The world of the strange

Newsflash: We just saw Pete Fitzgerald from Jubilee Worthing on TV. We were in a township in a very 'bling' house with big leather sofas and a telly, hearing about how the occupants used to worship ancestors and visit the witch doctor before they became christians - and up popped Pete rocking out in his baseball cap at the Big Church Day Out last summer! All the Nichols shouted out/ jumped up, "WE KNOW HIM!!!!" Poor guy telling the story, we must have seemed very rude. He also told us how he'd been tortured by the police and imprisoned without trial in the apartheid years. (But we saw our friend on telly!!) He finished by saying how he'd managed to forgive them "because of the cross". I said to child B, "Well if he can get over that, you can get over having your football nicked". (As soon as I said it I thought I sounded like someone from the Brady Bunch, getting a lesson out of everything.) It all sounds very intense and sobering, but honestly, if you'd have been there you'd have felt fine because he was obviously fine, in fact much more than fine - happier than your average Brit complaining of bad service in a queue.

The conference was fun and Col did brilliantly (of course!) so there was no need for our back-up song. Hands up who has had that song in their minds since? "Side by side on my keyboard, oh Lord, why can't weeee?" Husband communicated well and won lots of hearts. He also brought home as a trophy a glitter globe from Dubai with a camel in it. The Dubai team seemed to be giving out gifts at every opportunity - so sweet. They also contributed some Hindi dancing which we all tried to learn. Some stage diving happened but that was mostly local teenagers I think. Let's just say there was much liberation and fun, and it did us all the world of good. Our own children loosened up as the days went on, with the help of their new friends. I have to say they did very well, coping with long days, sitting on a blanket in the corner doing some very intense and relentless sharing with other children, some of which I believe had just walked in off the street. I was soon suffering conference fatigue so I think they actually lasted longer than me.

A major challenge to us has been the amount of coming and going that we've witnessed. People moving out to the sticks and leaving behind their home comforts. People leaving the beautiful open countryside of Clarens and moving in to a tower block on another continent. People giving of themselves and making enormous sacrifices that I am struggling to convey in these moments of internet connection because I am simultaneously saying hello to 50 or so people who are arriving for a BBQ. More on this later perhaps...

My little snapshot is this: Col getting grabbed by Miriam, a huge African mama in her apron, who spun him round and round before getting called back to the kitchen where she then cooked our meal with her gang (they cooked for 300 guests). As we left hours later, they were washing up, some with babies strapped on their backs with a towel, still giggling and singing while we squelched down the muddy hill in our flip flops. Very humbling.