Friday, November 18, 2011

During the week I spend the majority of my time at my two placement sites. The kids at Re Tlameleng School are finishing up their year and I won’t be back with them until January, after their summer holiday. During this time my other site, Thusong Children’s Center, will have a lot more going on since the kids will be home all day, everyday from school. I look forward to this change in routine for the Holiday season.

Besides my work at the school and center, a lot of my time has revolved around the Lutheran Church in Kimberley. I haven’t talked about it yet, so I thought I’d introduce you now to my church, St. Sylvesters.

Last year they celebrated 125 years.

The structure of the service is very similar to that of Mt. Pleasant, my church in Racine (The structure of the building is not). The biggest difference is that about 98% of the service is in Afrikaans, so I sort of don’t know what is being said. I mean- I don’t know what is being said. Dinah, my host mother, writes down the Bible readings each Saturday night for me so I can read along in English and come up with a makeshift sermon for myself. Actually, you’d be surprised how much you are able to understand during a church service in a different language. I may not understand the words, but I never feel lost.

The church is about a 5-minute walk from our house, so Dinah and I walk each Sunday joining up with other members as we go. St. Sylvesters has communion every first Sunday and if there are any baptisms they take place every third Sunday. Offering each week is different from what I’m used to at home. We all go up in rows as we sing and place our offering in the collection at the front of the church. Everyone goes up and everyone contributes.

One of my best purchases here has been my hymnbook. With it I am able to follow along with the service, the prayers and the hymns. There are also a few English hymns that the Dean sometimes includes- probably to humor me. My hymnbook is already full of notes I’ve made for myself- sit, stand, this part is sung, Psalm, 1st reading, etc. I’ve been trying to learn the Lord’s Prayer:

Onse Vader wat in die hemel is, laat u Naam geheilig word; laat u koninkryk kom; laat u wil geskied, soos in die hemel net so ook op die aarde; gee ons daaglikse brood; en vergeef on sons skulde, soos ons ook ons skuldenaars vergewe; en lei ons nie in versoeking nie, maar verlos ons van die bose. Want aan u behoort die koninkryk en die krag en die heerlikheid tot in eqigheid. Amen.

Another great thing about my hymnbook is looking through Luther’s Small Catechism in the back. (Die Klein Kategismus) Anyone who has studied the small blue book or attended a Missouri Synod school like myself knows the repetition of memorizing it and the phrase that follows each commandment and creed- “What does this mean?” In Afrikaans you would say “Wat beteken dit?”

The elders sit in the pews to the left facing the aisle and the youth sit in the pews to the right facing the aisle. The rest of us sit in the middle facing the altar. Dinah is an elder so I usually sit with the two Omas (grandmothers) of the church. Sundays are good.

Besides Sunday service, I have also been able to attend various church gatherings. Attending funerals has been a big part of my Saturday morning schedule. I have doubled my funeral attendance since being here, I think. It has been something I’ve had to get used to, but also something that I am appreciative of. Attending these funerals has allowed me to witness how my community mourns and celebrates life at the same time. The most meaningful funeral I’ve attended was for Dinah’s brother-in-law. Vicky passed away a few hours after Dinah and I were visiting him at the hospital. The funeral took place on November 5th. Six years ago, to the day, Dinah was in the same graveyard burying her husband. I was happy to be with Dinah on that day. Prayer meetings are another event that I attend with Dinah. The prayer meetings usually take place in or outside of someone’s home. They will be held after someone passes away or if someone is ill. It’s not a typical meeting, but rather a time for singing and praying. It’s pretty awesome to be sitting around someone’s backyard singing out loud surrounded by a group of woman all dressed in their black and white church uniforms.

Other church activities I have been apart of include joining the youth when they meet on Fridays for movies and games, going with the Dean as he serves communion and visits with the elderly and ill, attending National conventions with the Cape Orange Diocese Young Adult League and having fun and eating at the church Bazaar.


This is a picture of the Young Adult League form St. George Lutheran in Kimberley. My very first weekend here I traveled with them to Rustenburg for the YAL conference. There were about 400 people all there ready to sing and dance- for 10 hours straight.

As far as I could tell Halloween isn't celebrated in Kimberley. However, that weekend my church held a fantastic Bazaar. Candy apples included.

Tables were set up selling cakes, cookies and candy. Each church group had there own table to manage- the elders, the Sunday School, the Men's League, the Sisters.

Famous South African Braai

This is called Potjiekos. It's sort of like pot roast but cooked over a fire.

When people ask me what I’ve been up to here in Kimberley I start talking about the school and children’s center right away. However, my church and the Lutheran community in Kimberley have also become a major part of my experience. The relationships I’ve built have been so strong and meaningful and I get to learn and experience something new every week. Sundays are good.