From our street to yours

Fifteen people sat around a circle introducing themselves. We were gathered together to talk about HIV/Aids in Botswana and consider ways in which the church can respond. Interest, knowledge and concern about the HIV epidemic in Botswana was the criteria for participation. Each person stated their name, church and personal experience with HIV/Aids. Some were health care workers, some counsellors specializing in HIV/Aids, a teacher, a journalist, an engineer, mission workers and an expat professor from the University of Botswana.. The commonality of having been on the cruel receiving end of this disease became evident as people talked about relatives and friends who are HIV positive or who have died from HIV/Aids or related illnesses. The pain this disease has inflicted was evident as we heard stories of denial, sorrow and frustration.

We listed the ways the government of Botswana and other NGO’s have responded to this crisis and were encouraged. We also heard how statistics of numbers of persons newly infected in the teenage to early adult years are on the decline. We also noted that there are still many barriers that make it difficult for the church to be proactive in educating and encouraging behavioural change. By the end of the morning the group came up with many ideas to mull over. We’ll keep you posted on how the spirit leads in the months to come!

The HIV/Aids crisis continues to impact our ministry lives. I received a call from a woman asking to see me. I spent a morning with her at a clinic talking to a counsellor and a nurse. She is HIV positive and feared she might be pregnant. To complicate matters her relationship with her partner is dysfunctional. She is not employed and already has two other children to provide for. I wondered why she needed me to be with her. At the end I concluded that she was hoping I could bring a miracle. And yet all I can do is listen and point her to available resources like this counsellor and nurse. Perhaps that is not a small thing to do.

I continue to be amazed at how God works in and through us and connects our activities. The visit with this woman happened days after the meeting described above. The nurse at the clinic was trying to figure out who this “foreigner” was with this Motswana woman. I explained that we were sent here by our church in North America to work with African Indigenous Churches like the Spiritual Healing Church. She looked at me and said “my church”. Turns out she is a member of the branch that we regularly attend! I left wondering how this “accidental connection” with a health care worker who attends the SHC could possibly lead to other opportunities such as those identified just a few days before.

Maeyken, Sarah and Christine cooking some-mores

Some-mores on a braai

The last two weeks have seen a flurry of very welcome visitors - our Mennonite Church USA Mission Network colleagues from South Africa!

Phil and Christine Lindwell-Detweiller along with children Nathan, Annika and Lydia visited from June 23-29. Phil and Christine are based in Pietermaritzburg and are working with several churches in South Africa. They are experienced in community development work so are excellent people to help us think about ways to work with churches here in the area of HIV/Aids.

Joe and Anna Sawatzky and children Isaac and Moses along with Anna’s mom (Linda Lichty) visited from July 5-10. They are newly appointed Mission workers to Mthata in the Transkei working with African Independent Churches. They shared their initial experiences with us and we introduced them to our work here and shared our experience of the unique dynamics of working with AICs.

Joe and Anna Sawatzky with Moshe and Isaac along with Sarah Roth

We had lots of fun with both families. We are so thrilled to have colleagues in South Africa and look forward to the completion of the South African team when Dan and Yvonne Snider Nighswander arrive in Pietermaritzburg in September.

Sarah, Annika, Adraena, Nathan, Lydia, Maeyken and Phil ready for a game drive

As friends and family in the Northern Hemisphere experience the heat of summer we are making our way through winter. Relatively speaking this has been a cold winter. We know people from colder parts of the world laugh at that statement but trust us, even with daytime highs in the 20's it is COLD here. Today I chuckled as I drove to school at noon. Here I was in a t-shirt, jeans and a sweater and I looked down to see the thermometer saying it was 30 C. What is wrong with this picture? Winters here are funny. You freeze inside your house huddling around gas heaters and wearing lots of heavy cloths. Outside as the day progresses the sun warms up the air to the point that one would consider it a beautiful summer day in Ontario. By sundown the chill returns to the air and we once again find ourselves huddling around the heater.

