Hier Kom 'n Ding... 2022!

So here we are again, on our happy and familiar year end holiday, spent with my family down in Port Elizabeth. 2021... Quite a year this one! Headline items at a national and international level once again seemed to take the spotlight... Durban riots, COVID variants & passports, vrot policies, vrotter economies, and the vrotest politicians! 

But on the home front, and somewhat surprising, I've never been work busier (contracting as a backend business admin and reporter), church happier (churching with a couple friends at a home church in the area), body stronger (having achieved minimum SEAL standards💪), marriage matured (learning to love my wife as much as myself), and dad friendlier (being kind and caring to my kids even when I don't like them). Of course this is my perspective, but need not be verified by my wife or kids at all!

Or to describe it in blackjack terms, only a 5 card trick could have improved my 2021 hand... Which I suppose would have included the successful launch of Eduship, being the future school concept that Dannean and I went to market with in July this year. In the end however, parent response was underwhelming, and with less than 10 (rather than 30) prospective spaces filled, we had to rethink and recalibrate... But in the end, our desire to still give Eduship a shot at home prevailed, with Tristan (reluctantly) and Connor (enthusiastically) being our 1st 2 students... kicking off in January 2022. 

In this regard, Dannean will play the role of scholarship (academic) tutor in the mornings, and I the role of dadmaster in the afternoons (covering the garageship, mentorship and ambassadorship elements). And so, at worst, this time next year Eduship will be packed away as yet another one of my hairbrain ideas, or at best, a transformative schooling solution with room and demand for growth and educational transformation. Anyway, it remains no coincidence that Teddy Roosevelts 'Man in the Arena' speech hangs proudly on our wall at home, and our family coat of arms bumper sticker on the back of my van, boldly displays perseverance as one of our 3 core values. Because we all need to be constantly reminded, that talk is cheap and fear (not failure) is failure! 

So, now that I've beaten my 'man in the arena' chest and drum, let me humbly add... Discerning the difference between mine and God's will, easily remains the most difficulty quest of my life to date. There is much I have prayerfully tried, tested and gloriously failed at... Much and gloriously! And yet... I am deeply humbled and incredibly grateful, that I remain loved by my wife, the greatest object of my children's affection, cared for by my family, and befriended (not on Facebook!) by many of the most wonderful and precious people! But even more than all of this, I have come to love as deeply as I know how, both the creator of the universe, and the one who knit me in my mother's womb... Jesus. Is this not grace upon grace?!

Finally, and probably most intriguing (and disturbing) of all for me this year, has been the unparalleled (and largely unopposed) global emergence of totalitarian rule in traditionally free / Western societies. Of course, this should come as no surprise to anyone who holds a biblical worldview of church eschatology (end times)... Which makes a good case that for the 1st time ever, there is a real possibility we are eye witnesses to a radical step change in the way the world is run and governed. Or said another way by a very good friend of mine...

Most people still think we live in democracies, where our trusty governments and the other powerful actors are fighting Covid for our safety, and that their democratically elected officials are making decisions in the interests of public health and wellbeing. They have no idea this pandemic is merely the cloak veiling a take-over of our free and democratic societies by autocrats with an agenda. They are stuck in the Matrix carrying on with their lives oblivious to the power transfer that is happening under our noses because its all been cloaked in the Covid narrative, dutifully propagated by the captured media and big tech, and parroted by captured officials and big business spokesmen.

If this statement peaks your interest (or your blood pressure), you can read more about why my friend says what he does here. Needless to say, we are keeping a close eye (as Jesus said we should) on what is being sold on mass as the new normal. Personally, I don't think there's anything normal about any of it, but time will tell the crazies, from the lemmings, from the wise. As my brother often says, faith and stupidity sometimes walk a fine line together, and can look remarkably similar at times... And these are such times I believe!

Stay blessed, classy and fearless friends... 2022 is just around the corner!

Maranatha!🙏

Eduship Future Schools - Pipedream or Silver Bullet?

