Kombi Ride

With the Christmas season upon us I decided to take the liberty of witting some new lyrics to one of my favorite holiday songs. I hope you had a merry Christmas and best wishes for the new year! Enjoy!

The following definitions will help you with
the lyrics to the song:

Kombi: mini bus taxis found throughout Africa
and are usually overfilled with people
and known for blasting local music

House Music: South African Dance music that
originated in the black townships,
also know as Township Funk

Sawubona: Traditional Zulu greeting for “Hello”

Cane: Slang for Sugar Cane, which is the number
one export of KwaZulu-Natal

Tea (afternoon tea): As in many former British colonies, tea time
is still celebrated in much of South Africa

Kwaito: South Africa’s hip-hop music, like house, it
originated in the townships, mostly around
Johannesburg, Durban, and Cape Town

Braai: South African barbeque, used as both a noun
and a verb

Bohr Voors: South Africa sausages, usually cooked at
braais

Rooiboos: A sweet red tea only grown in South Africa,
also known by the locals as bush tea

Mutton: sheep meat, used in many curry dishes

Vuvuzela: South African horn, usually played at
soccer matches; the sound of thousands
of them is much like a loud bee hive

Kombi Ride
(To the Tune of Sleigh Ride)

Just hear that house music blastin’,
And horns a honkin’ too
Come on, it's lovely weather
for a kombi ride together with you
Outside the sun is shinning
and friends are greeting “Sawubona” to you,
Come on, it's lovely weather
for a kombi ride together with you.

Rev it up, rev it up, rev it up,
let's go, no ride is the same,
We're riding in a wonderland of cane.
Rev it up, rev it up, rev it up,
it's grand, Just holding your hand,
We're flying along with a song
of a hot local house band

Our cheeks are hot and sweaty
and warm and ready are we
For a dip in the Indian Ocean
to cool ourselves before tea.
Let's take that road before us
and sing a kwaito chorus or two
Come on, it's lovely weather
for a kombi ride together with you.

There's a braai party
at the home of Baba Khathi
There’ll be so many people to greet and see.
We'll be singing the songs
we love to sing without a single stop
At the braai stand while we watch
the bohr voors pop. pop! pop! pop!

There's a happy feeling
nothing in the world can buy
When we pass around the Rooiboos
and the mutton pie
Vuvuzelas buzzin’ just like crazy bee hives
These wonderful things are the things
we remember all through our lives!

Just hear that house music blastin’,
And horns a honkin’ too
Come on, it's lovely weather
for a kombi ride together with you
Outside the sun is shinning
and friends are greeting “Sawubona” to you,
Come on, it's lovely weather
for a kombi ride together with you.

It's lovely weather for a kombi ride together with you
It's lovely weather for a kombi ride together with you
(in place of the traditional horse sound add the sound of screeching tires)

