southern and easter(n) SA
We decided to go rope skipping the other night. We used a garden hose to make it happen and sure it was fun, but hurtful as well – at least if you weren’t fast enough and got the heavy hose on your back.
I still live on base and I enjoy it, I really do. At times it’s a bit too crowdie and difficult to get enough space to think, pray and be alone. Adding to that you don’t really want to be outside the base when the sun is set, cause even if Malvern is still kind of safe – there are things happening at night. Luckily I’ve now had some time to travel outside Durban and the base as a nice change.
Base director Wilson in full capacity teaching students at the classic DTS in Worcester, a city outside Cape Town
My first journey as an intern at YWAM Durban was with Wilson the other week and I got to observe him teaching and his way of being a leader in a class setting. I had four great days be his side and as good leaders do, Wilson challenged me to teach at the DTS – just a short session at the topic “Mission, God’s heart for the nations”. I was nervous but really enjoyed the opportunity to share my thoughts on mission, because mission as a word sounds negative to me. I don’t get all excited at once, hearing the word mission. But this opportunity made me think why I’m actually at a school of mission right now. I shared my struggles of mission as a misused term of going abroad to help others and changed focus to Jesus, Jesus as the ultimate missionary. I gave a few key points how Jesus brought the good news to people, friends and enemies around him and the class was gladly satisfied. A proud South African guy even said he was judging me before starting and wasn’t really open to listen, but was really thankful for what I taught. YEAH! It was such a good day.
Papa Mats and Mama Elisabeth posing at the southern coast of the continent Africa.
My two awesome parents could not help coming and visit me in SA. They picked me up in Worcester and we did some travelling for a week and a half and begun in Cape Town
We paid a visit at Robben Islands and the prison where Nelson Mandela was locked in for 18 years out of total 27.
Being in SA without touching base with its history and apartheid was close to unavoidable. We really enjoyed the tour and all we got to know throughout the visit. We spent more time at water front and admired the beautiful harbor with its nice setting and all the inviting restaurants. We also went for tourist sightseeing with one of those double-decker buses.
It was a time of relaxing, with a different language, familiar culture and nice people but I really missed my dear sister Matilda who wasn’t able to join. Luckily it turned out to be a really good vacation despite her not present. After Cape Town we went by bus for 24h to reach Durban and the surrounding I’m more familiar with. I showed my parents the neighborhood and some of the highlights in Durban.
My family love travelling, especially my mom, so we couldn’t settle with only one stamp in our passport but two. Therefore and also because of interest we went to Lesotho. The picture shows a classic village in the country at the height 9000f.
We got the chance to visit these villages thanks to a great guy called Steven who is a ministry director at Harvest Times Ministry. He took as alongside and we got to meet awesome people with amazingly open hearts.
This village had about 15 houses and according to tradition every village has their own king and queen. The queen is the one in charge and every decision has to go through her. Here she is to the right. When we went there we gave the kids a soccerball, and I started to play for a while when I realized the queen first had to give her approval. I gave her the ball, she touched it and nodded and it was all peaceful again.
We finished our short vacation by visiting my cousin Stefan with family and we celebrated Easter and Jesus way of defeating death! My cousin lives in Johannesburg and it was a nice final destination before split apart as a family and go back to “normal” life, whatever that means.
I’ve been recharging my batteries and I’m SO PUMPED to continue my work in Burlington and the other ministries I’m involved with. I want to be a part of giving hope to the hopeless, a future to the poor and the criminals. So these two last months will be great! Prayers and ministry will therefore continue and I will share more what’s it’s all about next week.
Bless ya! Christ is freakin alive!