His key role in the concert was…wait for it….a “dish”  Yup, from the rhyme “the dish ran away with the spoon”.  He changed history though and proved that it was not the dish that ran away with the spoon but in fact the spoon who ran away with the dish! Can’t blame the spoon really, he was looking pretty dishy.

Josh the Dish and Adeley the rabit

He has been fortunate enough to have done gymnastics at the school this year which, according to his report, he’s loved.  Annother new activity on his ever increasing social calendar is swimming lessons.   I can finally sit by the side of the pool and watch him paddle around on his own which is very encouraging.  I know he’s nowhere near totally safe yet but he’s more capable than he ever was.

We celebrated his third birthday this year and he is yet to master holding up 3 fingers… but continues to say he’s only two years old.   He swings from being strongly independant and using the phrase. “I can do it all by myself!” and then crawling into my arms and pretending to be a baby.  I must admit to quite enjoying his baby moments as it invariably involves loads of cuddles.

I recently visited a friend of mine with a little girl, Joanna, who’s not quite 3 and Jonathan who’s turning 1 soon.  A mom with two children under the age of 3 has gotta be looked up to…..or admitted into an asylum!  Joanna gave Josh the once over as he got out of the bath and announced, “Josh, you have a Penis!”.  I must admit to being caught totally off guard and being speechless for a moment.  My friends believe strongly in using the correct terms for anatomy.  Josh looked all over his body and wondered what the heck she was referring to.  ”No,  it’s a winky”, he announced when he discovered the source of her interest.

He has amazed us with his ability on the computer.  Confidently opening and closing programs, choosing his favourite YouTube videos or navigating around his games.  I’ve recently upgraded my pc so he’ll be getting his own pc to experiment with shortly.

Something one comes to terms with as a mom is the end of naps on weekends and private bath times.  Those days of lying in the bath quietly reading a book with bubble bath and oils surrounding me are long gone and in their place is a quick shower with Josh shouting over the sound of the water trying to tell me a story through the shower door.  The one good part about the shower experience is there’s someone there to pass you a towel before you even get out into the cold air.  This Josh does each and every shower time with great glee as he loves being “a helper”.  Recently I had a shower while he was busy playing with some toys just outside the door.  I finished my shower and said, “Josh, please pass me a towel.”  He looked up and said “no, do it yourself, I’m busy.”  Ok……I guess my time of being treated to a few luxuries are over so I got my own towel to which he chirped, “good for you mom, you did it all by yourself”.  Hmmmm…..

As a mom of a boy I’ve learnt a great deal about things I had no intention of learning about.  I won’t go into too many details but it includes way too much knowledge about going to the loo and the ability to aim into the toilet and my personal favourite, Josh standing in the lounge with his undies down and staring at his….”Winky” exclaiming….”Look mom, it’s getting BIG!”

We celebrated Christmas differently this year which was fun.  Biscuits and a glass of milk was left out for Santa and his Christmas stocking was filled on Christmas Eve when Santa fills in the middle of the night.  We put out the family nativity scene and have explained the Christmas story to Josh and I think he sort of got it.  It’s been fun and exciting to start new traditions and take Christmas back to the basics again…the mystery, excitement and magic that only a child can re-awaken in us.

After doing “Opposites” with Josh at home he opened his Christmas presents and asked his dad….”what’s the opposite of “sharing is caring”"?  It’s amazing how he can test the boundaries already .

We have also had to decide on a primary school for Josh.  He’s booked into Trinity House but for several reasons we are not happy with our original choice and needed a plan B.  We found a lovely school called: North West Christian school.  He’ll be heading there for Grade 1 and will probably join Trinity for high school.

Steve and I have had a tough year and I happily closed the door on 2009.  Steve has a new business ventures doing something he loves….working with Motorcycles.  He will be running a company that produces and equipps touring bikes with specialised equipment and accessories.  He’ll also continue his off road motorcycle training from the same company.  It’s hugely exciting and he has enthusiastically dived right into it.

My business had a boom year in 2009 and kept me up late nights and early mornings.  I’ve slowed down for Jan but ready to put in some serious time to get new clients for 2010.  I’m taking it a bit easier this year though and focusing on a more balanced lifestyle.  Heading to the gym will be the first step!

Michael and Natasha have a hectic social calendar so I don’t get to see much of them.  Michael has started a new “brother date” tradition that allows him time with Josh once a month.  His last event was a day out at Fourways mall playing miniture golf and sharing a waffle after.  Josh loves his big brother so this is a huge hit and a tradition I’ll actively encourage.

Charisse has changed from being the student in the family to joining the ranks of the working world.  She has thrown herself into her job at Discovery in one of their brokerages as a Business consultant and does a whole heap of marketing and admin that she’s never had any experience in but seems to be taking it all in her stride and climbing the corporate ladder fast and furiously.

Recently we had a picnic on some rocks overlooking a dam.  Josh played on his own climbing up and down the rocks and nibbling on the snacks and then made his way to our rock.  He climbed up behind us and wrapped his one arm around Steve’s neck and the other arm around my neck and pulled us close to him…”I love you guys.” he said as he cuddled close.  We sat watching the sun going down with our little boy holding us closely and telling us over and over that he loved us both and I realised again…what’s really important.