Africa: The Frontline of Creation Care

Kubanda kakhulu!, which is IsiZulu for It’s very cold today! Kushisa kakhulu!, IsiZulu for It’s very hot today! One day its extremely cold, the next, extremely hot, then cold again. The spring weather in KwaZulu-Natal has been abnormal to say the least. So, what exactly is normal weather these days? The people of Umphumulo don’t seem to know and neither do I. As I write this post, the great climate change debate rages on while world leaders prepare for this month’s Copenhagen Summit. I will try to steer clear of the usual climate change debate in this reflection. This entry will be neither soapbox rant regarding who’s at fault, nor a barrage of statistics and data. Instead I hope that the following will help open the door on what should be the most crucial part of the debate: what will happen to the millions of impoverished people who will be most affected by changes in our climate?...and what are our roles as Christians in this struggle?
I believe the climate debate has long been lost in the wilderness of politics. Each side of the spectrum has done their best to spin statistics, to paint the other as either evil incarnate or tree-hugging fools. They have spent millions of dollars to push their agendas, all the while, seeming to forget what it is they are fighting for. I must admit I’m a little fatigued from it all. While I hope that the Copenhagen Summit provides an opportunity to look at all the facts and leave the Inconvenient Truths and Climategates behind, I think we, as Christians, need to look at the broader theme at hand. Whether we like it or not, humanity is interdependent, and as followers of Christ, we are bound to serve and care for each other. Whether you believe that we humans have or haven’t contributed to climate change has little importance in regards to helping those who are and will be affected by it. If you are still in the camp that believes climate change isn’t happening, I can’t help you here. I’ve seen with my own eyes the potential dangers that lie ahead for the people of South Africa as weather patterns shift and intensify. The changes here in Africa are indeed happening and on a much larger scale than most in the northern hemisphere perceive. With a recent torrent of violent storms hitting our province the people of KZN a bracing for more and feeling the effects on so many different levels. Folks in my village are visibly concerned and overwhelmingly confused. So many questions are swirling around the issue here. How bad will things get? What will this mean for the local farmers? Will the summer growing season be drastically shortened? How will crops respond to these changes? One lady I spoke with even made the suggestion that the recent weather might be the start of the apocalypse. End times aside, there is something odd about the weather patterns here, and it seems everyone has taken notice. With colder temperatures forging deeper into the spring months and sharp contrasts of blazing heat, it’s been hard for the locals to know what to do. What happens when the very livelihood of a community depends on reliable seasons and that which once was reliable is now anything but?
Scientists predict that the largest shifts in temperature and weather patterns will tend to happen in the southern hemisphere and along the equator where the vast majority of the developing world exists*. This means that those most affected will be those least prepared and least able to combat the challenge. For Africa it may mean the complete collapse of an already fractured farming output. One example of this is already happening downstream from Africa’s iconic Mt. Kilimanjaro. For years now scientists have used satellite imagery to show the vast depletion of Kili’s ice fields. In the past century they have shrunk by nearly 80%*! But real story is taking place along Kilimanjaro’s main river, the Pangani, where dwindling water supplies have turned communities against each other. Some of these conflicts have now turned violent, and with no end in sight the future prospects are frightening. This is just one small example of what soon may become commonplace throughout the developing world. The water wars, as it’s been dubbed, may commence sooner that we think, and it won’t be pretty if the global community doesn’t have a plan in place to deal with these issues.
What do we, as Christians, see as our role in all of this? Well, for starters, as with any other international challenge, we mustn’t fall into the trap of finger pointing. The reality is that we must all take responsibility to ensure that those who are suffering have a voice, for we are called to bear the cross for all, to lift up those in need in the name of Christ. If we do not seek justice in unjust times, how can we begin to fully embrace Christ’s path for us? The advent of climate change has begun to further expose the vast injustices between the rich and the poor, the weak and the powerful, the well-connected and the downtrodden. In a country with one of the highest disparities between rich and poor, South Africa is a clear example of why we must take steps now to mitigate the widening gap. We, as Americans, have been blessed with great wealth and opportunity, but what good is any of it if it doesn’t spawn prosperity and growth for others in our global community? God purposefully created us to need one another. It is through this need that we are all bound in communion with our Creator. To reject this notion is to undermine our role as brothers’ keepers and further separate us from our responsibilities as caretakers of God’s creation. If we are to truly follow God’s will we must stop pretending that the world’s problems don’t really affect us, that because they are thousands of miles away they are somehow less important. The era of “It’s not my problem” needs to end, because in the end it will be our problem. God has given us an amazing gift in our planet earth, and with that gift, comes a responsibility to take care of it and all whom dwell on it. If we each look to God for strength our struggles can be met head on. Through prayer, vigilance, education, and a hands-on approach we can begin to make a difference in the world around us. This isn’t hippie-talk folks, this is the cornerstone of faith, it is what happens when the Holy Spirit breathes life into us and sends us forth, no matter the challenge!
Faith is a huge part of the South African community in which I live. Faith in the Lord and the knowledge that more can be achieved by working in unison keeps the wheels of Umphumulo spinning. The people here get what it means to meet needs by tapping into each other’s gifts. Though they might not always have the answers or travel the quickest road to the solution, that fact that the community matters so much goes a long way in meeting their daily challenges. The changes in climate may indeed bring seemingly insurmountable challenges, but some how, they will find a way. It won’t just happen, nothing here just happens. It will take a community effort, which is a lesson for us all. If we can adopt the mentality of Umbuntu: “I am because we are” in a global context the challenges of the future, including climate change, will ultimately be met. We will have to put aside our differences, to swallow our pride, and step way out of our comfort zones, but I believe it is possible. Climate change is one of many emerging examples of why we must find unity in purpose. This not an American issue or a South African issue, this is a global issue…that needs a global solution. God has blessed us with so much including the potential to harness the powers of empathy, humility, and selflessness. These unorthodox examples of power may not necessarily be western society’s understanding of power, but this is where true power lies. Jesus has shown us what true power is, He has shown us the path to follow, now it’s time to leave behind our nets of indifference and follow Him. Reach out to your brother or sister in need, for that is what we are called to do, it is God’s will.

