august 2013 stk chronicle

7/27/2019 August 2013 StK Chronicle

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St Kiaran's CHRONICLE

August 2013August 2013

Make

disciples ...


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3/13

David's Pastoral Letter

Dear brothers and sisters in Christat St Kiaran's

It is nearly time for me to begin my good-bye greetings only five months tothe end of the year.I want to comment on something that has always caused me a lot of heart-searching about our life and work at St Kiaran's. My concern may be beexpressed and realised by the lack of numerical growth in our congregation.

JESUS SAID; 'YOU WILL BE MY WITNESSES IN JERUSALEM (IN FISH HOEK);IN ALL JUDEA (CAPE TOWN WHEREVER WE MAY FIND OURSELVES); INSAMARIA (MASIPHUMELELE) AND TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH) (ACTS 1:8).This is the mission of the Church.

Immediately, and very positively, we may identify various contributionsconstantly being made by faithful St Kiaran's members to fulfil this mission.

MISSIONARY SUPPORT: To the Liprini family, who work for Mission AviationFellowship; the Wessels, who work in Northern Mozambique. OUR RICE PROJECT: We have collected nearly R20,000 for flood relief foodneeds in Mozambique.

THE CONGREGATION AT MASIPHUMELELE has been planted and is lookingfor a minister of their own in 2014. THE PRESBYTERIAN PHUMLANI EDUCARE CENTRE our creche inMasiphumelele - an annual report of this wonderful work will be found in thismagazine. In THE UNITING PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF SOUTHERN AFRICA aconsiderable portion of our assessment money is used to support ministersand church development in poorer areas. We have a YOUTH WORKER WHO REACHES OUT AT SCHOOLS AND INTOTHE COMMUNITY. We are presenting ALPHA COURSES, two already for parenting with youngchildren and now a general Alpha outreach project this month.

Surely we are not only inward looking and concerned only about our

own personal walk with God, failing to reach out in Christian love tounchurched people in need.

What more can we do? What can we do differently?

I am praying that things will change, for the sake of the Kingdom of our LordJesus, in the immediate years to come. What is your response?

GO AND MAKE DISCIPLES OF ALL NATIONS . the parting words of Jesusto his followers. (Matthew 28:16)

May God bless and keep you and all your loved ones.

David


4/13

Presbyterian Phumlani Educare CentreChairmans Report to AGM:

22 July 2013

Once again, as we look back on 2012/2013 in the life of our Presbyterian PhumlaniEducare Centre, we must start with expressing our thanksgiving to God for His blessing

on our children, staff and management committee. We have been able to continuedevelopment of our life and work in many positive ways.

Staff: Zoleka Magobozi (our principal) and our staff have worked hard. They haveattended training courses and give much love to our children.

Volunteers and helpers: As always, Eva van Belle has continued with her excellentand sacrificial service. Jimmy de Jager watches over our finances. Vicky Rattraycontinues to hold our administration together. Four faithful men weekly collect thespecial food we receive from Pick n Pay and Rodgers Fruiterers. We also receive ourmonthly food supply from generous members of St Kiarans.

Committee: The committee has met regularly. We have been disappointed, at times,by the non-attendance of certain members of the committee. We have purposefullychosen to have a balanced committee membership from both St Kiarans and

Masiphumelele. Absent committee members do not help that balance.

Parents: Reporting honestly, the support we receive from parents is minimal. Weoffered a parent training seminar. We long for our parents to realise the greatimportance of being part of their childrens education.

Property and Equipment: We continue to improve our facilities, recently with newchildrens lockers and with computers used both by our staff and senior children.

Education of the children: This remains a primary focus. We believe it is vital for ourchildren to be well prepared for Grade 1 when they reach their primary school.Educational outings remain excellent moments to broaden the horizon of our children.

Christian Programme: This is an important part of our programme. Our ChristmasNativity play is a highlight of the year.

Childrens Health: We have continued our health check-ups, given by capable andprofessional people.

Finances: With great joy we are able once again to report a positive financial positionfor our Centre. We are thankful that we are now regularly receiving a subsidy from theDepartment of Social Development. The payment of parent fees has improved. Most ofall, we are very grateful to our friends from overseas who continue to greatly bless uswith their support. We have been able steadily to improve staff wages.

