The teams went to Free State on Friday, Amber and I planned to join them the next Thursday. We drove to Bloemfontein Thursday morning and had lunch with the team. Later we went to a youth hostel - kind of the boarding place for kids that go to school nearby. The team had been in the schools all week and had met many of the kids. They were able to share about Jesus with the kids in several grades - how cool is that???
On Friday, we had a touristy day. (Aren't Amber and I clever? Joining the team just in time to go touring?) We all piled into a nice van and rode about 2 hours to Kimberly to see The Big Hole - yep, that's what it was called. It is a former diamond mine. We went on a tour and heard all about diamond mining and how it got started and developed over the years. After lunch, we returned to Bloemfontein in time to see Johan's (our FS Baptist leader and host) son run in the high school championship track meet. He placed 2nd in his heat and 5th overall - his folks, Johan and Velma, were quite happy with the result since he hadn't been training for very long. Later that evening, we went to Johan and Velma's house for a braai. It was a great evening - they are wonderful folks and we enjoyed a great dinner and great conversation. Oh yeah, and I got to play with Rusty - their 3-4 month old lab mix - he was very cute. It was great for me to get a puppy fix - can't wait to hug my Talli - only about 1 month to go until I see her!Saturday was our big day - we had about 35 people, fairly evenly split over the age groups except that there were no preschool teachers, so Amber and Debbie did children together. I had about 10-12 in the youth training. I think they got something out of it - we played some games, talked a bit, shared stories, etc. I enjoyed it.
On Saturday during lunch, Johan came over to where I was sitting with Debbie, Amber, and Kevin and asked if I wanted to preach at a township the next day. I said, "not really." With much "encouragement" from Debbie and Kevin (telling me about opportunities, and God's work) I reluctantly agreed. Fortunately (maybe God's intervention?) I had brought my sermon from the week before on worship.
On Sunday, Pastor John (Khune) from Rocklands Baptist in Mangaung - a Tswana township, picked up Amber and I and took us to his church. We drove in a small bakkie with a huge starburst in the passenger side window - he said that some guys celebrating after their circumcision ritual smashed it. I am thankful that Amber went with me - thanks roomie! It was great to have a familiar and friendly face with me. When we arrived at the church, the service had already begun. There was singing and testimonies for about 1 1/2 hours I think. It was cool to hear their voices and the harmony - one person would start and the others would join in or echo back - it was very cool. there were a few songs in English sprinkled in, so we understood a bit, but not much. Many of those giving testimonies spoke in English too.
When I got up the preach, Pastor John asked for a woman to interpret, but none volunteered, so he did. It was a challenge to keep my sentences short enough so that he could interpret as I went along. I had to modify the sermon a bit since some of the content spoke directly to Troyeville, but for the most part, it was the same. I felt very comfortable. Before going up, I felt like I should be nervous, but I wasn't - I was praising God and thanking God for giving me peace. I am also thankful for the opportunity - for Debbie and Kevin encouraging me to go for it! It was a neat experience that I'm glad I didn't miss because of fear.
After the service, the folks came by to shake the Pastor's hand and ours - they formed a line - once they had greeted us, they began forming a line so that everyone was greeting everyone - the line formed a circle up front and on down the aisle - it was pretty cool - definitely a loving community of faith. The youth and young adults formed a circle at the front after the service and began singing - with one going in the middle -everyone clapping and singing - it was a celebration - it was cool!
After lunch at Bloemfontein, we went back to the guest house where we were staying - Steward House, and rested on the front porch until Johan arrived to load up and begin our journey back to Joburg. It was a great weekend - I really enjoyed hanging out with Amber, Kevin, Debbie, Nancy, Johan, and his wife Velma- a chance to reconnect with old friends and make new ones.
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