*Statistics were taken from the October 2008 issue of Africa Geographic

Do Drink the Water...But Careful of the Curry!

The first two posts on this blog tackled some pretty serious material. My hope is that I can share both the important information from experiences, as well as the more lighthearted side of my time here. With that said I'm diving belly-flop style into the latter!
For as long as I can remember I have been blessed with what some might call a "stomach of steel". I can eat just about anything someone can dish up, including the ultra hot, super sour, and utterly weird...enjoying every second I might add! Some of the best foods I've eaten have come from street carts and sidewalk stands. From the best tacos (a street cart in Cabo San Lucas) to the best Pad Thai (a night market in Bangkok) I've found international dining to be an utmost enjoyable experience...that was until last month. Now, I will preface this by saying that 95% of what I've eaten here has been great, downright delicious, but that still leaves 5%, 5% accompanied by a whole lotta prayers.:) One of my favorite TV shows is Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations on the Travel Channel. If you're not familiar with the show, it follows rebel chef Tony Bourdain as he travels the world downing all that the locals dine on. He respects the food, whether sheep's stomach or sea urchin, to him it is what real food is all about. During his trip to Namibia, however, he got sick, real sick! After sharing a meal of wild boar's colon with the San Tribe, he went down hard, to the tune of an hospital visit (Antibiotic IV included). With that in mind I've cautiously tried every dish given to me, always inquiring before tasting, but always tasting. Some of the bizarre foods I've tried the last few months include cow's stomach, sheep intestines, cow's nose(with steamed bread of course), curries, curries, and more curries! Unfortunately, I have had a few days of agony because I forbid myself to sit on the sidelines during mealtime. My famous "stomach of steel" has been humbled to a "stomach of thin aluminum" at best. I know all too well that goat, crocodile, and any of the various antelope are heading my way soon enough. Like Bourdan, I feel this food should be respected. I'm sure I'll never include cow's nose on my list of top favorites, but by sharing in something so important as a traditional dish with others, one becomes immediately connected to them. I'm sure they'll feel that same connection when I break out some Polish recipes around Christmas time. Few things are as culturally personal as eating. I don't mean grabbing a burger from Mickey D's on the way home, I mean COOKING A MEAL, SITTING DOWN, and SHARING IT WITH LOVED ONES. America is addicted to convenience food, myself included. Something I'm learning here is that tradition trumps convenience, always. Upon my return to the states, I won't be giving up the occasional chili cheese burrito, but I will have a better appreciation for sharing a home cooked meal. I've spent one night a week at our parish pastor's house helping his wife, Ma Shozi, cook dinner. It usually consists of a curry of some sort, rice or maize meal, spinach, and squash. Simple, well made dishes that stick to your soul and leave more than your stomach filled. I may get the occasional bout of "King Shaka's Revenge" (Montezuma never ate Zulu cuisine) but I'll take it, because it is worth the sacrifice to share in another culture. As the saying goes, "what doesn't kill you, makes you stronger". So, with my Tums, Imodium, and Cipro in hand, could you please pass the sheep intestines:)