Our Dream: A seed has been planted, praying for the enlargement of our Grade Rclassroom. This would entail some major new construction.

In conclusion, may I speak personally. It has been a very great honour to be part ofthe development of the Presbyterian Phumlani Educare Centre. The beauty of arrivingat the centre to see our children enjoying education programmes, a healthy meal and

playing together will always remain deep in my heart.

David van Duyker

Chairman


5/13

Vacancy CommitteeOn 16th July the Vacancy Committee met, under the leadership of Rev.Heinrich Asch, for initial discussions about our future needs. It was resolvedthat an advertisement would be placed in the Presbyterian Life, whose nextissue comes out in August, advertising that we are seeking a replacementfor David who retires at the end of this year. Some further approaches to

possible candidates will be made a little later.

INVITATI0N! To the finest breakfast in F.H!The Men's Fellowship will be presenting this to the Congregation

on Saturday 24 August in the Church Hall (8.15am for 8.30am).

Clipboards will be available at the church to book your place, so

sign up soon!

ALPHA

The evening began with a heartymeal consisting of a meaty MediterraneanPasta served with French salad and bread rollsfollowed by tea and coffee.

The Introductory Session DVD Is ThereMore to Life than This? Christianity: Boring,Untrue and Irrelevant? had our guests enthralledand much laughter was heard.Who said Christians are dull, stuffy and boringfolk?

We had 11 guests in attendance 2 fromMasiphumelele, 1 from Ocean View with the restcoming from the Fish Hoek area. Our oldest guestis 89!

From Kelvin Dippnall's report on the first eveningof the course.

New members still welcome!!!!!


6/13

News from Bloem ....

I have now been in Bloemfontein for six months. Although the first monthwas tough, I have now settled in really well and am growing quite attachedto this beautiful city. I have done quite a bit of exploring in my spare timeand have visited art galleries, museums, the botanical gardens, the LochLogan Waterfront, which doesn't have too much water, 'Die Bloem Skou'and obviously all the shopping malls inBloem.I am living in a lovely garden flat on anelderly couple's property. I have morethan enough space and the house isbeautiful. I occasionally look after thedog and 19-year-old cat when they goaway for the weekend. This can bequite a mission but I usually enjoy the

company.

The church I have joined is verydifferent to St K's. I go to the eveningservice which has about two hundredstudents. The atmosphere is incredible and I have really grown a lotthrough the church. My cell group is also quite big, usually 20 youngadults, all very friendly. We take turns to make dinner for the cell everyWednesday evening and then we spend the next two hours in worship anddiscussions. They speak mainly Afrikaans, as does everyone in Bloem, butare willing to translate for me when it gets too much.

The people I work with are also all very friendly andaccommodating, most of them, including my manager, are Christian. Ihave made some very good friends here which makes the working day goa lot quicker. Once in a while we have Friday afternoon team braai's or amorning tea. Because my company is international, I work with a lot ofpeople overseas so I have also been introduced to a lot of differentcultures since I have been here too.

I am still missing family and friends in Cape Town but I have onlygood things to say about Bloem so far.

Kate Hawkridge

Church Family News

Birth: On 28 June 2013 Max, wasborn.First son ofCandice andNeil Henderson, grandson ofArthur and Cathy Faulkner

Baptism: Connor Ross Mitchell, son ofHeather and Alan, wasbaptised on 16 June 2013

Death: With sadness we record the passingon 14June 2013ofLilian Duffett, aged 104.


7/13

The Twitchers' Voyage

In March Flock 2013 held their Annual Gathering of Members of BirdLife South Africa inCape Town this year and what better way to constitute it spending five days at sea onboard the MSC Opera cruising to Walvis Bay, a distance of 710 nautical miles. This was to

be an entry into the Guinness Book of Records as it was the largest group of twitcherson board a ship at one time. Can you imagine all these birders, 1,100 in total with theirbranded clothing, binoculars, scopes and cameras gathered on decks 11, 12 and 13 beingfilmed by camera persons on a helicopter flying over the ship as it left Cape Town withimages sent and shown on TVs around the world. An important piece of history.

