It was a HOT week in early October (around 100 or above) but we still had good times with a team from Grand Rapids. The rains should be coming by now, but it looks like it may be another year of drought and heat. There is no food in the granaries, but people are now making money by rhino poaching as they are close to the Limpopo and Kruger Parks. They know they may not live long, but at least they will live well, so they continue the risky activities. The village leader is in jail in SA and some of the men have been killed. Massingir District where Chinhangane is located, seems to be a hub for this illegal activity.
Crocodiles are also a big threat. Last week a group from Chinhangane went to a nearby village to fish in the river. They dive and spear the fish, but this time a man was taken by a crocodile. They only found part of his body but got permission to catch the croc in a trap. They opened it up and found some other body parts. It makes one very willing to just view the river from farther back.
People’s lives are certainly not easy and comfortable in Chinhangane. This church from Michigan has provided a drip irrigation system for their agriculture field, a water system so they don’t have to get it from the river, and they have taught skills like knitting and sewing. They work with children and church leaders and others.
They also showed them how to tell Bible stories in a way that helps non-literate people re-tell them and uses a lot of discussion – Simply the Story. There are only four churches in the village and three of them teach a mixture of Christianity and traditional religion/ancestor worship. There are plenty of challenges but we thank God for what has been accomplished.
This is one of the discipleship groups greeting us with songs and dancing.
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