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Laying Out a Fleece

May 13, 2020https://gingersnaps.wordpress.comLeave a comment

Have you ever felt so ill-equipped to do the task God has laid before you, that you actually lay out a fleece before God?

“Gideon said to God, “If this is right, if you are using me to save Israel as you’ve said, then look: I’m placing a fleece of wool on the threshing floor. If dew is on the fleece only, but the floor is dry, then I know that you will use me to save Israel, as you said.” Judges 6:36-40 The Message (MSG)

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Gideon was willing to do what God was calling him to do, but because of his feelings of inadequacy, he wanted confirmation.

There was a time when God called me so far out of my comfort zone, that I wasn’t really sure I was hearing Him correctly. How could he possibly think I was capable of doing that job?

Have you ever felt that way? How could God possibly be calling me to… confront that person?… complete that task? … handle this situation?… move my family?… change jobs?

Well, that was what I thought. I was fortunate enough to be a stay-at-home mom when our children were young. A job I loved. I always knew that was the job for which I was created. So when I started to feel restless, 15 years into the gig, I wasn’t quite sure why. Why would I consider doing anything different than what I have been doing? I am comfortable here. My family needs me in this role.

Yet, I was being nudged to do something new. Something that might take time away from my family. Was I ready for that? I didn’t know what it was, but the nudge was real.

The struggle started to take place just before Lent in 2004. Lent, a time to reflect on the life of Christ. A time to dig deeper spiritually and to self-reflect.

Many of us use this time to sacrifice something we love. This gives us time to reflect and pray whenever we are craving that “thing”.

Others of us choose to add something to our day. Daily Bible reading, devotions, acts of kindness. Anything that helps us draw closer to Christ.

I decided to “add” to my day and read through “The Purpose Driven Life: What On Earth Am I Here For?” by Rick Warren. A 40-day study. Perfect.

As I went through the study, the nudge grew stronger. It was definitely time to do something new. And what I was hearing was it was time for me to do some work outside of the house.

Well, that is a scary thought. I haven’t worked in the professional world for 15-years. What could I possibly do now? And besides, I love being a stay-at-home mom.

So, it was time to lay out my fleece. Lord, if I am hearing you right and I am to go back to work, then you must meet these conditions. Yes, that is exactly how I said it… snarky and all.

I will work only during the hours my children are in school.
I must have all holidays and summers off with my children.
Although teaching is probably the only job that fits into these conditions, I cannot be a teacher!

I needed to know if it was just me feeling restless because my children were much more independent (10 yrs. – 15 yrs at the time); or if it was God putting this restlessness in my heart. Hence, the fleece.

Well, God accepted the challenge. He immediately dropped an opportunity right into my lap. New Life Church was looking for a new weekday Preschool Director and asked me if I’d consider the position. The thing is, my degree and experience were not in education. I knew that I knew nothing about being a preschool director (except that I was a preschool mom for many, many years).

Ok, let’s check the fleece. Surely it won’t pass the test. (1) √, (2) √, (3) √.

But wait God, I forgot to add one more condition. (4) It must be something I know how to do. God has such a sense of humor!

I knew His answer, “I have fulfilled all of your conditions. Now you must trust that I will equip you for the job.” Wow. How do you argue with that?

I accepted the job and learned that I needed to hire a new staff and purchase a curriculum. Did I mention I was not an educator? Hiring teachers and choosing a curriculum were completely out of my comfort zone. “Trust me,” I heard.

God supplied the preschool with amazing, qualified teachers and an awesome curriculum that year. And I knew that He was in control!

I was blessed to be in that role for 10 years. And I was amazed that God used me in a position I never imagined I was capable of doing. And I wasn’t. But He equipped me, guided me and provided me with everything I needed because I trusted Him.

Are you being called out of your comfort zone? Have you laid out a fleece, yet still don’t trust that God will equip you? I encourage you not to miss the opportunity God is calling you to. Trust him. If He is calling you, He will equip you!

