Good Shepherd Church Seminary; The Early Christians

For those studying for the priesthood, please find the link to 
Eberhard Arnold's e-book, 
The Early Christians in Their Own Words*
for resource reading and study.

Arnold's book is a source book of original writings, including texts by 
Tertullian, Hermas, Ignatius, Justin, Polycarp, Irenaeus, Origen and Clement of Alexandria.
Our grateful thanks to Eberhard Arnold for his gracious permission to share a link to this e-book as in the Preface and conditions for use of the e-book. 

data.plough.com/ebooks/EarlyChristians.pdf

*Copyright 2011 by The Plough Publishing House. Used with permission
*Photograph taken by Catherine Nicolette. With thanks to the artist for this wonderful representation

Heartrending poverty at Coronation Park Camp

It was a winter's day in South Africa recently, and I was visiting a camp at Coronation Park. Kindly faces welcomed me to their makeshift homes. Currently two hundred and sixty people are living in this camp. In one area, a plastic home which collapsed on the homeowners in a storm, was still lying forlornly on the ground. Luckily the family were not severely injured, and other members of the camp hastened to bring them in, wet and shivering, into their homes to assist them. The mark of hospitality and kindness of those living in poverty towards each other in the camp is inspiring.

DEDICATED VOLUNTEERS
Mark van der Walt from the Marike de Klerk Children Fund works in the camp. I was privileged to visit the camp recently and witnessed the dedicated work Mark does there. Mr and Mrs Nielsen facilitate the camp, and assist many people from all walks of life who have fallen on hard times. Mrs. Nielsen was welcoming, and it was wonderful to see her caring attitude towards all the camp members. Children were well supervised and delighted to see me, and their smiles lit the day.

POVERTY EVERYWHERE

There is much poverty in the camp. Plastic liners form tents. There are some small makeshift houses or caravans, windows taped together with brown tape to attempt to keep out the rain and cold. Residents continue the struggle to stay clean by washing clothing as often as possible. One shack had a fire burning outside to try to warm water for a wash, in the bitterly cold winter weather.

DIGNITY OF THE CAMP RESIDENTS

There are so many needs in the camp. Children are being schooled, and need uniforms, food and assistance with school fees. Needs include electricity, not available at present. Food, adequate shelter and assistance for plumbing for water are other needs. The camp members explained to me that a great need in the camp is  for electricity. The small generator is used only in extreme need because the camp residents often do not have the funds to run it. It was heartrending to see the dignity of the camp residents, and how hard they work to try to keep the camp clean and tidy with such little resources. A gentleman shuffled painfully to the door to courteously greet me, a stranger, to his shack. His mobility is severely compromised, and other members of the camp help him to get around on a wheelchair.

Mark does all he can to ease the lives of the desperately poor who struggle to live from day to day in the camp. At Easter he delivered Easter eggs to the children at the camp, who were thrilled to receive this treat. Mark also provides transport for the ill and children needing surgical and medical interventions to the doctors, hospitals and clinics. He has dedicatedly transported a family and infant back and forth to the hospital, enabling the little one to receive the care he so urgently needed.

STOLEN BAKKIE

The sad news is that one of the volunteer workers recently had his bakkie car stolen while fundraising for the worthy work at the camp. He was financially unable to replace it. Due to the theft he regretfully is no longer able to carry out his work of mercy, which was a tragic turn of events.

SUFFERING IN THE RECENT COLD

The residents have been suffering in the recent cold, and were affected by the snow which has uncharacteristically begun falling in parts of South Africa. Indeed, there was a snow blizzard on the roads as I was travelling after visiting the camp. This depth of winter has been very distressing to the camp residents and in particular to the small children.

NEEDS IN THE CAMP

The needs of those in the camp are for -

food; employment; soap; water; washing facilities and toiletries;

clothing; school clothing; sponsorship of school fees;

transport to hospitals, clinics, doctors.

Dental help, School books, Electricity, Petrol/diesel for the generator in the interim would be a marvellous donation. Window panes for broken panes are needed.

BEACON OF HOPE

The little church which stands as a beacon of hope where the residents gather to pray and ask God for assistance in their plight, has broken windows taped together. Plastic liner homes, makeshift tents and homes built of pieces of wood and rapidly deteriorating caravans do not hold out the bitter cold, especially for infants and children. Where does Lumiere start? The inspiration to me is, the same place as Mark and Mr and Mrs Nielsen do - by opening our hearts to the plight of these brothers and sisters of our global village.

HEARTRENDING REPORT

The last report I received from the camp is heartrending.

Severe weather conditions are being experienced. The lowest ever daytime temperatures have recently been recorded. Snow and heavy rainfalls, with night temperatures into minus 3 have made matters far worse regarding the plight of the camp and needy people. The Marike de Klerk Children Fund organisation have been placed in a crisis, and have had to scrape every penny together to provide relief. This has been the worst situation the organisation has faced since their foundation ten years back.

"Things are extremely tough at the moment. The pleas for help are flooding in and it has left us in a desperate situation," Mark writes.

