h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Went along to a meeting of Vuka yesterday. All rather chaotic. Plus they kept lapsing into Xhosa so it was hard for me to keep up. I have asked a gentleman by the name of Luthando Mxesibe to find me someone in the local township to give me Xhosa lessons. I am keen to learn the language and it will be a nice money spinner for someone there. I propose lessons on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. How much to pay? I expect they will charge something like R20 an hour. plus it will get me into the township which is always interesting.

Bex said she had read my journal and got the impression i was teed off with life. Not so. I am rather bored because the work I expected to be doing hasn't materialised, but I am waiting for God to move. There is a deep and pervasive Christian spiritual side to my life which I don't share very much of in Hootoo and that takes up a lot of my interest. My Christianity has received a super charge thanks to being in Africa where the spiritual dimension is much closer to the surface of where things are at. It's much more difficult to be a nominal Christian here in Africa. But then again, there are a lot of cults as well. Some people even make the mistake of believing that the cults are mainstream Christianity. Basically the cults are about money, power or sex and most of them are about the first two.

Christianly speaking, I am waiting for God to move, to provide me with something to fill my days with. Because at the moment, I am just waiting. "They also serve who only stand and wait" - Milton. So you see Christian tradition does know the state of "standing and waiting". So the externality of my life looks rather dull and boring at the moment, but on the inside there is plenty going on. It's just that I don't think hootoo is suitable for me going on and on about my Christian interior life.

Hello Richard ~ I was interested to learn about the Vuka meeting taking place, and I do hope that perhaps "something" can be salvaged??

I wish you all the best in your endeavours to learn Xhosa ~ is that the language with the clicks? I tremble to think how one ever learns to write it down! Are you beginning to pick up something of a South African accent in your everyday speech??

I'm glad to hear that you're happy, despite the lack-of-work problem, and hopefully it won't be too long before you get fixed up with something suitable. Perhaps somewhere where everyone speaks Xhosa??

'Bye for now,
~~Misty~~

What utter b******s, Dag.

Not so different from 'mainstream' Christianity then.

Wasn't there something, somewhere along the lines of: "God helps those who help themselves"? Or is that just a myth (like so much else)?

I have voices in my head, Dagesh, but I know that they're just me, talking-to & arguing-with, myself. Nothing mysterious.

Hope you are well.

jont {;¬· >···{

Jont

Not sure what to make of these "Journal" entries. In a way, they seem far too private to intrude upon but - if you don't expect a response - why bother?

Just to say I agree with you entirely. I've been sitting on my hands for a while now but - since you've led the way - here goes:

Dagesh - hello

We've not "spoken" outside ML but I've read your journal entries with in increasing sense of impending doom. Sorry - but, like Jont, I fear you are deluding yourself. It's so easy to say you can't do this or that either because God has said "No" or because you're waiting for divine guidance.

Believe me - nothing's going to happen unless you make it happen........

None of my business whatsoever but - for what it's worth - I fear you may be about to miss out on what could be a perfectly normal and fulfilling life.

If I hear no more, I will say no more........

With genuine concern....

Portia

Absolutely, Portia.

It may not seem obvious by the content (or 'tone', as inferred by /some/ readers) of my post that it was posted with genuine concern.. but I am 100% sure that Dagesh knows me well enough to realise that I would have made my post with the best of intentions. I /like/ Richard - a great deal - and am deeply concerned for him.

He taught me a great deal about Christianity.. and by doing so he highlighted some of the deceit and dishonesty within it (or within 'the church' at least).. but for some reason he seems comfortable (indeed, I believe, complicit) with the dishonesty that pervades its teaching and 'recruiting'(sp?) techniques.

I had not one ounce of bitterness or anger in me until something like 18 months ago when I investigated faith. Before entering the house of God, I went round kicking the foundations, to see if was safe and wise to enter, but when I did so, I found that the foundations were very /very/ flakey.. and built on sand (and lies). It's not the 'original' lies themselves that make me so angry and bitter but the fact that this deceit is recognised and condoned by 'the church' in order to assimilate more followers.. damaging their lives in the process. This is sheer dishonesty.. and I value honesty, openness and truth above all else. Since then I have been burdened with anger and bitterness (and only on this subject).. and I don't like it one little bit.

I care about this so very much because I see how it has damaged somebody I love and care for so very deeply. (And no folks, that's not Dagesh.. but I do have love for him.. as a fellow human animal.. because I care.. and I have a lot of love (with no-one to 'spend it on' Everybody say "Ahh..")).

Sorry, just pouring out some crap.. I am barred from talking about this stuff to the intended 'target audience' and no-where else to pour it - except on my own 'journal' - but [I'm too shy] [not vain enough] (delete as appropriate) to do so.

Hey ho. Life goes on. For some. If they call it a life.

Keep well, all.

jont {;¬· >···{

ps: my "What utter b******s, Dag" (I put the asteriks in myself to save the mods the bother of correcting my post and admonishing me by email again) was targetted specifically at the "I don't share very much of in Hootoo" rather than anything else.

Sunday tomorrow.. or is it today.. who knows. Thank GOD the sabbath is over.. now we've just got the bleedin' LORD's day to get through.

Jesus phuque, that capitalisation is truly tedious.. and oh so *ugly* on the page, don't you think?

Yes, you can tell, I may have had a beer or two. What else is there in life? Phuque all at the moment. Hey ho.

jont {;¬· >···{

(yes, you're right, the bitterness shows)