We had a highly-productive day of physical labor at the new Aphiwe Good News Centre in Tembisa today. With four additional Christadelphian missionaries from England and one from Durban visiting, we were able to get a lot of work done: planted two trees, built the front entryway, leveled the front yard, spread gravel in the parking area, hung bathroom fixtures, and painted a creative wall mural of Noah’s Ark.
The building remodeling is going very well and the construction crew will finish later this week, so we can continue with finishing touches to prepare for the launch in two weeks. The launch date is March 25, coincidentally the day we fly back home to the U.S. The community center sponsor, AutoPage, chose the date for the launch, which fortunately wasn’t beyond our departure date, so we could get to be part of the launch festivities which will take place all day long on the 25th and then Megan and I will fly out of the Joburg airport that night, God-willing.
The African people are so amazingly friendly and inquisitive, which makes it such a joy to do work in the townships. I spoke with several dozen different people today as we were working in the front yard who wanted to inquire about what we were doing. They were very appreciative of white people who live elsewhere and wanted to help their impoverished community. They were glad to know with several areas the community center will serve that there’s something available for virtually everyone: preschool, bible courses, and general education life skills classes.
With an ideal location in front of the busy Tembisa train station, thousands of people walk by the front of the Aphiwe Good News Centre every day. Many people wanted to stop and talk with us about what we were doing.
Leveling the front yard to prepare it for laying down more sod.
Planting the first of two trees.
The new tree looked great in the front corner of the Good News Centre property and already provided some immediate shade.
Megan hanging bathroom fixtures.
Hendri drilling holes for bathroom fixtures.
BEFORE: The front door entry area, in desperate need of a proper entryway.
Laying concrete steps with drainage in the entryway to the Aphiwe Good News Centre.
AFTER: The finished front entryway complete with proper drainage and concrete steps.
The inside of the community center is looking good and will be finished later this week in time for the launch date March 25th.
Lunchtime with sandwiches to eat.
Mat and Christy painting the beginning stages of the Noah’s Ark wall mural in front of the community center in Tembisa.
Megan painting the border around a cloud on the wall mural.
We drew a crowd of interested onlookers all day who wanted to watch us work.
The finished wall mural in the front of the new Aphiwe Good News Centre in Tembisa: a rendition of Noah’s Ark.
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