Team South Africa

Ten students spent nearly a month in South Africa witnessing God's work through several ministries. Team South Africa participated in door-to-door evangelism in the city of Pretoria and in squatter camps and townships throughout the country. In Johannesburg, they worked with Sowers Ministry doing sketch board sermons and served in AIDS orphanages and with TB patients. Also spending time in Mozambique, the team was able to minister by teaching English to the people.

Throughout their trip, the team learned a profound lesson about racism and how it can devastate a country. Though apartheid ended eight years ago, there are still many walls separating the races. Racial reconciliation is happening to a certain extent, but the change is slow.

According to the Afrikaners (a small population of white South Africans), Soweto is one of the most dangerous places in all of South Africa. The team was warned by both the locals and the missions organization not to go there. Yet the team felt the most at home in Soweto. Seeing the people's poverty and learning about the history of that area, the team was blown away by what had gone on and understand that the real fight for freedom began there not long ago. The team was greatly influenced by the fact that though external wounds have healed, there are still many internal wounds that still need great healing.

Posted: September 1, 2002