Stories from Africa

New Jerusalem High School students in rural Mpumalanga.

How do you put into words hours of conversations that transpired this week? We are astonished at the influence of the Sangoma here in Africa. They have gatherings on the weekend that attract a large number of young people. They are dressed in animal skins, dance to the beat of drums and provide alcohol for the students. Many students leave school on Friday and don’t return home until Sunday. It is the basis of ancestor worship in Africa.

One young staff person told Cathy and me the story of a relative who died and they had to wait two days for the coroner to pickup the body. The young lady was a Christian while no one else in the family would consider Christ. They were dedicated ancestor worshipers and attended the Zion church of Africa. He told of the moment she sat up (after two days) and began to share about heaven and hell. They were sitting and mourning when a miracle occurred in front of them. For over two hours she told her family about the angel who took her around to the dark gates and the bright gates. She talked about some people she saw that she didn’t expect. She also talked about the moaning of people suffering in hell. She told all her relatives about Christ and what she experienced. She talked until exhaustion caught up to her. She said I need to rest. Then she lay down and passed away. This young man is now a minister of the Gospel in Mpumalanga. God got his attention in a big way.

We have just completed an amazing week. All three of us (John Adams, Lemar Walker and I) spoke in high schools on Monday. It was amazing to watch over a thousand students’ line up and stand to hear a presentation. There were no chairs. The girls stood on the left and the guys on the right. There were no talking or unruly young people. They were very polite, attentive and respectful as I shared Scripture and the Gospel. They were captivated by the story of the student who drowned only two weeks earlier. It was a stark difference from high school students in the states. The picture to the left is of Jerusalem School where John and Lemar visited.

Tuesday started early as we met with a group of thirty Pastors in the Hazy View area at 5 AM to pray. It was an amazing experience as they walked around the church sanctuary praying in their native tongues. It was a joy to spend over an hour praying and seeking God’s involvement individually and collectively. Cathy and I loved it! I truly wish you could have been there.

It is now the weekend and we are all in different locations speaking and teaching. Cathy and me are in Graskop speaking at a youth rally in the rural village of Leroro. John and Lemar are in Kinross with Ronas conducting services in a very poor township. We got to see a new church that started from our youth rally last March in very small village over forty kilometers North of Graskop. We were deeply humbled to see what God had done from those two nights a year ago.

Tomorrow each of us is speaking in various churches. Please pray that we will keep our focus on Christ and clearly reflect Him to those we meet. Oh by the way, the Sangomas are what we call a witch doctor.

Cathy & Danny Sartin

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