Zululand South Africa stories

A Zulu Princess named "Precious"

I loved the names of the Zulu people: I met a waiter named 'Lovemore', several women named 'Pretty' and a child named 'ByeBye.' Then there was 'Welcome,' 'Bunny,' and of course some American style names such as 'Doris' and her son, 'Eugene.'

There were countless more with bright smiles and unpronounceable names that twisted my English tongue. Many had names that included strange clicks within the name.

When I’ve forgotten many of their names I’ll always remember an eight-year-old girl named Precious.

I met her in Johannesburg at an orphanage on our last day in Africa. She was riding her bicycle in the play area sporting a crown.


She smiled as she told me, “My name is Precious and I’m eight.”
She had a glow to her face that captured my heart. She became Princess Precious to me.

I don’t know her story—the story of how she came to be at the orphanage. There are thousands like her throughout South Africa, especially in the AIDS-ravaged areas of the country. Each one is more than a number, statistic, or a face.

They are each precious.

As I’ve thought about her smile and name, I’ve been reminded of these words I’ve sung all of my life.

“Jesus loves the little children
All the children of the world
Red and yellow, black and white
They are precious in the sight.
Jesus loves the little children of the world.”

Princess Precious.
A girl very precious and special to Jesus.
A reason to care
A reason to give
A reason to go.



















A beautiful girl named "ByeBye."


























Fresh graves KwaZuluNatal province South Africa



Gail Trollip, director of Tabitha Ministries said it best, "We are living in a killing field of AIDS."


Everyone you look in the area you see the horror of AIDS. It is estimated that over 40 % of the local population is HIV positive.


DeDe and I were so impressed with what Tabitha Ministries is doing to minister to families, orphans, and the community.


You can learn more about their work at http://www.tabithaministries.co.za/ or by contacting missionaries Charles and Robin Taylor at crtaylor5@mweb.co.za



















A boy with a Dry Creek Camp camo cap.

Tabitha Ministries
Pietermaritzburg, South Africa

“Baba, what happened?”

“Baba” It’s the Zulu term for father.
I cannot describe how it affected me to be called this by the children at the orphanages where we worked.

These children with no earthly father or mother. On their own until they came under the care of a loving family.

They longed for touch and interaction.
Most of the young boys hadn’t felt the touch of a man.
It didn’t matter that my skin was white and theirs was black.
I became “Baba” to them.
Father

And it moved me
And changed me.

The boys, ages three to six, loved running their hands through my hair and beard.
As they rubbed the top of my bald head, they’d inquire,
“Baba, what happened to your ‘other hair?’”

This was invariably followed by, “Baba, who cut your hair?”

I’d smile and answer, “Cathy Deshotels in Dry Creek, Louisiana.”

One boy seemed to seek me out.
I’d watched him on an earlier visit. He’d stood aloof from the others and seemed reserved. We learned he had been found wandering the streets at age 2. No one knew who he was or where he came from.

From there he came to Tabitha Ministries. At first he seemed unmanageable—behaving like a wild animal. Time and love had brought him far, but he was still smaller than the rest and stood apart.

On our second visit, he adopted me. As we walked the boys to bed, he grabbed my hand. His small black hand fit neatly inside mine. I tucked him in and he quietly said,
“Baba, I want a kiss.”

What a privilege it was to kiss that little man’s face.

A mission trip’s details run together and the faces and stories and places become a blur.
You ask me, “What did you do in Africa?”
I could tell you lots of stories, but I’ll tell you just this one:
I kissed a small boy goodnight who called me “Baba.”

That’s what I did.
And it was worth the trip, time, and money.
It’s what a Baba is supposed to do.














Bald-headed "Baba Curt" with a new friend.

(Left to right) Charles Taylor, Caroline, and Syvion Myeni

“Last night we slept hungry”

Caroline met us at the door with a smile. She’d seen the bags of food being brought by the volunteers from nearby Hilton Baptist Church’s Itemba (“Hope”) Ministry to her South African home.

Her words were simple but direct, “We slept hungry last night. I prayed to Jesus to send food and here you are.”

As team leader Syvion Myeni and International Mission Board (IMB) missionary Charles Taylor loaded her down with a month’s worth of provisions, Caroline said repeatedly, “Thank you, Jesus.” Joyfully we sat a bag of beans on her head and returned to the house, ready to cook and feed her family.

A widow raising five children and grandchildren with no government support, Caroline is dependent on the monthly support of Itemba’s “Bread of Life” ministry. Itemba, meaning “Hope” in the Zulu language, employs eight employees and operates as a ministry arm of Hilton Baptist.

With funds provided through Baptist Global Response (BGR), Itemba Ministries is able to help families in the Sweetwaters area of South Africa’s KwaZuluNatal province. BGR, a partner with the International Mission Board, has allocated $20,000 from the World Hunger Fund on this two-year project.

According to Baptist Global Response’s website (www.baptistglobalresponse.com), approximately 420 people from 75 families in Sweetwaters are benefiting from these monthly food parcels.

Much of their ministry is to the orphans and child-led households in this unincorporated township of over 100,000. Upon visiting Sweetwaters, one is struck by the obvious poverty and hopelessness of the population. Unemployment is high and the specter of rampant AIDS is evident everywhere in the hundreds of fresh graves seen in the yards of homes.


Taylor, a North Carolina native, shares, “We believe there are over one thousand child-led households in Sweetwaters. This is due to the devastation of the AIDS crisis. It is estimated that over 40 percent of the population is HIV positive.”

