Greetings from Africa!

I don't know the words to describe how different the world looks to me
tonight compared to when last I wrote to ya'll. I had the cataract
operation for my right eye on Monday, and the vision in that eye
certainly hasn't stabilized yet - acuity wise - but the difference in
how colors look is amazing. Sometimes it takes something dramatic to
wake the heart up to the wonder that is life, and this certainly has
done that for me! It reminds me of how wonderful food tastes after a
fast, but this fast from seeing colors right has gone on longer than
anyone can do a food fast - and I'm mighty glad it's over. I intend to
have the surgery on the other eye before I return to the US after
Christmas. The whole experience was really rather interesting, and far
less unpleasant than a number of dental procedures I've endured. The
quality of the medical care, in every respects, was all I could have
wanted. I remember when I was a graduate student that patients after a
cataract operation had to have their head immobilized for a week. Now,
well, things are rather different. 

I walked to town on Tuesday morning
for a follow up visit with the surgeon. He removed the patch and looked
around, and I walked home, marveling at how everything looked - less
than 24 hours after the operation! I'm attaching a photo of the post-op
me - which definitely does not fulfill the hope that I would resume
sending pictures "of stunning beauty", but OH WELL.

On Saturday I had breakfast with a friend who is going through the
refiner's fire right now, along with his wife and mother-in-law. He has
gotten to exactly the right place, as far as I can see, looking for what
God is up to and looking forward to what comes next with enthusiasm. We
had a very good time of fellowship, and, I got to do grocery shopping
and take everything home in a car! A fine morning, over all.

Then, Saturday evening, there was a gathering for praise and worship at
the Mission Station which was very nice indeed. A young man delivered a
fiery sermon - in Afrikaans - but I managed to get one short segment
with English sounding words and expressive gestures, that made a
wonderful point. So I was, surprisingly, doubly blessed. On Sunday
morning I did part three of the Fresh Bread teaching, which went well.
This coming Sunday Rev. Ruth will be on holiday, to celebrate her first
wedding anniversary, and I will preach. Please pray that I do and say
just what I'm supposed to, and nothing else. 

I wrote in the previous message about increasing maturity, manifested in
not overdoing exercise at the gym. This week the challenge is to
manifest maturity by keeping the eye clean and the intraocular pressure
in line, which means taking it easy, exertion-wise. In my exuberance
yesterday I may have overdone it a bit, but today I was a good boy. I
plan on continuing, but a little prayer support wouldn't hurt as well.
All in all, things are looking good in Rustenburg!

Love from Africa,
Lary

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