I recall when I 1st left school, my mom and dad telling me what a great teacher I would make. Well, for someone who had aspirations to drive a Ferrari by 30 (seriously), that went down like a lead balloon! Coupled with this, was the fact that my experience of school on the whole, in particular my grade 11 & 12 years, were tumultuous / rebellious (to say the least). Frankly, I was dramatically underdeveloped emotionally and socially, and this did me no favours in my interactions with my teachers in particular. Accordingly, the thought of following in the footsteps of my very nemeses, seemed totally absurd! 

Isn't it interesting then, that 25 years later, I would be planning that the 2nd half of my life (after 40) begin with starting a school, and becoming a headmaster (somma at the same time!). How this has all come to pass is a story in itself, but needless to say, I am very confident that were it not for Jesus' dramatic intervention in my early 20's, I might well have realized my childhood dream of driving a Ferrari... but also being killed in one!

However, grace and providence prevailed, and with it, my great love of children and education. And so it was with the advent of our 2 eldest sons becoming school going age (approx 5 years ago), that we were forced to answer the scary question every South African parent must ask... 

What are my kids educational options? 

Sadly, this question has already been answered for the absolute majority (95%) of our country's learners, by a government education system which according to News24, was ranked second-last in the world (75 out of a total of 76 countries) in 2020.

And so, for those with the means (all 5% of SA), private education is the only logical alternative (outside of a Model C equivalent government education). However, as we know, and to quote from this insightful analysis of the private education market... 

The private school system performs well but at an exorbitant cost. Private schools in 2017 saw a 98.8% pass rate for the 11 500 students who sat the Independent Examinations Board (IEB) exams, but the average private high school costs R136 000 compared to R35 000 for the average public fee-paying high school.

Accordingly, for those like us, without the means (but with the networks, support and capacity), homeschooling seemed to be the next best and logical alternative. And so homeschool we did for 5 years (which Dannean has previously posted about), and in the process accumulated much insight into an often misunderstood, and sometimes overly glamourized, schooling solution. And then, when the means became available (through a family educational trust disbursement), we decided to give private schooling a go too, and see how the benefits stacked up against the costs, and what we already knew.

That was 2 years ago, and yet once again we find ourselves being forced to ask a similar question to the one we did at the outset (7 years ago)...

Are these still my kids only educational options? 

Well, today I am very happy to help both you and I, answer that question a little differently. Because now there is another option that I sincerely hope and believe, could change the face of the South African private schooling landscape forever (reference graph below). And so, instead of founding another private school to compete with (and offer exactly what) all other private schools already do, I'm going to start (with the support of our local community) a Future School!

Eduship has not been founded as an independent (from Government curriculum and funding) school, but rather as a Future School... 

Free from all the traditional;

• private school barriers, 
• government school incompetencies, 
• and homeschooling limitations, 

And loaded with the;

• inspiration, 
• innovation,
• and liberation.

That we as parents, providers and protectors long for! 

Essentially, Eduship has extracted and blended into one, the best of all the traditional educational offerings, by founding an affordable, holistic, Christian, personalized, internationally accredited, locally owned & managed, franchisable, community based, Future School!

Sound like a pipedream? 

Well, only time will tell, but for those residents living and schooling in the south of Johannesburg, who (like us) seem to have run out of (Grade 3 - 12) educational options, think again...

Because if you (like us) want to see our educational system changed, then will you (like us) become part of the change you long to see? 

You can get all the launch and Future School details off the Eduship Website, and please consider telling any friends in Joburg (south) about us too👆!

Thank you!

Viva abantwana - viva the silver bullet!

How Rassie's Springboks Won The World Cup By Cracking The Culture Code

I'm picking up where I left off in my last post, which is to say, having reached the other side of 40, I seem to have developed a new found admiration and respect for team work.

Of course, it's still important to me what that team does, but it has become equally important to me, to no longer dare great things on my own. And this was never more evident, or more beautifully captured for me, than in Supersport's 'Chasing the Sun' documentary of the Springboks' 2019 rugby world cup (RWC) win in Japan. 

