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Hart Don Patti 1971 SouthAfrica PDF
Hart Don Patti 1971 SouthAfrica PDF
A
The Christian Mission, Vol. 15, No. 2, February 1971
Page 7
The work was begun in the 1920's as a result of the Kellem's campaign. The
One tiny spark remained in Cape Town in the Observatory Church of Christ. In
the 1950's Max Randall worked with the
good prospects. We will also lose at least five more members in the coming four months.
We cannot blame them for leaving, but it does
was a great youth movement which resulted in several of the young people going to the
States to study in various Bible colleges.
Three of these returned to work in their home towns. Carroll Fulford was the first to return
create problems when so many are unsettled. In spite of the problems, the church is gaining ground. We were almost in despair of ever making headway and finally turned the work over to the Lord's leading completely.
Since then the average attendance has grown
from the mid-teens to the mid-twenties. The
and he started the Wynberg Church of Christ in the early 1960's. His brother, John Ful
ford, returned in the mid-1960's and began
Lord has opened a door into one new home and Don is holding weekly meetings reaching
into four new families and the husband of one of our faithful members.
working with the Observatory congregation, building it up greatly both in numbers and
spirit. Meanwhile, Gorden Nelson, an
American who had ministered to the Obser
We have tried to concentrate on the Sunday school children. When we first came, the
church had been without a minister for some
keep the children coming after they reached their teen years. We set up an informal
who is working there at this time. Jimmy Solomon was the third Capetonian to return. He concentrated his efforts
on the colored (mixed) community. He is also ministering at Observatory while the John Fulford are on furlough. As for our
selves, the Don Harts, we have been work ing with the Wynberg congregation since
1967.
the program started. Several of these are now out of school and working. This is a breakthrough. Several of these young people are not Christians yet, but we are praying and working. The church is quite proud of their young family who are the first to dedi
cate themselves to full-time Christian service.
The Wynberg Church of Christ is a small congregation which has had many problems obstructing its growth. It is made up of European (white) and colored (mixed racial groups) South Africans. The country's policy is one of separate development of the races (apartheid) and this prejudice is deeply in grained in the people of the land. This policy prevents any practical mass evangelization, therefore evangelization is most effective if done on an individual family basis. This is a slow, time consuming effort, but actually good in the sense that everyone has an ex cellent chance to be taught more fully the
Gospel.
Mike and Lynda Solomon (no relation to Jimmy Solomon mentioned earlier) and their young son, Andrew, are in the States studying at Ozark Bible College. The church here is self-supporting except for paying our salary. It also helps with the support of the Bantu Preacher Training School
in Port Shepstone. They also send some
The other main problem to growth is immigration. The colored community, who
have made the effort to better themselves.
the Bible.
succeed.
Don and Patti Hart
25 Werda St. >
CaUg-SO Library
tHI uUIn
Page 16
CAPE
TOWN
FOR
CHRIST
MISSION
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Missouri 64801
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Page 17
CAPE
TOWN
FOR
CHRIST
MISSION
Christopher and Melissa Hart. (See the letter from Christopher in the junior section)
/^/=ve- >SOCcy/r
AFRICAN ACCENT
DON
Volume VI, No, 4, 5
&
PATTI
HART
Spring Issue-1971
The summer holiday in South Africa is quite short, only six weeksand very full weeks they are; so full in fact, that many normal activities stop completely. Just try to imagine packing into six short weeks of school holiday; one Christmas (plus Boxing Day, which is the 26th of December), two New Years (yes, we have two-the 1st of January is ofofficial, but nearly all businesses here lake both the 1st and 2nd)., the Day of the Covenant (a distinctly South African holiday, the 16th of December,) and the yearly family vacation away from home, not to men
tion (in many families) the annual housepainting. It's almost imposs ible, but everyone tries! The caravan parks are full to over-flowing and are usually booked a year ahead. The beaches are jammed with people
of all sizes and shapes. The city is a mad house as everyone descends on it doing their Christmas shopping. Parking is at a premium. It is al
so very warm and when we hear "I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas"
weeks at Christmas. Many Jewish offices shut down too, as they have
a holiday sandwiched in between Christmas and New Years. After Chris
tmas many things are hard to buy because industry has not supplied
(Continued on Page Two)
1111' <inii <lu-s i'\cMi sci'Hi'Jo closf .(ioAvii a bil. Most .Sunday .Schools
art- sto()iH'(l llirou^houi (he <M)Urc holiday.; And of (.oiusc ,tll of tins af-.
Ii'cis our work loo. Alter beinij; here several years we linaliy j;ave up
holdiiii; (liildren's clubs, youth groups, and collate meetings at this
lime of ycar^for the simple reason thai e\eryone is ^one or so busy tliat
ihey will not come. We still do (and always will!") hold Bible School, alihaigh attendance drops a ihird to a iialf. Cliurcli attendance soars and drops-depending on whether the people are busy, gone, or sudden
ly remembering it is Christmas.
We have our high points, such as a calm, quiet, candle light Christ mas nigiit service which satisfies us all. And we have our low points,
like the lime we had three people (other than ourselves) come to a Sun day night service! All we can say is-we're glad the holiday is over and the crazy, mixed-up vacation is finished. We're glad the children are in school and ihe |)arenis are working so that we can get on with the clubs and cottage meetings, so that attendance stabalizes and that everyone
gets their sanity back and everything "comes right" as they say here.
VISUAL
Visual Aids
Don is teaching again at the Cape
Bible Seminary, this time instruct ing in Visual-Aids and Teaching
Methods. Since many of the teach ers, elders, deacons, and even
ministers of the non-European churches have never had any training in the theory and art of teaching, especially visual-aids, he is trying to open this field to them. One of the main purposes of the course is to show the pupils how the, can make their own inexpensive visual aids. Even flannelgraph is expensive when your salary is, perhaps, $55 to ^75 a month. If you have old flannelgraph which is just collecting dust, why not send it over to be used again, and again, and again! Send it to Cape Bible Seminary, Zim Manor, Hoff Street, Kraaifontein, Cape, South Af
rica.
THEY
The colored (mixed blood) community is constantly losing it's most useful and capable citizens, because many of them simply can't lake be ing "second class" citizens any longer. Tliey leave the country by air and by sea to immigrate to Canada, Australia, England, anywhere where they can live and work and be proud of who and what they are and what they can do. We just lost one fine family of four to Australia. Don helped to put them on the boat by taking their crates to the docks and seeing them through customs. The family consists of mother and fath er (a long time and deeply respected clerk at the Royal Naval Yards in Simonstown, and their two grown sons. One of the sons is a teacherthe schools are groaning for lack of teachers.) but because of lack of equality in respect, w^ork and wages, South Africa has lost this fine family for good. They wouldn't have left if the sons could have secured jobs that paid an equal wage, but as it was the teacher didn't receive his salary at all for several months, so he finally had to quit and find other work, although he loves to teach.
We have also just lost another young man-to Canada by air, this time. He left for love! His lovely girlfriend (wife, now!) was classified colored, so they could not be married here in South .Africa as he is classified as 'white' or 'European'. Actually they are I'ery alike in coloring and would never, by any - stretcli of the imagination, be called colored in the states, but here its different. So they saved their money fcMT years and she went ahead last year to stay with her brother and his family. This fine young couple is lost both to the country and to the church here. These partings are so sad since loved ones are left be hind and the church really feels their loss.
the work has not gone backwards and we have gained, since the start of February, six new members. First was Mrs. LaVita, a widow, who transferred her membersliip to Wynberg. She had been attending services for about a year. Then that same Sunday morning the Jim Stricklins also transferred their membership from their former home in Texas. Mr. Stricklin is now teaching in the graduate department of
Psychology at the University of Cape Town. He also has a private practice and so is a very busy man. His wife is studying in this same
(Continued on Page Four)
.\boul two weeks later, little Bettina Kleyn insisted that she must
be baptized. Tliis was quite a step for her since none of her three older sisters, two older brothers, or her parents are immersed. They, at the moment at least, don't feel it necessary and are steeped in Salvation .\rmy doctrine. Don is holding classes on salvation and Christian liv ing in iheir home now, And last, but not least, come our 14 year-old twins, Amanda and Desiree. They finally gained the courage to go with their conviction that Jesus was God's Son and their Saviour, They were immersed just one week following Bettina, their cousin. We are working and praying that others in tiieirclass will sooi. feel the necessity of becoming Chris tians. Please pray for these new ones in Christ.
