It's a first all round

The event is brand new ... "Mandela Day Marathon" and of course this was the first "Ethembeni  team" to participate in the event.

The vibe was amazing ... people united and eager to participate in this wonderful event.

The Ethembeni team are to be commended for their efforts .... great looking team too.

Perhaps next year more than one Ethembeni team will participate.... get ready folks.

The COLD kept at bay

Many families supported by Ethembeni benefited from the very timely donation of 90 blankets  from Welfare Director Julia Todd. These blankets came from the East Coast Winter warmth Campaign via the PMB Rotary.

The Midlands Meander area of KZN where Mpophomeni is found, experienced some really cold snowy weather for almost a week and these blankets brought warmth and comfort to our families.

The blankets were given to the Ethembeni Carers and volunteer groups for personal distribution to the families and were really well received, as one could imagine under the circumstances.

A HUGE thank you to all involved throughout the "supply chain". It is because of YOUR support that Ethembeni is able to help others.

God's provision for a needy family

Testimony by an Ethembeni Careworker – Thunyiwe Sokhela (In ZULU and ENGLISH)

Ngiyambonga uNkulunkulu ngomsebenzi owenziwa iEthembeni empakathini.

Kukhona umndeni osizakele kakhulu usizwa yiEthembeni. Lomndeni sawufica uhluphekile kakhulu. Umndeni unezingane ezingu 9 nobaba nomama.

Omakhelwane basebekhathele bezama ukuba babaphe ukudla nezingubo. Safika bengenawo ama ID books, izingane zingenazo izitifiketi. Kwakungekho imali engenayo.

Yanikela iEthembeni ngokudla, izingubo, nezicathulo, nama uniform ukuba abantwana baqhubeke bafunde. IEthembeni yabafundisa futhi ukuba balime ingadi yemifino nama vegetables.

Yabasiza futhi inhlangano yaseEthembeni ukuba bathole ama ID books nama birth certificates. Lomndeni wasizakala impela baze basizwa  nangamagrants abazali okugula nama support grants abantwana. Okukhulu kakhulu ukuthi uNkulunkulu wenza umsebenzi nasezimpilweni zabo. Banikela izimpilo zabo kuJesu. Ngokuba babehleli bengashadile befisa ukuba bashade kodwa babengakwazi ngenxa yokuthi wayengekho ozobalekelela.

IEthembeni yanikela ngosizo lokuba bashade. Bambonga uNkulunkulu bamdumisa.

Imisebenzi kaNkulunkulu iyamangalisa. Uma ngibuka amandla akhe awnza kulomndeni ngimdumisa njalo.

Enhlizweni yami kuneculo elifikayo uma ngicabanga ngomsebenzi owenziwa iEthembeni emphakathini.

Lithi: WE thembekile Jesu

          Nsuku zonke zikhathi
           WE thembekile Jesu

         : You are faithful Oh Lord

            Every day and every hour
            You are faithful Oh Lord

 Translation by Nora

I thank God for the work Ethembeni is doing in the community.

There is a family which has been greatly assisted by Ethembeni when it was discovered how poor they were. The family consisted of 9 children and the father and mother.

The neighbours were getting weary of trying to feed and clothe them. When we took them in hand, they had no ID books, the children had no birth certificates, and they had no income.

Ethembeni offered to help them with food, clothes, shoes, and uniforms, so that the children could go to school. Ethembeni also taught them to cultivate a garden to grow spinach and vegetables.

Ethembeni also assisted them to obtain ID books & birth certificates. Furthermore they also received disability and child grants. The greatest of all of God’s work, was that they received Jesus into their lives. Because they had never been married, they desired to have a proper marriage, but there was no one who could help them achieve that.

Ethembeni made that possible for them, and they offered praises and thanks to God. The work of God is amazing. God is good. When I reflect  on His power at work in this family, I never cease to praise Him.

LIFE TIME EXPERIENCE IN UK

Firstly I want to thank God for such an opportunity being out of the country for the first time and sharing a story of hope with our friends in UK. My eyes were open to lot of challenging thoughts about my country and about my work and also time management.

 Secondly a big thank you to my ticket sponsor Eye branding in Durban they made it possible that I go to England the land of the Queen, I tried my best to set up an appointment to have a tea with the Queen but it didn’t work since they were lot of celebration taking place in UK to some of you Jubilee might sound familiar, it was a queen’s birthday. Ethembeni Family thanks as well for dedicated prayer and love you share as I was away, I could sense that you were behind me with prayer and MCI my local church it great when you are part of a big family and it make life easy.

