“He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.” - 2 Corinthians 5:15

Today, we loaded onto a tour bus and headed to the launching place of Nelson Mandela. Both the US and South African consultants were delighted to play the role of tourist for the afternoon on an excursion through neighborhoods in Soweto, a prominent black community and the birthplace of black empowerment in South Africa. After visiting the Hector Pieterson Museum, dedicated to the students who died during the 1976 riots in Soweto, we went to lunch at Wandie’s. What a spread of meat! There were nine dishes of various parts of beef, chicken, and lamb. Jenna even had South African-style tripe. Our US consultant, Teju, being a native of Nigeria, was able to describe some of the African grains used in the vegetarian dishes. For dessert we watched David consume an unwarranted amount ice cream. Many of us are becoming concerned with his daily ice cream intake. David hasn’t let this affect his productivity, however, as he continues to serve like the man-machine that he is.

After lunch, we herded into our big happy bus and went on our happy way until the bus’s battery died. Thank goodness for all the strong men aboard as they were able to push the bus to a high enough speed to get the engine started again. Off we drove to the home of Gogo, or Grandma, as Phillip Shapiro affectionately calls her. Phillip heads a ministry that works closely with Gogo’s neighborhood and its many impoverished children. Her front yard has a large trampoline upon which several of the neighborhood children were jumping when we arrived. And what beautiful children! One of the children, Wendy, befriended Jenna and practiced her English. Jenna placed a decorative comb in Wendy’s hair to remind her of how beautiful she is. Many of the children in Gogo’s neighborhood are in need of proper education and even proper food much of the time. The ministry helps to provide in this regard and also implements basic sanitary needs such as outhouses.

It was such a blessing to see God’s heart for the people of Soweto through servants like Phillip and Gogo. Today was a heartbreaking yet hope-filled experience for all the consultants.

Remembering Soweto,

Jenna