Stewart 5

Is it possible to get unbiased news?  Or, should we just call a spade a spade - all news is filtered, selected, and given from some perspective.  If we acknowledge this, we must be more critical of what we are presented with.

Here is an excellent article about how “news” is often presented in South Africa, especially as it betrays certain commonly-held misconceptions and slants.

For those of you who are unaware, it’s pretty popular in SA, especially in the media, to paint a negative picture of the country.  Not sure exactly why that is, but here are a couple of my guesses:

1. South Africa has an inferiority complex.  Unlike America, who generally thinks she is best and every and all things, SA most often minimizes its achievements and points out its many faults.
2. Because of its long isolation from the rest of the globe, there is a major, “grass is greener on the other side” feel.  And, if all you know about the rest of the world comes from TV, of course it all looks better.
3. Ambivalence in the media toward the average South African.  Seems that journalists here are generally more educated, well off, and liberal than the average populace.  So, there is a tendency to look down on, and even denigrate, life as most people live it.

Would love your thoughts on media bias & the negative tone of SA journalism.

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In 2 weeks, Zimbabwe will hold a presidential runoff election.  In the past week, Morgan Tsvangirai (the opposition party leader) has been arrested twice and prevented from campaigning.  Yesterday, the secretary-general of the opposition party was arrested and charged with treason (which carries the possibility of the death penalty).  Sounds like a good fair election…

Last week, Mugabe ordered that all NGO’s stop operations, claiming they were supporting the opposition.  ALL OF THEM?  Sadly, NGO’s are the main source of food for most Zimbabweans.  Interesting that Mugabe continues to use the “we don’t want to be pawns of the west” as justification for nearly everything.  Do people really buy that one?

We are praying.  Pray with us.  Peace.  Justice.  Love.

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not going to bother sounding pretty, just wanted to pass along an update on how NCSA has been corporately addressing the needs of the refugees here in SA. Many of our people are taking personal action as well:

Much prayer. Together and individually, we give this to God and demand that He respond. He is…

We have invited a friend and his wife (refugees from Zim) to live in one of the rooms at Pangani, at least for a few weeks. Considering how we can make space for others.

Money given to NCSA to help with refugees has been directed to some people building houses for refugees

Several of us are talking to others who are helping refugees - looking for ways to partner & help.

We have money which we are giving to others who are working with refugees to provide food, shelter, etc.

If you would like to contribute financially, we can receive your money and forward to appropriate services and people working to make a difference. If you are interested in helping, email me.

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hi dr. nick…

we’re hosting our NieuCommunities conference, which officially starts tomorrow.  Which pretty much means we’re officially welcoming loads of guests since last night.  so glad we have that extended worship time yesterday!

as such, not sure how much i will post in the next few days.  HOWEVER, wanted to give the teaser that I got a tattoo this past Wednesday.  Colour and shading will be done this Tuesday.  Only my friend Andrew has pics of the ink so far (outline, which btw looks great by itself), so if I can’t get to them in the next few days, I promise to post some pics after it is done.

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Praise to God - maker of all things, lover of my soul - that I am finally feeling a bit better.  Not 100%, but well enough to actually enjoy this weekend.  And what a weekend.

Friday night, we did a commissioning time for the Kabongos who are launching an Innerchange team in Soshonguve this year.

Yesterday, Melissa, AP, Mairin, and our friend Chris went to a fab concert at the Botannical Gardens in Joburg.  Then, we went and had dinner at a cool little restaurant nearby.

Chris & Harris Tweed, Arthur & Chris all smiles,  Mairin at the restaurant  

Today, we took the kids and Iain’s friend Lukie to an outdoor adventure.  Hiking, animals, and hamburgers - what could be better?  This afternoon we swam at Pangani.

Lukie holds a crocodile (Iain making sure you see it), the boys hiking, swimming (Mosky doing ballet in the back) 

So glad to just chill for the weekend, especially with the hectic schedule we’ve had and given that we are hosting the all-NieuCommunities conference starting this upcoming weekend.  Nice to hang with the fam - nourishing to the soul!

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For the past little while, I have been faced with a strange dynamic - too many good things in my life!  I hope this doesn’t sound trite, and I definitely say this with an awareness that many/most people wish for ANYTHING good in their life.  But for a plethora of reasons, God has given me a full, abundant, joyful life.

And with so many things being well, I find myself most often needing to choose which good things I can receive, and which I have to say no to.  Example: I am currently working out my responsibilities and personal covenant commitments with my team here.  In making my list of things I want to do, I am realizing that there is too much.  Too many good things.  So, I am going to have to choose some and not others.  That’s a hard decision for me.

