Tourist again

Now that the Congress is over I have a couple of days to be a tourist again. Before Lindsay flew out five of us (Lindsay, Owen (son) Brie (Owen’s wife) and a Welsh friend of theirs) took a sail on a large catamaran. We saw thousands of Cape Fur Seals, Southern Right Whales, dolphins, one lone penguin, and countless birds, as well as getting terrific views of Cape Town from the sea. We had hoped to go up the cable car to the top of Table Mountain today, but once again it was closed because of high winds. This was also true on the day off last Thursday and when we played tourist on the 15th as well. I am beginning to worry it will be that way until I leave!
  The upper picture taken off Green Point shows how Table Mountain dominates the city, and forms the "Bowl" of the downtown.  At the right is new stadium on Green Point built for the World Cup.

A blur ending in goosebumps... (Mon., Oct. 25)

Well, the 3rd Lausanne Congress is over... and I have not posted since the second day. But it was a fire-hydrant experience, a constant gush of activities and meetings (I actually missed a number of the main sessions and hope to watch them at the website) and I don’t know if any single person could keep up with Lindsay. He moved at a mad pace, often triple booked, until the day-off on Thursday, then slept for a good chunk of the afternoon. Friday through Sunday was still hectic, but he pared some things from his schedule. There was an amazing talk at the GBA track by an Anglican bishop from an area where there has been bloody persecution of Christians by a certain other religion’s followers. He talked about loving his neighbors even after terrible violence was visited on his church and family. But the highlight of the week for me was the closing worship service.
Now, I have to admit that after nine Urbana Conferences, two IFES World Assemblies, three PCUSA General Assemblies—and other conferences large and small beyond my ability to count—I have become a little jaded and consumer-oriented about and by big worship. But last night might have been the most electrifying worship time I have experienced. It was a perfect storm of worship: believers from all over the world, speaking many languages but praising God together, art, music, drama, Scripture, preaching, and Holy Communion... I had goosebumps. For three hours we sang, prayed, partook, and above all raised the name of Jesus high. It will be tough not to let the consumerism creep back in and compare future worship against this one. I’m hoping to instead to try and infect my worship with the joyful spirit of this one.

The Congress is on... unless you are online (Monday Oct. 16)

Cape Town 2010, The Third Lausanne Congress on World Evangelization is off and running... The official opening ceremony last night was colorful and involved many artists, musicians, and dancers from Cape Town and other parts of South Africa. It started earlier for me because the Government, Business, and Academic track had an opening event Saturday night, and since it is one of Lindsay’s responsibilities, it is one of my responsibilities, too. It was hosted by a couple who own an old manor house in the vineyard area of Cape Town—a very beautiful area in a valley on the east side of Table Mountain. The fact that they could host over a hundred guests for dinner tells you a little about the house...

There is one major area of disappointment for the start of the Congress. There was a large delegation from China who were supposed to participate, but most of them (over 200) were turned back when they reached their airports and many had their passports taken away. Here is a link from the New York Times about it. And then as the conference started the conference website, including the simulcast that was being transferred to sites around the world, fell victim to a cyberattack which seemed to originate in China. At the time of this post it is still not back up. Please pray for our brothers and sisters in China, and for the decision makers there to see we want to be a blessing to China and not adversaries.  
Pictures are from the terrace just before dinner on Saturday (this is their back yard!) and from the video truck at opening ceremonies.  Click to enlarge it and you can see the collage.

And even more Cape of Good Hope

Above:  Looking back up the cape from the old light house.  Below, a rock hyrax, then a forced stop at where the road is carved out of Mt. Chapman as rocks are cleared.  Ostriches graze by the sea.  One historical note on the Cape of Good Hope:  When first discovered by Bartolomeu Dias, he named it the Cape of Storms "Cabo das Tormentas" (a more accurate description).  John II of Portugal wanted a more optimistic name since he was recruiting sailors to venture beyond it and reach India, so its new name was an act of propaganda.

More Cape of Good Hope

3 views of the Cape:  With Barney and Lindsay, then looking down from Cape Point, the peak where the old lighthouse stands.  Bottom is Protea blooming.

Cape Town 3--The Cape of Good Hope (Oct. 16)

Yesterday I rented a 5-passenger car and drove Lindsay, his son Owen, Owen’s wife Rhian, and Barney Ford (VP of InterVarsity) down the Cape of Good Hope. I thought it a little bit strange, considering that they drive on the left side of the road here, that with 3 Brits in the car I would be appointed driver... it got a little stranger when I went to pick up Barney and Alec Hill, president of InterVarsity, was with him and hoping to come along. He climbed into the car with a big smile... and I had to kick him out. There was just no room! He assures me my job will still be there when I return from sabbatical, however.
It was a beautiful drive, reminding me in places of Big Sur in California, but much craggier. And I don’t remember ever having the road blocked by troops of baboons in California, which happened here twice. We also saw whales, seals, penguins, rock hyrax (related to rabbits but looks like a woodchuck), ostriches and some species of large antelope like creature I have yet to identify. There were also spectacular flowers, particularly different types of Protea. It is commonly thought that the Cape of Good Hope is the southernmost tip of Africa, but that is not true—it is the southwest tip, and from it you can see the southernmost point. It has always been considered the dividing point between the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, though. I’m breaking it up into two posts so there can be more pictures.

Above left is the beach at Hout Bay, a "big wave" surfing area.  Then Owen and baboons (you should hopefully know which is which).

Cape Town 2 (October 13)

Not a lot has happened over the last 10 days—work at the office, either grab a quick dinner on the way home or microwave something in my room, then read a little, try and catch up on the news (very slow internet), rinse and repeat. Saturday I did my laundry, a major undertaking. There are very few coin-operated laundromats, at least in the Bowl, and at hotel prices (the per-item cost is higher than buying new on some things) it would have been about $100 for my 2 loads. I found one small laundromat about a half-mile away, but almost all the machines were reserved for their contract business (about $1 per kilo) so I had to wait for machines. I bought soap at the grocery store, but had trouble finding it for machines. Most of what they carried was for hand-washing.
Anyway, Lindsay arrived yesterday so things are getting busy. My official job for the Cape Town 2010 Congress on World Evangelization is as his assistant—he is the International Director, one of the triumvirate running the Congress along with the Congress director and the Executive Director of the Lausanne Committee. It took us several hours just to go through his schedule, and things started changing before we were done! I am however looking forward to this Friday, when we have a day to be tourists...
Pictures are a poor picture of our section of the office with the backs of Scott and Holli, and looking from the roof of my hotel across the Company Garden at Lion’s Head.