July 2, 2004

[.pause.]

I met Naledi’s mother today. After we gave the beanies out she asked me if she could show me her room, and of course I said yes. We scaled the three staircases and walked down a long dark hall. I do not think that the woman inside was expecting anyone other than Naledi. She introduced me to her mother. We first chatted a little bit about the weather (it was especially cold today), then Naledi said she was going back down stairs. At first I was a little surprised, and kind of worried that I wouldn’t know what to say to her mother and then the conversation would end abruptly and I didn’t want to seem rude. But it didn’t happen like that. She asked me what I thought about Cape Town, and I told her that I found it to be a lovely city, and the people, most of the time, very friendly. She nodded at that and said that yes, a lot of the people are very friendly, but the crime rate here is so high. She told me how she looks out her window and sees so much destruction and crime that she just wanted to go away and leave it all behind. She asked if my mother was scared to send me here, I said that my mom was a little worried… but she knows that God’s hand is protecting us, and nothing will happen that is not in his plan.

At this point she smiled and said, “It is so nice to know that He goes before us, behind us, He is above us… but sometimes it is easy to forget… to get worried… but thank you for reminding me…”