The following post is from a series of emails I wrote to my girlfriend at the time, whilst on a trip to Africa. She is now my wife, so I did something right.
Today was Saturday, my day of Sabbath. I started off with a nice lie in, right up until 8:10! Reckless, eh? Then I read my book a bit, and lazed around the house.
About 10, Ian’s parents popped by, on their way somewhere else, and it was interesting talking to someone with a West Country accent out here. After that we took a ride to the rubbish dump, to unload an entire trailer full of waste. They don’t have binmen in this town! There were people living at the dump, sorting through rubbish, hoping to find things of use. I’ve seen worse in Mozambique, but it was still sad.
At 12 I discovered that people were going to the dam again, and it seemed like a good time to go. Luan (I finally learn his name the day he leaves) is going off on a 7 month gap year extreme sports thing – learning scuba diving, sky diving, etc. It is costing a bit over £10,000! But yeah, he’s a fun bloke to be around, and so he had a “Let’s go to the dam party, then a braai at my house”.
The dam was fun – even though I got neck ache. I managed to successfully dive off the one and a half storey cliff, without any damage, disembowelment of accidental castration. We all even managed to jump off the three storey cliff as well. That was amazing. I also ran into Faye’s parents, and found out her dad is off to Joburg on Tuesday, so a lift is organised. We drove home, me rubbing my neck ache, which I hadn’t noticed up until that point.
Back at mine, me and Grant invented the greatest game known to man – Splash. You stand either end of the pool, with a table on its side behind you. Your job is to stop the ball hitting the table. However, the ball can bounce on the water, and you can change its weight with absorbing water in it, changing is speed and stuff. First man to ten wins. We played for an hour and a half, leaving me with a sore arm, to go with my sore neck. [NB Two days later I STILL have arm ache from that rubbish game]. Needless to say, I won 4 games, two sets, and thus the match.
Next I went to the braai with Grant. It was okay – I swum in the pool there, and beat off three challengers on the pool table. I also managed to find veggie hot dogs in spar, despite being told by a senior member of staff there that they don’t sell them. Soon I was knackered though, and bed was very welcome. As I lay there, arm and neck aching, all the rest of my muscles complaining, I knew it had been a good day.
“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Matthew 28:18-20
Just thought I would drop in some Jesus there. Do we observe all he has commanded us? Hmm.
Much lovings,
Chris
PS. Okay, okay! It wasn’t neck ache, it was neck burn! I forgot to put lotion on my neck. I did everywhere else though! And it wasn’t that bad anyway, its gone brown you BUMFACE!