Mar 25, 2022

To continue the story, they went off to a safari to a game reserve for a few days and when they cam back, I took them for  tour of the Mariannhill complex (3 schools, hos[ital, nurses training , cathedral, guest house, retreat house, carpenter shop, metal work shop, printing press, tailor shop, and several other small shops, 2 convents, orphanage, graveyard, soya farm, etc.  a small city. The monastery was built in 1882.

Then we went for lunch to El Arish , a local restaurant that serves a variety of dishes, but specializes in curries and sea food ( from the Indian Ocean). That was Friday the 18^th and on the 17^th they were given a look at some or the local villages in the rural area.(by my friend Jama).

On Friday afternoon, after lunch, we had a bit of time together and a chance to say goodbye since they would be leaving the next day, the 19^th, Saturday. It was all too quick, but I really appreciated that they took the time to come for a visit, even though it was short, and Katrina had other friends that she wanted to visit, that she knew from the year she was a volunteer here. parting is always such sweet sorrow 2

Things went along normally till the 12rh of March. That is the day I have been waiting and longing for months. It was the day when I would meet , my niece, Ann,…. My niece, , a medical doctor… and her daughter, Katrina, my grand niece….who spent a year as a volunteer at our orphanage home, some years back,  and her new husband (married in Dec. last year), Chase ( I really like him), and David,

Ann’s husband….all 4 are paying me a visit and looking around, here and there in South Africa.

 

   It was enjoyable just to be in their company and it became even more enjoyable when Katrina announced that she was pregnant. Wow. What great and beautiful news.

     While they went off to do some more visiting with Katrina’s friends, they dropped me off at home. I had had enough excitement for one day, and although I went to bed early, I couldn’t sleep,   I think because I was still too excited.

  

The next day was Sunday,  (I’m sorry but something happened to shift things around and I am too lazy and scared to try to correct that and make it even worse) and they came and picked me up and we went off to Savannah Park to my old community for a lovely Zulu Mass.I sat with them in the back and only read the gospel in Zulu and listened to Fr. Des. Who has been helping since I was no longer able to do it. The reading for that Sunday was about the Transfiguration, when Jesus took Peter, James and John up the mountain to experience the divine side of who he was, since all they knew of him was his human side. Of course, their minds were blown when he was transfigured, big dazzling light and all.

  

But what struck me was the juxtaposition of Transfigure and disfigure that he brought out in his sermon…..

e.g. during Lent while we try to get ourselves in shape for Easter, what we are actually doing is trying to get the sins out of our lives, the things that dis-figure us, and try to get back to the Jesus who was transfigured and who came to live in us when we were baptized.  I  thought that was a cool way of explaining sin, a disfiguring of the image of Christ in us.  Then we went up, after Mass, to spend some time and have an early lunch at the Pillay’’s  ( Mike and Anneta who look after our church stuff, Mike also being the  leader and organizer of the community. Mike is Indian but leads a 98% Zulu community.  Netta would be classified as a “coulered”.        

 

I had an appointment with the neurologist on Wednesday the 23^rd and there, after much discussion, we booked a date for a Botox injection for next week  March 30^th. It is not only for wrinkles, which I don’t have, but also for muscle control…..I think it is my hamstring muscle that has been driving me crazy (every time I get up from a sitting position or from the bed, it goes into a tight and painful spasm. It will cost

R6 000 (In dollars , at the present exchange rate it would be about $89.00 , good for 3 months, then another $89.00. One of my cousins near Washington DC promised to help and I also ask others if they can contribute, it would be a great help. Otherwise we would just have to forget it. It is an injection into the muscle. I am anxious to see how it will work. I am keeping my fingers crossed and praying like mad.

 

Well, that’s it for now. I feel kind of ashamed to get this injection because I know that none of my parishioners could afford it. But I am hoping that it may allow me to go back to Savannah Park on Sundays again….I hope.

 

We are all praying for the people of Ukraine. Putin now joins the monsters like Stalin and Hitler and others closer to home here in Africa. Dare I not pray for his conversion and change of heart, as impossible as that seems? Lots of Love to you all.