2nd Week in Masi

As a team we are making progress in connecting each team member with various ministry opportunities. We have, therefore, been setting up meetings with pastors, teachers and other leaders of organisations we will be working with (e.g. Living Hope, African Hope, Day Care centres).

Carine loves children, so she will be helping two day care centres. Andries has been helping out in a shop that offers many job opportunities by producing African crafts. Lucy, Jeremiah and Chris have been spending time walking through the streets of Masiphumelele - meeting people, sharing the gospel and praying for them.

Adolph and Ben have been trying to set up a schedule in Masiphumelele High School to help the teachers there in the arts and science classes. Mampho is going to work at the clinic of Living Hope. On Thursday we went to have a look around the place and were very impressed by the high quality and cleanliness of the facility, and their vision to share the gospel and serve the sick.

One day four of our team members were walking through the streets when they felt an urge to pray for a physically disabled boy. Coco is nine years old and after praying for him the group decided to come back together with the whole team to pray for the family. So the entire team went and blessed the family by praying with them and sharing the message of Jesus. We are hoping we will have more opportunities to minister to this family.

Every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon we will go to the high school to do some dramas and give testimonies. We introduced ourselves last Thursday and enjoyed sharing our stories with them. We hope to get to know them and to see them grow in the knowledge of Jesus over the next few weeks.

On Saturday we split the team into two groups. One half went to a seminar to inform people about human trafficking in the world. They learnt that many people are being used as objects, sold into slavery and misused for prostitution. Especially the poor communities need to be made aware of the problem and be taught how to protect themselves from such terrible injustice. We are thinking how we can help in Masiphumelele to prevent human trafficking, especially in light of the Soccer World Cup coming up in 2010.

The other group went into the township to meet up with three friends they had met in the streets. They are refugees from Zimbabwe and we offered to come start a Bible study group in their home every Saturday. Last Saturday was our first meeting and we got to know them a bit closer and explained some Bible basics with them.

Please continue to pray that we will connect with many people and that we will be able to build meaningful friendships with them.

Thank you for your prayers.

Group picture fromleft to right, back: Adolph, Chris, Me, Andries; front: Mampho, Jerimiah, Carine, Lucy