Hello everyone!

One month before we see each other in Mossel Bay for the Feast of Tabernacles! Here’s some more info that might be helpful. There’s also some very useful info towards the end of this rather lengthy letter regarding activity planning, so take another sip of tea or coffee and keep reading!

Luggage and Packing:

• Pack all valuables and one day’s change of clothing in your carry-on bag, just in case your suitcase is delayed. That way you’ll at least have a change of clothes until your luggage is delivered.
• Please be extra careful to pack all your valuables, including cameras, mobile phones and tablets in your carry-on luggage. And keep it close to you at all times.
• Remember to attach an identification tag to each item of luggage.
• Write your full name and surname, home address, a mobile number you can be reached on, as well as the name and address of our Feast hotel:

1 Beach East Blvd, Die Voor Bay, Mossel Bay, 6500, Tel: +27 44 692 8400

This will help airport staff with reuniting you and your wayward luggage.

Weather at Feast Site:

You’ll enjoy a mild, moderate climate in the Mossel Bay region. The expected highs and lows are 14 – 21 Celsius or 59 – 70 Fahrenheit. The evenings can be a bit chilly though, so plan to dress in layers, with fleece or down jackets for the mornings and evenings, and it’s always wise to include a jersey or two. It’s also a good idea to include a lightweight rain jacket.

Clothing:

Sabbath attire is the dress code for all church services and smart casual for Bible studies, workshops and other indoor functions. And casual but appropriate attire will work for outdoor activities.

We don’t want to be too prescriptive, but always bear in mind the standard we as a church are trying to uphold.

Banking, credit cards and cash:

• Here’s an excerpt from ‘The Lonely Planet’ travel booklet: “Because South Africa has a reputation for scams, many overseas banks automatically prevent transactions in the country. If you plan to use a credit card in South Africa, contact your bank before leaving home and inform it of your travel plans to avoid having your purchases declined automatically. If you have done this and a credit- or debit-card transaction unexpectedly fails, it’s safest to try another card or pay with cash, as two transactions enable scammers to clone your card.”
• When renting a vehicle in South Africa, vehicle rental companies will want an imprint of your card. This is normal procedure. What isn’t normal is anyone wanting to go off with your card for any reason. Don’t ever let your card out of your sight, particularly in restaurants, when your guard might be down – make sure they bring the credit-card machine to you and conduct the transaction in front of you.
• Never accept any help at ATMs – no matter how helpful and knowledgeable the person appears to be. Rather withdraw your card and go inside the bank to find a responsible person to assist you.
• A small amount of cash is always handy, preferably ZAR (South African Rand) currency or US dollars which can be easily exchanged in Mossel Bay. There are several banks in the Mossel Bay Malls where you’ll be able to exchange money and travellers’ checks.
• We’d prefer offerings to be in ZAR, but you could also do an international transfer. Bank details are provided on the Feast brochure.
• It might be a good idea to carry a small purse or money belt for your cash, ID and mobile phone (if you’re travelling with it).

Meals and fellowship:

• A large buffet breakfast is included for all hotel guests, but it will also be available for all Feast attendees, irrespective of where they’re staying.
• If you’re NOT staying in the hotel, the cost per person is R140 for adults and R60 for children.
• If you’re able, it’s a nice opportunity to invite others who are not able to afford this treat and get to know one another over a delicious breakfast before services.
• For catering purposes, the hotel has requested numbers of breakfast bookings the day before. To assist with this, we’ll have a list at the INFO TABLE where you can sign up for breakfasts on a daily basis – one day ahead of time. Payment for guests outside of the hotel can be made daily, or you can run a tab and pay at the end of the Feast.
• Also for planning purposes, please let us know about any food allergies or intolerances.

Sabbath Service before the Feast

There’ll be no service in Cape Town on the Sabbath just before the Feast, but there will be in Gauteng, as well as a special pre-Feast service in the Diaz Hotel Conference Lounge. Starting time is 2pm on Saturday the 12 October 2019.

