EASTER SUNDAY- DANCING IN THE RAIN

It's Easter Sunday and we're celebrating at Harvestime Dome, a non-denominational church located in one of the pooest areas in Johannesbug. They sing, they dance, they raise their hands up and celebrate: "Hosanna, Hossana, Jesus Christ is King!” They embrace each other, and some are moved to tears. It is Resurrection Sunday which for the past 2008 years represents the greatest day in the history of mankind. Pastor Dalton whose home we are staying at leads the service and he welcomes us warmly. There is a full Gospel choir, a drummer, a keyboardist, a guitarist and the children dance. This large auditorium is filled with spiritual evangelical energy and we are lifted up by the celebration. Pastor Dalton teaches that God has a plan and a purpose for our lives. We are not here by choice or accident, we are here because God planned for us to be here, and our purpose is the hand of God. He brought us here to the soil of the “Dark Continent” and Jesus is proclaiming that the Light shall now shine on South Africa. God is planting a seed in South Africa through Amor Ministries and the harvest of this seed shall come to South Africa. Amor has come to build homes and once it starts we won’t want it to stop. We will want them to come, and to come and to come and to help us in South Africa. This celebration service has an energy that is not of this world, and for some of our students it is the first religious service they have ever attended.

After the service we board the buses and travel to SOWETO which is an acronym for “Southwestern Township” It was here on June 16, 1976 that 15,000 students marched against the white controlled Africana government, and it was here that Hector Pietersen was shot and killed. The tragedy of this young boy’s death was captured in a historic photo showing Hector’s horrified sister and his friend carrying him. As the photograph spread throughout South Africa riots and protests erupted as 600 people died in those protests during the following year.

HISTORIC PHOTOGRAPH!

After we visited this historic sight in SOWETO we headed to Ebenezer Care Community where we will be living and working together for the next week. Tommy and the community here have done a fantastic job preparing for 80 new residents. Clouds had been forming throughout the day and after dinner a most magnificent thing happened. It started to rain with thunder and lightning. It was pouring down buckets. African music began to be blasted and some African girls began to dance in the rain. Quickly, our students joined them and danced in the rain. It was a dancing circle of joy that rotated in one direction then spontaneously changed directions. They were dancing under African skies and illuminated by the lightning, and the significance of the moment was magnified by the rolling thunder. As they danced a new kid joins the circle. He is filled with exuberance and joy as he dances. And just who is this kid? It’s Scotty Congdon!