Mthata

This past weekend we went down to Mthata for a visit with the Sawatsky Family.

Mthata (pronounced UmThata) is located in the eastern cape, it's the birth place of nelson Mandela, and is where the Sawatsky Family is.

The Sawatsky Family comprise of Joe and Anna, and their sons Isaac, Moses, Levi, Jesse. Joe and Anna work with Bethany Bible College, a school that works with African Instituted Churches (churches founded in Africa, not connected to a western denomination). This past weekend they had a conference about Farming Gods Way (no tilling, no burning, crop rotation) with James and Joan Alty (the MCCers, I talked about them in an earlier blog entry).

So We drove in on Friday, And slept at a back packers (kind of like a bed and breakfast, but no breakfast). The next day we had a walking tour of Mthata, and then went to the conference for a little while.

The next day we went to Church in Mandela Park. Mandela Park is an old farm, that Nelson Mandela made availible to the poor to build on. We went to church in a small one roomed building, sitting on plastic chairs, singing a capella in Xhosa. It was really cool. Joe preached about Abraham's Journey, and how he prepared the way for his children (he traveled from Babylon to Canaan to Egypt, opposite of his descendants that traveled from Egypt to Canaan to Babylon). And he spoke about how we are called to prepare the way of the Lord.

On monday, we went to see the Nelson Mandela Museum, which apperently used to just be a collection of Gifts that he's recieved from different people, but about a year ago got revamped, and now tells his lives story. I found it interesting and kind of sad, that the Man the world looks to as a symbol of Reconciliation is the one who decided to arm the ANC. As well, when he was in prison he had the opportunity to be released if he would disarm them, but he refused, continuing to use violence as a means to an end.

We then went home and made donuts/ the girls made skirts, and watched a dvd of Michael Jordan's final Basketball game with the Bulls, which was awesome.