spiritual bonds ~ holiday in SA

spending time with friends is a source of pure delight for the soul when the relationships have a spiritual foundation and the ways in which time is spent are noble and free of things that are unworthy of our station as a soul.

this sums up how our time in South Africa was recently spent.  we returned after a 3 year absence to see friends with whom we developed familial and spiritual bonds.  it was pure joy to be reunited.

after mingling with everyone in the two townships where they now live, we took a few of them with us each day so that we could be together in a different environment from which they live.  six days later when we relocated to a rented, unoccupied house, we had decided to ask their parents if 5 of them could stay with us for the rest of our holiday.  with their parents' approval, we spent the last 9 days of our holiday with this group of young souls who are like our sons. 

we lived together, cooked together, ate together, cleaned up together, prayed together, listened to music together, danced together, played games together, went on outings together, and completed a study book together!  for our family, and for them, it was a long-awaited dream come true.

a photo display of our holiday this past December/January:

we always love to do the water balloon toss with the kids

their first time up in a ferris wheel

running for a pass playing American football with 'Coach'

pyramid on the very windy beach at Camps Bay

brothers

cooking together

mac cheese, fried fish & salad

playground in Greenpoint

roasting marshmallows

brotherly love

Mphati and 'Coach' at Boulder Beach

hangin' out after playing ball..someone always on a cell phone!

Sami & Bintyi on the field in Century City

best of friends..

hanging out at the ice skating rink

Linda singing 'I'm Building Me a Home' in Malmesbury

everyone loves Coach

Dyami showing his card trick at the V&A Waterfront food court

such a beautiful day at Boulder Beach by the penguins

working on a rap together in English and Xhosa

in front of the Christmas tree at the V&A Waterfront

unity in diversity :)

playing Pictionary

rotating sleeping together..on the floor

intensive studying book 1

exhausted and smushed in our small rental car together (all 7 of them)

recreating the pose that most of us did together 3 years ago

true brotherhood

very happy to be together at the Abedian home

carrying the washing machine to the outside basin to rinse out the water

at a movie theater to watch Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom together

playing American football on the Sea Point promenade

last day together

moments like these are eternal imprints on our souls.  we will discover the patterns we've woven in our hearts with each other in the worlds beyond.  there is nothing that matters more to me in this life than establishing spiritual bonds of friendship.  praise be to God for these moments..

remembering Delft, South Africa

dyami playing checkers on a handmade board with soda caps

  

today i am quiet and tired.  after 6 hours of sleep i woke at 4:45 for the fast.  at first i was very sleepy but after a cup of water and a cup of a green drink, i was ready to buzz around the kitchen preparing everything for the morning routine.  by the time i had taken nutritional supplements, enjoyed a strong cup of coffee, and savored toasted flat bread with homemade hummus, i was running upstairs to wake ayana (who was sleeping in my bed because dashiel is out of town) and sing a prayer to the boys who are always so sleepy upon waking.  when the time reaches 7:20am and it's time to leave, they have brushed their teeth, dressed, prayed, recited, read a story, eaten breakfast and taken turns to talk with me about whatever is in their young hearts and minds..

during the fast i don't pray until the kids have left for school.  the other days of the year i wake early and pray before everyone wakes.  for these days of fasting, i like to spend that first hour or so making my body strong for the day.  when the sun rises and i'm done taking care of the kids' lunches and breakfast, it's time to clean -- sweep, sometimes mop or clean the floors, wash a load of laundry, etc. and then i become immersed and wrapped in prayer, reflection and reciting of the holy Word with wholehearted devotion, humility and submission..

a jr. youth, Siphesihle, who became a Baha'i

after a long period of quiet time and working in the kitchen, i started to feel tired.  writing gives me energy so i decided to write a post.  i stayed up a bit too late last night looking through old videos on our external drive.  i wanted to find a short one that would not take up too many megs and one that was from South Africa, related to our time of serving there as Baha'is.  the videos of South Africa evoke a deep longing in me to return there -- to Cape Town in particular -- where a group of young souls touched our lives in immeasurable ways.  words continue to be inadequate to express the love our hearts experienced living in south africa.  that love reached it greatest depths in delft when arising to serve in one of the neighborhoods -- we offered spiritual education classes from the Baha'i teachings on Oneness, universal brotherhood, justice, peace and a high moral standard of conduct.  we have very few memories on video that capture the essence of joy, unity and spiritual bonds of friendship that were established over a period of 3 years, but the one above depicts the joy they felt being with our family.

