Pastor Steve's Blog
Thoughts, additional sermon material, and interesting facts from the desk of Pastor Steve Sohns.
South Africa, Part VI
Posted: June 5, 2008
Category: Pastor Steve's Blog
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TAGS: South Africa, vacation
The lack of internet and phone service put me behind on the blogs, but let me catch you up.
On May 20th, we flew from Capetown to Jo’burg to join Ursula’s cousin Angelika and her husband. They live outside of Pretoria on an acreage with sheep, bees (Africanized) and horses and it is their retirement dream place. While we were there, we enjoyed seeing the area and traveling to some of the local sites. One of the sites we saw was a “Voortrekker” memorial that gives the history of the Boors(dutch) as they moved from the coast of South Africa to the interior. It chronicles their journey, their meeting with the Zulu and their battles with the Zulu too. Very fascinating when you compare it to the pioneers of North America.
ON the 22nd, we take a 8 hour drive to the Kwasisabantu mission. This mission to the Zulu’s is self-supporting from a water bottling plant and the many other enterprises (including the raising of avocodo’s and peppers). We meet many Africans (of many descents) and even learn a little Zulu. To say hi, you say Sowabona (I see you) and Yebo Sowabona (Yes, I see you). We experience a very unique place and hear some stunning Zulu music at the services. Later, more information on what this mission does in the area and in the world.
After a few days, we take off for the Eastern Coast that runs along the Indian Ocean. We arrive at the town of St. Lucia (sounds like Fallujah). This town sits on a lake and river that is full of hippos and crocodiles. The hippos come into the town at night to eat. Very fun place. We take a boat ride on the lake and have some close sightings of hippo’s, crocs, birds, etc. The ride is topped off with a great sunset at the end.
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- Voortrekker memorial
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- Indian Ocean
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- Kwasisabantu Mission
South Africa, Part V
Posted: May 27, 2008
Category: Pastor Steve's Blog
Comments: 0 Comments
TAGS: South Africa, vacation
I’m at an internet cafe that I’ve found in St. Lucia. It’s a beautiful area near the Indian Ocean…we’ve spent the day seeing monkey’s, hippo’s, zebra, african antelope, etc., etc. Unfortunately, I never see phones and haven’t had a chance to call the boys…I”ve emailed them, but hopefully they think to call as directed. We’re doing great and watching the time go by quickly.
We’ll be on to another game park on Thursday, and then back to the kwasisibantu mission by Saturday morning for a wedding and then back to the cousins house by Sunday…and then it’s pack and get ready. I don’t have a way to send pic’s right now…but I’ll try another time….Tommorrow we take a boat to see hippo’s and croc’s.
South Africa, Part IV
Posted: May 20, 2008
Category: Pastor Steve's Blog
Comments: 1 Comment
TAGS: South Africa, vacation
A couple of pictures:
South Africa, Part III
Posted: May 20, 2008
Category: Pastor Steve's Blog
Comments: 0 Comments
TAGS: South Africa, vacation
Sorry that I’ve taken some days off…but the time goes by quickly.
Sunday, May 18, Day 4
Not a lot to add about the day. We have sore legs and bodies from all the walking that we’ve done while we have been here and the hike up Table Mountain took it out of us. We are the fortunate ones though, because the cable car has not worked at all. They’ve called in a person from Switzerland to come and fix the system. When there hasn’t been cable car issues, it has been the weather issues…so we are leaving town on Tuesday having seen the #1 site of Capetown.
Food…a little on the food. The experience of the South African food has been really good. There is an international flavor because of the influence of the Dutch and Germans who settled the region and other cuisines because of business travelers. We have enjoyed German beer with sausages, local game dishes (ostrich, kuzu, sprinkbok, wildebeast, etc.), South African pizza (not like Pizza Hut), and we have seen many western style eateries (KFC is real popular here).
Our breakfast each morning has been fun…I add this not because of the food, but because of the people. The staff has become our second family here. We have pictures of many of the staff and they have our picture as well. Many of them take the bus in from the outlying areas and they work among those who are “wealthy” tourists/business people. They are very geniuine and very kind. Starting the morning with a cappucino, some fresh fruit, breads, meats, and an assortment of choices (omelets, english breakfast, french toast, etc.) has made for a very relaxing time.
More on people…we have met a variety of travlers as well. People from England, Scotland, Japan, Germany, other parts of Africa, and Australia to mention a few. We have truly enjoyed the experience of Africa, but we have also enjoyed the people we have met.
Monday, May 19
Today is our chance to go to the wine country. Very old and very new wineries exist in the region of Stellenbosch. It is named after an early governor of Capetown region. He discovered and named this region after himself. It is the Napa Valley of South Africa.
