Equip Easter Convention (28th March

I have fallen so terribly behind in blogging that I fear I will never catch up! As I begin to write this, I am listening to the Paso Doble music coming from the hall while I wait for my own class to start after the open class. Liesje is inside and doing splendidly although I can tell her partner is a little lost and behind the others.

All this is to say that I am finally in a space where I have no academic work with me so I shall have to do something to keep myself occupied for the next 32 minutes-- why not blog?!

[Author's note inserted here to say that I did not in fact get very far when I began writing this during the dance rehearsal, in fact I only finished it in June! I got until the account of the baboon before I was forced to stop writing again.]

The road to equip began when Helen fetched Jordan and I from my flat. From there, we popped to Chara's to collect her, opened our drinks which I was tasked with buying, and headed off to Simon's Town! Helen's playlist became our theme-tune though I had compiled a backup since I was assigned "DJ and navigator". Along the way, Jordan whipped out her digital camera and began quizzing us with questions for our future selves to look back on. I think she took me rather by surprise and I should like to tell my future self: "Keren, you make the most wonderful friends and God always provides you with the right people when you need them. Trust that He will keep doing so!"

We arrived late to cold and windy weather. Salomie had thankfully kept supper for us which we ate speedily before the first session was to start. There was space in Lisa and Dana's dorm, for which I was grateful and so I slotted right in. Nienke and Jess Mac Kenzie stayed in the one adjoining ours which was lovely too. In my dorm itself were myself, Melinda, Lisa, Dana, Kayla, Danel, Frané and Elmarie. Lisa had ordered David around the kitchen to bake us all chocolate cupcakes topped with caramel and crumbled peppermint crisp for her birthday. We ate these with great delight in the dorm and Liesje joined us.

Something rather strange happened to the tub the muffins were in. The next day, during free time, Dana and I went and sat on her bunk bed to work on my philosophy assignment which Dana so lovingly agreed to help me with. Truly I am eternally grateful to her and don't know what I would have done without her help. Danel and Frané later came into the room, each to get on with their own admin tasks. We had the window open for ventilation and suddenly this arm reached through the window and grabbed the white ice cream tub. I think Franè must have said something, or perhaps the movement of the tub caught our attention all at once. A baboon face appeared at the window to go with the hand, and another baboon sat a little distance away watching its friend. Dana and I screamed— Dana because she was frightened and surprised and I because I assumed we were shouting in the hopes it would be scared and run off. It did not. It withdrew its hand and then reached back, secured a better grasp to sneak the tub through the window bars and then disappeared with the tub. We sat there is stunned silence before Frané said, "Gelukkig was die blikkie leeg gewees." Melinda then burst in, saying she had been watching from a distance and was "soos nee!" and decided to wait a while before she tried to come in. We then all erupted into excited chatter all at once. Danel was rather unimpressed by our screaming, particularly as the hairy arm had come closest to her after all, but I think she accepted my reason for screaming. Dana put it well when she said, "I know we complain about the baboons, but we all secretly hope to see them. We live for the drama!"

Dana and I did eventually submit my essay on the Saturday morning. Finding the exact spot to position my phone so that the signal would hold long enough to allow me to upload it was rather tricky. I have never felt lighter as when I had submitted it. To be honest, it sometimes feels the workshops beforehand had felt heavy and blurred until I submitted that that assignment.

In the afternoon, Nienke, Dana and I headed to the beach. Dana and I collected lots of sea glass and tried to make some drip castles too. I didn't quite swim like Nienke and a few others, but I did wade pretty far out into the waves and it certainly helped to cool me down. I think it was around 35 degrees that afternoon!

On Saturday evening, we held a sokkie. Sean called it "part of our ministry and outreach education" which I suppose could be true. Kari also taught some of us the Zorba-- I had forgotten just how chaotic it was! Liesje and I intended to teach people the Wobble, but the numbers dwindled towards the end and so we decided against it. After the sokkie, Leigh asked if some of us would be keen to jump into the pool to cool down. So Liesje and I grabbed our things and convinced some other people to join too. I forget who all came to be honest, I know there were at least two people whose names I didn't catch. The water was not really too bad, especially if you kept moving. The most magical part though was floating on your back and seeing a sky full of stars. In Stellies and Cape Town one can't really see them, but on a campsite on the hills of Simon's Town you can! I am fairly certain that we played Dutch Blits with a young guy on the camp that evening, but I can't be certain because there was more than one evening where we played board games.