We serve an awesome God. ~Tracy Cooper

Living a Life on Purpose

March 3, 2019March 27, 2019https://gingersnaps.wordpress.com1 Comment

“It’s never too late to be what you might have been.” – George Eliot

Kurt and I had the opportunity to listen to a former prison gang member address an audience of community leaders, parents and teachers. Here is his story…

A young boy growing up in the Cape Flats of Capetown, South Africa, Welcome Witbooi was a “Straight A” student in school. His dad was a successful business man that put high expectations on his son.

Because of his intellect, academic drive and small stature, he was bullied by the other students in school. When he went home to what should be a place of safety, love and encouragement, his father would tell Welcome he could do better. What is better than straight A’s?

Because of his low self esteem and his father’s emotional abuse, Welcome was sought out by a street gang. Gangs sit and observe the community. They have plenty of time on their hands. So they sit. They observe. They wait. And when the time is right, they pounce. They are keen to know which children are seeking acceptance and are ready and willing to step in and offer it.

And so it began for Welcome. At 14-years old, a young man from a gang called, The Firm, drove up in a canary yellow BMW and invited Welcome in. He befriended Welcome offering him time, money and acceptance. Welcome was hooked. He did what he was told to do in order to join the gang. It started with robbery. Then progressed. But he was now part of a group who accepted him.

At 17 years old, Welcome was given his first firearm. It was time to gain more respect from his gang. This meant he must take the life of an innocent person. Before he could, he and seven other gang members were caught in the midst of a home invasion (robbery and attempted murder). The gang convinced Welcome that because he was the only one under the age of 18, he must take the fall. The courts would never give him more than two years. Welcome believed them. The judge sentenced him to 23 years in prison.

His cocky attitude led him to believe that this was no big deal. His gang family would be there to visit. To get him out. Not once did anybody show up. He was on his own.

Being in a South African prison is very dangerous. They are run by numbers gangs. I don’t just mean the gangs are prevalent. I mean they run the South African prisons. As I wrote in the blog post “Gang to Grace”…

In South Africa, numbers gangs control the prison populations. Once prisoners are sentenced by the South African Department of Corrections (DOC), they are classified into 3 different categories. These categories are either economic offense, sexual offence or a crime of violence. This determines what gang they will join upon arrival. The 26s are thieves, responsible for gambling, smuggling and accruing wealth in general. The 27s are the guardians of gang law, murderers. And the 28s are the most senior gang, the warriors. They accrue wifies within the prison population by raping new prisoners. They are also in charge of the flow of food supply. There isn’t a prison in South Africa without numbers gangs. It is a nationwide brotherhood. New prisoners are recruited upon entrance.

Welcome realized that because of his small stature, he had better figure out how not to be a victim of rape in the prison. His only chance was to climb the ladder of the 28’s gang. So that is exactly what he did. He made it all the way to “General”. The stars on his shoulders prove it. Each star represents the murder of a prison warder or another prisoner. He has 4 stars on each shoulder.

As the senior gang, the 28’s earned money in prison through extortion, prostitution, drugs, etc. The gangs run so deep and are so interconnected within the prison system of South Africa, they run like a well-oiled machine. And here was Welcome at the top. General. Now called Nongoloza (leader of the 28’s). Commanding over 2500 inmates.

After years of this life, Welcome was tired. He says that although he was at the top, he lived in fear. At any time a lower gang member might try to kill him to try to get his spot. He wanted out.

Numbers gang members know there is only one way out. Death. However, as Welcome reached the highest level, he learned there was another possibility. Welcome wanted to plead his case. He wanted a chance to turn his life around. In order to do that, Welcome had to negotiate with the prison administration to transport four other Generals from four other prisons to his prison to hear his case. His request was granted.

Four 28’s Generals were brought to Welcome’s prison. A room was cleared and ready for his case. Each General stood in the four corners of the room. Then Welcome was escorted into the room naked and put in the center (naked so that the Generals knew he had no weapons on him). Two Generals stood in from of him… the “one who sees” and the “one who hears”. Two stood behind him… the “executioners”.

It was at that time that Welcome said he wanted to retire. He pleaded his case that he had performed well for the 28’s over the years, but it was time for him to get out. He wanted to turn his life around. After he spoke, the Generals escorted him out of the middle of the room and discussed amongst themselves whether he will live or die. Then he was put back in the middle, facing the same two as before. However, before the four Generals began their discussion, one turned to Welcome and said thank you for teaching me to read and write.

As Welcome stood in the middle, he had no idea whether this would be the end of his life or the beginning of a new chapter. The two in front would say he could leave the gang, OR the two in back would stab and kill him. His life was spared.

Welcome spent two more years in prison before being released. He believes that the only reason his life was spared and he was allowed to leave the gang was because he taught one of the other Generals, somewhere down the line, how to read and write.

Welcome lived a life of crime and unspeakable acts. He is not proud of what he did. But he knows he can use his past to help bring change to the future.

Since being released from prison in 2012, Welcome has worked with offenders who were being introduced back into society. He works with young boys and girls involved in gangs to get them out. He works with institutions of education to get kids back into school. Welcome has a foundation that works with children individually, giving them a sense of identity and belonging.

He also conducts parenting workshops to help parents understand the activities their children are involved in.

While here in Knysna, Welcome spent a couple of days in the community. He walked the streets in day and in night, met with boys involved in gang activities, met with parents, community leaders, school administrators and teachers.

His mission is two-fold. To youth, he talks about the importance of education, how to avoid the false sense of security of being in a gang and explains the horrific life of a prisoner. To adults, he speaks of the importance of responsibility and accountability of the youth in the community. The parents and teachers must be active in the lives of the children. Know where they are. Who their friends are. The things they are involved in daily.

If good influential adults aren’t there to engage with the youth, the gangs are ready and willing to take their place!

After living the life of Nongoloza, Welcome says he is “Finally, Welcome”. He is redeemed. Living a life on purpose.

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Sidenote… Welcome is not only a motivational speaker, he is an actor and an author. He starred alongside Forrest Whitaker in “The Forgiven”, consulted on prison gang culture for the movie “Four Corners” and has an autobiography titled “All is Not Lost”.

Opening Their Hearts and Home

March 31, 2018March 27, 2019https://gingersnaps.wordpress.com1 Comment

“It’s not the size of your house that makes a home… It’s the size of your heart.” ~Jane Lee Logan

In June 2017, Maria and her husband Freddy opened their hearts and home, doubling the size of their family overnight. They have six children of their own. Yet in June, they agreed to take in six of Maria’s cousin’s children who became orphaned.

unnamed-6 — The orphaned siblings with Maria and Ella. Frederick, the oldest did not move to Knysna.

Maria grew up in the Eastern Cape of South Africa. At the age of 20 years old, she had her first daughter with a man to whom she was not married. Then 3 years later, she had her second daughter. Maria is a strong woman and began raising these girls on her own.

At the age of 26, she met Freddy, the man of her dreams. They fell in love and were married. They just celebrated their 26th wedding anniversary! Freddy is a good man. He has always worked hard to take care of Maria and their children. For years, the only work he could find was in Knysna, two hours away from his family. He moved there to work and traveled home when he could to see his family. This is so typical of families. If the father is still involved with the family, he may have to live in another town to work, only seeing his family on occasion.

While he worked in Knysna, Freddy stayed with Maria’s sister. She lived in an area of the township that was very underdeveloped at the time. No roads. No concrete block homes. No water. No electricity. This was now Freddy’s home away from home. He would work all day long and often help neighbors at night and on the weekends. He is a handy man. Someone who can fix almost anything. And he is always willing to help. One neighbor took notice of his kindness to the community. She starting talking with him about his work, his family and his plans. She wanted to know if he planned to move his family to Knysna.

Of course Freddy would love to do that, but where would they live? He and his wife had six children! The woman was full of compassion. She told Freddy that she wanted to give her land to him so that he could move his family to Knysna. A piece of land full of brush and vegetation. No buildings. So much potential. Wow.

Freddy couldn’t wait to tell Maria. But she held back her excitement. She had concerns. She didn’t know this woman. What if they accepted the offer, built a home on the property, and then the woman turned around and took the land back. Valid concern.

Freddy returned to Knysna a few days later and addressed Maria’s concern with the woman. She so wanted to give them this gift. She insisted Freddy go with her to the magistrate where she signed the land over to him. It was now legal. No strings attached. A priceless gift. Maria and I both agree… a true blessing from God.

Freddy got to work building his family a wooden house. Actually one that feels large inside because he designed it with high ceilings. When it was finished, the 8 of them moved in. The home had a kitchen and two bedrooms. No bathroom.

unnamed-5 — Maria standing in front of the Wooden home Freddy built 13 years ago. The blue RDP house is in the back.

Life was good. Not easy. But good. They were surrounded by bush. No roads. No running water. No electricity. No sanitation. But they were all together again! Within a couple of years, that part of the township (Dam Se Bos) began to develop. The government brought roads, water lines, sanitation and electricity to that area. RDP homes (Reconstruction and Development Programme) were being built. A few years ago, Maria and Freddy qualified for their small government home (2 bedrooms / 1 bathroom). This now stands directly behind the wooden house.

Side note: The RDP program was initiated by the ANC Party under the leadership of Nelson Mandela. Poverty is the single greatest burden of South Africa’s people, and is the direct result of the apartheid. As part of this program, people in poverty have the opportunity to receive a free home. Those eligible must meet these qualifications: Must be a South African citizen; over the age of 21; married or living with a partner OR single with dependants; earn less than R3,500 ($295 U.S.) per household per month. The problem is that it can take years before your home is built. I know some people that have been waiting 15-20 years.

This brings us to June 2017. Maria got a call from family members telling her that her cousin had been murdered. She was stabbed in front of her home, in front of her children. She was an alcoholic and apparently got into an altercation with another woman, leading to her death. Six children were now orphaned. Their mother was dead and their alcoholic father had been murdered (stabbed) a year earlier. It is so hard to imagine what these children went through in that household.

Maria, who didn’t really even know the children, was begged by relatives to take them in. If Maria did not take them, they would be separated and put into foster care. She did what came naturally. She prayed.

Maria felt God tugging on her heart. She must give these orphans a chance. So off she and Freddy went to pick up 6 more children to join their family.

unnamed — The youngest sisters recently orphaned.

Maria’s two oldest daughters had already moved away. One lives in Capetown and one lives in Johannesburg. However, they each have one child a 4-year old girl and a 2-year old boy that live with Maria and Freddy.

If you are trying to keep a head count, here it is… In the household resides: Freddy, Maria, 4 of their children (3 in high school and a 25-year old who just had a baby), 3 grandchildren and 6 of her cousin’s children. A total of 15 people. 4 bedrooms. 1 bathroom. Yes, 1 bathroom. Things are a little crowded, to say the least.

Maria and her newest grandson, Favian.

Maria’s grandson, Davian.

Not only that, the financial struggle is very real. Freddy has a maintenance job (actually in the neighborhood where we rent a house). He works hard all week long and then pastors a church in his community on Sundays. I don’t know Freddy’s salary, but it would be typical for him to make around $17 U.S. per day. He is the only bread-winner in the home.

Praise God my friends Penny and Ella (Emzini Tours), who I mentioned in the blog posts “Unprotected-Part 1” and “Unprotected – Part 2”, have partnered with Freddy and Maria to help provide for the orphans. They pay for school uniforms, transport to school, school fees and some food expenses. It is a necessary blessing for the family.

To help Maria and Freddy with space, Kurt and our friend Don have been teaching a group of 8 guys basic carpentry skills. These boys did not complete high school, some cannot read. This was an opportunity to teach them some basic skills to hopefully make them a little bit more employable. Their final project was to build a 12 X 12 sleeping room onto Freddy and Maria’s home. This gives the family space to move 4 -6 of the children into a room of bunk beds.

unnamed-28 — The finished sleeping room.

The project was amazing. Not only did it give Maria’s family more sleeping space, it was such an exciting accomplishment for the young boys in the class.