We are picked up by Wayne Donaldson, who we realized later was listed in Food and Wine in 2006 as a fine tour guide. Fortunately for us, no one else signed up with Wayne for this day and so we had our own personal tour. We traveled to some fine stops for wine tasting and enjoyed each experience. At Waterford, we enjoyed some of the wine with some fine belgian chocolate and both were wonderful.
After a few stops, we went to Spier to see and interact with Cheetah’s. Next door is also a “bird of prey” sanctuary. Ursula had a chance to go in and pet cheetah cubs. No time for the eagles, but we enjoyed the cheetah section. Both are trying to save the animals. Like our country, their is an encroachment of the world of man on the world of the cheetah. They are raising dogs who can protect the herds so that the farmers are not trying to shoot or poison the cheetah. They take in the injured animals in order to bring them back to health and re-settle them to other areas.
We had a wonderful walk around the town of Stellenbosch as well. It has the look of an old dutch settlement in the buildings and yet it is a tourist area with the availability of shops and food stops. It is our last full day in Capetown…Tuesday we fly to Johannsburg. Not sure when I will next post on the blog, because we may or may not have internet service.
South Africa, Part II
Posted: May 17, 2008
Category: Pastor Steve's Blog
Comments: 1 Comment
TAGS: South Africa, vacation
More on May 16, Day 3…
Too much to tell. But, we also had a chance to see African Penguins in great quanity. Took a short boat ride out to catch the seals in Hout Bay. Way too tired to really enjoy, but we also went to the Botanical gardens at Kirstenbosch. We had hoped to see Table Mountain, Chapman’s Point and a rock formation known as the 12 Apostles, but the mist was again very heavy on this day.
May 17, Day 4
It was the first morning that we woke up to clear skies. Good news, we can now go up to Table Mountain. The Cape of Good Hope and the ride to the top of Table Mountain were our big two sites that we wanted to see! So, we grab a taxi and take it to the mountain right after breakfast. They are supposed to take the first travelers up to the top at 8:30 a.m. We arrive at 8:30 a.m. Three hundred plus people who are waiting around to either get on the cable car or to buy tickets. Buses pulling up with more and more tourists. The line we’re in isn’t moving. Finally, we hear that the cable car is broken (common occurence) and that they will refund money. A few begin to leave. Then they announce that it is going to be a long, long time. Suddenly people move in droves to reach the “refund” window.
We look at each other. We flew 11,000 miles. We don’t know if the winter weather will allow for another clear day while we are here. So, we ask where the path is to the top of the mountain. You walk down about a mile or so and then you begin to make the mile long climb that will go up to 3100 feet high. Are we game? You bet ya. Of course, many times we wondered about the sanity of this plan. Others were trying the same plan, and they were turning around and passing as they came back down the path. We met others who decided to descend from the top because of the broken cable car. We thought we’d at least reached the 1/2 way point and they indicate that we’re only 1/4 of the way there.
But, we’re having as much fun as you can on three bottles of water and a small can of trail mix. So, we press on. It took us from 10 a.m. until noon to reach the top. It was a sense of accomplishment and we had the place to ourselves. Only about 60 or 70 up top during the time we were there instead of hundreds. We prayed that the cable car would take us back. They were running it every 90 minutes(for extra time to fix it) and only for taking people down the mountain. So, we waited until 1:30 p.m. and went down the mountain tired, sweaty and satisfied.
South Africa, Part I
Posted: May 17, 2008
Category: Pastor Steve's Blog
Comments: 1 Comment
TAGS: South Africa, vacation
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- Windblown at the Cape
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- Ursula convincing him to escape
Good day,
Sorry to take so long to write a travel blog. It’s been hectic since we arrived in Capetown and the chance find the time has been difficult.
May 13, Day 1
Trips went well. Ursula left from Newark and I left from Houston through Atlanta. We both arrived in Amsterdam about 1 hour apart. (U at 6:15 a.m. and me at 7:20 a.m.) We found each other and relaxed until about 8:50 a.m. Our flight went 6000+ miles and arrived at 9:30 at night on May 14th. We were afraid we wouldn’t be able to sleep, but fell asleep fast and slept all night.
May 14, Day 2. Woke up and had a wonderful breakfast. After becoming acclimated to our area and options, we went down to the waterfront. After spending a few hours walking around shops and other interesting sites, we decided to go over to Robben Island (named by the Dutch for the number of seals they saw when they arrived - seal = Robben). A fascinating trip. Robben Island has been used as a prison outpost by various countries, a leper colony for a number of years, a base during WWII and as a site for medium and maximum security. The medium security was for hardened criminals and the maximum security was for political prisoners generated from the apartheid issues of the 60’s through 80’s. One of the big parts of the tour is seeing the cell that housed Nelson Mandella. The trip to the island meant going on a catamaran both ways. Ursula wasn’t to pleased with how it pitched back and forth on the way there, but it was better on the way back.