The end started off will a mighty bang as Granny fell and broke her arm in two places. She was taken to hospital via ambulance which Cherie accompanied. She had surgery the next day and is now doing well even although she is in a lot of pain. The rest of us not to be deterred from a plan that we felt was both important and significant soldiered on.

After a braai supper the council started with the official lighting of the bonfire from the North, South, East and West signifying the arrival of family members from all directions to fulfill a common cause.

The draft family declaration was read by all. After that each member presented their own ‘stuff’ i.e. a picture and object of great personal significance, an old family story and finally a telling of their own story; their past, present and future. The accounts were intimate and immediately created a deeper bond and understanding between all present.

The chalet on Hollybrooke Farm Magaliesburg, South Africa

Joshua starts to learn the 'ways' - making potbrood (pot bread)

African sunset

A lot of work still needs to be done but this was a great start to a new and significant family bonding tradition.

Bath time from hell

I am as sick as a dog; stuffy nose, achy body, burning throat and very grumpy. It’s 5pm and I sneak into the bathroom and close the door for an hour of therapy.

I eyeball the tub. It hasn’t been cleaned since Josh bathed last night. The bottom is littered with the evidence of last night’s meal; a chop bone, a spaghetti string, a few peas, a crust of bread and a layer of oil make up the perfectly balanced meal; we are great parents!

I clean it, add Vicks Vapour rub to the water, and turn on the wall heater. The water is hot and the  steam fills the room to veil my aching body. I close my eyes.

“Hallo Dad.” It’s Josh, our pet three-year-old.

“Can I bath with you dad?”

“No, I’m sick.”

“Please daddy?”

“No you cannot!”

“Those are ugly words!” He grumbles.

“Daddy is not feeling well and I don’t want to make you sick my boy.” I attempt a gentler approach.

“I’m sick too Daddy!” A thick brown mucus bubble hangs out his nostril. I dry my hands and fumble for a toilet roll. “Blow . . . hard!” I command. I feel a mucus spray cover my naked hand as the toilet paper is blown across the room. I clean my hand in the bath water wishing that the hand basin was closer. Mucus to water, probably three parts per million I estimate as I eye the brimming bath. Probably meets some international standard I muse and I settle back down.

“I get you some toys Daddy,” Joshua offers, reaching for a huge plastic container of assorted bath toys.

“I don’t want any toys my boy.”

It begins to rain toys. Soon I feel as if I’m bathing among the flotsam and jetsam of a wrecked ship. I pick of one that is lying on my chest. It spews icy cold water from some forgotten era all over heaving chest. I comfort myself with “Four parts per million.”

“Which toy do you want daddy?”

“I don’t want any toys my boy.”

“What about cups?” he offers.

“I don’t want any cups my boy,” I say and close my eyes. Water starts to land on my head as Josh gives a hearty rendition of ‘Its raining, its pouring, the old man is snoring.’ ” I open my eyes to find a large cup with holes in the bottom above my head.

“I DON’T WANT TOYS!” I yell.

“Those are naughty words.” Joshua chides and tosses the cup back into the bath.

“Let’s play music,” he suggests brightly. We put together the eight pieces making up a floating xylophone. I hold it while he begins a delicate symphony of tinkley sounds. He’s talented and I may yet get something out of this human investment some day. His efforts moves towards a climax, his  arms blurring as he pounds the hapless instrument – one of the sticks breaks.

“What happened Daddy?” He asks with a small frown as he examined the two pieces in his hands.

“It broke.” I announced with an element of finality totally lost on him. He tosses the two sharp pieces into the bath. I try to make a mental note of them in my foggy brain.

“Let’s paint.” He says starting a new chapter of an old, tattered and tired book.

“I don’t want to paint. Dad’s sick.”

“Here is a brush for you,” he offers me a small brush

“I don’t want to paint.”

“I’ll use the BIG one,” he announces with enthusiasm as he sets up the water colour tray on the side of the bath. Within seconds the side of bath is covered in livid bright primary colours that start to run down the sides and into the water. The brush is a blur of movement, colour and paint; also generous cleaning in my bath water, which rapidly starts to change colour.

“Ten parts per million.” I moan feebly to no-one in particular.

The red soon becomes the favourite and he eyes my chest. Lying in a sea of floating plastic toys, in water that no respectable person would bath in, I resign myself to my fate. Soon my chest is a scene from a murder movie with bright red slashes everywhere.

“Lets’ paint your winkey!” he suggests brightly.

Ok, that’s it. I’m DONE here. I stagger to my feet and start to dry myself.

“That was fun daddy!” he says beaming up at me.

“You get in and play some more,” I suggest.

“No, daddy the water is too yucky!” He says wrinkling up his nose.

Oh, well there is always Ice Age on DVD

Joshua is now 3!  Wow….I sometimes have to stop myself from the hustle and bustle of life and just stare at him.  Capture him in my mind as the little boy he is now, knowing that even next week, he’ll be different.

I must admit that in the 3 years there were times that seemed to crawl by.  The first 3 months of his life being the time that pops into my mind but there were others.  Now, time is racing on and I often have to stop and savour what we have.  I’m so blessed to have been given the opportunity to be a mom and even more blessed to have Josh to experience this time with.

