a malaria endemic country so I’ll be taking some precautions. First pray for me- I’d like to be well, just pray God’s best for me, yeah? Iris Ministries requires that short term missionaries take malaria prophylaxis, especially during these summer months (Southern Hemisphere! Yay!). I’ve just started taking Doxycycline and I’ll take a pill a day until several weeks after my trip. This will reduce the likelihood of getting severly sick from Malaria. Doxy is a broad spectrum antibiotic (that means it can kill all kinds of baddies) but it does have it’s own problems. Did you know you have helpful, heathy bacteria in your gut? Well doxycycline is gonna whack most of those too. Without happy, healthy, friendly bacteria living in your gut’s neighborhood, baddies (ones unaffected by Doxycycline) can take over. One such bacteria is Clostridium Difficile, we’ll call it “C-Diff.” C-Diff causes some nasty diarrhea among other things. Questions? Pray against C-Diff, ok?

Love you all, Ed

I finished up my last bit of packing last night.  I moved a few things around to keep my backpack as light as possible.  My checked bag weighed in at 49 pounds- right on target since the max for a free bag is 50.  After dinner with Pam and my mom I got a call from Si and Marissa.  They were headed North from LA and decided to stop in.  Hurray!  Of course they brought friends along, Nathan and Sarah.  Mostly everyone refers to them as the Australians although after prayer they won the green-card lottery and are now immigrating here!  It was great to talk to them because besides being some of the most encouraging people ever, they spent 3 months in Pemba last summer.  Nathan was very excited about my Israel trip as well, he’d like to do a trip like this someday.

I’m very grateful for all the prayer and blessing I’ve received from all of you.  I expect that touring Israel will be fantastically informative and spiritually edifying.  What a perfect preparation for my journey to Mozambique and the rest of life.

SFO isn’t crowded at all today.  My flight leaves early if everyone shows up on time!   Happy elections…feel free to join me in Africa if it all goes bad

Update:  I’m in Amsterdam!  It’s foggy out but not too cold.  That was a long flight my butt got sore from sitting so long.  Yeak!  KLM has decent food on their planes although the chicken looked like fish (but it tasted like chicken) and there was this weird doughy pudding with raisins for breakfast (any guesses??).  I ate it all- the pudding stuff more for practice than nutrition.  One more flight today, I’ll arrive in Israel at about 2am.

Update: Made it to Tel Aviv!  It’s 4:30am here.  Shower.  Bed.