A GLEAM OF LIGHT

One gleam of light has shone through all this suffering. A baby that Mark and his volunteers have been assisting over the last nine months has been operated on. Without the operation the little one would not have been able to walk properly; after medical and surgical care, he can look forward to a normal life - thanks to the dedication of Mark and his volunteers.

CAN YOU HELP?

Having seen at first hand what the needs are, my heart goes out to all suffering in Coronation Park in Krugersdorp. In the spirit of Lumiere, please could you help in any way possible?

CONTACT MARK VAN DER WALT

If Divine Providence has led you to read these words, and you feel it on your heart to help, please contact

Mr. Mark Van Der Walt at markvanderwalt@telkomsa.net

Donations can be made to the Marike de Klerk Children Fund. Mark can be contacted re the same. If you have donations of food, clothing, petrol or other assistance, please contact Mark or email lumierecharity@yahoo.co.uk

Home that collapsed during a storm

Camp place of worship

Lumiere remembers Neil Armstrong

On July 20 1969,  as a little girl of eight years old in far off Welkom in Free State, South Africa, I can tell you exactly what I was doing. I was in the Standard One class, and Sr. Bernadette had done a most thrilling thing; she had called off the class, smuggled in a radio, and we were all clandestinely listening to the most enthralling event. A man was landing on the moon. We sat in tight awed bunches in our polished, uncomfortable wooden desks; pigtailed and school-uniformed, listening to the report of the most wondrous happening of that time.

Little did I know that history was in the making. Sister had us all learning about space travel; daily we spoke of Armstrong, Aldrin and Collins. Further missions to the moon were closely tracked by us. We had large maps hand-drawn by ourselves over the class noticeboards, with coloured pieces of wool on tin tacks tracking the movements of the Apollo missions. Our local garages gave out Apollo stickers and pictures of our heroes every time we bought petrol. Dad was constantly besieged by ourselves to drive more. Why? So that we could use petrol faster, and have to get more, together with the next prized Apollo sticker. Dad sighed.

Sr. Bernadette told us we were living in times of history, and to thank God for the wonders we were seeing. And how right she was. We had learned that it was possible for us to do the impossible; to dream the great; to move beyond the boundaries our humanity had placed before us.

It was some time before the excitement died down. When I left Standard One and went to Standard Two, it was another great year with another great teacher. However, it was quite a culture shock leaving the classroom which was dedicated to Armstrong and the Apollo teams, the plaster moon with its rings which we had made and which had the unfortunate tendency to start melting somewhat during the blistering heat of the Welkom heatwaves, for a moon-free zone in Standard Two. I soon adjusted, and Apollo became a memory.

It was years before I really understood what a wonderful time this had been, and what a great achievement had been made. The Psalmists and King David had spoken of the wonderful creation of the moon at night which lights our way. Jesus the Christ had stood and looked at the moon during his childhood, and His journeys as He preached the Word of Goodness and Light to us. I had looked at that very same moon, a free gift to everyone on earth. And now we had touched its sacred surface. I prayed blessings for all who had helped to achieve that dream. 

Years later I read a story which, in the context of my spiritual journey at the time, I found both touching and inspirational. Astronaut Aldrin took communion in the form of loaf and wine shortly after they landed, in gratitude and respect to the God Who made us. Aldrin poured the wine into the chalice, and in the one-sixth gravity of the moon, the wine slowly curled and gracefully came up the side of the cup. He then read the sacred writing from John, 'I am the vine, you are the branches. Whosoever abides in me will bring forth much fruit.' He ate the tiny consecrated Host of loaf-bread, and swallowed the consecrated Wine. 

This story has been an inspiration to me, and as minister I have recounted it to many people. To me, it is a celebration and signature of respect by these daring and talented men on behalf of us as humanity, to the God Who made us at the moment of great growth in our journey as humanity. These three took the time before disembarking and placing the first footprint on the surface of the moon, to turn their hearts in silent gratitude and respect to the God of All. I am sure I speak on behalf of all of us who sat breathlessly listening on that memorable day in 1969, to give our condolences to the family of the great Neil Armstrong and our thanks to them for the great act of service Armstrong did for our human family. A candle has been lit by Lumiere in remembrance of Armstrong, and for his family and friends.

http://www.thestar.com/news/world/article/1247118--neil-armstrong-first-man-on-the-moon-dead-at-82

http://www.snopes.com/glurge/communion.asp

*Photograph taken in the beautiful Free State by Catherine Nicolette. Please feel free to use copyright free for any worthy purpose
*Name of teacher has been changed

Will you help bring clean water to Rwanda?

Lumiere Charity has received an email from Alexa and Charity; Water. Their dynamic September Campaign to bring clean, safe drinking water to the people of Rwanda is in full swing. The video viewed by Lumiere shows the inspirational work done by the dedicated members of the Charity. Clean water continues to be needed in areas of Rwanda; water is needed in order to deliver safe medical and maternity care; to slake thirst; to maintain life; to keep cool and clean. So many children have to spend hours fetching water. When I worked during one holiday in my late teens as a charity worker in the depths of Africa, I learned to live as the people there were living. That meant using a candle; no electricity. Nailing a piece of cloth over the house window into the wall by means of tin tacks. A bucket with a measured amount of water was for a bath; and it was my task to go and bring water from the pump. I would lift my water drum, walk all the way to the local mission pump, and wait my turn to get the water. I loved the way the village people would congregate and chatter at the pump, the women in gaily patterned clothing, with their babies tied by small blankets to their backs, quiet and happy. The bees would buzz around the pump, coming to drink water in clusters from the water that had dropped into the small basin below the pump left there especially for them. The sun would beam down warmly, a little wind rustled through the thorn trees, and I was happy.