Jesus is HIV Positive

“Jesus is HIV Positive!” Those were the words proclaimed this past Sunday by Bishop Buthelezi of ELCSA’s South Eastern Diocese. In front of a crowd of 10,000 at the University of Zululand he made his message clear. It was the bi-annual South Eastern Diocesan Rally and from the post service response, one that may forever change the role of area Lutheran churches in regards to service-based faith. I knew this fire storm was coming, I had been working with the Bishop on the idea for nearly a month. Our first discussion came just prior to hosting the regional HIV/AIDS workshop at the Diocesan Center (September 30-October 03). Bishop Buthelezi came into my office and said, “I hear you want to get involved in the HIV/AIDS struggle while you are here in South Africa. Are you ready for a battle? Are your ready to dig in and help steer our church in a new direction?” The look on his face was that of determination and poise, he looked like a man on a serious mission, he knew what was on the horizon.

We spent time discussing the fragile relationship between the church and the HIV/AIDS epidemic. For years now many churches in Africa, including ELCSA congregations, have walked a tightrope on the issue, rarely embracing it for what it is…a huge challenge with life and death implications. Of course the church didn’t turn its back on the issue, but one might say it did tend to turn sideways at times.

It is hard to fully understand the many levels of complexity bound to this issue, especially here in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN). I am just beginning to peel back the surface myself, and I am starting to realize why the process of embracement has taken so long. Self admittedly, the Zulu people of South Africa are a proud people, a people who connect to their traditions in ways we, as westerners, may find difficult to grasp. For example, it has been common practice for hundreds of years for Zulu men (especially chiefs) to take up multiple wives. This custom, though less common today, is still in practice. South Africa’s newly elected president, Jacob Zuma, for example, is Zulu and has four wives. These polygamous marriage groups are what, for many generations, sustained a productive and peaceful way of life. Men were expected to care and provide for all their wives and not doing so would bring shame upon them. As in many similar cultures the wives played various nurturing roles to ensure a balance within the homestead. We may be quick to judge, to see these lifestyles as irresponsible or even wrong, but we need to be careful. For thousands of years, similar family structures were the norm all over the world. The Bible, for instance, is filled with examples of polygamy. The idea of monogamous relationships is somewhat of a more recent norm in relation to human history. I’m neither condemning nor condoning the practice, for that’s not what’s at the root of this issue.

Here in KwaZulu-Natal is not about discussing whether polygamy is right or wrong, it is trying to forge a new culture of respect and support within all relationships. For years Zulu men and women have played certain roles within the family. Westerners might consider these roles “traditional” with men earning a living and providing for their family while women would take care of the household and tend to the children (usually a lot of children). I’ve had the privilege of getting to witness some of the Zulu culture first hand. Their beautiful traditions are filled with symbolism and heartfelt gratitude for men’s and women’s roles in each others’ lives. These roles can be virtuous paths to lead, yet at times have created a challenge in dealing with the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Because of these gender-based roles men have felt the need to always be strong, bold, and protect their families, sometimes masking their feelings in order to better control situations. Women, on the other hand have felt the need to serve their family and remain the caretakers of their husband and children, sometimes finding it difficult to communicate with their husbands.

The challenge lies in realizing that sometimes traditions must be altered to deal with something as dangerous as HIV/AIDS. The most crucial being the practice of having multiple sex partners during the same period of one’s life. We discussed this issue at length during the workshop. The message was that sometimes, in response to difficult times, we must take responsibility and make changes in our habits to protect the ones we love. It will be a challenge to alter some of these practices and focus on a new ways of expressing old traditions. Education will be the cornerstone in developing a new understanding of each others’ roles. Through education and vigilance I do believe that the rate of infection can be diminished in KZN over time. The South African government and other organizations are currently forging a multi-prong effort to educate and empower people to live healthier lifestyles. One of my favorite campaigns is one that focuses on “A New South African Man”. The ad describes a man that lives his life to better the lives of others, a man who respects his wife, never raising a hand to her, and man who doesn’t make excuses, a man who provides for his family and shows them love (maybe we should look into running this ad in the US :). In another campaign an ad focuses on working towards building an HIV free generation. This may seem impossible to some, but the buzz around the campaign has penetrated so many different areas of the community in which I work. I’ve heard it mentioned in our youth soccer program, at the primary school I teach in, and within our church community. Once the lines of communication and education are opened, anything is possible.

