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• Hit again and again
• An appeal for help
• New CEO
• Impressions of Israel
Hit again and again
Just over 18 months ago Brian Grant, a member of All Saints’ in Kabega
Park, had his Kombi stolen from outside church during a morning
service, and on 20 February the replacement Kombi burnt out.
Brian is a quadraplegic and runs a garden service so needs the Kombi to
travel in and take his staff around. He was attending a meeting at the
quadhouse on the Tuesday evening and Ken, who drives for him, was to
collect him at 19h00. When Ken turned the Kombi engine on, billows of
smoke started coming from the back. He ran for water and the garden
hose, but within minutes the Kombi was ablaze. Passers-by stopped to
help and three of them brought fire extinguishers, but to no avail. A
fire-engine arrived to help too but the whole of the back end of the
Kombi was burnt out.
A devastated Brian was brought to the scene by a friend and looked on
in disbelief that he could lose a second Kombi. His wife Joy said she
praised God that her husband was not in the Kombi when it caught alight
because it would have been very difficult to get him out in time. Both
Brian and Joy thanked the many friends who have held them up during
these difficult times.
Not only have the Grants been hit by the loss of the two Kombis but
near the end of last year they were burgled and all their computers,
their TV and much more was stolen, then on Tuesday 6 March they were
burgled again.
Pic: An empty shell - Ken Simpson
looks at what is left of Brian Grant's Kombi as the fire engine
prepares to leave, having made sure all the flames were doused.
An appeal for help
"With this mail I want to call
your attention to my biggest dream. I would like to spend the next
school year in South Africa, and maybe you know some families where I
can stay at that time (July 7 - May/June 8).
Could you please ask for a host family in your church?
I’m really fascinated in this so beautiful country for a long
time, and I’m interested in getting to know the people and their
culture. Another point is to experience how church in South Africa is
and to make friends. Besides I want to improve my English and this
would mean a chance for my future.
Thank you for your time, reading this e-mail. I would be delight hearing from you soon! It’s really important for me!
Sincerely Yours, Deborah Nafz
My e-mail: debby.nafz@web.de
Something about me:
My name is Deborah Nafz, I’m 15 years old and I live in
Schwäbisch Hall, 60 km far from Stuttgart (in Germany). I was born
in Nigeria, because my parents were there, because they were
missionaries. I’ve got a brother and a sister.
My hobbies are mainly doing sport: basketball, volleyball, swimming.
Twice a week I’m playing soccer in a girl-team, this is my
favourite kind of sport. Furthermore I like meeting my friends,
listening to music, dancing and going to the youth group of my church
(I also make a group for the children there).
I’m a communicative and sociable teenager, and I want to get to know South Africa!
 New CEO
Jean Downey is the new director of New Life Family and Crisis Pregnancy Centre, replacing Jacqui Brill who resigned recently.
An active member of St Katharine's Church in Uitenhage, Jean is married
to Garth (20 yrs) and they have three children. Garth is the son of
Eddie and Esme Downey of Humansdorp.
Jean has been involved in the centre since 2000 as treasurer and
assisted in the Junior Schools Life Skills Programme, later heading
that team for a year. She has done the required Equipped to Serve
Lay-counselling training as well as specific Post Abortion Syndrome
training in Cape Town. Jean is a little overawed by this new
responsibility that God has entrusted her with, but knows that only he
can equip, enable and lead her and the centre onto greater things for
his glory. The Lord has provided Jean with wonderful support in
Carole Taylor as Assistant Director. The statistics for abortions
done in SA for the period Feb 1997 to 6 July 2006 show a figure of 539
010 with some provinces not reflected yet. "I am very concerned about
all these women who will be affected by this traumatic event sometime
in their lives. Only God can provide true healing and restoration
to them. We can only pray that they will be led to one of the
plus minus 60 crisis pregnancy centres in SA for counselling."
Jean is hoping that invitations will come in for her to speak to church youth groups and schools.
The team at New Life is looking forward to this year with all its challenges.
The centre is in
the Congregational Church,
130 Caledon Street, Uitenhage.
Jean can be contacted on:
cell 072 688 0560;
e.mail: newlifecpc@polka.co.za
or PO Box 6105 Mosel 6232.
Impressions of Israel
Some notes from those who visited Israel at the end of February. See report on page 4.