Eventually it would be my turn, and I would pump the water into the water drum, encouraged by the villagers who found my initial efforts to pump hilarious (it took a while to get the knack!) They would give me a hand. Then came the hard bit; the backbreaking carrying of the heavy water drum back to the mission. I would arrive back, shattered. It is hard work. And the drum cannot be dropped; water is too precious. Dropped water or a failed well is linked to survival; carrying water is a responsibility to the community. So, during that time, I learned deep respect for water. Now we have the chance to help our Rwandan brothers and sisters in our global family have the water they need; please click into the link and assist with the September campaign. In the spirit of Lumiere, let us link hands and help to bring water to those in need.

Please click into the link below;
http://charitywater.org/september

*Picture courtesy of Charitywater.org

Great Barrier Reef under threat - please help

The Great Barrier Reef World Heritage area in Australia is a wondrous ecosystem, and one of the wonders of the world. Lumiere Charity received an email from Emma and the Avaaz team asking us to support the safety of this vital marine wonder. They highlight a situation which is close to the Charity's heart - that of conservation of the beauties of the earth God created for us to exercise stewardship over. 


Emma and the Avaaz team apprise that one of the world's largest coal ports could be built on top of this irreplaceable ecosystem, risking the survival of this world heritage site. According to the Avaaz report, UNESCO reported that coal development is damaging the reef. Avaaz has an urgent petition to save the reef. 

According to Federation Fellow Terry Hughes, the great Barrier Reef is slowly declining. In the last fifty years, it has lost half of its coral cover. Many coastal reefs and seagrass meadows have been smothered by runoffs of sediments from land. The number of turtles, sharks and dugongs today are a small fraction of a few decades ago. Coral bleaching due to global warming has occurred twice throughout most of the length of the Barrier Reef, in 1998 and 2002. Skin cancer has been found in Barrier Reef fish.*

The petition will be presented by Avaaz shortly.  Please sign the urgent petition and send this to everyone you know. Please send the information on to your family,  friends and colleagues, and post the link on to your Facebook and share it on Twitter. 
Let us hold hands together in our global village and save the wonderful world our God has made. 


Here is the petition; http://www.avaaz.org/en/the_great_barrier_coal_mine_global/?tta

Click into this link to find out more about the incredible natural beauty of Australia's marine wonder
http://australia.gov.au/about-australia/australian-story/great-barrier-reef

*Terry Hughes, Federation Fellow, ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies at James Cook University 
http://theconversation.edu.au/new-marine-reserves-wont-address-unescos-reef-concerns-7638

~Photograph courtesy of Avaaz

War Child need assistance for the wounded children of Syria

War Child UK are assisting the little innocents of Syria. Some of the little children are coming in, vulnerable and wounded to Turkey, requesting assistance in hospitals. The video link sent to Lumiere and viewed by us, show little children and adults being tenderly cared for by compassionate and dedicated health personnel. Reports seem to indicate that the situation in Syria is dire, and that the small and most in need of protection are suffering horrendously. Lumiere has seen the long term effects of war many times. Psychological suffering of civilians and soldiers. Physical suffering, deafness due to bombs falling near the sufferer; blindness; amputees, brain damage; paralysis; facial and body disfiguration; being orphaned; loss of children; grieving, tears and sometimes the personal taking of life under a burden too heavy to carry. If Divine Providence has led you to read these words, please consider donation to War Child UK as they struggle to meet the overwhelming need. Let us link hands together and do what we can to help.

War Child UK‏@WarChildUK

You can still help the #ChildrenofSyria though. Text PROTECT to 70444 to donate £3 to our appeal. http://bit.ly/syria8

War Child UK‏@WarChildUK

#Syria's news isn't getting any better. The UN monitors have quit, 2.5m people need aid. Kids like this http://ht.ly/d2Qke hurt every day

*Logo by kind courtesy of War Child UK

DelAgua - Keeping water supplies safe

Lumiere is privileged to have come into contact with DelAgua Water Testing, internationally renowned for the OXFAM-DELAGUA portable water monitoring kit. DelAgua Water Testing Limited was founded in 1985 and spun out of the University of Surrey in 2006. DelAgua distributes and supports water testing and treatment products. University of Surrey and DelAgua have spent 24 years in dedicated service providing a quick and reliable way to test water safety, so local communities can enjoy good drinking water without disease.

The following inspiring Youtube video shows just how well the DelAgua kit works, and how lives are changed for the better by this wonderful piece of equipment.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ANb1ZlslAKo

In the spirit of Lumiere, why not fundraise in your community, buy a water testing kit, and donate it to an organisation/ area in need?

Read about DelAgua at
http://www.delagua.org/