A TESTIMONY OF GOD'S GOODNESS (Zulu & English)

Isisebenzi saseThembeni – Octavia Zikhali

Ngasindiswa esibhedlela ngo 1985 December. Lapho ngangigula kakhulu ngifika esibhedlela ngingakwazi ukuhamba ngiphakanyiswa. Impilo yami yathola ukusizakala ngokuba ngamukele uJesu njengeNkosi nomSindisi.

Yaqala yashintsha impilo yami ngakwazi ukuhamba ngawadla kahle namaphilisi, kodwa ngiqhubeka ngimbonga uNkulunkulu.Sekufana nephupho ukuthi bengingakwazi ukuhamba.U Jesu wayenginikeza ithemba lempilo uMoya oNgcwele empilweni yami ngaphuma esibhedlela.

UJesu wabeka ubizo lokusiza abagulayo, ngibashumayeze, ngibakhulekele, ngibanika ithemba elinguJesu okwazi ukusindisa umuntu enyameni naseMoyeni.

Ngalithola ithuba eThembeni lokuhambela abagulayo. Ngiyambonga uJesu ngalo, ngikwazile ukusiza imideni egulelweyo ukufakaza ngoJesu ngichaze ngempilo yami, ngayinika ithemba. Kukhona abakade begula kakhulu sebelahle nethemba ukuthi bazophila, ngabavakashela ngabafakazela ngoJesu osiza umuntu – izinyanga, nodokotela sebehlulekile, uJesu omsindise umuntu.

Ngiyayibonga iThembeni nabasebenzayo bonke, nabasilethela ukudla ukuze abantu baphile emzimbeni naseMoyeni, ngoba basindisiwe bonke. IThembeni ihamba phambili ngosizo.

Testimony of EThembeni worker – Octavia Zikhali

 I was saved while I was in hospital in December 1985. On my arrival at the hospital, I was very ill and had to be carried as I was unable to walk. My health improved when I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Saviour.

 Taking my medication, my health improved such that I could walk again, and I continued to praise God. That I had been unable to walk before, seems like a dream to me now.  Jesus gave me hope in the Holy Spirit, and I was eventually discharged.

Jesus called me to help the sick, to preach to them, to pray for them, and to give them hope in Jesus who can save a person physically and spiritually.  The opportunity to visit the sick arose at eThembeni. I always thank Jesus for enabling me to help out in families affected by illness, and to witness how Jesus healed me and gave me hope. There are some among those I visit who have lost all hope, and I testify of Jesus who is able to do all that witch doctors and doctors cannot do. Jesus only is the One who saves.

I wish to thank eThembeni and all my co-workers, and all who bring food to nourish body and soul, for they are God’s people. Ethemebeni is tops in helping others.

Translated by Nora.

Exciting things have been happening with Ethembeni's supervisors and managers over the past 2 months - it has been so encouraging to see them develop their business skills.

Shan Cade has been working with them on the CLIP System - check lists for improved productivity - a simple but effective way of improving office efficiency using check lists as a control tool.

After the first workshop we started the programme by introducing a "FOCUS" check list for each person within their job function. This took some getting used to but many of the team are really finding it useful in helping them meet deadlines, manage risk and also enabling continuity of service.

Well done team - keep on keeping on

Sports fun and Nonhlanhla prayers

During Easter time we had two weeks full of fun with a sports tournament involving all of the children at the family centre and Azusa Pacific University in AMERICA. The children really enjoyed it and were able to develop more in-depth relationships with the volunteers since they had to team up and compete against each other. The challenge we faced during this time was that ourstudent social auxiliary worker broke her leg. Nonhlanhla was taken to hospital by our volunteer Khanyi, and went on to have an operation. Praise God, she’s recovering well back at home. Thank you to the staff who visited her, prayed for her, and encouraged her. She appreciated your support - keep praying for a complete healing.

It's not ALL work

Kanye getting breakfast at market!!

Rouen practicing some shots before heading out on home visits and food distribution

Lihle taking a break on retreat

Phindile and Phindile on their way to training

Pastor Themba "lost his way" on retreat

Dudu taking a break at first aid training

First day of new sewing project in Kwa-Hasa

Respecting family and partners skills - Nokwazi's story

Nokwazi (not her real name) has been with us for about 4 years. She is still young, living with her brother and granny. Nokwazi’s father died last year December due to illness, when he died she was living in one of the home because the father was an alcoholic and the granny was too old to manage to look after the two children living under the same roof with an alcoholic man. Working together with the social workers in Howick we managed to walk with Nokwazi to make sure that she survive last year. Nanie our child care worker, she had to go with her to Durban hospital, spending time with her even overnight, Nanie was her mentor. Now Nokwazi has been placed at Impendle where other family members lives, then we decided that we have done enough now that she has been reunited with her relatives, but we are still working with the family since her brother and granny are still living in Mpophomeni.

Good choices that bring hope!

Hi Everybody Today has been close to one of the most important days in my life. My name is Esme Raw,(The Prodigal Volunteer), missionary at Ethembeni. Today we started a new sewing project in Kwa-Hasa. This day marks the start of a project that I have felt God calling me to since September 2011. This project wouldn't be possible without the help and support of my dear friends and colleagues Phindile and Thembelihle. We were offered a room in Phindi's mom's house, (thank you kind mother), and started today with 5 people. I cannot describe the wonder and excitement of something so small as the skill of sewing by hand, can bring to people. The lack of water or electricity didn't put anybody off, and it was amazing to see the creative gifts and talents made visible. You might ask if the sewing project can bring in a sustainable income? I don't know. Can it bring change? It's possible. But most importantly, can it bring hope? And with that, I can say a definite yes. Where God is made welcome, change is inevitable. Where God is present, hope is real. And as we continue this journey of helping those in need, I ask you all to continue supporting Ethembeni in prayer. All the glory to our God and Savior who is our hope. Esme PV

Honesty = HIV Awareness and Testing

Sunday 18 March 2012 was a most significant day for the community of the Metropolitan Methodist Church. Our journey to this moment began at our HIV/Aids remembrance day service in December 2011. At this service a medical doctor of our community offered an excellent update on the HIV/Aids fight, and the plight of those infected and affected by HIV/Aids. The outcome of the day was the desire to not only do our bit once a year for an hour or two at the remembrance service but to somehow be more effective in HIV/Aids awareness. While we have openly talked about HIV/Aids in our community we are very aware that for many people infected or affected there is a reluctance to open up because of the stigma still attached to Aids and the fear of the community’s reaction. We needed to create a safe place to speak about HIV/Aids and to offer a testing opportunity. Enter Ethembeni. Grant, Dudu and their team offered their services to speak a personal testimony and to provide HIV testing on the church premises. This past Sunday (18 March 2012) we hosted the Ethembeni team. Dudu shared in the service, and I volunteered to be tested in front of the entire congregation and to disclose my status. I believe that both Dudu’s testimony and my willingness to be tested offered a safe place for the congregation. Confidential testing stations were set up and 21 members came forward to be tested. I believe that this has been an important moment in the life of our church and my hope is that our community will know that we are a place that is understanding, compassionate and seeking to assist those infected and affected by HIV/Aids. My hope is that many other churches will open their doors to Ethembeni.
Alan Bester,
Resident minister – Metropolitan Methodist Church, Pietermaritzburg.