First Mission:South Africa, Jan 2008

P2P EARTH

The Biblical example of Jesus’ ministry teaches us that Jesus’ style spanned a spectrum of activities, blended together, which encompassed the extremities of “Feed the Poor” and “Teach the Word.” Sometimes these aspects were blended simultaneously, sometimes Jesus started with “Feed the Poor” and advanced later to “Teach the Word.”

Christadelphian preaching ministries have traditionally focused on Teaching the Word but perhaps without including the service aspects of Feeding the Poor.

The brethren in South Africa have attempted to redress that shortcoming by designing a program which incorporates the fullness of the spectrum of activity which Jesus himself used.

The Ministry of Jesus

Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish. Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth… the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” (John 6:11,32-33)

100 young people, mainly from Australia & North America, volunteered to assist in P2P Earth’s venture in South Africa (ZA) and were previously trained with the “Prepared to Preach” (P2P) program. In ZA they formed 10 Teams of 10, each named after an early apostle. Monies were disbursed from the Community Outreach Project (COP) fund in ZA. The large number visiting prompted the formation of the “Amanzi” youth conference directly before the preaching mission, which in turn drew yet more young people. Travel to ZA for the 24 North American volunteers was funded by the Williamsburg Christadelphian Foundation (WCF).

P2P Earth volunteers

Photo from Adam McGuigan’s collection

Continent AttendeesAfrica 52Asia 4Australasia 112Europe 35N America 40

International Night at the Amanzi conference, Jan 2008

P2P TeamP2P Project & Place featured

1 Orphanage upgrade, Tembisa Township, Johannesburg James2 Pentecostal church youth program, Umlazi Township, Durban Lydia3 Creche & WhizzKids office, Lamontville Township, Durban Philip4 Creche at Christadelphian church, Margate Paul5 Kingdom Kids soccer & classes, Mariannhills Township, Durban Stephen6 Creche & Sis classes at Christadelphian church, Candu, E Cape Andrew7 Bible Education Centre & Town Centre concerts, Durban Thomas8 Bible Education Centre, Kempton Park, Johannesburg John9 Preaching campaign seminars, Port Elizabeth Barnabus

Feed the Poor

Teach the Word

The projects described here are sequenced in the way I perceive they span the spectrum from predominantly “feed the poor”objectives to “teach the word” objectives.

Preaching Spectrum

This report is as complete as my personal visits and experienceswere able to make it, but I apologize to those individuals, teams & projects with whom my travels did not intersect. John Pople

P2P Project Locations

Johannesburg

Durban

Candu

Port Elizabeth

Margate

P2P CA crew in ZA

Also in ZA: Hailey, Jen, Beth, Pauline, Bev, Hannah, Sharina & Alyssa

Kyle, Nic, Vinca, Eric John, Roger, Sami

Jess, Levi, Colleen, Meaghan, Steve, Wendy, Becky, Leah, Kristyn

The Bible message: “The Good News of the Kingdom of God”was chosen as a ‘brand’for the preaching effort and applied in high profile manner.

Good News of the Kingdom of God

At the end of the two week preaching effort one of our friends referred to the volunteers as “the group from the Kingdom of God.”An encouraging thought!

P2P EARTH

Orphanage Refurbishment atTembisa Township, Johannesburg

TEAM JAMES

Tembisa Township, Johannesburg

Johannesburg

Durban

Candu

Port Elizabeth

Margate

Johannesburg

Kempton Park

TembisaTownship

• Tembisa is a shanty style township by Johannesburg

• The P2P Plan is to upgrade an existing orphanage there

Tembisa Township, Johannesburg

Sally ThompsonAbi CatchloveDan CrawfordDan EggingtonLeah EggingtonKyle CloptonLani StrempleLarry GoodridgeRosie LawrieVinca Bullock

Tembisa: Team JAMES

Larry Sally Rosie

Kyle Abi

• Tiny orphanage sleeps 26 in front and rear buildings

• The overseers, a married couple, live in a shack on-site

• P2P Plan: Lay concrete floor and put roof between front & back buildings to increase “living” space by ~50%. Also install a shower

Tembisa Orphanage

Front building

Rear building: sleeps 8 boys

Overseer’s house

Rear building

These are the currently the only washing facilities, in which a shower was installed

Tembisa Orphanage

A volunteer surveys the scene out front…

…& a resident smiles from his bedroom out back

Tembisa Orphanage

Smiles all around.

…and the volunteers.

