South African Journey

4/30/10

My first experience in Alexandra was during our In-Country Orientation back in August of 2009. It was during this initial visit into Alexandra that I was introduced to a community that I have now come call home and realize is misunderstood. During orientation we met up with some people from the church that lived in Alexandra and they gave us a driving tour and a short history. Upon driving through we couldn’t help but see what those on the outside see:  tiny concrete homes, trash littering the streets, shacks built one on top of the other, portable toilets, people everywhere, goats freely roaming the streets, and the seemingly out of place fancy cars. Not knowing what to think it was easy to focus on the negative aspects during this visit into Alexandra, they are hard to miss. I didn’t yet know that nearly two weeks after this initial visit that I would arrive back in Alexandra to spend the rest of my year. And oh how have my eyes been opened to a different side of Alexandra, a side that you can’t understand unless you immerse yourself around those in the community and allow yourself to see deeper into a once dark city. Below I have included a few experiences that have reshaped how I see Alexandra.

-----

I arrived back in Alexandra near the middle of September and was excited to be back, yet wondering how I would cope in this new environment. My second night in Alex I arrived at the church in the late afternoon, I as told we were going to have a meeting. What I wasn’t prepared for was the kind of meeting I was about to experience. People started arriving soon after I did and I realized we were having a braai (cookout). Our meeting turned out to be a cookout, organized by church members, for me to meet various people and try to make a plan for things to get involved with. It was here that I first got a sense of the community that existed here.

-----

Through numerous conversations with people I have realized where the fancy cars come from and why they are here. The owners of the cars either grew up in Alexandra, became successful and when not at work visit with friends in Alexandra; or they are people that would rather spend time with friends in Alexandra than at their home in the suburbs. There are people I have met that could easily afford to live in one of the fancy, gated suburbs but they choose not to; instead they live in one of the communities right next to Alex. People don’t seem to not like the sight of the nice cars (people definitely stop and look) but, I have yet to see one damaged in any way. Friends often tell me that in Alex everyone shares. If someone has something they make sure that they share with everyone. And there is no evidence of bitterness between those on either end.

-----

It has happened at least 3 times thus far. I was at church, we had wrapped things up and I was ready to head to the house and get some sleep, but it was not meant to be. Getting into the car I was informed a family member of a church member has passed away and we were going to stop by. It is amazing to see people drop what they are doing to go and visit with the mourning family. We arrived and greeted the family and shared a few readings from The Bible and prayed with each other. I noticed that there we people everywhere. Turns out that when people started finding out what had occurred friends dropped what they were doing and came to the house. Many of these people are there day and night preparing meals, singing, praying, or just being with the family. I can’t say I fully enjoy these times, because it means the loss of life, but it is a special moment to witness the love they have for each other and to experience how the Lord is amongst us. We were preparing to depart a home and one of the family members thanked me for coming and we shared a few words. I was amazed at this; why would I be being thanked? I have just met you all. It had nothing to do with who knew who, it was about that moment, we were together, sharing God’s word and praying for each other. It is truly a beautiful thing.

As I have shared in the past, many of the funerals occur in the families traditional home. This location is usually a few hours away in a more rural setting. This doesn’t stop large groups from piling in a van or bus and driving throughout the night to attend the funeral service only to get back in the vehicle and return the same day. There are no complaints on these trips, everyone knows it’s where they need to be at that time.

-----

Think quickly about your community back home. Is there a sports complex of any kind within easy walking distance? Another sense of community that wasn’t seen during my first visit was what occurs in the late afternoons and weekend mornings. The largest patch of open land in Alex just happens to contain two soccer fields. Each afternoon people of all ages slowly descend here to participate in games of pick-up soccer. During the week anyone is welcome to come out and teams are formed randomly. Games last until it’s too dark to see. On Saturday and Sunday mornings it’s a bit more formal due to the recreational league matches that take place. I have yet to join in any of these matches, but I enjoy watching as I walk past; sometimes taking a few minutes to stop and watch. The love for the sport, the escape it provides and the friendships it builds make this scene one of my favorites as I go on my way.

-----

In the months since my initial time in Alex I have been fortunate enough to be shown a part of Alex that few outsiders experience. I’m not saying outsiders as in just foreigners but, outsiders as in everyone that doesn’t live here. It’s no doubt that the things I remember from that first visit are 100% real, but it is only over time that I have started to see the many other sides of this community

To those that grew up in Alex it will always hold a special place in their hearts and is a place they can’t seem to pull themselves away from. I must acknowledge that the history here must play a big role in why people can’t seem to move away, and why others can’t see Alexandra as anything other than the dark city it once was.

Over the months I have come to see a community that supports each other, plays and prays together and celebrates successes and morns losses together in a way that anyone would want to be a part of.