IT took a week to get online

June 1, 2011

A week goes by quickly when one is keeping six people together in a rush to museums, appointments, railway trains, meals, bed and breakfasts, and hoping it all falls into place. Thus far, so good. Oh Yeak, I'm still driving on the left side of the road....

Charles Leonard and Jennifer Soltis arrived right on schedule and we made connections after four of us, Tom Schornovacchi, Altressa Boatwright, David Hoxter and I wandered the halls of the Apartheid Museum which had a stunning special exhibit on Mandela. Though it’s my third time there were elements that I had not seen before, or had not spent time reading all the details of a particular time in my life time that has at least captured my attention. We never made it to the Hector Petersen Museum. There is such a thing as too much information, and we all hit overload.

Worship with one of my former students, James KenoKeno Mashabela was wonderful. If I can find time and space, I will try to post an audio portion of the service. Hospitality overflowed with worship and dreams of the future by congregational members and the pastor as they saw ministry developing in their neighborhood that they could address. Arriving late in the afternoon we spent time the Martin Mabane and his two parishes. These two different former missions are looking at cooperation in being relatively close and served by one pastor. A new vision for a new age. Again hospitality over flowed as we wearily stopped by Mandela Square late in the evening to eat and wonder at the large version of a man who cast a larger shadow on this intriguing country.

Great conversations with Theology Faculty from the University in South Africa [UNISA] along with a few members of the Law faculty. Though the questions were primarily in the area of theology and the issues of government in a nearly 17 year old country, the theologians did not seem to want to deal with questions that came from the Law Faculty. There is a finality about the Law that does not lend itself to the ongoing dialogues that can take place among religionists.

Stopping at LUCSA proved to be both enlightening from the conversation with Kristen Opalinski, who is the Communications Officer. This Reading, PA former missioner and now staffer showed us her work in informing a world of the work of this segment of Lutheran Work. It was stunning to know that she is “Philadelphia Union” fan. Oh we just happened to see along the way Bishop Phashwana, Bishop Buthelezi, Rev. Phillip Knutson and the Executive Director of ELCSA

Rush hour mad dash to the train station to drop the rental car and catch a train to Maritzburg. Cold and rocking until the blankets arrived. A chicken and drinks picnic and interestingly enough a good sleep. Thank God we arrived late, so it was one taxi to the car rental and then a drive to the Lutheran Theological Institute. Meeting with Beverly Haddad and HIV Aids study program and neighborhood activist program that is a model of public theology in the midst of and academic enterprise for theological preparation for ministry is quite stunning. Lots of questions and dialogue with staff.

Why don’t Americans have Teas breaks? The Theology faculty and students were gathered for tea after our morning presentation and good questions and conversations emerged. It was good to see some of the same faculty that I had seen 3 years ago. Housing at Kenosis an AIDS orphanage and retreat center has slowed us down. In our debriefing, there was finally a question of “when do we get some down time.” There is an element of information overload.

This morning, we met with Georg Scriba, Pastor at Hayfields and retired Administrator for LTI about mission and ministry in Southern Africa. He rolled a semester course into a little more than an hour and shared his own story as a South African, and the challenges he sees facing him and the church he loves for the future. Detlev Tönsing has graciously let us use his home wi-fi to get these messages out to you.