Sandra Domingo of St Mark and St John in Parkside –
This pilgrimage has made me see life in a new and wonderful way. It has
given the Bible more meaning to me. I felt as if I was living in that
time. The decision the rebels had to make at Masada was sheer courage.
It must have been agony knowing their families and friends would
die rather than be slaves.
The beautiful paintings, mosaics and the architecture of the churches
and buildings left me in awe. No matter what nationality you are, you
are able to pray the ‘Our Father’ in your own language at
the Pater Noster Church where it is on the walls in so many languages.
That was wonderful.
Visiting Yad VaShem and walking through the House of Remembrance for
all the Jews killed in the German concentration camps during World War
II was very moving. Listening to the stories told by survivors brought
tears to my eyes, and to those of many others. The children’s
memorial hall was ‘ten times worse’. It seemed as if we
were in heaven and each light an angel. As the children’s names
were read out I thought of my grandchildren. I cannot imagine the fear
in those children and the heartbreak of their parents. I felt like
having a good cry … and when I came out I wanted to be alone.
Sheila Knipp of St Mark and St John -
Before we even started the pilgrimage I thought how privileged we were
to go at the beginning of Lent. We were going to the right place at the
right time. A few people doubted my ability to succeed, having a
history of lameness in my legs, but through the grace of God I made it.
I was even able to go down into the grotto at Rosh Ha’Nikra where
I felt I was going right into the heart of God. It was a wonderful
experience.
One of the highlights for me was the visit to St Anne’s where the
acoustics were unbelievable. Mother Zelma CR and I went back while the
others strolled in the garden and we sang “Be still and know that
I am God”. It seemed as if we were singing in heaven - the echo
of our voices resounded as we went into worship.
The next was on the fishing boat on the Sea of Galilee. I am afraid of
the sea but I lost all fear as we stopped and sat praying in the middle
of the sea. As we boarded the boat the South African flag was hoisted
and we sang the National Anthem. We ended the journey with well known
chorus, “Bind us together”.
Every day was a new marvel, learning the ancient history of the Bible
and going into the New Testament. Walking the streets of the Via
Dolorosa in the Palestinian quarter of Old Jerusalem we walked in peace
and we ended in peace. The Lord had laid on my heart the beatitude
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the
children of God.” I went on this pilgrimage to seek my God and I
can write a book on all the experiences, but space is limited - all I
can say is, “I am now a millionaire in the Lord”.
Roy Snyman tssf –
Having visited Israel eight times, and studied in courses there, two things should be said:
Realising it is a living dynamic modern State built over nearly 6000
years of history, one must determine to make one’s visit a
‘Pilgrimage’ and not just a sightseeing tour. And, because
many ancient authentic places where our Lord lived and ministered are
now below street level, one must be fit enough to climb down and up
many steps. A Pilgrimage is not for the doubters or physically unfit!
It is always moving to enter the cave-grotto-stable where the Creator
of the World became incarnate for our salvation. To renew one’s
baptismal vows at the very river where he started his ministry, let
alone sail on the very waters of the Sea of Galilee, fed by the cold
and rushing waters from the melting snows of Mount Hermon, brings the
Scriptures to life.
Mother Zelma CR said the reality of the Incarnation hit her, when we
tried to recollect the Stations-of-the-Cross in the bustling
streets of the Old City. In just such a scene, Jesus was mocked by the
crowds, or tenderly treated. And then the place of the Crucifixion,
Anointing and Burial in the historic basilica of the Holy Sepulchre,
where The Righteous One was raised, is overwhelming. The fidgety bustle
of the Orthodox worship and ornamentation does not appeal as much as
the reverend atmosphere of the ‘Garden Tomb’ at
“Gordon’s Calvary”. The church is archeologically the
authentic place of the Resurrection, but it was more devotional as
Mother Zelma, Eric Kleb and Roy Snyman con-celebrated a simple
Commun-ion Service at the Garden Tomb.
Pastor Rykie Steyn has such a knowledge of the Bible that he makes each
site visited a glowing experience, even if some of his interpretations
from a ‘fundamentalist’ background do not always
appreciate the ‘sacramentalist’s’ understandings. His
love for Israel, the Word of God and our Lord in joyous Christianity
makes him the ideal spiritual-guide or ‘Chaplain’.
Exhausted, we praise God for the experience of being the One Body fed
by the One Loaf broken for us, in the person of Christ Jesus.
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