Pre-destined for a Post-everything World!

Like most of my posts these days, it's overdue and hardly packed with eye watering developments... But then again, the vision the Lord gave us was a tree, and that's hardly action packed viewing either!  Instead, life carries on, albeit in a very different world to the one we started our Walkerville adventure in 7 years ago! 

By a different world, I'm not only referring to a post-COVID, post-truth, post-paper, post-petrol, post-peace and post-private world... I'm also referring to myself, and how much I've become a more post-political, post-public, post-performance and post-predictable person... In a nutshell, the world I once admired, and the person l longed to be, are in many ways gone. Without going too far down the philosophical bunny hole, I think everyone's better off for both. Let me explain...

At a societal level, I believe the sooner we realise we're made for more than this post-everything existence, and that our deepest need for divine love and acceptance, can only ever be found in and met by God, the better. If you don't believe me, spend a little time reading Solomon's Proverbs, and you'll quickly concede that there really is nothing new under the sun, and in the end, we're but a flower in the field, and all is vanity and striving after the wind... Make that a double barman!

From a personal perspective, and coming back to our vision for a transformed community (the big tree), 7 years later the real transformation has in fact been much closer to home... By God's grace, my underwhelming results in multiple business and life ventures, has aided me greatly in taking myself less seriously, and finding my identity above, and not in my popularity or performance below. Of course, it's one thing to wax on about failing forward and the university of life, but it's quite another to not take failure personally, and prevent the seeds of disappointment growing into fields of weeds.

A further challenge, and associated revelation in this regard, is that while our bank account (cash currency) has certainly run low on numerous occasions, it's never dried up, and we remain debt free, well clothed, housed and fed. The revelation herein for me, is just how wealthy I actually am, when measured by relational currency instead. That is, starting with my 15 year marriage to an amazing woman, add 3 precious kids, an abundance of incredible friends and acquaintances, and lastly a personal relationship with the God of the universe... Seriously, how blessed am I!? Here's a recent reminder for me, and example of what Rands can't buy... Tristan's baptism.

Practically, we're still living on the Berry farm in the south of Joburg, happier than we've ever been, and chasing the prayer of bringing some (small piece of) heaven to our community. In this regard, some wonderful pieces of our faith puzzle have recently come together, including being a part of starting and growing a vibrant faith community (we do church in a man made cave!), and continuously being able to testify to God's amazing grace and truth. On this note, I recently 'preached' on the mysterious subject of God's Word and Spirit, and how they actually work together. Here's the vid if you're interested...

< Click here to open the video in a new tab >

Eduship, the community school we (unsuccessfully) went public with last year, but (successfully) continued privately with our sons this year, has been a great personal milestone for us. That is, both Tristan (11) and Connor (9) currently benefit from a mix of the best that homeschool and private school has to offer. The balance hereof hasn't been easy to find, but D continues to do an awesome job as tutor, and I thoroughly enjoy managing sports (as player coach), and overseeing the mentorship, apprenticeship and ambassadorship streams. 

What exactly will come from this (Eduship) for us or our surrounding community, only time will tell, which I regularly remind myself, is in much bigger hands than mine. Here are a couple pics of our most recent bush camp and soccer game... ps. For any 'I'm bored' kids at home, here's an Eduship holiday pack

On another note, a few more recent personal highlights include; Dannean and I passing the 15 year marriage mark, me passing the 25 year post-matric mark, we passing the 1 month stock-pilling (food) mark (#Eishkom), and me relaunching Strive2Thrive (a young adults training and mentorship programme) which I founded a couple years back... Only this time for a post-COVID (virtual) world. If you know any 18 - 35 year old's running low on hope, motivation and job options, this is for them...