Though I have been actively involved in the fight against HIV/AIDS since 2003, I have learned so much in the past two months from experiencing, firsthand, what the people of South Africa are doing to combat its’ spread. Of the over 25 million who have died from the disease* since 1981, the vast majority have been from Sub-Saharan Africa. Of the 9.7 million people worldwide who are in need of immediate ARV(Anti-retro-virals) care only 31%* are receiving them. Since 1981 an estimated 11.6 million children* have been orphaned by AIDS. The South African Department of Health estimates that the province of KwaZulu-Natal has an infection rate of between 34-37% (depending on the study), either way it is far and away the highest rate in South Africa, a country with the highest rate of infection in the world at 28%. The statistics are staggering and the needs are great. Bishop Buthelezi knows this, and he along with others within the church are working hard to turn the tide. In preparing for the HIV/AIDS workshop I worked with Lungile Nyathikazi, the regional coordinator for the ELCSA-SED’s HIV/AIDS Program. I helped create a logo for the workshop and helped her put together informational packets for distribution. She seemed frustrated at times while we were preparing the materials because the number attending was far less that she had hoped. She shared with me her vision of a brighter future in which the church became a visible leader in the struggle not just another “Band-Aid support group”, helping in bits and pieces only when called upon. When the time came for the Bishop to deliver his sermon at the workshop’s closing service, he gave all who attended a much needed wake-up call. The look of satisfaction on Lugile’s face said it all. “If only one member of the Body of Christ were HIV positive, just one, the entire Body is in fact infected, we MUST realize this”, stated Buthelezi. “You cannot separate the Body of Christ from its’ challenges. It is the church that must be the leaders on this issue. It must be the church that stomps out the stigmas, that embraces the infected, and creates an environment of support.” His words rang clear, and he would later expand upon this message at the rally a few weeks later.

This time he used the message as a springboard to the greater question at hand, why do we, as members of the Body of Christ, rarely fulfill our commitment to the struggles of the world? Why do we far too often find ourselves in the passenger’s seat instead of the driver’s seat? How can we ever lead Christ-like lives if we are not willing to make the sacrifices that our Savior made? A bright spot for us as Americans is that we are statistical leaders in allocating aid funding throughout the world. The Bush administration helped significantly by nearly tripling aid to Africa at 15 billion*, with the Obama administration looking to further these pledges moving forward. It’s a great start, but we all need to continually educate and engage ourselves in the world around us to find innovative ways to help in solving the problems of our global community. The time is now for us a Lutherans and Christians to spiritually grow-up, to learn how to fully embrace the greatest commandment of them all (John 13:34), and to live a life of service to all of God’s people. If we choose to walk the easy path, to keep HIV/AIDS and other diseases on the back burner, to ignore poverty, to turn a blind eye to world hunger, to focus on ourselves and not our neighbors, then we will never obey God’s will. By doing so we are in fact turning away from Christ in order to ensure a life of comfort and excess. It is only through selfless service that one can truly lead a Christ-like life. We are saved by Grace indeed, but how do we take this and other gifts bestowed upon us by God and use them to better the world around us…how do we answer God’s call to action? Jesus is HIV positive…what are you going to do about it?

*Statistics were taken from the HIV/AIDS awareness website avert.org)

Shades of The Rainbow Nation

In Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s book God Has a Dream he referrers to the people of South Africa as, “the rainbow people of God” and reminds us that “In God’s family there are no outsiders. All are insiders. Black and white, rich and poor, gay and straight, Jew and Arab, Palestinian and Israeli, Roman Catholic and Protestant, Serb and Albanian, Hutu and Tutsi, Muslim and Christian, Buddhist and Hindu, Pakistani and Indian-all belong.”

