From our street to yours ...
Glyn, Susan, Maeyken, Adriaena
May 2008 #5.2
Youth Retreats, Uniforms and Irons
In April I spoke at the annual youth retreat for the Spiritual Healing Church. I was the first person not a member of the church to speak at this retreat. It was held at the headquarters of the church in Matsiloje, a bit under an hour east of Francistown (5 hours north of Gaborone). Unsure of what to expect, I spoke with a good friend who is a member of this church and asked him what would be appropriate to wear. I knew that РcasualП would be the key word for youth retreats in North America but wasnМt so sure about this setting. He said casual, though if I was going to be in the church I would need a jacket.
The morning I was to speak a young man wearing a full two piece suit and tie arrived to pick me up. Immediately I felt underdressed but was grateful for the jacket. When we entered the church compound I saw others who had on their church uniform. Church uniforms are a way of showing cohesion and membership while at the same time not ostracizing people who cannot afford nice clothes.
The leader of this denomination is called the Prophet. I was dropped at his house and together we had bread and tea as we waited for things to start. Eventually a singing procession of a large choir wove its way from the church to the ProphetМs house and we were led to the church. The choir made its way onto the stage and assembled in several lines. Our first task of the morning was to inspect the choir. While they sang we walked up and down the rows. To fully understand what was happening you have to remember that Batswana do not sing standing still. So they were swaying and moving to the music as we walked between the swaying lines. I found that if I focussed on the wall ahead (which was not swaying) I did not feel as if the whole world was swaying which if you are not careful can lead you to sway right onto the floor!
The church building was also used as a dormitory for some of the youth at night. Around the outer edges of the worship space were piles of suitcases, bags and neatly piled clothes. There perched on one window sill sat an iron. Not one of the top 10 things that North American youth would take to a retreat! But when you wear a uniform it must look perfect so an iron is a necessity.
We worshipped through music and prayer for some time. After a choir sang it was my turn. The theme was РOne way to live.П I told the stories of three different people. First, I told the story of Peter and the courageous choice he made when he walked away from a business (fishing and a fishing boat) and followed Jesus. Then, I told the story of Maeyken Wens from the Martyrs Mirror (www.gameo.org/encyclopedia/contents/M33980.html) and the choices she made to follow God which led to her martyrdom. Lastly, I told the story of Jacob Motswaosele the founder of the Spiritual Healing Church. He too had heard the call of God, first as a young man to be a Christian and then later, confirmed by a number of other people, to return to Botswana from South Africa where he worked and lived with his family. There he prayed for people and healed them in the name of Christ. Eventually he founded the Spiritual Healing Church. Today this church has grown to be the largest Botswana based African Independent Church.
I challenged the youth that all of us as Christians are called to make choices, to make lifestyle choices and economic choices. I also used a Setswana proverb that says РMen are like Bulls, they take what they want.П This is often used to explain male sexual practices, but I think it is bigger than that. I used it to say that it is not true - as Christians we have choices to make, in fact are called to make choices, choices to live faithfully to what Jesus taught including our sexual choices.
After I asked the prophet how well I told the story about Jacob, his father. He said well, but commented that the proverb is not usually spoken to youth that age but rather to people considered to have entered adulthood. I responded that today it seems that we need to talk about things like sexuality earlier than we used to. I left afraid that perhaps I had crossed a socially acceptable boundary. A couple of weeks later I got a call from the prophet asking for some advice so breathed a sigh of relief that I had not overstepped the boundaries!
Glyn
Upcoming Events
June 3 Beginning of Bible Class in Old Naledi, Gaborone
June 4-12 Steve Wiebe-Johnson, Mennonite Network Africa Director in Botswana
June 5 beginning of The Marriage Course 8 weeks
June 11-15 Hippolyto Tshimanga, Mennonite Church Canada Africa Director in Botswana
June 22 Preaching at Gaborone West Open Baptist church (our family church) at Jonathan and Mary Kay LarsonМs farewell.
July 21-24 Tim Lind from Mennonite World Conference in Botswana.
These animal shots were taken in Khama Rhino
sanctuary this past school break.
Glyn’s parents as a wedding service in LothlakaneOur Family Life:
Adriaena is starting a collection of bum shots
of animals...We are now well into the second of three terms. Life is regaining a sense of normalcy and rhythm. Adriaena is swimming (the outdoor pool is now heated), ball room dancing, playing net ball and in girl guides as well as weekly practices for an all school play. All this is part of the school programme. She is also taking piano lessons. Maeyken has longer school days than Adriaena and is involved with fewer activities but hangs out with friends more. SheМs enjoying her art work from her class at school and has taken up the guitar. Both girls are enrolled in a French government sponsored institute to give them a greater understanding of French.
During the last break Glyn’s parents visited. Glyn and Adriaena met them in Johannesburg and took them to the Blyde River Canyon and Kruger areas of South Africa. While they were in Botswana we all went to Francistown and spent a day visiting Melanie in Marabelo (the village she was living in) and attended the youth retreat in Matsiloje. On the way home we spent two nights at the Khama Rhino sanctuary and actually saw rhinos (7 while changing a flat tyre in the middle of the park...). It was great to show Glyn’s parents our work and our world here in Botswana.
Contact us
Mail us at: Box 33, Gaborone, Botswana
Phone us at: 267-390-5554
(Just remember that we are 6 hours earlier than Ontario!)
Skype at: susanglyn
We welcome your financial contributions for our support and invite you to send these to:
Mennonite Church Canada WITNESS
600 Shaftesbury Blvd
Winnipeg MB
Canada R3P 0M4
Please Thank God for...
...being with us during the last number of very busy weeks as we settled back in after being away, entertained various guests, helped to get Susanna and Melanie settled and began some exciting new initiatives for ministry.
...a special approved above budget donation which will sponsor 2 children at Old Naledi Educational Institute and provide much needed textbooks.
We ask you to pray for...
...Amy Susanna as she participates in the training for Face the Nation as she prepares for the five weeks that she will be in Senior Secondary School Classrooms teaching about HIV/Aids awareness, encouraging abstinence and sharing the love of Christ.
...Melanie as she moves to Francistown and begins to discern ministry options there. Pray for housing to come available for her as we wait for the tenants of the AIMM house to get the necessary bank funding to move to their own house.
...Glyn and Tim Lind as they visit leaders in Pitseng and make plans for a second group of Bluffton College students who will come in May 2009. This trip was rescheduled because of TimМs travel schedule.
...the couples that will participate in The Marriage Course. Pray for them now as they make plans to attend the course every Thursday evening for eight weeks beginning June 5.
...the newly organized class in Old Naledi that will begin on Tuesday, June 3. The last Old Naledi Class completed their studies last October. Pray that new students will come with a desire to be disciplined in their study and attendance of these classes.
...the unrest in the countries around Botswana. South Africa deals with unrest concerning foreign workers and unmet expectations stemming from the end of apartheid while Zimbabwe prepares for another election amid violence perpetrated by the government forces. Botswana is currently preparing for refugees if there were to be an escalation of the violence in Zimbabwe.