It is such a privilege to work with a network of organizations in South Africa who are committed to the upliftment of the poor and a brighter future for this country. One such organization is called ‘Ethembeni,’ which is Zulu for, “Place of Hope.” It was started by a church in the Howick area 18 years ago, and exists to bring hope to a Zulu township nearby.

In January, Dan was asked if he would come and run a full Farming God’s Way training in Howick. He asked if, rather than it being an exclusive training for Ethembeni, it could be opened up for others to attend – which they readily agreed to.

Dan was a bit worried on the first day. He was assured we would have electricity, and so came armed with projector, pictures, videos and slides. A long extension cord had been stretched out from another building on an adjacent property – and the result was not enough ‘juice’ to run the projector. Of course that didn’t stop them – Dan has trained often without electricity. He did his best to show some pictures walking around with his laptop, but of course it’s not the same as seeing a large photo on the screen.

Enter Sarah Harris, a young woman who came to learn more about Farming God’s Way, and one of our ‘trainers-in-training.’ She lives on a farm outside of Durban, and said that she could bring a generator for the next two days. Lifesaver! Dan was able to show lots of pictures and slides, and showed a couple training videos in isiZulu.

On day two, we got deep into the, ‘Acknowledge God, and God Alone’ teaching. In this, we address the dependence on ancestor veneration, spirit communication, and goodwill sacrifices head-on. Isaiah 8 clearly lays out the heavy consequences – including hunger – that comes on those who ‘consult the dead on behalf of the living’ (Isaiah 8:19-22). Plus, these practices ensnare regular people into a pattern of destructive superstitions and financial debt as they seek spiritual goodwill from local mediums (sangomas).

It is important that one should speak with them since some treatments for ED can affect other medical problems you may have and what medicines you might be taking for these and if these are compatible with taking levitra 100mg pills . Certain types of blood side effects from cialis tests depict total cholesterol level in body for all lipoproteins. Unfortunatley for them they were going to discount cialis prices suffer another defeat against the Buckeyes, team that they don’t defeat since coach Ed CeChellis debut season in 2003/04, when they won the game at home by 64-47. Always combine it with regular exercises and controlling stress and anxiety cheap cialis uk also affect your stamina in bed. As we were discussing these things, Dan noticed a gogo (grandmother) getting rather agitated. Shortly after, she interrupted the session saying, “I will never stop communicating with my ancestors!”

In response to the grandmother Dan explained, as clearly and graciously as he could, that he wasn’t there to try to force them to do anything – just to teach truth, help them to begin to live lives free of fear, and to fully empower them to make better lives for themselves and their families. She sat quietly for the rest of the session, clearly brooding and fuming. We certainly touched a nerve, and we know the topic is sensitive – but it has to be discussed and addressed if people are going to be truly successful in their agricultural endeavours. We didn’t see Gogo on day 3, unfortunately.

Day 3 dawned, and we woke up to heavy rain. The forecast called for rain the whole day; the clouds were low and the air was misty. Most trainings culminate in putting in a garden together – it’s where all the new concepts come together in a practical implementation. The hands on learning is powerful. Dan always loves the garden practical: So many light bulbs come on as people see what we’ve been talking about, and learn by doing.

So with the rain, Dan was concerned to say the least. He was asked by trainees whether we were going to do the practical, and he kept saying, “We’ll see what the afternoon brings.”

Well, we got a break in the rain – just long enough to put the garden in before it poured again. It was a hasty ending, as we weren’t near the training venue, but all were happy we got to experience the ‘hands on’ garden implementation!

All in all, what a great training! We had a very good showing – roughly 50 people, and over the course of the three days we saw plenty of “a-ha” moments and great engagement from the attendees. A real highlight was to have a special guest trainer, Clinton Misdorp. Clint shared from the perspective of a commercial farmer and advocated strongly for the methods that Farming God’s Way teaches. Most attendees were from the immediate Zulu township – Mpophomeni, but we had 3 or 4 from farther away who came to their second or third training. They came because they wanted to learn more and deeper so that they can teach others. We are always thrilled when ‘trainers-in-training’ come, and Dan did all he could to teach them beyond the planned course material during breaks, lunches, and at the end of the training day. Hopefully a near-future blog will be about a first training by one of them!