Paul AKA Gottu

Getting down to work

October 6th

First day of real work. We went into the township for our first day of painting, day's on the beach etc.. It was really humbling to walk into a small pre-school that the Church here (Helderberg Christian Church) is financing and running to be greeted by about 40 or so small children about five or six years old with hugs and HUGE smiles!!!
The fact that they very rarely see white people (especially willing to spend time with them) with such openess and joy was incomprehensible.
Earlier in the day someone that was praying for me confirmed that God wants me out here for a reason.

Prayer points:That God would help me in the coming days to be moulded by him into who he wants me to be, and that I might be able to pick up some of the Xhosa language without too many problems. We are planning an outreach with children for Wednesday so please remember me in it. Thank-you for all the support guys.

October 9th

Hi guys, sorry I missed a couple of days, things have been pretty hectic over here.

Day 6. Over the last couple of days I have been very busy in helping to run two children's clubs one in the township of Lwandle and one in Macassar. The one in Maccasar had about sixty children in attendance and the one in Lwandle had about three hundred in attendance.

Today (Thursday) was a "normal" sort of day with worship and teaching from about 08:30. The teaching today was from two of the members in the Church here; one a "Coloured man" and one a "White man" they both told of their own experiences of growing up in an Apartheid ruled country. It was very challenging.

After the teaching and a tea break we went into the township of Lwandle where we were involved in painting the pre-school and doing some visits to the members of the Church who live in amongst the shacks and very small houses that are on the site. All of the people we visited were from the Xhosa speaking people of the township.

I have got a night off tonight so I will have an early night hopefully!!!

Prayer points: That I would know Gods direction in my life and that he will teach me to be like him more and more.

October 11th

Day off at last!!! We have been to see Table mountain in Cape Town with some terrific views, the cable car trip to the top is a bit hair raising as you seem to be heading into the mountain at one point.

We also went for a trip around Robben Island where Nelson Mandela and other political prisoners were held prior to 1994. It was a very sobering experience to be shown the cellblocks and other parts of the Island, we were guided around the prison by an ex-inmate who served four years there. He showed us the cell where he was imprisoned and the one where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned.

Tomorrow I'm off to a cell church in one of the townships and then to Jubilee Church in Cape Town in the evening.