Etwatwa

These pictures are in the neighborhood one will drive through when one goes to church in Etwatwa.

This is the neighborhood of the beautiful people of the Etwatwa Ward.

the children are so happy and full of enthusiasm is it hard to believe they live in such humble circumstances.

This is the beginning of the local market where one can buy chicken for Sunday dinner. It is very fresh.

The local beauty parlor.

This is the temporary church set up. It is actually very nice. The chapel is cold so be sure to wear coats and sweaters.

The beautiful children of South Africa

The courtyard which has the trailers that become the different class rooms.

When the weather is hot chairs are moved from the chapel outside to better accommodate the congregation.

Many children come to church by themselves. They are not members but they love to go to Primary and they have testimonies and an inner strength that humbles me.

Sunday the 22 of May we headed Northeast to Etwatwa for church with the Lewis'. They are regulars at this branch which is about an hours drive from Johannesburg. We had called to asked the Branch President if we could come teach his young adults about the PEF program. We usually have a 30 minuet spiel that we deliver. I take 10-15 min and Norriss finishes up in about 15-20 with a few additional comments from me when I feel inspired. He does a great job and actually encourages those interjections from me. This Branch President wanted us to take the whole

Sunday School class for our presentation and questions and answers which we were delighted to do.

We arrived and were looking over the physical facility, which is a temporary setup to be used until they put up a chapel, when the branch President approached us introduced himself. He said that his two main speakers had just cancelled and asked us to speak in their place. He gave us the topic of prayer and works. I said a little private prayer and Norriss became the featured speakers in this little section of the Lords vineyard. I wasn't as nervous as I normally am. The Lord answered my prayer with ideas and scriptures that the Branch President referred to as inspired. That is a new experience for me.

This branch seemed to have much nicer accommodation than many of the new branches. It's located in the middle of a township in a very poor neighborhood. Many of the children come by themselves, sent by parents. They are not members, but are very welcome to join in the meetings. As I was speaking the Branch President actually got up and went outside to encourage those who had come late and were standing at the door listening to come in and sit down. He is truly a Shepard. Many in this congregation have been members only 3 or 4 months. They are growing fast.

Again the children are so beautiful. They were full of smiles and were very happy to have us take their pictures. They loved seeing themselves in the camera viewing screen.

As we left church we drove slowly through the township and Etwatwa. There we saw the Sunday market down their main street complete with fresh chicken dinners ready for ones viewing in cages. Etwatwa means gun fire. It was the sound that was made by the gun that were fired during Apartheid. There is a monument at the edge of town in memory of the many people killed during that difficult time of South Africa's history. So much pain and suffering has been part of South Africa's History; for all races.

It is interesting that just before elections some of the townships were given electricity. This was done by the ANC, the ruling party, so that people could get television. Services are very important and it is one of the things that Suma had promised all people would be able to get. His government had not managed many changes and there was some unrest, and even a new party had risen up and was threatening to take many votes. The services that were delivered helped to sway votes in the ANC favor. It is a little strange to see the shacks with satellite dishes attached to their rickety roofs. They have no running water, and the toilets are out back but they have a satellite dish and a big screen TV. There are no jobs in these far away places and the standard of living is difficult to say the least. Having said that, the children seem happy, beautiful, and want to be part of the church order and love. The parents seem down trodden. The Perpetual Education Fund can be a way out for many of these young people.

We are thankful to be here learning so much and loving so many people. The Lord has truly blessed us in this mission call.