Josh loves bathtime

Since I last wrote Josh has been attending Nursery school since January this year and is now very involved in the activities and the new friends.  We discovered all kinds of personality traits about him since he started at school.  He connects with one or two people and doesn’t like too many kids around him at the same time.  He’ll pull Adeley aside and play with her and get very upset when she plays with other kids.  He became very attached to his teacher (Mandy) who started off the year and took about 2 months to get used to Teacher Anthea when Mandy suddenly left.  He enjoys school but given the opportunity he will happily skip it and stay home with Patience (child minder).

We recieved his report at our very first parents evening a few weeks ago.  Steve calls it his BUT report.  Josh listens attentively BUT is easily distracted.  Josh can do all the puzzles and activities BUT gets frustrated.  It seems he’s coping well with school BUT we have been warned that he’s a “free spirit” and may not cope with a very structured academic enviroment.  ie, Trinity House (private school) that we have booked him into for Grade 1.  We were a little concerned about it right from the time we registed him.  Steve and I being creative people does not give Josh much hope of being happy in a rigid structured system where everybody is made of ‘tikky-tacky and they all look just the same’!

Josh celebrated his birthday at home on the 25th May with friends and family and then had a great party a week later with everyone bringing their picnic blanket and joining us a the Mini railways.  The trains kept the kids entertained while the adults caught up.  I must admit that I had a bad dose of flu and felt terrible the day before but made it through just the same.  It went surprisingly well but I was happy to crawl into bed later in the afternoon and hand Josh over to Steve with way too much sugar in his system and enough presents to keep him excited for months!  Thanks to EVERYONE for joining us and for the lovely gifts.

Some of the guests at the party.

I tried to get some more structure in our lives and created “family night”.  Friday night, roast chicken and bread rolls will be served while we watch a DVD and chill out on the couch.  As with all my routines I quickly realised that I rebel against the very routines I create.  I now dislike roast chicken intensly and purposely get DVD’s out on Thursday so that we can do something different on Friday nights.  Oh heck – I’m my own worst enemy!

So…tonight is Friday and we are having Pizza!

I’m loving my time with Josh.  He’s so chatty and yes, he tires me out quickly but I love the fact that he is more independant.  He is now in the process of being potty trained which has created a new level of indepence for him.  He took to the peeing in the loo very quickly but is yet to master a poo in the loo.  He hides under a table and goes very quiet for awhile.  I know within 5 minutes of total silence in the house what he’s up to and head off to the bathroom with clean undies and wet wipes.  If I ask him what he’s doing and why not come to the loo to do it there, he tells me to leave him alone.  I’m going to start bribary next unless someone has a better idea.

As for the rest of the family.

Steve and Josh at Bramasole - a weekend away in Magoebaskloof

Steve completed the 20 week prison programme at the Krugersdorp maximum security prison.  He had a graduation ceremony for the guys which was a lunch served in courtyard area (FREEZING).  The inmates had an opportunity to express what they had learnt in the course which was really interesting.  I sat next to a  guy who had been the sole survivor in an armed robbery that was interrupted by the police.  Steve said this guy had started off being as tough as nails and not trusting a soul.  He spent alot of the course just shaking his head or holding it in his hands.  I think alot of stuff really hit home to him and drew him out of a life-long way of thinking.  Challenging him in every aspect.  There was a guy who had murdered his wife during a very intense fight and was so resentful of the 10 minutes that it took for him to lose his cool and act in a way that he never thought he was capable of.  He was quiet, respectful man, wise and with such a soft character it was hard to believe what he’d done.  Lunch with murderers, armed robbers and paedophiles went surprisingly well and I felt so overwhelmed by the mixture of emotions I experienced while there.  Steve will write about his experiences soon and I’ll upload it.  He’s hoping to go back again to complete a second programme with a new group at the same prison.

Magoebaskloof.Taking a walk with Kelland and Ashley - Robin and Mel's two children

Michael is recovering well from his Monticasino Hot Air Balloon accident.  His bruising has gone down but he has a few lumps that have grown in the bruise that may have to be drained or surgically removed at some point.  He has taken legal action against the balloon owner, Absa and Monti but I have no updates on what’s happening, if anything, with that.

Monti casino balloon accident

The new lady in his life is Natasha.  She’s full of fun and easy to get along with and very beautiful.  They compliment each other well and I watch on hopefully that this is true love.  Michael is keen to start a family which excites me as I know he’ll make a superb father.  It’s very early days for their relationship though, so I’m sure having babies is not quite on the radar for them for quite some time.  Michael continues to run Live Out Loud magazine and Boiling Point.  Live Out Loud is now available at Woolworths stores so watch out for them!

Mike had a very real and life changing experience at the Mighty Men Conference. His new found relationship with God is a significant turning point for him. We are both thankful and delighted at his new spiritual journey.