Sarah Roth also spent time with us. Sarah was born in Botswana to Mennonite Central Committee Workers and had returned to get to know the county of her birth.

September 1-8 Trip to Lesotho to take funds raised to help the St. Elie Morning Star Church with their building fund.

Kyla, Ammy, Kayla and Adriaena

Maeyken has survived mid year exams and is looking forward to the school holiday that is coming up. She has convinced her parents that a trip to Capetown with her friend is a opportunity she can’t turn down. So she’s off on August the 12^th! She has been enjoying playing field hockey this term at school and much to her amazement broke the school’s shot put record for girls her age. Apparently the next girl up proceeded to immediately break Maeyken’s record. But we tell Maeyken she did hold the record if only for a minute or two!! Maeyken was also appointed a school monitor. Selected students from Standard seven are chosen to help a teacher with his/her classroom. It is a privileged to be chosen and illustrates leadership abilities. She has been assigned to a Standard three classroom and is enjoying connecting with these students.

Adriaena has been thoroughly enjoying playing on the schools Under 9 netball team. (Netball is similar to basketball.) She usually plays the position of goal keeper. She continues to work with the special education teacher and is finding the academics less demanding. Last week she performed at a Standard 3 and 4 music recital. All of the children played various group pieces with recorders, marimba as well as vocal. Adriaena however was selected to play a piano solo which she did quite competently.

The school is putting on a musical “Oliver with a Twist” at the beginning of August. Both girls are in the play so our next few weekends are busy with practices. They are also both practising for piano exams that will be written in October. Maeyken will write Grade Three and Adriaena Grade One. The examiners come to Botswana from England for these exams.

Any of you wonder what the parents do for fun! You guessed it we just try to keep on top of the schedule of these busy girls of ours! We do manage to find the occasional evening to sneak away on our own or enjoy a movie without the girls. Not much different than parenting in North America, eh!

We currently have four partner congregations that have created covenants with us. This relationship involves praying for one another, and being concerned for and aware of what is happening in the lives and ministries of one another. In some cases it also involves a special financial commitment.

The Partner congregations are listed below along with a link to their web site if they have one. Please look at those sites to get a sense of who is supporting us.

... Steen and Christina Rebekah, Kasper, Annika and Benjamin from Denmark are joining us as Mission Associates. Steen will be teaching at Kgolagano College (a mainline Bible College here in Gaborone) as a theology instructor. His main task (from the MM perspective!) will be to connect with the increasing number of students who come from African Independent Churches. They arrive in Gaborone on August 22^nd. Currently Steen has some significant back pain. Pray for them as they make this exciting transition as a family, and specifically for Steen and his back issues.

... Kira Friesen, a student from Canadian Mennonite University in Winnipeg will be joining us in September for a six month student internship. Pray for Kira as she prepares for this assignment, says good bye to family and friends and for us as we finalize Kira’s work assignment and living arrangements.

... Batswana who are in the lower economic class. Prices keep going up here and wages pretty much stay the same. This week a small bottle of gas went from P85 to P105. (Last winter is was P65.) With the increase in fuel it is unavoidable that local taxi fares will have to go up again. This week Glyn visited with a friend who is working for a local counselling agency who does not have the money to pay wages. This is a time of a lot of frustration for people who don’t ask for a lot but need more than they have just to pay for the basics.

... Maeyken as she travels to Capetown and enjoys time with her friends. Glyn might add pray for Susan as she lets her oldest go far, far away!

... Our Colleagues in South Africa. Pray for them as they continue to adjust to new ministry assignments and discern how God wants to direct their time and their ministries. Pray for Dan and Yvonne as they continue to prepare for their assignment in South Africa.

...our friends who are grieving the loss of a husband and a father. Pray especially for Claudel, Ammilynne and Kayla as they make decisions for the future and for a speedy execution of the estate.

Phone us at: 267-390-5554 (Just remember that we are 6 hours earlier than Ontario time!)

We welcome your financial contributions for our support and invite you to send these to: