Pasaka (Pess – eh’ – cha) knocked on my door yesterday (pictured). He was with the Bureau of Statistics for the South African government, taking census information as his department does every five years. “Do you have electricity, water, refrigerator, internet, radio, tv, how long have you lived here ...?” He wrote answers on a very official, multi-page form. We got to be friends during the questioning, his female co-worker who joined the conversation wanted to know when my husband was coming. The most shocking answer I gave was that I had never given birth. The idea was so unheard of that Pesaka repeated the question three times to make sure I understood. He was missing important parts of his sandals (same as some of the other workers with him) and made a point, after the business of questions, to tell me his name. “Pasaka,” he said, “in English it means Good Friday.” Ahh, of course. Pesach: Passover, redemption from slavery and sin. Somehow it seemed right, a South African black man telling a white American woman about God's mercy and His power to save.

Before Pesaka arrived, the yard men came to the same twelve foot gate entrance where Pesaka arrived. As is customary, they whistled until someone let them in to do their job. Two faces smiled and thanked me for being the one to come. Several weeks ago, a group of military police showed up. They came --- in eight armored humvees holding about five police officers each --- to see if they could get overnight accommodation nearby before a big international soccer match at the University the next day. All forty of them sat on the lawn and visited with us about their jobs: employed by the South African government, as the Riot Patrol, they assist in dangerous situations all over the continent. They had just returned from the Congo and were excited about the soccer match at the University (where the most violent incident was in the game itself) the next day. I couldn’t help but pray for them.

As of yesterday, I’m in the South African Government’s records as a temp resident situated with a beautiful lawn all around, protected by the country’s finest armed guards and reminded of God’s saving grace. I count it a good day!