During the week this article was written, 88 residents of Sweetwaters died of AIDS-related complications. Funerals are held on the weekends and these days show the pervasiveness of the disease.

Itemba’s ministry is to the hurting families of this area and it begins with food. Team member Myeni, a native of Swaziland, says, “It’s hard to communicate the gospel to a hungry person. Get food for them and then you can talk about Jesus.”

In addition to the food ministry, he leads weekly Bible clubs throughout the neighborhoods. Children may come for the refreshments and games but always receive the gospel message from Myeni who speaks four languages.


In addition to the obvious benefits of the food, these parcels allow the children to remain in school instead of being out begging for handouts or money. The food also allows family members to take in orphaned children. Many of the needy families are led by grandmothers, or “GoGos” as they are known in the Zulu language.

During the drive to Sweetwaters for the food distribution, Taylor describes how this is all possible through the giving of Southern Baptists. “This vehicle, a Toyota Condor, takes us into the difficult terrain of this area. It was purchased through Lottie Moon funds and allows us to minister in inaccessible places.

“Funds provided through Baptist Global Resources are key to meeting the needs of the Zulu. This allows us access into the homes and hearts of the people.”

Taylor continues as to the long-term goals of his ministry. “We won’t always be here, but through mentoring Syvion Myeni and others like him, the gospel and the good deeds that go with it, will continue.


Missionary Robin Taylor, wife of Charles, handles the coordination of the project to ensure that proper accountability is in place.

Charles and Robin Taylor are assigned to the Zulu people group of this South African province. The Zulu tribal groups, numbering 13 million, are known for their fierce military background and proud heritage. Through building relationships and earning the trust of the citizens of Sweetwaters, the Taylors are seeing fruit in this area.

The smile and warmth of a woman named Caroline is ample proof that needs are being met and the gospel shared.

























Newlyweds Syvion and Zandele Myeni

I saw the future of Africa

Many folks are pessimistic on the future of South Africa. To be honest, numerous residents are emigrating to others countries such as New Zealand or Australia.

However, I saw hope for the future of Africa and it was reflected in the dark warm eyes of my new friend Syvion.


The first thing you notice on meeting Syvion Myeni is his smile. It is a smile that is connecting with hearts in the Sweetwaters township area as he represents Itemba Ministries and Hilton Baptist Church.

A newlywed, Syvion and his wife Zandele are committed to the people of this area. A Swaziland native, he came to this province to attend Bible College and found both a home and a wife. Myeni is committed to meeting the needs of the area.

Just as he has been mentored by others, Syvion is pouring his life and talents into the lives of young people and children.

His wife, Zandele, is a native of the Sweetwaters area. One of thirty-three children (her father, who has five wives, lives nearby), her Christian marriage is a strong witness to her community and family.

As they craft a uniquely Christian marriage in their neighborhood, this young couple will be used by God to touch lives around them.

Yes, the future of any country, including South Africa, is in young people.

The words of an older man named John R. Mott ring true, "If I could live my life over again, I'd invest it in young people."

With God's help and the hearts, smiles, and hands of thousands of folks like Syvion and Zandele, the future is not be feared.








The Southern Cross

There were two things on my list to see for myself in South Africa. It was my first trip south of the equator.

First, I wanted to see if water drains clockwise in a tub or sink. In the northern hemisphere, water drains (and tornadoes and hurricanes spin) counterclockwise. During my years as a science teacher, I’d explained how it occurs in the opposite direction south of the equator.

I can attest that it does drain the opposite down there. It drains clockwise. I personally observed this over and over in the tubs, sinks, (and commodes) of South Africa.

Then there was another sight on my personal “bucket list”—my list of things to see before I die.
And I saw it in the African sky.
It’s called the Southern Cross.
The southern hemisphere’s most famous constellation.


I’ve walked under the night sky for all of my life. It is one of the benefits of living a rural life. The stars, moving planets, changing moon all have been friends.

I had read about the Southern Cross and couldn’t wait to see it.
I wanted to compare it to my old friends the Big Dipper, the Hunter, and Big Dog.

The first night I was amazed at the clear winter sky of South Africa. (Yes, it’s winter in June south of the equator.) We were at a high elevation and the sky was breathtaking, but I recognized nothing. It was as if the familiar northern sky of my life had been shuffled and stirred until no star or constellation was in its right place.

It reminded me of how far from home I was.

There high in the black sky was what I knew was the Southern Cross. First of all, I was surprised at how small it was. I had expected something similar in size to our Big Dipper.

However, by locating the nearby two “pointing stars” that direct the viewer to the Cross, I knew the four stars were the constellation I had longed to see.

The stars are actually kite-shaped, but it was easy to see how it got its name. It resembled a cross, high in the sky for all to see.

People ask me why my wife and I went to Africa. I guess a good analogy would be that we’re like those two pointing stars directing viewers to the Southern Cross.

Jesus Christ, who we serve as Lord of our lives and worship as the unique Son of God, used a cross to demonstrate his love for all mankind.

We’re just pointer stars trying to direct folks toward that cross.
That’s what we try to do everyday. Here at home in Dry Creek and wherever we may travel.


Back Home

The sun goes down in the pines.
I sit at my outside office, surrounded by three loving dogs.
A woodpecker works nearby pecking away.
Purple martins whirl and sing overhead.
A crested flycatcher whistles unseen welcoming me home.

I’m home,
And that is good.

“The farther I must go,
The nearer I must stay.”
-Van Morrison “Song of Home”