Africa Calling – stepping

Trail running involves stepping, sometimes taking bigger steps than what is necessary or what we deem physically possible at times. We all take steps in life, it’s inevitable, both physically or metaphorically, small and big steps. We decide - we step and figure it out…we think you do too.

We had our 5 year plan. It was all worked out. It was supposed to happen around year 2023. How often is it that we know what it is we are supposed to do, or perhaps have an unction that we know what we are supposed to do, but we try delay or change the plan, hoping that it will work out, but in our own way?

2019 has been about an internal process of not just an external realisation of ‘where to next' or ‘what next’ for us, but more like ‘how to next’ deep within our hearts and what we feel we are called to. We even tried to change the inevitable by looking at alternatives to Africa until around 2020 as if we could determine our own destinies…

Cape Agulhas, Africa's most southern point. Our starting point as we step...

But, as we step, so we figured it is not about us getting our way. It is just the way life works – it’s an adventure as we step and go where we know is on our hearts. This Tale is the start of our Africa Calling, highlighting some of our journey’s in just stepping out in this direction in 2019 without actually knowing exactly where we are going or ending up.

Clearing ground and digging holes for planting avocado trees - Klein (Little) Karoo farm, Western Cape, South Africa (photo: supplied).

Using workaway.info as a means of taking these unknown steps in meaningful work in exchange for survival in food and lodging, some things we have had to really learn to enjoy, while some other things we have had to just deal with what was presented to us and do our best. This was all the while been stretched in ways we never thought possible while being roughened and toughened on the outside, and we hope, softened on the inside.

 

Journey One: 6 March 2019 - 18 April 2019, 3000 km

Groot (Great) Karoo cattle farming on the high altitude plateau of the Eastern Cape of South Africa involved daily milking and herding.

Besides preparing and digging holes for avocado trees, planting pea seeds and removing old maize stalks was among the varied of experiences on a subsistence farm in the Klein Karoo.

 

Journey Two: 28 April 2019 - 9 September 2019, 8300 km

Boergoat farming in the harsh Kalahari of the Northern Cape of South Africa.

Our home for 5 weeks, and daily firing up of the donkey boiler for hot water using dried alien vegetation.

Chicken, goat, cattle and some subsistence farming in the Hardap region of Nambia was behind the striking rising and setting of the sun in what was one of the most driest and coldest regions we have experienced.

Installing outdoor shower, and the cattle keep stepping...

In stepping, we returned to the Klein Karoo farm for a while longer where we were privledged to reap and consume from the pea seeds we planted earlier, above. Digging, preparing trenches and drip irrigation installing for potatoes, below.

 

Journey Three: 4 October 2019 - present, 7800 km, still stepping...

New season - almond blossoms...

“And he (Abraham) went out, not knowing where he was going.” (ellipsis added) – Hebrews 11:9