From the children…

Summer Youth Program atUmlazi Township, Durban

P2P EARTH TEAM LYDIA

Port Elizabeth

Umlazi Township, Durban

Johannesburg

Durban

Candu

Margate

Mariannhills

Lamontville

Umlazi

Durban

Umlazi Township is the biggest township in the Durban area, with a population of around 2 000 000. It is the second biggest township in South Africa, behind the world (in)famous Soweto Township in Johannesburg.

Umlazi Township

The P2P project was to provide a summer program for ~60 children from a Pentecostal church in the township. The ‘church’ is a tent over a concrete slab, (bottom right) plus a trailer (right). The church is run by the friendly pastor Leonard (bottom left) and his assistant Ayanda.

Umlazi: Summer Program

Leonard’s church in UmlaziTownship, Durban.

Team LYDIA: Belinda Dennes; Adam McGuigan; Nic McGuigan;Stephen Eggington; Donna-May Eggington; Gabriella Eggington; Pete Hardy; Melody Kingston; Hope Steel; Pete Shim; Nathan Gilmore; Stephanie Higham

Umlazi: Team LYDIA & ANDREW

StephanieHope

Gabriella Stephen & Donna May

Adam

Pete H

Pete S

Umlazi: Division of Labour

With two P2P Teams deployed, Lydia & Andrew, the volunteers subdivided into four groups. Sharon van Rensburg’s bright idea was for one group to teach drama for an hour; one soccer; one crafts and one lead a prayer group. The children would rotate around all four groups during the day. A fifth team was designated as a skilled maintenance crew to help upgrade the ramshackle trailer used as a worship room.

On the first day 50 children were already there when we arrived. Curiously they were all male - perhaps the program had been advertised purely as soccer? During the day word evidently got out that fun things were happening, by the end of the day 120 children were there - more than the lunches brought! Maximum attendance through the week peaked at ~150!

Umlazi: Maintenance

Matt VennJeremy VennSteve EggingtonSteve Hindmarsh

Exterior: Before

Exterior: After

Interior: After

Interior: Before

Final exterior colours were chosen to reflect the “Kingdom of God” brand

Umlazi: Drama

Nick Morgan, Stuart Bowen, Jenny Galbraith & Hope Steel led a drama group.One of their activities included acting out the Biblical parables.

Prodigal Morgan departs on a long journey… …but is ultimately welcomed home

Umlazi: Sports

Adam & Nic McGuigan, Pete Shim & Steph Higham entertained the children with sporting activities. Some of the boys enjoyed the sports so much they were reluctant to change activities at the break, there always seemed to be more than the requisite 25% of the children on the field!

Umlazi: Crafts

Belinda Dennes, Karlie Pogson, Nathan Gilmore & Pete Hardy led crafts: decorating cookies, drawing, making facemasks

Umlazi: Prayer

Melody Kingston, Gabriella & Donna-May Eggington & I led a prayer group

Each child was asked to choose one thing they would pray for. One said: “no more death,” one said: “that my friend can walk with his legs.” Some said: “a large family,” several said: “a home.”One said: “lots of money” one: “lots of fast cars” another: “to be able to fly” another: “to be the best soccer player.” The last child to speak said: “Every man should be with his God.” He was 10.

Summer Creche Program atLamontville Township, Durban

P2P EARTH TEAM PHILIP

Port Elizabeth

Lamontville Township, Durban

Johannesburg

Durban

Candu

Margate

Mariannhills

Lamontville

Umlazi

Durban

Lamontville Township

Lamontville is the oldest township in the Durban area, originally designed by the Durban City Council to house the black labour force close to their place of work. It now houses an estimated population of 400 000.

Lamontville Creche

A building has been refurbished with money from the COP fund to provide a community creche.

The P2P project was for the volunteers to care for the children in the creche and supply Bible stories and lessons.

Lamontville: Team PHILIP

John DennesBecky BrownDan RyanJared PogsonJessica RussellLaura EggingtonNicola WhiteSami ItaniKristyn GriffinJonno Nutter

Jonno Jessica

Tim

Nicola Laura Becky Kristyn

Whizzkids United

The building also houses the office for “Whizzkids United.”Whizzkids is the new name for FIFFA-Kids: (Football-Inspired Fighting For African Kids), the soccer oriented HIV awareness program run by Bro Marcus McGilvray.

