Vuleka Trust

I arrived in Durban on Saturday 12th July.  It was already dark and I was picked up at the airport by Alfred who introduced himself as the property manager of Vuleka.  We got into this old van and off we went, it was pitch black, I couldn't see a thing and had no idea where we were going!!  After about an hours drive, and climbing many hills we arrived.  I was duly dispatched to my new room for the next week, given a cup of tea and that was me!!  This was all a little overwhelming, but after a good nights sleep....I woke to find that I had arrived in Thousand Hills...which made sense of all the hills the night before!

My time at Vuleka became mostly about rest, relaxation and restoration as I developed a bad cold and an awful cough.  Resting is the sun with my 2 new fur-riends, Libby and Bella.

Libby, who will do anything for food!

Bella, who likes to lounge around

There was no programme happening the week I was there due to funding issues, however, I did get involved in other ways.  A group of students from the previous Youth Training Programme came in for a day to see how they were progressing with employment or with university applications.  They are also involved in a community awareness project in their areas.  Each group was working on creating a vegetable garden in a primary school or a creche, to provide fresh nutritious food for the children and a small income from selling extra produce.  I was also shown a recycling project which people could get involved with.  This was making click boxes made out of coca-cola bottles.  People can come along, learn how to make them out of recyclable materials and then sell them to gain a small income.  I love my African themed one.

I had the chance to visit a local government run Secondary School which was in a dire state and sadly indicative of many in townships across the country.

I also visited the Hillcrest Aids Centre Trust, a fantastic initiative began by Hillcrest Methodist Church to try and begin to address a huge need in the community.  It has a hospice facility, a feeding programme, second hand clothes, a white elephant shop, quite a large garden nursery and a craft shop.  The craft shop stocks many fantastic beaded and products made from recycled materials.  These are all made by people affected by Hiv/AIDS and provides them with a small income.  

The HACT wall of remembrance

I had a great 10 days at Vuleka, well looked after by Mary Robinson, the Director of Vuleka, whose husband Rev Andrew Robinson, interestingly did a pulpit swap with Rev Colin Duncan a few years back!

Christian Aid visit to South Africa

The team, Deborah Doherty (Christian Aid), Louise Monroe (MCI), Lesley-Ann Wilson
(PCI), Alf McCreary (religion correspondant), Bishop Patrick Rooke (CoI)

So I’ve been in South Africa for four weeks now and it has certainly been an amazing and varied experience!  From the few days of project visits with Christian Aid in Pietermarritzberg and Johannesberg, doing the touristy thing in Jo’berg and three days holiday in Cape Town.  Then Bishop Patrick went off to Swaziland, the rest of the guys flew home and I continued on to the rest of my Big Adventure.

The project visits with Christian Aid gave an opportunity to really see the work that Christian Aid supports.  But also a chance to see where some of the money we raise as a Church really goes and actually meet some of the people who benefit from it which was a very humbling experience.

We had the chance to meet with three organisations; Church Land Programme (CLP), Kwazulu-Natal Christian Council (KZNCC) and Bench Marks

Here I am just going to give some of the highlights of the experience for me as there are too many things to note here.

Kennedy Road informal settlement

With CLP we met with some the shack dwellers who live in an informal settlement called Kennedy Road in Durban.  The group of people we met are a committee that have been put together to try and improve their life conditions.  

Bishop Patrick presenting the cross to Mama Zodwa

Graham Philpott the Director of CLP

But the CLP visit I want to talk about was to Ladysmith, home of the famous Ladysmith Black Mambazo singing group!  We were taken out to a rural settlement where the residents had been forcibly removed during apartheid.  Sometimes it was because it was rich fertile ground that could be used for farming, sometimes to create residential areas.  But more often than not the land was not used for anything and just left vacant after the people who had been living there had been removed and their livestock shared out among the local white farmers.  This was the case in the place we visited and met a lady named Zodwa, who had experienced the violence and humiliation of the removals back in the 1970’s.  She shared her moving story with us but her real pain was the loss of her Church.  The Church building was just a little way from her home and it had been destroyed during the removals, and when they were allowed back to their land in the 1990’s there were all sort of promises from the government about restitution for these losses but she is still waiting for her Church to be rebuilt.  She took us to the rubble, showing us the original foundation stone and where the pulpit would have been.  There was a very moving moment when Bishop Patrick gave Zodwa a St Bridget’s Cross on the site of the pulpit.  This was very poignant because of the very deep links that cross has with women within the Church and the link with the woman at the well.  What made this all the more poignant was the image of a well in the background.  We then held hands in the rubble of the Church and said the Lord’s prayer together, a very moving moment.

The church does still meet in a makeshift building in Zodwa’s homestead, proving that God’s people will never be kept down.  It did, however bring up questions for me about the importance of a building, something I will perhaps share at another time! 

