Saturday July 25 Jo'burg

Today we joined CRWM missionaries Michael and Megan Ribbens and their three children, Amira, Nico and Stella. 

We visited the Johannesburg Central Business District and spent time with Nigel and Trisha Branken and their daughters, Rachel and Hanna. Some years ago, Nigel and Trisha made a very intentional decision to leave their middle-class life of white privilege behind, move into the inner city and live incarnationally as a family with those they want to identify with. Our group had the privilege of hearing just a part of their story and how they moved to Hillbrow three years ago. Nigel told us there are more drugs in the Hillbrow neighborhood then the rest of the country combined. It was inspiring ... and challenging, to listen to their story. If you'd like to know more about the work they are doing, you can follow "Nigel Branken" on Facebook.

We also had the privilege of listening to Joel Mxolisi Mayephu of the Tshwane Leadership Foundation, and Rev. Oscar Wakandwa, another pastor that the Ribbens work with to help reach poeple in this part of the world.

The Apartheid Museum was enlightening and sobering. To understand how much happened in the past is to appreciate how far this nation has come. And how far it has yet to go. 

And on to Soweto (SOuthWEstTOwnship). We ate at the Sakhumzi Shabeen with some fantastic local entertainment while we ate. 

While in Soweto, we walked past the house where Mandela lived while he was in the Township, just up the street from Desmond Tutu's house. We walked where kids marched in 1976 and some of them were killed by the police. It was another eye-opening day in South Africa.