Freddy and Maria are Christians. Maria praises our Savior all day long. It gives me such joy to visit and see her love for our Lord. Together this couple teaches their children kindness, compassion, love, grace and mercy. They instill in them the importance of an education. Maria told me that in her house, nobody is allowed to drop out of school. They are raising these children to be good productive members of society.

Because Freddy and Maria opened their hearts and their home, six children have a new lease on life. I am thankful that they obeyed God’s call on their lives. Well done good and faithful servants! ~Tracy Cooper

Vigilante Justice – Is there room for it in society?

March 25, 2018March 27, 2019https://gingersnaps.wordpress.com3 Comments

“Justice delayed, is justice denied.” ~ William E. Gladstone

If I had to write the mantra of a vigilante, I believe it would be, “Justice delayed, is justice denied.”

Vigilante: A member of a self-appointed group of citizens who undertake law enforcement in their community without legal authority, typically because the legal agencies are thought to be inadequate.

** Just a warning… the photos at the very end of the article may be disturbing.

This begs the question, “When is Vigilante Justice acceptable?” Ever? Should community citizens take justice into their own hands if they feel overlooked by the local police department?

If I didn’t know the boys involved in Monday’s incident, I may have said, “Well they shouldn’t have put themselves in that situation. ” Or maybe, “They got what they deserved. If they weren’t guilty this time, they probably did plenty of things in the past that have gone unpunished.” But I know these boys. And yes, they have a list of unpunished crimes. Probably a long list. But does that justify what occurred on Monday night?

A “Community Group” (vigilante group) in the township took matters into their own hands Monday night when they hunted down and severely beat four boys (Angel, Gerald, Danville and Danville’s uncle). Two of the boys I know. They are boys I have come to love. Boys that have a past, but are making strides to change their lives for the better. I told Gerald’s story in the blog post “Gang to Grace” and I hope to tell Angel’s story soon. Danville I don’t know as well. Kurt knows him better. He too comes from a troubled background that we will never fully understand. And Danville’s uncle I have never met.

The story I know that led to Monday night’s horrific incident is this… Danville stole a phone at knife-point from a girl in the township earlier in the day. Angel and another boy were said to have been with him. It is unclear truly when it happened. Angel swears he was not there. And if the theft did happen earlier on Monday (and not over the weekend), I know for a fact Angel was at work. None-the-less, at some point a phone was stolen and the community was ready to take action.

Stealing phones is commonplace. Stealing at knife-point is too. This is a poverty-stricken, knife-ridden community. Stealing is a mode of survival for many. People steal to feed themselves food. Others steal to feed themselves drugs and alcohol. In Danville’s case, it is both. But over the last year, he has become so addicted to ‘Tik’ (crystal meth) that the only way to feed his addiction is to steal.

So in a community where theft is commonplace and the police are scarce, what do you do? In the township, they form vigilante groups or as they call them “Community Groups”. These groups have risen up across the townships in South Africa to fill the gap for needed justice. Each area creates their own group which consist of businessmen to taxi drivers. They take care of the things that the under-resourced police department cannot. They often are the first responders to take action. They recover and return stolen items that would otherwise sit in a police station for months until trial. Some believe they are the heroes of the community. The ones who serve the well-deserved justice. Others fear them. Community Groups use anything from humiliation to extreme violence. Sometimes even murder.

OK… I admit I may have read an article or two in the past where a vigilante took down the “bad guy” and I thought “Way to go. Justice is served!” I didn’t need to know anything about the people involved. Just that the “bad guy” received due justice.

On Monday night however, my friends were at the receiving end of Vigilante Justice. And it is quite frightening.

The victim got word to the “Community Group” that she was robbed of her phone. She identified our friend Angel, an 18-year old boy living on his own, as the thief. A case of mistaken identity? I think so. But because of Angel’s past, the group had no problem believing her. With that, the group headed out to find him. They showed up at his house and dragged him out to the street. They threatened to take him to a metal shipping container in the bush and ‘beat every piece of skin off of him’. I say threatened because Angel was in and out of conscientiousness during the beating. He has no idea where the beating took place. As he was struck with metal pipes and sticks, he remembers opening his eyes and seeing so many people surrounding him. He thought the whole township was watching. Lastly they burned his clothes and piled tires around his house. They told him if he did not get the phone back, they would burn him in his house. Angel was terrified.