Charisse has surprised everyone and is enthusiasitically involved in her new job.  She is now working for Discovery Health in one of their broker firms as a broker consultant.  Yes, a far cry from Criminology….or maybe not .  It’s long hours and hard work but an excellent salary and business experience that will get her foot in the door of a whole new world of possibilities.  She was sad to move out of her digs with friends in Pretoria as it marked the end of student life and her very enjoyable time in Pretoria University.    She’s now living with her mom in Dainfern and has just been allowed to take over the west wing as her own separate area.

On a personal note, she’s grown up enormously over the last year and I find a new person emmerging.  Loving her confidence and strong independence and also enjoying a very deep sensitive side that reads situations and people deeply and well. Her spiritual life continues to florish with a very intimate walk with God.

I’ve been putting my head down and working hard for the last few months.  With the recession, people are focused on marketing strategies and my business is booming.  With the property industry being in the slumps and Steve having to take cuts on his salary to keep the company running costs lower, my business boom has been a blessing – as always God’s perfect timing. It’s been tough for both of us but we have just treasured what we have and take one month at a time.  As one business dies so annother one is birthed and opportunities abound in even this market.  God willing, we will continue to find them.

A blessing for you all:

May today there be Peace within.
May you trust that you are exactly where you are meant to be.
May you not forget the infinate possibilities that are born of faith.
May you use those gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you.
May you be content.
Let his presence settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love.

With all our love

Steve, Carole and Joshua

This is two days after the accident in which the steel cage below the Absa branded helium balloon swung about so violently that Mike and Natasha were injured.

The cause of the incident? Who knows? When liability is involved the facts become difficult to assertain.

The day arrived, 10 May 2009, the famous Jets & Jewels event held by Michael’s magazine Live Out Loud in partnership with ExecuJet was being held at Lanseria airport.  With a guest list of over 600 dignitaries and of course …us, and a price tag in the millions to put it all together, we dug deep into our cupboards, borrowed from neighbours and came up with some snazzy outfits that would allow us safe passage into this prestigious event.

Michael had been telling us about the finer details for weeks with great excitement. We were given strict instructions that this was one that we had a responsibility to be at.  To be honest, Steve and I are not very into the glitz and glamour world and dragged our feet a bit at the thought of having to attend on such a freezing cold evening. Hot choc and DVD’s sounded like a better option.  But, it was not negotiable and so we arranged babysitters for Josh and headed out to Lanseria.

Wow!  Was my first impression as we pulled into the car park and spotted the first of many cars by Maserati, Lamborghini, Aston Martin and Rolls Royce parked in and around the venue.  We were met by staff dressed in red and black formal wear offering to cater to our every need.  “May I take your coat?”, “Would you like a glass of champagne?” – the kind of treatment you are not used to unless you frequent five-star resorts on a regular basis.

With a glass of real champagne in hand we were led past some luxurious private jets and into the main event.  How snazzy can a aeroplane hangar be….well, incredibly awesome!  Wow!  Breathtaking!  With what looked like white tiled floors, white fabric draped on all the walls, a white stage lit from beneath and above and a private Jet and Rolls Royce parked in the centre, it clearly was going to be quite an event.

One of the glasses of champagne had a real diamond in compliments of Arthur Kaplin – sadly not ours! The young man who won it gave it to his mom for Mother’s Day.

The food done by Franz Catering was delicious, served by white-masked waiters in tuxedos who were constantly tempting you with more.  We drank cocktails from the one bar, champagne from the other and didn’t even try out the wine, beer and whiskey bars scattered around. These were provided by Bar Code, Benguelacove Wines, Brandhouse Premium Whiskeys and SAB.

There was a string quartet playing for awhile followed by a pianist on the grand piano found in one section of the hangar, right next to one of many sets of the white leather lounge suites sponsored by Bakos Brothers.

The day before the event the lighting rig from Multimedia Staging proved to be too heavy for the roof trusses and engineers had to be called in to ensure that the load was correctly distributed. Eventually the lighting and sound problems were sorted, giving the event the technical support it needed. Additional lighting in the form of exquisite chandeliers were by Limelight Design.

We had a private tour of a luxurious charter Jet that reminded me of the Rolls Royce parked just outside.  Cream leather interior seated 8 people comfortably with 5 star catering and chairs that turned into full length beds to sleep it’s occupants should they be flying to London overnight.  I sat in the cockpit and marveled at all the buttons, lights, screens and the whole vibe of being in the driving seat of something that costs more than I could ever imagine to make in a lifetime.

A Jet landed just outside the hangar and models (Thulani Brand Ambassadors) were wearing the latest designs from Leivsons (Hugo Boss, Boss, Armani and La Coste).  There were pillars with ladies draped in jewels who would stand like statues until you approached and then swooped down to show off their diamond rings, watches and chunky jeweled necklaces. These were provided by World’s Finest Jewellery and Athur Kaplans.

Colin Moss was the MC for the event and lightened the mood with his lighthearted humour.  Michael came out on stage dressed in a black suit, black shirt and shiny red tie and made a short welcome speech, thank you’s to sponsors and an introduction to the Live Out Loud magazine – he did a great job and spoke very well, relaxed and in control.

A dancer took over the stage and did a routine climbing up two pieces of white fabric draped from the ceiling.  Everything about the event was just perfect, five-star and luxurious.

