Day 11 - Mafambisa Partnership

Day 11 - Mafambisa Partnership

So we were fortunate enough to have a slight lie in and not meet for breakfast until 8am , and it was great to have another beautiful sunny  morning allowing us to enjoy our breakfast on the veranda. Chris again treated those who would like to eggs in a variety of forms on toast. We duly all took our anti malaria medication, and checking we all had the right amount of tablets left! 

The time for reflection was at 8.30 and takes place at the hub in small groups, which we as a team would constitute this; having discussed last night around the fire pit we agreed that as a group we would actually spend our time reflecting individually on our time so far , and praying for all our time and personal experience in South Africa, offering up to God our prayers and thanks.

We headed out to Mafambisa shortly after 9.40 with a full bus and Oliver and Chris having loaded the Netball posts in to the back of Karl’s truck for transporting. We were privileged to have Bussi (the regional coordinator who had accompanied us in Oshoek  come along) , Audrey, Prudence and Brianna also joining us for the day . Angie who had been with us throughout our time as our host was not coming as she needed a day in the office catching up with paperwork. We were warmly welcomed when we arrived at the care point by the care workers,it was good to see 5 of them there again. Slight change to the previous routine today, we asked what we could do to help to be told that unfortunately the JoJo had run out of water which meant we had to fetch some from the local pastors house.  So after the care workers had scrubbed clean the buckets we would be using we trotted off across the road and down the lane to Pastor Bewani’s house. No sign of him however the care workers know where his JoJo was so we duly went to it and begun the long process of filling the buckets, not straight forward as the Jo Jo was too close to the ground for a bucket to stand underneath! Once 2 were full and lid placed firmly on Oliver loaded up Pastor Bewani’s wheelbarrow to transport back, with Clarrie ensuring they didn’t tip out . Once all 7 buckets were filled and taken back to the care point we then met for praise and prayer and encouragement words for the care workers. Oliver and Lucy shared there encouragement based on Mark 10 verses 13-16, where Jesus Blesses Little Children , and tells his disciples “ Let the children come to me , and do not stop them, because the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these”. Our words reflected that the care workers were following Jesus in the way they were caring for them and teaching them about his ministry. Within this time we also asked the care workers to share with the group how long they have been a care worker, how did they begin being one, and what do they continue with this amazing ministry. After some further words of encouragement from Bussi they all shared their stories. Many of them had previously begun as a care worker when the care point was at Siyathuthuka , and it was when those running the care point called a meeting and explained that due to the number of children they were needing some further support which is when they felt they could support it as their children were benefiting. 1 was covering whilst another was unable to and has since become a permanent care worker , and another also explained that she originally didn’t know that Jesus loved little children but she did, but following coming to the care point she was now clear that Jesus did.... a great conversion. We closed with a prayer after another song.

Time now to get down to the physical task of moving a couple of tonnes of sand and installing some netball posts. This was a truly a team effort with all of the care workers helping to shovel or wheelbarrow the sand. Betwell , Chris, Lucy, Oliver and Clarrie battled away  at digging  a four foot 

deep hole to put the netball post , initially with a pick axe, then a spade but very quickly we used a miners rod to break up the ground and then an improvised scoop ( cut up squash bottle) to scoop out the loose soil, not too difficult until the hole gets so deep that as well as your arm, your whole head is also down the hole reaching to get the soil out, Clarrie was truly awesome at this! Once we were done we then needed to repeat the other end..... extremely hot weather made it a real task. Whilst this was going on Karl was doing the final tightening of the nets before the poles were erected, it was lovely as he had 2 of the very young children ( too young to attend school , but mothers were care worker) help him, they were watching intently and they loved it when Karl allowed them to do the tightening with the spanner. Chris and Betwell mixed up the cement and up went the poles... a great sight , and it was good to see the excitement on the children’s faces as they walked down next to the care point and they saw the posts. I had asked Katy the care worker if she could introduce me to all 4 of her children when they were all there which she duly did, we had a family photo which I will treasure and the eldest kindly wrote their names on a piece of paper which will enable for me to pray for their family daily.

Alice, Sophie and Alice were also busy taking photographs of all the children as they arrived in dribs and drabs, we involved Prudence as she was able to explain to the children what they needed to do and why, and during this it was great that one of the other care workers Katy came across to help too. Some of the games came out of the minibus which we played with , great excitement with some new balls which had balloons inside, real joy we all had playing. 

Just before lunch  we sung Happy Birthday to one of the 14 year old girls, and she was made some fuss off. We sung some songs, did some dancing ,including a bit of a competition which the care workers seemed to particularly enjoy and then we finished with the children reciting John 3 verse 16, and then finished our worship with the Lords Prayer. The smallest children then lined up to wash their hands and then they sat on the church step awaiting an older child bringing their food. Todays lunch was Pap, beetroot and Chicken feet. Unfortunately there are currently insufficient plates so around 20 of the oldest children had to wait until the youngest had finished. Some of the group had tried chicken feet and I commend Sophie and Clarrie who tried them today.... not something I (Lucy) felt the need to, the bowl full of them looked incredible . So after everyone had eaten we then had some singing with the popular Shine, which the care workers and Audrey loved but also we did BRILL, BRILL. It was then time for lots of goodbyes, I was amazed at the amount of hugging and kissing we all received and then off we went, giving loads of waves out of the window as we drove off.

We had a good journey back to the hub where we freshened up and then had our dinner which was Chicken a la King with rice and vegetables and followed by dessert which was Malva cake and custard, a traditional dessert. 

Following our meal we had some time to debrief with Angie , it was good to share with her all that had gone on today and we played a skittles came where dependant on the colour sweet we pulled out we were asked a question which was about our time in South Africa, i.e. something new we had eaten, what had God said to us in our time so far. 

Following this some of the team then begun cooking cakes, some for the care workers appreciation day on Friday and the others for the bring and brai tomorrow evening . 

Well another full day had in Mafambisa which we all thoroughly enjoyed and feel privileged to have been part of, and anticipating an exciting day tomorrow in another community and then Friday back in Mafambisa for our last community day.