Not only did the documentary reignite my awareness and appreciation for teamwork - especially within a South African (and God's favourite country) context, but it reminded me of all that is possible against great odds. Or as Daniel Coyle so brilliantly wrote about it his book, of what's possible when you crack the 'Culture Code'. And that's exactly what Rassie Erasmus' 2019 world cup Springbok team did. In fact, I think they did a lot more than that... 

Because something that South Africa at every level in society needs, is a good understanding of what a winning culture looks like, works like, and can perform like. This was actually the real gift the Springboks gave us 18 months ago, and one that Chasing the Sun (CTS) so brilliantly unwrapped for us 6 month ago.

So, if you find yourself playing a part in any team (on the field or off it), and if you possess the desire to perform better as a unit, then I would most sincerely recommend you watch CTS and / or read Culture Code by Daniel Coyle. Alternatively, your can carry on reading below for my summarized combination of both, as illustrated through 6 indispensable and RWC winning attributes.

Here goes;

1. To BELONG...
1. Chasing the Sun (CTS) got its name from a speech delivered in 1999 by then president, Nelson Mandela (quote) "I am the product of Africa and her long-cherished dream of a rebirth that can now be realised so that all of her children may play in the sun."
2. Rassie was the 1st Springbok coach to openly talk about and discuss the transformation requirements / agenda with the players themselves, in a team setting. Nothing hidden, nothing excused. He was also the first coach to appoint a black Springbok Captain (Siya Kolisi), and the one to have spoken the most broken and colourful English I have ever heard.
3. Picking up on Mandela's dream for the children of South Africa (above), interestingly enough, it was Kolisi himself who went public with his views on the 2019 RWC target of 50% black player representation, by stating; “I don’t think he [Mandela] would have supported that [quotas], but I don’t know him. I would not want to be picked because of my skin colour because that surely would not be good for the team, and the guys around you would know."
4. But all opinions aside, it was what it was, and both the coach and captain knew it. But that's obviously not all they knew, because what becomes very clear, very quickly in CTS, is that there was a job to do. And that job was to win rugby games in a green and gold jersey, not in a white, black, pink or purple skin. Rassie (and clearly Siya) made this crystal clear right from the beginning. Rugby was the reason they were going to Japan, whatever anyone else thought or said.
5. And so if Rassie belonged because of rugby, and Siya belonged because of rugby, then so did every other member of the 2019 RWC squad. Whether or not Siya believed that he would become the 1st black Springbok captain to lift the William Webb Ellis trophy, or Mapimpi & Kolbe believed they would be the 1st (never mind black) Springboks to score tries in a RWC final, we'll never know. But what we do know, is that belonging comes before believing, and Rassie and Siya settled that upfront. 
6. Belonging is not rooted in a transformation committee, but in team unity, founded upon the values of honesty, vulnerability, understanding and purpose.
   
   
   

   
   
2. To BELIEVE...
1. The Springboks might have lifted the trophy in Japan, but that's not when or where they 1st started winning the 2019 RWC. Rassie shares a story about one game in particular, that set the Springboks on their path to glory, long before the tournament began...
2. For Rassie, to truly believe you can win a world cup, required one critical victory in particular... The most difficult of all. To beat New Zealand, in New Zealand, in September 2018.
3. The Springboks had lost 2 test matches in the run up to that Wellington test, and to put this in perspective, Rassie later stated that he would have resigned as coach were the Springboks ever to lose 3 matches in a row. 
4. The story goes that the Springboks beat the All Blacks 36-34 that day, in arguably one of the greatest victories ever achieved by a Springbok team in New Zealand. It also happened to be the day that they 1st truly believed they could win the RWC in Japan.
5. But this belief was not based on sentiment or hype or hope. Instead it was forged by the will and ability to perform as the superior team, in the harshest environment, under the most intense pressure, together.
6. Belief is not rooted in hype or false hope, but rather in the ability to call your giant by name, look them in the eye, and then conquer them together.
   