Among the many goals to celebrate is ourcountrys rich diversity of seabirds, awarenessabout seabirds, raise funds for seabirdconservation and promote BirdLife South Africa.

On a Friday we approached the quayside with asight of a gigantic 14 storeyed hotel on water.Nearly 2,000 passengers crossing the gang-plankwas exciting but seeing the marble finishes, brassstaircases and elegant dcor of this Italian liner

was breathtaking. Once on board we werewelcomed by Captain Raffaele Ponti and his crewof 700, consisting of 110 plumbers, 54 carpenters,80 electricians, a medical staff of 50 and many

others too numerous to mention. Christened in 2004, the ship is 251 metres long and 28metres wide. It combines timeless elegance with cutting-edge technology offering a widerange of recreational facilities and entertainment whilst at sea. Other features of the shipare a maximum speed of 21 knots, passenger capacity of 2,200, 856 cabins and ninepassenger lifts.

Shortly before departure there was a compulsory emergency drill for all guests requiredby law and in the case of an accident there would be seven short blasts followed by onelong blast of the ships alarm giving you a chance to grab your life jacket and proceed tothe assembly station.

An hour after leaving port we passed Robben Island on our right. Leaving Table Bay wenavigated along the coast passing Cape Columbine and following a NNW route to WalvisBay.

Once we had settled in and discovered all the excitement that was to be found on boardwe headed for one of two luxurious a la carte restaurants with a menu of Indian andinternational dishes and scrumptious puddings. There was a buffet restaurant on the topdeck offering panoramic views of the ocean, followed by a floor show every night in theTeatro dellOpera with professional entertainers, lithe dancers, singers and musicians.On Saturday, following a satisfying breakfast, various onboard lectures were held and weattended Ocean Nomads: the Albatrosses presented by Peter Harrison,MBE the worldsforemost seabird expert whose wife was the second person after Scott to snow ski acrossthe Antarctic. The Teatro was filled to capacity and a pin could be heard dropping. Hementioned that the Albatross has a life span of over 60 years and does not breed untilseven years old, then has one chick every two years. The afternoon was spent at the pool

or on deck participating in bingo, Line dancing, hoop games, etc. There was no lack ofentertainment all day and night. With 12 bars and lounges and five dance floors, ashopping mall, a casino, beauty and health gyms, jogging track, mini golf and, of course,the purpose of the venture constant bird watching.

Saturday night was the Captains cocktail party and gala dinner with everybody dressedto the nines and sporting bird masks which were elaborate designs of their favourite bird.

None of the restaurants, bars or discos accepted conventional money. Its all done withthe swiping of your pre-paid debit card, a hassle, but saved carrying wads of notesaround. Food was constantly available and fresh bread ruled! With 12 bakers on board,900Kg of croissants, muffins, baguettes, rolls and pastries were available every day!

Just after sunrise on Sunday morning the ship cruised into Walvis Bay, the lonecommercial port of Namibia, the region is a thriving port and fishing centre that isbustling with industrial activity and nature enthusiasts. The bay is a fantastic location forspotting some of the most exotic and fascinating species of migratory birds that whiz pastits expansive wetlands and sand dunes. Unfortunately there was a crisis at the harbour.Not only was it a Sunday but there was only one Immigration officer present to givepermission for 2,000 passengers to disembark, causing a three hour delay to all


8/13

concerned going on various bird spotting tours and bus trips to Swakopmund!

Hence our departure to Cape Town was delayed by three hours, a bonus given us by theCaptain. On returning to the ship most of the passengers were hot, tired, dusty andfootsore ready for a hot shower, early dinner and off to bed.

Monday was another full day at sea but more interesting lectures and another packed

house in the Teatro to hear another fantastic presentation by Peter Harrison, MBE, thesubject being Master Submarines: The Penguins. The cine screen was large as life andPeter was dancing around with these great birds as if he was in the midst of them all thetime. Followed by the AGM in the afternoon we spent our last evening on the shipheading back to Cape Town in a SSE direction.

Tuesday morning we arrived in Cape Town and that amazing view of Table Mountainveiled in a grey mantle was memorable and at times quite spooky with mist rising andgoing down as we approached lighthouses and the fading sound of the waves. It truly wasa cruise Giving Conservation Wings.

