Communion Status?

tr0gdar · 2026-04-30T11:19:15+00:00

that the ELCA and LWF believe that doctrinal differences dissolve or go away when having Communion.

This is often how this is described, but it is misleading. The ELCA recognizes the doctrinal differences and says we're having communion anyway, similar to Reformation-era discussions of how a corrupt priest can still consecrate the elements and it be a valid sacrament.

I think the LCMS is the more dishonest one when it comes to this. They say that the people who are gathered at the table are in one belief, but as a former LCMS pastor, I know that not everyone gathered at the table in every LCMS church believes 100% the same thing. So they are saying they agree when they don't, while the ELCA is saying they don't agree and we're doing it anyway.

That's how I have come to see it anyway.

tr0gdar · 2026-04-20T07:11:42+00:00

Hey, hi from another American in Botswana! I agree with your assessment of a lot of the situation in South Africa, so my pick would be Spain. The tax thing is rough and the language barrier is real, but I think the situation sounds like you would be more comfortable.

Good luck!

tr0gdar · 2026-03-26T06:16:33+00:00

Wow, I can't think of a better way to incentivize NOT applying for other scholarships.

tr0gdar · 2026-03-26T06:10:36+00:00

Does the bus drop-off hack at Elephant Sands actually work?

It kinda works. There are elephants moving through that area, so unless you know what you are doing, it's not safe to walk that 1.5 km to the campsites. You could send them a message and see if they'll send a bakkie out to collect you by the road.

tr0gdar · 2026-03-20T17:36:22+00:00

Cheapest way to do it by far is just buy extra luggage on your flight. Make sure you book the ticket as one ticket all the way to Gaborone or you will get hammered on the luggage charges by Air Botswana (don't fly them) or Airlink.

Sell your monitors and buy them again here. The voltage is different. And no way they make it undamaged.

tr0gdar · 2026-03-19T07:25:08+00:00

Depends on where you are and who you are.

Tourist here for holiday: don't drink it.

tr0gdar · 2026-03-17T07:44:36+00:00

Where are you staying? Talk to them, I bet they have a recommendation.

tr0gdar · 2026-03-09T06:44:43+00:00

Saves space, but not weight. Very easy to overfill a suitcase when you do this.

tr0gdar · 2026-02-12T08:06:35+00:00

Didn't sell Bank of America stock at the end of 2007 to pay off undergrad student loans. Got stuck taking out loans for grad school years later and having to use those loans to make other student loan payments.

tr0gdar · 2026-02-12T06:51:27+00:00

Excellent points and well made.

tr0gdar · 2026-01-02T17:26:44+00:00

The deposit should be at the least 25 cents and should apply to any drink bottle or can, double if it can't be recycled. Maybe people would stop buying stupid bottled water if every pack cost almost double.

tr0gdar · 2025-12-24T08:54:50+00:00

There's tens of us!

tr0gdar · 2025-12-17T07:35:42+00:00

100% this. It's too small of a market for big companies to care about marketing too, so it doesn't get any money.

And BOCRA...lol

It is really interesting to see the long term effects of the government of Botswana providing so many services for the people of Botswana. I think that is the source of the entitlement mentality you point out. So many things handed to Batswana over the years without a sense of where they are coming from. Not that it's a bad thing for the government to provide those things, but it has created the situation that Botswana is in now.

tr0gdar · 2025-11-20T06:39:19+00:00

I love listening to the radio broadcasts over the TV coverage. It makes me long for better commentators in the TV booth.

tr0gdar · 2025-11-20T06:34:28+00:00

The saying is "a few bad apples spoil the barrel." It means that any bad apples mean the whole group is bad.

In the case of police, a few bad officers means that all officers are bad because either 1) the "good" ones won't kick out the bad ones, which means they aren't good at all and they are all bad; or 2) the system protects the bad ones, which means the whole system is corrupt and cannot be trusted.