The Live Out Loud lady staff  looked amazing dressed in designer outfits sponsored by Cheerine Anderson.  The staff really need to be congratulated for working so hard and putting the event together, I was amazed at the end product and know there was quite a bit of last minute panic behind the scenes but it was smooth sailing on the day.

It was a lovely evening and a real treat.  Steve just smiled with so much pride as he watched Michael on stage.  We were all very proud of Mike and marvelled that he’s only 27.  What makes it more incredible is that after such a larney event on the Saturday night, Michael arrived dressed as Barney, dancing and singing Barney’s theme songs to entertain Josh and his friends the very next morning at our home!

We are so proud of you Mike.

Report by Carole and Steve Eilertsen – Mike’s parents.

Other sponsors were: Chrysalis Products, Gorgeous and Tanaz, Proteia Coin Security, Legends Golf Course, Multimedia Staging, Investic, Bombardier, Amouage, Lovemore Music, Viglietti Motors and Status Luxury

To view the slide show, click on the “View all images” below. Once it has loaded you can toggle between gallery view (no music) and slide show view (with music) – top right hand side

Three months ago the deal was finalized. I would supply the medical services at this year’s MMC event.  I was competing against a rival company, and was prepared to equal their quote for three vehicles on site.  I promise three vehicles, but would throw in a field hospital, two quads and ten outstations at the same price.  These would be manned from Friday morning to Sunday night.  Having done the event last year, I knew what I was letting myself in for.

After all, last year we had 65 000 men attending, and we coped with them with our 10 medics, all volunteers. With the 200 000 expected, we would have many more volunteers, and the money we would be paid, would cover our disposables and travelling expenses, as well as our meals.  I planned to discount whatever we did not spend, as this was an event I would not do for money.

Event Medical Services at MMC 09

Only three days to go and I have not slept well for the last three weeks.  I have searched high and low for medics, but have only three and myself with one ambulance that I brought from my operations.

I phoned my stepson, who is one of the ambulance staff and plead with him to find me more staff.  Even the medics who attended last year have pulled out.  I have phoned my competitors and asked them to take over the event; assuring them that the exposure they will get far exceeds the little money they will get paid.  Again I am turned down.

Then I receive a SMS from my step-son: “DEPEND ON IT – GOD KEEPS HIS WORD. DOUBT IS A DEMONIC DETOUR. WHEN YOU GET TO WHERE GOD WANTS YOU TO BE, HIS PROVISION WILL ALREADY BE IN PLACE, NO TURNING BACK“.

OK, But I have already prayed and asked…  I am now in panic mode, and I change my requirements from Christian Male Volunteers to Christian Male Medics that will be paid, and eventually to any Male Medic who is prepared to work for money.  This will be financial ruin, but I no longer care.

One Day to go!  Thursday morning I receive a message that my North Coast manager has managed to find some medics, as has someone in Durban, and five are available in Pietermaritzburg.  I proceed to Mighty Men to set up the Field Hospital for Friday morning.  Buy sunset the first patients arrive, even though we are only on duty from Friday.  Already 60 000 men are on site.  My ambulance is dispatched immediately to cover the event during the night and by sunrise six patients have been treated, all minor ailments.

Event Medical Services at MMC 09

Friday morning dawns, without any sleep.  Two medics from Durban do not show up, two from North Coast and three from Pietermaritzburg.  I am left with twenty.  Not quite what I was hoping for, but manageable all the same.  I hate myself for doubting in the first place.  However, I am the only paramedic, and should we have to move a serious patient, the event will be left with nothing but ambulance staff.  It will just have to do!

By 10am the patients are starting to arrive with all sorts of ailments from flu to runny tummies, asthma, allergies, silly things that means a lot to the patient, but are not what we are trained for.  We need the serious stuff to make our life worth while.

A Provincial Ambulance response vehicle pulls up with a doctor, required by Disaster Management to be in the OPS CENTER in case of disaster.  This centre is based about ten meters from our field hospital.

The Doctor strolls in and introduces himself in a heavy Zulu accent.  Great I think, just what I need, an intern who is forced to do his work at a provincial ambulance service.  He promptly announces to the organizers and police manning the OPS Centre that should they require him; he will be at the field hospital, and promptly starts to scratch through our equipment.  I am too busy to arrange medics at the outstations to worry about him at this stage anyway.

By the time I have everyone arranged, stations worked out, instructions given, I become aware that the Doctor is still in the tent, treating patients.  I wander across for a closer look, and discover that he is not just handing out the few medications we have, but is actually examining the patients with their aches and pains, and actually treating them.  “This simply wont do” he announces, and drives off to Greytown and returns shortly afterwards with half the hospital pharmacy, handing out anti-biotic and medication, the names of which you need to study at least seven years just to pronounce.

Wow, now this is what was needed in the first place.  In addition, he unpacks ventilators, heart monitors, vital signs monitors etc from his vehicle.  When the going gets really tuff, another doctor arrives to help out.  Another 3 doctors treat patients at the outposts…  “His provision will already be in place!!!!!”

