A Publication of Gospel Commission Issue 1 August 2013 Page 18
A Publication of Gospel Commission Issue 1 August 2013 Page 19
The “friends” we make
I had no idea that, that visit, as strange and uncomfortable as it was, would be the beginning of a new life. I'd never felt that small in my life as I did on my first visit to the Adventist church.
Buhle Hlatshwayo
I little bit about Growing up, ashad known aextended family Adventists, some of my
is SDA, but it was during my University years that I got a deeper knowledge. A friend invited me to join the Adventist Christian Movement, a student society that met regularly on and off campus for social and spiritual activities. I wa s impressed by the warm reception that I received and beyond that, the lessons that I learnt whilst I was with them. I attended more of their programs, including their Sabbath meetings and eventually made a decision to get baptized.
Ayanda Mnkeni
It was in a small township of Ezakheni, just 17km out of Ladysmith. Ezakheni is one of the many townships that had been ravaged by political wars between the African National Congress and the Inkatha Freedom Party, needless to say that the ills of the war had taken their toll right across black communities under the influence of the apartheid government of South Africa. I was in the 10th grade and being a diligent student, top of my class, I had a good rapport with all my teachers. But as always, there is that one person who will go an extra mile. She soon realised that I was just a poor kid, who came from a struggling family. She was puzzled at how I could be so different yet I came from a rough neighbourhood like the other 90% of pupils from the school. Looking back, I am not surprised that she expected me to be more like all the other pupils - disinterested in education, disrespectful, directionless and little thugs in the making. You see, I come from a place where abnormal was normal, good kids were regarded as backward, good parenting was frowned upon, and there was no place for ambitious, self-motivated, hard-workers like myself! I suppose she was moved with compassion and quickly saw potential and a yearning heart to learn and a desire to become a better person.
As our relationship grew from that of teacher-pupil to that of parent-child, she opened her home and her family life to me. We became very good friends. It was then that I discovered Adventism! But I must say that it was the strangest thing ever to be invited to a church service on a Saturday, the day me and my friends played soccer and did all sorts of mischief. I thought these people were weird, everybody went to church on Sunday, what was wrong with them? I come from a Catholic home and so Adventism was indeed very strange and not that welcome at home... I had no idea that, that visit, as strange and uncomfortable as it was, would be the beginning of a new life. I'd never felt so small in my life like I did on my first visit to the Adventist church. In fact I had asked a friend to accompany me but he wouldn't come inside with me, we sat outside for over an hour trying to surmount some courage to go in - the t-shirt and sandals I was wearing felt like rags compared to the suits and ties the brothers were wearing that morning. My friend went back home, and I eventually gathered enough courage to go in and my life has never been the same again!
I have always enjoyed reading but never did I imagine that my interest in the Conversations with God series would lead me to the Adventist church. I was always searching for more to life and it was through a group of Roman Catholic women from all over the world, who ironically met and churched on Saturday that I came to know of the Lord. We even had potluck after the service. I had met a friend in Varsity called Riana Clarke and I got to know of her faith as an Adventist. Since I knew she went to church on Saturday, one day I asked to join her and she took me to church. I was not aware that she had been praying for me and I have not looked back since then.
Methuseli Ndlovu