He had a good idea who had the phone. Danville had been traveling down this criminal path for over a year now. He is so addicted to “Tik” that he needs money to feed his habit. And with no job and no income comes no conscious. He steals. And he steals often. So to save his own life, Angel told them about Danville.

Danville was next. The mob headed to Danville’s house and dragged him into the street. They beat him and broke his arm. They threatened to cut off his hands, but before they could, his uncle intervened (so I was told). Danville’s uncle was just released from prison last week. This gave the group reason to turn and beat him next. Danville’s uncle was so severely beaten that he is still in ICU in the hospital.

Finally, there was someone in the “Community Group” that had a debt to settle with our friend Gerald. This had nothing to do with the stolen phone. It is actually an old financial debt that Gerald owes to a drug dealer. The group made Danville lead them to Gerald’s shack. Unsuspecting, Gerald was dragged out of the shack and beaten with the same metal pipes and sticks used on the other boys. His swollen face was split open under his eye. Gerald only remembers scanning the group once while he was being beaten. That is when he recognized one face in the crowd. The drug dealer. How it becomes justice to beat a man that owes money to a drug dealer is beyond me!

All of the victims ended up in the hospital. Bruised and bloody. Frightened and fragile. Angel, the youngest of them all, checked himself out before the doctors returned. He was in such fear of his life. He went straight to YFC (Youth for Christ) to look for protection. He was exhausted. He was afraid. He was crying. He cannot go back in the township right now. He cannot get on a taxi (the drivers make up the vigilante group). Kurt drove him out of town to a family member this morning. There he will recuperate.

Gerald needed stitches in his face. He was split open on his cheekbone just under his eye. He is furious. He wants to bring charges against this “Community Group”. Just three weeks ago they killed someone during a beating and nothing has been done about it. The sad thing is, that was not the group’s only murder. I don’t know whether or not Gerald will file charges. It may be too dangerous to do so.

So what do you think? In a community so frustrated with the lack of police presence, is there room for Vigilante Justice?

Do the boys stop stealing for fear of being beat? No. They are hungry and they are addicted. Stealing is the only way to feed themselves.

And in Gerald’s case, what justice is being served if the group helps a known drug dealer get revenge?

I wonder. What purpose do these groups really serve? ~Tracy Cooper

Gerald Immediately after the beating.

Gerald with a swollen face and lips. Stitches on his cheekbone.

A Lesson in Patience

March 13, 2018March 27, 2019https://gingersnaps.wordpress.comLeave a comment

“Patience is not the ability to wait, but the ability to keep a good attitude while waiting.” ~ Joyce Meyer

I spent a day in a South African hospital last month, with my new friend Siphewe. I had the opportunity to meet her when I arrived this year.

Siphewe was involved in a car accident in the Bongani area of the Township on December 24. Christmas Eve. She had put herself in a compromising situation that unfortunately left her with painful consequences. With 6 people crammed into a car, no seatbelt and a driver under the influence, the car in which she was traveling struck a concrete wall. Siphewe was thrown around and broke her back. She was the only one injured.

Afraid he would be in trouble with the law, the driver and the other passengers removed Siphewe from the car, called an ambulance and left her on the side of the road. These people were her friends. Or so she thought. The police were not called. No report was made.

Siphewe woke up in the Kynsna Hospital with no recollection of what had happened. Her friends tried to convince her that she fell down a flight of stairs. They did not want their secret revealed. And although Siphewe lay there on a hospital bed with a broken back, her friends continued to cover for the driver. She eventually started remembering the events that took place before the accident and was able to put the pieces together.

I met Siphewe in January, because her family had been struggling to have enough food to eat. She is a 30-something year old woman with her elderly mom, an 18-year old daughter, 18-year old nephew and his pregnant girlfriend, and 21-year old niece all living together in a 2-bedroom concrete home with a shack in the back. Because of her broken back, Siphewe was unable to work. Therefore, shy on money. I was asked to deliver some food to her family.