Friday night Angus does an altar call and sees literally 1000’s give their live to the Lord.  Awesome!  Out the corner of my eye I catch one of my medics holding his hand high up.  Wow, and I wanted only Christian medics here.  The night offers little sleep.  Some patients need hospitalization.  There are some broken bones from falls on the motorcycles, some medical cases, all stable, none life threatening.  When things do quieten down, I am amazed to see medics sitting in small groups, bible in hand.  Words are falling on fertile land everywhere.  Another piece of the Lords way falls into place.  God has a plan with everything.  His way! – Not ours.

Event Medical Services at MMC 09

Why is this repeated over and over again and again I am still surprised by it.
Saturday morning breaks cool and clear.  Soon the heat takes over, but all runs well. The medics are doing their job, the doctor is amazing.  The service is electrifying.  Men are called to honour God, to put him first, to honour their family.

Angus talks of the war that the devil is waging against all believers. We need to be fit to fight the war.  He does push-ups, runs on the stage, tells us that God loves us and wants a personal relationship with us, and tells us that God talks to us.  He tells us to read the bible, and makes us promise that we will.

Angus – “Good people don’t go to heaven, BELIEVERS go to heaven!”
Angus is a humble farmer with an unshakeable faith in God. He is used by God to minister to the men in South Africa calling them to a committed life in Christ.

He tells us how he has had a restless night with no sleep.  He has had a fever, but after his wife prayed for him, the fever has left him.  He tells us that he is tired, but must fight the war.  After two hours he is visibly exhausted and after praise and worship we make our way back, slowly, between 200 000 men.  No sooner do we reach out tent when a marshal rushes over with the news that we are needed urgently at the main stage for a patient who had collapsed.

We make our way back through the endless crowds, eventually reaching the stage, only to find one of our ambulances already there.  I find it strange that the patient is under the stage, but push through anyway.  Maybe they needed the shade for the patient.  Near the entrance I find an elderly gentleman lying on the floor. He is covered in sweat, already has a drip up, and has an oxygen mask on.  I kneel down next to him to asses him, and discover it is Angus.

Even lying there, he keeps telling us that this is a war; the Devil will attack every where.  He explains that he is exhausted! Whilst still lying on the floor he makes plans for the night service.  He will take it easy tonight; maybe even sit on a chair whilst preaching.  We all know that this will be impossible for him.  Even so, we remove the drip and help him to his feet.  Outside the stage area, men are praying and singing, and shout and clap when Angus appears.  He is taken to his house by car, still weak.

Thirty minutes after we arrive back at the tent, another usher appears.  We need a stretcher urgently at Angus’ house.  No other information.  Could be someone who has come for prayer, or it could be Angus himself.  We fly through the crowds.  Security men let us through, and we grab the stretcher and jump-bags before rushing into his modest house.

The walls are thick, with small windows, and little light. We are spotted and chased out.  Once we get out into the light, we are recognized and sent around the house to the front lawn.  There we find Angus, on his side, unresponsive, our Zulu doctor and another doctor at his side.  The heart monitor is already attached, a new drip running full speed.  I ask the doctor for an update.  He informs me that Angus collapsed, and glances at the monitor.

One look and my worst fears are realized.  The rhythm is very abnormal, with an inverted “T” wave, typically found with a Heart Attack.  I look at the Blood Pressure monitor – More bad news, it reads 80 / 40.  The oxygen mask is already on, with all holes masked up to try and increase the concentration of Oxygen delivered to Angus. I have seen this many times before.  I know what happens next.  These are the precious few seconds we are given to prepare for the inevitable.  Resuscitation is just seconds away.

Angus has already received his “Disprin” and TNT Spray to dilate blood vessels around the heart and assist with the breaking down of blood-clots.  He is deeply unconscious.  I know the drill, so I pull out my Drug bag and break open the resuscitation drugs we will need shortly.  Adrenaline in one syringe, Atropine in another with Calcium Gluconate in a third.  To counteract acidosis that occurs during CPR, I set up the Sodium Bicarbonate Drip, but don’t attach it yet.

Angus is still going, barely, which gives me a chance to select the tube that will shortly go down his throat to assist in his breathing.  I check the equipment to do this with. He is still going, barely.  I pull out the paddles from the heart machine, and place the gel next to it.  This will be needed to deliver the shocks to his chest to attempt the re-starting of his heart.

At this stage Angus’ blood-pressure remains low, despite the drip running full-out.  I select another, smaller drip and add to it 4 ampoules of adrenaline.  Sometimes this helps to increase the blood-pressure.  It seems to be working.  His blood pressure climbs slowly to 100 / 60, still dangerously low, but better.  Now we need to decide on how to move him to a specialist as quickly as possible.

A helicopter has already landed, but a quick inspection shows that we cannot lie Angus down anywhere inside the cramped aircraft, and his condition is too critical to take a chance.  A medical Helicopter is required, and is summonsed.  How lucky that I know the manager personally, and can dispense with all formalities of protocols and Guarantees of payments. Is this luck?  It leaves immediately.

In the distance, I hear the call over the massive speakers for the men to get together and pray.  Tens of Thousands heed the call and move in that direction.  Thousands more collect around Angus’ house.  Loud prayers are heard everywhere.  I am acutely aware of the chill in the air, the clouds that are suddenly building up.

THIS IS WAR keeps going through my mind. If this is a war, I am living in the middle of it. This servant of GOD is being struck down.

