Visit to KwaMashu, August 24, 2008

From our e-mail report back to Trinitarian Congregational Church, Concord, Massachusetts:

Sawubona, Umfundisi uJohn – and the people of Trinitarian Congregational Church!

We are in a catch as catch can internet access environment for our few weeks here in KZN, so will keep this relatively brief.

But we wanted to report that we worshipped at the KwaMashu Circuit’s F Section – main, ‘mission’ – branch yesterday, Sunday. It was, as we’d been warned, a busy service as they’re in the midst of heavy fundraising from the congregation for the renovation/expansion of this branch’s church building. And it turned out to be, for KwaMashu in particular, a lengthy service; albeit it would have been short at one of the rural churches … We were however afforded the opportunity to bring greetings and some words of witness, and to extend greetings from their brothers and sisters at Tri-Con.

Jan read John’s letter to the KwaMashu Congregational Church and its members, and displayed the pictorial directory and recycling bag that had been sent with us. The directory and bag were delivered to Baphiwe Nxumalo, who has been the primary coordinator for the relationship effort with Tri-Con. [BTW, Baphiwe has left her job as a public school teacher, and is now the coordinator for social and environmental justice programs at the Diakonia Council of Churches, a longstanding ecumenical NGO in downtown Durban, the efforts of which include educational and advocacy activities in the churches in the province. ...]

John’s letter itself was handed to the church Secretary (elected officer position) with the request and recommendation that it be passed on to the branch secretaries for the four other churches of the circuit, with the hope that it would be read out (as is done at each service with announcements and communications) also in those churches. Perhaps this would help spur the interest in extending the awareness of the Tri-Con relationship beyond the two branches that have been most involved to date.

The singing was to warm the soul. It penetrates deep, and strengthens. It is good to have come, if only for a short while, to this other church home.

We can extend special greetings from Phyllis Ndlazi and Mavis Khumalo to all in Spiritual Enrichment; and from Charlotte Dludla to her pen pal, Carol Miller.

And our greetings, and those of your friends at KwaMashu, to all at Tri-Con. – Jan and Ruthann.