My first month of walking in the shades of this rainbow of people has been one that has awaked my many senses. This awakening is not some romantic or magical journey into the heart of Africa, instead it is the sobering realization that the next 10 months will forever change me. At first this concept is an uncomfortable one, even scary at times. And yet it is liberating, a real sense of mental and spiritual freedom enters within. I only hope that by the Grace of God I am able to adequately absorb the things I experience and the people I meet during this process, so that I can best reflect upon them.

I came to South Africa with many preconceptions, some founded in the books I’ve read, others in statistics I’ve seen or news reports I’ve heard. These staggering bullet points of South Africa include:

-One of the highest crime rates in the world

-The world’s highest population of HIV infected people

-Government corruption

-Staunch racism

-The economic juggernaut of Africa

-One of the most progressive constitutions in the world

-Home to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission that

emphasized forgiveness over retribution

These fall under what I consider to be “the world’s view of South Africa” which, though true on many levels, don’t begin to explain this county’s true colors. After living here for only a month I don’t claim to be an expert, but everyday I feel I gain a better understanding of life here and the spirit of it’s people. I love Tutu’s description, not because it is some warm and fuzzy idea of South Africa’s people, but because it expresses the beauty of diversity as well as the reality of it. I am living in the village of Umphumulo, about 70 kilometers north of Durban. The setting is fairly rural, and I am quite literally the only white person for miles. The vast majority living in this area are black with small pockets of Indian populations. The town of Stanger (or known by its Zulu name, KwaDukuza) is about 40 kilometers away and is home to significant populations of both blacks and Indians. Move closer to Durban and the diversity continues to increase. These waves of cultures and people from all walks of life converge in a country that only 15 years ago was bound by the shackles of Apartheid. A system which destroyed the lives of everyone living under it, black, white, coloured (a term used to describe people of mixed race), and Indian, all became victims on some level. Even though the shackles were broken and justice prevailed the poisonous residue of Apartheid remains and continues to haunt the daily lives of its people. It is not racism the way we as Americans might see it, instead it is the idea of racism drenched in the fear of the unknown. It’s a difficult thing to explain. For so long each race, each color of the rainbow, was forced to live separately, forced to learn and internalize their existence in the context of only their own community, nothing else. Ignorance continually spread like wildfire and fear was the fuel that kept the blaze burning. For blacks it meant the lowest standards of education, and those who were educated, were taught that they were an inferior race to all, as a factual declaration. The white minority controlled the land, the government, and the economy. Coloureds and Indians found themselves somewhere in between, but were also severely oppressed during this time.

Since 1994’s first free and fair democratic elections South Africa’s black population has gained tremendous ground in government positions, including all three presidencies. Though they have made many gains in the realm of the government, whites still own roughly 80% of the land and continue to drive the engine for most of the economy. Many coloured and Indian people continue to feel stuck somewhere in the middle. It is a difficult position for all South Africans to be in, freedom has indeed arrived, but equality will take some time. When one really thinks about it, true equality has yet to arrive anywhere on earth. We may be quick to judge others because of what we perceive as unjust actions. Yet we as Americans live in a society where women, as a whole, still earn less for doing the same job as men, where minorities still encounter barriers in the work place just because of the color of their skin, and where gays and lesbians still have yet to possess equal partnership rights. Yes, South Africa still has a long road ahead to realize true equality for all, but so does the rest of the world.

Archbishop Tutu also points out that, “What does the color of one’s skin tell us that is of any significance about a person? Nothing, of course, absolutely nothing. It does not say whether the person is warmhearted or kind, clever and witty, or whether the person is good. But this irrelevance, like all other prejudices in the world, has caused great suffering…The endless divisions that we create between us and that we live and die for-whether they are our religions, our ethnic groups, our nationalities-are so totally irrelevant to God.”

The people of Umphumulo have opened their arms and welcomed me into their homes. I may be the only white person for miles but when I’m praying during morning chapel, or helping to peel vegetables with the cooks in the center’s kitchen, or kicking around a ball with children from the village, I am no longer white and they are no longer black, we are just shades of the rainbow.