Trip to South Africa
June 28-July 17, 2007
Dear ones:
Here I am back in the Texas heat after 17 days in South Africa winter. The trip over and back was tortuous to say the least. Some 20 hours total including an airport transfer by public bus in London. The winters in SA are mild, so most do not have heat. Still, this was a cold winter and I was cold most of the time.
I was invited to SA through the courtesy of Dr. Wilfred Matham (CBS 1992). I landed in Johannesburg (northeast SA) on Saturday. On Sunday we attended BosmontEvangelicalChurch. On Monday we drove seven hours to Durban for WinterSchool. We met in a camp/retreat center. It was rather rustic, but not too bad. The bathroom was outside and up the stairs. Thus, my nocturnal visitations gave me much exercise.
There were over 55 people in attendance (mostly men) and a majority were pastors in the EvangelicalBibleChurch (almost a denomination of some 40 churches). This work was started primarily by TEAM missionaries. I taught ten sessions on the Book of Ezekiel, and four sessions in the afternoon on issues of the Hebrew Bible. I thoroughly enjoyed getting acquainted with these dear men and some of their wives.
We left for Johannesburg on Friday, stopped in Pietermartizburg for the night with a wonderful couple (the Swales). I spent the next week with Dr. and Mrs. Wilfred Matham. They are provided a house owned by TEAM Missions as part of their support while they minister at the International College of Bible and Missions. This Bible college recently received accreditation with the SA Department of Education. They own a very nice facility. On Friday we had dinner with Dr. Matham’s daughter, Ruth (WBC 1999) who was visiting SA, his son, Cedric (WBC 1999) and Cedric’s wife and parents. Her father is the pastor of a church in central city.
I spoke in the morning and evening services at Bosmont church on Sunday. The young people had been on a mission trip to Swaziland, and had to learn about cold showers and basic living. Their presentation was excellent. Their trip was led by Word of Life people from the states. I met one of the young couples and discovered they were son and daughter of people whom I knew very well in the states (Bill Hanshew and Stu Page). They took me out for dinner later in the week.
I wanted to visit a game preserve, but the best one, KruegersPark, was too far away. So we visited a much smaller one with lions (seven in all!), wildebeests, springboks, rhinoceroses, and different kinds of birds.
I spoke on Wednesday at a pastors’ meeting and then in the evening at Marlin Sanders’ (WBC 1997) church in Pretoria. I had meals in several different homes and thoroughly enjoyed them. We had dinner Saturday evening with an Indian family. On Sunday we spoke at another EvangelicalBibleChurch in the morning. We visited another WBC alumnus, Fred Tempies (1976), who is also a pastor. He has had prostate cancer for some time. I thoroughly enjoyed reminiscing with him and his wife, Caroline.
Altogether I spoke 19 times. It was a wonderful experience. I was well received, and the Lord was at work.
Thank you so much for your prayer and financial support. Kevin and family are home from France for six weeks. They will be here, Lord willing, the first week of August. Then it is off to Washington state, Japan (September) and the Ukraine (October).
Please continue to pray for us.
Homer