   
   
   
   
3. To be WRONG...
1. Interestingly enough, the Springboks 1st game of the RWC was against none other than (you might have guessed it), NZ. As can be expected, it lived up to all expectations, all except a South African win that is. The Springboks lost 23-13.
2. Never before had a team lost a game in the pool round and gone on to win the RWC. The Springboks knew that. Rassie knew that. But it's something he said to the players immediately after that game, that struck me.
3. In a very dispirited and heartbroken change room, he offered words of encouragement for a Springbok 2nd half win (10-6), and then said he would need to go over the recording to learn more, and understand where he'd f#cked up. Huh?
4. Rassie, just hold on a second... What about the team!? What about their ill-discipline? Their missed tackles? Nope, nothing about that. But then we all know how much easier it is to own your stuff, when someone else is owning theirs. And own it they did.
5. The acknowledgment of messing up is not rooted in weakness, but rather a vulnerability and humility that inspires others to do the same.
   
   
   

   
   
4. To be CLEAR...
1. The Springboks faced Wales in their semi-final on route to the final. A team they had lost to in their previous 4 encounters. Picture running out to play a soccer game against the team that beat you 4-0 last month. Confident? No.
2. But that's not the attitude the Springboks adopted, because there was something that their coach told them, that they really needed and wanted to hear about Wales. Allow me to share a personal story of mine that helps makes this point. 
3. Many years ago, I was attending a birthday party for one of my school under 12 rugby friends, when suddenly the hosts (sausage) dog took a big juicy bite out of my calf. I was most upset (and eina!) by this unprovoked attack, and decided to immediately report the incident to my father (also present at the party).
4. I must say, I was quite surprised (but could have not been more liberated) by dad's response. Having taken a moment to process my account and eye out the offender, he simply said I should go bliksem (thrash) it (the dog) back, and agreed that the swing bat I was presently holding, would do a good job. Needless to say, I ensured that sausage dog was very sorry it bit me, and for some reason, I've never forgotten the incident since.
5. Well actually, here's the reason, and it's well captured by Rassie's instructions to his Springbok team who had been bitten by Wales on too many occasions to remember. Boys, you're bigger and stronger than them, so let's f#ck them up physically. Not quite Sunday school material, but that's not the point. Instead, it was a message that related directly to what the Springboks needed and wanted to hear, more than anything else in the world. And that's exactly what they did. 
6. Clarity of communication isn't rooted in well spoken or chosen words, but rather in a message that speaks to the heart, reminds you of who you are, and what you are capable of.
   
   
   

   
   
5. To be ONE...
1. There are so many plays in a rugby game, it's sometimes difficult to isolate exactly when and how a game is won and lost. This is especially true in a high pressure, tactical, and evenly contested game, which was exactly what the Springboks 2019 RWC semi and finals were. 
2. However, with the advent of detailed post match analysis, and Chasing the Sun's behind the scenes interviews, it became increasing clear to me, that South Africa's real ace at the RWC (alongside Handre Pollard's right foot) consisted of 3 words... The Bomb Squad!
3. The Bomb Squad (aka the Springbok reserves) consisted of 8 players, like every other team. However, the key differential with the Springbok reserves, was the 6/2 forward/backline split they used. To put this in perspective, that's 6 brand new pairs of forwards legs and arms, that could be called on at anytime to deliver in the last 2 games of the tournament... And they were called, and they did deliver!
4. But what you need to know, is that this very risky 6/2 split, was only made possible because of one man. The same man only started 2 pool games in the RWC, despite being one of the best and most experienced backline players in world rugby.
5. Or said another way, Frans Steyn's ability to play every backline position (except scrumhalf), coupled with his willingness to serve the team by simply warming the bench and mentoring the youngsters, made him the real ace in Rassie's deck (despite not even playing a single minute in either the semi or final).
6. And Frans wasn't alone, because Rassie ensured that every squad member had a role to play, in somehow supporting the guys who ran out onto the field. This Springbok team came to understand that game time was simply playing your part on the field (while others played theirs on the bench or off the field). And in the end, it was 2 bomb squaders off the bench, that made all the difference when it really mattered...
1. Francois Louw won a critical turnover in the semi against Wales to force a penalty in the Springboks half, which lead to a penalty in the Wales half, that won us the game.
2. Malcolm Marx was the set of lighting (hooker) hands that passed the ball to put (Lukhanyo) Am & Mapimpi away, for that unforgettable chip / catch / pass try in the final against England.
7. Being one is not rooted in giving your personal best, but rather in playing whatever part best serves the team... whatever, whenever, wherever, however that needs to look.
   
   
   
   
   
6. To be HUMBLE...
1. It's no secret that Siya Kolisi, the RWC Springbok Captain, is a Christian. This is obvious when you see him kneeling in prayer in his changeroom cubicle, or by the cross he draws on his taped wrist before every game.
2. But here's the secret I think many South Africans have missed about Kolisi. There's a scripture in the Bible that says 'For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his (God's) ears are open to their prayer' (1 Peter 3:12).
3. I'm sure you'll agree with me, that there are few greater marks of righteousness, than humility. In fact, it has been said that humility is the soil in which all virtues grow. On two occasions during the 2019 RWC, Kolisi exhibited a level of humility that I've never seen before, and here they are;
1. Recall the game that the Springbok's lost to the All Blacks in their RWC opener. Well, there was a moment when they were looking down the barrel, having conceded 17 points in 10 minutes, trying to gather themselves behind the posts. And so naturally the captain must speak. And speak Kolisi did. He asked Duanne Van Meulen, Springbok no. 8 veteran, to address the team instead.
2. At the world cup final award ceremony, having received their winning medals, the great moment had at last arrived, and Kolisi was presented the William Webb Ellis trophy. Surely, the crowning moment of any mortal South African man's life. But it was in that moment, that cameras show Kolisi looking to Faf de Klerk (the indomitable Springbok scrumhalf) alongside him, and gesturing if he would like to lift the trophy instead (which Faf of course declined).
4. These 2 incidents confirm for me at least 1 thing... that the Springbok captain is a righteous man, that the Springbok captain's prayers were heard, and that the Springbok captain's prayers where answered! Of course, I know that the Springboks have won 2 previous RWC's without Kolisi, but there were no tries by a Springbok in either of those finals, never mind by a black Springbok, never mind by 1 from rural Eastern Cape with no family left to celebrate him scoring it (Mapimpi).
5. To be humble is not rooted in thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less, and perhaps a little more of the one who scripted your story anyway.

Is it any coincidence then, that Daniel Coyle's book 'Culture Code', highlights all 6 markers mentioned above, as proven keys to a winning team culture. Perhaps that too, was a prayer of Siya Kolisi's?

Learn the markers South Africa, and you too can go play in the sun a little!

Nkosi Sikeleli iAfrica! 

Journey or Destination - so which one is it?

It's been 7 months since I last blogged, and the post prior to that was a full 14 months ago. But this wasn't always the case, because when I look back over the past 6 years of this blog, there's an interesting trend that has emerged...

• 2015 & 2016 - 20 blog posts in total
• Life was full of adventure, faith was food, and everything was possible...
  
  
• 2017 & 2018 - 6 blog posts in total
• The novelty of our big move now gone, life kicked in again, and to quote my brother, 'everything becomes a 9-5 eventually'
  
  
• 2019, 2020 & 2021 - 4 blog posts in total (averaging a full 1,33 posts a year!)
• Dannean and I have both turned 40 (say no more), and seem to have come full circle. Acceptance of reality has truly kicked in. Did I mention we tried to fire up the adventure again in 2020 (unsuccessfully)?

So, what's going on here? Well, that's a question we've spent the 1st half of 2021 trying to answer... With mixed success I guess, but then life's a journey not a destination, right? But if this is true, shouldn't we just toss out the 10 year vision (included below) that we carved out as the basis for our Walkerville adventure 6 years ago? I mean, isn't life too unpredictable and uncontrollable to put a peg in the ground 10 years in advance? 

Or maybe vision is a combination of both the journey and the destination, and maybe it's the journey that's so unpredictable and uncontrollable, but the destination that can be pegged? Anyway, enough with the theory, let's take a look at where we actually find ourselves currently...

As evident here, the destination we settled on for our 10 year vision was a TRANSFORMED COMMUNITY, made up of a number of key inputs or building blocks you might say. The 3 inputs highlighted in red, represent the ones that should have already been achieved (by year 6). The remaining 4 blue inputs, represent those in the pipeline (that need to be achieved in years 6 - 10).

Well, if the proof is in the pudding, let's take a look at how things stack up 6 years in...

• OTHER FAMILIES
• The community farm we live on (The Field Berry Farm) is made up of 19 of these (families) currently... But this is purely a function of accommodation (not a shared vision). In fact, I don't think we've ever intentionally shared this vision with any of them.

• OTHER BUSINESSES
• My business is that of a sole proprietorship (1 man consultancy). No job creation here, but it does pay the bills (mostly), and certainly provides my greatest currency in abundance - time. As we well know, it's all pie in the sky until it's in the calendar.

• TRANSFORMED MEN
• I have started 2 ministries with this in mind - Called2Conquer & Strive2Thrive. This has taken years of sowing, and (to be very honest) provided only a couple weeks of reaping. In other words the impact or fruit hereof, has been pretty underwhelming. Scripture tells me to be faithful with little, and I like to think I have. But scripture also tells me to measure my success by the fruit (or lack thereof) (or maybe the tree just isn't fully grown).

• Partnerships
• Informally, I guess we've had too many partners to mention (in a friendship, support and learning context), but formally, there are no MoU's or Agreements in place. Although I'm not sure that contractual partnerships are the answer either. Community is more rooted in shared friendships, values and purpose.

• Farming
• No bumper crops personally, but I can make good compost, and have grown some very tasty tomatoes and fiery chillies! Subsistence and commercial farming however are 2 very different animals, and I'm not quite sure which one I meant 6 years ago (or which one it should be 6 years later). Regardless, the Berry Farm continues to go from strength to strength, and on top of that, just finished planting 6 hectares of orchards, with 6 more in the pipeline. 

• Schooling & Training
• This is interesting, because it's actually my current project or business plan, being a future school concept called Eduship. Eduship is a hybrid of the traditional and homeschool education models, being an affordable, accessible, school in a classroom, franchiseable, American Diploma based, middle and high school offering. Quite a mouthful right!? My prayer (God willing) is to pilot such a school on the farm in 2022. Watch this space!

• Transformed Church
• It's also interesting to me that this input comes last on the list. As with TRANSFORMED MEN (above), I'm not sure what this would / should actually look like to be honest. That's not to say I don't have some ideas, but I'll spare you those for now, suffice to say, what I know for sure; is that Jesus is King, and his Big Daddy loves me.

So there we have it... A pretty wayward journey, and an unreached destination. Perhaps this then, is the obvious and best explanation, for the meteoric decline in our blog output over the past 3 years. In saying so however, the Lord has seen to it that I was born with my glass half full, and so true to form, there's still 3.5 years to go (before the lady with the fuller figure sings her song). Dannean on the other hand, being more of the pragmatist, tries to keep my head out of the clouds, while continuing to be my greatest fan and friend. I thank you darling.

Which brings me to my (current) conclusion on the matter, and that is, the skill of accepting reality like a pragmatist, but rejecting the status quo like a protagonist, is only truly learnt by testing (which is not for sissies). Or as my good friend Teddy Roosevelt put it, 'the credit belongs to the man / woman who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs, who comes short again and again...' I love this quote, of which I have included the full version below, however, as powerful and moving as it is, there remains something remiss about it for me. 

And that's this; the older and more pragmatic I become as an individual, the bolder and more optimistic I become for the role of team (vs The Man). To be honest, I never have been much of a team player - team sports yes - but putting the team 1st - hell no! In my own defence however, I have been given the spiritual gift of Leadership (that's not a joke by the way), which certainly doesn't make the job of following any easier!

Anyway, more about that (and how much I learnt from the Springboks RWC victory in Japan) in my next post. Thanks for reading ;)

God bless!