PRETORIA, South Africa – Unashamed, she handed Bibles to passersby. As fans walked past Mariska de Jager, some took tracts, a Bible or a DVD testimony of Kaká, a well-known Brazilian soccer player. De Jager’s husband, Marius, ran across the street to help another group pass out more materials.
Several churches have partnered together to host a “Big Screen Outreach” at Central Baptist Church in downtown Pretoria, one of the host cities of the 2010 World Cup. Yesterday, the de Jagers and about 60 other volunteers gathered to distribute materials and host a showing of the Paraguay vs. Japan game.
SOSHANGUVE, South Africa – The bus is brought to an abrupt halt in the middle of a narrow street, and the North American ladies are hurried from the vehicle. The people on the street immediately surround the women.
Normal neighborhood noises are overpowered by the sounds of drums pounding, vuvuzelas blowing, hands clapping, feet stomping and voices cheering. The parade of dancers, musicians and soccer enthusiasts eagerly escort the North Americans through the dusty streets.
Grahamstown, South Africa, sits nestled between tall hills. It’s a small, academic community with a major university and three private schools. Students come from all over southern Africa to attend Rhodes University in Grahamstown.
Most township children, like those from Joza, will never experience the rich lifestyle of many Grahamstown residents. Through soccer ministry, Grahamstown Baptist Church hopes to help build bridges and build relationships between the people in the rich community and those in the poorer township.
Thousands come in pursuit of peace at the temple of Kali, the Hindu goddess of death and destruction, each day. It’s a sea of humanity. Pushing, shoving and chanting surround me.
Standing in the courtyard, I try to figure out how this mass confusion can lead to peace. I ask two women who stopped to chat about this. Kajori Sett* and her niece, Garji Sett*, graciously offer to walk me through their weekly pursuit of peace, giving me a hands-on introduction to Hinduism.
Passion for bubbles and fun runs deep, as this Southeast Asian boy shows while running and waving the fly-swatter he is using as a bubble-wand during a visit a volunteer team from Tennessee made to the children's home where he lives. More Photos View more Southern Cross photos on Flickr.
Bible Calculator
The availability of Bibles in China has improved recently, however, it is still hard to obtain one in the country. Voices of the Martyrs estimates there’s only one Bible for every 222 people.
How many Bibles would China allow in your hometown?
You can be involved in getting Bibles to China without even traveling to Asia. Each packet of Bibles costs about $3.45. The packets include a Bible, the Jesus Film, various tracts and Christian DVDs. Your giving to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering and Cooperative Program helps to support workers to coordinate this project. Funding for Bibles and distribution materials comes from other sources.
PRETORIA, South Africa – Unashamed, she handed Bibles to passersby. As fans walked past Mariska de Jager, some took tracts, a Bible or a DVD testimony of Kaká, a well-known Brazilian soccer player. De Jager’s husband, Marius, ran across the street to help another group pass out more materials.
