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| Ethembeni. A Place of Hope. |
Walking down the dirt road in a little town called Mpophomeni
(Mm-Po-po-Men-ie), I found myself distracted by the chickens wandering across
our path and a group of children running through some spewing water coming from
a broken pipe, as my guide for the day was trying to explain reality of HIV and
AIDS in the homes we were about to enter. Today I had the privilege of working
with an organization called Ethembeni (meaning A Place of Hope). Each week
Ethembeni sends out volunteers within their ministry to visit the homes of families who are committed to their program . Ethembeni is one of the 5 service
sites that we work with in the community. This organization specifically helps
to provide food, clothing, medical attention, counseling, and spiritual care to
the families of Mpophomeni.
As we approached our first home carrying bags of fruits and vegetables, yogurt, and loaves of bread I quickly became overwhelmed by the simplicity of the environment we were in. Each home was about the size of a larger bathroom in comparison to our homes in the US. There was some counter space, a couple cabinets, and a mattress on the floor of the kitchen for a bed-- and that being the entire house itself. It was of no shame for this woman and her son who were living in the home, as this is actually very normal for their culture to live in such tight quarters and with, what we would consider, so little. She sweetly introduced herself to me, Nontethalelo was her beautiful Zulu name. She then embraced me and thanked us for coming today. She greeted us with a beaming smile and with such joy just from seeing what little food we had brought to her. What truly amazed me was Nontethalelo’s hospitality and loving attitude as we entered her home. She instantly cleaned off their mattress, making room for us to sit and talk with her during our visit. After speaking with her for sometime she shared that her and her son had been quite sick during the past couple of weeks and were having a difficult time becoming well again. Due to their lack of transportation and any money to get transportation, she had not been able to get to a clinic and receive the medical attention her and her son desperately needed to seek. She went on to quickly state that she and her son had been feeling much better today and were grateful for the food we had brought, hoping that would be helpful in restoring their health. My guide and I were able to read out of the book of Matthew with Nontethalelo, discussing the Beatitudes and having a small study before praying with her. When we asked Nontethalelo how we could be praying for her I was brought to tears when in her reply she simply stated, “I want to thank the God for His many blessings. I want to thank God for the life that He has continued to give to me today."
I was sitting on a mattress in the middle of a kitchen, with a woman who is sick with HIV and unable to receive treatment for her or her son and all she wanted to do was thank God for her life. I don’t think I could have felt more humbled in that moment. Nontethalelo has so much more than any of the wealth or wants we could ever feel we need or desire because in the simplicity of her life she is able to see what matters most. In Christ alone her hope is found. Ethembeni, a place for hope. May our Ethembeni always be in Christ alone.
As we approached our first home carrying bags of fruits and vegetables, yogurt, and loaves of bread I quickly became overwhelmed by the simplicity of the environment we were in. Each home was about the size of a larger bathroom in comparison to our homes in the US. There was some counter space, a couple cabinets, and a mattress on the floor of the kitchen for a bed-- and that being the entire house itself. It was of no shame for this woman and her son who were living in the home, as this is actually very normal for their culture to live in such tight quarters and with, what we would consider, so little. She sweetly introduced herself to me, Nontethalelo was her beautiful Zulu name. She then embraced me and thanked us for coming today. She greeted us with a beaming smile and with such joy just from seeing what little food we had brought to her. What truly amazed me was Nontethalelo’s hospitality and loving attitude as we entered her home. She instantly cleaned off their mattress, making room for us to sit and talk with her during our visit. After speaking with her for sometime she shared that her and her son had been quite sick during the past couple of weeks and were having a difficult time becoming well again. Due to their lack of transportation and any money to get transportation, she had not been able to get to a clinic and receive the medical attention her and her son desperately needed to seek. She went on to quickly state that she and her son had been feeling much better today and were grateful for the food we had brought, hoping that would be helpful in restoring their health. My guide and I were able to read out of the book of Matthew with Nontethalelo, discussing the Beatitudes and having a small study before praying with her. When we asked Nontethalelo how we could be praying for her I was brought to tears when in her reply she simply stated, “I want to thank the God for His many blessings. I want to thank God for the life that He has continued to give to me today."
I was sitting on a mattress in the middle of a kitchen, with a woman who is sick with HIV and unable to receive treatment for her or her son and all she wanted to do was thank God for her life. I don’t think I could have felt more humbled in that moment. Nontethalelo has so much more than any of the wealth or wants we could ever feel we need or desire because in the simplicity of her life she is able to see what matters most. In Christ alone her hope is found. Ethembeni, a place for hope. May our Ethembeni always be in Christ alone.
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| Mpophomeni |
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| Mpophomeni homes |
In Christ alone, who took on flesh
Fullness of God in helpless babe
This gift of love and righteousness
Scorned by the ones He came to save
'Til on that cross as Jesus died
The wrath of God was satisfied
For every sin on Him was laid
Here in the death of Christ I live
There in the ground His body lay
Light of the World by darkness slain
Then bursting forth in glorious Day
Up from the grave He rose again
And as He stands in victory
Sin's curse has lost its grip on me
For I am His and He is mine
Bought with the precious blood of Christ
No guilt in life, no fear in death
This is the power of Christ in me
From life's first cry to final breath
Jesus commands my destiny
No power of hell, no scheme of man
Can ever pluck me from His hand
'Til He returns or calls me home
Here in the power of Christ I'll stand.
Fullness of God in helpless babe
This gift of love and righteousness
Scorned by the ones He came to save
'Til on that cross as Jesus died
The wrath of God was satisfied
For every sin on Him was laid
Here in the death of Christ I live
There in the ground His body lay
Light of the World by darkness slain
Then bursting forth in glorious Day
Up from the grave He rose again
And as He stands in victory
Sin's curse has lost its grip on me
For I am His and He is mine
Bought with the precious blood of Christ
No guilt in life, no fear in death
This is the power of Christ in me
From life's first cry to final breath
Jesus commands my destiny
No power of hell, no scheme of man
Can ever pluck me from His hand
'Til He returns or calls me home
Here in the power of Christ I'll stand.
