A day like today is why I’m here. It started with a 7AM wake-up, a quick breakfast, then off to African Theological College in Khayelitsha – a township outside the city where the focus of our work will be done. I walk into the modest sanctuary where “He is exalted” (one of the few worship songs I can play confidently on guitar) is playing on CD – ironic, I don’t think so. (Random Khayelitsha fact: over 700,000 people live in its roughly 10x12km area. Churches serving this population are run mostly in homes by untrained leaders.)
We sing praises in both English and Xhosa (the “X” is pronounced with a click). It was poignant to realize that I’m in South Africa singing worship songs in many languages among people from all over the globe drawn together by this shared faith. This common belief is the only reason any of us would ever find ourselves in the same room together. Amazing how God works.
From there we go into orientation time where various leaders share about their ministries:
pastoral college, children’s Sunday school, high school, sports (soccer & netball), women’s & auto mechanic ministries. I’m impressed by African Leadership’s diversity in its ministries, acting as a Christian United Way of sorts – developing and supporting the work of the church in this influential region in the future of Africa. They are not a church, but supply and feed them with resources and people so they can grow and meet community needs.
We drive into the heart of Mfuleni, one of the shanty town townships where we’ll build the pre-school. As we drive, we see modest homes put together with acquired materials (part zinc siding, wood, concrete – whatever is to be found). Every face we see greets us with a wave or thumbs up. So open and friendly with curiosity instead of suspicion (unlike what we’d be welcomed with in the states).
Entering a daycare center/pre-school for the first time, maybe 15+ kids greet us and ask to be picked up. I snap a picture of a couple on the camera. Then upon kneeling down to show the photo to them, I’m surrounded by all the kids laughing in wonderment at their own image. All the kids then jump up and form a line to perform a worship song to a cd track for us…the cuteness knows no limits. We later stop into two other centers greeted by similar warmth in each location. At one, we meet several lovely women sewing mats for sale (a sort of fair trade business supported by African Leadership). They laugh heartily as they try to teach us how to properly say “how are you” “my name is” “my last name is”, etc. in Xhosa.
We leave to visit the construction site in another area of the neighborhood. Greeted by a pile of sand waiting being moved and a roped off area with the beginnings of a ditch for the foundation. This will be a new daycare center/pre-school (or “kresh” in Xhosa) that will provide a safe place for kids to be left so parents may work and where they’ll learn about Christ.
We work a bit, and then it’s time to go on a prayer walk through the side alleys – introducing ourselves and informing the families about our 4PM kids service. I fail miserably at the limited Xhosa I have learned. Tobi, Melissa, Katie, Wanga and I trek into the depths of this neighborhood to be greeted with happy and intrigued faces. One guy asks which of these women is my wife, I reply “no wife” and receive a somewhat peculiar “ohh” response and look…tell me about it buddy. Another older teen named Solomon speaking good English walks up to me and asks where I’m from and why I’m here. He’s genuinely excited to hear America and gives me a big hug. We exchange about American cities he’s heard of and then he’s off to lift weights. I tell him we’ll be here all week and hope to see him again.
4PM, kids church. Duck, duck, goose is a big hit, two big circles of maybe 40+ kids each chasing each other around with moms looking on with laughter. Simon hutu (says), on the other hand, not so successful – lost in translation perhaps. They teach us a telephone type of game, and I’m immediately eliminated because of getting the words wrong. After some songs, we break into a skit about the Good Samaritan. I am double cast in the roles the thief and the rabbi (not to be confused). I later help summarize the moral of the story. Poignant moment #589 – sharing God’s love here with these kids at this time and place with the whole thing being translated into Xhosa, who would’ve thought I’d be here? We hand out treats to the kids and float back to the mission house on an indescribable high. Knowing tomorrow holds more of the same has never felt so invigorating.
We sing praises in both English and Xhosa (the “X” is pronounced with a click). It was poignant to realize that I’m in South Africa singing worship songs in many languages among people from all over the globe drawn together by this shared faith. This common belief is the only reason any of us would ever find ourselves in the same room together. Amazing how God works.
From there we go into orientation time where various leaders share about their ministries:
pastoral college, children’s Sunday school, high school, sports (soccer & netball), women’s & auto mechanic ministries. I’m impressed by African Leadership’s diversity in its ministries, acting as a Christian United Way of sorts – developing and supporting the work of the church in this influential region in the future of Africa. They are not a church, but supply and feed them with resources and people so they can grow and meet community needs.We drive into the heart of Mfuleni, one of the shanty town townships where we’ll build the pre-school. As we drive, we see modest homes put together with acquired materials (part zinc siding, wood, concrete – whatever is to be found). Every face we see greets us with a wave or thumbs up. So open and friendly with curiosity instead of suspicion (unlike what we’d be welcomed with in the states).
Entering a daycare center/pre-school for the first time, maybe 15+ kids greet us and ask to be picked up. I snap a picture of a couple on the camera. Then upon kneeling down to show the photo to them, I’m surrounded by all the kids laughing in wonderment at their own image. All the kids then jump up and form a line to perform a worship song to a cd track for us…the cuteness knows no limits. We later stop into two other centers greeted by similar warmth in each location. At one, we meet several lovely women sewing mats for sale (a sort of fair trade business supported by African Leadership). They laugh heartily as they try to teach us how to properly say “how are you” “my name is” “my last name is”, etc. in Xhosa.
We leave to visit the construction site in another area of the neighborhood. Greeted by a pile of sand waiting being moved and a roped off area with the beginnings of a ditch for the foundation. This will be a new daycare center/pre-school (or “kresh” in Xhosa) that will provide a safe place for kids to be left so parents may work and where they’ll learn about Christ.
We work a bit, and then it’s time to go on a prayer walk through the side alleys – introducing ourselves and informing the families about our 4PM kids service. I fail miserably at the limited Xhosa I have learned. Tobi, Melissa, Katie, Wanga and I trek into the depths of this neighborhood to be greeted with happy and intrigued faces. One guy asks which of these women is my wife, I reply “no wife” and receive a somewhat peculiar “ohh” response and look…tell me about it buddy. Another older teen named Solomon speaking good English walks up to me and asks where I’m from and why I’m here. He’s genuinely excited to hear America and gives me a big hug. We exchange about American cities he’s heard of and then he’s off to lift weights. I tell him we’ll be here all week and hope to see him again.
4PM, kids church. Duck, duck, goose is a big hit, two big circles of maybe 40+ kids each chasing each other around with moms looking on with laughter. Simon hutu (says), on the other hand, not so successful – lost in translation perhaps. They teach us a telephone type of game, and I’m immediately eliminated because of getting the words wrong. After some songs, we break into a skit about the Good Samaritan. I am double cast in the roles the thief and the rabbi (not to be confused). I later help summarize the moral of the story. Poignant moment #589 – sharing God’s love here with these kids at this time and place with the whole thing being translated into Xhosa, who would’ve thought I’d be here? We hand out treats to the kids and float back to the mission house on an indescribable high. Knowing tomorrow holds more of the same has never felt so invigorating.
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