Angus slowly regains consciousness.  His family is by his side.  There is no panic, no fear. I have never experienced this before.  They are just by his side, holding his hand – such peace.  There is no doubt in anybody’s mind that Angus is about to meet the Lord.

The helicopter lands and another paramedic jumps out. Caleb, one of the best paramedics I know and trust.  After a quick handover, Angus is loaded into the Helicopter and takes off.  I can still see his face, straining to look out, waving with both hands.  I feel exhausted, and spend a long time picking up the medical waste. With a heavy heart I get back to the tent.  I am dismayed at the number of people packing up their tents and leaving.

At the same time, I have no doubt that Angus will not be back soon, if at all. However, I know that I am not here to meet Angus.  I am here to meet Jesus.  That night, rumours spread that Angus has been discharged.  However, I know better.  I was there, I had seen the cardiac rhythm, had seen the low blood-pressure, and had personally infused the adrenalin.  Either way, I attend the night meeting, and find peace and joy in knowing God.

The next morning I am summoned to set up a station under the stage.  Angus will preach!  How can that be?  Obviously he has forced himself out of hospital, and barely clinging to life, will now attempt a sermon in spite of his condition!  How wrong I am.  He arrives with his family and friends, is full of life, kneels and prays before going up to the stage to present his sermon.
He talks of his day lying helpless on his lawn, and asks if we are ready to meet the Lord?  He was close to meeting him yesterday, but he was healed.  The cardiologist ran stress tests; they ran blood tests, and every other conceivable test.  Final diagnosis – NOTHING. NO ABNORMALITIES DETECTED.

No abnormal chemical levels, no traces of heart damage, NOTHING.  He is discharged three hours after arriving at the hospital.  Either I need to go back to study, because after 25 years I have no idea what I am doing, or accept that God is capable of great miracles.  Personally, I believe the latter.

Event Medical Services at MMC 09

Angus has his preach, and many more give their lives to the Lord.  It is a war, and those that left before Sunday, are the casualties of this war.  Those that stayed saw the greatness of our God.  Those that came to meet Angus, were disappointed, but those that came to meet God, met Him and what a pleasant experience.

Sunday afternoon comes, and we pack up.  We are exhausted, but feel alive.  My body tells me it’s been through hell.  Every joint aches, every muscle complains.  It feels like it has been at war.  My sole is alive and on fire. God is mighty, He is good.  I pay my medics.  Total cost? EXACTLY the amount quoted three months before the event!!!

Travelling costs, meals and disposables will be recovered from the few ambulance transfers done by the ambulance.  The words “His provision will ALREADY be in place” keeps turning in my mind.

At the debrief, we hear of testimonies of men whose business back home improved dramatically whilst they were serving at MMC, we hear of SMS’s that were received before Angus’ collapse of impending danger, people phoning from around the world with prayers and words of encouragement.

What an awesome GOD we serve!  We are warned or the devils attack in the week to come, where he will try and destroy all the good that has been done.  Already there is talk of Angus having been flown to Hospital with a stroke and that this was done only for money etc.  The Devil is at work, and THIS IS WAR but OUR GOD IS GOOD…  ALL THE TIME!!!!  And victory belongs to them that believe.

In total we treated close to 200 patients.  Dr Ntuli was awesome.  The experience was great.  It allowed me to serve with the gift that God has given me.  It allowed me to grow in my faith.  Would I do it again?  ANYDAY!  Should we do it again?  The devil would have won the battle if we don’t.

Mighty Men Conference 2009. Aerial shot from www.mmc09.co.za

Mighty Men Conference, Greytown, South Africa, 2009

Two hundred thousand men gathered on Angus Buchan’s farm in Greytown over the weekend of 24, 25 April 2009. It was an open-air event with most of the men camping in the fallow meilie fields. Angus preached on the Friday night, Saturday morning and Sunday morning (when the ladies were also invited to attend). This is the short version if you want just the facts. Perhaps I could add that Angus suffered a heart attack after preaching on the Saturday morning and therefore missed the Saturday evening slot as scheduled. From here on however the facts become less definitive and more subjective.

I don’t do crowds. I don’t sit in a stadium packed with fans. I don’t do ‘spectator’ and I don’t do ‘fan’. Watching other people have fun, and paying for it, is foreign to my narcisstic nature. But in life there are always exceptions; like when there are people that I care about; I’ll do anything for them.

Cherie cashed in my marker on 1 January 2009 and requested that I go to the Mighty Men Conference with all the other men in our circle. She would provide some vehicles, petrol and luxury accommodation in the area for the women who would be ‘manless’ for the weekend. She approached the other men and got a full house; it was New Year’s day after all – you don’t want to create bad karma for the whole year by saying no to the first request!

The men in our circle range from 24 to 54 years of age. Some Christian by lifestyle and other ‘Christian’ because they don’t want to be Moslem and therefore struggle to get international airline tickets. Some are businessmen and some are bums (by their own admission.). Despite our differences, we are united by family. Now however we were united in one additional way i.e. our common decision to attend the conference together.

