Gold, Coal, and Cold

Johannesburg Coal Powered Electric Plant.
 I couldn't get a good picture of the abandoned strip mining of coal that surrounds the squatters camp we visited on Sunday afternoon. What must once have been beautiful hills of African savanna grasses is now miles and miles of desolate mounds of wasted rock. Johannesburg has enormous coal burning towers that produce electricity for one of the largest cities in the world, a city and a country that does NOT heat its homes or businesses during the short three month winter. It is spring here and for this southern girl it is cold. We slept under wool blankets every night and wore warm sweaters until the late mornings. For all of you from Tucapua that remember the Port Henry showers believe me when I say they were HOT in comparison to these at Aurora. Keep in mind that Johannesburg is 471 feet higher in altitude than Denver, Colorado. When I say COLD, I mean COLD and DRY. After visiting the camp, all of us were covered in dust (hair, clothes, nostrils, skin), a fine powdery dry dust. There is virtually NO humidity which made it at least bearable but still uncomfortable until we got used to it. We were all ready for the showers after a quick supper. I HAVE NEVER BEEN SOOOOOOOOOO suddenly shocked by the iciness that water can produce on the human skin. Even the men where squealing like girls. Although the days are warm and pleasant, when the sun goes down, the temperature drops suddenly and sharply and we couldn't shower every night until 8:00 PM.  Needless to say a nightly bath was always short and our beds the best place to get warm. The accommodations were wonderful; cots with mattresses, clean linens, wool blankets, bathroom close by (the men put up a light Sunday night so no one would get hurt trying to make our way along the narrow path between the sleeping units). We no longer needed our flashlights after 6:00 PM and it was daylight by 5:30 AM. Thanks to all of you who were praying for us concerning this matter.

I don't know why I still marvel at the goodness of God and His faithfulness in providing what we need as we need it. In 28 years of missions, you would think I would trust Him more fully. Did we have everything we wanted, NO. Did we have everything we NEEDED, YES and abundantly.

The dry dust produces stunning pink and red sunsets, as beautiful as the incredible pink and red flowers and trees that grow here. How God must look on the awesomeness of His creation and still be pleased by its beauty, but saddened by the human waste of it. The squatters camps are scattered like pock marks across the landscape of one of the poorest rich countries of the world, plundered for its gold and diamonds and human flesh. The history of this country (as is all of Africa) is a page men should have to read over and over until they, as humans accountable to a righteous God, begin to right the wrongs.