A sense of security

I got to ride the new Gautrain (pronounced How-train) to Pretoria with Kati. We explored the aquarium and the zoo and saw all sorts of animals there, including hundreds of daycare kids (no joke, hundreds). Note to self: avoid the zoo on field-trip Fridays. We also got a taste of the poverty, the high security, and the lack of restaurants besides KFC. All in all, we had a wonderful time but we feel much safer and secure in Joburg despite it's reputation as the "crime capital". Nina and I are convinced if the nation took down all the walls, fencing, and barbed wire, there really wouldn't be much more crime than any other place. What does it really mean to be secure? I mean, I don't feel any safer having to press a button to open three electronic fences just to park my car. In fact, it makes me more nervous thinking I need these things to have that false sense of security. I just wish we knew our neighbors on the other side of that 6 foot wall better. I have this vision of our kids playing with the neighbor kids and their kids jumping on our trampoline freely, without fear of being abducted. Perhaps heaven will have no fences.

Today, on my 2nd day off, I accompanied Amy (the house mom for child haven) to a funeral in Soweto. It was for the 22 year old brother of two of our kids. He was HIV/AIDS positive and has been sick for a long time refusing to take any ARVs. The funeral took place in front of their humble sized house. When they asked for a friend to pay tribute, no one spoke up. There were no parents and no siblings besides the 2 that we brought. Most of the people showed up to help cover the grave so that they would receive food after the ceremony. It broke my heart to see. There must have been 20+ new graves just for that day. If they are lucky enough or if the family has enough money at the time, they will receive a headstone for the tomb. If not, its a mound of dirt. His was a mound of dirt with a few fake flowers on top.