Peter and Anne McLeod

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PAINTED TOE-NAILSAND

THE UNREACHED PEOPLE

The call of God to spread the Gospel comes, of course,in different forms to different people. Id like tointroduce you to Cath, a young woman who felt calledto reach those who had never before heard the Gospel.Not so long ago she was in an African village, milesfrom anywhere sitting with a group of women, and, touse a modern term, bonding with them. She

organised a little party, a fun occasion, in which they painted their toe-nails.Of course she didnt just march into an unknown village, gather a group ofwomen and show them how to paint their nails. This is her story .......

Born in Johannesburg, studied at UCT with a degree in Human Resources shethen worked in commerce and saved some money. Back at varsity she trainedas a primary school teacher, then joined one of the Mercy Ships to teach themissionaries children and to minister wherever the ship docked.

Back in Cape Town she taught in Khayelitsha but the unreached peopletugged at her heart. One of our local missionary societies was only too glad toaccept her. South Sudan was the designated area and with backing from herchurch and others she set off. She knew there would be hardships andadjustments but what she didnt even guess at was personal love and

tragedy.

She was duly met by the other missionaries and installed in a hut with anotheryoung woman. As a new-comer, of course she had to learn the local language.Now thats a problem when there is no written language. But Cath took it inher stride and soon became a valuable member of the team. Soon she wasable to give a very short talk. Team work was all important and eventually aschool building went up. It was Cath with her training as school teacher whoproduced a Primer so the children could learn to read.

The South African team co-operated with one from Germany and there was aspecial man that Cath was destined to meet. No romances allowed on themission field, so there was a problem or two.

If you read the book TORIANA you will find out what happened next.Toriana, a flower, is what the now-following-Jesus people called Cath. Thebook costs R100 and is available from me. If youd like to see it, apply to me,but Im not parting with my copy!!


9/13

Lucy Centlivres

Lesley's Report Back - Trip to Venda

`When I last wrote about the Stoll family Christmas gift of giving to the pre-schoolShandukani in the Venda district as a result of an article I had seen in the MAFnewsletter, little did I realise the enormity of what we were doing.

Thursday 20 June 2013 at 5am (and I am not a morning person!!!) I was up andready to leave a dark and cold Pretoria for Lanseria airport where I would be boardingan early morning MAF flight to the far north Venda district. This was to visit the littlepre-school that we had collected goods for, meet the children and to see what wouldbe the next step as already family and friends are asking how they can help andworking on donations for next year!

There were 7 of us on board Mark (Liprini) the pilot, Steve co-pilot, MaxineHolman, General Manager and Chimwemwe Kalawe, all with MAF, then John (Camera

man from Growing Tomorrow), AntMcDonald photographer and myself. Theflight took +/- 2 hours during which timeMaxine filled me in on the Shandukani pre-primary school. Over the past months they

had learned that it had in fact beendisbanded and a few of the original childrenwere being cared for in a local house.However, Flying for Life had indentified otherpre-schools, or crches, in need one ofwhich they had visited previously but thesmall mud hut crche had been washedaway in recent floods so they were keen to

see what had become of those children (at Gondeni crche) which is where we wouldbe going to and then to another school that they had also spent time at on a previousoccasion. That was sad news for me however, a school in need is a school in needand if my toys, gifts etc could be well used elsewhere, well and good.

And then we were there in the middle of nowhere and already we could feel theheat! Daytime temperatures there are continually in the high 20s to mid 30s but thenights can get just as cold as elsewhere

in SA in winter. The little jerseys wewould be handing out would still comein useful!

We were greeted by Richard and Ben

our chauffeurs for the day thanks to the

generosity of the coal mining operation

in the area. All our cargo was off-

loaded into a bakkie and kombi, we

piled in too and off we went. A short tar

road trip and then onto dirt brought us to the site of the washed away school but

Richard knew where they had re built Gondeni and we were there within a few minutes.

