Mark Carey August 4-6, 2014

Our Pretoria Accommodations

 

Today we arrive at our first school to begin teaching our first class. As we arrive, the administrator informs us that our first order of the day will be what I call morning vespers. The entire school gathers under a huge metal canopy. There is a cacauphony of sounds, laughing, talking, screaming and various other noises. Altogether there are probably around 900 to1000 students. At the appointed time the school administrator stands on a platform and calls the group to order. Suddenly there is immediate quiet. She announces that it is time for morning prayer.

Our leader Glynn steps up on the platform prays and then gives the school the message about the armor of God and it's relevance to their lives. As his message finishes, we begin singing "This is the day that the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it" When we have finished the song, 900 kids head off to class, and we head off to our first school to begin teaching. This school is called Winterveldt, and is several miles from where we are.

 

We split up into two teams and begin. For the most part they are very attentive and seem interested. We will teach for three days in the morning, and then in the afternoon go back to the first school and start the program with this new school which is called Smphato.

 

This is now the school where vespers were held. This class has some fairly unruly kids too, and Bianca, Tumelo, Buti, pastor Zodwa, Offense, and I attempt to get the class under some kind of control. We finish the day and thank God for His help. When I arrive home to our beautiful bed and breakfast, I email my wife and ask her to pray for calmness. She does and the next day of teaching goes much better. Slowly the kids begin seeing the concepts, and we begin to see that some of the kids are responding well. By the end of the teaching time many of the students are warming up, and even at the end they are asking to touch our hair. Although we are not able to complete the entire program we know Pastor Zodwa will finish it probably on Monday of the following week, and we feel confident that God will use the Jesus film and our presence to help change kids attitudes and lives for His glory.