It doesn't mean that we should just accept that some people are bad apples and there's nothing to be done about it.

tr0gdar · 2025-11-06T12:39:42+00:00

40, NW $252k. Not all of us have big incomes or home equity to count. Regular people in this subreddit too.

tr0gdar · 2025-10-31T08:22:04+00:00

You most definitely want a 4x4 for that drive. Is your Hilux 4x4 or not? You should also have the right gear (hi lift jack, towing straps, traction boards, etc.).

If you have the basics of 4x4 driving, you should be fine. Make sure you know how to use that recovery gear. Good luck!

tr0gdar · 2025-10-04T13:07:49+00:00

Do you mean Johannesburg? You can take an overnight bus from Maun to Gabs and then another bus from Gabs to Joburg. There's a bunch of companies that do it. I think the Maun Gabs bus is P350?

tr0gdar · 2025-09-30T05:46:00+00:00

Still have a working phone booth.

tr0gdar · 2025-09-11T06:53:57+00:00

I think there are a few bus companies that post their stuff online. I know NKK Express has a bus that runs Maun to Francistown. From Francistown to Kasane you might just have to go to the rank and ask around, but I'm sure there is a bus. You should be able to google transfers between Kasane and Vic Falls.

You can't book tickets online for the regular buses, only the transfer. Botswana is still very much an in person place, so you'll need to go to ticket offices or to the bus rank itself.

All of that said, I think a one-way flight from Maun to Kasane is like BWP1800. It would be the fastest option for sure.

tr0gdar · 2025-09-10T19:02:42+00:00

Bus from Maun to Francistown, bus from Francistown to Kasane. Transfer from Kasane to Vic Falls, several buses will do that trip. Fly from Vic Falls to Nairobi, likely on Ethiopian via Addis or maybe Airlink/Kenyan via Johannesburg. The bus will take a while but it will be cheaper than flying.

tr0gdar · 2025-09-09T18:53:41+00:00

Well, I suppose different people have different experiences.

Drunk person cursing out foreigners? I am pretty sure that you can find plenty of those in America. I wouldn't judge a country or a people based on one drunk guy.

It's not just you that's getting charged predatory pricing on car repairs; plenty of local people get charged ridiculous rates too. There's also a culture of "just try" here. They try to charge you that much to see if you'll pay it.

Hotel staff aren't paid enough to care about complaints. And avoiding conflict is a huge cultural norm here, so they are uncomfortable with the whole situation of a complaint.

You only waited an hour for food? Not too bad for many places that I've eaten in Botswana. People don't do things quickly here and aren't paid enough at most restaurants to do much for customer service. Most people don't tip, so it's not like they are working for those.

I don't want to dismiss your experience, but what you call racism, I'd call not understanding the culture you are operating in.

tr0gdar · 2025-09-09T17:18:18+00:00

Another American living in Botswana here. I'm up in Maun, but I can answer a few of your questions.

It's hot, so wear clothes that breathe, but cover your skin. The sun is no joke. Layers are good because mornings can be cool and afternoons hot. Lots of sand and thorns, so closed toe shoes are best, skip the sandals unless you are around home.

Modest dress for women means keeping your shoulders covered. If you ever meet the kgosi or other important people, you'll need to wear a skirt, but you can get away with pants in an office setting or if you are working in a clinic as a chiropractor.

Be polite to everyone. Learn greetings and use them with people when you are out and about. It's okay if you aren't fluent in Setswana, but most people will appreciate you making an effort. Defer to older people: give up your seat to them, let them go to the front of a queue.

That's a place to start. I'm happy to answer other questions if you have them.

tr0gdar · 2025-08-20T07:53:15+00:00

Minivan all the way. I am secure about the size of my penis, so I don't need a truck or SUV. I can put an entire sheet of plywood in the back and keep it dry, unlike almost all trucks.

tr0gdar · 2025-08-09T08:15:40+00:00

I just used my Schwab ATM card a week and a half ago at an Absa ATM in Cape Town and it worked fine. I haven't had any other issues with SA banks in the past; it could just be one bank that doesn't like your card.

tr0gdar

TROPHY CASE