A ' Nie-Blanke' Christmas

This posting is for all of my sister's friends out there ,having a 'Blanke' Christmas, wondering how Sister's African Christmas has been.

Africa has been tender towards them, not wanting to scare away her children who came to visit - the usual December heat being down a couple of degrees this year.

Sister's eldest remarked about the incredulousness of having a Christmas Braai . His uncles roped him in to teach him some of the finer skills of 'braaing' on Christmas eve.The girls enjoyed the swimming and tanning summer has to offer.All of the children, I'm sure, would rather have wanted to be at the coast, enjoying the sea, than hanging out in Wes-Transvaal.

Sister's hubby remarked on the similarity between a Mexican street and 'Scholtz' street of his hometown.She 'dared' taste some of the grapes passed on to her through the window of the bakkie by some 'straat-smous'' This off course means you have to buy...I wondered if she forgot.

Hubby couldn't resist the lovely variety of fresh fruit available. He kept on buying more and more , giving the muggies a Christmas feast of their own.

There is the disappointment of 'above zero' interest in the art of Coffee drinking.Maybe due to the heat, Africa's people are less interested in the hot beverage ? At least they found kindred spirits in myself & my Hubby enjoying coffee. Thanks for the STARBUCKS travel mugs !

Sister's Hubby spoiled the family kids with all the trips to WIMPY . Silently Mam and myself appreciated this gesture since we had less mouths to feed after such an outing.I do however know there is a price still to be paid when my eldest would insist on continuing the visits with such regularity once his Uncle has left again.

A visit to a family farm is bound to make you feel Africa's breath in your neck and her dark, sweaty pulse on your skin. Couldn't believe sister didn't recognise Nguni cows ! Sister's Eldest stood on the back of a bakkie, hobbling over the dirt road, to close a bek-slaner gate.He is so big, I noticed; that same little boy whom I was cradling in my arms,walking up and down the passage of the house in Bloemfontein,not so many years ago.Youngest remarked that she was born in Pretoria. A flutter of words from the locals, knowing the current talk of that city's name changing to Tswane.

Yes, I will not deny you a glimpse of the politics. How can I ? Sister have such strong emotions about it all.To the degree that I am tempted to blame it on the Baklei-wyn we've been enjoying.

Our country is not what it was. It will never again be, I don't think so. And the reason is not because I think God is planning never ever to come through for the Afrikaners again. On the contrary. The reward for those living according to His will, is not just in heaven, but also in this life.I believe the reward for Afrikaners is now in restored relationship with the living God and gratefulness in the small things of life.

An example of the above: A small thing, like a mustard seed,was Boet's emotional declaration of where his faith is at. I heard the miracle of basic foundations of faith being declared ,even if some huge non-disputable matters still hang in the balance.

I was encouraged to leave it at that,regarding Boet, and be of good courage to pray him through the next step and the next. My encouragement came from Sister's Hubby.He shared how he tell people to pray for a loved one on the brink of life and death (he works somewhere on that brink) Through experience (and he has lots!) he has witnessed the difference prayer makes when a body is broken beyond human hope for life. Greatly was I encouraged to continue praying where a spirit is broken beyond human hope for eternal life.Sister, pray with me for Boet and all our family's 'multitudes of Abraham' still to come into the fold !

My Hubby is concerned for Sister.We all are. Where she's at emotionally about the state of our Country.Our love will urge us on, continuing praying for her for God's perfect peace on this issue. Only He can give that peace beyond understanding.Us Afrikaners left here can not possibly live up to Sister's expectations of what Afrikaners should be and aim to be. We all face living in the brokenness of life after sin.It taints the Afrikaners as much as it taints every other nation. First and foremost we must aspire to bring all (family and all who cross our paths) into the fold of God. That fold where all are Children of God ,becoming blameless and pure, without fault ,within this crooked generation where they shine as the stars of the universe, as they hold out the Word of Life.(see Phil 2).In Africa or in Canada or where ever God has placed you for His purposes.Passing on from Hubby;

Christ did not come to shield us from the grieve and pain of life

But those who have His peace inside

Can thrive within the strife Sper

The Afrikaans family all agreed that Sister had to come visit to find her own closure on the death of her brother. We are grateful to her Hubby and children, who love her enough to join her out here in Africa. I cannot comment on how far and how much closure Sister have gotten on Broer's departure from this life. I think she will only know once back home in Canada. Olsy on this issue we poray for her for God's total peace.

Thanks for putting up with my amateur writing ! The explanation of some Afrikaans word used follows. Thanks for loving my sister like a sister out there in Canada.I do appreciate you all and am in your debt. Hope you had a wonderful Blanke Christmas.

Blanke = a word which means 'white' but is mostly used in SA when referring to a European descendant or 'White South African'

Braai = Barbecue

Straat-smous = street hawker

muggies = small bugs like fruitflies

Bakleiwyn = Having the type (or amount) of wine that makes you aggressive

Bek slaner = Wire make-shift gate used on farms.If handled incorrectly, the gate can hurt you and perhaps give you an injury in your mouth.

Pretoria = the political capital of the old SA, some want to change the name to Tswane.A very sensitive issue with Afrikaners in the country