The day I met Siphewe, I liked her. She is very sweet. Quiet. Kind. I could tell she was in pain as she sat on the couch with a back brace, softly talking with me. She had just been released from the hospital the week prior to our meeting. As we talked, she mentioned that she was scheduled for a follow up appointment at the Hospital in George (1-hour away). I told her that when the time came, I would be happy to drive her. I couldn’t imagine her riding in a packed taxi with a broken back. (A taxi is a 15-passenger van)

Well… my experience in the South African Public Hospital was a true lesson in patience!

Here in South Africa, 84% of the population (45 million) poor, mainly black women, men, and children rely on government health care. People pay for services based on income. These state facilities are often over-burdened and under-resourced. The remaining (9 million) people are medical scheme members (those with medical insurance). These people have access to good but very expensive private hospitals. These centers are more efficiently run and less busy. The quality of care in this two-tier system varies drastically.

I experienced the first. A government run hospital. And it was like nothing I have ever seen.

Siphewe had a scheduled appointment with a doctor at the hospital for 8:30 a.m. I picked her up at 7:00 a.m and we drove a little over an hour to the hospital in George.

I parked the car and we walked in to the main lobby before 8:30. We were on time. But it didn’t really matter. It was packed! At least a hundred people or more were already waiting. Then I noticed the strangest thing. Everyone that was seated would get up together and move to the next seat. Over and over again. It was a huge queue of chairs. So, we got in line. Sitting, standing and moving over to the next seat at the appropriate time with everyone else.

After 1-1/2 hours, it was finally our turn to go up to the desk. We made it! Little did I know that this line was just to pick up her file. Next, we were to go upstairs to see the doctor. Ok. Good. Let’s go.

As we got off of the elevator, there was a line of people in wheelchairs down the hall (in the wheelchair waiting area). We walked past them to enter the waiting room full of dozens of people again! I looked at Siphewe, I could tell she was hurting. After all, she has a broken back!! We found seats and sat there quietly as did everyone else. Waiting our turn. Waiting our turn a little longer. Waiting our turn even longer. Then her name was called… 4 hours later. Yes, 4-hours after getting upstairs to where the doctor’s office was located, her name was finally called. Woohoo, here we go. Siphewe walked into the office, closed the door behind her and was back out within 2 minutes. What? How can she be finished already? We waited 5-1/2 hours for a 2 minute exam?

Haha. No. “We must go downstairs to get an x-ray”, she told me in her quiet voice. Well of course. I figured she would need one. This was, after all, a follow-up for a broken back. Really? They couldn’t have sent us to x-ray first? It took, at this point, a 5-1/2 hour wait for a doctor to tell us to go get an x-ray.

While I was trying to be patient, Siphewe was patient. This is how things are done here. Nothing out of the ordinary. Go from this line to that. Sit, stand, move over.

Downstairs to x-ray we go. You guessed it. Another line. This one was only 1-hour though!

My patience was really running thin when I found out that our next step was to go back upstairs to see the doctor that we had waited so long to see earlier. He needed to look at the x-ray and determine what to do next. What if we have to wait another 4-hours for him? Fortunately he only kept us waiting for about 30 minutes this time. He prescribed some pain medication for Siphewe and basically told her it would just continue to heal on its own. To keep wearing the back brace and return in another 6-weeks. Wow, all that time for the doctor to say, keep doing what you’re doing and come back and repeat this process again soon.

More than ready to leave, I escorted Siphewe back downstairs to the main lobby. Before we got to the front door, she said we needed to stop at the pharmacy in the hospital to get her medicine. I bet you can guess what I saw when we got there. Yes… another line! One more hour of waiting.

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8-hours for a scheduled appointment.

As I sat there agitated and frustrated with this ridiculous process… Siphewe, the one with a broken back and in so much pain, exhibited patience and grace. She had received care. That is what mattered.

Sitting, standing and moving over a seat. Never complaining. ~Tracy Cooper