From rubbish dump to school classroom
By Lianne de Baat
“Look!” my local colleague exclaimed to two visitors who were visiting Phumzile. “Right now, all you can see is rubbish, but if you come back here in a year's time, it will look completely different!” Overhearing this from a distance, I had to smile. I thought to myself, “We’ll see about that. In Africa, everything can take a long time...” But my local colleague turned out to be right. Now, more than a year later, that rubbish dump has truly changed a lot.
Bible class
In addition to the new kitchen and a daycare center, a lot of hard work has also been done ‘under the tree’ recently. A small cement wall has been built. Car tires have been collected from all over and converted into chairs. There is now enough material to start a Bible class for children under the tree.
Since the beginning of March, we have been meeting there with the children every Monday and Friday. Before each Bible class, I walk around Phumzile. Often, just the sight of me is enough, and some children automatically follow me. Back at ‘the tree’, we drag over some tables and a whiteboard. Then the Bible class can begin.
For some children, this is new. Especially the children who aren’t yet in school aren’t used to listening to a story. So it’s often necessary to explain that we stay quiet and don’t walk around during the lesson. Thankfully, the older children are happy to help keep the younger children quiet.
ENTHUSIASM
The children quickly learned the repertoire of songs. The last note of one song has barely faded away before another child is already starting the next one with enthusiasm.
After the prayer, I tell a simple Bible story. Although my translator was on maternity leave for a while, she thankfully returned after a month. And now, with her baby in her arms, she helps again by translating the Bible story into Sepedi.
Questions
While telling the story, your own thoughts sometimes wander in all directions. To be honest, there are moments when I ask myself what I am actually doing. Speaking in a language that is not my own, among people I hardly know, telling them the Bible message - does it even make sense? After all, it is a message that is different from what they are used to hearing - the message that they are not born as children of God, but that they become children of God when He comes into their lives. Meanwhile, these children are told almost daily that they are already children of God. Others hear nothing at home but observe from the lives of the people around them, that God's Word doesn’t need to be taken seriously.
But thankfully, there are also moments when the work can be done with joy, not only with sighs. Why? Because the Lord Jesus Himself said: 'Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God’. The Kingdom of God, even for children? Yes, He said so Himself! That gives us courage to keep sowing, also for the children in Phumzile! In the hope of seed for Him!
