IFC South Africa Report
from Charlene Morrow

On February 10, 2009, at 6:20 am I left for Denver to meet up with Buck and Arlene Weimer.  Buck had brought 6 cases of hard back Urantia Books without covers, some Jesus, A New Revelation, and handouts to take on our trip to South Africa.  The Urantia Books without pictures are more easily accepted worldwide.  At 10:38 am we left for Washington D.C. and at 5:40 pm our plane left for Johannesburg on February 11, 2009, a nearly 15 hour flight.

We were picked up at the airport in Johannesburg, Jo’burg, by Tanja de Wet and Marthe Muller who loaded our 6 large bags, 3 carry-ons and ourselves into their two cars.  They were like Mansion World Companions greeting us and making us feel right at home.  Marthe had come over from Pretoria, the capital where she lives and works, just for this purpose.  They took us directly to High View Gardens Centre for Transformation, a retreat center found by Marthe.  It was like the Garden of Eden with an amazing chief named Sally.  Most of the buildings had thatch roofs and were decorated like English cottages.

We all went to China Town for a delicious shared meal of many dishes and got acquainted.  Buck and Arlene had met them on a previous visit three years ago and Buck had stayed in contact since then.  We then settled into our rooms and tried to get over jet lag.

On Thursday, February 12, we made arrangements at the retreat center for meals and rooms for workshop participants, checked out the meeting room and determined what supplies should be purchased.  In the afternoon we went to a flea market we had been told about which was near by.  I bought a cane which was carved with an African person’s head and was supposedly made of ebony which, of course, it wasn’t for 120 Rand ($12.00).  I carried it through every airport on the way home, leaving it at Denver security by mistake which made me have to go back through security again in order to retrieve it.  I wasn’t giving it up at this point.  Arlene bought several placemats, etc for gifts.  Buck only needed an electricity adapter.  We returned to High View Garden and enjoyed Sally’s healthful meal.  The retreat center has it own garden with fresh vegetables.

After breakfast on Friday, February 13, Tanja returned and brought boxes of brochures, etc. for the meeting the next day.  She stayed that night at High View.  We loaded into her car to drive to a mall for lunch and found an office supply which had all the materials we needed for the workshop.  Tanja took us on a tour of the city.  We stopped at the Apartheid Museum where we learned more about the peaceful transition to freedom for all citizens of South Africa with the help of Nelson Mandela, who had been imprisoned for 27 years.  His work of freeing the blacks and others so that all could vote was featured.  Tanja then drove us around the city and showed us the area where illegal immigrants from Mozambique live in squalor in a shanty town on land given by the government.  The children waved and called hello to us as we travelled through. 

We returned to the retreat center to enjoy a delicious meal prepared by Sally, the chef.  We visited and were busy setting up the meeting room with a Urantia Book and folder for each participant.

The workshop began at 10:00 am with 14 eventually in attendance.  On Sunday, February 15, we met from 10:00 am until 3:00 pm.  There were many questions and a great deal of interest.  Buck gave an overview of Parts I, II, and II.  Arlene and I discussed Part IV.  I gave a short prepared talk.  People stayed to visit.  Several stayed for dinner and more conversation throughout the evening.  Those in attendance were:  Tanja, Marthe, Constance, Luke, Katherine, Andre, Paula, Murray, Ankh, Mathado, Lehana, Sello, Eben, Chiabon, Buck, Arlene, and Charlene. We are told there are approximately 80 Urantia Book readers in the area. 

Monday, February 16, we left after lunch for Krugersdorp Game Reserve.  Monkeys ran from trees near our cottage in the evening and scurried towards the woods outside the lodge area. 

Tuesday, February 17, Tanja arrived around 11:00 and took us to a small drive-through reserve called Lion and Rhino Park.  We saw cheetahs lying beside the road.  They had white lion cubs which we could pet, young tigers, meerkats in cages, and several other types of animals.  That afternoon we went on a safari at Krugersdorp.  We saw wildebeests, gemsbok, waterbuck, eland, antelope, zebra, rhinoceros, giraffe, and Cape buffalo. Lions walked around our open Landrover.  We saw all animals in the area except elephants which they didn’t have in this park.  Our guide, Joppie, brought three, three month old lion males to the lodge so that we could feed them with bottles.  They were so cute, like large house cats.

Wednesday, February 18, we flew from Jo’burg to Cape Town and were met at the airport by Peter Minnaar.  He took us and our 5 large bags, etc. to our hotel, Ashanti, which we learned was more of a youth hostel.  We stayed in one room with no closets and shared a bath.  There were no amenities.  We went out to dinner that night with Peter and his wife, Thereschen – Trish.  I was feeling like I had food poisoning probably from some sausage I had for breakfast at the Reserve.  I went along anyway and was glad to get acquainted with them.  They are a delightful and charming couple.

Thursday, February 19, 2009, we moved across the street to the Lady Hamilton Hotel which was much nicer and had a dining room.  We were on the forth floor and with no elevator, but it wasn’t a bad walkup.  It was a suite with two bedrooms and a shared bath.  We had gotten used to sharing a bath and that was no problem.  They had a nice dining room with a terrace overlooking the swimming pool and offered a free buffet breakfast.  They also had access to internet so we could check in at home.

Later in the morning, Peter picked us up and drove us to the wharf where we had breakfast and bought our tickets for the ferry to Robben Island, where Mandela was held for 18 years before being transferred to other prisons, serving a total of 27 years in prison.  There was much history explained and displayed about those who were held during the apartheid.  Mandela was released in 1990 and elected President of South Africa in 1994.

That evening we met with Urantia Book readers at an interfaith hall which had just been restored after being destroyed by a fire.  Those in attendance were:  Peter and Thereschen (Trish) Minnaar, Peter Fredericks, Ivan Sedras, Rev. John Oliver, Carol Watts, Buck, Arlene, and Charlene.  We shared the last of the Urantia Books and other materials.  The Fellowship had a book booth at the Parliament, so there are probably many readers in the area.

Friday, February 20, 2009, we walked and shopped in the area around the hotel.  It was a lively community much like places I’ve seen in Dallas where young people live and congregate.  We left our hotel at 1:15 for a van tour with a total of 11 plus the driver.  We travelled until 7:00 and went all down the west coast to the Cape of Good Hope.  We returned along the east coast.  The beaches were beautiful and the National Park at the Cape was left in a natural state, just as it was when Europeans came in the 1600’s.

That evening Peter picked us up and took us to their house for dinner.  Their contemporary home had a beautiful patio with a pool and overlooked the ocean.  They prepared grilled lamb chops.  We had a wonderful chat with Peter, Trish, and her brother, Gid(deon), who dropped by to leave her some papers.  They gave each of us a book on Cape Town which I had them sign as a remembrance of a wonderful visit with them.

On Saturday, February 21, 2009, we went to the airport only to discover that our flight had been cancelled.  We got a room at a nearby hotel and settled in for the night.  It was the first good shower I had had since leaving home.  We rested and returned to the airport for an 18 hours flight to Washington, D.C., stopping over in Dakar, Senegal for three hours.  My flight had been cancelled since I was a no show the day before, but luckily they booked me on a later flight.  I was on standby and got on the second flight out at 4:50 pm which got me home 30 hours after leaving Jo’burg.     

There were strong leaders in both cities who we hope will continue the work. The trip was worth every effort, 24 hour travel to Johannesburg and 30 hour trip back to Oklahoma City.  We made strong connections and met beautiful new members of our Urantia family on the other side of our wondrous world.