 

a few of our closest young friends from Delft

my heart is still saddened if i dwell on how much i miss those dear souls.  when i am tired, as i am now, i close my eyes and pray for each soul in south africa that is in my heart.. each morning.. each moment..as i remember them.

Jason in Knysna

We met Jason while traveling through South Africa in 2009. He lives in a small coastal town called Knysna. We met him upon parking the car. i was drawn to him immediately because he was so young -- he was out on the streets trying to earn a living by watching people's cars that are parked in town. In South Africa it's become a way to work by standing by the cars in the spirit of 'protecting' the car from any crime, and before you leave it's a courtesy to offer something. This boy was only 13 years old; by looking at the holes in his shoes we sensed he wasn't able to attend school (because even public schools require fees which some families cannot afford). One's heart stretches in these moments, feeling such a longing to change the world many hearts at a time and establish justice everywhere. We talked with him and felt his heart -- he was most polite and full of beauty. We offered him the food from our car before walking away, and instantly Dash and I were thinking the same thought: let's buy him dinner. We returned with a hot meal and his gratitude was immense. Dash was concerned for this boy's safety (thinking someone might take his bag) so he watched and waited for a little while; Dash saw the boy (Jason) find a place that was obviously hiding himself from others on the street. When we came back from our dinner he was busy with another car so we didn't get to say goodbye again. For the next few days our family continued to talk about this soul. We loved him, and he taught us a lot -- the children were able to think about how difficult it would be if they needed to do what he was doing; they also saw how beautiful his character was, how polite, respectful and sincere he was...all those spiritual qualities and powers which made him beautiful.

We had to drive past this town on our way back to Cape Town, and as soon as we reached his area of work, we saw him nearby helping another driver; we felt so excited! Dash parked the car and ran back a block, waiting until Jason was finished. When he turned around, he noticed me standing there and smiled, came over and hugged me. He hugged me for a long time -- it felt like we were family. We started talking about how he was doing. I asked about his family and he answered that they love him -- that comforted my heart. We walked back to my car and he hugged the whole family. He asked for nothing but Dash gave him some money. It was not easy to say goodbye or drive away from him. He kept saying 'God bless you' to Dash as they waved goodbye to each other. It was such a soul to soul connection. Our family will now keep him in our prayers, and continue to pray for all the children of the world whose lives are indescribably difficult.

radiant acquiescence: a jr. youth story

this is Sami Naki, in the blue.  i've written about him before but he's worth mentioning again.  he is one of the gems in our life.  i think about him everyday.  his birthday was yesterday; he turned 13.  Sami is a charismatic soul, full of energy to sing, dance, draw, write & serve.  whenever he knew a celebration was coming up, he'd prepare traditional Xhosa dances to perform; if he was touched by something at children's classes, he would write me a letter expressing his feelings; during free time after classes he loved to draw and paint pictures of love; and he was one of the lead singers of the Baha'i school choir -- what a voice God has given him!  what i vividly remember the most is how he will instantly arise to be of service:  cutting food into small portions so all can share..fetching wood for the bon fire..planting seeds or seedlings for the community garden..being the leader of a group project..helping adults with anything they needed..and being a loving brother to all of the children.

traditional dancing after devotions at the Somni's home

when i met Sami he was 9 years old.  he lived in one of the small, concrete homes in the neighborhood of Delft, not unlike the other children.  inside his home there was no refrigerator, no oven, a shared kitchen/living area with a shelving unit that separated the back of the home where 2 beds lay close to each other.  the two burners on a transportable stove were where he'd fry a shredded potato for his meal without any assistance.  this was his basic meal.  most of the time he came to class hungry.  

it's hard to know if someone is hungry unless you are with them all day and realize they have not eaten and have no food at home.  one time sami was crying because he and his little sister were home and were so hungry.  i thought of Abdu'l-Baha.  my heart was aching.  aside from bringing refreshments for 20-50 children and youth each time, our visits were limited in terms of how we could help the neighborhood in material ways.  but this was a moment where i knew it was essential to provide sustenance to my little brother and sister.  we walked to the tuck shop and bought a few eggs, a loaf of bread and a few potatoes.  we returned to his home and it was time for me to leave.  sami couldn't express his feelings in words at that moment; instead he hugged me tightly as if it was our last time together. 