After Whizzkids Utd, the young people can enroll in “Kingdom Youth FC,” run by Bro Mitch & Sis Miriam Hardy under WCF’s“White Fields” program. KYFC teaches the Gospel message, also through football training. Mitch & Miri enjoyed 3 baptisms during the 9 months they ran KYFC - by God’s grace many more will follow!

MarcusNicky

Mitch & Miri

Lamontville

Both the Creche and the WhizzKids United office are in the same building

Creche

Whizzkids Office

Lamontville

A couple of days were spent cleaning the facility, and then doors were opened for the children to come and play. As with other township areas, they poured in eagerly, one day saw ~90 kids inside.

The eagerness spreads across the ages, two women walking past (R) enthusiastically agreed to send their grandchildren to the creche. They were pleasantly surprised that there were no fees to pay.

One creche exercise invited the children to design their first prayer – with some inspiring results!

Creche at Margate

P2P EARTH TEAM PAUL

Margate

Johannesburg

Durban

Candu

Port Elizabeth

Margate

Team Paul were running a creche in the Margate Christadelphian church; which will also house a mini-BEC in the foyer.

Steve Adam

Margate

Adam, proudly posing in front of someone else’s hard work. ☺

Margate church

Steve also dug a vegetable plot, presumably using his camera, since it was always in his hands. ☺

Margate: Team PAUL

Lizzy; Jen N; Steve; Jen P; Meg; Jonno; Dave; Phil

Dave BoweJonno RussellBek KingJen NorthcottJen PaggiLizzy RendellMeaghan VaughnPhil RosserSteve HighamTim King

Photo from Meaghan Vaughn’s collection

Margate Creche

Crafts and music were high on the agenda for the Margate children

Photo from Craig Blewett’s collection

Margate Creche

Meaghan

Dave Photo from Craig Blewett’s collection

And many of the P2P team found relationships with the children, and even the children themselves, very difficult to let go.

Creche & Bible Classes atCandu, Eastern Cape

P2P EARTH TEAM ANDREW

Candu

Johannesburg

Durban

Candu

Port Elizabeth

Margate

Candu is a village in the Eastern Cape, undoubtedly the most rural setting of any visited by the P2P crews.

Candu

Christadelphian church /creche

Candu

Bro Templeton ploughs his field with a team of oxen

The Xhosa people in Candu lead a gentle & peaceful life (except for their dogs…☺) There’s no roads, no running water, just a beautiful agrarian society. Jake & I both spent a birthday there!

Templeton

Candu 1st Week: Team PETERPhoto from Bonnie Evans’ collection

Team PETER worked at Candu the previous week: installing valves on the water storage system to increase capacity, teaching cookery and making a roadsign.

The ‘showering in the thunderstorm’ event is now legend at Candu. Templeton firmly believes the locals will now be less nervous around storms, (whereas they should probably simply be more nervous around Australians…☺)

Candu 1st Week : Team PETER

Ben DellerShane KirkwoodLyn KirkwoodSharnie Kirkwood Jacob KirkwoodAlicia MansfieldBonnie EvansWendy GouldMichaela PogsonHailey RankinAlissa SillarsJonathan SmithColleen Uiga

Colleen; Wendy; Jon; Jacob; Bonnie; Liss; Sharnie; Mikki; Lyn; Ben

Photo from Bonnie Evans’ collection

Bro Templeton runs a creche at the ecclesial hall. A house for Sis Dorothy, who can’t walk, is next door.The P2P plan was to build a shade shelter for the children, build a kitchen workbench for the creche, assist with teaching children, stabilize the children’s playground structures, teach health classes, Bible classes and sisters study classes.

Candu

Candu church & creche Dorothy’s house

Children playing outside Sis Dorothy’s house

Candu 2nd week: Team ANDREW

John PopleWendy JohnsenJessica SmithSteve HindmarshJenny Galbraith Karlie PogsonNick MorganMatt VennJeremy VennJake Curtis

Karlie Matt Wendy Jake Jeremy

Jess Steve John Jenny Nick

Children were a staple diet of Candu

Candu

Candu Creche

Nick Jenny & Karlie

Jenny, Karlie and Nick taught the children new songs and games. Nick and Karlie also led devotionals for Team Andrew and Jenny taught classes for the Candu sisters.

