This has been my home for the last 10 days and i'll be here for the next 2 and a half weeks (i leave a bit sooner than the rest of the team due to having to go back to work). Most of the streets here in Soshanguve don't have names so i can't tell you my address, but let me try and describe the neighbourhood for you. Block FF is quite a new area in the township (it started to develop in the late 90s) but there are a suprising number of large houses, usually characteristic of the older blocks, which have gradually developed over the last 30-40 years. There is a new supermarket here selling standard items you'd find in any UK/US store along with township delicacies of tripe and chicken feet. I've sampled the former (and survived) and am awaiting the latter... Whilst i'm on the subject of food I thought i'd describe to you a 'township burger' also known as sphatlo (stephanie mentioned it in her last post). They are available on most street corners and consist of a huge chunk of white bread with the middle hollowed out and filled with achar (mango chutney) chips/fries (delete as appropriate depending on your nationality), palonie (reconstituted meat a bit like spam), cheese and sometimes sausage. I've not tried one yet but they've had mixed reviews from the team- Luc loves them, Kevin hates them and the rest of the team seem to land somewhere inbetween.
So, back to Block FF. I'm sat in the living room of Pastor Samson Mbonani's house listening to the church choir practice in the garage next door. Their voices are beautiful and gospel music is filling the air. Pastor Samson lives with his wife and son, Ndumiso, in the mission house behind the church he leads, Word Alive, and i'm staying with them during my time in Soshanguve. They are a wonderful family and have been very welcoming to me. Pastor Samson is very much behind the idea of innerCHANGE and has been influential in wlecoming IC to Soshanguve. Kevin and Adam also live in Block FF: go out of the church yard, past the supermarket, along by the school and over the football field and you'll get to there house.
These first few days have been very exciting for me: getting to know the team; seeing the neighbourhood; learning more about innerCHANGE; and listening to God. Let's see what the next days bring...
Andrew.
1 comment:
Hi! I'm Gustavo (Paul's Dad). How do they fix the tripe? fried? I would try that, but prob not the chicken feet! The sphatlo sounds good. Do they put the fries/chips IN with the meat? That sounds like what Caroline does with potato chips in a sandwich!
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