A Day of Contrasts

After a very productive day of work on the Mosaic home yesterday, our small mission team was rewarded with a day off to tour sprawling Soweto, a 78 square mile township populated by 4 million black residents (and three white families). The two hour drive from our comfortable guest house in Potchefstroom, or “Potch,” through metropolitan Johannesburg and into Soweto provided a reminder of the vast economic and cultural divide that still remains between the poorest and wealthiest citizens of this Texas-sized country. The elegant mansions of “Jo-Berg’s” Park Town neighborhood – built in the late 1800s by wealthy white land owners – stand in startling contrast to the tin shacks populated by hundreds of thousands of families just down the road. 

On arrival in one of the poorest sections of Soweto, we were greeted by our tour guide “Bee.” Bee explained that most of the simple shacks along our walking tour had no electricity or running water. One of the highlights of our tour was a visit to the home of “Gladys,” a resident who patiently answered our questions about life in the township. While her tiny corrugated-steel shack would have no hope of meeting the rigorous building standards that govern American construction codes, the home was tidy and well-organized. We were thankful for the opportunity to catch an inside glimpse of everyday life in the township.

The team returned in the early afternoon to Potch. The traditional dinner we were served by Mosaic’s Meyer Conradie offered another “taste” of life in the townships. Our meal, consisting of chicken feet (see photo below) and “Mielepop,” a corn-based dish with the consistency of Cream of Wheat, is the most common fare found on township dinner tables when food is available. While it was an unnerving experience to say the least, each of us gave our best effort to eat the portion given to us.

Meyer closed our evening with a very moving devotional about the hardship faced by several of the women now living and working in the Mosaic community. One mother in particular is caring for the three young children of her three daughters, all who died at an early age from complications related to HIV/AIDS. Their early deaths were not unusual. In fact, a very large group of South Africans in their age group were part of the country's “missing generation,” missing due to the scourge of HIV/AIDS.

Finally, Meyer shared his experience of driving around Ikageng as the 16 year-old son of a wealthy white family and seeing, and hearing, the entire township population outdoors enjoying community together. Driving through the neighborhood back to his parents’ home, he noticed the eerie silence of a typical white suburban neighborhood. Silent streets, high fences, and no sign of the joyful community celebration he had just witnessed in the township. His final questions to us sparked a deep discussion among our group. Are we really better off than the people of Soweto and Ikageng? Has all of our material wealth built closer communities? Has it made us closer to God?

On a very personal note, I am feeling incredibly blessed to spend quality time with my daughter, Jordan, in her new “home away from home.” Her work on the ground here is making a tremendous difference not only in the Mosaic Community, but also for our dear Hopewell friend “Aunt Suzie.” I could not be more proud of the way she is following her own calling to help the people of South Africa. Please check out her blog at http://humcinsa.wordpress.com/

--Jamie Ridge