Photo from Jenny Galbraith’s collection

Candu

Steve built a workbench with fiancé Jess

John secured play structures & taught Bible classes

Wendy performed invaluable doctor’s visits, taught sister’s class, cooked Xhosa-style and learned the speed limits in Idutywa. Eventually. ☺

Nick & Siyanda (both 17) became friends & herded Siyanda’s cattle

Candu Shade Shelter

Jem; Matt; Cob & Steve built a shade shelter, going frombreaking ground to finished in 2.5 days!

Candu

It’s 10:30pm and I’m giving a ride home to a sister from Mbele, a village a few miles away. We’re driving through pitch darkness: the only light is from the headlights. We’ve long since left roads behind, even dirt ones; tall grass whips against the vehicle as we ride over the crest of a hill. In all 9 people are crammed in the car, most shouting good-naturedly in Xhosa, a language I can’t hope to understand. I think: “What on Earth am I doing? I’m a British physicist who’s supposed to be at work on a particle accelerator in California. Why am I bouncing across a hill in remotest Africa in the middle of the night, being guided to a place I don’t even know exists by a man I’ve known for less than 2 days?” Yet due to the astonishingly varied call and work of the Lord’s family, I realize that’s simply what’s needed, so there’s no better place on Earth for me to be right then than right there. As Shane succinctly said later: “That’s the beauty of the gospel.”

Kingdom Kids FC soccer & classes at Mariannhills Township, Durban

P2P EARTH TEAM STEPHEN

Port Elizabeth

Mariannhills Township, Durban

Johannesburg

Durban

Candu

Margate

Mariannhills

Lamontville

Umlazi

Durban

Mariannhills Township

Mariannhills is a township close to Durban. There are some asphalt roads, some dirt roads; and some stone houses interspersed among corrugated iron shacks and outhouses.

Kingdom Youth FC

Mariannhills Township is where Mitch & Miri Hardy were last running their 9 month WCF sponsored “Kingdom Youth For Christ” soccer program, to bring children to a knowledge of the gospel. Mitch & Miri connected with Sylvester & Phinda, adult residents in Mariannhills, who were interested in the gospel and proved a helpful connection to meet all the local kids.

Mariannhills: Team STEPHEN

Todd &Kelly

Mitch

Miri

Keren

Kezia

Jake

Darren

Carmel

Kezia Kirkwood; Carmel Mansfield; Jake Eggington; Keren Stone; Steven Woolstencroft; Darren Bamber; Todd Mason; Kelly Boyle; Mitch Hardy; Miri Hardy

Mariannhills

The youngest children didn’t join in the soccer, but Darren had brought some steel bocce balls for them to play with. Given the long grass the target ball had to be balanced on a traffic cone. The occasional “Ouch! Stop that!” from Darren indicated that some of the children, either by accident or design, misunderstood their target. ☺

Darren

MariannhillsThe enthusiasm of the response to the gospel is well illustrated in Mariannhills, following the work from Mitch and Miri. Invitations to sign up for correspondence courses resulted in 27 sign-ups from those pictured, and several came to church the next day, as invited. Mitch advised that Sylvester and Phinda were wonderfully close to baptism and some hint should be given during class that baptism was the entrance to the Kingdom of God. When that was stated, Sylvester turned around to Mitch and wagged her finger at him, grinning broadly. He was busted. ☺

MitchSylvester

Bible Education Centre atDurban

P2P EARTH TEAM THOMAS

Port Elizabeth

Durban Bible Education Centre

Johannesburg

Durban

Candu

Margate

Mariannhills

Lamontville

Umlazi

Durban

Durban Bible Education Centre

Bible Education Centres (BEC) are key features of the preaching projects in the urban areas. Based on a precedental model in Dandenong, Melbourne, they are Christian bookstores in which browsers can also sign up for correspondence or attend free gospel lessons taught at lunchtimes. In Durban, Sis Mary is supported by the COP fund to manage the BEC.

Jemima serves at the desk

Durban BEC storefront Adam holds a book upside down ☺

Durban BEC: Team THOMAS

Sara-Rose PogsonJodie ErringtonRochelle ErringtonLevi GelineauJessica SweenyJemima JamiesonAmy McClureNicolas PrattEric LangeJohn Ashford

Matt; Levi; John; Eric; Amy

Jess; Jemima

Dan; Jonno; Nicolas; Rochelle

Photo from Jodie Errington’s collection

Open air Christian music concert in Durban

Advert for BEC

Friends from Lamontville helped sing in Zulu

Durban BEC: Town Centre ConcertRepeating a previous idea, Team Thomas, with recruited assistance from Team Philip, held open-air concerts in Durban City Centre, less than a mile from the BEC. Support P2P crew filtered through the crowd handing out flyers for the BEC and chatting about the gospel.