We met a number of people from all over the world. Very good trip.
May 15, Day 3. Another good breakfast and wonderful staff that we look forward to seeing. Today is a day long trip that will take us to many spots, including Cape Point and the Cape of Good Hope. We had a marvelous day seeing such beautiful area and a lot of variety. We came home bone tired, but it was great getting down to the lowest southwest spot on the African continent.
Does prayer work?
Posted: April 30, 2008
Category: Pastor Steve's Blog
Comments: 1 Comment
TAGS: prayer
Do you pray? Many more people claim to pray than claim to be a part of a church family in the United States. Yet, prayer causes people to ask the hard questions about themselves and about God? Does God answer prayer? Why does He answer the way He does? Why someone else and not me? are just some of the questions that come to mind as people engage in prayer.
John 14:13 says, “And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father.” This verse immediately causes us to question prayer and God….because all of us have prayed and not received what we desired. Here Jesus says He will do whatever we ask. So, at first glance, we have a promise that we may have felt that Jesus didn’t keep. Others of us may say that we have experienced this as absolutely true and perhaps we’ve used prayer in Jesus as our personal vending machine for our wants and desires.
Here’s the thing about this verse. If I’m listening to the whole verse…I can’t miss what Jesus says when He says, “In My Name!” That very verse begins to challenge our understanding of prayer. It begins to shift our thinking from ourself to Jesus. In His Name brings about the presence of God, the power of God, and kingdom of God into our midst. To do anything in Jesus Name means to go where He is…not bring Him where I am. This drives us back to where Jesus is present…in His Word. The more we are in the Word, the more we are in Jesus. It brings us into the presence of Jesus and into His kingdom. Very important to note that this does not become a secret way to get what we want…but rather, it brings us into a different way of thinking and it changes us. To be in Jesus Name now brings us into “His Kingdom come and His will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.” Therefore, to be in His name changes our way of thinking and praying. As we are aligned with Jesus will, we begin to pray in a different way and of course He does what we ask, because we ask in light of what He is doing in His reign and rule. Therefore, it drives us to be in the Word more…and to pray more….and to seek His will more. In that, the Father is glorified….prayer is no longer our means to change God…but another way that we see God moving us by His Word. More could be said…but a place to start as we think about prayer.
Blessing and bane of cell phones
Posted: April 21, 2008
Category: Pastor Steve's Blog
Comments: 0 Comments
TAGS: cell phones, connectivity, hurried lifestyle
Cell phones have changed our lives drastically. There was a day that you went off to work, ran an errand, or went to a ball game and no one could reach you during the time you were driving, shopping, or enjoying a game. We thought nothing of being out for two to three hours and no one could reach us. The pagers came along and they would buzz and beep on our belts. Of course, you had to be able to get to a phone to call someone back. If you didn’t call back for an hour or two, it was because you were unable to call right back. More expectations, but not the idea of immediate contact.
I remember a few years ago when I showed up at a meeting with a cell phone. The pastors scoffed at the idea that I had one of these devices and wondered what I was up to my interest in a “cell phone.” The next time we met, they all asked if they could use it to call their wives during the 5 days we were together and at some point….they all began to carry their own phones. I can’t find them anymore without calling their cell phone. Now we have cell phones. Not just a few of us either. Most everyone carries a cell phone 24/7.
With the blessing of having the ability to stay in touch with our work, family, and friends, comes the bane of being available for our work, family and friends. People are never away from work. Go to the airport and everyone is discussing business before they get on the plane. You walk through the mall and the person who appears to be talking to you are really discussing some office problem on their blue-tooth microphone. Look around at a ballgame sometime and notice how many people are talking on the phone (or texting if they are under the age of 24) while watching the game.
The phone becomes a problem with the opportunity for contact becomes an expectation for immediate conversation. I find that I can’t take a shower, work out for a few minutes, or simply forget to turn the phone off of vibrate mode without finding several “missed calls” and many voice mails asking “where are you?” and “call me quick.” We’re on call all the time. You can’t ignore a phone call, even if it’s an unknown number….it might be a loved one calling from a strangers cell phone because they locked their phone and keys in the car. (that’s a blessing)
I do have to say though…I’m glad that God is on call all the time. He not only answers, but He desires to be called upon. He knows what we need, but He’s anxious for us to call Him anyway. If it was me…I’d be tired of the whole thing. I’d wonder why some don’t call more often…or why they only call in trouble. But, He never tires of the calls and never changes His mind about saying “Call on me.” Also, no busy signals…and never a situation of being “out of a signal area.” When we go through Bane and Blessings…He is ready and He listens.
I have no answer for the right use of phones…but God’s call to prayer never ceases…in fact He says to call(pray) without ceasing.