By definition ‘Mighty Men’ camp in the field and pee in the open air trenches specifically dug for the purpose; we did neither. With our women in five star accommodation with Jacuzzis, heat and sprung mattresses just down the road we decided to give the weekend a more ‘family spin’ rather than the hardcore camping scenario.

Admittedly, I would camp should I ever go again. We strolled through the monolithic campsites and knew that we had missed an important aspect of the weekend. Two hundred thousand men camping in one place fills an entire valley and is reminiscent of an ancient Roman army on the move. We were massively impressed by the structure and organization of this weekend-tented-town in the middle of a valley that is usually a sea of meilies swaying in the autumn breeze and awaiting the harvest.

For the uninitiated, Angus Buchan is a 65 year old farmer with no bible school training. His conversion to Christianity and his call to the ministry are well documented in the internationally released film, “Faith like Potatoes.” Like Moses, he is a man who walks with God. Angus is a man of faith. His life story tells us that having a living relationship with God makes life tougher, not easier; he will also tell you that ‘easy’ is for wimps, because life is surely more than mere ‘comfort and security’.

Friday night.
The 5 degrees C, the rain and the sleet of the previous few days were gone! The refreshing night breeze brushed our faces as we sat down on the bales of hay under a vast black, star-filled sky. Angus will tell you that God speaks to him through the weather and the perfect conditions throughout the weekend were a testament to this contract. In some parts of the world he is called “The Rainmaker”, but he corrects them when he says, “I’m the Rainmaker’s Son.”

Mighty Men Conference 09. Open air stage

The stage was 600 sq meters in size and 8 stories high. The monitors facing the cardinal points were 3 tons each. We sat 120m from the stage but could see and hear perfectly. The sound and video quality were perfect although Friday night’s singing from the stage was horrific – a problem largely sorted by the next day. The bales of hay were comfortable and I had no desire to take one of the plastic chairs some 30 meters behind us.

Angus welcomed us as family guests onto his farm. He explained that the fallow fields were a decision of faith, as each would normally bear a sizable maize crop by this time of the year. This time however, the harvest would be of a different nature and far more significant. Then he started to preach about the love of God. I’ve always found it easy to listen to the still, small voice of God speaking to me through creation. Now however, creation was booming as the loudspeakers filled the valley causing some sentences to echo back and forth 5 or 6 times before fading into the distance.

Saturday morning.
Under a blue sky with thin wispy clouds Angus continued the next morning. He urged all the men present to actively seek God. To MAKE time. To read his word, to pray and to get to know God. Then he warned that difficulties would naturally follow in an attempt to discourage the relationship from deepening. He explained that faith in God’s love was the weapon against the trials; he urged us to learn to live by faith.

That afternoon Angus collapsed twice in what turned out to be a heart attack. He was flown by helicopter to Pietermaritzburg. The men in the campsite were rounded up and urged to pray for his healing. They spent many hours in prayer and later that night Angus was given a clean bill of health and allowed to return to the stage the next morning.

Sunday morning.
Angus, emotional and shaken by his experience spoke only for a short while. His message was simple i.e. “Feed my Sheep”.

What I loved about the weekend was his simple and straightforward message. We did not hear the religious words or the original Greek. We were all ‘men together’ representing our families, our communities and our country. We listened with a common ear and a single beating heart. As one, we opened our hearts to the word of God. As a group, we repented bearing one another up in solidarity. Together we evaluated those areas of our lives that were in chaos. Together we looked at those parts of our lives that needed urgent surgery. We knelt together, we cried together and we rose up together. At the close, we left with the words still ringing in our ears, ‘feed my sheep’, reminding us of all the work that needed to be done once we returned to our everyday lives.

He spoke to us as one man to another, understanding our weakness and without judgment. His love of God and of his audience was moving. The urgency of his message was clear. We left feeling that we were not alone in our battles and trials; that our experiences were common to all men and known by God.

The most important thing we took home was that we were loved; that despite our warts and our shortcomings that a future was possible, that things can change and that with God at our side a morning victory was inevitable, no matter how dark the night.

Choose “View all images” below. Once it loads,choose “Slideshow” from below the window.

If you step closer you can hear then say, “Seize the day” – Dead Poets Society

Wednesday 15 April. Pretoria University.

What a day. The family all arrived on time! Four years of hard work and Charisse Roscoe Eilertsen has an honours degree in Criminology; also a lifetime of friends and memories.

She has grown up into a confident, well-balanced, beautiful young woman. Tukkies taught her to look outside herself. Also leadership, management, organisation, budgeting, planning and a passion to be the best. Everything has a place and everything is in its place. A joy.

This jouney, our journey, her journey; chosen by God.

A grateful thanks to Tukkies, her lectures, Dr Bezuidenhout, all her friends, male and female, boyfriends, would-be boyfriends, her HK family, the men’s residences, the woman’s residences, her confidants, her drinking buddies, those that reminded her, those that saught to make her forget, to her benchmarks, to her mentors, to her projects and those that made her their project . . . . THANK you for the great job you did! You cared for her and gave her back to us better than before.

Tess, we are very proud of you . .  we were spared the ‘sinking feeling’ that can come with the 15th April

on this day . . .

World, I present to THE GRADUATE . . .

The Graduate