Our Family: Serving in South Africa: Hebron Haven Bible School in South Africa

In July, we attended our first South African Bible school at Hebron Haven, a family hotel & country conference centre in the heart of the Midlands Meander. This beautiful area of foothills is about an hour and a half inland and was a picturesque setting for our week. It seems a bit strange to be packing your suitcase for a July Bible school and putting in things like hats, gloves, long johns, etc. but when you live in the Southern Hemisphere in South Africa, that's what you do!

The Lord had blessed us to have our new Bible school the same week as our dear sweet beloved Great Lakes Bible School so that we wouldn't have to suffer at home thinking of all of our friends that we were missing! One thing we didn't miss was the 12 hour road trip - it was strange to get to the school so quickly! We passed by the Nelson Mandela Capture Sight monument and turned down a country road toward our hotel and grounds. We passed over a railway for electric locamotives and then passed a few farms and arrived. The hotel grounds were lovely, with pathways all around for the kids to ride their bikes. There was a cool tree house area next to the pond and tennis courts nearby. The kids could run around freely with the geese, chickens, and pot belly pigs that roamed the grounds.

It was a small, intimate crowd of about 80 people and we were so encouraged and strengthened by the fellowship of the week. It was however, VERY COLD, as there is no central heat. The days warmed up nicely, but the evenings were frigid! We had classes in the morning and then the afternoons were spent riding bikes, playing tennis, bowls, volleyball, visiting, and doing various outings in the area. Cam's team rocked and won the volleyball tournament.

The kids had a blast having absolute freedom to run around wherever they pleased with their friends. This is an especially huge privilege as you can't have this kind of freedom where we live. They all brought their bikes and rode around the grounds. The boys enjoyed their secret hideout made of straw. The kids put on a play about the Good News of the Kingdom. They also enjoyed having their own special eating area just for kids.

There were many creatures to enjoy as well. The geese had new goslings to follow them around. There were a few resident pigs that seemed to think they owned the place. They would lay down wherever you went to walk and one even came in the actual hotel lobby! We also discovered new owl chicks up in the treehouse tree.

Ani says -- look at all that pee! I kid you not the pig peed for over a minute straight!

The adults had an awesome time as well. We were fed gourmet meals by a fabulous chef named Rudi. He even gave us a cooking lesson one afternoon! Breakfasts were fresh fruit, muesli, and hot porridge, followed by a second course of eggs and what they call streaky bacon. Then lunch was served out on the verandah - always beautifully arranged and yummy! Dinner was the nicest meal of all with 3 courses. These South Africans really know how to eat well!