This past month, while in SA for holiday, we were invited to a fundraiser for a crèche who needed a new location. I met the woman responsible for the crèche, and I learn her story that I want to share with you.
Her name, Pastor Eunice. She planted a church in Germiston called “God is Power” ministries. She soon realized a great need in the community among the young children. When the parents of 3 – 6 year old children went to work, and their older brothers and sisters to school, the six year old’s were engaged to watch over the three year olds, and younger, sometimes from 6am-6pm. So Pastor Eunice rounded up all these children and started a crèche in the church building she was using for church. The “church” is an old butchery, with no windows and one bathroom, in downtown Germiston. It’s freezing cold on the concrete floors, and for a long time they had no carpets, tables and chairs, mattresses and blankets for nap-time. When it was snack, or meal time, the teachers fed the little ones in groups around one bowl, with one spoon.
The butchery itself is owned by Portuguese (mafia), and they charge ridiculous rates for Pastor Eunice to hold the church and the crèche there. The injustices range, from charging her to pay for the entire block of building’s electricity use, with the result of not having electricity at all sometimes. Apart from that, and even though Pastor Eunice and her team kept the building spotless, the health officials said that the building is unfit for the use of a crèche. The fundraiser was to generate funds to get them out of the building. While we were there the search was on, and it seemed that just before we left, they found a new building with some windows, and multiple bathroom facilities which use to be used as a nightclub.
The work “Flaviction” (the name of the charity caring for Pastor Eunice and the children), are doing there is amazing, and range from helping them to pay their bills, to giving them carpets, tables, chairs and cutlery. I salute Pastor Eunice for her relentless faith that God’s power can overcome any difficulties. And it was amazing to see how God uses people to show His love through them to others.
At first Pastor Eunice asked me to come preach at their church on a Sunday while we were there. But having a full schedule for Sundays, visiting my “sending church” and upon meeting the fifty toddlers, we felt like we wanted to serve the children, and their teachers. So after some organizing, Sandra and Nelmari on their way back from Cape Town, stayed with us in Johannesburg for five days instead of going back to Abu Dhabi. Two of those days we spent at the crèche with the teachers from Flaviction, and a few other teachers from different crèches in the area.
On the first day, Sandra and I shared our hearts and resources with them, and left them with some music, and materials to use for teaching toddlers about Christ, while my mom and Nelmari sang some songs with the little ones after their nap-time.
On the second day, my mother did a lesson on the salvation colours with the little ones and she used the South African flag, which have all the colours telling the salvation story of Christ. At the end we handed out packets of sweets with the South African flag on the front, and as we handed it out, they sang Nkosi’Sikeleli from front to back.
It was an event that brought tears to my eyes, and filled me with awe of these little people. It felt good, to be able to serve and bless people who have less than us, but have no chip on their shoulders about it. We were received with love and sent away in love, and we were just as, if not more, blessed by them than they by us.
by Elriza
No comments:
Post a Comment