Morocco welcomed us with a night at the airport where we had to sleep through the sound of hammers and chisels ceaselessly building away on a new part of the airport.
In Marrakech we stayed over for two nights. The vibrancy and colours of the markets overwhelmed and mesmerised. Rooftop views and coffees became a frequent enjoyment as well as prayer walks through the mazed streets. In the mornings we watched the sun rise over Marrakech and prayed together there.
Fes was our next destination, once we got there after a long bus ride we were graciously scammed (read more about it in our other blog, Will the Real Mustafa please stand up: http://www.gcex.org/participants/latest-blogs/entry/explore-africa-2016/will-the-real-mustafa-please-stand-up.html ) but eventually found our way around to the right hostel. Fes is the city of history and monuments. The Medina however does not stand back to that of Marrakech and offers just as much enjoyment if you're one for admiring leather bags, sandals, tapestry and like to taste fruits and different kind of foods.
Our next destination was reached by train. This location is disclosed and cannot be named. These are harsh and realistic facts. Persecution is very much alive and thriving in Morocco causing Moroccan Christians to live in fear. In this Disclosed Location we served workers in which ever way we could and spent hours in the morning praying and worshipping - corporately as well as in solitude. As a team it was great to rest in the presence of the Lord, to lavish our love upon Him and become rejuvenated in His Word.
Feeling rejuvenated we thought we ought to experience the mountains of Morocco and headed towards Chefchaouen, or better known as the Blue City. This adventure already started before we got there. The local youth at the back of the bus were sniffing glue and unfortunately we also sat in the back end of the bus. This caused quite an uproar when a local woman nearly suffocated because of the smells being omitted. The bus had to come to a halt and some rough words were exchanged between a South African and Moroccan adolescent (not to mention names).
The nightly adventure continued as the Turtle Train (that's us with our backpacks on) hiked up to the camping ground. Emphases on the word up. A steep ascent awaited us - to the point where some of the guys had to carry two back packs (thank God for brothers). The struggle was real but eventually we reached the top, drenched in sweat. Except for some (some of us are indeed made of steel). Cappie would say that's only for 'civilians'.
In the dark we set up camp and slept like rocks.
The main activity for the next day was probably sleep. Literally. Some of us made our way to the Medina while others explored the minimum. Since we were in the Mountains and heard there was a hike to a waterfall we decided that's a trail we could take.
The next morning we got an early start and prepared ourselves for the 16km walk. Four hours there. Four hours back. No big deal (or so we thought). This expedition is another blog post on its own so I won't go into detail, but there were definitely some unexpected surprises that included a lot of endurance and a lot of people (and these people were not tourists but locals dressed like they were going to the mall and played music along the way). It was interesting to see the locals trailing along the path and singing, chanting and signing at the waterfall.
But after three nights of camping out in the open air it was time to greet the Blue Pearl and Morocco. We caught a ferry over to Tarifa, Spain (just in time) which was also an experience for all of us. And here we are in beautiful Spain in a town that looks a lot like Jeffrey's Bay.
Thank you, dear brothers and sisters in Christ for praying for us and supporting us. We carry you in our hearts, always and often find ourselves missing the small things from home like rusks, milkshakes from Nina's or some biltong. But at this moment I can testify God is abundant even in the small stuff - our hosts here has just provided us with rusks and biltong (lekker!) But enough from us now, we would love to hear from you! Feel free to message us on our Facebook page or one of our team members if you have anything you would like us to pray for you. In this way you are closer to us and we feel we are still connected in the spirit.
Greetings and grace to you all, with love, from Spain.