The P2P support team sat in the blistering sun… discerning locals looked on from the shade ☺

Durban BEC: Town Centre Concert

Other members of the team entertained the crowd with face painting for the young ones and manning stalls advertising correspondence courses and literature at the nearby BEC. Amy

Jess

John

P2P EARTH

Bible Education Centre atKempton Park, Johannesburg

TEAM JOHN

Kempton Park BEC, Johannesburg

Johannesburg

Durban

Candu

Port Elizabeth

Margate

Johannesburg

Kempton Park

TembisaTownship

Kempton Park BEC

Kempton Park is a city 11 km north-east of Johannesburg, with a mixed race population of ~600 000

The BEC is located in a busy shopping precinct, and was launched by seed funding from WCF in 2006

Bro Andrew• Runs the BEC full time, frees Bro Lucas to leave premises, buy stock, etc

• Is sponsored by a brother from the UK

• Speaks English, Zulu & Xhosa; the 3 most prevalent of South Africa’s 11 official languages

Kempton Park BEC

Bro LucasKempton Park BEC is overseen by Bro Lucas Scheepers, who works full-time as a missionary with WCF’s White Fields program

Photo from Lucas Scheeper’s collection

Kempton Park BEC: Team JOHN

Ben

Nathan Osborn; Peter Osborn; Hilary Osborn;Roger Anderson; Leah Anderson;Ben Brenner; Hannah Fadelle; Lara Morgan;Samee Lapham; Tara Venn

Lara

RogerSamee

TaraLeah

Lucas operates a simple and highly successful preaching methodology from the BEC:

• Browsers are encouraged to sign up for free Bible correspondence courses• Colourful signs are frequently made up to advertise the newest Bible class• Correspondence course sheets are printed and folded ready for distribution• Bible classes are taught during lunch hour for the keenest contacts• Flyers for the Bible classes are handed out in the streets just prior to a class

Kempton Park BEC

Tara folds courses

Hannah & Lara prepare adverts A browser buys a

Bible and signs up for correspondence

Roger & Hannah teach a lunchtime Bible class. The scene is from a traditional Christadelphian preacher’s dream:

• People come off the streets partly as a result of handing out flyers• Ask questions concerning specific Biblical doctrines• Happily absorb the scripturally supported answers supplied

Kempton Park BEC

P2P Quote Chains in use!

A BEC browser asked Roger to help him understand the Biblical teaching concerning the trinity. Better yet he readily accepted Roger’s diligent explanations. Roger was sufficiently moved by the positive experience of preaching being directly blessed he was moved to later quote:“I beheld Satan fall like lightning from heaven!”

Preaching seminars atPort Elizabeth

P2P EARTH TEAM BARNABUS

Port Elizabeth

Johannesburg

Durban

Candu

Port Elizabeth

Margate

Sadly I didn’t get to visit this Team. P2P activities at PE included billing for & teaching seminars, teaching Sunday School classes and hosting a sports afternoon/braai for the community to meet the brethren.

All photos from Tim McClure’s collection

Cooking the braai

Sharina & Liz teaching Sunday School

Ben & Tim off billing

Sports afternoon

Port Elizabeth

Ben DaileyRhoda AdamsBeverley BarlingLiz JosephBeth MacAdamsTim McClurePauline MinterCara MorganJacob PogsonSharina Zantingh

Photo from Tim McClure’s collection

Beth; Liz; Bev; Cara; TimJake

Pauline

Ben

RhodaSharina

Port Elizabeth: Team BARNABUS

Conclusions:South Africa, Jan 2008

P2P EARTH

Perceived strengths (such as are under our control) of mission; recommended to be employed for future missions:

• Sufficient faith to launch an operation of this vision and scale

• Operations within the community that well-matched both the ‘feeding’ and ‘teaching’ aspects exemplified by Jesus’ own ministry

• Preparation of preaching ‘stadia’ in which to operate: i.e. BECs were already open and trading; township contacts were already established

• Preparation of volunteers. Volunteers had been trained & had bonded at P2P sessions; and bonded at preceding Youth Conference

• Scale of operation. That each member was one of a team of 10 and each team was one of 10 generated and carried its own momentum

• The prevalence of the Kingdom of God brand, in T-shirts, hats, car magnets, was also powerful in generating momentum for the mission

P2P Earth: ZA Mission

“Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”