Mission Trips: Country Club Christian Church

Robben Island and the Cape of Good Hope

Robben Island is the place Nelson Mandela and other political prisoners were held between 1960 and 1991. Mr. Mandela was on the island 18 years and lived in cell 5 of cellblock B. His name while on Robben Island was inmate 46664. He was released from captivity on February 11, 1991. He was elected president of South Africa in 1994.

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Buffalo Flats Township - East London, South Africa

On our last day in East London we returned to the new Samaritan Care Centre to do two things; first we all wanted to see the new vinyl floor which had been installed while we traveled in the Transkei; and second, so that Glen could offer a blessing of the building, and an affirmation of the project.

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On Monday, our mission was to spend four hours with nearly 650 students (grades R to 9) and to lead reading, games, music, crafts, and reading sessions.  There had been a great deal of planning done in preparation for this morning adventure at the Newtown School. The team leaders and organizers of this project were Marcia Ramsey, Nancy Lear and Dawn Barnes.  Our group carried books, pencils, balloons, Frisbees, a parachute, Play-doh, balls, bookmarks, and music to use with the kids.  Markers, crayons and snacks were also purchased and were on hand for our use when we arrived.

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   Cyndy Short creating another blog.

   Glen Miles and Harry Kema

Harry is the director of the Intleziyo AIDS Project.  He is also married to Lynette, who visited Country Club Christian Church last year with the delegation from South Africa.

   Greg Lear working at the Samaritan Care Centre.

   The church bell at the Ezolo Congregational Church, Ngcongcolorha location, in the Transkei.

     Nancy Lear and Clayton Hasser visiting with a member of Ezolo Congregational Church.

    Nevile McDonald, who is the principal at Newtown Primary School.

    This is an Imbongi, a traditional Xhosa praise singer.

The Intliziyo Project is in Queenstown. Queenstown is in the Eastern Cape Province, as is the Transkei and East London.    Our visit here was quite special for those in our group who came to South Africa in 2005.  That group included Nancy, Ken, Clayton, Carol, Mary Linda, Glen, and Marcia. In 2005, when this group arrived here in Queenstown, the Intliziyo Project was in its infancy. The Ashby Manor Farm had been made available to the founders of this project so that they might establish a program to help those with HIV/AIDS, but the estate was in need of repair.

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On Friday we left East London and headed inland to a village in the Transkei.  The drive was two hours long and took us from the ocean toward the mountain terrain.  We passed several towns, before we reached our destination near a town called Tsomo.  The roads along our route were paved highways which eventually began to wrap around the  hills along our route and take us upward.  We drove over the Kei River about an hour before we reached our destination. This river is a significant landmark for those who lived through Apartheid. 

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It was raining when we gathered for our final day of work at the SCC.  By mid morning the sun was out and there were people in every room painting, finishing the cabinets, staining doors, building the nurses’ station wall.  Others were outside installing the gutter and painting the exterior. Nancy, Greg and Glen spent the morning with Dawn doing home visits.  Carol and Bill went with Dawn in the afternoon.

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The Samaritan Care Centre at the original location.

The new location for the Samaritan Care Centre, before renovation.

During renovation

Children from the township, in a day care run by the Catholic Church.

Today Brian, Becky and I joined Dawn Barnes and Rose Mitchell to visit the clients they serve in the community. We began at the original Samaritan Care Centre (SCC) where we met Rose, Dorothy and Jackie. The clients we were to see live in Efferville, a coloured township, which is the neighborhood surrounding the Centre. As we walked out into the street we were greeted by a young woman headed toward us on the street. Rose greeted her and laughed telling her to go home, we would be by to visit her soon. Rynie smiled broadly as she greeted us. She was no more than five feet tall and looked like a young girl. Rynie is a Samaritan Care Centre client because she recently was diagnosed with HIV. Rose told us Rynie is responding very well to the medicine.  Read the rest of this entry »

We traveled to East London to witness the work and lives of Jon and Dawn Barnes. They are a young couple from Richmond, Virginia. They came to South Africa over four years ago as part of Global Ministries, our overseas work as Disciples. They have recently begun a second four-year term here, and are committed to continue the work they began through and including 2010. In the first term they have made contacts and friends which they can build on in the next years here. Both Dawn and Jon see East London as home and are dedicated to their work in Africa. They are also the proud parents of Khaya; a 3 year old Xhosa boy, and to Aly their 2 year old daughter. They have a beautiful home near the Stumble Inn and enjoy the friendship and help of a South African woman named Yoliswa. On the first night of the visit here Jon and Dawn treated us to a bar-b-que dinner in their home. We were served a meal which consisted of local favorites and is known as a braai, which is the South African version of a bar-b-que.

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