During our forty-seven years in Africa we took many trips back to America on "furlough". There are many reasons to take a furlough. Some climates are so unhealthy that it is recommended that the family take a break from them to return home for their health’s sake, and they may do so every three years or so, or it may be a requirement that an annual trip be taken to someplace other than where they are working for a complete change. Malawi, for example was for many years considered to the virtually a cemetery for missionaries, because of the heavy toll from Malaria and other diseases. I understand that in India many take breaks in the mountains during the hot season. That was not true of South Africa, however.
In South Africa, because of the apartheid laws for many years, most the time of our residence there, except for day visits in African areas, we were required to stay in European (white) areas at night. We frequently spent the day, even late into the evening in the villages or townships reserved for non-white residents, but we slept in hotels, camping sites, our own homes, or those of friends or other missionaries. Our breaks were usually for a conference gathering, a missionary retreat, a minister’s retreat, a Christian Youth Camp, or very rarely an actual vacation break to a game park. When our daughters were young, we often picked them up after school during the summer months on a Friday afternoon and drove the eighteen miles out to Kimberley’s waterworks and resort campsite in the Vaal River. One could fish, swim in one of the pools, play on the playground equipment and prepare a cook out or picnic. They also had large aviaries with parakeets, and other colorful birds and a large area with huge land turtles. A weir across the river made it wide and deep enough so there were boats and water skiers to watch. Not many people swam in the river because of the danger of Bilharzia, though the danger is really on shore as part of it’s life cycle is by way of snails that live in the damp foliage. I don’t know of anyone who had that disease, but there were caution signs by most waters that swimming is not permitted.
Where we lived in South Africa, the climate was much like Dallas, Texas so it is not particularly uncomfortable. Few houses had air conditioning, and probably even fewer had central heat. The ceilings were high, and I know we suffered more from the cold in the winter than from the heat of the summer. Everyone wore warm sweaters and used a lap robe in the evenings along with portable heat of some sort. Most churches did not even attempt to have night services though we tried with poor success in winter. Evening small group Bible studies worked better then as a small room could be warmed easier than a large auditorium, especially as no window or door was ever free of drafts. It did not help that the building codes at that time required a small grid covered opening above every window for ventilation. Most of us taped a paper cover over those!
It was not because of the weather that we took furloughs about every five years, depending on our work load, the availability of someone to care for it, and when the other near by missionaries were taking theirs. That was our routine for most of our time there, except for the fact that after we opened the Bible bookstore, and became so involved in ongoing projects, publishing, and a local congregation, we took much shorter trips back, but at the same intervals. We first chose three months as they were easier to handle and we could re-visit all the churches that supported the work in that time and report back to them first hand of the work. At the time we first did that South African Airways was offering a big discount on three month round trips and some of the American airlines were offering very favorable prices for more distant places, but always linked and with no back tracking. I was able to use that one furlough, but most of our travel had to be by car. Loan vehicles or rentals were the only choice. Buying a car you are only going to drive for three months and buying insurance and licenses is totally out of the question.
Furloughs are clearly necessary, but are far more difficult than staying put in familiar surroundings and in familiar routines. Especially when they were young, our children suffered through the many hours in the car and among strangers, not to mention hearing dad say much the same thing over and over; even finding a place to live that will accept four small children and with no lease. Putting them in a new school if it happens to be during the school year. I recall one such stay when we were living in a basement apartment, which had few windows. One Sunday, they were all tired and Ruth cried to "go home." We assured her that we would be home soon, thinking of the apartment. When we arrived back, she took one look and began to sob over and over, "I want to go home!" It is heart breaking for a small child to give up everything to live in a car and out of a suitcase. She is one of the three of our four daughters who married and is truly at home in Africa. Two of her three children now live in America and the situation is now reversed for her. Her oldest son has a boy and lives in Cape Town, and her only daughter is now married and presently lives in Oklahoma, while the younger son has an American girl friend, and also lives in Oklahoma. Our fourth daughter married a Scotsman and they are "home" in Dallas: so much at home that Jim has taken out American citizenship. One of Becky’s children lives in England, one in Botswana, and the youngest plans to go to England in a short time. They all pretty well bring an end to any thought of a "family reunion!" It is a fact that we have not seen any of our great-grandchildren, though the next one soon to e born, will live in Oklahome, at least for the time being.
On our return to Africa there was always the period of getting back into a routine. Problems caused by the absence have to be dealt with. In one case the church had disbanded, and my signature on the funds account was forged. I have no idea what happened to the money. Things can no longer be found. In one case, we had a postage franker to cope with my large mailings. The mail had accumulated and was months old, and the franker had not been taken to the post office for setting the whole time. In fact the whole meter was gone. Real troubles! Another furlough, we could not balance the books for the shop at all, and had to simply close them and start over. That was not intentional. I am sure, he just didn’t notice. Added to all this is the small adjustment to driving back to the left side of the road, once having found a car to drive again.
Not furlough time again so soon! Please!!
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