HAYMARKET, Va. — Five members of Haymarket Baptist Church traveled to South Africa Oct. 2-16 to work among the varied people of the Eastern Cape. The group was led by Haymarket’s associate pastor of Christian education, Matthew Hensley. Team members included Beth Hensley, Jackie Cafferty, Debbie Swindall and Krista Kisth.
After two days in Cape Town, the team focused most of their time in the Eastern Cape working in conjunction with global ministries missionaries Jon and Dawn Barnes of Richmond. They were able to get a firsthand understanding of the challenges facing the people by living among them as their guests. The recent history of apartheid as well as the HIV/Aids pandemic are realities people deal with every day, no matter their race or station.
The group assisted with veggie tunnel projects. These tunnels help local churches provide food and money to their people. The team also worked at the Samaritan Care Center, a faith-based clinic caring for terminally-ill patients in Mdansante, South Africa’s second largest township. They carried supplies donated by members of Haymarket Church to assist the centre in their work. They also visited patients and prayed with them in their homes.
The team experienced God moving in exciting ways. They worshipped with two distinct people groups–the “coloured” Afrikaners and the “native” Xhosa. In the rural Xhosa village, they worked with members to update their building with fresh paint and flooring.
After visiting the sick, painting church walls, sleeping in unfamiliar places, bringing supplies for HIV caregivers and being kept in awe by the breathtaking African scenery, the team from Haymarket concluded that the most meaningful experience was the relationships built with the African people.
Barbara Francis is on the staff of the Religious Herald.