Malelane Outreach - September 2002
 
(click here for more photos)
For some wonderful photos of local flora & fauna
From reports just in it seems that there is a massive response to
the invitation to young people to attend the Youth Weekend at the new Kwasizabantu centre
at Schulzendal near Malelane in the Mpumalanga Province (see route map here). (To
see more information about previous arrangements for the weekend click here)
Approximately 3000 attended the first service at 3pm on 20
September. Mpumalanga Province is particularly hard hit by Aids and about 40km
from the mission there is an area where about 40 people die every day from the disease. So
many funerals are held every day that the mourners consider themselves fortunate to get
anyone to say a prayer at the graveside - there are just not enough willing pastors to
officiate at funerals. There are thousands of orphans and the mission is exploring ways to
assist in more devastated areas.
A team of co-workers has been at the mission for a few weeks to
complete the building that has been erected and to connect running water to the ablution
facilities. During this time, and for the next two weeks, services have been held in
various places especially in local schools.
Funeral at 6 in the morning: At 6am on 21
September Rev Erlo Stegen and some co-workers conducted the funeral of the young man who
died last week. This was the young man (whose mother is a sangoma) referred to in the
recent Sunday sermon (see summary here). When the funeral began at 6 this morning (as is the
custom in the Shongwe tribal area of Mpumalanga) the team members began by singing a
Christian hymn and soon hundreds began to come out of the bush to listen to the service.
One of the tribal elders said that it needs to be put on record that "this is the
very first time that a white man attends a Shongwe funeral." It was a wonderful
opportunity to share the Gospel which the deceased young man had accepted in his last days
of life.
Malelane Youth Weekend Programme
- First Service, 3pm Friday 20 September: Rev Erlo Stegen, director of
Kwasizabantu mission, addressed the children from Deut 28 regarding the blessings and
curses which result from obedience or disobedience to the Lord. He used the example of the
young French engineer who was disobedient to his parental advice not to sleep around. A
pretty girl enticed him, just once, and it resulted in him "joining the Aids
club." Obeying the gospel brings freedom and protection from the curses of sin.
- Second Service, 10am Saturday 21 September: The morning service,
starting at 10am, ended at 12 noon. Rev Stegen continued with the Deut 28 text and
highlighted the theme: "Faithfulness necessary for blessing." He shared 3
stories. Firstly, a heathen girl was disobedient to her father's instructions on chastity
and fell pregnant. He threw her out of the house and pronounced a curse on her. Her baby
was born suffering from hydrocephalus. She came with her baby to Kwasizabantu Mission for
help. She repented of her unfaithfulness and turned to the Lord. God touched her and her
baby was healed from its disease.
Secondly, some time back a chief's son, in the mission area, got married. He discovered
that his new bride had stolen some madumbies (`amadumbe', yam-like potato). He called the
police and, much to her chagrin, had her arrested. "I don't want a thief for a
wife," he said.
Thirdly, from a very rural area of Canada comes a story of a boy's faithfulness. The
father of the rural farm had to take his wife and daughter on a long trip. He gave his son
a gun and instructed him not to move from the farm. During his duties on the farm the boy,
barely a teenager, fell into a river and was injured. Local Indians rescued him and became
friendly with him. After a while they suggested that he leave the farm and join them,
because his parents "will never come back." He told them about his commitment to
be faithful to his father's command, and stayed on the farm. A few days later his father
and family returned. The faithful boy grew up and later became a very prominent and
prosperous man.
- Third Service, 3pm Saturday 21 September: The service, attended
by almost 3,000 people, highlighted the importance of abstinence and True Love Waits. Speakers
included, Qhele Sibisi, Robert Maphanga and Thabitha Dube. The response of the people has
been overwhelmingingly positive. At the beginning of the afternoon service a local man,
who speaks Swazi (most of the people in the area understand Zulu because of the Swazi
similarity), gave his testimony. He is the manager of a banana plantation with 1200
employees.
- Fourth Service, 7pm Saturday 21 September: Co-workers, B. Zondi and Mr
Makhoba, introduced the "Burning
Hell" film. They also concluded the service with preaching.
- Fifth Service, 11am Sunday 22 September: Before the sermon began the
local "Nkosi" Chief Shongwe spoke about the uniting influence he had experienced
at Kwasizabantu and that is why he had invited the mission to work in his area. A mayoral
representative and a tribal elder ("induna") also spoke before the meeting.
About 3000 people gathered in the tent where Rev Erlo Stegen used the theme text of the
weekend from Deuteronomy 28, "Listen and Obey". He used examples of the reality
of hell, a horse thief who experienced hell after a mining accident, and the rich man in
hell who tried to tell Abraham to warn his brothers not to come there.
Some co-workers remained at the Malelane mission to continue with
the many invitations to preach in surrounding areas and also to arrange assistance for the
Aids orphans.
Directions: 
Click here for interactivity
of Route Map (courtesy of routes.co.za) Click
here for an interactive environmental and road map of Mpumalanga
(If you're interested in some of the scenic photos of Mpumalanga Province, click here) To see
an interactive |