< Click here to open the website in a new tab >

Lastly, on the work front, my desire to generate an income from something I actually believe in / am passionate about, burns stronger than ever. And so while I remain incredibly grateful for the past 5 years of corporate assessments and reporting, the Lord knows I've paid my independent contractor dues! My heart's desire remains to be doing (full time & paid for) community development in a shape and form that facilitates real transformation. One year into Season 4 of the vision (below), I do wonder where we're going to end up, but for now, the Lord holds those cards, so we'll just carrying on watering the tree (vision), and let him take care of the growth.

Thanks for reading, strength & grace always!

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!

What we have here... is Covid 19!

This post picks up where I left off 8 months ago... That is, pretty disillusioned and confused with what the 6 months prior to that had served up. That is, I felt we'd held up our end of the deal, but God had seemingly dropped the ball on His side. Because our much hoped for SA roadtrip got a puncture before we even started, followed up by a last minute u-turn on an amazing job opportunity for an American NGO in Nepal. 

And then, 1 month later, we got our answer... Covid 19. Because let's be honest, a road trip around SA during lockdown wouldn't have exactly worked (duh), nor would of a job in a foreign country, working in schools (double duh). In fact, those 2 options would have likely been in the top 5 worst 'stranded family' scenarios around! Of course, it would have been great to have known all of this in the middle of 2019, but I think if we're honest, knowing the future wouldn't be all it's cracked up to be. And besides, on all accounts, we've spent the last 7 months with our bum in the proverbial 'lockdown' butter. 

I mean, for those who know where we live, there's not much explanation required, but for those who don't, allow me to elaborate. We live on a 20 hectare community farm in the South of Joburg. That is, it's a farm that grows raspberries, enjoyed by a community of 20 families each renting a standalone house on the property. Accordingly, outdoor movement or exercise was not limited, nor was our ability to practice neighbourly distancing (a more practical version of social distancing👌).

However, without a doubt, my most 'practical' testimony coming out of Covid, being an independent, non salaried, contractor, is how I managed to hit budget 5 of the past 7 months, when I could hardly make ends meet over the same period last year. I can clearly recall a fairly nervous conversation I had with God in early March, relating to my Covid financial prospects... and was greatly surprised when He reminded me that He in fact offers short term insurance... Of which I was delighted to learn, that my premiums were fully paid up for the Matthew 6v33 income protection plan!😅 

If you're unfamiliar with this policy, I want to tell from experience, it pays out very well, includes no application forms (a handshake will do), and comes with a set of additional benefits even Outsurance would be proud of! But our budget aside, lockdown really did show me the benefit of living a simple, uncomplicated and quiet life! No big business or division to manage, no hard job/salary cuts to make, no church doors to close, no school to manage, etc... Just me and my household.🙏

Not that my goal in life is to underachieve, but that our default today, certainly as gen X's (and probably Y's too), is to take on more and more responsibility. I think in many ways Covid undid that for a while, and showed all of us that life under 'my' control, really is a myth. Or do we still seriously believe that the galaxies, systems, planets, stars, seasons, rhythms, and life itself, are an uncontrolled and undesigned piece of work? No, you need real power to control, and real genius to design from scratch. Perhaps then, Covid offers all of us the opportunity to consider the sun, and human eyeball, afresh... (But I digress!)

In the remainder of the post, I thought I'd share some of what actually was in my control in lockdown, and how it has been a blessing to me;

• As mentioned, farm life offers open spaces, add a pair of running shoes to that, and there was no reason not to overcome the Covid spread! In fact, I read a quote yesterday on self discipline that blew me away... 'Self-discipline is being your own biggest fan'. I also learnt that self-control is the foundation for that. Anyway, my point being, that I set a goal of running a 3.30 2km (split) sprint (around the farm), trained through the winter, and ran a 3.39 2 days before spring (a PB for me). In the process I also dropped to 73kgs, slightly above my school leaving weight!😎

