Baptism by C. F. W. Walther

Oh, that every one of us would therefore let himself be brought to faith in the promises once given him in his Baptism!  You who do not believe though you have been baptized, what rices of grace and salvation God has given you already, yet you do not consider or desire them!  You belong in God's kingdom yet willfully want to remain in the kingdom of darkness! The dove of the Holy Spirit has brought you, like an olive branch of peace, into the ark of the Christian Church, but you would rather wither and fade. Oh, open your eyes and return to your Baptism! Then God will be your God and Father again, your sins will be drowned in the sea of grace, and your Baptism will be the door to heaven.

But you who indeed believe, though in weakness, know this: you have in your Baptism a glorious means of strengthening.  Consider this: even if everything becomes doubtful and uncertain, your Baptism stands fast.  It happened once, and God does not go back on His Word.  There God has, so to speak, made Himself your captive.  Only do not let Him go; do not let your hand of faith let go of His covenant of grace.  He cannot leave you.

What He has so dearly spoken

Never shall by Him by broken;

Firmly stands His convent.

So let not your faith be stifled

Or by flesh and Satan rifled;

God's hand holds you confident.

C. F. W. Walther

Comrade Marathon - 89 km, 56 miles

Arguably the greatest ultra marathon in the world where athletes come from all over the world to combine muscle and sinew and mental strength to conquer the approx 
90 kilometres between the cities of Pietermaritzburg and Durban.

Right outside my door on Old Main Street was a world event. I went outside at 8:30am when I hear the helicopter overhead.  First thing I see is a fellow photographer. He looks a tad more professional than me and a tad cuter.

This was one of the first runners and probably one of the winners.  

I took 300 pictures and posted only 39 on this blog. After taking photo's of runners from in front of my flat I started walking down my street.  Neighbors lined the block and here brought their TV outside to follow the 56 mile marathon.  

Date: Sunday, 3 June 2012

Start: 05h30 in Pietermaritzburg

Finish: 17h30 in Durban

Distance: 89km - 56 miles

The 34 km mark was outside my flat - of the 89 km.

34 km = 21.1266 miles so they've almost run one marathon.

  

This is an annual event, always in early winter.  They call it up and down.  Up and down refers to elevation.  Now you need to know that I live is what is called VALLEY OF 1,000 HILLS.  Durban is on the Indian Ocean - sea level.  So one year the runners go down - like this year and next year they will go up.  The TV commentators said that their second half - the second 'regular' marathon should be faster because they descend down into Durban.  

The race began at 5:30am, so by the time they got to me they had been running for almost 4 hours - ouch and more to goooooooo.

Here is #1 and #2 women.  They got huge prize money.

For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near.  I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.   2 Timothy 4:6-7

People stand on the street offering the runners various things.  Here this woman has orange slices.

                                17,000 participants and this guy took some orange slices.

Ginger and I had matching South African chairs.

This road closure signs have been posted all around town for the last month.

In South Africa a BBQ is called a Braai and most everyone has their breakfast cooking.  Here one skillet for eggs and two for bacon.   

Right by my flat was a big point for water, fruit, bathrooms and medical care. 

This little girl handing out water bags that they runner bites the corner off to either suck out the water or pour it on themselves.

                                                    Cups of Pepsi was also offered. 

Many volunteers were helping keep the road clean.  With 17,000 runners tossing orange peels, cups and water bags it was quite a mess.

Age Restriction

The minimum age requirement is that the athlete must be 20 years or older on the day of the event.

 

found this sweet angel sitting watching the race.

Entry Fee

South African Entry Fee : Early Bird Entry is R270.00 - ($33.75) 1 September 2011 to 30 September 2011.

 Thereafter South African Entry Free is R300.00 - (37.50)  

International Entry Fee : US$180.00.  Rest of Africa Entry Fee : R500.00. ($62.50)

Entry Fee is waived for holders of 25 or more Comrades medals.

There was a station where you could get your legs rubbed with cream, which I assume helps with the pain.

Clapham asked for permission to stage a 56 mile race between Pietermaritzburg and Durban under the name of the Comrades Marathon and for it to become a living memorial to the spirit of the soldiers of the Great War This was strenuously resisted by the League, but Clapham persisted maintaining that if a sedentary living person could be taken off the street given a rifle and 60lb pack and marched all over Africa then surely a fit and able athlete could complete the distance. Applications in 1919 and 1920 were refused but in 1921 the League relented and gave permission and 1 for expenses, which was refundable.

The first Comrades Marathon took place on 24th May 1921, Empire Day, starting outside the City Hall in Pietermaritzburg with 34 runners. It has continued since then every year with the exception of the war years 1941-1945, with the direction alternating each year between Pietermaritzburg and Durban, the so called up & down runs.

Employee came out to watch.  People were everywhere.

This is my favorite shot.  Remember this guy is running - fast and I got the shot. Plus his tapped legs are so cool.

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.

1 Corinthians 9:24-25

As the day and hours wore on the pack got thinner and thinner and the runners started walking. I also thought it interesting that the athletes got bigger and heavier.  The first men had thighs the size of my upper arm.  Very slight men and very tiny women.  By afternoon I saw folks throw in the towel and get in the van :(

This is a world event.  People from all over the world came.  I saw about 5 people wearing the good old RED, WHITE AND BLUE.  I screamed USA and they acknowledged me.




I saw Britain, Japan, Australia, Germany and many from the various countries in Africa.






Another interesting fact, South Africa has 11 official languages, the people cheering from the side yelled in 
many different languages.






Besides cheering, the South African were also singing their nation anthem.

