Global Grace III from South Africa

from our beautiful sister Maura Rehfuss, spreading our Light in South Africa...

Today, Monday, July 20th is Curtis and my 30th wedding anniversary. Hallmark lists the 30th Anniversary gift as ‘pearl’. And it brings to mind the story in the bible of the one who sells all he has to purchase ‘a pearl of great price’. The pearl of great price, for me, is a deepening awareness of Spirit. God moving in the midst of every circumstance and as every one who crosses my path. Thank you Curtis. I could not ask for a better husband or a better gift.

This week will be another busy one. We are back in the garden preparing the space for a gardening workshop on site this coming Friday morning. Our friends from the Novalis Ubuntu Institute will be bringing 7 bags of compost and will train participants in rotating crops and year-round gardening. We went to the local grain elevator this afternoon, gathered empty grain bags and filled them with dried grass clippings from the B & B where we are staying. We will use these in the garden as well. The neighborhood boys were back in full force to help with clearing the space to ready it for Friday’s workshop. Fence post and barbed wire has been purchased to enclose the yard to keep the many dogs in the neighborhood out.

This evening John and and his mom, Leitie, have prepared a traditional African dinner for us in their home. It includes chicken, sausage, fish, sweet and white potatoes, vegetable pie and homemade bread. On Thursday evening we will return the favor with a traditional American dinner of meatloaf, corn on the cob, salad, sweet and white potatoes. Apple tarts and vanilla ice cream.

A group of interns from the Foundation for Contemporary Research drove from Capetown to RSE to meet with John and members of the RSE community to discuss effective fundraising for the Community Center Project. Robin and I attended and it was a very interesting morning as we had an opportunity to break into small groups and hear the citizens’ visions.

One of Leitie’s nieces invited us to the neighborhood Clinic. Theolene (Lena) works there and she was eager to show us the facility and introduce us to the staff. Each day of the week a different segment of the population is seen. On Monday the chronically ill are treated. On Tuesday pregnant women are seen. Today, Wednesday, is children’s day.

I brought some of the friendship bracelets for the children, the adults who accompany them and for the staff. It is difficult to adequately describe the difference this tiny, pink walled, space and these few angels are making in the lives of this community. There is a high incidence of TB here and often the initial blood work-up is the first indication that the patient is HIV positive as well. Treating both diseases in a patient is a very complicated issue. And once TB has been diagnosed its highly contagious nature requires that each member of the household be treated. The high incidence of alcohol/drug addiction further compromises the health of those being treated. HIV infected patients receive a 30 day supply of antiretroviral drugs at one time. The youngest HIV infected patient treated at the clinic is 8 months old.

Robin and I met wit a small group of women at the Community Hall this morning to teach/practice Light Touch. The grandmothers (GoGo’s) share it with each other and their grandchildren, some of whom are HIV infected. The women are also experiencing stress reduction while treating themselves. We spent a wonderful few hours together and when we left they blew us kisses as they walked back to their homes in the settlement.

We are heading over to Robben Island today with two of the young women who are being supported by The Light Center since leaving the orphanage system. They have never seen the place where Nelson Mandela spent many of his 27 years of imprisonment and I know it will be an emotional time for all.

Yesterday we left RSE to return to Capetown and Novalis. The women of the community presented us with a crocheted gift and a handwritten prayer in English. We burst into tears and so did they. These strong resourceful women have profoundly toughed my heart and I am changed forever.

We will be returning to America in a two days and I look forward to being with each of you. Know that your ongoing support of UCOH’s Inreach and Outreach Programs, including Robin Goff and The Light Center, is making a profound impact in the neighborhood and around the world.

Robin has been asked to do the Sunday morning service for Agape South Africa tomorrow morning and I will be participating. What a wonderful opportunity to share UCOH’s message of unconditional love and reconciliation.

Sending love and light,
(I am the mirror/reflection of yours)
Maura