Report from Africa #15

My mind is cluttered with snapshots from the last two weeks. Our pace was fast but each picture was telling and touching. Meetings with missionaries, staff and pastors exceeded our expectations.  The schedule that was full of activity in Knysna, George, Plettenburg Bay, New Horizons Township, Horn Lee Township, Leisure Island community, Brenton on the Sea and the YFC office.  

The first picture was on Saturday morning as I drove into the township looking for my contact. Buses surrounded my rendezvous point but I recognized no one at the time. I realized I left my phone behind to charge and here I am looking for a men’s gathering in a community I have never been too. A quick prayer for guidance caused me to drive around for a few minutes looking and walked into an Apostolic church where I saw a crowd. It was the wrong location but they did give me some directions that sent me on a further search.

I continued to try and follow the directions based upon my poor understanding of Afrikaans. But I ended up at a dead end and people walking the streets couldn’t help but notice the big white man driving their township. So I stopped a man walking down the road and asked for his help. My only lead was a written invitation that I showed to this man. He happily said I will help you and he ran around the car and jumped in. 

This was the help I needed and he carefully guided me through the neighborhood to an isolated community center. I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw the YFC staff member I had been searching for. This friendly neighbor was headed to a funeral and said he had an invitation to the men’s breakfast and promised to see me later.

There were over twenty-five men in the room awaiting breakfast, a movie and this special guest who would speak to them. I greeted each one individually and created a laughing stir as I went around the room. They were so light hearted and welcoming. Afterwards one young man shared his heart with moving tears of pain and joy. He had never known his earthly father.

A second photograph was the church I spoke in on Sunday morning. When Cathy and I pulled up in the yard of the church building we were confronted with cattle grazing on the church grounds. It looked as if they had sneaked in while the gates were open for the service. They were certainly enjoying the soft green grass of the church yard. The loud and vibrant singing echoed through the vicinity. At the close of the service four young men came to the front of the church seeking a personal relationship with Christ. Cathy and I prayed with them as they placed their trust in our Lord and savior.

A third snapshot was hours of Bible study with volunteers from Germany and the Staff of Knysna YFC. Their appetite for God’s Word seemed to have no end. Observations, questions and thundering answers left an electric atmosphere. Please. . .can we do more?

A fourth snapshot was the celebration of twelve ladies graduating from their six month sewing class and the gift of the sewing machine they had been using. These ladies come from HIV/Aids situations in their townships. They had been trained to become a Dorcas for their neighborhood. One of the ladies wept continually as she tried to say thank you to the leaders!

The most poignant picture in my heart is the smiles of missionaries who spent hours with us sharing, praying, laughing and feeling refreshed. The powerful hugs at our parting spoke volumes. The universal question was. . .you will be back won’t you?

Continue praying as we have now returned to Amathunzi and will be moving to Mpumalanga soon.



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