It would be easy if there were things I like, things I don’t enjoy, things I have to do.  But I am faced with a list of fantastic opportunities, and I can’t possibly do them all.  And so, I must sit with God and ask my friends for counsel.  I trust God has amazing things in store for me - His beloved - this year.  Can’t wait to see which pieces He is giving me to work with now.  I will keep you informed.

May He bless you with too many good things as well.  He wants to

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In NieuCommunities, our second posture of a developing leader is “Submerging.”  We believe that Just as Jesus incarnated and lived among us, we are called to the ministry of presence where God has put us.  With our apprentices, we have specific assignments, readings, etc. to help them think about and do this intentionally.  And, we as a staff team are always in the process of going deeper into lives and culture as well.  On occasion, you get signs that this is happening….

Today, as I finished my run, I walked into the corner market near us where we buy our Sunday paper every week, the occasional ice cream bar, and random items we realize too late that we need when making dinner.  A family runs the shop, and their kids are about our age.  So, we usually chat when we’re in there.  Anyway, we aren’t always so prompt at picking up our Sunday paper.  There have been a few times when we have gone in after noon, and they have been sold out.  The biggest loss in this is that the TV guide comes in the Sunday paper…

So, I walk in and grab a paper.  I go to the counter and ask if they will put it aside for me, and I will go home, get my money, and come back for it.  Just want to make sure we get a paper.  They tell me, just take it.  I assure them I will come back and pay as soon as I get home.  No worries, they respond.  Come in and pay whenever.

You know you are doing ok living in a place when they let you buy things and just come back and pay whenever.

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My friend Cori went to a retreat a while back on Ignatian Spirituality.  Margaret Silf was a featured speaker and Cori picked up her book Roots and Wings, which Cori loaned to me a while back.  It took a little for me to get into the book, but once I did I found it excellent.  Great treatment of what it means to be human and to pursue our identity of God’s image-bearers.  I recommend you pick up a copy.

I also want to share the following quote, which as I recall was the author’s recollection of a tv programme she watched featuring an “ordinary” woman doing extraordinary things here in one of the townships of South Africa.  She was asked about the legacy she wanted to leave.  Below are her response and Silf’s thoughts…

What would you like to leave behind as your legacy when you die?

When he died he has spent everything he had, and he returned into eternal now having used up completely every gift that God had given him.  Leaving only his spirit, and a slender pointer in the direction of life, he entrusted the ongoing evolution of the human family to a few men and women who had understood who he was and were willing to set out along the narrow path that leader to the future.

In sports, they talk about “leaving everything on the field.”  At the end of the competition, you want to have given all you could, so that you have nothing left and will know you gave your all.

This is how I want my life to be.  I hope that in the end, I look back with few regrets, knowing that I used and pursued all that God gave me.  I don’t want to “store up my treasures where moth and rust destroy” (here and now) and hope to remind myself to not worry too much about tomorrow, for who knows what tomorrow may bring.  Let’s ust focus on today.  And this doesn’t mean we have to achieve all the “big things.”  For most of us, its more about love in the “small things.”

May we all experience that full life Jesus came to model and empower us to live.  Abundant life, every day.

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Writing from our family’s holiday in Port Elizabeth.  PE is a beautiful city down in the Eastern Cape of South Africa, and home to our good friends Sean & Jean Daly.  We drove from Pretoria - 12 hours - last Sunday.  Since then, we’ve just been relaxing and having fun… lots of that at the beach.  This holiday is much-needed for us - finally taking a break from work and just being together.

One downside has been lack of good/consistent internet connection.  Free wireless is “virtually” non-existent in South Africa, so we’ve had to jump online at  the Dalys’ house once and use an internet cafe another time.  However, this isn’t all bad as it has allowed me to unplug and just BE with my family.  Having this forced on me is inconvenient but probably the only way to be with the fam. like I want/need to…

Here are a few pics.  We’ll probably post a lot more when we get home, but these will give you a taste for now.  Beach shots are pretty obvious, there is also one of AP making a shaker at a drumming class all the kids did one morning.

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Our family/community celebrates 2 American holidays - 4th of July and Thanksgiving. T’giving has been particularly meaningful for me because:

1. it has become a day to actually think of what I am thankful for
2. we have had the opportunity to share this day with many South African friends over the past several years
3. food = memories. And our expats have all learned how to make and adapt the foods we all remember and love from home.

Yesterday, we had 22 for Thanksgiving dinner - mostly South Africans. We shared a bit about the history, intro’d the food, shared things we are thankful for around tables, and ATE. After dessert (including the best pumpkin pie I have ever eaten), we sang a couple of songs of thanks to God. It was the a wonderful evening!

Public and heartfelt thanks to Melissa for coordinating the entire affair

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