We all went into to the Church building were we met ladies who were representative of a number of groups around the area who are involved in income generating projects.  In this case it was mainly bead work.  These groups of ladies work with beads making beautiful jewellery and craft work which is then sold giving them a small income.  So often when you are in African countries you see beautiful local crafts and you are told the proceeds go to those who have made them.  Often you can become cynical about this, but it did my heart good to actually meet these people who make crafts and sell them to make ends meet.  It was such a humbling experience to meet with them and to be able to buy some of their crafts directly from them.  Although most of them were actually working to orders.

Now on to KZNCC.  With this group we had the chance to see some of the work they are doing to help the huge problem of AIDS and HIV that plagues South Africa.  We met with an HIV support group who meet frequently to share with one another, to find friendship and understanding which quite often is not available anywhere else.

Very sadly this can also include the Church.  One lady shared with us that when she discovered she was HIV+ her husband left her, leaving her with children to feed.  Sadly she found only discrimination from her Pastor and Church.  So when she was put in contact with this group she found people she could confide in share her problems.  Sadly at the minute that is all they can do as they are struggling to get funding and help to get food which these groups all have a right to.  But it can take up to a year to register a group for a certificate which allows them to receive bread and various other small items.  The problem is when taking meds, like the ARV’s you need food to take them with and if you have no income you can’t buy food.  They would be keen to start a vegetable garden which would provide fresh healthy food, but again there is the issue of money for seeds etc.  But yet the group is still vital for these ladies as it is a vital lifeline for them.  You may have noticed I have only talked about ladies here, that is because men are reluctant and often refuse to be tested for the virus which means it will continue to spread due to ignorance and naivety.

One of the toxic tailings

And so our final visits were with Bench Marks and a very intense and full day was spent with them on the ‘Toxic Tour’ of the greater Jo’berg area.  They are involved in many social campaigns and advocacy work and one of the main things they work on is the issues of the local Gold mines.  The waste that comes from mining for gold and other precious metals are dumped in large areas that become known as tailings. In many instances there is toxic material in that waste mainly due to the uranium that is often present.  This causes issues with the water system, rivers can be seen to flow bright green or a deep red.  With high winds the dust can be blown in to residential areas which are dangerously close.  The worse case we seen was an informal settlement which was built pretty much on top of one of the tailings and children play daily in an area that has been registered as dangerously radioactive on a Geiger counter reading taken by Bench Marks.  Many local people are totally unaware of this very dangerous issue.  The next project which Bench Marks is taking on is a health survey within Soweto which is surrounded on at least two sides by tailings.

A river running green

So this is a little bit of what I got up to during the Christian Aid visits before our short trip to Cape Town which is a beautiful city.  But I would ask you to pray for the people I have mentioned above, people I have met and listened to their stories first hand.  But also for the many many others in this country who are in exactly the same position.  A beautiful country but one of such division, diversity and extremes.

Another Big Adventure

This time next week I will be on my way to South Africa.  Another Big African Adventure which I am really looking forward to.  I am spending July and August there and so I thought I would pull out the blog once more to keep everyone updated with what I'm up to.

The opportunity came through the Methodist World Development and Relief Committee, of which I am a member, and which works very closely with Christian Aid.  I was offered the chance to go along as a representative of WDRC along with a couple of other denominational church leaders.  We will have the chance to visit some of the projects which Christian Aid support in South Africa, aome of which WDRF support.  This trip lasts for 10 days, so I figured if I'm going as far as South Africa I might as well make it worth while.  So i took the opportunity to make it a placement for my ministerial formation, so along with my tutor and the WDRC officer I put together a placement, which involves, helping at a youth residential run by the Vuleka Trust.  I will then spend some time at Phakamisa a ministry of the Pinetown Methodist Church.  Some details are still to be put in place which can be a little frustrating and stressful but TIA (that is Africa) something which I am going to have to get used to once more!!

So I am looking forward to this next adventure to another beautiful African country, but most of all I am excited to see what surprises God has up His sleeve this time, and what work he is doing in the people I will be visiting with.  So if you want to keep up to date with what I'm doing keep and eye out here and on Facebook and I will try to keep them updated with my big adventure.

Working out Salvation

So I'm working on an assignment that feels never ending at the minute but I came across this wee quote...

Those who know that God will one day wipe away all tears will not accept with resignation the tears of those who suffer and are oppressed now.  Anyone who knows that one day there will be no more disease can and must actively anticipate the conquest of disease in individuals and society now.  And anyone who believes that the enemy of God and humans will be vanquished will already oppose him now in his machinations in family and society.  For all of this has to do with salvation.


David Bosch, Transforming Mission

"...in the diocese of which I was until recently bishop, many of the most spiritually lively congregations had as yet no building of their own.  One became accustomed to worshipping, preaching and administering the sacraments in a semi-public place - perhaps under the shade of a tree, or on the veranda of a village house.  Always on such occasions there would be a circle of non-christians standing round, watching and listening.  There was always the probability that, on the next visit, some of those now standing on the outer circle would be in the centre as candidates for baptism.  thus one was savrd from the tendency to think of the Church as something withdrawn from the world to live its own life for itself, and compelled to see the church as a thing sent out into the world, an expedition rather than an institution, the visible form of the action of God the Holy Spirit in sending his people out to draw all men to Christ..."