Other Interesting Titbits:

• Tipping in restaurants is generally at the discretion of the individual and is not included in the bill. 10-15% is standard.
• You might also consider tipping the ‘car guards’ you might encounter in parking lots.
• They’re generally recognised by the reflective vests they wear, sometimes with a name tag on it. Just be aware though, there are many self-assigned car guards who are generally a little more down-and-out than those officially appointed.
• This is also at your discretion, but this would need to be cash, and a R2 or R5 coin is fine.
• Always be aware of your surroundings and avoid wandering off on your own.
• English is spoken pretty-much everywhere. Not necessarily as a first language – South Africa is very proud of its 11 official languages!
• The predominant language of choice in the Mossel Bay area is Afrikaans – however all locals should be able to understand and speak English.
• Afrikaans is actually a daughter language of Dutch, having evolved from the Dutch vernacular of South Holland. It was previously referred to as ‘Cape Dutch’ or more derogatively ‘Kitchen Dutch’. So for the most part, any of our Dutch visitors should be able to understand much of it. Other languages you’re sure to hear are any number of African languages such as Xhosa and Zulu – most recognisable for their variety of click sounds. You’ll be hearing more of this at the Feast.
• Filling up at gas stations – it’s all done for you! So sit tight and pay with your credit card or cash. And a tip would be much appreciated.
• If you have name tags, please bring them along. If not, we’ll have temporary ones for you to use – you know those ones with the little piece of paper on which you can write your name.
• No need to pack a hymnal, as hymns will be projected on a screen and we’ll also have a few on hand if you prefer.
• Please note, unlike the hotel, the self-catering apartments don’t have towels, hairdryers or coffee, tea or milk.
• Consider bringing only a limited amount of inexpensive jewelry in case of loss.

The Feast Schedule (see attachment).

FREE TIME on Tuesday 15th

We’ve specifically kept the Tuesday afternoon open for those who might have things they’d like to do separate from the planned Feast activities. One of the activities we’re recommending for our international guests is visiting the World-class game reserve ‘Botlierskop’. https://www.botlierskop.co.za/activities/ 

This beautiful game reserve is home to the Big Five and it’s only 19 km (11.8 miles) drive from the Diaz Hotel. 'Botlierskop' has daily game viewing drives which are run by experienced rangers, and there will be ample time to experience one of these drives on that Tuesday. It’s well worth the visit if you’re able, and we hope there’ll be several South Africans joining in. Starting time is 2pm and lasts 3 hours.

Cost is R530 per person and kids between 3 & 12 pay half price.

There’s also the option of booking lunch beforehand on their exquisite deck overlooking the water.

If this sounds like something you’d like to experience, please book with Botlierskop directly. You can mention you’re part of the Church group and they might allocate all of us to the same vehicles.

If you’re interested in hiring a vehicle or a larger vehicle for the day, you can contact Avis Car Rental in Mossel Bay central and arrange it for that morning.

www.avis.co.za

13 Mascador Street
Voorbaai
Mossel Bay
6500

+27 44 695 3060

Kaai 4 for sundowners and dinner on Thursday evening the 17th

Kaai 4 is a traditional South African inspired, rustic outdoor restaurant with an open fire in the centre where the coffee is continuously brewing. There’ll be sand under your feet!

This is one of the planned Feast activities, although it will be entirely self-funded.

This evening follows on the heels of the Seniors lunch and the Youth activity, and is recommended for those of no specific age category, but who would like to spend the evening relaxing and getting to know one another while enjoying the food and seaside ambience.

Some members have offered their services to babysit for the evening in their apartments, so if parents would like to have a few hours of child-free adult socialising, we sincerely hope you’ll take up their offer!

The generously proportioned meals are be priced from R70 upwards.

We’re also requesting any help you may be able to offer with transport and funding members to the site. It’s only 5 km / 3.1 miles from the hotel, but we’ll need to ferry people back and forth using all available vehicles and shuttle services. Any help you can offer will be greatly appreciated. We don’t want anyone who’d like to be there to be excluded.

Please let us know if you’d be able to help in any way.

Furthermore, there’ll be a comprehensive Feast brochure explaining and outlining every activity. Printed copies will be distributed to everyone once you arrive. Thanks for reading, we look forward to any questions or comments. And we’ll see you all in exactly one month from today!

Kind Regards,

The Feast Planning Team.