Sunday began with songs and an Easter message outside in the cold and windy weather. While it was already light outside, the intention was for it to be a sunrise service. We had the box drum and two guitars outside and just had to rely on most people remembering the words. No one wanted the singing to end and so many of us stayed out in the cold, huddled under a sleeping bag singing old Easter hymns. When it got too cold, we moved inside around the piano. Eventually though, we had to bring the session to an end and have breakfast.

Our strand group went out for waffles on the Sunday afternoon. I had a milkshake rather than a waffle, but I enjoyed chatting with Nicole and Ross. I also used the free time on the Sunday to prep my study, although I think I did most of the prep that evening. The afternoon may have been for a draft study. Dana and I also did some reading on the Sunday afternoon. We had meant to read Anne I think, but ended up reading more of the book she is writing about her life. She let me read some other bits and pieces too. It was very special and also quite heavy. We did some good chatting. Dana is a gem of a friend and I don't quite have the words to voice all of my thoughts and feelings, but I am extremely grateful for her!

On Sunday evening, the food hall was full of people prepping their studies. I finished up mine and then patiently waited for some others to finish theirs. Liesje and I had some fun playing Dutch Blits with others who finished. We then played 30 seconds too (In Afrikaans). By the time we had finished it was around one in the morning. Liesje went to bed at that point, but I stayed a while longer and sat by the piano with Zandi. She played and we sang together, Laurika Rauch songs mostly. It was wonderful! By the time I climbed into bed it was around 01:30.

The Monday was the last day (and also April fools!). There had been a prank idea circulating where the plan was for everyone not to join the singing of the first song until the band noticed. Myself and a few others decided not to participate because it seemed irreverent and disrespectful. In the end the prank backfired though because the band didn't notice and it became too awkward for those not singing. Anyway, with song choices like those who could resist joining in! My favourite new one which was introduced was "For the Cause". One April Fools' prank which did come off well though was when the entire table began singing "Happy Birthday" to Tristan even though it wasn't his birthday. The whole food hall joined in.

I would like to add a note here to say that I thoroughly enjoyed the talks at Equip. We worked our way through Psalms (well the big picture and examples of the 5 chapters in the Psalter) with Nathan Lovell as the speaker. He had such a pleasant personality and was very open for questions at the end of his talks. He encouraged us to draw the psalms and some people took him up on this and he showed us their work as he went through his talks. Some people are way more artsy than I would have imagined like Danel and Timon. Others, just had a lot of fun with the idea, and had I been brave enough or had time I think I should have liked to join in.

I also really enjoyed the electives. Trudette's one was very interesting and gave me a lot to chew on.

I drove back from Equip with Jemma and Jack. We had such good conversations about our key take always from the camp. In fact I don't think we played any music on our way back, we just talked and talked. My biggest take away was the idea that Jesus prayed the Psalms and that because He did and died for me, I become royalty-- a royal heir alongside Jesus who is capable of openly and honestly pouring out their heart to God using the words He has given me. The idea of "royalty" had always seemed too out of reach and impossible, but it is beautiful too and I think I have a lot of thinking to do about that idea.

I have always love the psalms, but I love them even more now by understanding them as a gift.

Equip was such a truly special time! Surrounded by friends and having deep conversations about things that matter; Singing and playing games late into the night; appreciating beautiful views-- it was all really wonderful. I especially loved getting to catch up with Lisa again after so long. And also all the Biblical knowledge I gained-- wow! Abraham's story came alive in a new way and I wish I could examine each Bible character's story more closely like that. It is sometimes so easy to forget that they were just people too who had their own doubts, worries, questions, fears and confusions.

And... here is the photo dump! (By no means in its entirety, but I am sure this will suffice!)