• I managed to continue immersing myself in the world of education, got my Google Educators (level 1) certificate, and am on track for level 2, and formulating a business plan (BP) for a school I carry deeply in my heart and head (the BP is to see if it should be in my hand!). In a previous post I shared how I almost took a position with a foreign NGO in the education field, but in retrospect I think that was ill timed (obviously), but also somewhat ill-placed. Time will tell, but my roots, my heart, and my people remain in SA. I am already a sojourner once over, must I really double up on that? (Anyway, God knows). Watch this space (especially if you have kids👌) (And here's the concept for anyone interested) 

• It remains no secret, that my 1st love is discipleship, that is trying to figure out how best to follow the One really in control (refer to previous point above). In this regard, I felt it overdue that I make some videos, and convey in another (more engaging (and lazy?)) medium, what God has taught me and placed on my heart. In this regard I completed my Called 2 Conquer War Room series, and hope it will be helpful to other disciples on their sojourn. You can decide for yourself here if you like. 

• As Dannean and I, and anyone else married (never mind with kids) well knows, lockdown brought about a new need to resolve conflict constructively😆💥 Anyway, we've certainly had plenty of practice in this over the years, but hadn't done something 'for us' in some time. And so with every man, woman and their dog going online, we were spoilt for choice, and ended up doing this discipleship course with a very cool crowd in the States. This has helped us move closer together spiritually, by being more intentional and purposeful in understanding God's design in, and seeking out His purposes for, marriage (which includes something else we didn't design, and can't control - our spouse!). 13 years married this year, to this babe...

• Lastly, a long time passion of mine has been mentorship, of which over the years I have been involved in different capacities, shapes and forms. On this note, and for any men out there wanting to volunteer in something worthwhile, check these guys out (where I currently volunteer). Anyway, as we all know, jobless youth, who amount to tens of millions of people in our country, is probably one of the most heartbreaking realities (each one with a story) in SA today. In this regard, I was asked by my good friend and Emthonjeni founder, Trevor Nthola, to run a ' Strive 2 Thrive' workshop for 10 guys and girls from his orphanage down the road (in Orange Farm township). It was a wonderful milestone in my life, and of course I pray in the lives of these youngsters. If this is a burden you bear in some shape or form, here's a copy of the presentation and I'd be happy to workshop it again anywhere there's a need!

Anyway, thanks for reading, and while on one hand I'm mindful of the bigger, more important issues all around us in our country (world) right now (and consequently how small and insignificant this post is in that context), I'm reminded and convinced, that each life and story still matters (at least to the One really in control!). 

Besides, a little light shines all the brighter in the darkness. 

Shine on friends, Nkosisikele (God Bless) all of you! 🙏💙✝️

What we have here... is a failure to launch!

I woke up this morning with such a longing to write again... That is blog again about where we find ourselves in our life's journey. My last post was 6 months ago, and was filled with much hope and exuberance at the prospect of taking a 1 year road trip through South Africa. So sure and excited was I by this dream of ours, that we even created a new blog entitled 'Tata-Ma-Mzansi-Adventure', and boldly shared our plans far and wide. I think at the same time we were glad to be seeing this blog (Our Walkerville Adventure) come to a close, and to move on to newer and better things. Not that the last 5 years haven't been awesome, but it just felt like we were running out of railway or steam (I'm not sure which one), and needed a change. A fresh perspective, a change in direction (career for me), as well as the pursuit of other stirrings deep in our hearts (you can read more about this here - relating to our dreamed of SA roadtrip - https://mzansiadventure.blogspot.com/)

Anyway, in the end - that is having spent 6 weeks trying to borrow the R200k we needed to buy the caravan, and kickstart the adventure - we came up R120k short. Eish. That certainly was not in the script, which was quickly replaced by awkward conversations about how we must have heard wrong from God, and how best to pay back all the money we had just borrowed. Eish indeed! Needless to say, I'm quite an upbeat guy, and so I remained convinced that it was rather an error in destination (than in adventure) on our part, and God would surely be sending the updated memo shortly. In fact, I made it clear that the memo should arrive before the conclusion of 2019. The bible says ask (in faith) and you shall receive, and I for one was going to make sure I wasn't short in either department!