CHANGES u
<mte
The Wynbeig congregation has been bequesthed a sizable sum of money from a member of the congregation who died while we were on .I'ilough. The very week we leaned of his bequest, we also learned that we would have to vacate our present building within three years. We feel that the Lord is trying to tell us something! We are now in the process of locating either a house w^hich could be used as a combined meeting place and parsonage or for ground where we could build. It will cost a great deal of money to buy or build, much more than was left us. But a building fund has been begun. Initial costs in purchasing property are very high here-usually 25% down and the closing costs are very high as well. If >ou are interested in helping with this initial high cost, write to us and we will give you more details.
Plans Changed...
During the past year Paiti has been having severe emotional health problems resuliina, in migraine, fibrositus, and other physical problems.
She's been under the care of a neuro-psychiatrist and her family doctor for quite some time : i taking a great deal of medication. The doctors have both urged us for some time to return to the States and find a way to ser\c the Lord other than in a located ministry. We have agonized over this, prayed and thought and now feel compelled to agree with the doctors that something must be done. It isn't fair cither to the church here or to you, our supporters at home, to remain under the present cir(Continued on Page Five)
cumstancc's. Asi a rrsiill ol iliis (k-tisioii. wt- have booked passage on llic "S.S. Alri< an Sun" lor Jul> !971. Don [)lans on sliidying for liis
nuisU;r's dcgrct' to bclttir [)rc par<- himself for leaching in Bible College. Please do remember us iii prayer "as well. \Vc need both spiritual and. financial support clesix-rately. At the moment our spirits are low and
our checkbook is lower,, in the red. in fact. We've not been able to draw
any salary foi March yet (this is the 10th, as I write this). We are in debted to Don's brother and especially to his parents for what they have
done to help cover this deficit. We would like, we very much need, your help in this matter too. We will be keeping you posted on how things are progressing here and what plans are forming for the caixyingon of the work after we leave.
HART - BEATS
\n
Brief
Don is very busy these days and is very seldom home at night. Every evening seems filled with services, classes, and cottage meetings.
Patti is substituting for the beginner teacher at Sunday School since the regular teacher just had a baby.
9
Q
Chrissy is our school boy/swimmer. He actually is so busy every day that he goes right off to
sleep every night! He does get tired sometimes!
Dear Friends,
I go with my friend, Alan, who lives by me. The teacher says we're a bit noisy and one day we had to sit on the bench outside. I take my lunch every day. I take a peanut butter & jelly sandwich, a carrot, cu cumbers (I really like them!) and some cookies and something to drink, only today I didn't bring anything to drink 'cause I forgot my little bot tle at school and mommy said I could just drink water until I find it and
I hope I do (he did!) 'cause I'd rather a cool drink than water! W'e have
to say "good morning" in Afrikaans every morning and now I'm learning Afrikaans. We sing a song in Afrikaans every day, but I can't sing it
all yet so I can't sing it for you.
My swimming teacher says I'm 'getting to be a champion swimmer. I'm not in the baby class or the little kids class, but now I swim with the older children 'cause I can swim now well! I take a big dive and swim a long way to the side by the steps. I can swim clear across the pool! When you see me again you'll see what a "lekker" swimmer / am.
Daddy says you are having cold weather in America now and don't get
to swim now like I do.
Love,
CHRIST MISSION
rORWARDINC.
AfitNTS
Hart
M/M Dougb^
I'.O. Box 14031
Street
Soufhfield, C. P.
SOUTH AFRICA
lidgewater, Colorailo
80314
Christian Church
Copeland, Kansas
67837
Joplin, MO.
64a01