Living in South Africa gives me an opportunity every day to experience something uniquely cultural. Being in Bhekulwandle, brings us daily into contact with the zulu culture and its many facets. Life feels so rich to me when I get to be immersed in another culture. I love also how there are many indians living […]
What would you do if giving birth to the child in your womb would cost you your sight? There was not a dry eye in the room during a video screening at the Amanzimtoti Pregnancy Resource Centre Tea in October. The video highlighted the life story of a lady who chose to give birth to […]
They couldn’t have come from backgrounds more starkly different. The one, a child with rights who attended a well resourced upper-class suburban white school and was born into a family with a good income, and future opportunies. The other, a child of apartheid-era segregation who was responsible for getting up very early to tender sugarcane […]
Xoliswe is a beautiful mom to be. Jane Hampton and I recently visited her at her home (above). She is married to Mlu and they have 2 children. Xoliswe attends Oasis church and last year attended Farming Gods Way at Seed of Hope. She wants to be a businesswoman and farming her land is one […]
Every once in a while, there is a life event you know you’ll never forget. I had one of those recently – I got to baptize my ‘little girl!’ A couple of months ago, Abby came to us saying she felt ready, and called to be baptized. So, I walked with her through what it […]
Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his steadfast love endures forever! 1 Chron. 16:34 There are many public holidays in South Africa: Workers Day, Women’s Day, Reconciliation Day, Heritage Day. One holiday that is not officially celebrated here is Thanksgiving. However, every year, in the month of November, Oasis Church holds […]
Surreal would have to be the word to describe my experience as I drove to the Women’s Retreat for Oasis Church. It was a sunny, warm, winter, August afternoon drive. When I had left Amanzimtoti, I had been taking some photos at a community prayer meeting and it had been a warm 25 degrees C […]
What can one do when he feels like there is no way out of the situation he is facing? What would a mother do if she felt unsafe living in her community and didn’t feel like she had a voice? How would you feel if you had lost all hope that your community could be […]
Something both new and highly significant happened today. It started with a phone call last week. A church leader in Amanzimtoti called me to ask for my help. His church was scheduled to host the monthly pastors’ fraternal luncheon, scheduled for today. To make a long story short, they weren’t able to, and he didn’t […]
You’ve met Sibongiseni before in previous blogs and you may know him by his English name, Robert. Sibongiseni roughly translates, “Be thankful with me.” What a great name! I first met Sibongiseni in June 2008 – on our first trip to South Africa. At the time, he was a leading regional sales manager of pool […]