I thought this guy was ill but I guess he just had leg issues.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

Hebrews 12:1-3

The first and one & only library in Ntshongweni ~ Charles Primary Library

Luke 4:16-18

 He (Jesus) went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read,  and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:

 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, 
    because he has anointed me
    to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
    and recovery of sight for the blind,
to set the oppressed free,

Ginger, my ministry partner had a wonderful idea. While sorting about 300 book in January, 2012 at Charles primary school in Ntshongweni, Ginger said let's turn this book-heap of a room into a beautiful library. Ginger would say that it was while I took a break to read to the children that she got the idea, but I think it was just the Holy Spirit and Ginger working out this deal.

So the idea was suggested to Mrs. Mazibuko, the Principal who said she was praying for a library but we could tell throughout the planning process that she really had no idea what a school library really was. 

God provided the manual labor and the financial means through CAN-DO Missions and the students of my alma mater, Concordia, Texas.

And so the week arrived.  Ginger and I were to be at Charles Primary on Monday June 21 to help empty out the room of the estimated 10,000 books and scrap the walls.

so that they were ready for Wednesday morning when the team would arrive.

Besides being the room where all the rooms were 'stored', it also has served for many months as the living accommodation for the construction workers who were putting new roofs on several buildings (after 5 years of the roofs leaking!)

Here is their kitchen

Here is their bathroom - I love the Smirnoff Vodka.

Well, back to the story, we called that Monday morning before we went out and the Principal said No need to come on Monday.  Oh, Okay.... guess they are taking care of it themselves.  Silly Zeal

We arrive on Tuesday, T minus 24 hours until the team arrives thinking the room is prep'ed to paint; and NOTHING, NOTHING, NOTHING was done!!!!!!! Nothing.

So we begin...

Ginger is down in the staff room receiving the 10,000 books

and trying to sort them as they come in

I was down in the other room telling, yelling, asking, screaming in English to the students who spoke Zulu, to the 7th grade boys to move the books and then after lunch the 3rd grade boys.  They thought it was a day to browse through books and even 'Free Book Day.' Clearly they didn't want to move 10,000 books any more than we did.

We worked until very late to try to just get the books in random piles, the 3rd grades just tossed the books into the room and Ginger wasn't leaving until there was a path.  I wish I had taken a shot of the mountain of books that were dumbed on the floor.

Wednesday morning arrived and so did the most wonderful 10 female university students. The construction men's belongings were pushed to the center because there was nowhere for them to move it. The scraping begun with half the group and the other half was in the lounge sorting books.

Pat Flick, the CAN-DO director and an awful hard worker.

Where do you begin to sort that many books?

We scraped for 1/2 a day.

Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: “‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes’ ?

Time to put down the drop cloth and begin to paint - yippee

The team brought some supplies from the US and the Lutheran Church in Ntshongweni had some.

By the end of Wednesday the walls were painted and so very beautiful.

We took a break at the beginning of the school day on Thursday for their assembly.

No separation of church and state in South Africa.  Jesus Christ  is freely mentioned and praying is a common occurrence. 

sorting and more sorting...

The team hired a local man to build bookcases.

He name is Royal and he did an awesome job.

Walls covered with 2 coats of new paint, the construction men's belonging were moved to the next classroom - and the class was combined with another class. 

Time to mop the floor - which hasn't seen daylight in 20 years.

Sweep, sweep, sweep, with the new brooms.

Time to measure for the brackets for the book shelves.

Washing the windows, inside and out.

Jordan peeking inside as the room is transformed.

In all the rumble we found this slip of paper which we used to sort the 300 books in January.

Previous to serving the Lord as a missionary I served as a Director of Christian Education at Grace Lutheran, Pensacola, Florida.

Many of the students from Concordia are studying to be a DCE, like my new friend Hayley.

Luke 6:3
Jesus answered them, “Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry?

Brackets going up and up and up

looks awesome & ready for the shelves. 

bookcases bolted to the walls 

Ready for the 10,000 books to be brought back, now sorted.  Fire Brigade style.

Putting it all together.

Zulu material and books on the left - English on the right side of the room.

This was the teams' driver and jack of all trades, here he assembles and hang the new lights.

Even the construction man wanted to help us after his shift had ended.

The teachers' lounge is getting cleared of the sorted books.

So many books.

Taking a break to read to the 'neighborhood' children.

Let there be LIGHT.  just in time, it was getting dark.  Still Thursday.

Playing with the neighbor kids this evening.

Filling the bookcases!

We returned Friday at 12:30pm for what we were told was to be a dedication and found a luncheon prepared for us after the ceremony.

I love the American flag.  I would never be able to draw a South African flag before living here.

Pastor Thwala accepting a certificate of appreciation.

The certificate was presented by a member of the school board.  The importance of this library reaches well beyond this campus.

The principal, Mrs. Mazibuko  and staff came down to the new library singing and dancing in joy.

This is the first library in Ntshongweni, the one high school doesn't have one, nor do the other 2 primary school 

The teacher lounge is EMPTY, Empty, empty!

happy group photo... the wonderful university students who worked so hard and the ecstatic facility of Charles Primary.

The university students, Pastor Thwala, Ginger and me. 

Praise the Lord, Ntshongweni has their first library.  Thank you Jesus.

and it is so very lovely

Ginger (L), Jasmine, Pastor, Thwala, Zeal (R)

happy leaders & student

Matthew 21:16
“Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked him. “Yes,” replied Jesus, “have you never read, “‘From the lips of children and infants you, Lord, have called forth your praise’ ?”