And sure enough, in the middle of November last year, God answered (through a good friend of mine) in the form or an incredible job opportunity! For as long as I can remember, I have wanted to get more involved in education (in some shape or form), and it just so happened that this job description ticked all the boxes I could have ever dreamed of... Well, almost all of them (but I'm getting ahead of myself). There was however 1 significant kicker (X-factor), and that was that the job was beyond SA borders... Far beyond! In Nepal (where people go to climb mount Everest) beyond, to be precise! 

And so began the challenging mental and emotional ascent, of deciding whether or not it was indeed our time and call to leave SA, and go on to a much bigger adventure than even a caravan trip around SA. For me, there was little doubt that this was our destiny, but we decided to take a more pragmatic approach, and simply let the interview process run its course, and essentially wait for them to chose me (and not the other way around). And surprisingly enough, a little more than 1 month later, they did... And told me the job was mine if I wanted it.

As you can imagine, this precipitated a massive amount of celebration and expectation on our part, believing that our ship had at last come in, and we were indeed bound for the adventure of our lives, all the while doing it in submission and service to God and His Kingdom (we hoped). It really felt like we had the winning spiritual lottery ticket! And so once again, friends and families were informed, that instead of a caravan trip around SA, we'd be heading off to Nepal to work for an American NGO, doing awesome work on the front lines of education. And so, needless to say, 2020 dawned full of awe, adventure, faith and excitement! Well almost... because the last piece of the job puzzle, that of salary expectations, still remain untested. This was not by accident however, as in my earlier review of salary bands and company remuneration policy, this appeared to be the last thing to worry about. Eish, wrong again! 

Because what I had not anticipated, was that those salary bands actually applied to self-funded US expats, and my salary band was instead bench-marked on non-self-funded, non US expat factors. Not to say that it was a cheeky salary offer, but simply too little security for us to relocate our entire lives, to a foreign country, with a foreign language, in a foreign culture, for a foreign employer, in a foreign job - only to break about even! And so for the 2nd time, in just as many months, the door closed, and to be honest, our hearts just wanted to break. It felt like something had died. And sure, it wasn't a person or beloved pet... but rather a dream. And yet dreams are somehow perhaps a more dangerous death, for therein lies our hopes and aspirations for the future...

Anyway, fast forward 1 month, and here we are... back in Walkerville, only this time a little less adventurous. We've put the kids into school up the road (no more homeschooling), gone back to our little church down the road (no more home / men's church), and plugged back into our beautiful Field community (which is still a piece of heaven on earth). For work, I simply picked up (where I almost left off) paying the bills by contracting to my buddy's business in Sandton, and Dannean will likely get some part time work when the kids have settled into normal school. And so, for the 1st time in 6 months, I feel like I have sufficient tranquility, perspective and capacity to write again... To be me again.

I think one of the reasons I love writing so much, is that it really helps me to process life. It helps me to organize my thoughts, and constructively verbalize my emotions... which up until recently, sounded a lot like this; Lord, what in heaven's name was that all about!? What of all our hopes and dreams, energy and effort, to travel our beloved country, or work for a great foreign based NGO? Not forgetting we did our very best to do it all in faith, and with pure motives Lord... Seriously, what gives!? Fortunately for me, all of this (ranting) is actually not hopeless rhetoric, for if there's one thing that the past 18 years of walking with God has taught me, it's that He's got answers... very good answers. And even though his answers are more often questions, they never fail to lead me beside still waters, or restore my soul... for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me (Psalm 23). 

In conclusion, there's a 2nd thing that the past 18 years of following the Lord has taught me, and it's never to judge God too soon. So I will be reserving my judgement (of the past 6 months) for a little while, and be back with a followup in due course. Until then, Our Walkerville Adventure must go on! Come pay us a visit on the south side whenever you like.