As we pulled up behind a wire fence, the children ran out from inside the school room

or from under a tree shouting mukiwa, mukiwa! (Roughly translated white man) Ahappier, smiling bunch you could not get. They have absolutely nothing to play with, to

stimulate or amuse them but they were laughing within minutes of surrounding us, only

too pleased to have their photographs taken and ever so fascinated by seeing

themselves in the camera. We introduced ourselves to the Community Care Worker

(they wear bright orange overalls) and expressed our wish to give them some

educational toys, explain how to use them to the best advantage for the children and

also some gifts. Chimwemwe, who is qualified in Early Education Development, asked

me to help demonstrate some of the toys playing

with them with the children while she explained.

The Community Care Workers have their hands fullfrom babies being bottle fed to 5 7 year olds thatare nowhere near ready for big school next year.

They have no toys, let alone educational ones, orany sort of equipment to help develop mental orphysical skills.


10/13

We had been there for more than 2 hours and it was wonderful to see, play with andencourage the children and teachers but we had to say our goodbyes and head off tothe next pre-school that we wanted to reach out to. While Chimwemwe, Maxine and Ihad been busy with the teachers and children, Steve had been liaising with a communityleader as to how MAF could get more involved to help bring a better quality of support

and education for this little school.Our journey took us on a corrugated dirt road furtherwhat was happening and how theywere beneficial, to the teacher through an interpreter.

The little ones where shy at first but as soon as they saw the fun in bean bags andskipping, they were keen to all give it a try.When the wooden cars came out well, there was no need to teach those boys, theyknew exactly what to do and an area in the dirt was soon a racetrack. Chimwemwe hadbrought along an amazing gadget a small hand held label printer which she quicklyput to use renaming all the animals in the puzzles into Venda dialect.

MAF had brought along huge tin bowls filled with mugs, packs of food and e-papparcels and also a donation of beautiful, bright fleece blankets which were handed outto the delight of children and carers alike.

Now, this was all well and fine but the bottom line is this is an extremely poorcommunity. The mud hut with leaking corrugated roof, 2 windows and a door is the

pre-school. The kitchen a safety nightmare. The school building is a multi-functionroom for playing in, learning in, for sleeping in and a kitchen storeroom. And notoilet facilities in sight. into no-where land and then suddenly we were in the middle ofa large community primary schools, clinics, a Home Affairs centre and a large SAPunit. We found our way to Mutele A crche where Chimwemwe had visited before.She was keen to see how they had progressed since receiving their donation ofeducational toys some time back.

Once again, the Community Care Workers were in attendance. This school had a

much bigger room, a few wooden benches,

and outside 3 JungleGyms had been

installed, but other than that, much was the

same as Gondeni. The kitchen was an

outside affair, no toilets in sight and - no

toys insight either. It was explained that

the door to the school was not secure so the

toys were kept at the house next door.

Maxine had to explain that when the

children were at school, the toys needed to

be there, and when they went home, the

toys could go next door safe keeping.

That being said, we interacted with the children who again were excited tosee the mukiwa.

The boys and girls were given their jerseys and what a joy to see them in arainbow of colour. I am are sure those jerseys were slept in and worn again andagain over the next day few days!

Then came the bikes and dolls once again, the children knew just what todo ....

It was the most amazing experience. Too much to takein in one day. The children were inawe of what was happening but theywere just like all other children. Theywere happy to see us, shy and wary totalk but as soon as one had taken theinitiative, the others followed suit. As inall pre-schools, there were thosechildren who were the leaders andthose who were the followers. As at Gondeni, here at

Mutele A it did not seem as if much pre-school preparation was being done for thosewho will be entering primary school next year. There is a lot of work to be done in the

training of teachers at these out-lying pre-schools.


11/13

As for me, would I do this again? Most definitely I will continue to support MAF andits Flying for Life programme in the Venda. The children there stillneed educational toys I have a better idea now of which ones aremore suited to their ages, abilities, needs and they also still need

just toys to play with - and I think I saw what ones they liked thebest!

And to God must go the glory for being able to bless this community, for being ableto fly with MAF, and for the wonderful work being done by MAF in our country. Thatwas a good day!

Lesley Stoll

-------------------------------------Thanks!