Sami's parents divorced in the first year of us knowing him.  he was 11 years old and without any parental support for most of the days of his life.  his dad had moved out; his mom almost never came home.  his 2 older sisters supported him and his little sister the best they could and with very little means, but with a lot of love and unity.  early in 2010 his dad decided to sell the house that Sami's mom and sisters were living in.  it was heartbreaking.  none of them wanted to leave the neighborhood they had grown up in.  they were forced to leave without preparation.  Sami and his sisters were crying.  i was crying.  they had to go live with their mother's brother in a shack in Nyanga.  sami began walking from Nyanga all the way to Delft (about 2 miles) to go to school.  and since he didn't want to miss Baha'i school on saturdays, he usually slept at someone's house on friday nights.  after some time passed, he started living with one of the family's in Delft until December school break.  he now goes to school in Gugulethu which is closer to where he lives and he no longer walks to Delft for Saturday activities.

sami being silly with joy while eating refreshments

sami's home in Nyanga is smaller than the house in Delft.  it is a typical shack made of scrap wood with a tin roof.  somehow there is electricity hooked up so an electrical stove and kettle can cook food and heat water.  there is no refrigerator or tv.  there is very little space inside the 2 rooms.  it manages to sleep 6 of them (now 7 since his older sister had a baby).  my one visit there over the sandy, rocky narrow pathway was full of prayer because the tires often spun without control in the sandy spots.  this was the only time i drove in an area of cape town that was full of shacks -- very few cars make their way off the main roads to enter in those areas, and no one there had ever seen an 'umlungu' (non Xhosa person) come to visit.  i was greeted by warm smiles full of surprise and apprecation all wrapped up into a friendly greeting.  i didn't see where sami goes to wash or use a toilet, but it was a discussion that i had with my children whenever they began to complain about any inconvenience or material difficulty in their lives -- i reminded them how sami must walk somewhere in the middle of the night if he needs to empty his bladder...  our visit together was full of Xhosa hospitality; it was one of those moments in my life that leaves an eternal imprint on my soul.

sami leading the study group in preparation for the Baha'i contest

sami with his close friend, yolanda -- the first time i went to delft they showed me their traditional xhosa dances

i can no longer visit sami.  i sometimes open my prayer book and read one of the letters he wrote expressing his love and gratitude for the children's classes.  although i have tried to call his sister's cell phones, i have only once been able to reach them (yesterday on his birthday) but he was not home.  sami's life in the township isn't one of staying inside at home most of the time.  it is out wandering around and about, hanging out with friends, playing soccer, dancing and celebrating culture, and attending church activities.. i know sami's life was touched by Baha'i school and the teachings of Baha'u'llah, helping him to 'have the confidence to do the right thing' (in his own words), but i wonder how his soul is managing to handle the pressures of a materialistic, morally decaying society around him.  he is one of the millions of jr. youth in the world who have immeasurable capacity to make this world a better place....

the photos below are taken during our first bon fire.  all of the children and jr. youth gathered sticks, crates to sit on & parafin to light the fire.  it is one of our favorite memories in delft.  we worked together as a group, sang a lot of songs and enjoyed each other's company as long as we could, being warmed by the fire, as the sun sank and the air became too cool to bear.  while the sun was setting, the kids started jumping over the fire with great enthusiasm and excitement. 

Hamilton Naki ~ South Africa's first black heart surgeon

Gardener behind Africa's heart pioneer

By Alastair Leithead BBC correspondent in Cape Town Naki lives on a gardener's pension today The world knows the achievements of Professor Christian Barnard - the first man to carry out a heart transplant in his native South Africa.  It was 1967 at the height of apartheid. But behind all the research and testing he carried out on animals that preceded the pioneering operation was a black South African called Hamilton Naki. Employed at first as a gardener, Mr Naki worked his way up to become even more nimble-fingered on the operating table than Professor Barnard himself. Hamilton Naki His work helped the first heart transplant become a reality and for years after that he passed on those skills to thousands of young surgeons. Until recently his story was ignored, but now a film-maker hopes to change all that. Professor Barnard carried out the first heart transplant in the Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town where years earlier Mr Naki enrolled as a gardener.