catching up again

Catching up Again

Church at Moffat Mission-view of the altar from the side (church is laid out in shape of cross)

Saturday, February 2, 2013
Today we are at the Moffat Mission.  This is the place where mission began to enter the African interior and so is very important for the church.

Florence and Prince readying for meeting in front of altar

The first printing press to come and print a Bible in Tsetwana is there and still in excellent condition. 

Printing press in pristine condition

Outside of church- note thatched roofing

The roofs, floors and exterior walls are all kept in the original methods.  Red dirt/sand and dung are used with the men collecting the materials, and the women doing the actual spreading and decorating of the floors and walls with their hands.  So much work and it is redone three times a year to maintain it. 

Wall covering in red dirt and dung mixture- done by hand by women, also on floor of church with decorative patterns

The facilities are used for conferences and meetings, camp, computer and other classes, educational tours and church of course!  A beautiful place full of history – past life and current energy- life now!

Hamilton House- missionary house

The meeting was very successful, with well thought out presentations and many people actively participating in asking good questions and the leadership being very open and willing to discuss the issues. 

Rev. Prince Dibeela, UCCSA General Secretary giving presentation

I particularly enjoyed the worshipful singing.  It lead and ended the meeting and every time there was a break in speaking someone would start in singing and the whole congregation would join in, with melodies and harmonies and clapping and swaying.  Although I had trouble with the words and language, the tunes I could get and I could not help but try to sing along. I met a lot of people and learned an enormous amount on the trip about the denomination, organization, region, opportunities, and challenges for the future, and how the leadership is taking responsibility for engaging people in working together on solutions. 

UCCSA Pastors at Moffet Mission, Kuruman, with me in the middle!

We then traveled to Kimberly.  The countryside was very familiar desert landscape like CA but with some corn and some very flat places like in the Midwest. 

Looks like the prairies I have seen in Illinois to me!

Fields of sunflowers

I was hosted on Saturday night by the Arnold Family. 

Robyn, Athony, Petronella, and Joshua Arnold (from left clockwise)

We had Kentucky Fried Chicken for dinner!  Thank you to Petronella, Anthony, Joshua and Robyn (who gave up her room.)  Anthony and I talked for a long time about South Africa and Kimberly and I learned a lot!  He also showed me the blue dirt and where the DeBoers diamond mining is finishing its operations in 2014 (too dark to take pictures and sorry no free samples!).