My plans were definitely not Gods plans. I had a very special birthday, my 50th

, on June 25th. The scene was set, a good DVD, some chocolates and maybe even acake, all by myself of course. Slowly, very slowly I felt all my plans slipping away. My

brakes failed. With a prod from Jenny Strickland this end and my sister Olga on theother, I knew I didnt stand a chance. Emotions ran high.

Everything will be just fine; I tried to reason with myself. Cake and tea with two or threefriends cant possibly do any harm. Having a meal with your sister should also not be toodifficult.

Well, well, well. Did I mention that Im not really good with surprises? Tea and cake in themorning went down very well, I behaved and graciously accepted. However, things took aturn later in the day, not for the bad though. I found myself stuck by the door at Chit Chat,there was nothing to hold on, besides, right behind me was a strong pair of arms reassuringme, its ok. I managed to get pass the door. What a sight!! An amazing group of veryspecial people, there, to tell and show they care. In the end I just managed to get a fewwords out. Back in the evening, a big family get together awaited me, birthday cake andall.

I never got round to the DVD and chocolates, maybe some other time and definitely notalone.

Thank you to all that made my day a truly special one, the smss, the phone calls, thepressies, the cards, the hugs and best wishes. Thank you not just for that day, but for allyour time, the comforting words and silent gestures this past year. The beach walks andtime set aside to pray. I appreciate each and every one of you. I believe it is noted for atime to come. May the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth richly bless you all and alsoyour families. May His face shine upon all of you.

With a thankful heart and lots of loveEsm (Boon)

!!!!! Twitchers are a type of birder who seeks to add as manyspecies as possible to their list in as short a time as possible.They are willing to go to great lengths, including extensive traveland dedicated monitoring of local and regional birding hot-lines,to see new bird species. A twitcher does not generally devotegreat lengths of time to bird observation, but rather is content tosimply identify the bird species conclusively and add it to their lifelist. See pages 5 & 6


12/13

The Wrong E-Mail Address

This one is priceless. A lesson to be learned from typing the wrong emailaddress!!

A Minneapolis couple decided to go to Florida to thaw out during aparticularly icy winter. They planned to stay at the same hotel where theyspent their honeymoon 20 years earlier.

Because of hectic schedules, it was difficult to coordinate theirtravel schedules. So, the husband left Minnesota and flew to Florida onThursday, with his wife flying down the following day.

The husband checked into the hotel. There was a computer in hisroom, so he decided to send an email to his wife. However, heaccidentally left out one letter in her email address, and without realizinghis error, sent the e-mail.

Meanwhile, somewhere in Houston, a widow had just returnedhome from her husband's funeral. He was a minister who was calledhome to glory following a heart attack.

The widow decided to check her e-mail expecting messages fromrelatives and friends. After reading the first message, she screamed andfainted.

The widow's son rushed into the room, found his mother on thefloor, and saw the computer screen which read:

To: My Loving WifeSubject: I've Arrived

Date: July 8, 2010

I know you're surprised to hear from me. They have computershere now and you are allowed to send emails to your loved ones. I've justarrived and have been checked in.

I've seen that everything has been prepared for your arrivaltomorrow. Looking forward to seeing you then! Hope your journey is asuneventful as mine was.

P. S. Sure is hot down here!!!!

Sent to us by Hugh Tucker in the UK


13/13

St Kiaran's Presbyterian Church

Central Circle, off 7th Avenue, Fish HoekP.O.Box 22146, Fish Hoek, 7974

Church Phone: 021 782 6118

Minister: Rev. David van Duyker: Home Phone: 021 782 1498

All are welcome at ourRegular Sunday Services

Sunday Worship Services at 9.30am & 7pmHoly Communion is served on the 1st Sunday of the month at

both services

When there is a 5th Sunday in the month we have aUnited 9.30am Service with the

Masiphumelele Congregation

CHURCH PRAYER MEETINGS (in the old vestry)

Tuesdays: 11.45 am Prayer is offered after services - in the Vestry -

for healing or other needs. Please speak to Duty Elder. Prayers with our young people: as arranged .... or

whenever you wish to arrange times with fellow Christians. Prayer for the Nation: on the 1st Tuesday of the month 5-6pm at

church

august 2013 stk chronicle

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