Lesslie Newbigin, A Faith for this One World

Be still and.....wait!!!

This picture pretty much sums up today!!!

It seems that God has brought me back to Ghana to try and teach me the same thing all over again that he tried to teach me before....Be Still!

Today i learnt something new about James, he doesn't like having free time on his hands as he just doesn't know what to do with it...he always has to be doing something. So yes there has been a lot of sitting around today and sometimes we just have to wait. God's timing is always perfect...as are His ways. But dont get me wrong its not like we did nothing!! We had a wee trip to the Accra Mall and once more i couldnt help but be astounded that somewhere like that exists in the middle of Accra!! It has always been a shock for me to walk back out into the heat and smells of Ghana having walked through the mall as it just seems so out of place.

I have to admit I was a little disappointed that we werent going to be staying in the Guest House that we usually stay in when in Accra (yes i like what i know) but it turns out that God was working out His perfect ways, as we truly believe we were guided to this Guest House so that we could meet another person who is staying here and has good contacts in and knowledge of the import/export business here in Ghana. So while we were sitting around today he was at work getting information and making contacts for us which may prove to be extremely useful in trying to have the container released.

So we may have another day of waiting ahead of us...but we will try to Be Still and Wait upon the Lord. As those who wait upon the Lord will be made strong.

Blessings :)

Big Adventure...

This day last year was my first full day in Ghana and the start of my Big Adventure.

After a hospitable night with the Sims family in Accra, I travelled with them to Amakom and my first sighting of the lake and greetings with the Jernigan’s, Rebecca, Hollie, Michael and James. A very long but very special day.

The view over the lake from Michael's porch

The Jernigan family with their 3 interns

Never has a place, people or community touched me so deeply and made me feel like one of them so quickly.

So what are some of the things that I miss... (in no particular order!!)

Koko...fried plantain...it just doesn’t taste the same bought from Tesco
Hobnobs with peanut butter and nutella...and the ants that shared them with us
Greeting people on the road as we walked through the villages
The cries of children greeting us “ mama louey” or Abena Louise
Sunsets over the lake
Open, free and enthusiastic praise and worship of the Lord...dancing in church : )
Random visitors popping in for a chat
Girly nights
Long chats into the night
Movie night...with popcorn and taffy
Fun road trips to Kumasi to gather in provisions
Spectacular rainstorms
Lucas and Luiza’s inventive games
Michael’s bright smile and willingness to help us at ANY time!!
Clear starry night skys
Spontaneous dance parties!!
Days spent in the air conditioning and chats with Andrew
James’ constant and joyful singing unto the Lord
Becca’s French toast and Hollie’s ‘hamburger pie’!!
Becca’s great wisdom and Hollie’s wacky sense of humour
Sunday afternoon football
Banter with the builders

I could probably go on forever but I’ll stop there. However, one thing that was constant was God’s presence, comfort, love and protection through every challenge and predicament we found ourselves in.

Michael and I enjoying a bowl of Tizette with intestines and tuna!!

Me and James...my brother who loves to sing!

Me, Rebecca and Hollie returning from our first 'mudding' road trip in Kumasi

My first taste of Fufu!

My 2 football heroes

The builders!! :)

My time in Ghana and at Lake Bosomtwe was such a blessing to me and a year on I’m still learning from my experiences and making sense of some of the lessons that God was teaching me.



The sun has set on one adventure but I will be setting out on another Big Adventure this summer when I travel to Sri Lanka at the start of July where I will spend just over a month. 2 1/2 weeks working on a research project in Colombo and the rest of the time working with the MMS(I) ViM team, which is travelling to Kitiyawa to work on a building project, alongside continuing work on my research project. I’ve no doubt God has many wonderful experiences and challenges in store for me again this year but I have no doubt He will be walking alongside me every moment of the journey once more.

Global Vision 2009

Today was Global Vision...a yearly conference held by the Methodist Missionary Society (Ireland) to highlight overseas mission and to inform people of what is going in out there in the world of overseas mission, with our overseas mission partners and other current issues.

There was a great range of seminar topics to choose from including feedback from a mission partner recently returned home from Tonga, the story of a previous Muslims conversion to Christianity, the changing face of mission, Papua New Guinea and Afghanistan.

Everybody that spoke had a wonderful and engaging story to tell but for me the best part of the entire day was the last 15 minutes or so when the General Secretary summed up the day and added his thoughts. What were we going to do with what we had heard, learnt or felt called to. Would we go home saying we had, had a great day or would we go home changed...prepared to make a change...go home to pray...fast...and if we need to cry...but most of all let God use it and listen to how He wants to use it.