I’m sure many of you are wanting to know more about Jeffrey’s Bay, South Africa, where you have all helped to send me. I haven’t really written a blog dedicated to that, at least since I’ve been here.
Jbay, is a small town. Due to the beautiful waves, Jbay is known worldwide for surfing and is therefore also overcome with tourism. The three most common languages here are Xhosa, Afrikaans, and English. English is widely spoken and taught. That however does not mean that everyone speaks it. From what I’ve seen so far, English is spoken by many people only if necessary. Many children I’ve encountered especially, prefer to speak in their native tongue. It is not uncommon for most residents of South Africa to understand and be able to communicate in at least three different languages. That blows me away! How sad it is that in America learning another language is not so important.
As I’ve told most, if not all of you before, Jeffrey’s Bay (or Jeffreys Baii in Afrikaans) is still segregated to some degree. It may not be law around here anymore, but it is still in the hearts and minds of many of its people. I have now seen the division of the “white” (rich) part of town and the “black and colored” (poor) area. The line is sadly too distinctive.
The “townships” are the poorer black and colored areas. They rest on the outskirts of town. The “townships” are a breeding ground for violence, disease, and poverty. Yet there, you can also find some of the most loving, hard-working people you will ever meet. There are different “subdivisions” located within that widespread area. I work in Tokyo Sexwhale (It is not pronounced how it is read.)
In South Africa, (and not just Jbay alone) the people are very relational. People will walk away from their jobs to invest time in someone. You may have an appointment to meet with a local at a certain time, but if they come across someone along the way, they could stop and talk to that person for hours before they show up to meet you. Church services don’t always start “on time” due to socializing. You can’t walk into a cafe to grab a few drinks to go, without standing there talking for thirty minutes before you get your order. How refreshing it is to be in a culture more concerned with who they’re talking to than what they have next on their agenda. In America, we are obsessed with time and all that we can pack into it. We rarely devote all of ourselves to a person because of all that we try to fit in our day. When looking at the cultural differences, I’m reminded about how relational Christ was. Jesus did not rush past anyone that He came across because He was in a hurry. (And it’s not like He wasn’t a busy man!) Thinking about that really encourages me to strive to be that way in America and not just Africa.
The beach here can really make you forget you’re on a mission field. :-p It is absolutely gorgeous! I have yet to see it at sunrise, as I hate mornings, but I’m sure it would be worth it. Just about every restaurant here serves some type of seafood. A lot of things revolve around the beach. As beautiful as the beach is, it is also dangerous. When we go to walk on the beach, we can only go one direction. If you head in the other direction, you’re pretty much begging to be mugged. So, we steer clear of that area.
These past couple of days and until Tuesday, there is a festival here in Jbay. The Shell Festival comes every year. Some of the items I have seen so far are very americanized. There are a lot of traditional African products though. I have wanted to buy up so many of the traditional items. Unfortunately, I don’t have the money or the space in my suitcases. I did have one guy at the festival today ask me if I would take him back to the states when I returned. I found it a bit odd as he didn’t seem to be joking so, I just jokingly told him that unfortunately he wouldn’t fit in my suitcase, said “Good bye” and walked away.
A small town of one stoplight, two crosswalks, a lot of stop signs, an abundance of churchs/missions, and a good amount of people Jeffreys Bay is still so dark is many areas. The Lord is here though! You can feel Him! You can see His hand! God is working in Jefferys Bay!