Well my time with in England was really amazing despite the weather that was always miserable and I must say I was warned just before I went there so I went prepared with worm clothes. Just a highlight the day is really long from 7 till 10  then the sun goes down, guess what the night will be really short which will course me to sleep until 12. Part of my experience there is that i got a chance to overcome my fears, Rachel took me to Alton Towers it unbelievable even now when i think about it i hard to think that i went to a place where 20 people die a day as i was told by my friends Khanyi (Claire in English) and Nonhlonipho also known as Rachel in England, i was so proud of myself after all the rides to survive Alton Towers. I was exposed to different churches with different set up which was great praise God that we can serve and worship him in different way and he respond because that shows that he is God for all and he is in all. Sharing challenges that our children in South Africa faces was an eye open as the youth of St Marys Church, as their youth were so engaging and asking question it made me realize the greatness of God and knowing that despise the distance or living in different countries but we can share the same vision caring for one another by God’s help.

I want to mention that if our leaders take their stand and fight for our town things will never be the same we will see change, I had a privilege to join street pastor they walk around street speaking to people making sure they are all okay and pick up substances that can be used as a weapon, And as we were walking you could sense that people know them and they feel safe to say what they think and feel. I pray we can have people like those in our communities that will dedicate their time and care for other people in that way. Without the teams and families we visited i believe my time in England wouldn’t have been so amazing and memorable taking Africa to England, Thanks to all our friends in England God bless you.

Written by:  Zweli Sokhela

Mpophomeni Family Centre

Testimony by Dudu Zulu

I would like to praise God for my life and for the amazing things He has done for me through Ethembeni.

Since I first came to Ethembeni in 2002, so much has happened in my life. With the help of Ethembeni I have developed sewing skills, and my self-esteem has been built up by love and encouragement, and their support has produced this kind of Dudu – the loving person, caring, confident, and able to make my own decisions.

God has used Ethembeni to fulfill His purposes  through my life – since I recovered from TB meningitis, stroke, TB spine and pneumonia, I did not think I would survive without Ethembeni’s support. Although my physical body still has many challenges, I praise God that I am able to do whatever I like in most cases. The few things I fail to do now, do not bother me because I accept the changes that happened in my life, without choosing it.

I see God’s blessings in being a part of the Ethembeni family for I’m a healthy living testimony without fear. Spiritually I am growing every day and to constantly learn new things means a lot to me. I am able to provide for my family and have a beautiful, lovely house, which is something that I would never have thought I could call my own. All this because Ethembeni made me into a responsible person.

Last but not least, my dream to be a counsellor has been fulfilled by God through Ethembeni. I’ve developed a lot of skills – that is why I lay my life before God and humble myself because I understand I have been chosen by God and I understand my uniqueness.

Thank you Ethembeni, for your loving, caring support and walking with me on this painful challenging journey. By holding my hand and walking with me, I am able to walk free. MAY GOD POUR HIS BLESSINGS UPON ETHEMBENI IN MANY WAYS. “PRAISE THE LORD”

Love you all, Dudu Zulu.

Sofe Lanhan - perspectives on Ethembeni

Mpophomeni Family Centre and Ethembeni has a magnetism that just draws you back again and again. Recently I returned to MFC for my third trip since 2009 and have had the pleasure and privilege of seeing some wonderful developments physically of MFC and also within the staff who work there. It has been amazing to see the changes in MFC such as properly tiled flooring, computer spaces, wonderful new ovens in the kitchen, brightened and painted walls in the ECD and activity room and a useable play therapy room, which when I first arrived was just a storage/dumping room. It has also been amazing to witness the changes in the staff who serve there; each of them with their own individual and defined role, yet also working together as one team. It has been possible to see the staff thrive under their different responsibilities and really be proud in the work that they do.

Since I first volunteered with Ethembeni in 2009, there have been a whole host of volunteers each year and it is wonderful to know that knowledge of Ethembeni, MFC, the staff and kids is now worldwide and continually growing. The way volunteers are now utlilised and cared for has developed hugely. It is also wonderful to see the increase in local volunteers from Howick and the surrounding areas who serve on a regular basis in multiple areas of the ministry. They have enabled long-term relationships to develop and the development of projects such as iPhepha beads and the such like which gives the opportunity to learn novel skills.

My visit to MFC recently, although too short was one which I once again thoroughly enjoyed and loved every minute of. Been given to chance to reconnect with staff and kids in person and develop new relationships with new members of staff has once again been amazing. It is a place which is very special and although left by a very many number of people, I know it is never forgotten. 

New Ethembeni and MCI ministry property?

The time has come where Ethembeni and Mpophemeni Church International jointly embark on an exciting project which requires a leap of faith. We are considering purchasing some land in order to relocate the care centre and have a permanant site for MCI. The new property would enable more patients in the local community to be cared for and allow staff to recieve training in designated rooms.The current care centre would then be transformed into a house for the frequent volunteers to stay in. This venture would also allow MCI to grow and build God's Kingdom as they would have a stable home in which to put roots down.

As a management team we visted this site, we are now at that point where we need to make a firm decision as to whether to purchase the property. It will be a big commitment financially, therefore would you please join with us in prayer as we seek guidance from God. We want to be wise and steward the resources God has given us. These are exciting times. Thank you for your continued support.